Achoo!
Under the cover of night, Qin Ze, walking along the cobblestone path, suddenly sneezed for no apparent reason.
He rubbed his nose, thinking that it might be because he had spent too much time at sea these past few days and had been exposed to too much sea breeze full of moisture.
It's now mid-to-late May, and whenever there's a strong wind at sea, Nangang City, which is adjacent to the sea, always becomes damp. And it gets hotter and hotter every day. Under the humid and stuffy conditions, Qin Ze has also felt a little unwell these past two days.
Fortunately, everything at hand has been arranged properly, so there's no need to worry about it anymore.
—Since defeating the various states a few days ago, he has been arranging many matters for his return to the capital. When Jin Fengluan fled from Jinling to Nanze, although he did not have time to move all the things in the Jinling Imperial Palace, he took most of them with him. Therefore, he naturally had to bring all these things with him when he returned to Jinling this time.
After searching the old palace in Nanze, Qin Ze could not find the Imperial Seal of the State. He could only guess that the people who had fled might have taken it with them and hidden it somewhere. The seal was only the size of a palm, so if it was really hidden, it would be impossible to find. Fortunately, it was now a new dynasty, so the loss of the old dynasty's seal was not a big deal.
The imperial seal can be lost, but the person cannot be lost.
Qin Ze is going out tonight to search for someone.
Today, Nangang was shrouded in darkness throughout the day, with thick clouds piling up in the sky for the entire day. Although it is now night, the clouds have not yet dissipated, obscuring the moonlight and starlight. The muggy and humid weather caused a sticky layer of sweat to form on one's body. Fortunately, it finally cooled down considerably after nightfall.
Qin Ze walked along the cobblestone path without a lantern, since the two-story building was just ahead. Two lanterns hung in the long corridor upstairs, swaying slightly in the breeze, and their dim candlelight was enough for Qin Ze to see his feet clearly.
That was the place where Jin Changge lived.
——
Why would you tear off flower petals for no reason?
On the second floor, inside the room, by candlelight, Jin Changge, sitting back in his chair, looked up at Qing'er, who was sitting on a bench.
Qing'er held a lotus flower in her hand and was tearing off a petal.
Upon hearing this, Qing'er stopped what she was doing, looked at Jin Changge, and smiled, "I'm counting the days."
"What day is it?" Jin Changge asked casually, turning his gaze away, and continued to stroke the hilt of his sword.
After these days of recuperation, the previous injuries have basically healed. If it weren't for the fact that he and Qing'er were playing around in bed that night and aggravated the wounds, they might have healed even sooner.
On days when he had nothing to do, Jin Changge rarely went out. He would simply ask Qing'er to bring him some books to pass the time. During these leisurely days, Jin Changge would occasionally take out the Bishui Sword and practice a few times in the corridor or in the backyard. The hilt of the sword, with a golden dragon engraved on the front and a golden wind engraved on the back, became increasingly shiny.
At that moment, with Jin Changge's casual question, Qing'er put down the lotus flower, pulled up a stool, and sat down next to Jin Changge.
“Miss, I’ve noticed that the city’s troops have been moving around these past few days. One carriage after another has been sent out, heading along the main road. It seems they’re heading towards Jinling.”
"And some time ago, His Majesty won a battle, and those foreigners were all killed. After experiencing this crushing defeat, they must know that my Yan Kingdom is not to be trifled with, and they certainly won't dare to come again."
At this point, Jin Changge turned to look at Qing'er.
With a smile, Qing'er continued, "Now that everything is alright and things are peaceful, His Majesty should be returning to the capital, right?"
“Who said it’s peaceful?” Jin Changge suddenly spoke up.
Qing'er tilted her head, looking puzzled.
Jin Changge pointed a finger at her forehead, and Qing'er winced and leaned back, muttering, "They were utterly defeated this time."
"Silly girl, you're oversimplifying things."
"Isn't that right? Our fleet is incredibly powerful. They were completely helpless against us. Humph! They're no match for us at all. Under these circumstances, they'll definitely have to behave themselves, and then everything will be peaceful," Qing'er pouted.
Jin Changge shook his head: "These people have traveled thousands of miles to our land, how could they admit defeat and submit after just one battle?"
"They will inevitably come back and launch an even more ferocious invasion."
"How can we say that things are peaceful now? The current tranquility is only temporary; a bigger war is yet to come."
"Don't forget, they are from many countries. This time, they only sent an advance force, not their full fighting strength. After this crushing defeat, as long as they learn from their mistakes and make better preparations, the next battle will be much more difficult." As she said this, Jin Changge frowned and looked down at the sword in her hand.
Upon hearing this, Qing'er's expression changed, and she said with a somber face, "Then... if this isn't over, then our Yan Kingdom will have to keep fighting forever."
Jin Changge remained silent, and Qing'er hesitated before speaking again:
"...Winning that battle and reaching an agreement with them might..."
Before he could finish speaking, Jin Changge suddenly gripped the hilt of his sword, looked up at Qing'er, and interrupted her coldly: "Don't harbor any illusions."
"Peace achieved through compromise is useless."
"That only provides temporary peace, so it's more accurate to say that compromise won't bring peace; it will only..."
Just then, a voice came from outside the door.
"Peace sought through compromise will perish."
As soon as the voice fell, a knock on the door followed.
The two, master and servant, got up at the same time. Qing'er hurriedly ran to the door, pulled out the latch, and opened the door.
Before the door was opened, Qin Ze's smiling face appeared in Jin Changge's eyes.
"Why were you eavesdropping?" Jin Changge's face flushed slightly.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." Qing'er hurriedly bowed.
"I wasn't eavesdropping, I just got to the door." Qin Ze stood at the door, sizing up Jin Changge who was holding a sword.
Sensing the look in his eyes, Jin Changge was at a loss for words. Just as she was about to explain that she had only brought the sword to observe, Qin Ze had already stepped into the room, saying with a smile:
"I also brought a sword."
“My sword is also extremely sharp.” He said, patting the hilt of the sword at his waist.
"What are you thinking about?" Jin Changge blushed as he took off his sword and placed it on the table. Qing'er chuckled beside him and said, "Your Majesty is joking."
Qin Ze nodded slightly to Qing'er: "Yes, that was just a joke."
Then, his expression turned serious as he looked at Jin Changge: "However, what I just said was not a joke."
"Peace sought through compromise will inevitably perish."
"Peace can only last if we seek it through struggle."
Upon hearing this, a strange light flashed in Jin Changge's eyes as she stared intently at Qin Ze. Qin Ze continued:
"Although we have defeated the overseas countries this time, we still cannot let our guard down. Just as you said, they will surely come back and will build an even larger army."
"But it doesn't matter."
"If there is a war, we will fight, and we will surely win!"
"This is what I will do from now on."
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