A Boat Trip
“Teacher Jin. Where are you going?”
“I’m heading out for a boat trip. Make sure you get ready and come along.”
While I was buried in the middle of R&D work, Gan Yong suddenly appeared with this unexpected request.
“So, what’s this sudden boat trip? I have work to do.”
“Isn’t it that the work won’t be affected by taking a day off? Your subordinates have all been given vacation; you should rest too.”
“But if I suddenly disappear like this…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s an order from His Majesty. And His Majesty will be joining us as well.”
“His Majesty?”
My eyes widened in surprise. Gan Yong let out a hearty laugh.
Liu Shan enjoyed boat trips, but I hadn’t heard anything about Liu Bei doing the same. I was slightly puzzled when Gan Yong suddenly explained.
“Actually, I requested it from His Majesty. You came all the way to Chengdu, and it seemed like you were only working. So he arranged this outing for you.”
“Ah…”
“In truth, your father Jin Do also wanted you to rest. He was hesitant because he didn’t want to be accused of favoritism toward his daughter. And since you’ve come all this way to Chengdu, you should spend some time with your family as well.”
Only now did I understand. Gan Yong had often pulled me aside like this whenever I overworked myself.
“Yes. In that case, I suppose I have no choice but to go.”
For reference, Huang Yueying and Po Yuan, who were part of the R&D team, remained behind to continue their work, so only I would be joining.
Huang Yueying was a workaholic like Zhuge Liang, while Po Yuan had a bad case of motion sickness and declined to come.
For reference, even though Po Yuan always seemed exhausted, he took immense pride in his work. Half fatigue, half passion, I suppose.
However, since Po Yuan always had dark circles under his eyes, I felt sorry for him and decided to ask Liu Bei for a special vacation on his behalf.
And since I wasn’t a regular member but only a temporary one, and wasn’t even an R&D specialist, there was no risk of the work falling behind even if I was absent for a while.
With that, I followed Gan Yong to the lakeside where the boat trip was to take place.
***
“There it is. Whoa, it’s huge.”
As I followed Gan Yong to the lakeside, a massive ship floated on the water, and the vast lake came into view. Since it was a place where the emperor himself would come to enjoy, it couldn’t possibly be small.
And in front of it, Liu Bei, my father, and his attendants were gathered together.
“Commander, Left General Jin Cheong. I pay my respects to His Majesty.”
When I stepped forward and bowed deeply, Liu Bei smiled warmly.
“There’s no need to be so formal. We’re here to enjoy ourselves, aren’t we?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I am deeply honored.”
Right beside Liu Bei stood my father as well.
“Cheong-ya. You’ve come.”
“Yes, Father.”
My father was always the commander of Liu Bei’s personal guards, and since I was locked away in the R&D department, I hadn’t had many opportunities to see his face even in Chengdu.
Watching my usually composed father smile so brightly made me realize that coming out like this had been the right decision.
“Good. Sukji, you’ve come out after all. You always sang about Cheong-ya, Cheong-ya. It’s good that you took the time.”
“Huh? Ah, yes. Your Majesty. I am deeply grateful.”
When my father hesitated slightly, Liu Bei laughed again.
“Come on, let’s not stand around here. Let’s board the ship. Your Majesty.”
From the side, Gan Yong said with a grin.
“That’s right. Oh, and before that, there’s someone I’d like to introduce to you, General Jin.”
“Someone to introduce?”
“Indeed. Jiang Zhonglangjiang. Come forward.”
When Liu Bei spoke, a young man stepped out.
He looked about twenty years old, with a tall, handsome figure and an elegant appearance. Though I’d never seen his face before, there was something about his demeanor that wasn’t ordinary.
The young man called Jiang Zhonglangjiang bowed respectfully and spoke.
“Greetings. I pay my respects to the Left General of Shu. My name is Jiang, and my courtesy name is Baekyak.”
Ah, Jiang Wei! The ultimate loyal minister and the last great general of Shu Han!
So this was the person Liu Bei had mentioned he would introduce. I had heard he was being recruited.
“Yes. I am Left General Jin Cheong. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
I also bowed as I greeted him, but Liu Bei stopped me from the side.
“There’s no need for such formalities, General Jin. Whether by your achievements or your rank, you may treat him comfortably.”
“Yes. Understood. Rather, if I am treated with respect, I would feel uneasy.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
Anyway, seeing Jiang Wei in person after only hearing about him through stories was still surprising. From what I’d heard, Liu Bei had personally gone to Tianshui to recruit him during the Northern Expeditions.
“The Left General personally recommended me, and His Majesty came to find me himself. How could I refuse?”
As expected, talent recruitment was Liu Bei’s specialty.
“However, how did you come to know the Left General? I had heard that you were in the far-off Jingzhou.”
“Hmm? Ah, that’s right. I’ve heard of the Kirin of Tianshui from before. More importantly, what mission is Jiang Wei currently undertaking? I am currently researching weapons and armor alongside Prime Minister Zhuge.”
I casually changed the subject. Fortunately, Jiang Wei didn’t seem to mind.
“I am researching formations under Prime Minister Zhuge.”
“Formations? Ah.”
“Yes. The Eight Diagrams Formation. I am training soldiers while conducting research on the Eight Diagrams Formation.”
I had heard that Zhuge Liang was researching formations, but it was indeed the Eight Diagrams Formation. And Jiang Wei was helping with that.
In a little while, he would become a wonderful asset to Shu Han. I should definitely visit sometime to see the Eight Diagrams Formation for myself.
“Good. I see you are a talented person with great potential. Prime Minister Zhuge also agrees, and personally took you under his wing to teach you. I pulled you away from your endless work to enjoy some leisure. Now that the formalities are over, let’s board the ship.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
With that, I boarded the ship along with Liu Bei, my father, Gan Yong, and Jiang Wei.
The breeze that swept past my ears felt refreshing.
***
The ship carrying us glided slowly across the lake following the waves. It was my first time on a boat, but I felt quite at ease.
“I have heard much about the Left General’s reputation. Especially his valor and virtue are well known even in Tianshui, where I lived. For example, how he faced General Zhang Liao head-on, or how he treated surrendered soldiers with generosity.”
“Huh? Ah, so it had spread that far.”
“Not only that, but it’s known far and wide. When I heard that the Left General personally recommended me, I was quite surprised. I had been keeping an eye on the Left General’s reputation for a long time.”
It felt a bit embarrassing, as if he were flattering me.
I stood side by side with Jiang Wei on the deck, talking, while my father and Gan Yong watched us from behind with warm smiles.
“I had only been in the north until now, but this time I came down to Yi Province with His Majesty for the first time. I had only known that Yi Province was mountainous, but there is such a beautiful place. What do you think, Left General?”
As Jiang Wei said, the scenery beyond the railing was breathtaking. The lake shimmered white under the warm sunlight, and the mountains beyond the lake were lush like a painting.
Moreover, the beautifully decorated ship glided across the water in a way that didn’t match its massive size.
The wind blew quite strongly on this clear day, making the ship sway left and right, but it was rather enjoyable because it gave the feeling of actually being on a boat. It had its own kind of fun.
And the sound of the waves lapping against the ship’s hull harmonized perfectly with the music of the musicians, making the ears even more captivated.
Plus, Jiang Wei, whom I had been looking forward to meeting since before the Northern Expeditions, was right beside me.
So my thoughts were,
“Among the weapons we’re developing, there’s one called the Yuanrong Crossbow. It’s quite large and difficult to transport. While traveling on this boat, I thought that installing the Yuanrong Crossbow on a warship would make transportation easier and would be effective in naval battles. And by utilizing the power of nature, we could further extend its range…”
Just as I was speaking, something caught my attention from behind. I turned around to see my father shaking his head with his hand on his forehead, while Gan Yong was laughing and patting his shoulder.
“Ugh… who is it that I should take…”
My father let out a groan, and Liu Bei laughed heartily from behind.
“General Jin is thinking about work even here. Perhaps I should transfer you to the Prime Minister’s office? You could work without restraint. Besides, Prime Minister Zhuge said the same thing. He said your way of working suits him perfectly.”
What terrifying words…!
“Ah, no…! It’s just that I’ve been doing nothing but weapon research lately, so this thought just came to mind.”
I didn’t even think that way, but thanks to working with Zhuge Liang so much lately, maybe I had changed?
There’s a saying that ideas come to mind more when resting than when working. This wasn’t because I was a workaholic.
Anyway, the boat trip ended successfully, and I parted ways with Jiang Wei, asking him to show me the Eight Diagrams Formation sometime.