Take this, and have the printing house find every possible way to print newspapers that are as realistic as this picture!
Li Shimin looked at it for a long time before reluctantly handing it over to Liu Hongji.
Why was he depicted as so handsome in the painting?
He was incredibly dashing!
Liu Hongji glanced at it after taking it and was immediately stunned.
What incredible artistry was required to create such a masterpiece?
He couldn't help but turn to Fang Er and exclaim, "Anzhi, your painting skills are probably unmatched in the world!"
By chance, my young daughter is obsessed with painting. Could she be sent to Shenyang to study under Anzhi for a period?
Fang Er couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Duke Liu, do you think this young man has the time to teach her?"
"Hahaha, that's true, young friend is quite busy." Liu Hongji said, trying to smooth things over with obvious disappointment.
The others curiously crowded around to take a look, and they all had the same reaction.
Especially the old man who kowtowed to the fat pig yesterday; that painting was simply sublime!
Seeing that Li Shimin had made his decision, Li Xiaogong and the Melon King quickly handed over the Fang Er quotes they had recorded yesterday to Liu Hongji.
After waiting another day outside the city of Qufu, the contingent from Weishan Lake finally returned.
They handed over the captured wealth to Liu Hongji to take back.
The army split into four divisions. The Central Protectorate Army escorted the wealth back to the capital.
The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Divisions of the Heavenly Fire Army returned to Shenyang.
Li Shimin, Fang Er, Li Xiaogong, Li Ji, and others, along with the Xuanjia Army, the Special Forces, the Yan Yun cavalry, and the Dengzhou Protectorate Army, escorted the prisoners to be executed to Laizhou.
As for the Eastern Depot agents and the Hundred-Riding Guard, they were disbanded on the spot and returned to their respective prefectures.
The Kong family, from Kong Zhiliang downwards for three generations, were all bound by their hands and thrown in with the captured bandits.
No one can predict what will happen a thousand years from now, but with the Kong family eradicated this time, at least the historical record of the Kong family's rebellion in the late Tang dynasty will surely be prevented.
As the army marched, the people of Qufu spontaneously escorted them out of the city, sending them off for several miles before returning at the persuasion of the Xuanjia Army.
If, one day, all the people under heaven can support me from the bottom of their hearts like this, then my journey in this world will not have been in vain.
Standing at the stern of the ship, watching the receding figures of the people in the distance, Li Shimin sighed sincerely.
"Your Majesty is wise, and that day will not be far off," Li Xiaogong said with a smile, standing beside him.
Li Ji stroked his beard with one hand and pointed to the farmlands quickly passing by on both sides of the road.
"With the aristocratic families cleared, the remaining task is to live in harmony with the people. With the large quantities of dried fish that Anzhi managed to acquire, the sweet potatoes will not have to be used for disaster relief. By next year, everywhere you look, there will be sweet potato vines. Your subject can already imagine the smiles of the farmers."
Li Shimin smiled and nodded. "Not only that, but also the wheat, pumpkins, potatoes, and cotton."
These are enough to ensure that the people are well-fed and clothed.
This prosperous era is within reach!
A few days later, the convoy arrived at Laizhou. Li Shimin was eager to experience the might of the hovercraft after it entered the water, and he also wanted to see the ship carrying a million catties of fish.
He no longer wished to witness the executions. The matter had been resolved, and seeing it or not made no difference.
"Ninth brother, leave some men here to handle the execution. We are going to sea."
"Yes!"
Upon hearing this, Li Xiaogong emerged from the cabin and shouted outside.
"Xie Bi'an! Fan Wujiu!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
The two guarding outside quickly clasped their fists in response.
"You two lead the Protectorate Army to stay and handle the execution. After it's done, take the brothers back to the Dengzhou camp."
"Yes!"
The size of the army shrunk once more.
This time, only three thousand Xuanjia Army, Yan Yun cavalry, and Special Forces accompanied them.
Three hovercraft entered the sea at Laizhou. The Xuanjia Army remained in place, awaiting the ship that would escort them back.
As soon as the ships entered the sea, they accelerated to full speed. With a speed of one hundred kilometers per hour on the sea, the sensation made Li Shimin, standing at the bow, reluctant to go below deck.
He held onto the machine gun with one hand to stabilize himself and laughed at Fang Er, Li Ji, and Li Xiaogong.
"Hahahaha, this is the kind of boat a man should drive!"
"Your Majesty, you got two of them this time, perhaps...?" Li Xiaogong was also conquered by this exhilarating feeling, and he looked at Li Shimin with a fawning expression, wanting to say more but hesitating.
He had formed a navy in Yangzhou in his early years, so he was very fond of ships.
"You want them?" Li Shimin looked at him with a smile.
"Absolutely!" Li Xiaogong nodded repeatedly.
"Dream on!"
"Hahahaha!!"
Li Shimin refused his request ungraciously.
Thirty million each. Such powerful ships must be under his command to feel secure.
Thinking of the spoils from confiscating wealth, he beckoned Fang Er and said sheepishly.
"Young man, look, this time the confiscation of wealth, plus Old Ninth's gains in Wozhou, why don't you sell me the remaining one?"
Fang Er: ...
Is this considered having your cake and eating it too?
"Your Majesty, the materials for building these ships must be found in the Far East."
"I encountered merchants from there and bought them when I built these three ships."
"The sea route is tens of thousands of miles. Are you expecting me to slowly sail there in a Wujia warship?"
This was not entirely a lie, as the black skirt beneath the hovercraft was made of high-strength nylon rubber, and rubber seeds had to be found in the Americas.
"You mean, after going there, there will be a continuous supply of materials?"
"We can build more ships like this?" Li Shimin suddenly asked Fang Er with an urgent expression.
Fang Er nodded slightly. "Roughly."
"Hahahaha, good! Then I won't covet your ship!"
"If you need them, you can take my two ships anytime. I won't charge you rent!"
Li Shimin was overjoyed. Not only did he stop asking to buy the ship, but he also generously promised to lend them.
Fang Er was speechless. Shameless, so shameless!
Rent, how could this fellow say such a thing?
The hovercraft sped along the coastline towards Panjin, drawing shocked glances from fishermen in the nearby sea.
They were too damn fast. They had just heard the sound, and the hovercraft had already floated past them.
Although the feeling of speeding on boats was great, the novelty diminished after a while.
Li Shimin idly fiddled with the machine gun, only to find that he couldn't understand it at all. He then asked Fang Er.
"Young man, how is this thing used? Teach me quickly, let me fire a few rounds to have some fun."
Fang Er's mind was filled with the image of Fang Xin running around naked. He had been out for so long, he missed his child.
Hearing Li Shimin's words, he called out Wang Xuance.
"Baiyi, demonstrate to His Majesty how to operate the machine gun."
Wang Xuance, however, did not move. He scratched the back of his head and said, "Your Majesty, Duke, I'm afraid I can't demonstrate this."
Li Shimin quickly asked, "What's going on?"
Fang Er also stared at him curiously, wanting to hear his reason.
Wang Xuance spread his hands in a helpless gesture. "The machine gun rounds, the rocket rounds, they've all been used up!"