Chapter 21

In the backyard of the fireworks shop, a person dressed in light cyan robes was busy washing their face. The powder and lip rouge were wiped away, revealing a clean, slightly flushed face. Wen Besang picked up a towel and wiped meticulously for a long while, until the hair at his temples and forehead was damp.

Two knocks sounded at the door. The shopkeeper said in a low voice, "Boss, the shipment has arrived."

Wen Besang stood up and walked out. The shopkeeper lowered his head and handed over a sandalwood bead bracelet, saying, "Your token."

Wen Besang put the bracelet on his wrist and walked outside. Two carriages were parked in the courtyard. When the large tarpaulins were pulled back, they revealed stacks of neatly trimmed firework tubes. The two carts were filled to the brim, smelling of compressed paper, saltpeter, and sulfur.

"Are these two carts intended for the Prime Minister's residence?"

"Precisely." The shopkeeper, named Chen Changfeng, replied, "It was agreed with the Prime Minister's estate that the delivery would be made in early November. Fortunately, you returned in time, otherwise, we would have breached the contract."

"Hmm."

As Wen Besang’s fair fingers brushed over the compressed paper tubes, his tone remained as calm as his expression: "Are the people arranged?"

"All the pyrotechnicians are our own," Chen Changfeng whispered. "When the fireworks explode, the Prime Minister's residence will be thrown into chaos. None of the people who deserve to die will escape."

"After this is over, all the fireworks shops from Junzi City to Shengjing will be closed. Have you found a place to go?"

"Don't worry, Boss. As long as we keep our lives, we won't starve anywhere."

As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something. He took a letter from his pocket and said, "This arrived with the ship. It’s from City Lord Xie."

"Xie Yingshu," Wen Besang murmured. He opened it and looked somewhat surprised.

Chen Changfeng observed his expression and asked, "What did the City Lord say?"

"Song Qianfan..." Wen Besang said. "He says he has some acquaintance with this man. This person has extensive connections in Shengjing and suggests I seek his help if I encounter any difficulties."

"Young Master Song?"

"You know him?"

"I don't know him personally, but I've seen him a few times when dining at the Zuixian Pavilion. The Song family has been royal merchants for generations. Besides restaurants, they also handle military supplies and are closely associated with the Chang family."

Wen Besang recalled something and said, "Isn't the Chang family in the Northern Frontier?"

"Yes, but the armor worn by their soldiers is manufactured by the Song family. Come to think of it, the Chang family and the Crown Prince..."

He suddenly paused.

Before the incident involving the Crown Prince and the dream demon, he had never met this big boss from Junzi City. Naturally, he hadn't known that the boss would be so young and so beautiful.

From Junzi City to Shengjing, all the fireworks shops along the way were the property of this "Flame Boss," and all the fireworks were blended by his own hands—especially the blue fireworks that had just arrived. They all knew that these blue fireworks, intended for the Prime Minister's residence, were actually a large batch of lethal firearms.

People in Junzi City often speculated about what someone capable of crafting both beautiful fireworks and dangerous weapons would look like. Two days ago, when Wen Besang had appeared before him in a skirt, he had even assumed the Flame Boss was a woman. It wasn't until the other had washed his face that he finally understood why the boss had been so late for their scheduled meeting.

...So, he had been snatched away by that scoundrel of a Crown Prince.

"Boss," Chen Changfeng recalled and asked, "Why didn't you send us word when you were taken by the Crown Prince?"

"I couldn't," Wen Besang said. "I almost died."

Chen Changfeng frowned, "Otherwise, we could have blown up the Crown Prince's mansion."

They were all sent by Junzi City. While they held some respect for City Lord Xie, they had no such reverence for the royal families of the Qi and Liang kingdoms.

"Let's blow up the Prime Minister's residence first." Wen Besang turned and went inside. "For the next two days, I will disguise myself as a woman in the shop. Tell people to call me Miss Sang."

"Understood." Chen Changfeng said, then added, "What if someone from the Crown Prince's side comes looking?"

"They won't."

"Huh?"

"He told me to get lost."

"He actually told you to get lost?!" Chen Changfeng was shocked. That dog of a Crown Prince was truly blind.

Wen Besang returned to his room, lay on the bed, and unfolded the letter to read it again.

Song Qianfan...

Wasn't this the person Chang Xingzhu had acknowledged as a relative at the ice rink? How could he be related to Xie Yingshu?

However, the claim about his extensive connections was correct. He was a royal merchant, knew Chang Xingzhu, and Chang Xingzhu was a cousin to Cheng Yun, effectively linking him to both the General and the Crown Prince. On the other hand, he also knew young Marquis Qi, whose mother was Princess Qingyang, the Emperor's own sister and Cheng Yun's aunt...

Wen Besang suddenly felt something was amiss. Why did it seem that whenever he traced Song Qianfan's connections upward, they always led back to Gong Wuchang?

However, if everything went smoothly, he wouldn't need Song Qianfan's help.

Wen Besang tucked the letter under his pillow, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep. Since leaving the Crown Prince's mansion, he could finally sleep until dawn without worrying about someone suddenly pouncing on him to "devour" him.

The next day, Wen Besang slept until the sun was high. He heard the sounds of peddlers outside the shop. A bustling day had begun once more.

In early November, snow piled up on the rooftops. Wen Besang sat before the mirror, traced his eyebrows, and applied some lip rouge, making his face appear even more exquisite. He then chose a water-blue dress to wear; this way, if anyone entered the backyard, they would immediately see a woman present. Anyone with a shred of gentlemanly conduct would know not to gaze upon her.

He then took a mortar, poured in some black substance, and began to grind it slowly.

"Miss Sang." Chen Changfeng saw his door open and walked over quickly, but stopped abruptly at the threshold and retreated a distance. "You... first thing in the morning... are you making gunpowder?"

"Making fire-breathing dragons." Seeing his fear, Wen Besang stopped and looked up with clear eyes. "Do you need something?"

"No, I just wanted to ask if you were hungry. I'll go buy something to eat."

"Is there anyone in the shop?"

"The assistants are watching it, don't worry."

"Then I'd like two steamed buns," Wen Besang thought for a moment, then added, "and some porridge."

"Right." Chen Changfeng nodded. As he was about to leave, he turned back and whispered, "Boss, there are many neighbors around here. Every sound can be heard clearly. If the city guards hear any explosions, it might affect our plan."

Wen Besang nodded. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. It won't explode."

After he spoke, he buried his head and went back to grinding. Chen Changfeng trusted his judgment, but he couldn't help but worry. That was gunpowder, after all...

Chen Changfeng bought the buns and ladled some porridge into a bowl he had brought. When he returned, he saw a refined man in a gold-crowned, brocade robe leaning against the counter, asking casually, "Can I still order blue fireworks?"

The assistant shook his head, "This year’s batch is all sold out. The Chuanming River will soon freeze, and no more fireworks will be shipped here before the New Year."

"Can't you take the land route?"

"They are all flammable. The land route is bumpy, carries many risks, and is slower. Our fireworks have always been shipped by water."

"I heard they come from Junzi City?"

"Precisely. All the blue fireworks are crafted by the Flame Boss of Junzi City. Aside from him, there is no one else in this world who can blend blue fireworks." The assistant spoke with a look of pride.

The shopkeeper smiled at him and continued toward the back.

The wealthy man straightened his posture and asked, "Are there guests in the back?"

The assistant hurried to explain, "It's the boss's niece, she's here to visit for a couple of days."

"Hmm." Cheng Yun said, "Just arrived? Is she the boss's biological niece?"

The assistant found it strange, "I don't know. The shopkeeper told us to call her Miss Sang."

Cheng Yun suddenly smiled.

"Can I still order other fireworks before the New Year? My household has a joyous occasion coming up, and I want to celebrate with a lively night."

The assistant looked at his attire again and said, "A whole night? That would require quite a lot."

"Yes, over a thousand barrels. Do you have that many?"

"Yes, we do. We don't have blue ones, but we have plenty of others."

"Is your warehouse here?"

"It's in the back. I'll take you to see."

As he led him toward the back, he added, "However, the warehouse here is small. We have a larger one on the outskirts of the city. We definitely have the stock you need. If you decide to order from us and pay the deposit, we can even provide a free demonstration. You can choose whichever you like, guaranteed that what you see is what you get, no deception."

The courtyard was not small; the east side was for living, and the west side for storage. A woman in a water-blue dress, her hair half-up, was sitting at a small table in front of the courtyard, diligently munching on a bun.

Their eyes met, and everything stopped.

"Hey, why did you bring someone into the backyard?!" The shopkeeper hurriedly blocked Wen Besang from view. The assistant explained immediately, "This guest is getting married soon! He wants to set off fireworks all night! He wants to order over a thousand barrels, a big spender!"

Wen Besang continued to eat his bun, bowing his head to take a sip of porridge.

"Getting married," Chen Changfeng said. "That is indeed a great joy, congratulations. However, there isn't much to see in the warehouse; we have samples in the front..."

"That makes sense." Cheng Yun stopped in his tracks before reaching the warehouse.

Just as Chen Changfeng breathed a sigh of relief, he saw the man walk straight over. He braced himself again, "This customer, this is a private residence. Isn't it a bit improper for you to do this?"

As he spoke, he adjusted his angle to block Wen Besang, only to find the guest walking directly toward a pine tree beside him. The tree’s crown was flat, its branches overlapping like a dragon riding the waves, creating a wonderful atmosphere in the cold winter. It made the dilapidated little courtyard look quite elegant.

"This is a nice tree."

Chen Changfeng patted Wen Besang, and the latter picked up his bowl and went inside.

"A beautiful tree deserves a beautiful person." Cheng Yun turned his face, his gaze falling on him. "I wonder if the beauty would be willing to sit under this tree for a while, so that I may paint a picture?"

As the words fell, Chen Changfeng's complexion changed. Revealing his identity meant that the request could not be refused.

Chen Changfeng forced a smile, "So, it is the Crown Prince..."

"Is it not allowed?" Cheng Yun looked over with a light tone. Chen Changfeng’s breath tightened. A faint sound of chewing came from his ear.

Wen Besang finished his porridge, set the bowl down, and said softly, "My lip rouge has come off."

He turned and walked into the room. From the window, he could be seen sitting before the mirror, taking a box of lip rouge, and carefully pressing his lips together.