Chapter 31

The study was dimly lit.

Fake silver ingots were piled on the table. Cheng Yun held one in his hand, examining it repeatedly.

"In my view, these are nearly indistinguishable from the real thing."

"Xizhou is the ancestral home of the Imperial Noble Consort, and the current governor is her cousin," Ten Silver's voice remained hoarse and gravelly. "If something is amiss in Xizhou, the Imperial Noble Consort cannot easily distance herself from it."

"I have always found it strange. The Tao woman is merely the daughter of a county magistrate, possessing neither power nor influence at court. How could she have gathered so many factions for the Prince of Chu in just three years? The officials in the Hall of State, without tangible benefits, would never be willing to serve the Prince of Chu based on mere verbal promises."

"Money," Ten Silver replied. "Without power, one can only forge alliances with gold and silver. If this matter truly has the Imperial Noble Consort as its backer, I fear it is not just Xizhou that has rotted."

"I can only rest easy if this matter is handled by you personally."

"Ten Silver obeys."

...

The next day, when Wen Besang woke up, the Crown Prince was nowhere to be seen.

Wen Besang rose to wash and eat in the outer room, noticing that Pang Qi had regained his vitality and was wearing a beaming smile.

Wen Besang picked up some food with his chopsticks and said, "You seem happier today than you were yesterday."

"Ah, for the past two days, someone calculated that this old servant was destined for the disaster of falling into a river. I was so frightened I didn't sleep all night. Heaven is merciful; a master recalculated it today and found that while there is shock, there is no real danger. My life is not at risk, and I am finally at ease."

"Did His Highness the Crown Prince dream this?"

"..."

Pang Qi immediately dismissed the servants and whispered, "Young Master, how much do you know?"

Wen Besang: "Hmm?"

"Young Master, how much do you know about dreams?"

"I just noticed that all of you seem very tense regarding dreams." Wen Besang continued eating, his expression devoid of prying or curiosity, as if he were merely making small talk. "I wonder what mysteries the Crown Prince's dreams hold?"

"None," Pang Qi quickly replied. "There are no mysteries. The Master does not speak of strange phenomena or supernatural forces; such things should not be spoken of loosely."

"Oh." It seemed the dreams of Gong Wuchang were indeed tied to the supernatural.

After the meal, Wen Besang went to tinker with the disassembled sleeve arrows.

Pang Qi soon came to report: "The Crown Prince has ordered a cart of fireworks. Would you like to go take a look, Young Master?"

Wen Besang understood immediately and headed to the front hall.

Chen Changfeng was looking around, appearing somewhat anxious and nervous.

"Young Master!" Upon seeing Wen Besang, he walked over quickly, but saw Wen Besang raise a hand to stop him: "Walls have ears."

Chen Changfeng had no choice but to follow him forward.

In the winter, snow covered everything, and the artificial lake in the back garden was frozen under a thick layer of ice. The two reached the pavilion in the center of the lake, where Wen Besang looked around; the view was open, with no obstructions.

"Speak."

"We haven't dared to contact you for the past two days for fear of being detected by the city guards. Today, someone suddenly told us to deliver a cart of fireworks to the Crown Prince's mansion, so I rushed over."

"It must have been arranged by Crown Prince Chengyun," Wen Besang said. "How is the shop doing lately?"

"Everything is fine, but since Zhou Lianqiong is dead, are we still delivering the Blue Flame fireworks?"

"Do they still want them?"

"They do, but Zhou Lianjing canceled his order, saying he only wants the Blue Flame ones to be set off along the funeral procession."

Wen Besang looked at the ice and snow on the river, remaining silent for a long time before saying, "Then let's switch it."

"But Young Master, you prepared for so long..."

"It doesn't matter. There is still plenty of time."

"Very well. We will stay with you, Young Master, until we kill that old thief."

"Hmm," Wen Besang said. "Is there anything else?"

"Knowing that you might not have any suitable weapons on hand, I brought the boxes labeled No. 3 and No. 6," Chen Changfeng said, then added, "Young Master, are you returning to Gentleman's City next, or..."

Wen Besang's gaze darkened slightly. "Not yet decided."

Chen Changfeng said, "It is fine for you to stay in Shengjing; we can plan flexibly. It's just..."

"What is it?"

"The City Lord is coming."

"Xie Lingshu?"

"I heard he found out about the Crown Prince's dream-demon incident and is worried that something might happen to you in Shengjing. The letter arrived two days ago; he must be near Xizhou by now."

...

When Wen Besang hurried into the study, Chengyun was at the table reviewing official documents, a stack already piled by his side.

"Lend me some ink and a brush."

Chengyun picked up the wolf-hair brush from beside the inkstone. "What kind of paper?"

"Plain stationery," Wen Besang said. "For a letter."

Wen Besang took the paper and brush, sat down in the guest chair, and began to write.

Chengyun stretched his shoulders and neck, then picked up the inkstone and placed it beside him. "Who are you writing to?"

"Xie Lingshu."

The hand grinding the ink paused slightly. Chengyun’s tone was steady. "Is something wrong?"

"He is on his way to Shengjing."

Chengyun’s eyebrows jumped. "Why is he coming to Shengjing?!"

As the lord of a city that had always maintained neutrality between the two nations, Xie Lingshu’s presence in either Shengjing or the Qi capital would inevitably arouse suspicion from the other side. After all, no one knew if the other party might collude with Xie Lingshu to secretly use Gentleman's City as a passage to attack the border.

Wen Besang was not surprised by Chengyun's reaction. "It seems he heard the dream-demon was me and is worried for my safety."

Chengyun: "How long ago was that?!"

"Shengjing is thousands of miles from Gentleman's City; it takes time for news to travel."

"Just tell him you are doing very well at the Crown Prince’s mansion. Tell him not to come. If the Qi state finds out, they will think the Great Liang is colluding with him!"

"If you could truly collude with Xie Lingshu, it should be a good thing."

"The current ruler of the Qi state is Shen Ruofeng. I’ve heard he is cruel, capricious, extreme, and narrow-minded. If he finds out about Xie Lingshu's actions, he is very likely to start a war in a fit of rage! When that happens, wars will break out everywhere, and who knows how many soldiers and commoners will lose their lives at the borders... Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I am surprised you actually care about the lives of commoners and soldiers."

"I... I naturally don't care about the lives of those foolish people," Chengyun paced in front of the desk. "But if a war were to start, grain and medicine would surely be in short supply. Then, grain prices across the country would soar, and who knows how many would starve... My uncle is guarding the Northern Frontier! Naturally, I care about the lives of the Chang family."

He walked back and said firmly, "You must persuade him to turn back!"

"Hmm." Wen Besang continued writing the letter, not avoiding him. Chengyun said, "Tell him you are living extremely well in the Crown Prince's mansion, eating delicacies every day, sleeping on a dragon-carved bed, covered in five-colored silk quilts, with pillows faced with gold thread and framed in soft jade, filled with priceless aged agarwood."

Wen Besang: "Why say all that?"

"Naturally, to keep him from worrying about you."

Wen Besang said, "Your pillow isn't as comfortable as mine; it's very hard."

"Is the bed comfortable to sleep on?"

"Yes."

"Is the quilt comfortable to cover with?"

"Yes."

"Is the food delicious?"

"Yes."

"Do I look good?"

"Yes."

Chengyun, who had been deliberately inserting his own agenda: "..."

A silence fell. Chengyun’s ears burned silently as he held his breath, looking into Wen Besang's clear eyes.

Wen Besang looked at him quietly, appearing not to have noticed anything amiss.

Chengyun: "I... look good?"

"You look good," Wen Besang gave a definitive answer.

Chengyun looked away slightly, fidgeting uncomfortably with his cuffs. "So, you think... I look good..."

His breathing was somewhat chaotic, his heart beating a bit fast; he felt as if everything was throwing him off balance.

"It's not just what I think," Wen Besang said. "You really do look good."

"..." How did this rabbit spirit suddenly become so good with words?

Chengyun couldn't help but smile. "I'll have someone change your pillow tonight."

He circled around Wen Besang and crouched down beside him, his fingers resting on the edge of the table. Seeming to gain some confidence, he looked righteous: "Let me ask you."

"Hmm."

"Who looks better, me or Xie Lingshu?"

"Both look good."

"Which one do you like more?"

"Xie Lingshu."

...

The fingers on the table retracted instantly. The Crown Prince stood up abruptly, staring at Wen Besang with an expressionless face.

Wen Besang held his brush, his eyes widening slightly, feeling as though the person before him had suddenly transformed from a lovable puppy into a terrifying wolf.

Chengyun’s face darkened slightly. He stood with his hands behind his back for a moment, then suddenly smiled, pressing his arm against the back of Wen Besang’s chair, his voice gentle: "What exactly is your relationship with Xie Lingshu?"

Wen Besang had grown accustomed to his neuroticism. Although he was still a bit uncertain, these matters were not secrets.

He answered honestly: "I redesigned a set of city defense mechanisms for him, and he helped me find people to open a firework shop and seek revenge on Zhou Cangshu."

"And what else?"

"Gentleman's City is surrounded by mountains and has many mineral veins. He provides me with materials for firearms, allowing me to continue developing them."

"Mineral veins?" Chengyun’s confidence suddenly returned. He raised an eyebrow and said, "What minerals do you need?"

"Most importantly, saltpeter."

"How much saltpeter is in the mineral veins of Gentleman's City?"

"About a quarter."

"Do you know where the Thunder-Fire Camp is?"

"Wanlong Mountain," Wen Besang had already inquired. "A hundred miles outside the city. I heard that a natural disaster occurred there once, with rocks exploding like ten thousand dragons roaring."

"Then do you know why there were ten thousand dragons roaring?"

"..." Wen Besang turned to look at him suddenly, his expression dawning with realization: "Could it be that Wanlong Mountain is the birthplace of the Saltpeter Dragon from a hundred years ago, the mother-vein for all the saltpeter mines in the world?"

"Exactly," Chengyun said. "The capital of the Great Liang was once set in the west. The Qi state invaded repeatedly, capturing Sheng'an—which is now the city of Shengjing—many times. The people of Liang valued literature over martial arts; everyone spoke of sage theories and could not let go of the idea of 'valuing harmony above all else.' It wasn't until the Qi state reached their front doors that everyone finally realized that relying on smooth talk to achieve national peace and security was merely a laughingstock."

"The Northern Qi has the Taishu clan, who were the first to discover the secret of the Saltpeter Dragon. While the Great Liang was still guarding Wanlong Mountain without understanding it, they had already set their sights on Sheng'an."

"I know," Wen Besang said. "Because of that, the Great Liang nearly perished several times."

"But we survived," Chengyun said. "Not only did we drive them back, but we also re-established Sheng'an as the capital. Starting from the Ming Emperor, the Great Liang established the Thunder-Fire Camp and gathered weapon smiths from all over the world... but there is still a gap compared to the Taishu family."

Wen Besang nodded. Chengyun looked slightly dejected. "I heard that every few generations, the Taishu family produces a genius weapon smith. Thirty years ago, Taishu Wenda created the Fire God Cannon, which left the northern borders littered with corpses, while the Great Liang still stumbles in this field."