Chapter 1194: A Recommendation Letter is Needed
Zhoushan, Dinghai Port.
A large vessel docked at Dinghai Port.
The moment it docked, a ten-year-old boy bounded off the ship.
It was E'zhe, the nominal Khan of Mongolia and a direct descendant of Genghis Khan.
The instant his feet met the solid ground of the pier, E'zhe doubled over, letting out a wretched retch that splattered across the planks.
Bystanders recoiled, startled. "Ugh, how disgusting! What's wrong with you, kid?"
E'zhe gasped, sucking in ragged breaths. "This is awful! So, this is how dreadful sailing is, all that swaying... I feel like the whole world is still spinning."
Behind him, two special operatives from Gao Family Village—officially his "guards," in reality his "supervisors"—leapt down. "If it's that rough, perhaps you should just return to the village."
E'zhe shook his head emphatically. "No, I'm going to be a naval officer! The Heavenly Lord himself approved it."
The common soldiers didn't understand why the Heavenly Lord was so benevolent toward the boy. Only Gao Yiye knew the Heavenly Lord's private words: that it was profoundly shameful to exploit an underage child for political ends, yet for the nation's future, one's personal shame was a small price. Therefore, everyone should treat the child with kindness.
E'zhe lingered on the pier, catching his breath until the nausea finally receded.
At just ten years old, his resilience was remarkable.
He rallied his spirits, squared his shoulders, and strode purposefully toward the Zhoushan Maritime Academy.
The Zhoushan Maritime Academy now commanded immense prestige.
Alongside the Yellow Pole Military Academy, it formed the two pillars of Gao Family Village's military education—one for sea, one for land. A land army officer who hadn't trained at Yellow Pole Military Academy would be ashamed to admit it; even the boastful Padi Tu had completed his drills there.
Similarly, a naval officer without credentials from the Zhoushan Maritime Academy would be seen as a mere "wild card," lacking the systematic training to lead effectively.
Spotting the academy gates in the distance, E'zhe involuntarily drew a deep, exhilarated breath. "Wonderful! I've finally reached the place of my dreams. I'm so happy!"
It was then that he noticed a commotion at the academy gates.
A grown man, clad in merchant attire, stood before the Maritime Academy entrance, shouting, "I'm here to study!"
E'zhe blinked. "Huh? That man must be at least thirty. He's coming here for school too?"
One of the operatives chuckled. "That's quite normal. Padi Tu was also past thirty when he underwent training at the Yellow Pole Military Academy. Many of our seasoned generals from Gao Family Village are 'wild cards' and need to acquire more systematic knowledge at the academy."
E'zhe pointed. "The guards won't let him in."
With a child's natural curiosity, he loved a spectacle and quickly darted closer.
The guard stepped in front of the man. "Sir, this is no ordinary school; it's a military academy. You can't just walk in and expect to enroll. At minimum, you must be an official soldier or reservist of our Gao Family Village, and a recommendation letter is absolutely required for admission."
The man, in his thirties, blustered, "What's with all these rules? At other schools, you just pay the tuition and you're in! Why is it so complicated here?"
The guard replied, "The very fact you're standing here indicates you're one of ours. No outsider could even get onto this island. That's why we're treating you politely. Otherwise, for causing a commotion at the academy gates, you'd have been tossed off this island long ago."
Startled, the man instantly quelled his bravado. He fumbled inside his robe and produced a token. "Look here! This was issued by Instructor Jiang Cheng himself – a Dengzhou Naval token. I'm a naval captain under his command!"
The guard examined his token. "Dengzhou Navy, Special Mobility Squad Captain, Yao Xingjuan."
"Alright, the token is legitimate; you are indeed one of us. However, for enrollment, you still require a recommendation letter."
As it happened, the man was indeed the renowned maritime merchant and occasional pirate, Yao Xingjuan.
After the Battle of Pi Island, Yao Xingjuan had personally witnessed the "Heavenly Lord's blessing" for the first time. He had promptly and voluntarily joined Gao Family Village.
Given his unique background, Jiang Cheng had appointed him "Special Mobility Squad Captain," entrusting him with command of an independent fleet. His duties involved managing trade—and, crucially, combat—with Japan, Joseon, the various Southeast Asian nations, and Western powers.
In these treacherous times, a maritime merchant couldn't simply conduct honest business. If you didn't prey on others, they would surely prey on you. Thus, combat was an inevitable part of the trade. One had to be adept at both commerce and piracy; both hands needed to be equally capable.
After joining Gao Family Village, Yao Xingjuan quickly learned of the Zhoushan Maritime Academy. He then eagerly rushed over, hoping to acquire systematic geographical knowledge—like ocean currents, monsoon winds, and modern naval tactics—and other pertinent skills.
He possessed some rudimentary understanding of these subjects, but his knowledge lacked structure.
However, as a newcomer, he genuinely misunderstood the protocols. He didn't realize that military academies were restricted facilities and had foolishly arrived without a recommendation letter.
Yao Xingjuan frowned. "What even is a recommendation letter? I've never heard of such a thing! Don't make this harder than it needs to be..." With a practiced flick of his wrist, he produced a hefty silver ingot. "Brother, be a sport, let me pass."
The guard, exasperated by the blatant bribe, let out a disgusted snort. "Hold on, are you serious? What kind of idiotic stunt is this? Trying to stuff money into my hand like that – do you want to see me thrown into a labor reform camp?!"
He pointed to the Heavenly Lord embroidery on his chest. "The Heavenly Lord is watching! And you dare attempt bribery here?"
At the mention of "The Heavenly Lord is watching," Yao Xingjuan's hand snapped back as if scalded.
The situation instantly became incredibly awkward!
Just then, E'zhe approached, reaching into his tunic. He produced his own recommendation letter and offered it to the guard. "Big brother, please take a look. This is my letter of introduction."
The guard unfolded the letter and gasped. It was a recommendation personally penned by the Saintess, Gao Yiye, herself. It stated that this child was the Heavenly Khan of Mongolia, come to study maritime affairs, and destined to become the Commander-in-Chief of the Mongolian Navy.
The prestige of this recommendation was astounding!
The guard, daring not to delay, swiftly dispatched another to escort E'zhe into the academy.
Watching this, Yao Xingjuan's eyes narrowed with frustration. "Ah, so *he* has a recommendation letter, and he gets in effortlessly, but I don't, so I'm stuck out here, no matter what I do, correct?"
The guard grimaced. "Admiral Yao, with all due respect, you're the Admiral of the Dengzhou Navy's Special Mobility Squad! Someone of your stature would undoubtedly be welcome to study here. You simply need to get Instructor Jiang Cheng to write you a recommendation letter, and everything will be settled, won't it?"
Yao Xingjuan scoffed. "But Dengzhou is incredibly far! If I have to go all the way there and back, won't that just be a colossal waste of time?"
The guard stammered, "Well..."
"Ha!" To their astonishment, the Heavenly Lord embroidery on the guard's chest suddenly resonated with a clear, booming laugh.
That sudden laugh startled both the guard and Yao Xingjuan profoundly. They immediately bowed, deeply respectful. "Greetings, Heavenly Lord."
Li Daoxuan's voice, amplified through the embroidery, boomed. "Guard, you performed admirably. Refusing entry without a recommendation letter, even to the highest authority, is correct. Rules are paramount; without them, there is no order. As for Yao Xingjuan, your point is also valid—traveling back and forth to Dengzhou would indeed be a waste of time. I shall personally serve as your recommender."
Comments