Chapter 102
The old man’s piercing gaze swept across the crowd, then settled on the conspicuous red court robe amid all the blue-green official robes.
Realizing who it was, Elder Gu’s expression instantly chilled. “What brings Your Highness here?”
The Second Prince was here?
The officials turned in surprise. Sure enough, Xie Chengze was standing right behind them.
They hastily bowed. “This humble official greets Your Highness.”
“Dispense with the formalities.” Xie Chengze raised a hand, walked past the officials to the heated brick bed, and reached between the layers of bedding.
Warmth poured steadily into his palm. His little hand, chilled by the cold wind on the way here, greedily absorbed this hard-won warmth, gradually regaining its rosy color and flexibility. Xie Chengze could not help smiling in satisfaction. He turned to Elder Gu. “You certainly live up to your reputation, Elder Gu, to have made such a warm heated brick bed.”
“Hmph. I cannot claim such credit. This old official merely had the good fortune to receive a drawing of the heated brick bed from His Majesty and reproduce it.”
Elder Gu snorted. Evidently still holding Xie Chengze’s earlier “mockery” against him, he said with unmistakable hostility, “The skilled craftsman who drew this design is the remarkable one, not this old official. If Your Highness wishes to offer praise, go praise that craftsman!”
Xie Chengze rubbed his little nose and obliged. “Very well. The craftsman who drew this design truly possesses exquisite skill. His mastery of construction has reached the pinnacle! As the newer waves of the Yangtze push the older ones ahead, so new talents in this world replace the old. Surely one day he will take Elder Gu’s place and revive this declining Ministry of Works, which cannot break with the old or produce anything new.”
“You! You -” Seeing Xie Chengze actually praise the craftsman, and even compare the two of them, Elder Gu was so furious that his beard shook. He pointed at Xie Chengze and roared, “Absolutely outrageous!”
Seeing Elder Gu’s anger, Xie Chengze innocently rubbed his little nose again, feeling deeply wronged.
Hadn’t the old man told him to offer praise? Why was he losing it now?
Old people’s minds were so hard to understand.
“Elder Gu!” One official secretly signaled to him, warning him to mind his attitude.
Another hurried to plead on Elder Gu’s behalf. “Please be generous with your forgiveness, Your Highness. Elder Gu has always been rigid and stubborn, but he means no harm. Please consider his advanced age and do not punish him.”
The other officials also pleaded for him, as though terrified that the slightest displeasure would prompt Xie Chengze to do something to Elder Gu.
Xie Chengze wondered what made them all so nervous. He had not looked angry or upset, had he? He waved a hand. “It is nothing. I am not so narrow-minded.”
“Hmph! Does Your Highness feel no shame saying that?” Elder Gu scoffed again. With a stony face, he was about to say more when the official beside him hastily diverted his attention. “Elder Gu, there still seems to be a problem with the heated brick bed. Please come and take a look.”
Only then did Elder Gu stop talking. He glared fiercely at Xie Chengze, turned, and walked toward the heated brick bed with his back bent.
At this, Xie Chengze asked the official beside him, “Elder Gu seems to have quite a few complaints about me. Did I offend him in the past?”
The official immediately gave Xie Chengze a complicated look. “Does Your Highness truly not remember?”
So he really had?
Xie Chengze turned his head to listen and put on a serious expression. “I’m all ears.”
The official: … This is hardly something to be all ears about, Your Highness!
Shaking his head helplessly, the official leaned close to Xie Chengze’s ear and whispered, “Have you forgotten what happened eight years ago? Elder Gu was still fairly robust then. You asked him to make something called a yin-yang jug, but he said he could not, so you had him beaten ten times with a heavy staff. Three years ago, you asked him to make an arrow that could be fired from a sleeve. When he said he could not, you had him beaten another ten times. You even called him a useless old man, accused him of hogging his position without doing a damn thing, and said he should get the hell out of the Ministry of Works as soon as possible…”
Xie Chengze: …
Good lord, the original owner of this body had done something that stupid too?!
No wonder Elder Gu’s expression changed the moment he saw him, and he became furious on hearing someone else praised for having reached the pinnacle of craftsmanship. The original owner had a history of this, so Elder Gu thought he was deliberately taking a sly dig at him for being old and useless…
What a mess! How awkward!
Xie Chengze silently wiped a hand over his face, then went up to Elder Gu. “Elder Gu, I spoke disrespectfully just now. Please forgive me.”
Elder Gu snorted, pretended not to hear, and continued inspecting the heated brick bed.
“Elder Gu, I was merely letting my tongue run away with me. In truth, I have the utmost respect for you. In the past, I was young and reckless and knew nothing of proper conduct. Please forgive me!” Xie Chengze continued apologizing.
Elder Gu picked at his ear.
Seeing that Elder Gu still would not acknowledge him, Xie Chengze began to lose his composure too. He bent down and threatened softly, “Elder Gu, if you keep ignoring me, don’t blame me for being ruthless…”
Elder Gu whipped his head around, his face full of disdain and cold defiance. “And what can Your Highness do?”
A few blows with a punishment paddle at most! He, Gu Yun, was old but still vigorous. He could take it!
“Fine. You’ve got guts.” Xie Chengze nodded with a savage expression. Then, right in front of all the officials, he suddenly squatted down, hugged Elder Gu’s thigh, and began screaming at the top of his lungs in heart-rending anguish. “Elder Gu -! I regret it! Every night I toss and turn, lying all alone, unable to sleep. Whenever I remember how I took my anger out on you in the past, my heart aches beyond endurance, and I bitterly regret that it is too late! Only today did I finally come to my senses and resolve to confess my mistakes to you! Elder Gu, please forgive me! Boohoohoo!”
The voice was a roar, the emotion overflowing, the performance explosive.
Elder Gu: …
Was he insane?!
Elder Gu struggled hard to pull his old leg free. Yet after only a few attempts, Xie Chengze fell heavily to the ground. He immediately raised his sleeve to cover his face, his eyes red and his expression pitiful. “Elder Gu, if this lets you vent your anger, then my fall was worth it!”
“Your Highness!”
Seeing Xie Chengze fall, the officials hurried forward and helped him up. Then they looked at Elder Gu disapprovingly and remonstrated, “Elder Gu, His Highness already knows he was wrong. Why did you have to get rough with him…?”
Elder Gu: ???
Hold on. How could an old man nearing sixty possibly get rough with a young fellow in the prime of his strength?
Elder Gu glared at Xie Chengze. “Stop pretending! I think you did that on purpose!”
“Elder Gu! His Highness has always been frail and cannot endure rough treatment. He only recently survived an assassination attempt too. His arms and legs probably haven’t fully healed yet. How could he withstand that oxlike strength of yours?” An official sighed. “Surely surviving such a brush with death made His Highness realize how wrong his past treatment of you was. That must be why he came especially to apologize.”
An assassination attempt?
Only then did Elder Gu finally take a proper look at Xie Chengze. Sure enough, Xie Chengze was clutching his left arm, and the pain on his face did not look feigned.
He snorted again. “If your injuries haven’t properly healed, you should stay in Chenghuan Hall and rest! What are you doing at the Ministry of Works?”
“Elder Gu…” Xie Chengze blinked his moist eyes and said pitifully, “Are you worried about me…?”
Elder Gu: …
“Your Highness should stop flattering himself!” Elder Gu flung his sleeve fiercely. He had never seen anyone so shameless. “This old official has important work to do! I will not entertain Your Highness!”
“Yes, yes, yes, I understand. Elder Gu has a sharp tongue but a soft heart.” Xie Chengze’s cheeky tone was practically begging for a beating.
Speechless, Elder Gu rolled his eyes and pressed harder and harder as he examined the heated brick bed. Every inch of him radiated “Keep the hell away from me.”
Xie Chengze patted the dust off his court robe and eagerly trotted after him, asking humbly, “Elder Gu, is there still something wrong with the heated brick bed?”
Elder Gu gave him a sidelong glance and snorted softly. “There are plenty of things wrong with it! The craftsman who drew the design has some skill, but the details are very crude. Clearly a novice!”
Xie Chengze nodded in agreement. “I think so too. It has the form but lacks the soul.”
Elder Gu: …
You think so, my ass! You haven’t even seen the drawing, yet you have the nerve to stand here pretending you know what you’re talking about!