Chapter 197 Clearing (End of Text)
On the second day of November, Song Yuzhu finally returned to Shangjing, with fifty-eight days left before the countdown ended.
The first snow fell in Beijing these days. When I got off the train, the air was filled with a cold smell.
The two did not return to the palace directly, but went to the Song Mansion first. There were not many days left, and he wanted to spend more time with his family and loved one.
In the Song Mansion, Jiang Rong was sitting in the room sewing winter clothes. Although the palace's inner chamber would prepare all the clothes for the emperor and the crown prince, she was still willing to make a few more undershirts for her son and daughter. This was probably what every mother wanted.
The finest silk fabric is best for making underwear, and Jiang Rong was able to cut out the sizes for the two children without having to measure.
Qiu He outside the door suddenly said, "Madam, the young master is back!"
Jiang Rong was stunned for a moment, then quickly put down her needle and thread, put on her shoes, and ran out. Before she even left the hospital, she saw her son and Zhao Xiao walking in with smiles on their faces.
"Mom, I'm back."
Jiang Rong grabbed him and looked him over carefully from head to toe. "You've lost weight and look more energetic. Are you healed?"
Song Yuzhu nodded: "Much better."
Jiang Rong said with red eyes: "That's good, that's good, mother will prepare food for you and make your favorite crystal shrimp dumplings."
Zhao Xiao hid the sadness in his eyes, put on a smile and said, "Aunt."
"You can stay and eat with us."
"good."
In the evening, Song Bai came back from teaching. He was very excited to see his son back. He felt his son's pulse and saw that he was in good health, so he insisted on taking him to drink. He was scolded by Jiang Rong and then he stopped thinking about it.
"Mom, I'm fine now. It's okay to drink a little."
Jiang Rong glared and said, "That won't work either. Drinking is bad for your health. You're just getting well. What if you get sick again?"
"Okay, then let Zhao Xiao drink with my dad."
Zhao Xiao had something on his mind. He picked up his glass and started to toast Song Bai, one glass after another. Soon Song Bai was drunk, but he became more sober as he drank.
Song Yuzhu knew that he was feeling upset and was afraid that Jiang Rong would notice something. Seeing that it was getting late, she quickly pulled Zhao Xiao back to the palace.
Zhao Xiao remained silent along the way. In fact, Song Yuzhu felt no better than him. Although he had died once, it was a sudden death in his previous life, and he was not mentally prepared at all.
In this life, I know when my life will end. The countdown every minute and every second is like a time bomb. This feeling of being forced is so fucking terrible!
But he had no way out. There was no place to appeal in this crappy system.
When Li Dehai returned to the palace, he burst into tears as soon as he saw Song Yuzhu: "Your Majesty, you are finally back. I missed you so much that I lost my appetite!"
Song Yuzhu smiled and spat at him: "You haven't lost any weight at all."
"I really can't eat. I look forward to your return every day."
"Okay, go get the princess."
"Why."
Soon Song Yutong came running over from the side hall, and the voice came before he even entered the door.
"Royal brother! Brother Zhao!" The girl had a slender figure, and the black long skirt made her look even taller.
Song Yuzhu stretched out his hand, Song Yutong bit her lip, and happily threw herself into his arms, pushing him back two steps.
"Slow down, don't fall."
Song Yuzhu smoothed her hair and asked, "How have you adapted to the court these days?"
Speaking of business, Song Yutong stood up straight and said, "During the days when you were away, I followed your instructions and attended court every two days. The rest of the time I continued to study with the Grand Tutor and Grand Master and review memorials."
"Sit down and talk."
Li Dehai quickly brought a stool, and Song Yutong sat down and began to report the major and minor events that had taken place in the court over the past six months.
"In May, a spring flood occurred in Cizhou, and seven counties were severely affected. The Ministry of Revenue allocated 1.7 million taels of silver for disaster relief, but in the end, less than one-tenth of the money was used for disaster victims."
Song Yuzhu frowned.
Song Yutong continued, "I will immediately send people to investigate the matter, escort all the officials involved in the case from Cizhou back to Beijing, and hand them over to the Ministry of Justice for handling. I will also send You Bin, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, to serve as the temporary prefect of Cizhou."
Song Yuzhu's brows relaxed. "Those who deserve to be beheaded will be beheaded, and those who deserve to be exiled will be exiled. Just go ahead and do it with confidence."
"Um."
"When I received your letter from Hangzhou in June, Prime Minister Xu and I were very excited. We convened the six ministers and cabinet ministers to discuss this matter overnight. In the end, we decided to abolish the private chamber of commerce and re-establish the chamber of commerce in the court."
"The rebuilt chamber of commerce is not for profit, but mainly to resolve disputes among merchants from all over the country and prevent malicious price hikes and price cuts from disrupting the market."
"Okay, has this been implemented?"
"The implementation will start in October, and it is expected that the establishment of the 18 state chambers of commerce will be completed by mid-March next year."
Song Yuzhu looked at her sister and couldn't help but sigh in her heart that Tongtong had really grown into a big girl and was no longer the little girl who followed behind her.
Song Yutong then talked about a few small things that happened in the court, such as the fact that Prime Minister Xu's family had another son, who was already his sixth son. Xu Bing was not very happy about having a son in his old age, but was very worried about his wife. After all, Wang Tingyue was almost forty years old.
Qin Xiang's father passed away at the ripe old age of 67, which was definitely considered a happy funeral in ancient times. Qin Fengtu carried his coffin back to his hometown last month, and it is estimated that the memorial of mourning will be submitted soon, and he will be exempted from the three-year mourning period.
The two chatted until late at night, and Song Yuzhu was completely relieved that even if he left his sister, he could still support the entire court.
"It's getting late, let's all go to bed early." Zhao Xiao said.
Song Yutong stood up and said, "Brother, Brother Zhao, you guys should have a good rest. I will come to see you tomorrow."
After his sister left, Song Yuzhu clearly felt the sadness in Zhao Xiao. He changed his clothes quietly and sat in silence by the bed in a daze.
Song Yuzhu sighed, took off her coat, sat beside him, took his hand and stroked it gently.
Zhao Xiao's hands were much bigger than his, and had many calluses from years of sword practice, which felt prickly to the touch.
Zhao Xiaohui grabbed his wrist and pushed him down on the bed. He lay on Song Yuzhu like a hungry cheetah, as if wanting to swallow him.
Song Yuzhu put her arms around his neck, raised her head, revealing her fair and slender neck, and made a silent invitation.
The bed curtains kept shaking that night, and the creaking sound accompanied by the slapping of the fingers echoed throughout the bedroom all night long.
*
The Qihang was another giant ship that began construction in the tenth year of the Daqi era. This ship used the most advanced steam drive currently available. Not only did its sailing speed exceed that of the Hope, its cargo capacity was also twice that of the Hope.
The huge hull blocks out the sun and it is hard to imagine that the craftsmen built such a huge ship in less than four years.
The ship was originally planned to go out to sea for sea trials early next year, but in early November they received an order from above to launch the ship for sea trials before the New Year.
The shipping company quickly stepped up efforts and finally completed the final preparations in December for the launch of the sea trial.
*
"Royal brother, what did you say?!" Song Yutong widened her eyes in surprise. Xu Bing, Qin Fengtu, Liu Lin, Li Jie and others were also surprised.
"I plan to sail to the West."
Xu Bing quickly advised: "Your Majesty, please think twice. Sailing on the sea is very dangerous, and the journey to the West is very long. You can't take the risk!"
"Yes!" others echoed.
Going out to sea is different from touring the territory of Daqi. The sea is windy and rough, and anything can happen. What if an accident really happens?
Qin Fengtu hesitated and asked, "Your Majesty, do you have any reason to go?"
Of course Song Yuzhu had it, but he couldn't say it out loud. Was he going to tell everyone that he was going to die soon? He didn't want to cause unrest in the court, so he deliberately went out under the pretext of going to sea to give Song Yutong three years to make a stable transition.
Zhao Xiao said, "Don't worry, my Lords. I will be with your Majesty on this trip, and everything will be fine."
Xu Bing looked at him, Zhao Xiao nodded to him gently, Xu Bing understood and said: "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will definitely assist Your Highness in handling court affairs during your absence."
Qin Fengtu was about to speak to persuade him, but Song Yuzhu waved his hand and said, "I am only informing you today, not asking for your opinion. I have made up my mind, so go down."
After the ministers left the Yangxin Palace, Song Yutong was puzzled. She chased after Xu Bing and said, "Uncle Xu, what happened to our brother? He just came back and he's leaving again, and he hasn't been gone for three years..."
Xu Bing stopped and said, "Your Highness, I have followed His Majesty for so many years and have never seen him do anything out of line. Since he made the decision, I think there must be a reason."
Song Yutong seemed to be thinking: "I understand. When my brother is away, I will continue to supervise the country and wait for him to come back."
"Your Highness is wise."
*
On December 16, Song Yuzhu said goodbye to his family and boarded the train to Binzhou.
Also traveling with them this time were Duke Charles and his daughter Nina. They had lived in Daqi for seven or eight years, and in the blink of an eye, Nina had grown into a big girl.
The child speaks fluent Chinese and almost forgot how to speak English. This time they plan to go back and visit their hometown, but maybe they will not come back.
There were eighty sailors and five hundred soldiers on board the ship. The reason there were fewer people was that there was more cargo.
Each of the five hundred sailors was equipped with a musket, which made them much more powerful than before. In addition, the Sailing Ship was equipped with twelve heavy guns, which could destroy ordinary ships even in danger.
Standing on the deck, Song Yuzhu breathed in the salty air, looked at the deep sea, and felt extremely refreshed for the first time.
"Oh, this big ship is different. It feels like flying in mid-air~" Liu Yanzi walked over with a smile, waving a fan.
Song Yuzhu turned around in surprise: "Why are you here too?"
"This...is not to protect His Majesty."
Zhao Xiao snorted coldly and walked over: "It's to protect Charles and his daughter."
Liu Yanzi fanned herself so hard that an unnatural blush appeared on her face: "How could that be..."
Song Yuzhu suddenly realized: "Are you pursuing Charles?"
"What are you chasing after? We've been together for several years." Liu Yanzi put away her fan and said, "I won't talk to you anymore. I'm going to go see where my daughter lives."
Song Yuzhu looked at his back in shock: "He...his daughter is Nina?"
Zhao Xiao: "Who else could it be? When I got on the boat just now, I heard Nina calling him daddy, and I thought I heard it wrong."
"It's incredible! Even a playboy will be conquered one day."
Zhao Xiao looked at the sea and asked softly, "How long will it take?"
"Thirteen days, eight hours." Song Yuzhu paused and said, "After I... leave, burn the body directly and bring the ashes back three years later."
"I'll leave my parents to you. Mother knows that I'm leaving and she must be very sad. Please help me comfort her and don't hurt her body. Father is focused on school. He may be fine for a while, but it will definitely hurt his body in the long run. Take him out to relax."
Zhao Xiao's Adam's apple slid, and he responded with difficulty: "Okay."
Song Yuzhu leaned on the railing and said, "I wish I were a woman, so I could give you a child..."
Zhao Xiao hugged him from behind, "You are very good like this, it's good whether you are a man or a woman."
Song Yuzhu couldn't help but laugh, "This posture reminds me of a movie I watched in my previous life."
Zhao Xiao was stunned for a moment: "What is a movie?"
"Let's just call it a play. The ending is not very good, so I won't tell you about it."
The two of them quietly enjoyed the sea breeze and watched the sun sink into the sea, taking away the last ray of light. They could only watch such a sunset thirteen more times.
*
In the blink of an eye, it is the last day, and the countdown has become measured in hours. It just so happens that today is also New Year's Day.
Song Yuzhu woke up in the morning, washed herself and changed into new clothes. The boat was filled with a festive and cheerful atmosphere, except for Zhao Xiao who had a gloomy face.
Seeing him like this, Liu Yanzi stepped forward and joked, "General Zhao, why do you look so sad during the New Year?"
It was rare that Zhao Xiao didn't chat with him. He just glanced at him calmly and turned away. Liu Yanzi was confused. She scratched her head and wondered if he had had a quarrel with the emperor.
After breakfast, the soldiers began to post Spring Festival couplets. Song Yuzhu even wrote two and posted them on the cockpit and the door of the room where he lived.
Charles wrote two couplets in English, which looked like ghost paintings. Liu Yanzi treasured them so much that she quickly pasted them on her door.
At noon, they had dumplings, pork and celery, and pork and green onions. There was so much meat and filling that the soldiers were so full that they could hardly walk.
Song Yuzhu ate a few more pieces, which was a rare occasion. She was so full that she kept burping. However, Zhao Xiao could not eat any more after eating only three pieces. He just held the chopsticks in a daze.
By the afternoon, even a fool could see that Zhao Xiao was in a really bad mood. His face looked as ugly as if his father had died. Perhaps he was not so sad even if his father had died, after all, he didn't even know who his father was.
Time passed minute by minute, Song Yuzhu arranged everything and then lay down on the bed.
Zhao Xiao lay beside him, holding his hand tightly, tears flowing silently, soon wetting the pillow.
"Ah Xiao, tell me a story."
"I...I can't."
"You're lying. I remember you were able to tell stories about a young widow fighting three heroes at night and Sun Erniang playing with mandarin ducks in the water, right?"
Zhao Xiao was silent for a moment and then began to speak: "It is said that... there was a young widow named Cui Lian. She had just married into her husband's family when her husband died..."
Countdown, thirty-six, thirty-five, thirty-four...
"One day, she was washing... washing clothes by the river..." Zhao Xiao was choked with sobs and couldn't speak. He turned his head to look at Song Yuzhu, feeling so heartbroken that he couldn't breathe.
Twenty-two, twenty-one, twenty, the past scenes flashed in my mind like slides, I really don’t want to let go!
"The river water...wet her clothes...revealing her plump figure..."
Ten, nine, eight, seven... Song Yuzhu nervously held Zhao Xiao's hand. His fear made him completely unable to hear what Zhao Xiao was saying.
Finally, when the countdown reached zero, the electronic voice sounded in my mind again: "The internal test is over. Thank you for your use. Goodbye——"
"The little widow lifted her skirt..."
Song Yuzhu suddenly opened his eyes, turned his head to look at Zhao Xiao, then sat up: "Ah Xiao! Ah Xiao!"
Zhao Xiao wiped his nose and tears and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Stop! It's stopped!" Just at that moment, the countdown in my mind stopped, and the system was also cleared.
"Stop...what do you mean by stop? Aren't you going to die?!"
Song Yuzhu nodded slightly, "But the system is gone."
Zhao Xiao hugged him tightly, as if he wanted to rub him into his body, "As long as you are here, it's fine. As long as you are alive, it's fine!"
No one can separate them at this moment...
(End of this chapter)
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