HCB Chapter 340 A Hero's Twilight Years, a General's White Hair
Chapter 340 A Hero's Twilight Years, a General's White Hair
It's said that it's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature. Yinzhen has been sharp-tongued for so many years, it would be harder than climbing to heaven to change his ways overnight. So even if Yinzuo nags him, he doesn't really expect Yinzhen to listen to him. Anyway, he's never concerned about whether Yinzhen is sharp-tongued or not. He only cares about whether the kid can take a beating.
What does it mean to arrive late but surely? Just look at Emperor Kangxi and you'll understand. When Yinzhu was making such a fuss, he pretended to be deaf and dumb and didn't care. But now that things have settled down, he's finally here.
"Yinzuo, have you made enough of a ruckus? If you have, hurry up and come over. The banquet up ahead is about to start, and you will be accompanying me this year."
For the past twenty-odd years since Yinzhuo transmigrated, the New Year celebrations on the first day of the Lunar New Year have always ended with paying New Year's visits to Shou Kang Palace. This year, his father's words have been trying to deprive him of this day of carefree enjoyment. What can he do?
"Go to the banquet with you? But Father, I was just about to go back and catch up on my sleep. Yesterday, that kid Hongxu insisted on sleeping with me, and as a result, he was punching and kicking off the covers all night, so I didn't get a good night's sleep. He also got up very early this morning. I'm so tired now, I don't have the energy to go to any banquet with you."
While other families enjoy good food, drink, and treatment during the New Year, the New Year in the palace is nothing short of torture. If you asked Yinzhuo to describe how Kangxi spent the first day of the Lunar New Year, he would only tell you one thing—endless kowtowing and countless banquets.
Of course, as a member of the royal family, Yinzhuo had to participate in activities such as offering sacrifices to Heaven, gods, and ancestors. He couldn't escape these, and now Kangxi wanted him to attend those boring banquets. Yinzhuo replied, "Sorry, son, I can't do it."
"You have to go even if you don't have the energy. Don't you always want to fight Japan? The Japanese envoy is here today, aren't you going to go and see him?"
What are you looking at? Isn't that just a short Japanese guy who's as thick as a vat but not as tall, all waist and no butt? It's not like he hasn't seen that before, why is he looking at that thing?
"No, what's so interesting about that? I'm interested in the land of Japan, not the people who grow up there. Father, I'm so sleepy right now, I just want to go back and get some sleep."
Where did Yinzhuo get his stubborn temper? To put it bluntly, it was inherited from his father. Kangxi was determined to make Yinzhuo go to the banquet in the Hall of Supreme Harmony to see the foreign sights. How could Yinzhuo run away? So even if he was unwilling, he had to obediently follow his father to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to attend this banquet that he thought was extremely boring.
It's not surprising that Yinzhuo disliked attending these kinds of banquets. After all, when others attended banquets, they would clink glasses, sing, and dance, but what about Yinzhuo? Not only was he served tea instead of wine, but he was also monitored by two surveillance cameras on his left and right. Wouldn't it have been better for him to go back and catch up on some sleep instead of sitting here?
"Oh, are you still angry with your father? Alright, stop being angry. Come on, have something to eat to fill your stomach. Little Six, I'm not trying to criticize you, but you don't know how lucky you are. Do you think your father insisted on having you attend this banquet today? See that person sitting over there? That's Wu Ying, the Admiral of the Fujian Navy. When it comes to naval warfare, I'm afraid no one in the Qing Dynasty can surpass him. Your father called you here today not to see any Japanese envoys, but to see this old general."
If it weren't for Yinzhuo's current bad temper, every member of the Aisin Gioro family would be to blame. Look, as soon as he put on a stern face, someone came to coax him. Yinzhuo looked in the direction Yinzhi pointed and sure enough, he saw a tall, square-faced man with big ears in the row of military officers. He thought that the man must be Wu Ying, the admiral of the Fujian Navy.
Since Kangxi had sent him to see the old general, Yinzhuo truly lived up to his father's high expectations. He and his brothers inquired in detail about the old man's life. They were astonished to learn that the old general was a formidable warrior in his youth.
Like Shi Lang, Wu Ying was originally under Zheng Chenggong. After Shi Lang surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, Wu Ying followed him. During the Battle of Pingtai, Wu Ying served as Shi Lang's deputy general and made great contributions. If we were to say who in the Qing Dynasty was the best at naval warfare, it would undoubtedly be him. The only thing that Yinzhuo felt was regret was that the hero was getting old and the general was getting old.
Yin Zhi's guess was indeed correct. Kangxi had indeed invited Yin Zuo to this banquet so that he could come and see the old general. Sure enough, the banquet was only halfway through when Kangxi specially sent Liang Jiugong to summon Yin Zuo. Among those summoned was Wu Ying.
"Yinzuo, didn't you always tell me that you wanted to find a general with rich experience in naval warfare to learn from? Let me introduce you. This is Wu Ying, the admiral of the Fujian Navy. In our Great Qing, if we're talking about who has the most experience in naval warfare, then it has to be him."
"This old minister Wu Ying greets Prince Zhao. It has been almost a year since we last met. I wonder if Your Highness's wounds have healed?"
Goodness, no wonder this person looked familiar! It turns out we met during the Southern Tour last year. If you ask why Yinzhuo didn't recognize the person immediately, it can only be because he saw too many people while serving tea and water to Emperor Kangxi. Asking him to memorize the names, positions, and faces of all these people one by one is just asking him a lot of trouble.
"Thank you for your concern, General. My injuries have long since healed. But my two troublesome younger brothers must have caused you a lot of trouble in the army."
A banquet with many people and eyes is not a place for conversation. Kangxi called the two over only to introduce them and let them become familiar with each other. After the two exchanged pleasantries, he had Wu Ying led away.
"Wu Ying will not leave the capital until after the first month of the lunar calendar. If you have any questions, you can talk to him during this period. He has extensive experience in naval warfare and should be able to answer your questions."
To be honest, if it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, Yinzhu would have asked his father, "What do you mean by this? When did I ever tell you that I wanted to ask someone about naval warfare? Even if we take a step back and assume that you, like me, also have your eye on that Japanese territory, you shouldn't have asked me to handle this. I'm someone who gets seasick on ships, is naval warfare something I should be concerned about?"
There's a saying, "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, for time is still a-flying." Since his father has presented him with this opportunity to learn from him, how could he just let it slip by? It doesn't matter if he gets seasick on the boat; there are plenty of his brothers who don't get seasick.