The eastern sky gradually turned white. Dawn passed and the day arrived. The huge fleet sailed south. From time to time, seabirds flew over and landed on the side of the ship.
Above the dragon ship, the palace attendants burned sandalwood incense to dispel the humidity and fishy smell of the sea. Occasionally, soothing music could be heard.
Walking through the corridor of the ship, Qin Hui stopped imperial physician Chu Hao and asked him about the emperor's health. Chu Hao explained in a low voice. Both of them looked embarrassed.
After asking, Qin Hui went to the cabin where Zhou Yong was resting. From afar, he saw the imperial concubines and palace maids waiting outside. These women were originally just playthings in the harem. After their sudden illness, Zhou Yong didn't trust many of them. Some of them were worried about their future and often came to wait, hoping to have a chance to go in and serve Zhou Yong. Qin Hui came over and bowed. After a few questions, he learned that Zhou Pei had already entered the room.
Most of the women in the harem had weak personalities. They didn't show any resentment in front of Zhou Pei, who had been through many hardships and ten years of experience. But in private, they didn't dare to speak up. As Zhou Yong recovered a little, Zhou Pei often came to take care of him. She didn't talk much with her father. She just cleaned him up and fed him porridge and medicine.
Zhou Yong was a little confused. For a moment, he wept for Jun Wu's situation on the shore and wanted to announce to the world that he would abdicate the throne to the crown prince. But for another moment, he was confused by the words of the officials. He still had a long life. As long as he was alive, the Wu dynasty would still exist. If he abdicated the throne to the crown prince, once Jiangning was conquered, the Wu dynasty would really be gone.
Occasionally, he would open his mouth to speak to Zhou Pei about these matters, hoping that his daughter would take a stand, but Zhou Pei would only look at him with pity. When Zhou Yong pressed on, she would simply say, "Don't make things difficult for those adults." Zhou Yong did not understand what his daughter was referring to, and after thinking about it, he became confused again.
Qin Hui was aware of what was going on with Zhou Yong. Seeing that Zhou Pei was attending to Zhou Yong, he quietly took his leave. The concubines were worried about their futures, so they didn't mind the old man's departure.
When he returned to his own cabin in the middle level, people would occasionally come to visit him.
After Zhou Yong's fall, the small Imperial Court held a few meetings and rested for a few days. The formal occasions where they expressed their views had also turned into private visits. When the officials who came over mentioned the situation on land and Zhou Yong's intention to abdicate his position, they looked very reluctant.
"... Although the Crown Prince is valiant and a blessing to the world, with the situation in Jiangning, I don't know what will happen next. We had no choice but to stop His Majesty. However, has Lord Qin consulted the imperial physician about His Majesty's health … "
"His Majesty is in the prime of his valiant and pioneering years. His body occasionally suffers from some minor ailments. The imperial physician said that he will recover soon, so there is no need to worry. The situation on the continent is truly regrettable … "
"… I heard that the Taihu Fleet has surrendered to the Golden Dog, and they may chase us to the sea. Hu Sunming is a shameless villain. Sooner or later, he will be despised by millions of people in the world …"
"Lake Tai's fleet suffered many losses in the previous battle with the Female Zhenren. Moreover, whether it is the soldiers or the armaments, they are not as elite as the dragon boat fleet. I believe that God bless our Wu dynasty, and nothing will happen … "
"… But Lord Qin, you have to be careful about the matter on the boat. Her Royal Highness is unyielding. It was Lord Qin's idea to kidnap her on the boat at first. Now her relationship with His Majesty is gradually improving. To put it bluntly, it's not like a close relationship between strangers. Lord Qin …"
"The Royal Princess is a child of the royal family. She has been managing Lin 'an for ten years. Her bearing and mind are not comparable to ordinary people. You and I can't speculate about the affairs of nobles like this …"
"… I just mentioned it casually. I'm a villain who gauges the heart of a gentleman … I'm too impulsive. Please forgive me …"
The officials came and went. In the beginning, the world of the Wu dynasty was as vast as tens of millions of miles. Now, there was only a small area of the dragon boat fleet left. But they kept talking and became the same. For a few days, Qin Hui's mood still did not change. In the evening, he took a pen and paper and began to write a memorial. When his old wife came to call him for dinner, he was still holding the pen and pondering, weighing his words.
"I heard that His Majesty is not in good health. The other officials are no longer in the meeting. Aren't you afraid that you can't get to His Majesty by writing a memorial …" His old wife was a little puzzled and said.
Qin Hui looked solemn and nodded. "Even so, there are still important things in the world that must be said. The Crown Prince of Jiangning is brave and resolute, which makes us ashamed … The ministers on the boat are timid … I have to come out and persuade His Majesty to give up the throne to the Crown Prince as soon as possible."
"Didn't you persuade His Majesty not to give up the throne a few days ago?"
"… I was wrong."
As Qin Hui said so, a resolute look flashed across his face.
Soon, the memorial was handed over.
…
The sea and the sky were vast. The fleet floated on the sea, and the scenery was the same every day. The wind and clouds passed, and the seabirds came and went. The Mid-Autumn Festival of this year finally arrived.
Zhou Yong's health improved a little. Under the instigation of the crowd, the dragon boat was decorated with lanterns and streamers. The palace maids moved the big bed to the main cabin of the dragon boat, and the concubines and maids practiced various programs, preparing to have a good time to cheer up the sick Zhou Yong.
After nightfall, drifting clouds floated in the sky, and the moon was hazy, appearing and disappearing from time to time. The huge dragon ship was brightly lit, and music rang out. The huge banquet had already begun. Some of the ministers and their families were invited to this banquet. Zhou Yong sat on the huge bed, watching the programs in the cabin, and his spirit was slightly lifted.
At a quarter past seven, Zhou Pei left the main cabin of the dragon boat and walked along the long cabin path to the rear of the boat. This was the middle and upper level of the dragon boat. After a few small turns and walking down the stairs, there were fewer and fewer guards nearby. At the end of the passage was an uninhabited viewing cabin, with a large platform for the nobles to read and watch the sea.
In the past ten years, the dragon boat had been moored at the dock of the Qiantang River most of the time. During the renovation and decoration, there were many flashy but impractical places. On the sea, many things on this platform had been taken away, leaving only a few shelves, boxes, tea tables, and other things, which were fixed with wooden wedges, waiting for people to use when the wind was calm. At this time, the moonlight was dim, and two small lanterns swayed gently in the sea breeze.
After Zhou Pei came in, a figure came out of the light and saluted her. In the light, the sincere and humble face of an old minister flashed. Zhou Pei took out a note from her sleeve. "I never thought that Lord Qin would call me here for this matter."
A deep sense of guilt flashed across Qin Hui's face. He cupped his hands and bowed. "None of the officials on the boat agreed with my proposal. In order to avoid eavesdropping, I had to meet Your Highness in private to talk about this matter … Today, the situation is critical, and I don't know how long Jiangning can hold on. The Crown Prince is a hero. If the Wu dynasty wants to rise again, we can't lose the Crown Prince. His Majesty must abdicate and help the Crown Prince …"
Zhou Pei looked indifferent. "A few days ago, you also stopped my father from abdicating the throne, but today you called me here in private. A gentleman stands alone, while a villain stands alone. What kind of bad intentions do you have in your heart?"
"Your Highness, please understand. This old subject has always been scheming in his actions. In the past, I was influenced by Lord Qin Siyuan and hoped that things would come to fruition. A few days ago, when I suddenly heard about the incident on the mainland, the officials were in an uproar. I was also a little hesitant and couldn't make up my mind. While everyone was still talking about it, Your Majesty's physical strength was already exhausted … These days, I have thought things through, but the officials on the boat are still hesitant. His Majesty is still bedridden. I have submitted a memorial, but I'm afraid Your Majesty hasn't seen it yet. "
"… I know about your memorial."
"Then Your Highness will understand what I'm thinking." Qin Hui bowed again. "This matter is of great importance and can't be delayed any longer. I can't submit the memorial, so I thought that I would meet His Majesty tonight or tomorrow to discuss this matter. Even if I'm criticized by the officials later, I won't regret it. But before that, I still have something I don't understand, and I have to ask Your Highness … "
Zhou Pei looked at him. Qin Hui took a deep breath.
"Your Highness, please forgive me for being despicable. I've seen too many things in my life. If things don't work out, I won't regret my death. But the world is in danger, and the people are innocent … These days, the thing that I can't figure out the most is Your Highness's thoughts. Your Highness and His Majesty understand each other. In the current situation, only Your Highness is His Majesty's most trusted person. However, Your Highness didn't mention anything about abdicating the throne in front of His Majesty. I can't figure out Your Highness's thoughts, but I do understand one thing. If Your Highness supports His Majesty to abdicate the throne, then this matter will work out. If Your Highness doesn't want this to happen, I'm afraid that even if I die in front of His Majesty, I'm afraid that this matter will still be empty talk. Therefore, I have to tell Your Highness first … "
The sea breeze blew in, making a whooshing sound. Qin Hui cupped his hands and bowed his body. Zhou Pei didn't say anything. A sad and disdainful expression appeared on her face. She walked forward and looked at him disdainfully. "Before doing anything, first figure out the intention of the superior. This is … the way you lowly people do things."
"I know I was wrong. But as an official, I have to shoulder the lives of millions of people. I can't bear it … There's only one last thing that I want to do. I want to accomplish it and leave some hope for the Wu dynasty …"
Qin Hui knelt on the ground with a thud and lowered his head. "Since the news came from the land, I've been coming here for the past few days. I've been looking back. The place where the sea and the sky meet is where Lin 'an and Jiangning are. Your Highness, I know that we've committed a heinous crime by abandoning Lin 'an. Even in such a situation, the Crown Prince still led more than 200,000 soldiers to fight to the death in Jiangning. In comparison, I've died ten thousand times … "
His forehead was on the deck, and his words were very infectious. Zhou Pei looked into the distance, and her eyes became misty.
"The bravery of the Crown Prince reminds me of a poem written by Ning Yi in the southwest. When the Kingdom of Shu was destroyed, everyone surrendered to Cao Cao. Only the King of the North, Liu Chen, would rather die than surrender. During the battle of the Black Flag at Little Cang River, Ning Yi wrote a poem for the Jin people, saying, 'The ruler and his subjects are willing to bend their knees, but their son is sad alone. Gone to the Xichuan, the mighty King of the North. Sacrificing one's body to repay the ancestors, scratching one's head and weeping the heavens. As long as I'm alive, who knows that the Yunhan is dead … "
Qin Hui's voice was slightly sobbing, and his tone was very solemn. The wind on the platform began to whimper, and the lanterns swayed gently. Qin Hui's figure quietly stood up from behind, and his sobbing voice did not waver or stop.
"My Crown Prince …"
He suddenly exerted force on his feet and rushed toward Zhou Pei.
Zhou Pei turned around, and tears were flashing in her eyes. Qin Hui had already used all his strength to push her off the balcony.
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