Don't just stand there, speak up. What has Erlang thinking so much?
Li Xiuning leaned against the doorframe, a half-bottle of Erguotou in hand, and stared at Li Xiaogong.
Li Xiaogong was stunned. Dare he speak?
Officially, he would likely be accused of seducing the emperor immediately.
Privately, he probably wouldn't escape a beating!
Your Highness, I suspect Old Ninth is referring to that fermented herring in a can. Li Ji chimed in, stroking his beard.
I've heard that most people can't stomach it, but those who can usually don't forget it. They say it smells foul but tastes good.
He maintained a solemn expression, but his heart was bursting with joy.
Opportunities to see Li Ji flustered were rare, and he wouldn't let this one slip away.
Li Xiuning frowned and looked at Li Shimin with displeasure. "As the Son of Heaven, how can you eat such a thing!"
If word got out, what would become of the royal family's reputation?
Then, she turned her sharp gaze to Li Xiaogong and berated him.
"It must have been you who instigated Erlang. If that's the case, then I'll make sure you eat enough!"
With that, she pulled out a walkie-talkie from her embrace. "Anzhi, send some fermented herring to the Emperor's location. Bring plenty!"
Li Xiaogong's face turned green. He looked helplessly at Li Shimin. "Your Majesty... I..."
At a time like this, how could Li Shimin be chivalrous?
He quickly waved his hand to interrupt him. "Alright, I know you're happy. You can eat more later. It's better to endure your suffering than for me to get beaten too. Why did you have to mention that thing earlier?"
Fang Er, who was lying on the deck, feeling the breeze, scratched his head in confusion upon hearing Li Xiuning's words from the walkie-talkie.
Chai Lingwu, standing beside him, also appeared surprised. "Why does Mother suddenly want that thing?"
"I don't know. Let's send it over first!" Fang Er stood up, threw out a sentence, and headed towards his cabin.
When he returned with a bag of fermented herring and arrived at Li Shimin's cabin with Chai Lingwu, he saw Li Xiaogong sitting to the side with a wronged expression, like a jilted bride, looking at Li Ji with a hint of resentment.
As for Li Ji, his cheeks were flushed red, as if he were constipated.
Li Xiuning took the bag from Fang Er and threw it at Li Xiaogong. "Eat all of these, and I won't hold you accountable for disgracing the royal family! You should know what the consequences will be if you don't eat them!"
Li Shimin, being quite mischievous, stood up and patted Li Xiaogong on the shoulder. "Ah, Old Ninth, stop pretending. I know you have a taste for this. Take it to the deck outside and eat. If it's not enough, ask Anzhi for more."
Just as Li Xiaogong was about to say something, he felt a subtle but firm squeeze on his shoulder. He still didn't dare to utter what "that thing" was.
He could only put on a pained expression, pick up the bag of fermented herring, and walk out of the cabin.
Seeing this, everyone followed him, eager to witness this particularly pungent spectacle.
It was then that Fang Er realized Li Ji wasn't constipated at all, but was suppressing his laughter!
Now, following Li Xiaogong, he could finally release his pent-up mirth. He covered his mouth, his shoulders shaking violently.
This made him even more puzzled. He whispered into Li Ji's ear, "Duke of Ying, what's wrong with the King of Hejian?"
"Amitabha..."
"Amitabha..."
"Infinite Heavenly Venerable says: Cannot be spoken, cannot be spoken..."
Li Ji amended his words twice, finally shifting the blame to the Daoists.
Seeing that Li Ji wouldn't answer, Fang Er moved closer to Li Xiuning. "Mother, how did the King of Hejian offend you?"
After Li Xiuning explained the whole story, Fang Er's eyes widened as he looked at Li Ji. He never expected that the Duke of Ying, whom he had always considered upright, would have such a cunning and mischievous side!
Li Xiuning didn't know what "that thing" was, but he had seen the live broadcast using a drone!
Heh heh heh, serves him right!
He also grinned wickedly at Li Xiaogong and shouted, "King of Hejian, if these aren't enough, I'll get you more! Don't worry, there's plenty!"
Upon hearing this, Li Xiaogong stumbled, almost falling.
Villain!
Damn it, all villains!
I shouldn't have been tempted by the big ship and insisted on coming along!
Muttering to himself, he opened the bag, took out a can of fermented herring, pinched his nose, and pulled open the lid. A pungent, foul odor assailed him.
He glanced back at Li Shimin, who was standing in the distance, covering his nose and watching him. However, why was his middle finger twitching rhythmically?
Hmm?
That's Morse code!
110...
120...
119...
114...
He quickly stared intently at Li Shimin's fingers, his mind rapidly recalling the codes in the cipher book.
This was a three-code cipher developed by Li Tai, which could quickly transmit messages in emergencies. However, the cipher was not mature and had few characters, requiring many words to be understood through phonetic resemblances. Therefore, it had not been distributed to the armies, and only a few Bosses like them knew about it.
"Eat quickly, seven more, then you can come ashore and rest for a day."
This was the message from Li Shimin. Li Xiaogong's eyes darted about, and he immediately understood his meaning.
Eat quickly, and change ships after you're done.
He wiped the tears from his eyes, gritted his teeth, picked up the herring from the can, and stuffed it into his mouth. The intense flavor hit his brain, almost making him spit it out on the spot.
Fang Er watched, feeling a pang of sympathy. "Mother, why don't you just beat him? Don't let him suffocate to death from the smell."
The usually kind Li Xiuning, however, said coldly with a stern face, "Didn't the Duke of Ying say he liked eating this? Then let him eat! Eat until he's had enough, and then he'll see if he dares to drag the Emperor to eat it with him next time!"
Fang Er: ...
Li Ji, you're finished!
Old Ninth will definitely not let you off!
Given his personality, he'll surely have someone wake you up in the middle of the night to pee, or tell you to change your sleeping position.
There's no doubt that fellow is capable of doing that!
Fortunately, at the time, he wasn't sure what the matter was and only took out five cans.
After eating, Li Xiaogong staggered towards the crowd as if he might die from poisoning at any moment.
Li Shimin quickly shouted, "Stop the ship! Let him go to another boat!"
Li Xiuning turned to look at her brother, and after a long moment, a satisfied smile spread across her face. "Are you afraid you won't be able to resist the smell from the King of Hejian?"
"Sister will teach you a trick. You and he can go to another boat. Smell it more, learn to control your desires, and only then can you be a wise emperor for all time!"
Fang Er almost burst out laughing. This fellow was indeed afraid he wouldn't be able to control himself, but it was the fear of uncontrollably vomiting, which would reveal his true feelings.
In the end, the two of them went to another boat together. Li Shimin used the excuse of replenishing freshwater to have Li Xiaogong lead his men ashore, and the fleet stopped for a day near the Iwami Ginzan.
However, when Li Xiaogong returned, there were several short, delicate faces in the group behind him.