Ming Dynasty: The Crocodile King of Han Prince Zhu Gaoxu's Family

Chapter 538 The Last Voyage

Emperor Longwu had no idea what would happen next! So, he decided to disappear temporarily! Perhaps, it would be a permanent disappearance!

He only hoped that the situation would improve after he left. Or, he just hoped that he wouldn't pass on any unexpected events to those around him now.
It wasn't that Emperor Longwu wanted to leave, but rather, his intuition told him that it was time for him to depart!

"emperor."

"Father Emperor." Upon hearing Emperor Longwu's words, all the princes in the Imperial Ancestral Temple knelt down in fear.

After all, Emperor Longwu was their only support! It could be said that without Emperor Longwu, they wouldn't be where they are today! Now, although they don't know what unexpected situation has arisen, if Emperor Longwu were to leave, they would lose their greatest reliance!
"Alright, don't be sad." Emperor Longwu suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and calmly told everyone to stand up, even though his younger siblings and sons were kneeling on the ground behind him.

What Emperor Longwu didn't know was that Emperor Xixiang and the princes were completely mistaken. They believed that Emperor Longwu had been forced to ascend to immortality because they knew the secret of immortality!

Although they were filled with disappointment at this moment, it also strengthened their resolve to seek immortality!

"Alright, that's enough for today. Whether you pass on this secret of immortality or not is none of my concern. After all, I don't have time to bother with you anymore."

"My lord, prepare for tomorrow's voyage. You may select some ministers to accompany us." After saying this, Emperor Longwu walked straight towards the door, each step firm and resolute.

Little did they know, at this moment, Emperor Longwu's sense of detachment from the world was becoming increasingly intense, to the point that it was even affecting his thinking!

Watching Emperor Longwu's departing figure, Emperor Xixiang and a large group of princes lingered in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, reluctant to leave.
"My lord, I'm back!" In a slightly dazed state, Emperor Longwu returned to Kunning Palace. When he saw Xia Shi sleeping peacefully, Emperor Longwu gently held his wife's hand and looked at her with tenderness.

The next day, Empress Xia was only awake for a short while before falling asleep again.

"My lord, don't worry, I have already explained everything to the boss, and I will leave first."

"My lord, don't worry. I saw how ugly you looked." In Kunning Palace, Emperor Longwu, who had spent the whole night with his wife, gently stroked her slightly wrinkled cheeks after Empress Xia fell asleep again, and then silently turned and left.

Little did they know, the moment Emperor Longwu stepped out the door, Empress Xia, who had been fast asleep, suddenly shed two streams of tears.
On the other side, after leaving the house, Emperor Longwu shook his slightly dizzy head and, with the help of a group of eunuchs, put on a magnificent dragon robe before going out.

"Father, the imperial carriage is ready. Please proceed!" After exiting the gates of Kunning Palace, Emperor Xixiang, Zhu Qiyu, was already waiting at the entrance.

Emperor Longwu did not speak, but instead swept his extremely imposing gaze across the palace behind him, and then glanced back at the Kunning Palace before boarding the imperial palanquin.

"Let's go!" With a loud shout from the eunuch, the imperial palanquin carrying Emperor Longwu slowly headed out of the palace.

For some unknown reason, Emperor Longwu suddenly had the illusion that after leaving this time, he would never be able to return to Longdu, the city where he had lived for decades.

Perhaps it was based on this feeling that Emperor Longwu gently opened the curtains of his imperial carriage, looking out at the palace walls that stretched like a giant dragon soaring through the sky, and the countless palaces that passed by.

Exit through Bei'an Gate, pass through the Directorate of Ceremonial, pass through the Inner Palace, exit through Xuanwu Gate, pass through Wansui Mountain, pass through the Forbidden City, Chengtian Gate, Daming Gate, exit through Zhengyang Gate, then exit through Yongding Gate, and finally exit the Imperial City of the Dragon Capital!

The once bustling streets outside Longdu had been cleared out by the Imperial Guards, the previous noise gone. However, the neat rows of houses and streets brought Emperor Longwu only a sense of comfort. After all, these were the glorious achievements he had created!

"Father." Watching Emperor Longwu survey every blade of grass and tree along the way with a lingering look, Emperor Xixiang suddenly felt a strange pang of sorrow.

Even after assuming power, Emperor Xixiang knew that as long as his father, Emperor Longwu, was alive, he could never truly and completely rule the entire Dragon Kingdom. He had fantasized about the day he would truly hold power in the Dragon Kingdom. However, Emperor Xixiang knew in his heart that his father, Emperor Longwu, was the pillar of the Dragon Kingdom! Without his father's support, his governance would not have proceeded so smoothly.

Even now, when Emperor Xixiang realizes that his greatest support is about to leave, he still feels immense fear!

"Eldest brother, I'm sorry."

"Your Uncle Long, your father may not be able to leave you anything." Noticing his son's unusual expression, Emperor Longwu spoke softly, revealing yet another fact that sent shivers down Emperor Xixiang's spine!
When Emperor Xixiang heard his father, Emperor Longwu, say that Tuolong was also leaving, he was filled with disappointment. Although he had guessed this outcome, he still found it hard to accept when the facts were presented to him.

"Father knows that you have secretly absorbed a lot of the alligator dragon's blood."

Dad hopes you can really train another alligator dragon!

"Perhaps it's not as powerful as your Uncle Long, but it's better than nothing!" Emperor Longwu said softly to his son. For a moment, Emperor Xixiang felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

"Father, I..." Emperor Xixiang wanted to argue, but in the end he lowered his head; he couldn't argue. Because it was the truth!
"This time, Dad may really be leaving. And he won't be coming back."

Your father left you a gift under the dragon throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, hoping that you can develop and strengthen the Dragon Kingdom.

"From now on, I'll leave your remaining younger brothers in your care," Emperor Longwu said to his son, muttering to himself.

After speaking with his son, Emperor Xixiang, Emperor Longwu once again scanned everything outside the window with his ferocious vertical pupils.

At noon, when the sun was blazing, Emperor Longwu and his entourage finally arrived at the Royal Harbor, the largest port in the Dragon Kingdom.

At this moment, Royal Harbour has been emptied, leaving only countless Royal Navy ships filling the entire harbor completely!

"Board the ship!" Without hesitation, Emperor Longwu ordered the boarding. Subsequently, a large group of princes from the Dragon Kingdom, along with court officials, boarded the largest treasure ship in front of them.

"Let's set sail." Sitting calmly in the cabin, Emperor Longwu issued the order to depart for the open sea.

With the whistling of the treasure ships, the largest royal naval legion of the Dragon Kingdom slowly set off towards the deep sea.

After sailing for an unknown period of time, until the land behind them could no longer be seen, the fleet slowly came to a stop.

"Let's go, let's go see those ministers!"

"Let me see their surprised expressions too!" After the ship came to a stop, Emperor Longwu looked on with great interest. He wanted to see the surprised looks on the ministers' faces; it would be very interesting!

"Yes!" Emperor Xixiang nodded somewhat awkwardly in agreement. He had realized that since becoming younger, his father, Emperor Longwu, had also become younger in mindset and enjoyed teasing people!

After Emperor Xixiang nodded, the young eunuch serving by his side quickly turned and left.

Before long, Emperor Longwu and Emperor Xixiang stepped onto the deck.

(End of this chapter)