The Return of the Dragon Cavalry: Setting Out for Guangzhou

Su Lie was somewhat flattered to see Li Zhi and Li Chengqian travel such a long distance outside the city to welcome him.

He dismounted his horse while still far away and walked briskly toward them.

Li Chengqian was much more mature than Li Tai in handling matters. Seeing Su Lie dismount, he immediately led Li Zhi to greet him. At that moment, his primary consideration was not about which prince the Dragon Cavalry was closer to, but rather the broad-mindedness and deportment expected of a crown prince.

Li Zhi coordinated with Li Chengqian impeccably. He did not seek to steal the spotlight, deferring completely to Li Chengqian in everything, which naturally drew everyone's attention to Li Chengqian and Su Lie.

After a tedious and uneventful round of formal courtesies, Li Chengqian and Li Zhi finally escorted the soldiers of the Dragon Cavalry back into Chang'an City. The citizens inside the city immediately broke into loud cheers. The soldiers of the Dragon Cavalry put on their finest appearance, accepting the cheers and praises of the people with proud expressions on their faces.

Su Lie and his deputy commander, Zhang Lei, exchanged glances on horseback and then looked toward the carriage carrying Li Zhi. They knew that whatever achievements they had today were entirely bestowed by the Prince of Jin. Without the proposal of His Highness the Prince of Jin, there would be no Dragon Cavalry, nor would there be the rigorous training they subsequently underwent. Without the Dragon Cavalry, they might still be ordinary officers in the military, either wasting their fighting spirit in mundane worldly affairs or remaining obscure under the brilliant radiance of countless fierce generals.

Yet Li Zhi, the very person they felt so grateful to, was at that moment contemplating the next recruitment plan for the Dragon Cavalry and its future direction.

Ever since Li Yin developed the petroleum refining process, Li Zhi had suggested to Li Shihmin that an oil refinery be established in Yanzhou. The funds were provided by Li Zhi, and the future profits would be split evenly between him and his father, Emperor Taizhou. Li Zhi had already outlined the developmental trajectory of the petrochemical industry to Li Yin, and he believed that under Li Yin's leadership, the chemical industry of the Tang Dynasty would soon experience rapid growth. Among these, high-explosive gunpowder was the key direction Li Zhi wanted to prioritize.

Having witnessed the capability of the artisans of this era, Li Zhi had already compiled his acquired mechanical knowledge into books. He believed that once the explosive formula was successfully invented, Yan Lide and the others would certainly be able to research firearms and bullets based on his proposed concepts.

By that time, the tactical doctrine of the Dragon Cavalry would need a complete overhaul. They would become the first batch of soldiers to employ firearms and other thermal weapons.

For the first expansion of the Dragon Cavalry, Li Zhi had only recruited two thousand men. Bolstered by their previous combat achievements, this recruitment process went even more smoothly. Many young soldiers with sound physical constitutions from the Sixteen Guards rushed over to enlist at the Dragon Cavalry's encampment. The chief commanders of the Sixteen Guards were both infuriated and helpless about this. The Dragon Cavalry had now become the most formidable combat force in the Great Tang; not just young soldiers, but even veteran generals like themselves wished to seek new prospects there.

Once the recruitment for the Dragon Cavalry was completed, Li Zhi did not delay. He immediately sought out Li Shihmin to request an early departure.

Due to the massive purchases made by Li Zhi and the aristocratic clans, the raw silk in the northern regions was now nearly exhausted. This situation would inevitably become the norm for the next few years. Therefore, Li Zhi had to travel to Lingnan as quickly as possible to establish a new mulberry and silkworm cultivation base there.

The first destination of Li Zhi's journey was Guangzhou. Guangzhou was the capital of Lingnan Circuit and also the primary maritime trade port of the Great Tang. Merchant vessels from various countries arrived and departed here daily, drawing a massive gathering of foreign merchants. All of Li Zhi's grand plans would commence from this very place.

To show his utmost reverence, the Governor of Guangzhou, Dang Renhong, personally led a procession to welcome Li Zhi ten miles outside the city. Believing that Li Zhi, being a mere child, would certainly relish grand spectacles, Dang Renhong had deliberately mobilized a large crowd of townspeople, beating drums and gongs, to greet him.

Little did he know that this piece of flattery hit entirely the wrong mark.

When Li Zhi stepped out of his carriage and beheld the welcoming scene, he could not help but frown. The spectacle was simply too grandiose. Furthermore, aside from a small number of people wearing forced smiles, it was glaringly obvious that the majority of the crowd did not genuinely want to see him. Not only were there no smiles on their faces, but their expressions even carried a hint of anxious distress. Clearly, Li Zhi's arrival had brought them some trouble.

Dang Renhong failed to notice the subtle change in Li Zhi's expression. Smiling broadly, he stepped up to Li Zhi and said, "His Highness the Prince of Jin is inspecting the realm on behalf of His Majesty. You must have had a tiring journey."

Li Zhi replied with a polite smile, "Governor Dang is too kind. This Prince fears that my coming here will cause a lengthy disturbance, and I hope Governor Dang will offer much guidance and care."

Dang Renhong laughed, "Your Highness jests. To be able to serve Your Highness is precisely the honor of this humble official."

With that, he began introducing the other officials of the governor's office to Li Zhi.

Li Zhi exchanged greetings with these officials one by one, then cast his gaze around the surroundings. He said to Dang Renhong, "This Prince has come here on official business. For Governor Dang to receive us with such extravagant pomp makes me feel somewhat overwhelmed."

Dang Renhong chuckled, "This is merely the heartfelt sentiment of the common folk of Lingnan, and this humble official could hardly stop them."

Li Zhi responded, "Governor Dang need not mock this Prince. I have yet to establish any ties with the people of Lingnan, so how could I possibly merit such deep affection from them?"

Though the adage says one does not strike a smiling person, Li Zhi still issued a veiled warning to Dang Renhong.

Dang Renhong was slightly taken aback by Li Zhi's words. He then awkwardly stammered, "Perhaps the people knew that Your Highness's arrival would surely bring them benefits, which is why they appeared so enthusiastic."

Li Zhi smiled meaningfully at the crowd of onlookers and did not pursue the topic further. He said to Dang Renhong, "The journey here was long, and this Prince is truly quite fatigued. Let us hurry and enter the city."

The atmosphere at the scene lacked genuine warmth, and Li Zhi had no fondness for such formalism. Therefore, he promptly requested to enter the city.

Hearing this, Dang Renhong did not linger further. Hurriedly dismissing the welcoming procession, he led Li Zhi toward the interior of Guangzhou City.

Along the way, Li Zhi noticed a very peculiar phenomenon. Many areas outside Guangzhou City were constructed with extreme prosperity. Towering pavilions and luxurious mansions could be seen almost everywhere. Judging solely by the level of development outside the city, it appeared even more prosperous than Chang'an.

This inspired a greater sense of anticipation for his trip to Guangzhou. If this place was indeed developing so well, then the implementation of his subsequent plans would proceed much faster.

Unfortunately, Li Zhi's anticipation did not last long. As soon as he stepped inside Guangzhou City, he was immediately greeted by a starkly contrasting and bizarre scene.