That night, the waves continued to rise. After discussions among Yinti, Yinzhen, and the Ulanara brothers, they decided to gather everyone in the suites around the flower hall.
The furnishings in the suite were nailed to the floor, so no matter how much the ship rocked, the furnishings would not move.
"Sisi, who came up with this idea? I think it's pretty good!" Qingyan came over from the twins' room and saw that the children's beds were also surrounded by railings and wrapped in silk quilts.
Even if the ship encounters a storm, the two children will not be in danger. Qingyan looked at the arrangement of the two small beds and realized that the servants had put a lot of thought into it.
"It was specially designed by the Imperial Workshop, and I think it's quite good!" Yinzhen sat behind the desk. The ship was rocking, but the desk and chair did not, which reduced the messiness of his handwriting when he wrote.
The servants in the inner palace were all very clever. If they could get benefits from Yinzhen, they could probably gain favor with Kangxi.
Nowadays, Emperor Kangxi rarely goes on expeditions, and opportunities to show one's face in front of him are few and far between.
"In addition, all the suites were built to resemble the main courtyard of the prince's backyard." Yinzhen looked around and glanced at the surroundings. While Sulan and Su Peisheng were packing their things, he took a brief look and was generally satisfied.
"Master, Lord Eshuo wants you and the Princess Consort to go to the flower hall quickly, there's some trouble with the ship ahead!" Su Peisheng appeared at the door in a hurry, not daring to waste any time, and quickly reported to the two of them.
Qingyan was taken aback. For Eshuo to point out the problem, it must be a problem with the ship itself.
"Hurry up!" Yinzhen also became worried. The other ships had only sailed in the training pool and stayed in the ocean for half an hour. Unlike this ship, it had not set out twice.
Qingyan followed Yinzhen into the flower hall. Eshuo was anxious, and the general of the ship in front was looking at Yinzhen with red eyes.
"What's wrong?" Yinzhen asked.
The lowest level of the ship is leaking, and repairs are underway. It's alright for now, but we don't know if the ship will be usable after the storms subside in the next few days.
"Is the leak serious?" Yinti and the others pondered. If the campaign began, the leading ships would definitely have to sail to the shallows, where they could be reinforced. In that case, the campaign and the repairs would not be delayed.
"It's alright, there are only two small holes. If the ship's naval officers hadn't been patrolling every day as the Fourth Prince instructed, we probably wouldn't have found them." Guo Bi looked at Yinzhen with relief. This Fourth Prince was indeed very thoughtful.
"Guobi, how many days do you expect to reach the battle zone?" Yinzhen asked, looking at Guobi.
Guobi was only around thirty years old, but he already had ten years of military service. Therefore, he was the only one in the navy who had participated in the Galdan War.
Guobi, which means Bohai in Chinese, could it be that Guobi's father wanted him to become a member of the online army from the very beginning?
"We should have two more days. I'm worried that such strong winds and waves will wash away the repairs and cause the ship's shells to concentrate in certain areas." Guo Bi knew every part of the ship to ensure its performance was at its best.
The ship's commander agreed with Gobi's suggestion. There were four of them in total, with two people on each ship, working in two shifts day and night to ensure that there would be no major problems with the ships during the landing.
"Alright, the ship commanders have worked hard for two days. When the battle begins, you must check each one of them and try to prevent similar situations from occurring on the return journey," Yinti said to the ship commanders.
They have clearly entrusted the most important responsibility to the ship divisions, which concerns the lives of thousands of people on the way.
“Your Highness, your servants have woken up.” The four ship commanders quickly stood up and responded.
The ship's naval strategist was pointing out the leak to everyone. Qingyan felt something was wrong; the leak was located right below the ammunition depot, and if not handled properly, the ammunition might get damp.
After the battle, the damp shells might become duds, and firing them might reduce enemy casualties.
"No, is the floor of the ammunition depot properly moisture-proofed?" Seto noticed the problem and quickly asked.
"Yes, now, we've done another layer of moisture protection under the ammunition magazines, so there won't be any problems with the shells!" The ship's naval commander understood the importance of the ammunition magazines and immediately strengthened the defenses of the ammunition magazines on both ships upon discovering the leak.
Qingyan listened silently to the ship's commanders' protective measures, and she understood that these methods were the best available at the time.
The ship rocked with the wind and waves, and she felt herself swaying unsteadily.
"Alright, you all start carrying out your tasks according to the pre-arranged plan. This time, you're in charge, and we'll support you from the sidelines." Yinti nodded in satisfaction and dismissed the group.
After a moment, Saito and Eshuo frowned slightly, preparing to discuss the next backup plan for the campaign.
"Fourth Master, we must prepare for the worst. If any ship fails to reach the operational area as expected, we can send three medium-sized ships to provide assistance. However, the shells will be much less powerful than before, and our warships will have to undertake the main attack missions," Seto said helplessly.
Yinzhen was taken aback. The ship's naval strategist said it was nothing to worry about.
“Saituo, the ship's commander said the situation isn't that serious. They've already started preventative measures and can hold out until the battleground,” Yinzhen said, puzzled.
"I was talking about the worst-case scenario. When fighting against fate, we must prepare for the worst. Besides, our ships are relatively good, and both of our ship divisions have combat experience." Seto specifically inquired and found that the situation Gobi encountered was normal.
The repair site on a ship could be washed away by the biggest storms.
“Okay, I think it’s fine!” Yinti and Yinzhen both nodded.
“The women and children must stay in the flower hall and cannot go down to the lower floors!” Eshuo glanced at Yingenjueluo and Qingyan. The flower hall was reinforced with special materials and was much stronger than the lower floors.
"Ah Hun, don't worry, I'll keep an eye on the children!" Qingyan understood that in critical moments, the men would be the ones to charge into battle, and Yinti and Yinzhen would definitely have to step forward to command.
“As in the past, I will be responsible for protecting the women, the young princes and princesses, so that the gentlemen can carry out their duties without any worries.” Upon hearing Qingyan’s assurance, E’shuo also made a promise.
Yiken'e always liked to run away, and he would often be dragged back by the ship's guards. Qingyan repeatedly taught him, but he could not make Yiken'e give in.
"I will have a good talk with Yiken'e!" Yinzhen smiled wryly as everyone turned their attention to him, but he still took on the responsibility.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
