hsntnovel Chapter 2776 Kill Them All
Chapter 2776 Kill Them All
“Father, I want this Ryuchiu Island.” Li Shen nodded.
"Tenth brother, there is already a Ryukyu Kingdom on this Ryukyu Island. The people are all tattooed, the land is full of sulfur, and there is no written language."
Many years ago, envoys from Ryukyu traveled to Guangzhou on merchant ships to participate in trade, and the governor of Guangzhou reported this to the emperor.
Simply because it was their first time visiting my Great Tang Dynasty.
What do you want to do with Ryukyu? Do you intend to conscript all the Ryukyu people for forced labor?
Li Shimin explained to Li Shen.
“Father, why not? I will conquer Ryukyu and it will still be under the jurisdiction of the Tang Dynasty. I will just build a port there.”
From this day forward, Ryukyu will forever be an inseparable part of our Great Tang Dynasty. Anyone who tries to seize it from us...
It will surely inflict a cruel blow.
Li Shen tapped the small stick.
The others didn't know why Li Shen was so agitated. It was just a small island belonging to barbarians, was it really that big of a deal?
Li Shimin thought for a moment and nodded.
"Alright, five hundred thousand strings of cash, and both islands are yours. You must do this."
For Li Shimin, this was territorial expansion, a political achievement, and evidence that would make him famous in history.
As for the natives on the island, I'm sorry, that wasn't done by me, but by a group of pirates. The Tang Dynasty is a righteous force, rescuing the natives of the island, not occupying it.
“Your Highness Prince Ji, that island below Liuqiu…” Changsun Wuji pointed to a place not far below Liuqiu.
"Kill them all." Li Shen blurted out without thinking.
"They killed them all too? The Sulu people here occasionally pay tribute, could this be...?"
Li Shimin had not expected Li Shen to be so bloodthirsty. This area was not just a small country, but also contained many small tribal states such as Luzon, Sulu, and Poli.
Merchant ships also come here to resupply and rest.
"It's alright, it wasn't done by my Great Tang, why should Father worry?" Li Shen said indifferently.
"Well... you can decide for yourself." Li Shimin ultimately did not object.
The reason Li Shimin only gave 500,000 strings of cash was because he knew that Li Shen's naval power was very strong and there was no need for Li Shen's guards to take action.
Changsun Wuji only knew that Li Shen had one pirate crew, but Li Shimin knew that Li Shen had two pirate crews.
Li Shen recently confessed that his pirate crew already numbers in the thousands.
On a large ship, there are at least a hundred combat personnel and logistics personnel, or even more.
Li Shen's Roger Pirates had more than ten large ships, as well as many medium-sized clipper ships, and several thousand people were not few.
Li Shen confessed that there were several thousand people involved, but he himself did not know the exact number. Back in the East China Sea, he did not know how many imperial edicts he intercepted and how many people he arrested.
The sailors were conscripted into the army, and the others were forced into hard labor, never to return.
"Father, rest assured, this area will be the territory of our Great Tang for the next two years."
Li Shen immediately assured him of the information and drew a large circle on it with a stick.
"Your Highness Prince Ji, there is such a large area at the very bottom. It doesn't seem to be far from our Great Tang Dynasty. May I ask where this is?"
At this moment, Tang Lin, the Minister of Justice, spoke up and asked.
With the matter settled, Li Shen was in high spirits. Following Tang Lin's direction, he immediately picked up a small stick and walked over.
"Father, and everyone else, the place I'm about to tell you about is also a very large landmass."
This area is ideal for grazing, as it is a natural pasture, and is extremely rich in minerals, including coal, iron, and large quantities of gold.
It also has an abundance of seafood, making it a great place.
"Your Highness Prince Ji, how far is this place from my Great Tang?" Upon hearing that there was gold, Tang Jian immediately came closer.
"I'm not entirely sure about this either; I'd guess it's way off." Li Shen was indeed unsure.
"It's only about the distance to the Parthian Protectorate, not too far. Ships are also faster than caravans, so if we could..."
"Minister Tang, are you aware of the dangers at sea?"
Before Tang Jian could finish speaking, Li Shen interrupted him.
"Minister Tang, it is easy for ships to lose their way at sea. Although we have a compass, it is not foolproof."
Once lost on this vast ocean, the consequences are extremely serious.
Furthermore, the sea is unpredictable; storms can arise at any time. If the sea god is angered, a single wave can be tens of meters high, capable of swallowing a ship in an instant.
"At that time, the entire ship, including all its crew, will become sacrifices to the sea god."
Li Shen could tell at a glance that Tang Jian wanted to send ships to dig for gold. But this was Li Shen's prize; how could he let someone else have it first?
Furthermore, the imperial ships at present are not suitable for deep-sea travel and would most likely perish at sea.
The Fujian ships of the Tang Dynasty were multi-story ships, equipped with ballast stones, and had many masts and sails, making them suitable for long-distance voyages.
But if we're talking about what's best suited for deep-sea voyages, then airships are the way to go.
Clipper boats are highly resistant to waves, have multiple masts and large sails, and are extremely fast, with a normal speed of over twelve knots and a sprint speed of up to eighteen knots.
This was one of Li Shen's most powerful artifacts during his great voyage.
Tang Jian was also somewhat disappointed after hearing this. What Prince Ji said was true. Ten thousand miles away was not the same as on land. If an accident occurred, it would basically be a one-way trip.
Thinking about this, I can only shake my head and sigh.
However, Li Shimin, standing to the side, smiled and knew that Li Shen was definitely not that simple.
This child wants to eat alone.
"Everyone, there is another rare creature on this side. It hops around on two legs and has a pouch on its belly, which it uses to carry its young."
With short forelimbs, a head resembling a mouse, and a long tail, I call it a kangaroo.
Li Shen changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on the matter of gold anymore.
"Oh? There are such creatures?" Sure enough, everyone exclaimed in amazement after Li Shen finished speaking.
The Tang Dynasty was a vast and resource-rich land, with all kinds of animals, but what Li Shen said was indeed the first time he had heard of it.
"To be honest, I also learned about this from an ancient book." Many years later, Li Shen once again brought out the ancient book.
Otherwise, knowing so much, he really wouldn't be able to explain it clearly.
"Another ancient book?" Li Shimin murmured. No one else heard him.
Li Shen had used ancient books to fob him off since childhood, but he hadn't heard that excuse for many years, which inevitably reminded him of that time.
Back then, Li Shen was just a child, a very obedient and well-behaved boy. But now, looking at his son, who was even taller than himself...
Li Shimin wished he could go back in time and strangle him.
"Your Highness Prince Ji, this land is vast; I wonder if it is suitable for cultivation?"
As a major agricultural country, the first thing these officials thought about was whether they could grow food and whether people could survive, which ultimately depended on whether they could have enough to eat.
The idea passed down from our ancestors is simply to be well-fed.