Chapter 445

Chapter 445

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Side Story: The Path of Sea Voyage (5)

Book: Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 445 Side Story 2 (5) (Part 1)

With the experience from their journey, the return trip was less arduous for Gan Ning, Lu Meng, and the others.

Previously, they had no idea what lay ahead, but now they were certain that after five months of sailing, they would reach their homeland instead of facing an unknown ocean.

Of course, there were still a few things to be cautious about.

Gan Ning and the others didn’t fully understand ocean currents, but from the flow of the water during their voyage, they could somewhat grasp the situation.

“The return path needs to be slightly further north than the outbound route to take advantage of the current and save effort. But we can’t go too far north.”

The scarcity of islands along the way forced them to rely on rainfall for fresh water.

The route they took on the outbound journey had frequent rains due to high temperatures, but further north, such conditions might not exist.

Changing the course would inevitably involve significant risks.

“Back then, we went south first and then east. Now, about four months into the return journey, we need to head slightly north again. Otherwise, we might sail too far and end up in Funan or even further west into the territory of Da Qin (Rome).”

As Gan Ning spoke, he gazed thoughtfully at the nautical chart before him.

During the Han Dynasty, people believed that the Central Plains were surrounded by the sea. The Silk Road connected the Central Plains to what later generations called Rome (Da Qin). By following the coastline and passing through various ports, one could also reach there. The scattered islands around were intricately connected to the Central Plains.

But after this sea voyage, Gan Ning couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

They had sailed for five months, traversing this vast ocean to reach the other side. When he explored further east from the northern peninsula where the locals lived, he discovered yet another boundless sea.

The people there had once built ships and sailed for over ten days, only to return after finding nothing.

What lies beyond that vast ocean?

As Gan Ning pondered, he voiced his thoughts.

“Actually, there’s another possibility,” Lu Meng speculated upon hearing Gan Ning’s words. “We took the southern route. If we had ignored the sea ice damaging the ships and sailed directly east from the location of Black Dragon Island, might we have seen something different? For example—”

“Could it be that the continent we reached is connected to the original one in the north?”

After all, their stay this time to collect species wasn’t long enough to allow them to explore further south or north of this new land.

They could only hope for the next exploration, or perhaps—

“We could also ask General Lu to keep an eye out while expanding the northern borders of Sui Province.”

The risk of shipwrecks in these cold waters was too high. It might be better to try exploring by land first.

Lu Lingju was currently stationed in Sui Province. After bringing the former territories of Fuyu and Goguryeo under Da Yong’s control and subjugating the lands of the Three Han and Wa, she might as well expand a bit further.

Just as Lu Yuan, the Governor of Liang Province, had to oversee the Western Regions Protectorate and the Kushan territories, Lu Lingju, being young and strong, could handle more work.

For Gan Ning and his crew, the more suitable exploration would be to continue eastward the next time they reached that region.

Just from their time in these two tribal areas, they had obtained species highly valuable to Da Yong. If they could reach the next territory, might there be even greater gains?

Thinking of the many crucial items loaded on the ships returning with them, Gan Ning couldn’t help but imagine.

He even wondered what it would be like to sail south or reach Da Qin first and then sail west.

Unfortunately, these questions without immediate answers would have to wait for the next sea voyage.

Though he knew not every voyage would be as smooth as this one, the spirit of adventure prevailed. Gan Ning resolved that even if it meant using the gains from this trip as leverage, he would persuade His Majesty to launch a few more sea voyages.

After all, he had a reason ready.

Gan Ning glanced at the foreigners returning with them on the ship. With the help of the ship’s medical officer, they had started learning the official language of Da Yong. By the end of this five-month voyage, they might be able to introduce their people to His Majesty in a way he could understand.

Wasn’t this another reason for the necessity of sea voyages?

Having small Western Regions states pay tribute to the Central Plains wasn’t enough. If they could get countries from across the sea to sail over, wouldn’t that be a feat worthy of eternal historical records?

To ensure smooth communication with these people before returning to the Central Plains, Gan Ning even prepared to teach them himself.

But this move was met with strong opposition from his subordinates, led by Lu Meng.

He spoke with a Shu dialect!

It was one thing for them to endure his accent occasionally, but teaching foreigners to speak like that? Unacceptable!

Amidst this atmosphere of one daring to teach, another daring to learn, and the rest trying to correct it, along with daily potato care on the ship, the return voyage seemed to pass unnoticed.

When the coastline appeared ahead, Gan Ning stood at the bow, gazing at it with a mix of emotions, unsure if it was the anxiety of returning home.

Had they… returned?

After a year and a half away from the Central Plains, had they finally weathered the storms and returned?

But soon, they realized they had celebrated too early.

As they drew closer, the land turned out to be a scattering of islands near the coast. They had passed this place when sailing east and needed to head further north to reach their homeland.

Fortunately, after another half-month of sailing, they finally estimated their position on the nautical chart and returned to the mouth of the Yangtze River.

Not only did they feel a sense of disorientation after being away from the Central Plains for so long, but when the dozens of large ships appeared in the view of the coastal patrol, the soldiers almost doubted their eyes.

Seeing the ships not dock directly but, as instructed before their departure, turn towards the river’s central island after catching the attention of the coastal people, they finally realized—this was real.





Those far-sailing soldiers have returned! They were not destroyed by the storms at sea but, after a year and a half of sailing, declared their triumphant return to the people of Xuzhou and Yangzhou! Of course, it was a triumphant return. “I saw General Gan Ning, he hung his brocade sail on the ship’s mast!” At this voice, the crowd along the shore burst into laughter. To be honest, anyone else after such a long sea voyage would have wanted to find a place to rest as soon as possible. The endless sight of the sea would surely bore anyone, but Gan Ning, not forgetting his reputation as the Brocade Sail Bandit, managed to stage a grand “return in glory.” “Quick, quick, go inform the Prefect!” Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao almost simultaneously received the news of Gan Ning’s return. Before they arrived, the medical officers from the two prefectures had already gone to the island as instructed before departure, checking the sailors’ health one by one, and those who were fine were disinfected with strong liquor and taken off the island. The ships and their cargo needed a more thorough inspection before they could proceed. Hua Tuo’s medical texts written during his time in the Western Regions mentioned many diseases that entered the Central Plains from abroad. It was likely that Gan Ning and his crew, returning from overseas, might bring similar risks. To prevent any tragic outcomes, no amount of caution was too much. Zhang Zhao, arriving first, heard Gan Ning instructing on the shore, “Be careful! My potatoes are still on the ship. Don’t let me bring back only dried or poisonous ones to His Majesty.” Then Zhang Zhao heard Lu Meng ask, “What poisonous ones? Did you bring back the wild ones?” Gan Ning’s ensuing silence made Zhang Zhao realize that their overseas voyage might have been far more exciting than he had imagined. But the urgent matter was not to hear about their year and a half of adventures but to quickly send the news of their safe return and great harvest to Chang’an, hopefully before the first day of the new year in the sixth year of Yuan Zhao. After carefully unloading the ship’s cargo, these items were sent to Chang’an via the Donghai Mi Clan’s merchant convoy. Among the convoy were Gan Ning, Lu Meng, and others. Gan Ning was deeply resentful about not being able to ride a horse and having to travel by carriage. “Just because I haven’t ridden a horse for a year and a half, doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten how to ride, right?” “Would a butcher who hasn’t killed a pig for a year swing his knife at himself?” The accompanying medical officer patiently explained that it was to prevent any health issues upon returning to the Central Plains, in case something went wrong before meeting His Majesty, for which no one could take responsibility. Gan Ning didn’t argue against this arrangement, just as he remembered not to sail directly into the dock in his excitement, only muttering, “I was the one who was uncomfortable abroad. The Central Plains’ cuisine is vast and profound. I only wish I had two more mouths to make up for all the meals I missed in that year and a half.” It’s good to be home… Even though the places they passed through were not as prosperous as the capital Chang’an, to Gan Ning, who stuck his head out of the carriage window, they all had a familiar charm. It had been nearly five years since His Majesty ascended the throne. Even Yanzhou, which had been affected by war in the first year of Yuan Zhao, now showed no traces of it. The sounds of New Year’s blessings filled the households of the prefectures, making it hard to remember that sixteen years ago, this place was one of the hardest-hit areas by the Yellow Turban Rebellion. What almost made Gan Ning jump out of the carriage was when they passed Luoyang. Although they did not enter the ancient capital, as they were about to pass through Hangu Pass, they saw a banner hanging where the name of Hangu Pass should have been, welcoming their return from the voyage. The earlier news had allowed the people in Chang’an to wait in front of Tong Pass as the convoy passed through, giving a warm welcome to these voyagers who had achieved a great feat. All the anxiety felt during the voyage, the confusion of being in a foreign land, vanished at this moment. When Gan Ning got off the carriage and saw His Majesty riding Zhu Tan waiting at the end of the crowd, he approached and heard Qiao Yan dismount and walk towards him, saying, “Welcome home.” These words carried an indescribable meaning far beyond acknowledging his hard work. But Gan Ning probably didn’t know that the success of this voyage and his plans to continue eastward from that overseas continent held extraordinary significance for Qiao Yan. As her power grew, so did her bargaining chips, but she chose not to exchange seeds directly with the farming system. Instead, she used this voyage to gradually bring these species into the mainstream, respecting the land. Now, as the potatoes, rubber, sweet potatoes, cassava, corn, peanuts, and other items brought back by Gan Ning were laid out before her, a sense of timeless wonder filled her heart. “Your Majesty?” Seeing Qiao Yan seemingly lost in thought, Gan Ning hesitantly spoke, unsure if he should reintroduce the various species. Thinking that His Majesty’s memory wouldn’t make such a basic mistake, he dismissed the idea. Fortunately, Qiao Yan quickly regained her composure and said to him, “It’s late today. Tomorrow at the court meeting, we will formally commend you, General, and the other soldiers who returned from the voyage, and officially transfer these items to the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue for handling.” Gan Ning’s thoughts had already drifted to the commendation the next day and didn’t notice if Qiao Yan’s mention of the Ministry of Revenue alongside the Ministry of Works was a slip of the tongue. Only when ordering the items to be taken away did he hear Qiao Yan say, “Leave the red fruit. I’ll have the Imperial Physician deliberate on it further.” Gan Ning, unsuspecting, naturally didn’t know that when Qiao Yan took this item back to the palace, she didn’t give it to the Imperial Physician but issued an order. “Bring the pot, slice the lamb and send it over.” Heaven knows how long it had been since she last tasted the flavor of chili peppers! Author’s note: Gan Ning: His Majesty is too cautious, needs to study it. Qiao Qiao: Ahhh, I can have spicy hotpot now. (Dog head)(Dog head)(Dog head) Someday there will be tomato hotpot.