Fang Er and Xi Tong stayed on the Chang'an Peninsula for nearly half a month, accompanying Li Yannian through drinking and idle chatter.
However, their subordinates were not idle.
Wang Xuance, Ge Luoyang, and others, guided by Li Yannian's men, conducted various raids back in Huaxia.
The massive Bai Di Hao required a vast amount of supplies to fill its cargo holds.
Although Fang Er could freely exchange items from the system and didn't lack money, this approach could also stimulate the domestic economy and production, boosting overall GDP. Why not?
Half a month later, as the last ship's worth of supplies was stored, the Bai Di Hao slowly ascended and headed towards outer space.
Just then, a spore-class spaceship flew rapidly from the south.
Fang Er quickly had their ship halted and curiously observed the approaching vessel.
From the hull number, it was identifiable as belonging to Li Shimin.
Could something have happened in the Great Tang?
But in the next moment, something happened that left him speechless.
"Hahahaha, my dear son-in-law, take me with you!"
Li Shimin's voice was filled with excitement, a hint of melancholy, and a touch of expectation.
Good heavens, why had he come here!
When the spore-class spaceship docked in the Bai Di Hao's berth, Fang Er nearly choked with frustration upon seeing the people disembarking.
Because the arrivals were far more than just Li Shimin himself!
Fang Er's gaze swept over Li Xiaogong, Cheng Yaojin, and others, and then he saw...
Qin Shi Huang, Liu Bang, Zhu Yuanzhang!
Damn it, these three had come along as well!
Li Shimin had Li Chengqian guarding the country, so why were these three joining the commotion?
"How is it? Surprised? Unexpected?"
Seeing Fang Er frozen in place, Li Shimin raised his eyebrows triumphantly.
Surprised by what!
He looked at Qin Shi Huang and the others with some bewilderment, "Are you gentlemen also planning to go out and explore?"
Old Ying stroked his beard and waved his hand, "I have already sent word back to abdicate my throne to Liu Bang in my world."
"Since the throne was ultimately his, I did him a favor and also saved the people from the suffering of war!"
Fang Er looked at Liu Bang before him. Although this Liu Bang was not the same person as the one Qin Shi Huang mentioned, still...
"Hahaha, Prince Kun, don't overthink it. I have also issued an decree for Empress Lü Zhi to act as regent, and Crown Prince Liu Ying to inherit the throne!"
Liu Bang seemed to sense Fang Er's curiosity and quickly explained.
Both men had done the same thing, so there was no need to ask about Zhu Yuanzhang; the outcome would surely be the same.
It was uncertain whether he had given the throne to Zhu Biao or Zhu Di.
But it no longer mattered. Having experienced the Great Tang, they likely had their own ideas.
Since they had come all this way, it would be impolite not to bring them along, so the traveling party had to include these individuals.
The Bai Di Hao took off once more and quickly broke through the atmosphere.
Everyone sat in the control room, gazing at the vast starry sky outside. Qin Shi Huang couldn't help but sigh.
"I once thought the world was only as large as Huaxia."
"It was only in the Great Tang that I learned of the many 'barbarians' beyond Huaxia."
"And now, I have personally witnessed this boundless void!"
"It has truly been a life well-lived!"
Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang had similar reactions.
Li Shimin, who should have been preening at this moment, did not join their discussion. Instead, he sat to the side, engrossed in reading a thick book.
The cover of the book bore eight prominent characters.
"Universal Magnetism"
Author: Li Tai
Below these conspicuous words was a long passage in fine script.
Second Author: Newton Einstein Galileo Volta Gauss...........
Indeed, this was the research institute's first formally published theoretical masterpiece after a long period of development.
At this moment, Li Shimin was immersed in the ocean of knowledge, feeling incredibly invigorated by this intellectual "recharge"!
As the ship exited near-Earth orbit, it soon entered jump mode.
A massive star map was projected in the control room.
This star map encompassed almost all the planets within the Milky Way galaxy, compiled from the star maps of invaders and astronomical data from Earth's nations.
Although Kepler-452B was 1400 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus, this star map would be very useful within the Milky Way.
"Everyone, buckle up, prepare for jump!"
Xi Tong, seated in the captain's chair, issued a reminder to everyone in the cabin without looking back.
Subsequently, the Bai Di Hao's intelligent system transmitted the impending jump information to every compartment.
"Route is set!"
"Warp array activated!"
"Energy transmission normal!"
"Hull structure stable!"
"Countdown initiated!"
"Ten, nine, eight,........"
"Three, two, one!"
"Spatial jump, commencing!"
The intelligent system issued reminders repeatedly under Xi Tong's command. As the word "commencing" was spoken, a tremendous amount of energy was transmitted from the power core to the external array on the ship.
"Boom!"
The ship shuddered, and the converging energy formed a beam of light that violently struck the void ahead.
The calm void before their eyes rippled like the surface of water.
Immediately afterward, a black hole appeared at the point of impact, and it began to expand.
Li Shimin, who had been flipping through his book, suddenly looked up, his eyes wide as saucers, at the black hole outside.
"I understand!"
Although this was not his first experience with ship jumps, this time it gave him an unprecedented sensation!
Comparing it to the content of the book, he suddenly felt as though he had found the door to a new world!