After several flares pierced the sky and the colorful light disappeared, hundreds of ships set off one after another, hoisting their sails and heading for the gentle canal to the north.

Although this road is upstream, in summer, the south wind blows strongly, and the sails are full of the south wind and go upstream, and the speed is not slow. Moreover, there are a large number of soldiers and horses on the boat, especially the 20,000 soldiers and horses of the Jin army who were captured, and at this moment they can be used as slender men for pulling fiber in some sections of the river, and they can also overcome the shallow places of the rapids.

Starting from Tiancheng Ferry, all the way to the north, upstream. Because I wasn't in a hurry, I wasn't in a hurry along the way. After crossing the canal and waiting for a mysterious boat outside Suzhou to join the fleet, the army turned to Jingxi through Taihu Lake, all the way west, straight through Xuanzhou.

After joining the Yangtze River, they passed through the newly conquered capitals of the Jiangnan and Jiangbei states along the Yangtze River, and the local officials and garrisons were warmly welcomed when they learned that His Majesty the Emperor had led his army through here. Li Yuan stayed in these state capitals, stopping and stopping along the way, and when he arrived in Ezhou, it had taken more than a month.

Ezhou to the west is Chudi, and the ships do not need to go west, because after Ezhou goes ashore, it is Chengdu 800 miles to the west, so the soldiers and horses get off the ship at the Ezhou wharf and change to walking.

Gu Jiu led the fleet back, and before leaving, Li Yuan handed Gu Jiu a letter to Gu Yingying, and asked Gu Jiu to hand over the jade pendant he was wearing to Gu Yingying. In the letter, Li Yuan told Gu Yingying not to think nonsense, he would definitely marry her, and he would never live up to her affection.

After abandoning the boat and landing on the shore, Li Yuan ordered Luo Erhu and Zhu Kuangcong and other generals to lead the infantry and heavy soldiers and horses to march slowly, and he and Liu Jiangsheng did not need to move forward with the infantry and horses. There was no delay on this way, and seven days later, in a sunny summer scene, Li Yuan finally returned to Zhongjingfu, the capital of Great Chu.

In the afternoon, there was a sea of people outside the eastern city of Zhongjing Prefecture. After learning the news of His Majesty's return from a great victory, the officials of the Privy Council of the Political Affairs Hall and the common people flocked to the east gate to welcome the emperor's return. Outside the east city, from the entrance of the street to the head of the suspension bridge, hundreds of thousands of people were crowded one after another, and everyone was happily looking forward to it.

When Li Yuan, Liu Jiangsheng, Wang Jingguo and others appeared on the official road covered by willows, the officials and people of Zhongjing Mansion shouted as if they had exploded, and the sound soared into the sky, shocking the earth.

Li Yuan took the lead in galloping close, and when he arrived at one end of the suspension bridge, Xu Kuangheng and Gong Shenyi on the left and right, Peng Shiyu, Wang Changgeng and others on the left and right deputy envoys of the Privy Council, and hundreds of civil and military officials came forward to greet him, and they all bowed their hands and congratulated him.

Li Yuan turned over and dismounted with a smile and slowly stepped forward.

"We are here to welcome Your Majesty's triumph! The news of His Majesty's extermination of the Jin army reached Zhongjing Mansion half a month ago, and now the old Tang Dynasty has been completely destroyed, and the land of Jiangbei and Jiangnan has returned to Dachu, how prosperous my Dachu national strength is! I have been looking forward to the day when His Majesty will return, and I am anxious. Your Majesty is finally back, hahaha." Xu Kuangheng laughed.

Li Yuan smiled and said: "It's hard for you, this time I came back from the waterway, and I was delayed for a while along the way, but it wasn't deliberately delayed, I was to inspect the people in the state capitals on both sides of the river, and the people's livelihood was worried after the war, so I had to know it in person to know it in my heart."

"Your Majesty is working hard, and I am blessed with great blessings." Gong Shenyi said with a smile: "But Your Majesty has to take the water route, if you take the land route, so many soldiers and horses will be dragged down, and it will take at least two months to return. The minister told Xu Xiang that they said so, but they didn't believe it. Haha, Peng Shumi also said that His Majesty will definitely lead the light cavalry back after the victory, Peng Shumi, what is happening now? I don't have anything to say."

Peng Shiyu scratched his head and smiled, "I really have nothing to say. The minister is just speculating according to His Majesty's original habit...... I thought that after the war was over, I would definitely return to my heart like an arrow. Well, Your Majesty, why didn't you come back first? The ministers and others are thinking so hard."

Li Yuan didn't answer, turned straight to Gong Shenyi and smiled, "Why, Gong Xiang doesn't seem to want me to return to Zhongjing as soon as possible."

Gong Shenyi hurriedly waved his hand and said, "No, no, the old minister means that Your Majesty's dragon body is valuable, and it is a long way to go for thousands of miles, so you should walk slowly, soldier."

There are a lot of horses, and if you can catch up with it, it's not good for the bumpy road to hurt Your Majesty's dragon body."

Li Yuan smiled and said, "Gong Xiang can't help but look down on me too much. I am the Son of Heaven immediately, how can I be so vulnerable? How can you hurt your body because of the long distance and bumpy road?

I also said that the slower return this time is not for the sake of sightseeing, or worrying about the bumpy road, but I have just recovered the entire Jiangbei and Jiangnan of Jinling Yangzhou.

In fact, I have returned to my heart like an arrow, and the sons and daughters of the army have also been on the expedition for so long, I have long wanted to take them back to Zhongjing Mansion as soon as possible, so that they can reunite with their families and enjoy a moment of peace after the war is over, Gong Xiang understands?"

Gong Shenyi wiped the cold sweat on her forehead, and hurriedly leaned over and echoed, "The old minister understands, Your Majesty has tried his best, and the minister is ashamed. The old minister vainly guessed the intentions of the Son of Heaven, and judged the crime by law, and asked His Majesty to punish him!"

Li Yuan waved his hand and said, "That's it, you are also thinking about my body, out of loyalty, how can I punish you." Now that a large area of land in Jiangbei and Jiangnan has been newly returned, the current situation is the time for you important ministers to show their talents, Gong Xiang, you are the chief of the political affairs hall, you should be more careful."

"The old minister obeys." Gong Shenyi hurriedly replied.

Xu Kuangheng immediately stepped forward and said with a smile: "Today is a good day to welcome Your Majesty's triumph, Your Majesty, I heard that the queen mother and several mothers have prepared a triumphant wine for you, waiting for you to go back to the palace to talk."

"Hahaha, yes, I happen to be hungry too. Come, Jiang Sheng, let's dine with me in the palace, just go to see my mother together." Li Yuan smiled at Liu Jiangsheng.

Liu Jiangsheng, who was dressed in military uniform, patted his lower abdomen and joked: "Your Majesty, the minister has been grumbling with hunger for a long time, and he should have eaten some dry food at noon, but His Majesty is in a hurry to go, I am afraid that he knows that such a sumptuous banquet has been prepared in the palace."

Li Yuan smiled, "Do you have a dog's nose? Can you smell the food?"

The officials couldn't help but burst out laughing, and Xu Kuangheng stretched out his hand and said, "Your Majesty, please enter the city, Ning Guogong, please enter the city."

Li Yuan smiled and said, "You guys come together, you haven't eaten at noon after waiting for so long, right?"

Peng Shiyu preemptively said: "No, no, no, Your Majesty, it's a family banquet, and the queen and a few ladies and other harem ladies are there, and the ministers are not good to bother, forget it."

"Yes, yes, Peng Shumi is right." The officials said one after another.

Li Yuan smiled and said, "Even my uncle said so, but I didn't have the words to refute it."

"Your Majesty, let's go into the city, several ladies are missing and want to go through the autumn water, especially the noble concubine sister of the minister, who is still waiting to hear the legendary story of Your Majesty's defense of Suzhou and the extermination of the Jin army outside Huzhou City!" Peng Shiyu said with a smile.

Li Yuan smiled and nodded, turned around again when he was about to walk, and walked slowly towards the bridge.

The people who were confined to the suspension bridge for safety reasons were bustling and crowded, one by one tiptoe to the head of the bridge, hoping to see the figure of His Majesty the Emperor, but the distance was too far, and the sight was blocked by the officials, only knowing that the holy car had reached the bridge, but they could not see him, and the people were a little disappointed.

Suddenly, someone saw Li Yuan walking from the bridge, and the crowd suddenly boiled.

"It's Your Majesty, it's Your Majesty!"

"The grass people greet Your Majesty, Your Majesty has a long life, and the Great Chu country is prosperous!"

"Your Majesty is the great savior sent to us by heaven!"

The people were ecstatic and shouted loudly. The soldiers of the Chu army guarding the bridgehead were busy in battle to prevent the people from rushing onto the bridge and causing chaos.

"Your Majesty is here, let's all kowtow to Your Majesty, Your Majesty has pacified Jiangbei and Jiangnan, and many of us can go home!" Someone suddenly shouted loudly and lay on the ground to kowtow to Li Yuan, and suddenly the rest of the people knelt on the ground one after another, and the black crowd knelt down like a landslide.

Li Yuan stood at the head of the bridge, facing this scene, his heart was very excited. This kind of scene has not been seen since Li Yuan ascended the throne, but Every time he faced the scene of the people kneeling down and thanking him, Li Yuan couldn't help but sigh and sigh.

This is not only a kind of respect enjoyed by those in high positions, but also a recognition of what they have done, and the latter is the most precious thing that Li Yuan hopes to obtain. The prostrations of the people are from the heart, because they have helped them and rescued them, which is completely different from the prostrations of being oppressed by the power, and this prostrations are from their hearts of gratitude and worship.

Li Yuan stood for a moment, suddenly raised his arms slowly, and was about to bow down to salute, the officials behind him were taken aback, and some people were busy stepping forward to stop them, Liu Jiangsheng stretched out his hand to stop them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we don't have to worry about it, Your Majesty is a man of temperament, and he has always loved the people like children, and regarded the people as parents and brothers."

"Our Majesty is really a person who loves the people, the old minister has lived for so many years, and he has never seen the Son of Heaven who salutes the people, and His Majesty is so admired by the subjects of the world, it is really admirable." Gong Shenyi sighed deeply.

All the officials nodded one after another, but some people also said disrespectfully in their hearts, Your Majesty will really come to the world, such a show to the world, it can be described as a deep scheming, so scheming at a young age, no wonder His Majesty can single-handedly create such a strong foundation, this is where he is powerful.

But when he saw Li Yuan, he bowed to the people seriously and saluted. The people were even more boiling, they had already stood up but hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, Li Yuan slowly got up and waved his hand and shouted: "Fellow villagers, get up quickly, don't do this, otherwise I will give you a gift again, will there be a rest if you go on like this?"

The people burst into laughter, and some shouted, "We are willing to kowtow to Your Majesty all day."

Li Yuan said with a smile: "Then I can't stand it, I just got off the horse, my body is tired and my stomach is grumbling with hunger, and I salute for a day, even if it is more tiring than killing the enemy on the battlefield, I can't bear it."

The people burst into laughter again.

Xu Kuangheng stepped forward and shouted, "People, Your Majesty has just triumphed, and your body is very tired, you want to show your respect for the Son of Heaven, and there will be opportunities in the future. Shall we let Your Majesty go and eat some food and recover some strength? Otherwise, Your Majesty is tired, what should we do with Da Chu? Folks, all those who are okay are dispersed, let Your Majesty live in peace!"

All the people shouted, "We respectfully invite Your Majesty to return to the palace, don't worry about me waiting, I will wait here to watch Your Majesty enter the city!"

Li Yuan laughed loudly, "Everyone, why do you have to do this? You see, my wife and daughter didn't come to greet me, because I asked them not to come. Ladies and gentlemen, the war is over, and if you want to live a good life, you must seize the good time to do things, and don't waste it here."

When the people heard this, they said, "How dare we disobey Your Majesty's words, and everyone will disperse."

"Disperse, disperse." The people laughed and said.

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