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The eastern sky gradually exhaled the white of fish belly, dawn passed, day arrived, the huge fleet sailed south, and seabirds occasionally flew through the sky, landing on the ship's side. Search: \(¨Complete¨Book¨Divine¨Station¨) to read quality literature for free.

Above the dragon ship, palace servants burned sandalwood, dispelling the dampness and fishy smell of the sea, and occasionally soothing music sounded.

Walking through the corridors of the tower ship, Qin Hui stopped the imperial physician Chu Hao and inquired about His Majesty's health. Chu Hao recounted the situation in a low voice, both of them showing difficult expressions.

After inquiring, Qin Hui went to the cabin where Zhou Yong was resting, and from afar, he saw the concubines and palace maids waiting outside. These women were originally just playthings in the harem. After Zhou Yong suddenly fell ill, there were not many he trusted. Some were worried about their future situation, so they often came to wait, hoping for a chance to go in and serve Zhou Yong. After Qin Hui saluted and inquired briefly, he learned that Zhou Pei had already entered.

Most of the women in the harem had weak personalities. They couldn't show any resentment in front of Zhou Pei, who had been tempered over the years and had built up ten years of authority, but privately, they were somewhat angry but dared not speak out. After Zhou Yong's health recovered slightly, Zhou Pei often came to take care of him. She didn't talk much with her father, just gently wiped him down and fed him porridge and medicine.

Zhou Yong's mind was somewhat muddled. At one moment, he shed tears for the situation of Jun Wu on the shore, wanting to announce to the world and abdicate to the太子(tàizǐ); at another moment, he was confused by the words of the ministers, thinking that he still had years to live, and as long as he was alive, the Wu Dynasty would still exist. If he abdicated to the太子(tàizǐ), once Jiangning was breached, the Wu Dynasty would truly be gone... In this entanglement, he fell asleep again in a daze.

He occasionally spoke to Zhou Pei about these matters, hoping for his daughter's opinion, but Zhou Pei only looked at him with compassion. When Zhou Yong pressed him for an answer, she would simply say, "Don't make things difficult for those officials." Zhou Yong didn't understand what his daughter meant, and after thinking about it, he became confused again.

Qin Hui roughly knew about these matters around Zhou Yong. Seeing Zhou Pei serving inside, he quietly took his leave and departed silently. The concubines were preoccupied with their own futures and didn't pay attention to the old man's departure.

Returning to his own mid-level cabin, people occasionally came to visit.

After Zhou Yong fell ill, the small court held several meetings, with several days of rest in between. The expressions in formal occasions had all turned into private visits. The visiting officials mentioned the situation on land and Zhou Yong's intention to abdicate, mostly expressing difficulties.

"...Although the太子(tàizǐ) is brave, it is a blessing for the world, but the situation in Jiangning is such that no one knows what will happen next. We were forced to stop His Majesty, but His Majesty's health... has Qin 大人 (Dàrén) asked the imperial physician about it?"

"His Majesty is in his prime of vigor and expansion. His health has only suffered a minor setback. The imperial physician said he will recover soon, so there is no need to worry. The situation on land is truly regrettable..."

"...I heard that the Taihu fleet has already surrendered to the Jurchen dogs and may soon chase us out to sea. Hu Sunming is a shameless villain who will be spat upon by thousands upon thousands of people sooner or later..."

"The Taihu fleet suffered heavy losses in previous battles with the Jurchens, and its soldiers, generals, and armaments are not as elite as those of the dragon ship fleet. I believe that Heaven will protect our Wu Dynasty, and nothing will ultimately happen..."

"...But Qin 大人 (Dàrén) must be careful about matters on the ship. Her Highness, the 长公主 (Chánggōngzhǔ), has a fiery personality. It was Qin 大人 (Dàrén)'s idea to abduct her onto the ship in the first place. Now that she has gradually restored her relationship with His Majesty, to put it bluntly, blood is thicker than water, Qin 大人 (Dàrén)..."

"The 长公主 (Chánggōngzhǔ) is a daughter of the imperial family. She has managed Lin'an for ten years, and her temperament and breadth of mind are unmatched by ordinary people. We must not speculate on the affairs of nobles in this way..."

"...This official was just mentioning it casually. I was judging a gentleman by my own petty mind... Rash, please forgive me, please forgive me..."

The officials came and went. Initially, the Wu Dynasty's territory was thousands of miles vast, but now only the confines of the dragon ship fleet remained. What was said was repeated over and over again, becoming monotonous. Over the course of several days, Qin Hui's emotions showed no visible fluctuations. Until this evening, he took out paper and pen and began to write a memorial. When his old wife came to call him for dinner, he was still pondering and weighing his words.

"I heard that His Majesty's health is not good, and the other 大人 (Dàrén) are no longer discussing matters. You are writing a memorial. Are you not afraid that it won't reach His Majesty?" his old wife said with a hint of doubt.

Qin Hui looked solemn and nodded: "Although that is the case, there are still major events in the world that must be spoken of. The太子(tàizǐ) of Jiangning is brave and resolute, making us feel ashamed... The ministers on the ship are timid and hesitant... I have no choice but to come forward and persuade His Majesty to abdicate to the太子(tàizǐ) as soon as possible."

"Didn't you and the others劝 (quàn) His Majesty not to abdicate a few days ago?"

"...I was mistaken."

Qin Hui said this, a look of determination flashing across his face.

Soon, the memorial was submitted.

......

The sea and sky were vast, and the fleet drifted on the sea, with monotonous scenery every day. As the wind and clouds flowed by and seabirds came and went, the Mid-Autumn Festival of this year finally arrived.

Zhou Yong's health had slightly improved. At the urging of the crowd, the dragon ship was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers. The palace servants moved the large bed to the main cabin of the dragon ship, and the concubines and palace maids practiced various programs to liven up the atmosphere for the ailing Zhou Yong.

After nightfall on this day, clouds floated in the sky, and the moonlight was hazy and intermittent. The huge dragon ship was brightly lit, and music sounded. A grand banquet had begun. Some ministers and their families were invited to attend the banquet. Zhou Yong sat on the large bed, watching the programs in the cabin, his spirits slightly lifted.

At the third quarter of Xu hour (around 8:45 PM), Zhou Pei left the main cabin of the dragon ship and walked along the long cabin passage towards the rear of the ship. This was on the middle and upper levels of the dragon ship. After turning several small corners and descending the stairs, there were fewer guards nearby. The end of the passage was an unmanned viewing cabin, with a large platform above it, dedicated to nobles for reading and enjoying the sea view.

During these ten years, the dragon ship had mostly been docked at the Qiantang River wharf. During renovations and decorations, there were many flashy and impractical places. Once at sea, many things on this platform were removed. Only a few shelves, boxes, and tea tables were fixed with wooden wedges, waiting for people to use them when the sea was calm. At this moment, the moonlight was dim, and two small lanterns swayed gently in the sea breeze.

After Zhou Pei entered, a figure walked out from the shadows and bowed to her. In the lamplight, the face of a sincere and humble old minister flashed by. Zhou Pei took out a slip of paper from her sleeve: "I never thought that Qin 大人 (Dàrén) would summon me here for this matter."

A deep look of guilt flashed across Qin Hui's face. He cupped his hands and bowed: "The 大人 (Dàrén) on the ship all disagree with this old man's proposal. To avoid eavesdropping, I had no choice but to meet with Your Highness privately to explain this matter... Today, the situation in the world is precarious. I don't know how much longer Jiangning can hold out. The太子(tàizǐ) is brave. If our Wu Dynasty wants to rise again, we cannot lose the太子(tàizǐ). His Majesty must abdicate to help the太子(tàizǐ)."

Zhou Pei's expression was indifferent: "A few days ago, you also stopped Father from abdicating. Today, you have privately summoned me here. A gentleman is social but not partisan, while a petty man is partisan but not social. What kind of wicked intentions do you harbor in your heart?"

"Your Highness is wise. This old minister's actions throughout his life have been calculated in many ways. In his early years, he was influenced by Qin Siyuan, Qin 大人 (Dàrén), hoping that things would have a result. A few days ago, I suddenly heard about the events on land, and the ministers were in an uproar. This old man was also somewhat hesitant and indecisive. While everyone was still discussing, His Majesty's strength had already failed... In these few days, this old man has figured things out, but the ideas of the ministers on the ship are wavering, and His Majesty is still ill in bed. This old man has submitted a memorial, but I fear that His Majesty has not seen it yet."

"...I know about your memorial."

"Then Your Highness must understand this old minister's intentions." Qin Hui bowed again. "This matter is of great importance and cannot be delayed any longer. This old man's memorial cannot be delivered, so I have thought about meeting with His Majesty tonight or tomorrow to strongly advocate for this matter, even if I am criticized by the officials afterward, I will not regret it. But before that, this old man still has one thing that he does not understand and must inquire Your Highness about in detail..."

Zhou Pei looked at him. Qin Hui took a deep breath.

"Please forgive this old minister's despicable thoughts, but this old man has seen too many things in his life. If this major matter fails, this old man's death is not a pity, but the world is in danger, and what is the fault of the common people... In these few days, the one thing that this old man cannot understand the most is Your Highness's intentions. Your Highness and His Majesty have come to an understanding, and in the current situation, Your Highness is the only one whom His Majesty trusts the most, but Your Highness has not mentioned a single word about the abdication in front of His Majesty. This old man cannot understand Your Highness's intentions, but I understand one thing: if Your Highness supports His Majesty's abdication, then this matter can be accomplished; if Your Highness does not want this matter to happen, even if this old man dies in front of His Majesty, I am afraid that this matter will still be empty talk. Therefore, this old man must first explain the dangers to Your Highness..."

The sea breeze blew in, whistling. Qin Hui cupped his hands and bowed low. Zhou Pei did not speak, showing a sad and disdainful expression on her face. She walked forward, disdaining to look at him: "Before doing things, first speculate on the superiors' intentions. This is... the way you petty people do things."

"This old minister knows his mistake, but being in the officialdom, often bearing the lives of millions, this old man cannot bear it... There is only this last thing, this old man's intentions are sincere, I only want to accomplish it and leave some hope for our Wu Dynasty..."

Qin Hui knelt on the ground with a thud, his forehead bowed low: "Since the news came from the land, this old man has come here every day to look towards the rear, and that place where the sea and sky meet is where Lin'an and Jiangning are located. Your Highness, this old man knows that our crime of abandoning Lin'an is heinous. Right there, in this situation, the太子(tàizǐ) is still leading more than 200,000 people in a desperate battle in Jiangning. In comparison, this old man deserves to die ten thousand times—"

His forehead hit the deck, and his words were filled with great infectiousness. Zhou Pei looked at the distance, her eyes blurred.

"The太子(tàizǐ)'s bravery reminds this old man of a poem written by Ning Yi of the southwest, when the Shu Kingdom was destroyed, everyone surrendered to Cao Cao, only the Prince of Beidi, Liu Chen, refused to surrender until death. In the battle of Xiao Cang River of the Black Banner, Ning Yi wrote a poem to the Jurchens, saying: The sovereign and his ministers willingly kneel, only one prince is grieved. The affairs of Western Shu are gone, how heroic is the Prince of Beidi. He sacrifices his life to reward his heroic ancestors, scratching his head and weeping to the heavens. His awe-inspiring spirit is as if he is still here, who says that Han is already dead..."

Qin Hui's words were slightly tearful, carrying unparalleled solemnity in his unhurried tone. The wind howled on the platform, and the lanterns swayed gently. Qin Hui's figure quietly stood up in the back, the sobbing in his mouth without the slightest fluctuation or pause.

"How magnificent is our太子(tàizǐ)..."

Suddenly, he exerted force from under his feet and rushed towards Zhou Pei in front of him.

Zhou Pei turned her head, and tears were flashing in her eyes. Qin Hui had already used his greatest strength to push her down the terrace!

Zhou Pei's feet left the ground, and her long hair scattered in the sea breeze—