PDLP Chapter 73: Langya in the East Sea
Chapter 73: Langya in the East Sea
Langya Terrace.
This high platform, rebuilt by the Qin people, is backed by green mountains and overlooks the vast sea, standing majestically on the coast.
Large roof tiles with kui dragon patterns hang from the eaves of the high platform. Whenever the sea breeze sweeps by, they faintly emit a mournful sound like a dragon's roar, echoing across the empty platform.
Ying Zheng stood by the railing, his black imperial robe billowing in the sea breeze.
He gazed into the distance and saw the vast ocean stretching to the horizon, where the sky and water merged into one, and the boundless blue waves shimmered with a golden light.
At the edge of the horizon, several islands, like dark eyebrows, float hazily on the misty sea.
And further east.
It is the legendary Three Immortals Mountain, shrouded in mist and unknown to anyone.
At this moment, the sky and earth were vast and the fields were silent. All the officials in the procession bowed their heads and held their breath, with only the sea breeze and waves echoing in their ears.
Ying Zheng gazed at the endless sea with eyes as deep as an abyss, remaining silent for a long time before slowly speaking.
"Several months have passed since Master Xu Dafang left Xianyang in the west."
At this point, he paused slightly, and his tone suddenly turned cold.
"Now, I have returned to Langya, spending a fortune to send young boys and girls, along with skilled craftsmen, to accompany you into the sea in search of immortality."
"Where is the elixir now...?"
In the end, Ying Zheng practically shouted a rebuke.
Xu Fu had been standing quietly a few steps behind Ying Zheng.
Hearing this sound, colder and more piercing than the sea breeze, he was shocked and dared not hesitate for a moment. He immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply.
He forced a bitter expression onto his face and said in a trembling voice.
"Your Majesty, the failure to find the medicine this time is truly not my fault."
"oh......?"
Ying Zheng did not turn around; his voice remained calm and unwavering, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Does Your Majesty mean that the failure to find the medicine...is it my fault?"
This seemingly casual question exploded in Xu Fu's mind.
He suddenly jolted awake, cold sweat instantly soaking through his inner shirt, and hurriedly offered his explanation.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger... I would never dare to. I have indeed seen the Penglai Immortal Mountain above the East Sea several times, but each time I try to get closer, it remains just out of reach."
"This is all because there are giant sharks and big fish running rampant in the sea."
"This ferocious beast is extremely violent, blocking the routes of ships and swallowing up alchemists who ventured into the sea in search of immortality... Therefore, we have never been able to approach the immortal mountains and obtain the elixir of immortality."
"Even I myself barely escaped death and was able to meet Your Majesty by sheer luck!"
As he spoke, this middle-aged Taoist priest, who usually had an air of otherworldly wisdom, spoke.
He covered his face with his sleeve and wept bitterly in front of the entire court.
The voice was choked and trembling, making it sound exceptionally real.
"Your Majesty, I...I deserve no regret in dying. But I failed to find the elixir of immortality for Your Majesty, and I...I am truly unwilling to accept this! I will die with my eyes open in disbelief!"
"Giant shark...big fish..."
Ying Zheng lowered his head and softly repeated the four words, a subtle, almost imperceptible glint of something else flashing in his deep eyes.
"A coincidence...?!"
Xu Fu's words stirred up the strange dream he had had the previous night at the Langya Palace.
In my dream, the vast ocean was as black as ink, with towering black waves that blotted out the sun, and all I could hear was the deafening roar of the waves.
There was also a god-like figure over ten feet tall, who emerged from the giant waves and called himself the sea god.
The sea god, wielding a long spear, lunged at Ying Zheng with overwhelming killing intent.
Enraged and terrified, Ying Zheng had no choice but to draw his sword and meet the attack, engaging the sea god in a fierce battle on the raging waves. The wind howled, the water split, and the heavens and earth trembled...
Just as he was locked in fierce combat with the sea god, Ying Zheng suddenly awoke!
The sea breeze still howled outside the palace, and the pillow was covered in cold sweat.
This dream haunted him, making him depressed and unable to sleep all night.
Ying Zheng kept this matter a secret and did not mention it to anyone. But today, Xu Fu mentioned that the giant fish had been sent by the sea god to block his path.
Suddenly, Ying Zheng seemed to realize something and abruptly looked at Zou Yun, who was calm and composed beside him.
In an instant, Zou Yun's calm figure suddenly became incredibly mysterious in Ying Zheng's mind, even causing the emperor to feel a sense of apprehension.
"Master Zou!"
"Could it be... that you foresaw this several months ago?!"
Zou Yun remained expressionless, offering only a slight upturn to his lips in the face of Ying Zheng's intense gaze, without uttering a reply.
The shimmering light on the panel in his eyes pleased Zou Yun greatly.
Seeing this, Ying Zheng stopped asking questions and suddenly turned around, drawing his sword from his waist.
"clang--"
The sword's edge flashed a cold, sharp light in the sunlight.
Ying Zheng looked out at the vast sea once more, his voice suddenly rising, cold as iron, "Hmph! A mere sea god fish dares to block my path."
He flicked his wrist, pointed his sword at the sea, and said with great spirit.
"By order! Prepare crossbow-equipped warships. I will personally sail the seas and shoot this fish to clear the way for you."
"This time I go to sea, I will not return empty-handed."
The emperor's heroic spirit, stirred by the sea breeze, soared straight to the sky!
Ying Zheng stood on the cliff, his black imperial robes billowing in the fierce sea wind, the sleeves rustling and making a sound.
Like an unyielding battle flag, it sounded the charge.
At its feet, the waves crashed against the shore, creating a deafening roar and churning up thousands of piles of foam.
In an instant, it seemed as if heaven and earth were echoing this emperor of the mortal world.
"only!"
All the officials below, including Xu Fu, responded in unison.
The sound even briefly overwhelmed the wind and waves.
Once the imperial edict was issued, the entire massive procession began operating at high speed instantly.
A military officer wearing a military cap and a silver seal and blue ribbon, holding a carved wooden tablet, quickly walked up to the lieutenant general, bowed and lowered his voice.
"Reporting to the General of the Palace Guard!"
"Thirty-six large yellow crossbows have been prepared by the Shaofujian Office, their strings are fully drawn and checked, and three thousand iron arrows capable of piercing the sea have been prepared."
"All were arranged according to the imperial order, placed on the sides of each ship, awaiting inspection."
The general had a cold and hard face, with a short beard on his chin.
He did not answer immediately, but instead stretched out his calloused fingers and slowly stroked the bronze slot of the crossbow, his fingertips brushing against the fine official inscriptions.
After confirming that everything was correct, he looked up and glanced at the blue-sashed military commander, then solemnly shouted.
"Check again! Inspect carefully! Is the string tension even? Is the arrowhead damaged?"
"If His Majesty personally boards the warship to hunt sharks at that time, and there is even the slightest mistake, he will be punished as a serious offender for breach of etiquette before the Emperor and for delaying military operations!"
"cut--!"
"only!"
The military commander felt a chill run down his spine, responded in a deep voice, and turned to run towards the other side of the camp.
The bronze seal at his waist clanged lightly as he ran, producing a series of soft, tinkling sounds.
Not far away, two minor officials from the Imperial Household Department, wearing official hats, were squatting by the side of the grain ship, counting the earthenware water urns and lacquered wooden grain boxes one by one.
One person holds a brush dipped in ink and quickly writes on bamboo slips while reciting in a low voice.
"Three hundred urns of fresh water, fifty chests of dry grain, and a full set of moisture-proof reed mats and flint for starting a fire..."
The other person raised his hand to wipe the dampness from the sea breeze on his face and urged him on urgently.
"Hurry up and record it! Hurry up! The Maritime Transport Commissioner is already waiting at the ferry. If we delay His Majesty's boarding time, we will be in trouble."
"Do you still want your head?!"
Further along the shore, rows of elite guards stood solemnly with spears in hand, their armor impeccable.
There was no loud noise, no chaotic rushing, only whispered orders, repeated equipment adjustments, and meticulous record-keeping on bamboo slips.
Everyone was working at full speed, each fulfilling their duties in a tightly linked manner.
This sophisticated state machine, designed to serve the will of the emperor, is now operating at full speed, solely to safeguard one objective.
The First Emperor's sea voyage to hunt sharks had to be absolutely foolproof.
Late January of the thirty-seventh year of Qin Shi Huang's reign.
This massive fleet, carrying the emperor's obsession with immortality and formidable military might, set sail from the ancient port of Langya.
Heading north along the winding coastline.