The Great Seminary

Chapter 314 Who are the Ants?
According to the laws of the Ming and Song dynasties, "When the emperor dies, the whole country is dressed in mourning clothes, and meat and fish are forbidden for three months, as are musical instruments..."

In short, anything that brings joy is forbidden, and all citizens must observe a hundred days of silence to mourn the deceased emperor and father.

But laws are laws, and reality is reality.

In fact, even in Jinling, the capital of the Ming Dynasty, few people could persevere, let alone in other places.

Even in a remote town like Zhihai, the fact that white silk ribbons were hung on more than a dozen conspicuous pavilions was enough to demonstrate 'loyalty to the emperor'.

As for things like 'abstaining from meat and fish, enjoying music and music, and indulging in licentiousness and debauchery', those are a bit too much...

On the third day after Emperor Hezheng's 'official announcement' of his death, the sun was still shining brightly.

noon.

Zhang Gui was enjoying a hearty meal at a restaurant called "Fei Tun Xiang Jiang" at the Zhihai Town Wharf.

They deliberately violated the laws prohibiting national mourning, adhering to their belief from their previous life that "evil laws are not law".

Ding Chengqi suddenly rushed over in a panic.

He handed him a silk scroll covered with writing.

He leaned close to Zhang Gui's ear and said in a trembling voice:

"Your Highness, it has come true! Your words have come true! His Highness Prince Zhen is not dead!"

They even issued a proclamation claiming that Emperor Hezheng had been poisoned by Crown Prince Kui Wang…

"Wait a minute, wasn't it strangled by Qingling? Was it changed to poison?"

Zhang Gui took the silk book and read it quickly, asking casually as he did so.

"The proclamation says it's poisonous," Ding Chengqi said in a low voice, certain.

"It doesn't matter why Emperor Hezheng died, what matters is that Prince Kui murdered his father and plotted to seize the throne."

Prince Zhen has summoned the mighty Japanese army to punish the traitors and restore order!

Seeing that his already clumsy but refined appearance now looked even more sleazy, Zhang Gui threw down the silk book in his hand.
"Old Ding, the whole country knows about this now, right?"

Why are you still acting so suspiciously?

"Your Highness, such a shocking matter, concerning the downfall of the nation, should not be openly discussed in broad daylight, even if the whole world knows about it."

"The fact that you think this way shows that the hearts of the people of Ming Song still belong to the Zhao family."

Indeed, after more than three hundred years of imperial favor, even the most tyrannical ruler could not possibly have executed them all in three years.

After all, the South is different from the North; there's always food to eat there.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Gui picked up a greasy braised pig's head and replied with a forced smile.

Ding Chengqi felt he had said something wrong, but he couldn't explain himself, so he could only laugh awkwardly and remain silent.

After a long pause, seeing Zhang Gui pour himself a glass of fruit wine with ice crystals floating on top, he knew Zhang Gui wasn't angry, and couldn't resist his curiosity, so he asked in a low voice:
"Your Majesty, how did you know that Prince Zhen was not dead?"

"Because the True Dragon Kingdom formed an alliance with Yingri and traded several 'Cloud Whale Kunpeng Ships' to Yingri to deal with the King Kui."

Didn't you notice that after I mentioned it briefly last time, I never brought up the matter of selling the 'Cloud Whale Kunpeng Ship' to the Ming-Song Dynasty again?

That's because after the True Dragon Kingdom formed an alliance, they became a "one-stop shop" for goods.

Not giving it to us actually benefited us.

If Zhenlong hadn't said he'd give us one of the ten 'Cloud Whale Kunpeng Ships' he sold, would he?

Now that they themselves are unwilling to sell, I've kept the 'sample' as a reward.

The true dragon always reigns supreme under their law, thus making them "not a barbarian land, but a civilized nation," which speaks to the price of civilization.

Zhang Gui answered with a smile, when suddenly he saw through the restaurant window a ship about a hundred feet long and three or four feet wide in the distance.

Its entire body is covered with black scales the size of a large bowl.

A strange ship, sailing straight in the sea, with only a few feet above the water and its cabins visible above the surface, came into view.

"This strange-looking thing must be a mechanical warship." A thought flashed through his mind. He closed his mouth, wiped it, and said to Ding Chengqi:

“If there’s work to be done, I’ll go to meet it myself. You get ready, get ready.”

A complete ban on meat is a bit much, but alcohol can no longer be sold, and flower shops have all closed down.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take care of it immediately." Ding Chengqi nodded and hurriedly left the restaurant.

Zhang Gui strolled to the dock and, seeing that the strange ship had not yet docked, shouted loudly:
"If you stand sideways, you will definitely not be able to enter the harbor."

If parked upright, it is extremely easy for other ships entering or leaving the dock to break it in half.

If there's no other hidden meaning, then you'll have to leave.

As soon as the words were spoken, the strange ship, which had appeared to have a straight and rigid hull, suddenly swam into the largest berth in Zhihai Town, as supple and curved as a giant python.

Then the bow rose more than ten feet high, and the dense black scales on both sides split open, revealing a gaping maw with two giant eyes.

The snake's mouth flicked out a crimson tongue, and on top stood a young man wearing a feathered robe, with eight long, slender swords resembling phoenix eyes stuck in his back like a peacock spreading its tail.

He stared at Zhang Gui expressionlessly and said, "You must be General Zhang Gui, the Dragon Tiger General?"

This question was clearly imbued with magic, causing a jolt to the mind and spirit.

Even those who were only affected changed their expressions drastically, including the merchants, shop assistants, tax collectors, and everyone else at the dock.

They were so frightened that they moved to the side.

"You are so unreasonable. You come to other people's territory and shout loudly. Aren't you afraid of hurting ordinary people in a heartless way?"

"These people, who disregard the proper relationship between ruler and subject during a time of national mourning, are truly depraved."

The young man in feathered robes coldly retorted upon hearing this.

"At cargo terminals, there have always been fewer 'mental workers' and more 'manual workers'."

Can a group of poor, destitute people who can't survive without some food in their bellies be considered subjects of the former ruler and therefore expected to uphold the "ethics between ruler and subject"?

I think you're being so nitpicky that it's illogical.

"How absurd! Why don't you give your name?"

"You are not worthy to know who I am; I am only asking you."

Didn't you submit a memorial claiming that you were suffering from a "seasonal plague" and unable to move?

How come you're so lively and energetic now?

This is blatant deception and treason, a crime deserving of death!

Seeing that Zhang Gui was eloquent, the young man in feathered robes stopped arguing. Finally, he made up a reason, roared, and with a thought, made a hand seal and pointed at Zhang Gui in mid-air.

Two swords suddenly flew out of their sheaths from his back and slashed at him.

Such behavior is utterly insane.

Zhang Gui was startled. With his mind focused on the present, he activated the "Great Intersection of Celestial Phenomena and Geography" within his body, creating a huge wave from the sea to meet the two swords.

Unfortunately, even waves propelled by great supernatural powers cannot be evenly matched with priceless, ancient treasures of killing and destruction.

After a few breaths of obstruction, the wave broke through.

Even so, it still startled the young man in feathered robes.
"Ordinary seawater condenses into waves, how could it possibly withstand the sharpness of my 'Eight-Headed Sword'? There must be some secret behind it!"
Or perhaps I never intended to kill anyone, but only wanted to establish my authority, so I held back too much. Yes, that must be it.

Thinking of this, he looked at the empty dock and shouted loudly:

"You've already witnessed the power of my sword. Even if you used your water manipulation ability to confuse my vision and let you escape..."

Unbeknownst to them, a hundred-foot-tall demon god with three heads and six arms, a golden body and wooden skin, surrounded by giant vines, with black liquid flowing from its anus and monsters spawning within, emerged from the sea behind them.

He coldly gazed at himself, who was like an ant.

(End of this chapter)