Chapter 12: The wine doesn't make you drunk, but you get drunk yourself
The massive ship before me suddenly clattered, its hull clacking as countless hidden compartments opened, each concealing a blue oar. Its shape, however, wasn't as winding as the Jiangnan ferry boats; it resembled a swimming fish, its center like two intersecting canopies, forming a confined space.
"Come up and take a look?" Chen Yu extended a hand towards Qi Xin's dumbfounded face, pointed his chin towards the two wooden steps between them, and added a word of instruction:
"Watch out!"
Qi Xin placed her hand lightly on his and stepped onto two wooden steps. During this time, she felt someone holding her knuckles tightly. She glanced at him in confusion.
Chen Yu noticed these small movements of the people around him and spoke consciously:
"This is your first time on a heavy ship, Lan Luo. You're not familiar with its internal structure. You won't let me hold your hand. Are you trying to bump into things again?"
Qi Xin was speechless, so he just stayed in his palm peacefully and stopped struggling.
"As you can see, heavy ships are inherently large, but they have limitations, being confined to rivers and seas. On ordinary marches, a small number of light infantry and cavalry are trained aboard them, but their primary purpose is defense. You could think of them as serving the same purpose as the city walls built by dynasties throughout history, storing reserves or protecting wounded soldiers brought back from the front lines."
"Aren't you afraid of fire attack?" Qi Xin asked when the opportunity arose.
"They have their own hydraulic turbines. If they encounter a fire attack, they can draw water from the ground and hoist sails from various locations on the ship. This is the way to break the enemy's attack. As for the oars on the heavy ships, they are to compensate for the ship's weakness. The oars on the heavy ships are hidden underwater, so they are a clever way to hide."
"Oh? So, if we encounter a naval battle, we can gather our forces where the enemy least expects us, and then deliver a fatal blow?"
"That's true. Furthermore, its sophisticated design will, to a great extent, ensure that all the soldiers can escape unscathed."
Qi Xin was secretly worried. With such extraordinary skills, it was no wonder that the Jingguo Army was coveted and feared by people both inside and outside Sheng. However, even the records of Zhaowen Pavilion were just the tip of the iceberg, which showed that Shen Yu's thoughts were secretive and should not be underestimated.
Inside the heavy ship, there were clusters of wooden steps and all kinds of machinery. There were glazed round windows on both sides of the cabin, which allowed a panoramic view of the underwater scenery. However, the space inside the cabin was extremely small, and even a woman of Qi Xin's stature and figure could not stand upright in the cabin.
The water was dark green, as if falling into the abyss, with coral reefs lined up one after another, and colorful schools of fish floating by from time to time. Qi Xin placed his fingertips on the round window, and the underwater backflow seemed to be within reach.
Chen Yu half-tucked her into a corner and muttered to himself:
Master will never lie to you again from now on, okay?
Once again in the underwater secret realm, Qi Xin couldn't help but recall the time he'd escaped He Lianzhu's clutches, when the blood pill had accidentally triggered his underwater breathing ability. He wondered if this ability still existed, and he had to give it a try someday. His thoughts were so swirling that he didn't even realize when Shen Yu whispered something in a dreamlike voice, so he didn't hear clearly.
She felt like she had missed something, and turned back hesitantly: "You, what did you say just now?"
"It's nothing. It's time for us to go back. We shouldn't stay in the heavy ship's boat for too long. We may suffocate easily." After saying that, Shen Yu pulled the mechanism and made the heavy ship's boat float to the surface.
Qi Xin bent down and walked out of the cabin, stepping onto the long wooden bridge he had just come from. Before he could stand still, he heard a strong female voice.
"Oh, I was just wondering. It's not often that we see Seventh Master visiting our Water Vessel Heavy Fleet Camp. I don't know what brought you here today, and you even activated the oars of your heavy ship like a peacock spreading its tail! Rare, rare!"
Qi Xin always felt that although the woman seemed to be talking to Shen Yu in her words and deeds, her eyes were staring straight at him and never moved away from him.
Before Shen Yu could speak, the woman had already rushed to Qi Xin's side, pulled up her wrists, and looked her up and down for several circles. Then, as if waking from a dream, she exclaimed:
"Seventh Master! Why did you take my most favored dress? When did you become so discerning?"
Shen Yu walked over and patted the woman on the back of her head, saying unhappily:
"You are so disrespectful, why don't you show some respect?"
Upon hearing this, the woman knelt down in a panic, clasped her fists, and introduced herself:
"Your Majesty, Bai Lu, the commander of the Jingguo Army's heavy fleet battalion, greets Her Royal Highness Princess Jialing!"
Qi Xin was forced to take a half step back by this sudden gift, and then hurriedly held Bai Lu's arm, smiling:
"Commander Bai, there's no need to be so formal. Just call me—" Qi Xin paused, glanced at Shen Yu's face, and then said, "Just call me Xiaojiu. Master gave me that name, and Brother Zheng Ba also calls me that."
"Your Highness is so magnanimous. I will do whatever you wish." Bai Lu stood up and gave Chen Yu a meaningful look.
Qi Xin: "I heard Commander Bai is the old Duke's adopted daughter. Was this the name he gave her?"
Bai Lu couldn't help laughing, and after holding it in for a while, she finally collapsed in laughter:
"How could my godfather be so careless? Hahahaha, Xiaojiu, you're going to make me laugh to death. I want to laugh just by hearing your name. When Xiaoba was taken in by the Seventh Master, it happened to be the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, and he passed by the door of a Zheng family, so he got the name Zheng Ba. Shuangjiang and I were rescued on the White Dew and Frost Descent days respectively, and since we were both orphans, we got our names from them."
"As for you, Xiaojiu..." Bai Lu leaned over, put her hands on Qi Xin's shoulders, and leaned close to her ear: "I'll tell you quietly--"
"Xiaobai, go and accept the punishment yourself." Chen Yu was neither annoyed nor irritable, and interrupted her at the right time, but the tone was like a thousand-pound tripod that made it impossible to refute.
Bai Lu reluctantly walked towards the heavy warship, turning back and waving at Qi Xin every step she took: "There's a long way to go, a long way to go. I'll tell you more next time."
Shen Yu turned his head and whispered softly: "Xiaojiu, I heard that you had a poor appetite yesterday, so I asked someone to prepare your favorite food today. You are about to return to the palace, so this can be regarded as a practice for you!"
Qi Xin was still immersed in laughter, but when he heard this, his face suddenly darkened and he ran forward without looking back.
After all, she had lost her lightness skill, and she was caught up by Shen Yu in a few moves, and then he grabbed her wrist and brought her into his arms.
Qi Xin recklessly punched and kicked in his arms, trying to break free. Shen Yu had no choice but to bend down, pick her up from the legs, put her on his shoulders, and quickly carry her back to the commander's tent.
Chen Yu held her waist with his right hand to prevent her from slipping, and with his left hand, he quickly lifted the curtain, so vigorously that it seemed as if he was about to blow it all the way to the top. Although he had not stopped at all along the way, doing his utmost to avoid excessive onlookers, the heroes led by Bai Lu still followed him fearlessly, even sticking their ears outside the tent.
Chen Yu threw her onto the soft couch, pressed forward to hold down her thrashing limbs, and panted, questioning:
"What does Your Highness want to do?"
"I should be the one asking you this! Go back to the palace, go back to the palace. You ask me to go back to the palace every day. You think I'm a burden, you don't trust me in anything, and you're afraid that I'll be out of your control and no longer be able to serve you! In this case, why bother pretending to be so hypocritical!" Qi Xin was originally in high spirits, but as he spoke, he shed a few tears, and then sobbed and tilted his head to one side.
Chen Yu loosened his grip in panic, his trembling fingertips moving uncontrollably towards her cheek, and finally stopped an inch from her cheek, then dropped straight down.
He spoke solemnly:
"Don't be like this, Xiaojiu. It's not that I doubt you, nor do I want you. You know, crises are lurking everywhere these days, and you and I are both vulnerable. My life as a guilty subject is not worth cherishing, but your safety is a matter of national importance. The Dasheng Imperial Family is, after all, your home."
"Then do you know how cruel and unforgiving the imperial family is? Ever since I was little, I've had no say in anything. Even the smallest mistake would have my father imprison me in the cold palace, and neither the royal family nor the concubines would let me off easily. Whether it was my father or anyone else, as long as they wanted to prevent power from falling into someone else's hands, countless sacrifices were commonplace. I live every day on thin ice, unable to eat or sleep. I'd rather live my life to the fullest and travel around than return to that palace."
After Qi Xin finished roaring uncontrollably, she gradually realized that she was not reluctant to return to the palace, but was reluctant to go back to the palace, which appeared to have red bricks and green tiles, golden arches and silver eaves, carved beams and painted buildings, but was actually a cold and cruel place.
Her status limits her social life, and apart from those who curry favor with the powerful, she has no one who is in tune with her.
She has relatives, but one of them only sees her as a pawn, and the other one can't provide any substantial help.
Then love becomes even more out of reach. Her marriage has already become a sacrifice to maintain the relationship between the two countries. What can she do to resist?
In reality, what she wanted was simple: a loyal companion, someone who loved and cared for her, someone who could truly treat her as an ordinary woman who could feel joy, sorrow, tears, and laughter. He wanted her to live not as a proper princess, but as a complete person.
Chen Yu: "Don't be afraid, Xiaojiu, trust Master. Even if you return to the palace, I will always protect you in the dark. But at least if you return to the palace, no matter how bold and reckless the Yue Kingdom is, they won't dare to risk exposing the blood pill incident and brazenly go to the palace to take people. It's much safer than you following the notorious Jingguo Army now."
"After you've said so much, I don't believe you, Chen Yu, would do such a loss-making business. Father, I promised you something good, right?" Qi Xin had calmed down, and with a deathly pale face, he approached the truth step by step.
The light in Chen Yu's eyes gradually dimmed, and he responded resignedly, "Your Majesty, I have indeed received a secret letter from you, saying that you will be redeemed and your past will be forgiven."
"Da Sheng is weak, and only the Imperial City Army stands out. My father is in need of men. While he can have the Shadow Capital Guard investigate you thoroughly and prove that you haven't committed treason, he can't have them fight on your behalf. Marshal Shen is truly a man of great talent. You have such a thorough plan. I appreciate your guidance."
Qi Xin got off the couch and faced the table full of delicacies. She felt nauseous and grabbed a wine jug beside her and poured it down one after another. During this time, Chen Yu tried to stop her several times, but she pushed him away every time.
She was born with a good alcohol tolerance, and she knew that she wouldn't get drunk even if she drank so much, but she still drank as usual. She only felt a burning sensation in her stomach, and the pain in her heart was no longer as severe.
As Qi Xin drank more, her eyelids began to droop. She figured she was exhausted after a long day and her body couldn't take it anymore. Her body slowly slumped over, leaning against the side of the table. She nodded rapidly, and finally fell asleep on the table.
She smacked her lips in her sleep, her hands moving unconsciously, trying to grab something. Seeing this, Shen Yu offered her his sleeve, and sure enough, the moment she touched it, she grasped it tightly.
She continued to mumble incoherently.
Chen Yu caressed her eyebrows and eyes, lowered his head and moved closer, wanting to hear clearly...
The next moment, that whimpering voice suddenly penetrated into his heart:
Master, Master, no, don't leave me...
Master, can I, can I really, really trust you...
The author has something to say:
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ps——
Xiaojiu, Xiaoba, Bailu, Shuangjiang, hahaha, our Marshal Shen names them so casually.
Marshal Shen, hahahaha, just wait to fall into our Xiaojiu's hands, lolll~
Note:
“What women seek is not to become a woman, but to become a complete person.” - Simone de Beauvoir
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