Yue Shi hastily bowed and expressed gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"It’s what should be done!" Bai Qingyan thought about A Yu leading the troops to escort the dicinal herbs and doctors to the Yan Kingdom, and then spoke to Yue Shi, "At present, our Zhou’s King of Zhen has already led the troops to escort the dicinal herbs and doctors to the Yan territory of Zhou. The heart of Zhou’s people to protect the citizens is most clear to the Regent Prince of the Yan Kingdom, so... if the Regent Prince does not want the two countries to go to war, it would be best to send soone to the border to convey the ssage, allowing our Zhou’s dicinal herbs and doctors to enter Yan."
"Yes!" Yue Shi nodded in agreent, "Your Majesty, rest assured, Yue Shi will definitely convey your words!"
Saying this, Yue Shi glanced at Bai Qingjue, Bai Jinzhi, and Bai Jinse, and said, "The Regent Prince has more to say, which he asked to convey to Your Majesty in private. May I?"
Bai Jinzhi, being sharp-eyed and bright-minded, realized this was obviously a ssage from their brother-in-law for their eldest sister. Bai Jinzhi stood up and motioned for Bai Jinse to leave with her, but then she saw their seventh brother turning to look at the eldest sister, as if seeking her opinion.
Bai Qingyan nodded to Bai Qingjue, and only then did Bai Qingjue rise and lead the two sisters away, while Wei Zhong guarded the door, preventing anyone from approaching or eavesdropping.
"Miss Bai, the master originally intended to celebrate Miss Bai’s birthday. The birthday gift was prepared, but an epidemic suddenly broke out in the Yan Kingdom, so the master had to rush back to take charge. Thus... he only let Yue Shi bring the birthday gift over, and asks for Miss Bai’s forgiveness!" Yue Shi said, bowing to Bai Qingyan.
"The situation arose suddenly; it’s understandable. When you return, tell your master not to worry about these minor details, as there is still plenty of ti." Bai Qingyan looked at Yue Shi, "Tell him that this sudden illness of Xiao Ali might have sothing suspicious about it; let him be more vigilant."
Yue Shi knew that Miss Bai of the Bai family would understand the master, so he bowed to Bai Qingyan: "Yes! I have delivered the ssage and the birthday gift, and now I must take my leave to catch up with the master. Please take great care of yourself, Miss Bai!"
"Hmm..." Bai Qingyan nodded, "It’s been hard on you all along the way; make sure you take good care of your master so he doesn’t catch the epidemic."
"Rest assured, Miss Bai!"
With that, Yue Shi bowed to Bai Qingyan and left in a hurry.
Bai Qingyan watched Yue Shi’s departing figure, her brow furrowed with worry.
Now she had not yet returned to the country, and it was hard to receive news directly from her; she did not know how the epidemic had developed.
Bai Qingyan did not bring Doctor Hong with her on this trip to Dongyi; Mrs. Hong remained in Jinguan City, presumably aware of the epidemic and perhaps already began working on a dicinal formula.
But... without patients at hand, Doctor Hong might only be formulating the dicine based on descriptions, without anyone to test it.
She leaned back against the hidden table, just hoping the ship could be faster, even faster.
·
The soldiers stationed at the harbor of Jinguan got the news that His Majesty, guarding the coffin of King Hancheng, would return in half an hour at the soonest. Liu Rushi led the Zhou soldiers and naval soldiers to welco them at the harbor.
Looking from a distance, they saw the Zhou fleet of warships, bearing the Zhou banners, approaching with great montum. Standing at the dock, Liu Pinggao and several naval generals stepped forward.
They saw the densely packed Zhou warships appearing in the sea area, with white mourning banners hung high on the ship bodies, and the plain silk draped on both sides thrown high as the ships progressed, flying alongside the banners.
The naval soldiers standing at the bow of the ships, like those standing at the harbor, held swords at their waists, wearing mourning cloths.
The Emperor was still on the warship, yet all the ships were adorned in white and plain colors, a display of honor and grandeur that even receiving a prince’s remains would not typically warrant.
The naval soldiers were already teary-eyed.
"His Majesty has brought back King Hancheng!"
"Yes, he has finally returned!"
"Who would have thought, His Majesty could give such honor to King Hancheng!" a Zhou Navy general remarked, "No wonder King Hancheng was so loyal to His Majesty!"
"We knew this all along!" a naval commander spoke, holding back red eyes, "Knowing that the Dongyi Kingdom provoked the death of King Hancheng in battle, and instead of glossing over it for the sake of national peace, His Majesty personally led an expedition to avenge King Hancheng, personally retrieving his remains—serving such a ruler, we have confidence in our hearts!"
The naval commanders nodded in agreent, recognizing that posthumous honor and deanor were often shown for the living to see. Yet, for the Zhou Emperor Bai Qingyan to reach this step, even if ant to win their hearts, they accepted it with conviction.
Bai Qingyan stood at the bow, not clad in armor, dressed in mourning clothes, with hands behind his back.
As the warship slowly approached the shore, Jiang Huaisheng approached Bai Qingyan, saying: "Your Majesty... we are about to dock. Would you and the King of Zhongguo, along with the King of Gaoyi and Lord Yinghui, disembark first, and then we will invite King Hancheng off the ship?"
"The deceased takes precedence; first, please invite King Hancheng off the ship," Bai Qingyan said softly.
Jiang Huaisheng was montarily shocked but then cupped his fists in response.
From a distance, Bai Qingyan saw the soldiers and citizens, including fishern, gathered at the harbor to welco King Hancheng back, causing him to reflect with emotion... When King Hancheng was alive, and even when Daliang existed, the Daliang Emperor was unwilling to give King Hancheng opportunities, leading to him being seen by soldiers and citizens rely as a Daliang prince, a mber of the Daliang royal family.
Now, King Hancheng died protecting fishern and fighting for Zhou, yet he remains forever in the hearts of the naval soldiers and citizens, honored in death.
Standing beside Bai Qingyan, Cheng Yuanzhi felt complex emotions, and after a while, he stepped forward to speak to Bai Qingyan: "Young General Bai, I would like to personally carry King Hancheng’s coffin later."
Bai Qingyan turned to look at Cheng Yuanzhi, who stood with cupped fists, sincerity in his expression, and nodded: "All right!"
The warship carrying the Emperor and King Hancheng’s coffin reached the shore. The carpet was laid out from the ship’s cabin all the way to connect with the carpet prepared to welco the Emperor ashore. Ard soldiers lined up and descended, guarding the sides of the carpet, as everyone knelt, waiting to welco the Emperor off the ship...
Bai Qingyan stood beside King Hancheng’s coffin, holding the Zhou Navy battle flag, raising it high to cover the coffin, and shouted loudly: "Lift the coffin, welco King Hancheng ho!"
Cheng Yuanzhi, carrying the coffin with his voice raised: "Lift the coffin!"
"Lift——"
Eight people carried the coffin, slowly standing up, followed by Jiang Huaisheng holding King Hancheng’s morial tablet, slowly walking out.
Bai Qingjue stood beside his eldest sister, watching as King Hancheng’s coffin was carried out first, only then did he lift his foot to follow outside the cabin.
Liu Rushi and other commanders, thinking Bai Qingyan was coming off the ship, were about to kneel when they saw Jiang Huaisheng carrying King Hancheng’s morial tablet co down first.
Following behind Jiang Huaisheng was the heavy coffin of King Hancheng.
The Bai family military general Cheng Yuanzhi personally carried the coffin...
A clear crack of a whip breaking through the air sounded.
"Welco King Hancheng ho!"
Bai Jinzhi tightly gripped the long whip, her penetrating shout echoing from the ship’s bow.
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