Chapter 616: Why Does His Majesty Want to Attack Japan?

Hearing his elder brother's question, Qi Yuanbi's face twisted into a bitter smile, and he said with some helplessness: "This place—you could say it's good, and you could say it's not so good."

Hearing his younger brother's words, Qi Yuangong was slightly taken aback and asked: "What do you mean?"

The brothers all revolved around the Emperor—the eldest served in the Imperial Guard Corps, he himself was one of the Emperor's personal guards, and the youngest was a man of the Imperial Navy.

Based on his own and his eldest brother's experience, service in the Imperial Navy should be a fine posting, so why would his younger brother say such a thing? Could someone have been bullying him?

That was something Qi Yuangong simply could not accept.

If their family didn't bully others, that was already a mercy—how could they let someone bully one of their own?

One had to know that their family ranked among the very top of the Ming Dynasty's military commanders. All three brothers held posts in the army, all were trusted confidants of the Emperor, and on top of that there were three generations of accumulated standing—this was not something ordinary people could compare with.

Though in terms of connections they still couldn't match the old-line hereditary nobles, such as the Duke of Ying and his ilk, that still wasn't something ordinary folk could measure up to. Under such circumstances, who would still dare to bully his younger brother?

Seeing his second brother's furious glare, Qi Yuanbi knew at once that his second brother had misunderstood.

He hastily waved his hands and said: "It's not what you're thinking, brother. I'm doing very well here. Every day it's just training, then eating and drinking—and the food is quite good. You should know that."

"The Imperial Navy's rations are pretty decent, and we can even go out fishing every day. Tomorrow I'll send a fish over to you, brother—the fish here are plenty fat. We've all gotten a bit tired of eating them, but for you they should be a fine meal."

"A few days ago, some people from the Imperial Household Department even came by, saying they wanted to get some fish."

"Even with the cement straight road, it can't be easy to deliver them to the capital, can it?" Qi Yuangong asked with a frown.

"It's not that hard, actually. They've built some kind of large transport vehicle, and they were talking about something called the catfish effect. I don't know the rest—anyway, they're working on it."

"They want to ship live fish to the capital to sell. Even dead ones are fine—they can freeze them with ice, calling it cold-chain transport. Or else they dry them into fish jerky or salt them into cured fish."

"You know how the Imperial Household Department is—salt is worthless to them. In the last few years, with their seawater salt-evaporation, the Ming's salt output has multiplied several times over. What do you think salt costs on the market these days?"

"Anyway, they have their ways—it's just that we didn't dare agree on our end. Our Imperial Navy is the Emperor's army. Catching a bit of fish for ourselves to eat is fine, but running a fish-selling business isn't our job. That money we don't dare earn."

"The Imperial Household Department said they would report the matter to His Majesty, and we're waiting for word."

Qi Yuangong nodded and said: "That would be a good thing."

Qi Yuanbi smiled, his tone rather helpless as he said: "Our Ming's Imperial Navy has such fine equipment, so many men, such excellent ships—the Emperor has poured so much money into it, and in the end we just go fishing?"

"If it were really about catching fish to sell, fishermen would do. Why would they need us?"

At this point, Qi Yuanbi let out a helpless sigh before continuing: "This is also the part of our posting that sits uncomfortably with us."

"Everyone can drill every day, putting in heart and effort, but there's no battlefield to put it to use. Look at how many battles the Imperial Guard Corps has fought in Liaodong—and fought so brilliantly. Word is that quite a few of them will be getting official posts this time, and many will receive noble titles. How could the brothers not be envious?"

"Everyone is pent up and howling for action, yet day after day there's no hope in sight." Saying this, Qi Yuanbi sighed again, looked at his second brother, and said: "Sometimes I really want to transfer back to the Guard Corps, to follow our eldest brother. But I also know that's just a fantasy."

"Our family has served in the military for many years, and now the three of us brothers enjoy His Majesty's deep trust. If we all stayed in the capital, it really would look improper and inevitably invite criticism. So I've never acted on such thoughts—and even when I have them, I can only suppress them."

Glancing at his younger brother, Qi Yuangong smiled and said: "With those little thoughts of yours, you're just measuring a gentleman's heart with a petty man's yardstick. His Majesty is wise and martial—would he be wary of something like that?"

"What could the three of us brothers do? What waves could we stir up? You're overthinking it!"

"Let me tell you—His Majesty placed you here precisely because he intends to give you an important task. One thing you said earlier was right: His Majesty has spent so much money on the Imperial Navy, given you such fine ships and such fine equipment—not so you could go fishing, and not so you could just sit around. This time, you should have something to do."

Qi Yuanbi immediately grew excited and hastily looked at Qi Yuangong, asking: "Then tell me about it, second brother?"

Glancing sidelong at his younger brother, Qi Yuangong hesitated.

He realized he seemed to have fallen into his younger brother's trap. His brother had been in the military for years—there was no way he didn't understand that this navy would surely be given an important mission someday. Clearly, he had come to fish information out of him.

It was true that sitting idle was uncomfortable, but it wasn't as if there was no hope.

Qi Yuangong shot his younger brother a fierce glare and said with a cold laugh: "What nonsense is this? Stop with these crooked schemes and just wait patiently. What you're meant to know, you'll know soon enough. What you're not meant to know, don't go prying into."

Seeing his trick exposed by his brother, Qi Yuanbi didn't take it to heart—he was long used to it.

The three brothers had grown up together, training side by side every day and pushing each other on. His two elder brothers had scolded him countless times—when had it ever been anything less than blows and curses?

A few harsh words now were nothing at all.

Qi Yuanbi said: "It's just that waiting makes a man anxious."

"Last time in Liaodong, His Majesty wanted the King of Joseon to come to the capital along with him. But the King of Joseon didn't come—he said he was unwell—though he did send his son instead, to discuss certain matters with the Ming. If nothing goes wrong, they should arrive in Tianjin very soon. When they do, you'll have your work."

Qi Yuanbi immediately grew excited, his eyes shining as he asked: "Are we going to attack Joseon? That's a mission we could take on!"

Glaring at his younger brother, Qi Yuangong said in exasperation: "Dream on!"

"But there is one thing I did hear—when the Joseon prince comes this time, his sister will be accompanying him. Word is she's to marry His Majesty."

"Another marriage?" Qi Yuanbi said with some helplessness: "Are they addicted to this or what?"

"What's that got to do with you? It's not like she's marrying you." Qi Yuangong said: "His Majesty's affairs—are those something we, his subjects, can gossip about freely? Mind your own mouth, and don't go spouting nonsense when you get back."

"Don't worry, second brother—I only say this in front of you." Qi Yuanbi scratched his head and smiled: "But the Mongols wanted to marry in, and now the Joseon people want to marry in too—what's His Majesty's harem turning into?"

"They're willing to marry—what can you do about it?" Qi Yuangong said: "Go back and wait patiently. Soon enough you'll have your chance to prove yourselves. But don't go spouting nonsense—don't tell anyone anything. When you see them, just say that tonight I only chatted about family matters."

"Understood." Qi Yuanbi nodded solemnly and said: "Don't worry, second brother—I know how to handle this."

The two brothers chatted a while longer about family matters, agreed to return together someday to pay their respects to their father, and then each went their own way.

Qi Yuanbi could stay a while longer, but Qi Yuangong could not. He was one of the Emperor's personal guards, bearing the duty of protecting the Emperor. A brief absence to see his younger brother was permissible—that was the Emperor's grace—but if he stayed away too long, that would be improper.

After the two brothers parted, Qi Yuanbi took a roundabout path and slipped over to Yu Zigao's room.

Yu Zigao had not yet retired for the night. Seeing Qi Yuanbi walk in, he hastily and warmly invited him into the room, then asked: "How did it go? Did you hear anything? Your second brother didn't clam up completely, did he?"

Giving a helpless bitter smile, Qi Yuanbi said: "Nothing useful. You know my second brother—serving as a personal guard at His Majesty's side, he has to keep a tight lip. I tried to fish for information, but unfortunately I didn't succeed."

Yu Zigao was also somewhat helpless, the excitement fading from his face as he sat down directly and looked at Qi Yuanbi, saying: "That's within expectations. But this still can't go on forever—didn't you manage to learn anything at all?"

"There was one bit of news." Qi Yuanbi thought for a moment and said: "My second brother said the King of Joseon's son is coming, and word is he's bringing his sister along, saying she's to marry His Majesty."

"Besides that, my second brother also said that once the King of Joseon's son and his party arrive, we might finally have our chance to prove ourselves. But as for exactly what we'll be tasked with, I haven't figured that out yet, and my second brother didn't say. Can you guess?"

"I can guess a bit." Yu Zigao thought for a moment and said: "On the seas, our Ming doesn't have many enemies to begin with. But that doesn't mean there are none. If we're acting together with Joseon, it's most likely Japan."

"Japan?" Hearing this, Qi Yuanbi frowned and said: "Are we going to take on Japan?"

"Why would that be impossible?" Yu Zigao gave a cold snort and said: "It's only been so many years—have you already forgotten the wokou troubles of back then?"

"You're still young—you never fought the wokou alongside your father—but you should remember: how did our kind rise to where we are? Wasn't it by fighting the wokou?"

"You know very well in your heart how the Qi Family Army came to be. So what's so strange about us fighting the wokou again? And with Joseon brought in on top of that, I think the odds are very high that we'll be fighting the wokou."

"Then this is wonderful news!" Qi Yuanbi stood up excitedly, clapping his hands and saying: "Our Imperial Navy's first mission out of the gate is a war to destroy a nation—remarkable, truly remarkable!"

Yu Zigao also smiled and said, "Yes, yes, this is a good thing!"

"But why does Your Majesty want to attack Japan?" Qi Yuanbi asked after thinking it over. "Is there something going on that we don't know about? Could it be to help Joseon? That shouldn't be the case, right?"