In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

Soon after, with a shout, the three huge treasure ships slowly sailed away from the dock, turned into the confluence, and officially entered the East China Sea.

What I expected to be an extremely bumpy voyage turned out to be surprisingly stable.

These three treasure ships, crafted entirely by hand using mortise and tenon joints, sailed on the sea without making a sound or swaying. Li Yuanchang was once again amazed by the craftsmanship of the Tang Dynasty.

For the first ten days before departure, the sea was in excellent condition, with calm winds and bright sunshine, which enabled the team to move forward at full speed and reach "Baiyingkou".

This place is the now-famous Jeju Island.

However, Baiyingkou in the seventeenth year of Zhenguan was still a barren land. Although many merchant ships docked there, it would only gradually become a military outpost in the more than twenty years after Li Zhi ascended the throne, and the largest naval battle in the history of the Tang Dynasty would break out there.

However, that's a story for another time.

At this time, Baiyingkou was still unclaimed territory, fought over by Silla and Baekje, and it was unclear who was in control.

"We've reached the shore!!"

The experienced helmsman, Lao Hu, shouted at the top of his lungs to remind everyone on board.

After sailing at sea for more than ten days, Li Yuanchang was bored out of his mind. He thought to himself that he should have brought two female companions with him so they could play cards together and relieve their boredom.

At this moment, he came to the deck and looked out at the land.

"Great! Finally, we can be ashore for a while. These past ten days have been so boring!"

"yes!"

"Look, there's even a market on the shore!"

"They must be Baekje people, right?"

"Tsk tsk, it's quite lively."

"..."

The guards were buzzing with excitement.

Li Yuanchang glanced at them and knew that his men were feeling stifled, but he wasn't harsh on them.

He immediately gave the order: "Everyone, after we reach the shore, you may be led ashore for a walk by the brigade commander, but you must all return to report within two hours."

"Do not stray more than two miles from this area!"

Two shichen is four hours, which is more than enough time.

Shopping, eating, and even hiring a local prostitute is more than enough.

Places like this, where merchant ships from various countries travel back and forth, usually have such places.

Upon hearing this, the guards erupted in cheers.

Li Yuanchang couldn't help but chuckle, then found Lao Hu and said, "Lao Hu, when the ship docks, tell Zhou Wei and Lao Yuan to arrange for their own sailors to take turns disembarking, some to rest and others to inspect the ship."

"All expenses will be paid by this king."

He was extremely generous.

Old Hu was excited upon hearing this: "Yes, thank you, Your Highness!"

"The master has already given us enough; we really dare not accept any more benefits from His Highness the Prince of Han."

"It's alright. As long as you work for me, I won't treat you unfairly. If you complete this trip safely, I guarantee you can retire early," Li Yuanchang said.

"Yes, thank you, Your Highness!"

Soon, the ship docked.

The three treasure ships were undoubtedly the most dazzling presence on the sea, surpassing all other ships in both size and imposing presence.

Before the ship even arrived, countless eyes and voices of discussion had already been cast from the shore. They had already recognized the Tang Dynasty flag on the ship!

For the surrounding small countries, the Tang people, or Han people, were the wealthiest group in their eyes.

A large number of local laborers and merchants flocked to the area, looking for jobs and business, much like in later generations.

Bang bang bang!

As the anchor was lowered and the planks were laid down, chaos erupted at the scene.

The veteran sailors who understood the Baekje language rushed forward and shouted to stop them from boarding the ship.

The scene was chaotic before it finally calmed down.

"Aren't you going down for a walk?" Li Yuanchang asked, looking at the desolate map.

Of the twenty or thirty people from the mountain tribe, not one of them managed to escape.

"Your Highness, we have ancestral rules that forbid lewd acts," Huang Tu said awkwardly.

"Besides, we don't need to buy anything; we just need to protect His Highness."

Li Yuanchang was instantly left speechless, both amused and exasperated.

The mountain tribes had been down the mountain for so long and entered the Han King's Mansion, but they were still very simple and honest. Fang Weng and the others were quite surprised by many of their customs.

"Alright, I won't force you."

"Let's go up and replenish our supplies."

"yes!"

After arranging things on the ship, Li Yuanchang led more than twenty people off the ship.

The people of the high mountain tribe are all of mountain-like stature. As soon as they walk down, the Baekje and Silla people feel an overwhelming sense of oppression and avoid them.

Along the coast, freshwater is an important resource, and many vendors sell it here in Baiyingkou.

Li Yuanchang went directly to the largest shop in the area.

It was called a shop, but it was actually just a rough building made of a few planks of wood. There was nothing inside except a well.

More than twenty men, dressed in shabby clothes and reeking of fish, stood guard, each with a fierce appearance and armed with weapons.

However, they were only fierce compared to the relatively weak laborers. Compared to the people in the wilderness, they all looked like sick cats.

"Sir, may I ask if you would like some water?"

A man with a pointed face and monkey-like features stepped forward, all smiles, speaking in broken Mandarin, his eyes constantly scanning Li Yuanchang.

All the fabrics, including the jade belt, were laid bare before his eyes, and the greed in his gaze could not be concealed.

"You can even speak Mandarin?" Li Yuanchang asked with interest, thinking that this must be a local bigwig.

"In response to your question, sir, I dealt with merchants from the Tang Dynasty for three years in my early years, so I know a little about them," the man said with a fawning smile.

How much is your freshwater?

"Your Excellency, we are exchanging goods."

Li Yuanchang nodded: "What supplies do you need?"

"Salt, cloth, iron, anything will do," the man blurted out.

Li Yuanchang already knew the rules here before he arrived, so he simply waved.

Huang Tu carried a large bag of salt with one hand, weighing about seventy or eighty catties. This would be a huge sum of money in the Tang Dynasty, and in this godforsaken place, it would be a treasure.

"It's all salt here."

"We need to collect enough water until the reservoir is full."

Upon hearing this, the man became excited, swallowed hard, and then carefully opened the bag.

When the coarse, white salt was revealed and shimmered in the sunlight, everyone on the other side stared intently, their eyes burning with desire, as if they were looking at a beautiful woman who had just undressed.

"Okay, okay, no problem!"

"Deal, deal!" The man, fearing that Li Yuanchang would change his mind, immediately put the salt away.

"Sir, please have a seat. We'll fetch you some water."

Li Yuanchang refused: "No need, my men will handle it themselves, just make way."

"Before we start, each of you should drink a few mouthfuls of water from the well."

He's not new to this; he's still quite cautious.

The man looked embarrassed and said, "Okay, okay!"