Chapter 49
Chapter 49
“Why does Your Highness speak so crudely?” Shen Yuan’s pupils trembled. He could not believe Xie Chengze could utter something so vulgar with such a flawless, beautiful face. “Who taught you that?”
In Shen Yuan’s memories, even at his angriest, Xie Chengze had never cursed anyone with words worse than “dog” or “dog slave.” His everyday speech had been steeped in the lofty accents of capital officials and the imperial clan. He would never have spoken with such rustic vulgarity.
Had some bastard taught him coarse country language while Shen Yuan was away from Jiangdu County?
Xie Chengze curled his lip dismissively. “When in the countryside, do as the villagers do. Why talk all fancy in a village?”
The expression on Xie Chengze’s face was too genuine for Shen Yuan to determine whether he was lying. Shen Yuan even began to wonder whether the Xie Chengze of the previous life had never learned crude curses simply because he had never left the capital or visited the countryside.
Rubbing between his brows, he could only say, “Your Highness should avoid such speech, lest you find yourself unable to correct the habit after returning to the capital.”
He could almost imagine Emperor Jian’s and the Crown Prince’s expressions if Xie Chengze swore after his return, and how they would assume Shen Yuan had led him astray instead of attending to proper business…
“Oh.” Xie Chengze drooped his head, giving no indication whether he had taken the advice to heart. Then he asked, “By the way, Shen Yuan, can a person who cannot speak hold office in the Jian’an Dynasty?”
“Naturally not.” Shen Yuan shook his head. Knowing whom he meant, he explained, “One office is different, however. The Imperial Observatory considers only ability, not a person’s circumstances. Zhang Yuheng is well versed in the stars and astronomy. Presumably, the Imperial Observatory is his goal.”
“I see.” Understanding dawned on Xie Chengze. “I didn’t even know his name, but you already know what he’s skilled at.”
Shen Yuan gave him a cool glance. “So what exactly were Your Highness and Zhang Yuheng doing? Do not try to change the subject.”
Xie Chengze guiltily touched his little nose. While he considered how to bluff his way through, the man beside him stated flatly, “I hear Your Highness intends to make an explosive called gunpowder. It appears the two matters are connected.”
Xie Chengze: “…” Then he said, “Stop listening to people’s nonsense. How could something as powerful as gunpowder have anything to do with sh – with filth?”
“While traveling through the Jian’an Dynasty with the former Grand Tutor, I once visited Penglai in the east. The people there excel at alchemy. They extract saltpeter from filth,” Shen Yuan said, lowering his eyes to give Xie Chengze a meaningful look, “then combine it with sulfur, charcoal, and honey locust to tame the fire and remove the toxins from the elixirs they refine.”
“…” Xie Chengze said, “Lord Shen, you know too much.”
“These substances burn at a temperature far beyond ordinary firewood and can very easily cause a fire. I know Your Highness wants to accelerate the excavation, but you should not risk your life.” Shen Yuan stopped. After a pause, he turned his eyes away and lowered his voice slightly. “Your Highness has already done well enough.”
Xie Chengze’s ears perked up. Hm?
Xie Chengze had few virtues, but he excelled at seizing the key point. “Lord Shen, are you praising me?”
When Shen Yuan had spoken, his voice had carried an unmistakable awkwardness. Xie Chengze stole a glance and, sure enough, found him avoiding his gaze and staring at the ground. Once exposed on the spot, the faint redness at the roots of Shen Yuan’s ears instantly deepened until they resembled the flesh of a ripe pomegranate.
This man truly was dishonest. He had plainly succumbed to Xie Chengze’s personal charisma, yet still refused to admit it.
Ah~ Perhaps this was simply a man’s pride~
Xie Chengze teased him with wicked delight. “Why are Lord Shen’s ears red again? Are they sunburned? Would you like me to hold up an umbrella and give you some shade~?”
Sensing that the man beside him was about to push his luck again, Shen Yuan immediately resumed walking and said coolly, “Your Highness should carry an umbrella whenever you go out from now on. Otherwise, you will get sunburned, complain that it hurts, and throw another tantrum while clinging to me.”
The skin on his neck had looked red from the sun just now, Shen Yuan thought. What kind of guards were Wuhen and Wuji? Did they not even know to buy their master an umbrella?
Xie Chengze broke into a brilliant smile and trotted after Shen Yuan. Raising the red oil-paper umbrella, he shifted it toward him. “Lord Shen, let’s share~”
Shen Yuan glanced at the slender arm revealed when the wide sleeve slid down as Xie Chengze raised it. Sighing inwardly, he took the umbrella and tilted it slightly toward the other man, sheltering him entirely within its cool shadow.
He spoke softly, his voice carrying a tenderness and indulgence he did not notice himself. “I’ll have the cook make you some meat tonight.”
Xie Chengze: “!!!”
Hooray~ More meat to eat~
…
Although he had fooled Shen Yuan, Xie Chengze continued developing gunpowder in secret.
In his previous life, he had been a second-generation rich kid. His parents spent most of the year doing business abroad, and aside from coming home to keep him company, they had indulged his every request. During his rebellious adolescence, he had once declared with dramatic teenage angst that he would blow up the whole world. His parents had responded by spending a considerable sum to hire a famous domestic chemistry professor, take him to a laboratory, and teach him to make a simple explosive with his own hands…
Fine. His personality was indeed diseased, and those two lunatic parents were definitely part of the reason.
That experience did mean he genuinely knew how to make explosives, however, and had no fear of blowing himself to pieces because he measured the ingredients incorrectly.
With the saltpeter problem solved, only sulfur and charcoal remained. Charcoal was simple. The villages had plenty, so he could source it locally. Sulfur could be bought at an apothecary. To increase the explosive force, Xie Chengze also purchased some white sugar at a high price.
Just as he hid in his room, stuck out his tongue, and prepared to steal a lick of the sugar, someone suddenly knocked at the door.
Normally, no one would come looking for him at this hour. Wuhen and Wuji would never knock. Zhu Xiaobiao and the others would call out “Young Master” or “Your Highness” after knocking. Only one person would knock without saying a word…
Xie Chengze hurriedly hid the packet of sulfur he had just bought from the apothecary beneath the tea table. Then he strode to the door and opened it. Sure enough, Shen Yuan stood outside.
“What is it?” Xie Chengze asked tersely from behind the door.
Shen Yuan stepped into the room carrying an exquisitely crafted wooden clothes chest. One glance revealed that it contained no ordinary coarse linen. In a soft voice, he said, “I noticed the day before yesterday that Your Highness’s robes were growing worn, so I went to a clothing shop…”
His words stopped. Shen Yuan suddenly frowned as the faint trace of a familiar odor brushed his nose. His eyes darkened. Shifting the clothes chest beneath one arm, he strode toward Xie Chengze behind the door.
Xie Chengze had been guilty from the moment Shen Yuan entered. Now he darted out from behind the door, intending to shove him outside. But Shen Yuan happened to advance at the same moment. With so little distance between them, their simultaneous movements sent them crashing straight into each other’s arms.
How could Xie Chengze’s slender body, which had never exercised, withstand the force of a man with formidable martial arts? The collision sent him toppling backward. He instinctively cried, “Shen Yuan!” and flailed for Shen Yuan’s arm with both hands, only to grasp empty air.
He thought he would land hard on his backside, but two large hands suddenly closed around his waist and hauled him forcefully back.
His body pressed against a solid, taut chest, while his chin struck Shen Yuan’s hard shoulder. Xie Chengze hissed in pain.
Once he realized he was safe, he tried to push Shen Yuan away, only to discover that the hands around his waist still held him firmly captive. He could not break free. Forced to cling to Shen Yuan as though throwing himself into the man’s embrace, he could only grip the jade belt at Shen Yuan’s waist with both hands to keep his balance.
Beside his cheek, Shen Yuan had lowered his head at some point.
Loose strands of hair falling over Shen Yuan’s brow brushed an inadvertent tickle across the sensitive tip of Xie Chengze’s ear. Shen Yuan leaned closer to the pale, delicate neck of the man in his arms, his nose moving as he took a quiet breath. Xie Chengze shivered faintly, like a tender flower trembling beneath the rain.