Because it was the season for Hakata to return to Taicang, the fleet had to sail against the wind and current, which took about seven days. In addition, the ship had to sail upstream on the Yangtze River, so Zhu Zhen and his party could not stay in Japan for too long and had to set off in three days.

In three days, in addition to meeting with Ming officials such as Yang Shiqi, and Japanese princes such as Changqing and Shaoni, he also had cordial and friendly conversations with the great Confucian scholars and monks who came to Japan to give lectures, encouraging them to educate the people of Kyushu well.

Those great Confucian scholars were not fakes. For example, Su Bozong and Hu Han were also famous literary leaders in the Ming Dynasty. If it weren't for the fact that Boss Zhu was at loggerheads with Confucianism, he would lose his head at any time if he stayed in the country, and he would not come to this small country of Japan to give lectures no matter how much money he was given.

So Zhu Zhen could pat his chest and say to Changqing and Shaoni, I really don't treat you as outsiders!

The Japanese princes were of course very satisfied. They had long been deeply impressed by the profound learning and elegant demeanor of the great Confucian scholars. Han Yike and others were worried. Would this go against the prince's original intention?

Zhu Zhen told them firmly that those who were sent to Japan were all old Confucians. Only by clearing out these people, the new Confucians born in Guozi University could replace them and create a better Ming Dynasty!

Han Yike thought to himself, how much does the prince dislike these Confucians? I just don't know how many personal grudges there are.

~~

Before leaving, Zhu Zhen entertained high-ranking Chinese and Japanese civil and military officials, including Changqing, as well as those great Confucian monks. One is to say goodbye to them, and the other is to encourage them to unite sincerely and create a beautiful new Kyushu.

There is also a more important purpose - to introduce Lao Shiyi to them.

"In two years, my eleventh brother will be enfeoffed in Kyushu. Please bear with me." Zhu Zhen pointed at Zhu Chun and said in a deep voice: "Kyushu will become his vassal state!"

"..." Because Zhu Zhen had given a vaccination five years ago, saying that a prince would come to Kyushu in the future, no one was surprised, including Changqing.

As for Changqing, his role had long been transformed into the leader of Shintoism, and he had nothing to do with the secular world. Anyway, he was originally a human skin stamp, and it was not difficult to change.

So they calmly accepted the result and extended the most sincere welcome and respect to His Royal Highness the King of Shu.

This also put the eleventh brother's hanging heart at ease.

~~

After the banquet, Zhu Zhen, Zhu Chun and others boarded the ship and left Hakata Port.

Standing on the deck and watching the farewell crowd, Zhu Zhen asked Zhu Chun with a smile: "How is it?"

"I didn't expect them to accept it so easily." Zhu Chun stuck out his tongue and smiled: "I thought they would be as reluctant as the Koreans."

"How much effort did I put in Kyushu and how much effort did I put in Goryeo?" Zhu Zhen smiled: "Can it be the same?"

"Yes." Zhu Chun said gratefully: "Sixth brother has paved the way for me, I just need to follow it."

"Sixth brother certainly can't cheat you." Zhu Zhen said: "To be honest, you will be the most comfortable one among us vassal kings."

"Yes, the brothers will go to the southwest to expand the territory, and the younger brothers will also go to the frontier in the future. Only I will sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labor on Kyushu Island." Zhu Chun said a little embarrassedly.

"But your task is heavier than anyone else!" Zhu Zhen shook his head and looked at the eleventh brother seriously and said: "You may not believe that the biggest threat to my China in the future is here!"

"I believe it." The eleventh brother said without hesitation.

"How did you know?" Zhu Zhen looked at the eleventh brother in surprise.

"Because it was Sixth Brother who said so." Old Eleven said as a matter of course.

"Hahaha!" Zhu Zhen couldn't help but laugh out loud, "You kid has also learned to flatter."

"It's not flattering." Old Eleven shook his head and said, "I've been with Sixth Brother for so long, and everything I've seen and heard tells me that Sixth Brother is far-sighted and has a clear vision! Your judgment will not be wrong!"

"You still say it's not flattering?" Zhu Zhen rubbed his head lovingly.

"Eleventh Brother is definitely not flattering, because I think so too." Old Twelve also came over and asked with a smile, "Sixth Brother, Eleventh Brother is in Jiuzhou, what about me?"

"You are in Beichao, to keep him company." Zhu Zhen laughed.

"Great, I can go and kill people everywhere!" Old Twelve's brain circuit is very strange, and he is not surprised but happy.

"What a joke, I'm just kidding you. If you are really sealed in the Northern Dynasty, you can only go to see the silver mountain." Zhu Zhen laughed and scolded: "You follow your brothers to the south and fight for your own territory."

"That's better." The twelfth brother still smiled and said: "Anyway, just don't let me stay in the back."

"Stinky boy, you still have a grudge." Zhu Zhen flicked his head.

The twelfth brother was unhappy that when the sixth brother went to Mobei to help the fourth brother, he asked the second brother, the third brother, and the fifth brother to go, but resolutely refused to let himself and the eleventh brother go.

"Hehe, I understand the big truth, but I just can't accept it emotionally." He rubbed his forehead and said.

"Next time there is such a thing, I promise not to abandon you, okay?" Zhu Zhen smiled.

"Okay." The twelfth brother stretched out his palm. "It's a deal!"

"It's a deal!" Zhu Zhen also stretched out his hand and shook hands with him.

~~

On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, the fleet arrived at Liujia Port, Taicang.

Because Zhu Zhen had specifically instructed him to do so, the officials and people of Taicang did not know about his return, and naturally there was no scene of a huge crowd welcoming him.

Firstly, this was to save Lao Si's face. Secondly, it was already so late, and they had no time to waste. If they did not return by the night of the 30th, it would be counterproductive.

In fact, they didn't need to be so hasty, but there are unexpected events. At the end of the year, a cold wave suddenly came, and the west wind blew day by day. The whole journey was against the wind and against the current, and it took several more days on the road.

After changing to a sand ship in Liujiagang, Zhu Zhen and his party used oars and rowed day and night, and finally arrived in Nanjing City on the afternoon of the 30th.

Looking at the familiar Nanjing city wall on the hills by the river, the brothers felt as if they were in another world.

Especially the eleventh and the twelfth, they didn't expect that the first time they went out was a whole year and a half. And from Shandong to Beiping and then to the frontier, and finally to the sea, for these two fifteen or sixteen-year-old boys, it was really too long to be away from home.

"Home, finally home!" The twelfth jumped three feet high, and even the usually steady eleventh excitedly cheered.

"Nanjing, we are back!"

The sixth and fourth brothers, who were vassals, were naturally much calmer. For them, returning to Beijing once every one or two years was normal.

"How are you? Are you nervous?" Zhu Zhen walked to Zhu Di's prisoner's car.

"A little." Zhu Di nodded, not because he was homesick, but because he was close to his father.

"Don't be nervous. It's New Year's Day. I won't beat my child." Zhu Zhen smiled and comforted him, then with a click, he locked the prisoner's car for the first time.

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