After Qin Xiao left, Chu Jiubian made a list of what he needed and gave it to Xiao Xiangzi.

Xiao Xiangzi went to the Imperial Hospital and the Imperial Household Department in person. After some time had passed, more saltpeter and containers for ice-making were brought over.

Yaotai Residence was brimming with Qin Xiao’s people. Chu Jiubian couldn’t hide it even if he wanted to, so he directly put Xiao Xiangzi and the others to work with him.

It took an entire night to purify and cool the saltpeter, so everyone was busy until dark and still had no idea what Chu Jiubian was working on. However, none of them asked many questions. As palace servants trusted by Qin Xiao, they were cognizant enough to keep their mouths shut.

As the sky gradually darkened, Chu Jiubian gave the cooling saltpeter one last inspection and then prepared to wash up and go to bed.

Two of the young eunuchs, Xiao Jinzhi and Xiao Yinzi, took fire from the kitchen and lit lamps in each room, and also used herbs to ward away mosquitos.

Chu Jiubian stared blankly for a moment, and only then did he realize that the Great Ning Dynasty didn’t have flame sticks or candles, and could only use flint to light a fire.

So nowadays, saltpeter was really only used medicinally.

No wonder Xiao Xiangzi had only found two baskets of saltpeter after all this time. The palace really didn’t have much in stock.

Saltpeter could not only be used for making ice, but also for tinderboxes, gunpowder, and fireworks.

If the saltpeter mining business was taken over by the Imperial Court and the private collection and sale by the people was prohibited, then from now on, only the Imperial Court could use saltpeter.

And anything made from saltpeter, with the exception of gunpowder, could be sold. The rich and powerful would contribute to the majority of the profits first, and then it would gradually spread to the people as a steady source of income.

Chu Jiubian lay down in bed after washing up, thinking that Qin Xiao was truly lucky.

However, the Imperial Court was not Qin Xiao’s alone. After all, the young emperor was still the one in charge. Chu Jiubian would just think of it as making an investment in the male lead.

While he was considering these matters thoroughly, he was unaware that the capital was in an uproar because of his two poems.

Not to mention all of those refined, elegant scholars and poets, even officials of all ranks who were skilled in political intrigue were gathered together with their advisors to comment and engage in discussion.

Poets and scholars studied these two poems over and over, analyzing them from the perspectives of rhythm, parallelism, imagery, emotion, and other aspects, and ultimately came to the conclusion that “poems such as these could only have originated in heaven.”

For a time, the names of the Immortal Poet Li Bai and the Scholar of Serenity Li Qingzhao spread throughout the scholarly circle.

Someone lamented: “If I could meet these two immortals in person, I would have no regrets in life.”

There were also those scholars who once pretended at being famous talents, and whose personal confidence was so shaken that they could no longer pick up a brush and write poetry.

Different from these talented scholars were those with a heart for knowledge. Government officials of all ranks had more insight, and their focus was not on the two “immortals” Li Bai and Li Qingzhao, but on Chu Jiubian, who had brought these immortal works to the mortal world.

Chu Jiubian’s name became known to the public as his poems spread.

Nowadays, almost everyone knew about “Jiu-gongzi.”

Inside Su Manor, Minister of Revenue Su Sheng stared at the thin sheet of paper in his hand. Written on it were the two poems that had spread throughout the capital within a few hours.

“This Jiu-gongzi is truly a remarkable person,” he said in a weighty voice.

Advisor Fan He said solemnly: “Indeed. Qin Xiao plays his moves well.”

When these two poems came out, everyone naturally made their own calculations.

At first, there were rumors that these poems had been written by scholars under Qin Xiao, but if he really possessed such talents, and more than one, he wouldn’t be so isolated and powerless in court right now.

Just looking at the line “There will be a time to ride the wind and waves, and set sail to cross the vast ocean,” one could tell that the author was ambitious, and would never be willing to hide behind the scenes as a strategist.

Therefore, it was impossible for the poet Li Bai to be Qin Xiao’s man.

Having ruled out this possibility, they could only believe that the two poems had been written down by Chu Jiubian.

If there was only [The Hard Road], it would be easy to believe that Chu Jiubian was the author, but there was also [A Spray of Plum Blossoms.]

Unless Chu Jiubian had experienced two different lives, there was no way he could have written such completely different poems.

“Xiansheng, why do you think the force behind Chu Jiubian sent him to the capital to stir up trouble?” Su Sheng asked.

Fan He shook his head, saying: “I don’t know. But we should do our utmost to win over this force that has been lurking in the shadows for who knows how long.”

Su Sheng nodded: “It seems I must send another message to the prince.”

He gazed northwest through the wide-open windows of the study.

The silver moon cast a brilliant white light across the ground.

In a small courtyard at the back of the house, a young woman in her twenties stood with graceful poise, holding a piece of rough, yellowed paper between her delicate fingers. On the paper, written in beautiful calligraphy, was the poem [A Spray of Plum Blossoms].

A young girl with two buns in her hair rushed inside from the courtyard, and reported after greeting her: “Young Lady, just now, Third Miss Zhao of the Minister of Personnel’s family sent you an invitation to attend a poetry appreciation banquet at her residence tomorrow morning.”

A look of surprise appeared on Miss Su’s bright, charming face: “Wonderful! I was just worried about not having anyone to discuss it with.”

The maid at her side took her hand with a smile: “Then please rest, Young Lady. We will go early tomorrow morning.”

Young women and girls from various courtyards in the capital also received invitations one after another, all of which were for poetry appreciation gatherings.

At the same time, in the eastern courtyard of Yangxin Hall, Xiao Xiangzi was reporting to Qin Xiao all that he had seen and heard today.

“Just now, I went to help the Young Master prepare saltpeter and containers. During this period, Xiao Hu from the Imperial Kitchens, Xiao Tao-guniang from Imperial Gardens, and Auntie Haitang from the Bureau of Imperial Attire approached this servant.” Xiao Xiangzi presented a few small golden nuggets to Qin Xiao and said: “They gave me these, saying only that this servant has a good job and that they want to be on good terms with me. They didn’t say anything else.”

“Well done,” said Qin Xiao.

Xiao Xiangzi hastened to say: “This servant is grateful.”

Qin Chaoyang escorted him out of the study, returned all of his little gold nuggets, and even gave him a few extra gold melon seeds, saying: “Take these and continue to keep an eye out. Report back if there are any problems.”

“Yes.” Xiao Xiangzi left the eastern courtyard with a smile on his face, skipping toward Yangxin Hall’s main courtyard.

At the gate, Eunuch Hong Fu was looking up in a trance at the high silver moon. When he noticed someone coming, he immediately glanced in that direction with a chill in his eyes.

Seeing that the person coming was familiar, that fierce look vanished.

“Shifu.” Xiao Xiangzi ran up to Eunuch Hong and handed over the gold nuggets and gold melon seeds he had just received. “This is all what I earned today, including what His Lordship gave me. He even praised me.”

Eunuch Hong Fu usually had a kind appearance, and now, looking at the disciple in front of him, his smile held even more kindness and genuine affection.

He stuffed all of the gold back into his disciple’s purse and said: “Keep it for yourself, but don’t spend it recklessly. Save it for your retirement.”

“This disciple knows.” Xiao Xiangzi smiled with curved eyes and dimpled cheeks. “Then I’ll leave first, Shifu. I’m afraid the Young Master might look for me at night.”

Seeing him like this, Eunuch Hong couldn’t help but warn him again: “Remember, His Majesty and our Lord are our only masters.”

“Understood, Shifu. This disciple will remember.” Xiao Xiangzi said goodbye to his master and bounced away happily again.

Eunuch Hong watched until he disappeared around the corner of the palace road, then looked up at the bright moon again with a smile.

His usually hunched back stood straight since there was no one else around, displaying his vigorous form, but melancholy gradually appeared in his eyes.

The eunuch, at only thirty years old, had a pair of eyes like an old man in his twilight years. His figure was slender and desolate under the lonely moonlight.

A long while later, when the moon was at its zenith, the faint sound of a crying child came from the courtyard behind him. Only then did he transform back into the conscientious, kind and smiling Eunuch Hong he played during the day.

Hong Fu walked quickly back to the courtyard and entered the main hall.

A palace servant in the hall was coming out in a panic to find him, and said in a tearful voice when she saw him coming: “Eunuch Hong, His Majesty just had another nightmare and has been crying since he woke up.”

“Understood.” Hong Fu continued toward the inner hall. “Go and make a bowl of goat’s milk with extra sugar.”

“Yes.” The palace maid immediately went to prepare it, which Hong Fu had already entered the inner hall.

The palace servants immediately made themselves less noticeable upon seeing his approach, not daring to even raise their heads.

On the wide dragon bed, a little boy in a pure white satin undershirt was hugging the blanket. His hair was disheveled, and his nose and round eyes were red from tears.

Upon seeing a familiar face, he cried even more pitifully.

Hong Fu felt a pang in his heart, and quickened his pace to walk over. He knelt on one knee at the bedside and gently wiped the young emperor’s tearstained face with a handkerchief.

“Don’t be afraid, Your Majesty. This servant is here with you,” Hong Fu coaxed softly.

Bai Lihong sobbed and clutched Hong Fu’s hand in his sweaty little palms, choking out: “I….want….Jiujiu.”

Hong Fu smiled softly and said: “Okay. I’ll help you get dressed.”

The western courtyard of Yangxin Palace.

There was a faint but hurried sound of footsteps outside the main room. The figure in the bedroom immediately opened his eyes, standing up from the bed in one movement to draw the longsword from beside his pillow. He looked outside the door with dark eyes.

“Who is it?” There was no trace of sleepiness in his voice.

From outside the door came a eunuch’s voice: “My Lord, the Emperor has arrived.”

Qin Xiao paused, then put on an overrobe and went out.

He put down the sword before leaving the bedroom.

But before he could walk out of the courtyard, he spied a small figure running toward him in the moonlight.

Qin Xiao took two steps forward, picked up his little nephew who had run to him, and held him above his head.

The child who had just been crying and gasping for breath was immediately delighted, and kicked his legs in the air while shouting, “Jiujiu, Jiujiu!”

Hong Fu had already signaled for all of the servants to leave. He himself also did not approach, but stood guard from a distance at the courtyard gate.

Qin Xiao lowered Bai Lihong to sit in his arms, as he had done countless times before.

Bai Lihong clutched his clothes in his small hands, sniffling.

“Crying again?” Qin Xiao pulled up the hem of the child’s clothes without hesitation and wiped his nose.

Bai Lihong immediately burst into tears and choked out: “Jiujiu, I miss Mother.”

Qin Xiao wiped away the child’s tears with his calloused fingertips and said: “Jiujiu misses her too.”

The child’s tears fell even harder: “Has – has Mother really turned into an immortal? Is she really watching me from the sky?”

But every time he cried in the past, his mother could come to keep him company. Why didn’t she come to find him now even though he had cried so many times?

“Did Hong Fu tell you that?” Qin Xiao asked.

Bai Lihong nodded.

Jiujiu had said that his mother was dead, just like his grandparents and great-grandparents. He would never see them again, and he would also never see Mother again.

But Eunuch Hong had told him that his loving relatives had gone to heaven and become immortals, always watching over him and blessing him.

Qin Xiao looked into the child’s pitiful eyes and swallowed back the cold words on the tip of his tongue.

But he said nothing about her becoming an immortal. Bai Lihong was no ordinary little prince, but the emperor. He was required to be stronger and more mature than ordinary children.

But in the end, he was just a three-year-old child who had just lost his mother, and Qin Xiao couldn’t be hard on the boy while he was in tears.

So he changed the subject and asked: “Remember the person who fell from the sky yesterday?”

Bai Lihong’s attention was indeed diverted, and he stuttered out: “F-fairy-gege?”

Qin Xiao couldn’t help but send a glance toward the courtyard gate. What was Hong Fu teaching him every day to have the emperor talking about fairies and immortals all the time?

“He’s not a fairy. You can call him Chu Jiubian from now on,” he corrected.

Bai Lihong nodded: “Jiu-gege.”

Qin Xiao corrected him again: “You’re the emperor. You can’t call him ‘gege.’”

“Oh.” Bai Lihong nodded obediently.

Qin Xiao: “He’s doing something fun, so I’ll take you to see him tomorrow. But you have to sleep well tonight, otherwise I won’t take you out to play tomorrow, and you’ll have to eat an extra egg yolk. Okay?”

The nephew resembled the uncle. Bai Lihong had inherited many of Qin Xiao’s strengths, such as his photographic memory and talent for learning. 

But he had also inherited some of Qin Xiao’s shortcomings, such as being picky about food.

When Bai Lihong heard that he would have to eat an extra egg yolk, he immediately covered his mouth with his little hands and shook his head in fear, then nodded.

Qin Xiao chuckled and set him on the ground: “All right, go back to sleep.”

“En, Jiujiu should sleep too.” Bai Lihong gave Qin Xiao a formal bow, then walked back on his short legs.

Hong Fu saluted Qin Xiao from a distance, then followed Bai Lihong away.

Qin Xiao watched as the two figures, one big and one small, walked away. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Today, Chu Jiubian had said that he would show him something good in the morning, something that would be enough to help solve his financial difficulties in a short period of time.

Qin Xiao had already been slowly introducing Bai Lihong to such things, so there was nothing wrong with bringing him to see Chu Jiubian tomorrow.

It was a dreamless night.

Chu Jiubian slept until dawn and woke up naturally.

As soon as he opened his eyes, a familiar mechanical voice sounded in his mind: [Good morning, Host. Congratulations! You have reached 50 Faith Points, and projections indicate that you will break 100 today. Please keep up the good work.]

Chu Jiubian immediately jolted up.

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Chapter 8 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 10