Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 412 The New World (Part 2)

"I feel like I'm always chasing after my seniors..."

When Su Guang landed on a small island again and found traces left by Tian Zhongzhou more than a hundred years ago, he couldn't help but sigh.

His face, weathered by the sea wind, was covered with a long beard, and his hair was quite disheveled, with a hairpin stuck crookedly in it.

His clothes were tattered and torn, making him look like a wild human.

Before Su Guang stood a stone tablet from a hundred years ago.

The text above is somewhat rough and worn, but it is still legible.

Both are writers who write in the same way.
The same kind of traveler.

The reason for this fate
Perhaps the teachings they followed and the knowledge they gained when they sailed eastward all came from the same person?

"I don't know how he managed to travel such a long distance to get here."

Su Guang scratched his head, casually picked off a louse from it, and cruelly made it burst with his fingernail.

To know,
During the past six months at sea, the Qi fleet has suffered a great deal.

The fact that we were able to sail safely to this point without being swallowed by the storms of the ocean is also inextricably linked to a certain ghost or deity who is willing to remain anonymous.

Just like the compass that supported Tian Zhongzhou's voyage back then, He Bo, after learning about Lü Peng's ambitions and Qi's future development goals, made many preparations for Qi's fleet.

In addition to informing the other party of the basic direction and patterns of ocean currents,
He handcrafted several large boxes so that the items placed inside could be preserved longer, preventing them from getting damp, moldy, or rotting.

They also commissioned Gan and Shi, two old gentlemen who were experts in astronomy, to compile a book called "The Art of Star Gazing" so that people traveling at sea could analyze their location by looking up at the stars.

of course,

Among the most important ones,
It is a piece of jade that was carved by gods and spirits with unparalleled craftsmanship.

Unlike the previous one, which could broadcast live information about ghosts and spirits.
The new "Spiritual Jade" has a very simple and straightforward function.

It senses the nearby moisture and wind direction, and then, through vague dreams, hints to Su Guang whether a storm will arrive soon—

And the reason for this
On the one hand, it is because ocean voyages are truly rare in today's world, and the dangers are unpredictable.

Secondly, He Bo couldn't guarantee that his tentacles wouldn't be interrupted when they reached the mysterious parts of the ocean.

Although Da Hai had always been tolerant and forgiving towards He Bo, considering that he was ultimately "unfathomable," He Bo still dared not be arrogant or unrestrained, and did not place his trust in him too much.

Therefore,
Such gadgets should be kept as simple as possible, and the magical power stored within them should not be squandered, lest they lose their effectiveness at crucial moments.

"This has been blessed by the gods!"

"May it bless you with smooth sailing at sea."

At the moment of parting, He Bo handed the jade to Su Guang and emphasized this to him.

Su Guang was puzzled as to why his friend wanted to give him another jade pendant on top of the one he had already given him.
However, the gentlemen of the Xia dynasty have always loved and valued jade, and liked to wear many pearls and jade on their bodies, so that when they moved around, they could hear the "jingling" sound of their jade pendants.

So he took on this small and beautiful burden, and, upholding his loyalty to his friend, carried it with him at all times.

Su Guang regarded He Bo's claim of efficacy as nothing more than a blessing.

But even today,
How could he not realize the magic of that jade?

The people on the ship often said:
"Being able to predict storms is truly amazing!"

"At first I was worried that this voyage would be a one-way trip, but who knew that I would be protected by the gods and spirits and have survived until now!"

"If we can successfully return, we will definitely go down in history!"

And Tian Zhongzhou a hundred years ago

The assistance from spirits and deities received was not as great as it is now.

The ship he was on was built by the Qi people, who had just established a simple city on the island of Dongying.

What dangers and storms did he go through to get here?

What kind of feelings did he have when he left his mark?

Did he know he still had a chance to return home?
Did he know that others would follow in his footsteps and explore the treasures he left behind?
Perhaps they were filled with anticipation!

Su Guang thought to himself:
If Tian Zhongzhou had no expectations for future generations, then there was no need for him to waste so much energy "greeting" people on the stone.

"Perhaps it's also the protection of ghosts and gods!"

My companion, also sporting a head of messy hair, was fetching precious fresh water from the island in buckets, preparing to cook a hot meal—a rare treat during the voyage.

Hearing Su Guang's question, he didn't look up and casually replied.

Su Guang simply smiled in response.

He walked over and, together with his companions, skillfully dug a pit in the ground, built a stove, set up a pot, and lit a fire. Then they took out the sprouted bean sprouts, dried fish and shrimp, and the meat they had luckily obtained on the previous island from the ship.

Fireworks drifted up,

A fragrance spread.

This desolate island suddenly seemed to have gained a touch of civilization.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill and replenished the ship's supplies, Su Guang and the others used the little fresh water they had left to do some washing.

"It's like being reborn!"

Although the lice on his body had not completely disappeared,

He hadn't shaved his stubble either.

But the feeling of having greasy hair and all the dirt washed away is still very refreshing.

Some crew members even lay on the ground covered with hay, thinking, "Let's leave it at that and let future generations explore the area ahead."

Fortunately, Su Guang went over to each person one by one and helped them up.

"The sages of the past are still waiting for us ahead."

He said this to his companion.

then,

After resting for a while, the group boarded the ship again and lowered the sails once more.

When night falls and the stars twinkle in the sky...
With his skillful ability to "observe the stars and determine the location," Su Guang stood at the bow of the ship as usual, gazing up at the deep starry sky, while also keeping watch for everyone and ensuring their peaceful sleep.

His captain,
Although he possessed some of the stubbornness and naiveté characteristic of Confucian scholars, he was indeed hardworking and conscientious, and did not rely on his status or profound knowledge to demand that others serve him with a self-righteous attitude.

Therefore,
Su Guang was highly respected by the crew.

then,

When one of his companions got up in the middle of the night to relieve his internal fluids, he saw Su Guang's straight back and couldn't help but come over and chat with him.

"Actually, I don't quite understand why the king would send people to explore the eastern ocean."

My companion said, "Going south or west both make sense, but what's to the east?"

The land of Southeast Asia is fertile and rich in resources, which can make up for the deficiencies of Japan and Qi.

Heading west, one could reach the Central Plains and pay homage to the Han Dynasty, the suzerain state, or reach places like Qin and Xia, where trade could be conducted and the intimacy among the various Xia states could be deepened.

This is much better than suffering and toil in the east!
Sailing to this point,

Who in the fleet didn't know that the East was a place "only found with bird droppings"?

If they could encounter a small island at sea and briefly savor the feeling of "being grounded," it would be considered a blessing from the gods.

"If I had your illustrious background, I would never have gotten involved in this mess!"

Su Guang's ancestors,
It was the child Su Qin had with the Queen Dowager of Yan when he was in the state of Yan.

The other party was born in the palace, but was not a member of the royal family of Yan. In fact, he could be considered a disgrace to the entire Yan Kingdom.

However, the King of Yan had control over this half-brother, and could ask Su Qin, who was in Qi, to seek benefits for Yan, which is why the half-brother was able to grow up safely.

When Su Qin grew old, and due to the Empress Dowager's various disturbances, this illegitimate son was finally moved to the State of Qi.

Because she had a lover who cherished her mother and valued the "fruit of their love," the other party's life in the State of Qi was very stable.

After the people of Qi crossed the sea to the east, their descendants rose through the ranks, becoming prominent figures in the country. Therefore,
Su Guangcai was young, yet he was highly regarded by the imperial court.

The crew member in front of him was one of the warriors that Lü Peng had recruited in the country with a lot of money and various promises.

He had no family and came from a very humble background, yet he was always resentful of being bullied and wanted to rise above others.

He accepted this mission, which had a high chance of "never returning," because he knew clearly that if something was inherently lacking, it could only be obtained through hard work and perseverance.

After listening to his words, Su Guang pondered for a moment before saying:
"Maybe it's out of curiosity."

I'm curious about just how high and far the blue sky really is.

Curious about just how vast the earth truly is.

Curious people wonder where in the world they can reach with their power.

The other person was somewhat surprised, "Just because of this, you're willing to give up your life and wealth?"

"How could such a wise ruler as His Majesty pay such a high price to satisfy such trivial curiosity?"

"It's not that I don't care."

Su Guang stroked his beard and then said softly, "After all, sooner or later, the Chinese will have to go to the other side of the world."

"We just moved a little ahead of time to lay the groundwork for future generations."

"And crossing the ocean to reach an unknown world, doesn't that excite and satisfy?"

To fulfill one's inner desires
This is something that people pursue throughout their lives.

Some crave power and fame.
Some crave wealth and status.
Some people simply crave to "know".

Maybe,

Millions of years ago, a savage with messy hair and a short animal skin looked up at the boundless starry sky and unconsciously pointed to the countless stars with his finger.
This desire then becomes part of human nature.

Both Zhao Chao and Tian Zhongzhou could not resist the temptations stemming from their very nature.

What about Su Guang?

……

The fleet continued its voyage.

As the distant East, following its own established pace, ushered in a new era,
As He Bo squatted in the underworld, awaiting the arrival of her "reincarnation" after a long and difficult childbirth...
The Qi fleet finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

Because they were propelled by the ocean currents, which were invisible to humans, they arrived at a place completely different from the islands they had been on before.

After expending considerable effort,

Su Guang and his crew, who initially only thought of replenishing the fleet's reserves and resting before continuing their voyage, belatedly realized—

The wind here,

Something is not right.

Drifting at sea for so long,
Su Guang and his men were already familiar with the sea breeze, which was filled with a salty, damp, and bitter smell.

Su Guang, who wears a "weather forecast" device, is even more sensitive to wind direction and moisture.

That dry, empty wind, carrying a strong earthy scent...

Just like what he sensed when he was in the Central Plains or Western Qin!

This is the scent of the land!
This……

Is this the end of the sea?
Su Guang was so excited that he immediately prostrated himself on the ground, grabbed the soil and vegetation, and held them up to his face.

He sniffed their scent almost obsessively, and then burst into tears when he saw a large, never-before-seen great antler deer, which clearly could only grow on vast land, peeking out.

He was no longer able to speak.

All his emotions, all his nature and wisdom, came to a standstill at that moment.

All he could do was cry!
Like a child separated from its mother's body, its soft yet strong umbilical cord severed, and arriving in a new world.

He cried a lot, but there was no sign of sadness.

Because he was not harmed,
He simply wanted to embrace a new, unfamiliar world that filled him with anticipation.

His companions also realized what was happening, and after standing there blankly for a while, they also started crying and laughing.

The few dozen people remaining were frantically moving around on the shore, which terrified a mule deer that had just happened to be passing by and wanted to graze.

It twitched its large ears and stealthily moved its four legs backward, but its round eyes remained fixed on the group of creatures it had never seen before.

Its innate curiosity made it unwilling to leave.

then,

When the group of strange creatures were tired from shouting and moving, they all lay on the ground, looking as if they were about to die.
This graceful mule-deer with large antlers, its noble hooves swaying and its neck held high, came to their side.

The owner of this land bowed his head to this group of impoverished outsiders, bringing his wet nose close to their exposed hair.

Just like the maritime explorers from the State of Qi who couldn't wait to absorb the essence of the new world.
It also huffed and puffed, rubbing against and sniffing the other's head.

Ok,
This smell...

This made the mule deer feel that these guys were a group of wild creatures.

It's a bit salty and fishy.

Perhaps something from the sea climbed ashore?

Even in its small mind, the mule deer still had some impression of the animals that lived in this area.

For example, when the sun is bright but the temperature is not high, a group of howling sea lions will climb ashore, then follow their nature to mark their territory and wait to mate and reproduce.

And all this,
They really look just like these strange animals!
Sea lions roar and howl when they come ashore.

The other person was also shouting and yelling when they came ashore;

Sea lions will crawl around on the ground, digging into the mud everywhere, to mark their territory.
The other person was crawling around on the ground, digging at the dirt, and then lying down on it without moving...

and so!
They are probably close relatives of sea lions!

In the mule deer's clear, bright eyes, a light called "wisdom" flashed!
Hey, good!
I've figured it out!

In his joy and pride, the mule deer took pity on the strange animal on the ground and licked its fur.

Then, as he licked...

Then, a strange curiosity arose within it, and it began to move its mouth, taking the long hair into its mouth and chewing it.

Su Guang was very unfortunate.
They became the victims of this beast's humiliation.

However, after experiencing such a great shock, his body and mind were weakened, and he was completely unable to resist.

He could only endure it in silence.

Fortunately,

Mule deer are clearly herbivores.

Although its tongue is long and its teeth are very strong

But aside from making Su Guang spit, there was nothing they could do to him.

After staring at the tough, unbreakable fur for a while, the great elk lost interest in it.

It opened its golden mouth and granted Su Guang freedom.

Su Guang rolled twice on the ground to get himself out of the great antler deer's curious range.

His companions couldn't help but burst into laughter when they saw his disheveled appearance.

Su Guang first combed his hair, which had been stained by the giant deer, out of embarrassment and annoyance, but then he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

On a sunny day,
Gentlemen from across the ocean, with pure smiles, set foot on this land that had been isolated from the world for far too long.

(End of this chapter)