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

Being closer to the destination was part of the reason, but more importantly, it meant being able to disembark.

Sailing on the high seas is a very lonely experience, especially in ancient times, when there was virtually no entertainment on board and very little space to move around.

If I had to pinpoint the reason for my excitement, it would probably be the customs and culture of Japan.

Everyone knows that Japan's sex industry was unprecedented and unparalleled in later generations, with all sorts of fancy tricks originating from them.

But few people know that the ancient Japanese kingdom was even more impressive.

The origins of the Japanese people's customs and traditions are actually deeply intertwined with their Shinto beliefs.

Yes, it's Shintoism!

Two completely unrelated things.

During this period, the Japanese were collectively referred to as witches and prostitutes.

Their prostitutes were originally shrine maidens, or priestesses of shrines.

In order to raise money for incense offerings, they performed "dances before the gods" to serve worshippers. In the common people, they were regarded by the Japanese as mediums of the gods.

The relationship between the two is extremely bizarre, even somewhat shocking.

If this happened during the Tang Dynasty, which temple would dare to do such a thing? Emperor Taizong (Li Shimin) would have sent people to repeatedly whip the corpse and exterminate the entire clan.

This is absolutely unacceptable in Han Chinese culture and etiquette. Some temples strictly prohibit women from staying overnight, or have various strict rules.

However, it does not exist in Japan.

Priests took the lead, and by the time of Tokugawa Ieyasu's family, the Japanese government even got involved to legalize it, unify taxation, and make it a major source of national revenue.

It is precisely because of this cultural background that we have become so amazing in the 21st century.

Bus perverts, time stands still... and there are many more shameless acts, all of which are legal.

These messages gradually spread through merchants and monks who traveled across the ocean, and the place gained a little fame in the East China Sea.

All the men on the ship wanted to experience the local customs and culture of Japan.

Li Yuanchang naturally knew that they had been cooped up for two months at sea.

Therefore, he did not intend to forcibly stop them, but made some arrangements and restrictions, requiring people to disembark, but they had to form teams and return on time.

The treasure ship quickly docked, rapidly attracting the attention of the entire port.

"Look, what a huge ship!"

"What an imposing ship's gunwales!"

"Where did this come from!"

"They look like Han Chinese!"

"I've seen ships belonging to the people of the Great Tang Dynasty in the East!"

"Make way, make way!"

A large group of warriors pushed through the crowd and arrived at the port.

boom!

With a muffled thud, the planks were laid from the bow of the ship onto the land.

"Who goes there?" one of the samurai, wearing wooden clogs and sporting a bun hairstyle and beard, shouted.

"Your Highness, they are the port officials, high-ranking samurai of Japan, who are in charge of port entry and exit."

Li Yuanchang nodded and directly gave Ji'an a "pass". The so-called pass is issued by the Honglu Temple of the Tang Dynasty and belongs to the Qin family.

Although its diplomatic rank was far lower than Li Yuanchang's true identity, it was sufficient.

Tell them we'll be stopping for two days.

"yes!"

Ji'an quickly stepped off the ship and began negotiating with the port official.

What should have been an easy matter turned into a lengthy negotiation for Ji'an, with the opposing samurai blocking his way, seemingly unwilling to allow him to land.

Li Yuanchang immediately led his men downstairs.

"Your Highness, they say they want to board the ship and search it to see if there are any contraband items."

"Contraband?" Li Yuanchang laughed on the spot. What contraband could there be in this era? It was just a pretext to try and make some money.

However, if the water is too clear, there will be no fish, so this is not a big deal.

He pulled out a small packet of copper coins from his pocket. These coins were useless to the pirates, but the Japanese officials had plenty of connections with them.

As far as he knew, there were various goods traded between the Tang Dynasty and Japan at that time, one of which was gold.

After the samurai took it, he weighed it in his hand, and a satisfied smile immediately appeared on his face. However, after glancing at the treasure ship, he still showed no intention of letting it pass.

Ji'an translated, "Your Highness, they said too little."

Li Yuanchang frowned: "Tell them that's all they have. If they don't let them pass, don't blame us for taking action. Obstructing the passage of ships will be a serious problem if the Tang Dynasty holds them accountable!"

"yes!"

The samurai were greatly displeased upon hearing this and even began to press forward.

Li Yuanchang did not back down and confronted him directly.

The warriors saw no way to pass through his tough stance and, after a few shouts, let him go.

At that time, the Tang Dynasty stood at the top of Asia, and the surrounding small countries had to be mindful of its attitude. Once these trade regulations were broken, the first thing that would arise was diplomatic problems.

Moreover, the arrival of Tang Dynasty goods in these places was a rare and precious opportunity for them, so when these warriors realized they couldn't bully honest people, they backed down.

Soon, the crew assembled on land and assigned specific tasks.

Some people disembark to rest and relax, and then return to guard the ship at the designated time so that the next group can take their turn to rest.

Li Yuanchang personally led about fifty people to procure supplies.

Although the port was crowded and had some small markets, most of the goods there were dried fish and tattered fishing nets.

The fleet doesn't need these things, and the quantity is too small.

After making some inquiries, he finally decided to go to Qingmu City, which is closest to Dayuan Port, to make purchases.

It is said that this place is the largest city within an 80-mile radius of Dayuan Port, and it is extremely prosperous due to its proximity to the port.

Upon arrival, it was discovered that the town was only the size of a county town in the Tang Dynasty, with very few tall buildings and an unremarkable layout.

"What a poor place."

"Yes, they are far inferior to our Great Tang Dynasty."

"No wonder the Japanese send envoys every year to pay tribute, speak kindly, and pray that the Heavenly Khan will give them some good things."

"These city walls are too low. If someone attacks, can they defend against it?"

"Their people are also very short."

The crowd looked around, whispering amongst themselves.

This isn't slander; it's the truth.

However, Li Yuanchang also noticed something unusual.

"I thought this place was a barren, disorderly, dog-eat-dog world, but I didn't expect it to have grown to such a scale."

"Patrol guards were set up at the city gates, and watchtowers were built on the city walls. Although there was no fixed currency for market transactions, there were already basic rules."

"On the way here, there were rice paddies, cattle and sheep, and farmers had some simple farming tools."

"Their civilization began with the Tang Dynasty."

Ji'an said, "Yes, in recent years Japan has gradually gotten back on track, ending the days of division among the nobility. The Emperor ordered Japan to learn from the Tang Dynasty civilization, which led to the changes we see today."

"About a hundred years ago, most parts of Japan were not much different from Tsushima Island."

Li Yuanchang nodded.

He actually gained a lot from this trip.

During this period, Japan, and even Silla, although weak, were generally making progress and were by no means as barbaric and poor as the court thought.

These things were unknown to anyone in Chang'an; they had never actually come to see them, so it was inevitable that they would look down on them.