Jingyang Prefecture.
A prefecture not far from the capital, it lay to the south and enjoyed a somewhat warmer climate than the capital itself.
The carriage rolled along the official road. On either side, the trees wore a muted green, while overhead dark clouds billowed like layers upon layers of tangled waves.
Gu Yun’s entire body jolted with the unevenness of the road. Leaning against the carriage window, he listened to his own shallow breathing and began to suspect that he truly was on the verge of death.
The previous night, he had stayed awake until dawn familiarising himself with the various craftsmen, drawing detailed diagrams of the firearm components and arranging the order of production.
Before daybreak, he and Chao Yan had returned to the Eastern Palace. Wrapped up beneath layers of blankets until his skin became flushed and overheated, he had cooperated in staging a convincing bout of high fever.
The Imperial Physician who came to examine him was the incompetent doctor Chao Yan had mentioned before.
The man’s expression had been exceedingly strange when he saw him. Gu Yun could not make sense of it.
Could it be that Chao Yan taking him out for a private wedding night had somehow become common knowledge throughout the palace? Did these people truly have nothing better to do?
He had no interest in the matter.
After preparing the luggage for his business trip, he waited for a suitable opportunity, changed into a eunuch’s attire, and left the Eastern Palace under Li Lan’s escort.
Because the journey was both hurried and brief, there was not much to pack. After all, this fabricated fever could hardly last for several days. Otherwise, people might begin saying that he was too ill-fated to enjoy good fortune and destined to die young.
Perhaps he had simply grown accustomed to travelling by carriage. In any case, it took three days before he finally began feeling unwell.
The fresh scent of wood mingled with the earthy smell of damp soil, drifting in waves through the air.
Changing position, Gu Yun continued leaning against the carriage window and amused himself with a bitter thought.
If he ever returned to the modern world, he would undoubtedly become the sort of talent every company fought to recruit. After all, he, Gu Yun, had accumulated years of work experience before even graduating from university.
Li Lan, dressed in plain white clothing, rode on horseback to the left of the carriage. As always, he silently offered over a water flask.
Gu Yun shook his head. Li Lan withdrew it without comment and hung it back at his waist.
From the side, Yan Zhao laughed. “Blockhead.”
Gu Yun turned to look at him.
Yan Zhao had also been dispatched on this journey. As usual, he wore black clothing and rode behind Li Lan, neither too close nor too far away.
The sky was still dark.
The two men, one dressed in white and the other in black, looked remarkably like the Black and White Impermanence of folklore.
“Zhang Er-xiong,” Yan Zhao called out, “bear with it a little longer. We’ll be there soon.”
“How much longer is ‘a little longer’?” Gu Yun asked.
“Two hours.”
Gu Yun drew in a deep breath.
Meanwhile, Yan Zhao continued cheerfully. “Zhang Er-xiong, you really ought to learn how to ride a horse. When do you have time? Why not get off the carriage now and let me teach you? My lord used to be exactly the same. Once he learned to ride, he stopped getting carriage sickness as well.”
The “my lord” he referred to was naturally Chao Yan. Unable to suppress his curiosity, Gu Yun asked, “When was that?”
It was the first time he had heard anyone speak about Chao Yan’s past.
“Zhang Er-xiong is asking when my lord learned to ride?” Yan Zhao tugged at the reins and edged his horse closer to the carriage window, effectively squeezing Li Lan aside. “That would have been more than ten years ago.”
Li Lan merely glanced at him before falling back to check on the plump Craftsman Chong.
The craftsman’s condition was only slightly better than Gu Yun’s. Earlier on the journey, he had even asked whether they could find him an ox cart instead.
In the middle of nowhere, where exactly were they supposed to find an ox cart? Besides, ox carts were hardly suitable for long-distance travel. His apprentice, the dark, skinny youth who resembled a monkey, was currently looking after him.
Yan Zhao felt not the slightest bit guilty. His eyes narrowed into cheerful slits once more.
“Back then, my lord was still living at the temple with the Grand Dowager Lady. She was advanced in years and valued stability above all else, so she forbade him from doing anything dangerous. Riding horses was among the things she prohibited.
Most days, my lord simply read books, practised calligraphy, learned some martial exercises from the monks to keep fit, and helped the Grand Dowager Lady with matters relating to Buddhist scriptures. He found the routine unbearably dull, so he had me impersonate him while he slipped out of the temple to learn horsemanship.”
Yan Zhao sounded helpless as he recalled it. “The first time he tried, he fell and split his head open. I, the unfortunate stand-in, had to manufacture injuries of my own to cover for him.”
Gu Yun laughed. Then he quickly caught the implication hidden within those words.
“So my lord wasn’t always this steady and composed? Was he raised by the Grand Dowager Lady? What about Madam?”
“Naturally. Everyone is impulsive in their youth.”
Yan Zhao paused thoughtfully. “As for that… well, it’s hardly a secret.”
He continued. “My lord is not Madam’s biological son. He was adopted by her. When he was young, Madam’s family suffered a calamity. As a result, he was sent to be raised by the Grand Dowager Lady. After the Grand Dowager Lady passed away, quite some time went by before Madam’s family finally cleared their name and she regained her footing within the household. Only then did she bring my lord back.”
“My lord’s birth mother?” Gu Yun prompted.
Yan Zhao sighed. “Zhang Er-xiong, surely you can guess the answer yourself. Don’t make things difficult for me.”
He flicked the reins lightly. “Zhang Er-xiong, are you really not going to give riding a try? It’s not difficult. My lord only fell because he insisted on choosing a spirited horse. Mine is perfectly gentle.”
Gu Yun politely declined.
He still vividly remembered the journey to the capital. Riding a horse had been pure torment. The insides of his thighs had burned with pain. It felt exactly the same as it had when he rode horses in his youth.
Perhaps later. Once his health improved.
In any case, there was no immediate need.
Gu Yun wanted to learn more about Chao Yan, but Yan Zhao abruptly fell silent. It was as though someone had sealed his lips with the strongest glue imaginable.
Gu Yun thought to himself: I’ve misjudged him. Appearances truly are deceptive. This man isn’t a white crane. He’s a cunning weasel.
Several hours later, the “weasel” woke him and informed him that they had arrived. At the same time, Yan Zhao swung down from his horse and retrieved the wooden box he always carried.
Climbing into the carriage, he set the box upon the low table and opened it. Inside lay all manner of rouge and cosmetics, along with a collection of odd tools that Gu Yun could not identify.
Feeling less than energetic, Gu Yun asked, “What are you doing?”
The “weasel” replied,
“Zhang Er-xiong, you can’t enter the workshop looking like this. You don’t look like someone who works with his hands. People might assume you’re a family member brought along by Craftsman Chong, or start forming other suspicions.”
He loosened the bristles of a soft brush and unscrewed a wide-mouthed porcelain jar filled with dark paste. “I’m going to alter your appearance. My apologies in advance.”
Gu Yun nodded. “So you know disguise techniques.”
“Nothing more than a few minor tricks,” Yan Zhao replied.
“A person’s appearance is bestowed by Heaven. Even spirits and gods cannot truly change it. Anyone observant enough could still recognise the same person underneath. But His Highness said nobody at the workshop knows you, so there’s no cause for concern.”
Dipping the brush into the dark paste, he began applying it to Gu Yun’s face. “Close your eyes.”
Gu Yun obeyed.
Yan Zhao spent a long time painting and adjusting. Gu Yun spent much of that time sleeping. When the carriage finally stopped, silence settled over the world.
Relaxing completely, he drifted into a deeper sleep. When he awoke, he felt refreshed. Accepting the bronze mirror Yan Zhao handed him, he looked inside. The reflection nearly startled him.
He looked like a man in his thirties. His skin tone had not changed significantly. Yet his complexion appeared dreadful at first glance: dull, lifeless, and slightly flaky. Bags now hung beneath his eyes. His brows and eyes possessed sharper lines, giving him a fierce appearance whenever he focused. His lips had become slightly pale. Short facial hair decorated his chin.
Leaning closer, Gu Yun discovered that the beard had been attached artificially. Closer still, he could detect traces of powder on his skin. Clearly, he should avoid standing too near other people. Even so, the transformation was astonishingly impressive.
Looking towards Yan Zhao, he asked, “How long have you known my lord? More than ten years?”
Yan Zhao was tidying away his tools. Upon hearing the question, he smiled. “About fifteen years.”
Then he added frankly, “To be honest, I owe my life to my lord.”
Gu Yun looked at him expectantly. Yan Zhao, however, offered no further explanation. Since Gu Yun had no desire to pry into someone else’s past, he felt neither disappointed nor annoyed.
Setting down the mirror, he asked tentatively, “If someone wished to become your apprentice, would you accept them?”
Yan Zhao looked genuinely surprised. A moment later, he laughed. “I don’t earn my living from this craft. If Zhang Er-xiong wishes to learn, or if some trustworthy acquaintance of yours wishes to learn it as a means of making a living, I’d be happy to teach. But let’s agree on one thing first. If you learn poorly, don’t go around mentioning my name. I couldn’t bear the embarrassment.”
“It’s me who wants to learn,” Gu Yun explained. “In that case, it’s settled. Once we’re both free, I’ll come and study the craft under you.”
As he spoke, he poured a cup of tea and offered it over. “Master…”
Yan Zhao immediately interrupted. “I don’t dare become my lord’s elder.”
Left with no alternative, Gu Yun lowered the tea once more.
“If you truly wish to thank me,” Yan Zhao said, “then treat my lord well.”
Having finished packing away his tools, he lifted the wooden box. “Right then. Time to get off.”
Gu Yun followed him out of the carriage.
The workshop they had come to was an agricultural tool forge within Jingyang Prefecture.
