Craftsman Chong had already climbed down from his carriage.
Supported by his apprentice, he stood by the roadside, sighing endlessly about his advancing age while watching the finer carriage pull up nearby.
The occupants lifted the curtain and stepped down. Only two people emerged.
One was the young man, Brother Jia Ming. The other was a thoroughly worn-down middle-aged man whom he did not recognise. The pair descended one after the other. No one else followed.
Something was wrong. Where was Craftsman Zhang? Wasn’t this supposed to be the carriage in which Craftsman Zhang had been travelling? Craftsman Chong was utterly astonished.
After hesitating for a few moments, he pushed aside his apprentice, walked over to Yan Zhao and lowered his voice “Who is that? Where’s Craftsman Zhang?”
His gaze swept the surroundings. Still no sign of Craftsman Zhang.
Craftsman Chong thought anxiously: if Craftsman Zhang wasn’t here, how was he supposed to manufacture the fire lance components? The man hadn’t even given him the blueprints.
Yan Zhao draped an arm casually across Craftsman Chong’s shoulder. “This gentleman is Craftsman Zhang.”
Craftsman Chong’s eyes widened. “He… he…”
Yan Zhao said, “That’s simply what he looks like.”
Craftsman Chong turned to stare at Gu Yun.
Gu Yun greeted him. The voice was unmistakably the same. Craftsman Zhang’s voice differed from everyone else’s. Gentle and clear, like a mountain stream. One heard it once and never forgot it.
Craftsman Chong returned the greeting with a clasped-hands salute. Could it be that Craftsman Zhang was wearing one of those legendary human-skin masks? His mind could not quite process it, but he accepted it nonetheless. What other option did he have? In any case, it had nothing to do with him or his foolish apprentice.
The group entered the agricultural forge.
Inside, waves of heat rolled through the workshop. Bare-chested men hammered glowing iron with vigorous enthusiasm. Nearby, several large forging mechanisms thundered into motion. The constant clanging and crashing sounded like giant hammers striking directly inside one’s skull.
A closer look revealed black water running across the floor. Charcoal slag lay scattered everywhere. Tools were piled haphazardly in corners and across stone workbenches. The entire place appeared filthy and chaotic. Anyone entering for the first time would inevitably feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Craftsman Chong discreetly observed Gu Yun.
Gu Yun calmly walked through the disorder. Then, with perfect courtesy, he asked the workshop overseer to show him around.
As they walked, he occasionally asked questions regarding the forging process. Based on his many years of experience, Craftsman Chong immediately revised his assessment.
This Craftsman Zhang was certainly not a scholar who merely talked theory.
Back in the house outside the city, after speaking with Gu Yun, the craftsmen’s opinion of him had shifted from an ignorant youngster who knew nothing about firearms to a scholar who only understood things on paper.
That change had not been caused solely by his appearance and demeanour.
More than anything, it stemmed from the serious, meticulous and refined air he carried when discussing the origins and uses of firearms and exchanging views on various subjects. Among the four occupations of scholar, farmer, artisan and merchant, they belonged to the artisan class.
Although they only occasionally encountered people from other walks of life, years of experience had sharpened their judgement. They could generally identify a person’s background at a glance. Yet neither their original impression nor their revised one altered their conclusion.
This “Craftsman Zhang” would never succeed in producing any firearm.
Before this, their lord had gathered a group of craftsmen specifically to research such weapons. He and his elder brother had been among the most capable. Because progress had remained elusive for so long, they and the others had all been sent back home several months earlier. The reason they had returned now was twofold.
First, their lord had personally sent for them. They had to show him that respect.
Second, the pay being offered was extraordinarily generous. Work for a few months and even one’s grandchildren would be taken care of.
Therefore, although Craftsman Chong now realised their assumptions regarding Gu Yun’s identity had once again proven inaccurate, he still firmly believed his original conclusion.
Like the other craftsmen, he silently assisted Gu Yun in producing the required components, waiting for the inevitable moment when Gu Yun would complete the assembly, test it, declare it a failure, and send everyone home.
After inspecting the workshop, Gu Yun’s sharp gaze landed on him. “Craftsman Chong, let’s find somewhere quiet and have a word.”
In that instant, Craftsman Chong grabbed hold of his apprentice.
It felt as though every thought in his head had been seen through. Steadying himself, he lowered his voice.
“Yes.”
…
Hundreds of miles away in the capital.
The endless drizzle had finally ceased. The temperature had dropped noticeably. Cold winds sweeping down from the mountains stirred every light object they touched.
Standing by the window, Chao Yan listened as Zhao He reported that Gu Yun and the others had arrived safely.
His expression eased. With lowered eyes, he slowly reviewed the intelligence reports in his hands. One concerned the attempted murder of the Crown Prince in Zhuyang County and Yanlin County.
The facts of the cases had now been fully established, and the corresponding punishments had been imposed according to the law. Only one issue remained.
Who should be appointed magistrates of the two counties? Neither county was prosperous. Both ranked somewhere below average. Any official with useful connections would be reluctant to accept such a posting. Whether the counties were stable or not was almost beside the point. The real problem was that achievements there would be difficult to obtain, making promotion equally difficult.
Looking at the report, Chao Yan thought slowly to himself: If the Meng family truly wished to accomplish practical things, wasn’t this the perfect opportunity?
As he was considering the matter, someone arrived to report that Princess Roujia had come to visit Gu Yun. Without even raising his head, Chao Yan ordered that she be sent away.
Before that matter had even been dealt with, another arose.
The Emperor had summoned him.
Chao Yan knew exactly why.
One by one, he burned every document in his possession, ensuring nothing was left behind. Then he set out for Cining Temple.
The Emperor summoning the Crown Prince was neither a major event nor a minor one. Yet upon hearing the news, Prince Yan and the others could not help lifting the corners of their mouths in barely concealed schadenfreude.
…
Meanwhile, on Gu Yun’s side, he called Craftsman Chong aside and showed him the blueprints. Together, they produced several components.
The first batch proved somewhat unsatisfactory. After refining the specifications and fixing the tolerances, the second batch was finally acceptable in its entirety.
Gu Yun handed the components to Craftsman Chong and watched him repeat the process.
Once he had confirmed everything was correct, he sent the finished parts back to the small workshop outside the capital. Then, wasting no time, he immediately changed direction and headed for the second workshop nearby. Craftsman Chong’s elder brother was already there.
The journey exhausted him. As soon as Yan Zhao removed the heavy disguise from his face, Gu Yun fell asleep.
The disguise had actually been retouched several times already. Otherwise it would long since have deteriorated.
While the group was travelling, Yan Zhao and Li Lan received news that the Crown Prince was in trouble.
The Emperor had been subsisting on vegetarian meals for several days. Feeling unwell, he had flown into a furious rage and was now demanding the Crown Prince’s execution.
Li Lan looked towards Yan Zhao. “Should we tell her?”
Yan Zhao shook his head. “No. Telling her would only add to her worries. First, we complete the tasks His Highness arranged. If something truly happens to the Crown Prince, then what we’re doing now may become a talisman that preserves a life. But we must first obtain Her Ladyship’s consent.”
