172: Chapter 82 The Emperor Loses His Composure

The news of the official commissioning of the Longjiang-class Battleship spread across the entire city of Jinling like a hurricane in just three days, and then traveled overseas via telegraph and merchant ships.

The headline of the "Tang Country Daily" used a full line of large characters: "A Giant Dragon Goes to Sea! Longjiang-class Battleship Officially Commissioned, Tang Country Navy Strength Ranks Among the World's Best!" Beside it was a photo of the "dragon might" sailing on the sea, which was taken by an accompanying journalist during the sea trials—the giant ship was cleaving through the waves, majestic and imposing, its main guns gleaming with a cold metallic luster under the sunlight, and the spray kicked up by the bow churned on both sides of the hull, like white wings unfolding.

In the corner of the photo, there was a small caption: "New main capital ship of the Tang Country Navy, standard displacement of 38,000 tons, three triple-mounted 406mm main guns."

The people of Jinling City spread the news to one another. In teahouses and taverns, storytellers clapped their wooden gavels and spat excitedly as they boasted about the Longjiang-class Battleship in miraculous terms: "Ladies and gentlemen, listen well! That Longjiang-class Battleship, a single shell from its main guns weighs over a ton! One shot, and it can level a mountain! That armor is as thick as a city wall; the foreigners' shells hitting it are like a tickle! That speed is faster than a typhoon at sea!" Although most of these claims were ridiculously exaggerated, the people listened with great relish, clapping and cheering, as if they themselves had become a part of this powerful navy.

An old scholar stroked his beard and sighed in the teahouse: "His Majesty is truly a god descended to earth! In five years, from nothing, he has built such a fleet. I have lived for most of my life and have never seen such a miraculous person. During the First Sino-Japanese War, our Beiyang Fleet was beaten to pieces by the Japanese invaders, and many people thought we would never recover in our lifetime. Now it is good, we have our own giant ships, who else is there to fear?"

A tea guest nearby laughed and said: "What miraculous person? That is our Emperor! With him here, our Tang Country will never have to suffer the bullying of the great powers again!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Long live His Majesty!"

Similar discussions erupted in every street and alley of Jinling City. Some hung portraits of Li Ling in the center of their living rooms and offered incense every day; some named their newborns "Ling" or "Dragon," hoping to catch a bit of the dragon's aura; others simply carved a line of text on the stone slab at the city gate: "Tang Country Li Ling, no war here." Every evening, there were always people gathered in front of that stone slab, clicking their tongues in admiration at the line of text, as if it were some remarkable auspicious sign.

But Li Ling himself had no time to listen to these discussions. He was busy preparing for a major event—the public fleet review of the Longjiang-class.

The fleet review was scheduled for March 15th, at the deep-water naval port outside Jinling. At that time, Li Ling would invite foreign ambassadors, domestic ministers, business leaders, and representatives of the common people to board the viewing platform to witness the majestic appearance of the three Longjiang-class ships with their own eyes. This was not just a military display, but a diplomatic declaration—he wanted the whole world to know that the Tang Country was not to be trifled with.

The preparatory work was extremely tedious. The Ministry of Rites had to arrange the honor guard and the parade procedures, the Navy had to organize the fleet formation and personnel lineups, the Ministry of Works had to build the viewing platform and temporary piers, and the Ministry of Revenue had to calculate the budget for the fleet review. Official documents from various departments piled up on Li Ling's desk like snowflakes, and each one required his personal approval. He had been busy for ten consecutive days, his eye circles were as dark as a panda's, and his voice was hoarse, but his spirit was exceptionally high.

On the day of the fleet review, the weather was perfect, with clear blue skies. The sea was calm, and the sunlight spilled onto the shimmering water, dyeing the entire sea area into a golden blue, like a layer of crushed gold spread out. On the pier of the naval port, colorful flags fluttered, and a red carpet stretched from the pier to the viewing platform, with armed honor guards standing on both sides. They wore brand new white dress uniforms, embroidered with golden dragon patterns on their shoulder straps, their backs as straight as javelins, their eyes like torches, and the rifles in their hands gleaming with a cold metallic luster under the sun.

The viewing platform was crowded with people of all kinds. Ambassador Hermann of the German Empire wore a crisp military dress uniform, his chest covered in medals, with a smug smile on his face, whispering to his entourage and bursting into hearty laughter from time to time; Ambassador Smith of Meijian Country had a gloomy face, the lens of the binoculars in his hand reflecting blinding light under the sun, his lips pursed tightly, as if calculating something; Ambassador Johnson of Britain was expressionless, but the knuckles gripping his cane were slightly white, obviously his heart was not calm; the French and Russian ambassadors whispered to each other, occasionally exchanging meaningful glances. The domestic ministers and generals were all glowing, their backs straight, as if they were the protagonists of the day. The representatives of the common people were squeezed at the very edge of the viewing platform, standing on tiptoes, stretching their necks, wishing they could pop their eyeballs out onto the sea.

At exactly 9:00 AM, the military band sounded. The melodious bugle call echoed over the sea, like an ancient summons, drawing everyone's gaze to the entrance of the harbor. The three Longjiang-class Battleships, towed by tugboats, slowly sailed out of the dock and lined up in the harbor. The gray hulls gleamed with a cold metallic luster under the sun, the huge main gun turrets slowly rotated, the muzzles pointed toward the distant horizon where the sea met the sky, emitting a low mechanical roar. On the deck, the sailors were lined up neatly, their white uniforms shining with dazzling light under the sun, standing on the sea like a steel embankment.

Li Ling stood in the center of the viewing platform, wearing a black naval marshal's uniform, with the Tang Country's highest honor—the Golden Dragon Medal—pinned to his chest. That medal was made of pure gold, with a thumb-sized ruby in the center, shimmering with a deep luster under the sun, like solidified fire. Standing beside him were the Princess and Empress Su Wanqing. Both women were dressed in grand attire today, wearing proud smiles on their faces, their eyes reflecting the images of the three giant ships. The Princess wore a bright yellow phoenix robe today, with an exquisite golden crown on her head, the pearls on the crown refracting soft halos of light under the sun; Empress Su Wanqing was in a light cyan long dress, with a white jade hairpin in her hair, appearing gentle and dignified, but her eyes were a bit brighter than usual, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, carrying an unhideable pride.

"Husband, these ships… are so big." The Princess said softly, her voice filled with wonder, "When I was in the palace, the largest ship I had ever seen was only a few hundred tons, and it was a big deal to park it on Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace. These ships…"

"Over thirty thousand tons." Li Ling laughed, "One ship is worth dozens of the old ones."

Empress Su Wanqing did not speak, just quietly looked at the giant ships, her eyes shining. Her lips moved slightly, as if silently reciting something—Li Ling guessed she was probably thanking the Bodhisattva in her heart. After a long while, she said softly: "Brother Ling, you are truly amazing."

Li Ling held her hand: "It is we who are amazing."

At 10:00 AM, the fleet review officially began. The three Longjiang-class Battleships formed a triangular formation and slowly sailed past the front of the viewing platform. The sailors at the bow saluted the viewing platform in unison, their movements as standard as if measured by a ruler—right hand at the eyebrow, palm facing down, eyes following the direction of the guests of honor, every detail was impeccable. The main guns on the deck rotated simultaneously, pointing to the sky, emitting a low mechanical roar, as if paying tribute to the sky.

"Your Majesty, please order the inspection!" The ceremonial officer sang loudly.

Li Ling stepped forward, stood at the very front of the viewing platform, facing the three giant ships, and slowly raised his right hand. The sea breeze blew from afar, blowing the hem of his marshal's uniform, rustling loudly. The sunlight shone from the side, casting a long shadow of him, covering a corner of the viewing platform.

"Tang Country Navy! In the name of the Emperor of the Tang Country, I inspect you!"

His voice, aided by the loudspeaker, spread throughout the entire harbor. On the sea, the sirens of the three giant ships sounded in unison, the sound was vigorous and long, echoing between the sea and the sky, shaking the teacups on the viewing platform, the ripples on the water surface spreading out in circles, hitting the stone walls by the pier, making a faint splashing sound. The sailors on the deck shouted in unison: "Long live! Long live! Long live!" The sound waves were higher than the last, like the waves of a rising tide, surging and surging, impacting the viewing platform one wave after another.

The common people also shouted along, the sound waves surging like a tide, some were moved to tears, some held the hands of their loved ones tightly, some waved their arms and shouted, their throats hoarse, still desperately shouting "Long live His Majesty." An old fisherman with gray hair knelt tremblingly at the edge of the viewing platform, kowtowed three times in the direction of the three giant ships, muttering "Heaven has opened its eyes, we have big gunships too," with tears and snot running down his face.

But what happened next left everyone stunned.

Li Ling stood on the viewing platform, watching the three massive ships sail slowly past.

They were beautiful—streamlined hulls, raised turrets, neat rows of sailors, and the Tang Country flag snapping in the sea breeze; everything glistened in the sunlight.

His gaze moved from "dragon might" to "Longwu," and then to "Longsheng." Each one was a perfect masterpiece that had stepped right off the blueprints, each carrying all the hard work he had poured in over the last five years.

Suddenly, a surge of hot blood rushed to his head, unstoppable like a volcanic eruption.

He jumped up—he really did jump, feet off the ground, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on—and waved his arms, shouting at the sea: "Mine! They are all mine! Mine! Hahahaha!"

The entire venue fell silent.

Not a sound could be heard.

Even the sea breeze seemed to pause for a moment.

Everyone on the viewing platform stared in stunned silence at their Emperor—the ruler who was usually dignified, decisive, and struck fear into the hearts of enemies on the battlefield, was now like a child seeing a big toy for the first time, jumping up and down on the platform, his face filled with undisguised ecstasy, his eyes crinkled into slits from laughing.

The binoculars in the hands of Ambassador Hermann of the German Empire fell to the ground, cracking the lens, but he didn't even notice, his mouth agape wide enough to fit an egg.

The corners of Ambassador Smith of Meijian Country twitched, and he tried desperately to hold back his laughter, but the shaking of his shoulders betrayed him.

Ambassador Johnson of the United Kingdom remained expressionless, but the hand gripping his cane trembled slightly, whether from shock or suppressed laughter—the silver head of the cane turned in his palm, making a faint friction sound.

The domestic ministers looked at each other; some wanted to laugh but dared not, some coughed with red faces, and some simply turned their faces toward the sea, though their shoulders continued to twitch.

The generals were more composed, standing with chests puffed out and heads held high, as if the Emperor's lack of composure was only natural—that was their Emperor; even his loss of composure was a display of dominance.

The Princess stood where she was, first opening her mouth in astonishment, then her cheeks flushed crimson, the redness spreading to her ears, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Her hands clutching the hem of her dress tightened and loosened repeatedly. She looked around helplessly, then at Li Ling, and finally could only lower her head, pretending to see nothing.

Empress Su Wanqing kept her head down, her shoulders trembling slightly as she clearly struggled to suppress her laughter, but her eyes were red—a redness born of happiness for Li Ling, the heartfelt relief of seeing him finally achieve his dream.

Only the System calmly commented in Li Ling's mind: "Host, your integrity has officially gone offline."

Li Ling jumped for a while before finally realizing the terrifying silence of the crowd. He stopped sheepishly, smoothed out the collar of his marshal's uniform as if nothing had happened, and cleared his throat: "Ahem, I am just... too happy. Happy. Yes, happy."

The ritual officer nearby was the first to react, hurriedly shouting: "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Tang Country Navy!"

The people on the viewing platform then followed suit, chanting in unison, which eased the awkwardness. But within the rising and falling cheers, there were clearly muffled snickers and coughs.

However, the image of Li Ling jumping on the viewing platform had already been firmly etched into the memories of the foreign ambassadors and accompanying journalists.

That afternoon, the journalists from Meijian Country and the United Kingdom wrote in their reports back home: "Tang Country Li Ling lost control of his emotions at the naval review, acting with severe impropriety, suspected of mental instability."

The reporter from the German Empire wrote: "The Tang Country Emperor is full of passion for his navy; he is a man of genuine character, and his bold and unconstrained style is impressive."

The domestic "Tang Country Daily" wrote cryptically: "His Majesty was momentarily moved upon seeing the fleet, a true expression of his feelings; truly a man of genuine character. Such a flesh-and-blood monarch is a blessing for the Tang Country."

After returning to the palace, Li Ling locked himself in his study, sat slumped on the dragon throne, covering his face with his hands, and let out a long sigh: "It's over... my image... completely ruined..."

The System, for once, didn't mock him, but said leisurely: "Host, you jumped quite high; your leg strength is not bad. I estimate the height off the ground was at least forty centimeters; your explosive power is astonishing."

"Shut up!"

"And what you shouted, 'Mine! They are all mine!' has already been recorded by Ambassador Hermann. He said he wants to take it back to Berlin for Kaiser Wilhelm II to hear. When he left, he kept playing that recording over and over, laughing as he listened."

Li Ling sat up abruptly: "What?! It was recorded?!"

"Just kidding," the System said. "But rest assured, Host, even if it wasn't recorded, the fact that you lost your composure in front of the foreign ambassadors has surely spread throughout the world. Within three days, the intelligence departments of all the major powers will receive detailed reports, likely titled 'Tang Country Li Ling Loses Composure at Naval Review, Suspected of Mental Abnormality'."

Li Ling slumped back down, covering his face, and let out a wail: "I... how can I ever face anyone again..."

But deep down, he didn't really care. Because those massive ships were real, those sailors were real, and that powerful Tang Country Navy—was also real.

So what if he lost his composure? He was never a stiff, serious Emperor to begin with. He had always been the Li Ling who would throw tantrums in front of the System, roll in the mud with his soldiers, and cheer and jump like a child after a victory. How could feigned dignity be more precious than genuine joy?

A knock came at the door, and the Princess's voice sounded, carrying a hint of caution: "Husband, are you alright?"

Li Ling hurriedly sat up straight and cleared his throat: "Come in."

The Princess pushed the door open, carrying a bowl of snow fungus and lotus seed soup. Her face still held a lingering blush, but her eyes were full of tenderness and amusement.

Seeing Li Ling's lifeless expression, she couldn't help but chuckle, walked over to place the bowl on the table, then sat down beside him and gently took his hand.

"Husband, actually... I think what you did just now was quite good," she said softly. "Outsiders see a high and mighty Emperor. But I see a living, breathing person. You get happy, you lose your composure, you jump up like a child... this version of you is the one I like. I have seen too many of those nobles who put on airs all day long. They always wear fake smiles, always speak in platitudes, and even calculate every bit when eating or drinking tea. You are different; you can laugh, you can jump, you can shout. This is how a living person should be."

Li Ling was stunned for a moment, then smiled. He gripped her hand back, gently stroking it: "Princess, don't you think I was embarrassing?"

"I don't," the Princess shook her head, looking him earnestly in the eyes. "I only feel that you are real. Your happiness is real, your anger is real, your joy is real. This is more important than anything else."

Li Ling felt his eyes grow slightly warm and pulled her into his embrace: "Princess, you are truly wonderful."

The Princess leaned into his arms and said softly: "Husband, in the future, whenever you have something good, if you want to jump, then jump; if you want to shout, then shout. I will be with you."

Outside the window, the sun was setting, the afterglow spilling onto the palace walls, dyeing everything a golden red.

In the distant naval port, the three Longjiang-class Battleships were quietly moored at the pier, the flags on their masts snapping in the sea breeze like three burning banners.

Those steel behemoths were like Li Ling's children, nurtured and raised by his own hands. For them, he had pulled countless all-nighters, lost countless hairs, and called the System "stingy" countless times.

But now, they were there, existing in reality, like three silent monuments standing between the sea and the sky, witnessing all his hard work and dedication.

"System," Li Ling murmured in his heart.

"Hmm?" The System's voice carried a rare hint of gentleness.

"When I jumped up just now, was I particularly silly?"

"It was particularly silly," the System replied, "but it was also very real. The System has seen countless hosts, but very few who can set aside their airs and express their true feelings like you. The System thinks that this version of you is quite good."

Li Ling grinned, though his eyes were slightly red: "Why are you speaking so nicely today? Are you trying to trick me out of my points again?"

"The System is merely stating facts. Whether you believe it or not, Host, is up to you."

"I believe you," Li Ling pulled the Princess even closer, "I believe you."

The twilight outside the window grew thicker, and the last glimmer of golden light slowly faded away on the horizon.

The lights in the naval port lit up one after another, like stars scattered across the earth.

And the figures of Li Ling and the Princess sitting in each other's arms, under the dim, warm light of the study, were stretched out long and thin, overlapping until they could not be distinguished from one another.