Chapter 2052: The Final Journey 20

It took a full two shichen, perhaps even longer, before the training finally came to an end. The cannon fire ceased, and above the sea surface there remained only the monotonous, oppressive sound of wind and waves.

The wind and waves at sea were considerable. Given the old Emperor's constitution, it was clearly impossible for him to remain exposed to the wind and waves for long—he could not withstand the wind, nor could he stand for extended periods. Coming and going from the bridge, the thunder of the cannons was indeed shocking, but after seeing and hearing too much of it, it grew dull.

Though the hour was still early, the sky had already darkened as if night were approaching. The old Emperor widened his hazy eyes and strained to look out, but apart from the black smoke that would not dissipate above the sea's horizon, there was only that one gunboat, slowly turning about to rejoin the formation.

"Lin Qing, this gunboat—it makes quite a racket, but I wonder how it performs in actual combat! Against a target ship that neither resists nor flees, it takes such effort. If one day it truly faces an enemy on the open ocean, let's hope it doesn't turn out to be a showpiece." After gazing for a long while, the old Emperor remarked to an elderly man beside him: "To support your navy's research on gunboats, the court has paid no small price—you must produce something real!"

Hearing the old Emperor speak thus, the elderly man felt a slight chill in his heart, but replied with composure: "Your Majesty, the gunboat is a novel thing. The design requirements are high, the construction difficulty great—it is not simply a matter of mounting cannons on a warship. To perfect and mature it is truly not a matter of a single day."

"However, the insightful men within the navy have already reached a consensus: the gunboat's future is promising, its potential limitless. It will surely become the Great Han navy's principal warship, sweeping the oceans and spreading our nation's might."

"Now that the experimental vessel has been built, continuing to explore along this path, we are not far from a more complete and more practical gunboat. I humbly beg Your Majesty and the court to await good news!"

Hearing this, the old Emperor chuckled and said: "You are quite confident! I have always been patient with research and craftsmanship in these military technologies. What you speak of, I can understand, and I also express my support."

"However, the world is full of mediocrities—many are short-sighted and self-satisfied. Some in the court cannot see nor understand the things related to gunboats. They only know that the navy has consumed over a decade of manpower, wealth, and resources without notable results."

"These circumstances, you must not fail to consider!"

The elderly man beside him was Lin Renzhao, the former Deputy Commissioner of Military Affairs who had once overseen the Great Han navy. This Southern Tang general, who decades ago had strongly advocated military confrontation against the court, had unknowingly already served the Great Han for thirty years.

For Lin Renzhao, the past thirty years had not been particularly comfortable. Whether in the military or in the Bureau of Military Affairs, he could feel the heavy suspicion and exclusion. No matter how hard he worked, the doubts from certain powerful figures never disappeared.

Lin Renzhao naturally knew the reason. Back in Jiangnan, his performance had been too aggressive and anti-Han, and clearly it had never been forgotten. Though each served his own master, not many were willing to actively understand or forgive. And once interests and status were involved, it became even easier to use as a political point of attack, ready to be brought up at any time.

This was also related to the political atmosphere of the Great Han. In some people's eyes, the southern civil officials who had surrendered in the late unification period could be tolerated to some degree, but as for the military generals—they had to be guarded against. Lin Renzhao was a prominently marked figure. Had it not been for the old Emperor's support, he could never have remained so long in the upper echelons of the Great Han military.

In the past, he had also attempted to fully integrate into the Great Han like the Guo and Zhang families, but later gradually gave up. He merely kept a heart of gratitude for the old Emperor's tolerance and favor, doing his work diligently and conscientiously.

After turning sixty-five, he voluntarily stepped back to the second line, making way for a new generation of naval commanders like Guo Liangping. He no longer directly handled naval military affairs—first supervising training as an Army Supervisor, then within a year being transferred to Guangzhou Prefecture to serve as deputy commander of the Guangnan navy, fully entering a retirement state.

After the Jinling shipyard successfully produced the gunboat, the navy's enthusiasm was reignited. They applied to the Bureau of Military Affairs for one vessel, letting the Guangnan navy conduct experiments and training, then threw themselves into it wholeheartedly.

At this moment, hearing the old Emperor's words, a trace of melancholy appeared on Lin Renzhao's aged face. He replied with some emotion: "Your servants can only do their best!"

Hearing this, the old Emperor could not help but be surprised—his face seemed to write two words: that's it? He sized up the white-haired Lin Renzhao and said: "I thought Lin Qing would give me a rousing speech, swearing guarantees—"

Lin Renzhao shook his head, the faint smile on his lips speaking of a hero's twilight: "Your Majesty, your servant is already aged and frail. I only rely on a restless heart to contribute some remaining warmth to the navy's construction. The future must depend on the young!"

These words clearly resonated with the old Emperor, who sighed in turn: "Indeed, one must admit to aging! In recent years, I too have often felt that the will is there, but the strength falls short!"

Glancing up at the old Emperor and seeing his wistful expression, Lin Renzhao immediately added: "Your servant is but an ordinary mortal, while Your Majesty is a hero of an era—still vigorous as before, ambition intact, truly admirable—"

The moment these words left his mouth, the old Emperor could not help but laugh: "This flattery of yours is hardly skillful! You are aged and decrepit, and I am no less old. There is no need to speak such hollow words."

"Yes!"

Seeing that Lin Renzhao still maintained that respectful but somewhat perfunctory attitude, the old Emperor felt slightly bored and looked up once more at the scenery of the open sea. Had he been in his prime, the wind and waves might have stirred a sense of grandeur in him, inevitably giving rise to the heroic ambition to conquer and pacify. But now, all it brought him was oppression and helplessness. "Enough, since the training is over, it's time to return. This is already the third day at sea—issue the order to sail back." With a light sigh, the old Emperor instructed.

Having not gone to sea for decades, and having stayed aboard a ship for three days upon first boarding, it was quite a special experience for the old Emperor. However, perhaps due to his age, he truly could not find any heroic sentiment upon the vast blue waves.

As the signal flags waved, the training fleet of twenty-two vessels re-formed its formation, turned in unison, and sailed toward the southeast.

In the command cabin, the old Emperor invited Lin Renzhao to drink together, continuing to discuss matters related to gunboats, the Guangnan naval construction, the South Seas campaigns, and so on. For Lin Renzhao, such a meeting between sovereign and minister—drinking alone together in conversation—was actually the first since he had entered the Han.

However, the old Emperor was clearly more concerned with another issue. Seemingly casually, he raised a topic: after decades of naval development, the "naval aristocratic families" that had emerged within the navy.

On this matter, Lin Renzhao could no longer maintain that unassuming, carefree demeanor. For even though he was suppressed at the upper levels, Lin Renzhao was still a major mountain within the navy. Five of his sons and grandsons all served in the navy—the Lin family was precisely what the old Emperor called a "naval aristocratic family."

Compared to his earlier composure and calm, the old Emperor clearly preferred seeing Lin Renzhao's uneasy expression. His hesitant, conflicted responses were all the more amusing.

In the end, the topic was concluded with the phrase "the navy has its own traditions." Though it seemed casual, Lin Renzhao's heart remained suspended from then on. After all, the old Emperor of today could not be viewed as a normal person. If he were to take a knife to the "naval aristocratic families," that would be truly unfortunate. Lin Renzhao himself could remain unmoved by favor or disgrace, but he could not disregard the future prospects and fortunes of his descendants.

Fortunately, the old Emperor indeed had no intention of making things difficult for Lin Renzhao. The sovereign and minister drank together until evening. The fleet had already approached a port of considerable size. The sky had not yet fully darkened, but the port was already lit up with lamps. Viewed from afar across the sea, the lights spread out from the coastline like scattered stars, stretching for several li—a magnificent sight.

The old Emperor walked up to the bridge again and, gazing at the port in the lamplight, could not help asking curiously: "What place is this?"

Noticing the old Emperor's attentive attitude, Lin Renzhao explained with a light smile: "Your Majesty, this is Tuen Mun Port under Dongguan County. It is now the largest port in the outer waters of Guangzhou Prefecture, a harbor that merchant ships must pass through on their journeys. In recent years, the population has grown—no fewer than a hundred thousand. The navy also maintains a military harbor here, called Castle Peak Harbor."

Listening to Lin Renzhao's introduction, the old Emperor's gaze grew somewhat distant. His deep eyes seemed able to pierce through time and space, seeing a distant future. After a long while, he murmured: "This is roughly Hong Kong, I suppose."

Lin Renzhao was momentarily stunned upon hearing this, but quickly recovered. He murmured the phrase to himself, then asked: "Does Your Majesty wish to rename the harbor to Hong Kong?"

The old Emperor snapped back to attention, turned to glance at him, then looked toward the distant Tuen Mun Port and said leisurely: "Castle Peak Harbor is a fine name. I do not care for the name Hong Kong, nor do I care for Tuen Mun."

Lin Renzhao was even more puzzled, but he had already made a decision in his heart—to notify Guangzhou Prefecture that the name of Tuen Mun Port could be changed.

"Tonight we shall stay within Castle Peak Military Harbor!"

"Yes!"

Staying overnight in the military harbor—thanks to the unprecedented explosion of overseas trade in the Great Han Empire, this excellent harbor had developed rapidly with its unique geographical advantages, becoming the "Pearl of the East" of this era.

The next day, the old Emperor rarely slept in. Life at sea was still quite tormenting for him, and his fatigue was hard to shake off.

However, his spirits remained quite good. He had Hu De make arrangements, intending to go "inspect" the civilian port at Tuen Mun. But before he could set out, a piece of news destroyed his mood entirely.

Lin Renzhao had died—very suddenly, with no warning whatsoever. It was either a heart attack or a cerebral hemorrhage. There was no possibility of rescue; he was simply gone.

Soon, mournful music began to play within Castle Peak Military Harbor. The logistics department quickly purchased white cloth from Tuen Mun Port. The Emperor issued an edict to hold a memorial service for Lin Renzhao within the military harbor.

The old Emperor naturally had no particularly deep feelings for Lin Renzhao. However, this sudden passing still left him feeling stifled. It could be seen as a form of empathy—the old Emperor could not help but think: would he too depart suddenly without any warning? Thinking it over carefully, he actually felt a sense of fear.