The light in the room was dim, and I didn't dare open the window. The autumn wind was also cold, and Qi Dudu's physical condition was obviously not suitable for getting cold again, so I let him stay in the dark.

Entering the house, Qi Dudu, with my help, took off his coat and wore an old military uniform, just like the vicissitudes of his decades of military age.

The servant made tea with the slices of American ginseng I brought, mixed some condiments such as candied fruit, and served them to Qi Dudu. The old man looked at the teacup and smiled, took it with trembling hands, took it with trembling hands, and blew and drank a few sips.

My heart was like a knife, when I heard Hua Mei say that Qi Dudu was not in good health, I was too busy fighting with the Spaniards to come back. Later, I was ready to come back, and there were three delays and two delays along the way.

Although everything I did was to better deal with the next war, but from Qi Dudu's point of view, was it too unreasonable for me to do this?

I pondered this unclear proposition, and I couldn't help but feel a little dazed. Qi Dudu drank tea for a long time, and his seemingly godless eyes swept over my face, but he brought a smile to his face again.

"Qilan." Qi Dudu's low and hoarse voice sounded again, and I was excited, and immediately turned my head with a smile and said, "What? You say! ”

Qi Dudu smiled, his eyes revealing incomparable kindness and relief: "You can come back, the old man is very relieved." Life and death have a fate, wealth is in the sky, everyone has their own fate, don't be too sad. ”

I forced a smile and said, "Qilan went to sea this time and learned superb medical skills. I secretly checked the pulse of my predecessors, but the pulse was only slightly vague, and the foundation of the body was still good. Presumably, as long as you have a good life, you can recover in ten months! ”

Qi Dudu laughed twice, causing him to cough violently. I hurriedly went up and gently slapped him on the back, and it took him a while to regain his composure. After sipping his saliva again, he said slowly:

"Fifty-two people are not called premature, but now I have one in sixty, and my life is enough. Qilan doesn't have to be sad, and tell me about what happened after you went to sea. ”

I secretly wiped away my tears, answered with a "hey", sat down beside him, and talked about what happened after I went to sea.

At this point, everyone else in the room retreated, leaving us with a space to be alone. During the period, Qi Xingguo, the youngest son of Qi Dudu, who went home to visit his father, came in and added water twice, and I saw him for the first time.

"When I left the Ming Dynasty, I immediately went to Dongying. According to the last wish of the second uncle, I checked and balanced the power between the two most powerful daimyo in Dongying, and finally maintained the pattern of the division of Dongying's east and west, you must know this battle. ”

I added hot water to Qi Dudu's cup and said with a smile.

Shoufu often said: Dongyi people are narrow-minded, tyrannical and timid, they only respect the superior and do not care for the poor, and their nature is like a tiger wolf. If it is restored to unification, it will be extremely unfavorable to the Ming Society. Therefore, Qilan's move is quite in line with one of the first assistants, and it is worthy of the name of his descendants. ”

After Qi Dudu finished speaking, he gently reached out and pinched my shoulder, and said softly: "Live up to the trust!" Qilan. ”

I shook my head and sighed: "Who knows that now Dongying is once again in North Korea, which means the Ming Dynasty, and everyone knows it, but the people in the court don't believe it and refuse to send troops." ”

Qi Dudu's eyes shone with wisdom, and he chuckled: "Now Dongying is coming in two ways, called the gambling competition, which is really a competition. Unable to break the deadlock at home, it led the flames of war to the outside world. Such a situation is far better for the Ming Dynasty than the coming attack of the unified army! ”

I agree with him: "That's true. The enemy is evenly matched and heavily guarded against each other, which gives us room to use it. It's just that if the little emperor delays sending troops, he is afraid that if it is delayed for a long time, once Goryeo is destroyed, there will be no excuse to help him restore the country. ”

Qi Dudu twisted his beard and smiled: "Qilan is too worried. Now in the court, the party struggle is indeed very sharp, but there are no outstanding figures on both sides, but the black chickens peck each other. The little emperor Zhu Yijun is very inward-looking, he can live for a while, he can't hold it for a lifetime, if Qilan is not at ease, can he have the courage to go to Beijing in person and persuade Xiao'er? ”

I snorted lightly and said, "The Governor doesn't know, Qilan came back this time, although there are not thousands of troops, but there are also nearly 100 new warships. The Daming Navy is weak, and the Dongying Navy is not enough. What if it's an open attack? Since Qilan dared to come back, he naturally relied on it, but he ...... When I saw that little child's face, I thought of my second uncle who had struggled all his life but died with hatred, and I hated it in my heart. ”

Qi Dudu nodded: "Qilan, I know who you are, and I know what you think." And tell me the truth, what is the purpose of coming back this time? ”

As he spoke, he added: "I know that you are known for your scheming, hidden armor soldiers, and you have the ambition to sanction and support the universe. Don't say that you just came back to visit me, and you yourself must not believe it. ”

After saying that, looking at me couldn't help but smile, it suddenly reminded me of the scene when I first met in Quang Ninh Province.

Thinking of this, I made up my mind to tell Qi Dudu all my thoughts.

"Governor, do you know that the Spaniards are plotting to attack the Ming Dynasty?" I whispered.

Qi Dudu raised his eyebrows and said softly: "The people (Spaniards) have ambitions for my territory for a long time. In the past, when I was serving in Guangdong, there were many missionaries who were transformed into people. In the name of preaching, he went around spying on our intelligence, and I have made a special trip to the emperor on this matter, and he is wary of foreign monks, and I don't want to make any moves today? ”

"Governor, Qilan is going to the West to join hands with Britain to break Spain in the English Channel. I don't know how many thousands of ships are sunk, and I don't know how many thousands of sailors are killed. Today, Spain is not as powerful as it used to be, and it is difficult to regain its strength. I whispered.

"Oh!" Qi Dudu looked at me in shock: "Qilan actually did such a big thing in the West?" Tell me about it. ”

So, I couldn't help but nod my head when I explained how I made enemies with the Spaniards when I was in Europe, how I approached the British, how I found allies, how I broke up the enemy, and how I finally fought a decisive battle.

Speaking of the thrilling place, Qi Dudu was full of surprise and couldn't stop sighing, and when it came to the smooth place, he smiled like a child.

I suddenly had the illusion that I was communicating with my elderly father. The old father of the family saw the wanderer coming home and asked about the situation in recent years.

Thinking of this, a warm current rose in my heart again, and I talked about things more carefully, and I also added a lot of my own feelings and thoughts.

Qi Dudu listened more carefully and helped me analyze the gains and losses from time to time. When I talked all the way about my collusion with Xiao Pence and the initiative to invite him to attack the Ming Dynasty, Qi Dudu suddenly fell silent.

After a long time, he sighed and said: "Qilan, you must use fierce medicine for Shen Zhen, but Da Ming is now sick to the bone marrow, I'm afraid that he can't withstand such a heavy medicine!" ”

I shook my head slightly, and said slowly: "Do you know how long the Ming Dynasty has to live?" ”

Qi Dudu raised his eyebrows, lowered his voice and said, "Qilan boy has seen your clever master again?" How did he say it? ”

I said mysteriously: "My master said that the Ming Dynasty has three fires, and Ming is the fire virtue, which is one fire; Tomorrow's surname is Zhu, and this is a double fire; Ming is the sun and the moon, the sun is the sun, and this is the triple fire. ”

Qi Dudu nodded, and very much agreed with my statement, the Five Elements Doctrine has been quite recognized in the past dynasties, so he believed in my next words for three points.

"According to the custom, fire gives birth to earth, and those who replace fire should be earth, which is the theory of the five virtues. However, the triple fire is too fierce, and Xiangsheng is no longer enough to bear it, so the master believes that the five virtues are mutually restrictive, and those who replace the fire will be water! ”

Qi Dudu leaned forward and approached me and asked, "Where should I be?" There was a light in his eyes, he actually had his own judgment in his heart, and he just wanted to hear my answer.

I stared into his eyes tightly and whispered back four words: "It should be in the Northeast!" ”

Hearing these four words, Qi Dudu seemed to be drained of all his strength all of a sudden, sat back in his chair, and looked at the roof fixedly.

Liang Jiu suddenly asked me, "Do you know what is the name of the country that Nurhachi is going to build a state?" ”

I replied again, "Great Qing! ”

Qi Dudu closed his eyes tightly, and said in a hoarse voice: "The Great Qing Dynasty, the triple water, just restrain the triple fire of the Ming Dynasty!" When I was in Jizhou, I told you that the person who was most worried about me was this Jurchen, and I didn't want it to be fulfilled in the future? ”

I nodded and sighed, "What my master and his old man said are all true, and I guess this matter can't be wrong." ”

Qi Dudu was stunned for a long time, and suddenly looked at me and said, "So you are going to stimulate Da Ming fiercely, make him feel pressure, and then work hard?" ”

I stood up, pulled a drawing from my bag at my feet, and gently spread it out on the table.

This is a drawing of a British Galen warship, and I pointed to the hull drawn on it and explained: "This ship is called British Galen, and I have brought more than a dozen of them with me when I come back this time." ”

Qi Dudu stood up with great interest, propped up the table with both hands, and looked at the warship on the drawing fixedly.

"The ship was made of ironwood, and it was extremely tough, and could not be penetrated by ordinary small-caliber fire. It sails at a speed of more than 100 miles per hour, is equipped with 200 guns on one side, and its lightest weight is also the largest caliber artillery of our dynasty! And the range and firepower are above our artillery, if thousands of ships arrive at the same time, I am afraid that our Ming Dynasty's thousands of miles of coastal defense may not be able to support its bombardment! ”

As I spoke, I slammed my palm on the drawing, and said in a low voice: "If a small country in the West is scattered and strong, it can also rely on its scientific and technological strength to change its life, not to mention that I am a great Ming?" Therefore, Qilan is not afraid of infamy, and just wants to take this opportunity to wake up the mediocre little emperor and revive the majesty of my Ming Dynasty! ”

My explanation made Qi Dudu squeeze the back of the seat tightly. He was visibly worried, or incredulous. After a while, he suddenly asked me, "Is there this boat in the boat you brought back?" Walk! Take me to see it! ”

I frowned, Qi Dudu's body was so weak, how could he withstand the sea breeze? He couldn't help but say: "Dudu, you can recuperate for a few days, and it will not be too late to see when your body recovers!" ”

Qi Dudu sighed, patted me on the shoulder, and laughed in a low voice: "Child, I know that you are thinking about me. But I, Qi Nantang, has been in the army since I was a child, and I have been in the coastal defense of the Ming Dynasty all my life. I once said that it is not my intention to be a marquis, but I hope that the sea will be peaceful. Could it be that I'm just talking? ”

Seeing that the old general was upright, I couldn't help but purse my mouth tightly. For these soldiers with integrity, integrity, ideals, and ambitions, life and death have long been downplayed, and they are only afraid that what they are pretending to be is a splendid country!

"I see! Governor, let's go! I reached out and grabbed Qi Dudu's arm and replied in a low voice.

"Let's go! I want to see with my own eyes how strong this fortress on the sea really is! "Qi Dudu is arrogant!

Under the stunned gaze of Qi Dudu's relatives, I helped Qi Dudu out of the courtyard, got into a carriage, and walked all the way in the direction of the port......