Su Yan and Shen Qi left the imperial study one after the other.
The one in front walked more and more slowly; the one behind quickened his pace to catch up. After turning past the palace path, the two walked side by side.
The willow tips atop the wall were lush and green; the wind blew willow catkins that drifted like snow. Shen Qi reached out to brush away the catkins that had landed in Su Yan’s hair and said, “Regarding today’s matter, you did not seem surprised.”
Su Yan turned his face to look at him. “That is exactly what I wanted to ask, you heard about this when, exactly?”
Shen Qi said, “Three years ago.” He recounted in detail the secret Feng Que’e had told him before his death.
Su Yan pondered. “No wonder you said those words to the young lord. As for who is of the orthodox dragon blood, you truly do not care.”
“I did not care because, as long as I could climb to a high position, it was all the same whose orders I served,” Shen Qi said with a self-mocking curl of his lips. “But after meeting you, it became different. All my acts of risking my life, whether it is my own life or others’ lives, are for the sake of fulfilling your wishes and achieving a happy ending with you.”
Su Yan and Shen Qi had been together for some time, yet every time he heard such words of affection, his heart still rippled, just as when he had first been moved by him.
Not caring that palace attendants and guards might see, Su Yan suddenly took Shen Qi’s hand and said, “Let’s not go to the office, nor return home. Let’s wander a bit, go to the outer city for a spring outing.”
“Alright. Where do you want to go?”
“…West of the outer city, Qiancao Slope.”
Leaving through the Meridian Gate, Shen Qi ordered a guard to bring two fine horses. Amid the light, brisk sound of hooves, the two rode out of the imperial city toward the western outer city.
The pace was not fast, just right for “viewing flowers on horseback,” taking in the misty willows, apricot blossoms, and springtime beauties along the road.
Not far beyond Guangning Gate in the western outer city, Su Yan slowed his horse and pointed toward an ancient temple half-hidden among the trees. “Qilang, look, that is Tianning Temple, an ancient temple from the Sui dynasty. Back then, when you had a high fever that would not subside due to infection from your wounds, I held onto a desperate hope and sought help from the monks there. I obtained green mold from a mustard jar and used a folk method to extract penicillin, and only then did I barely manage to save you.”
“Later, to thank those monks, I donated some incense money, but unfortunately it wasn’t much, nowhere near enough to repair their dilapidated temple… Hm? The mountain gate and the roof seem to have been renovated. I wonder where they raised the funds from?”
Shen Qi reined in his horse and looked at him. “I donated it.”
Su Yan smiled. “Repaying a life-saving grace with a gushing spring?”
Shen Qi returned a half-smiling look. “No, repaying a matchmaking grace with a gushing spring.”
Su Yan was startled; his cheeks flushed slightly, then he laughed loudly and spurred his horse forward.
Shen Qi urged his horse to catch up. Before long they arrived at Qiancao Slope. Across a clear stream, the grand yet elegant Heavenly Works Academy lay nestled against the mountain and water before them.
Su Yan tied his horse to a hitching post by the stream and strolled toward the main gate of the Heavenly Works Academy. As he walked, he said to Shen Qi, “After Yu Wang left the capital, the Heavenly Works Academy was temporarily managed by the Shangshu of the Ministry of Works, but this is not a long-term solution. I would like to take over, but I worry that being busy with government affairs might lead to negligence and instead delay matters. When you have time, Qilang, help me keep an eye out, are there any officials in court proficient in the study of things, or who possess such vision and ambition, suitable to serve as director?”
Shen Qi thought for a moment and said, “There seems to be one.”
After a flash of delight, Su Yan suddenly understood and smiled. “I almost forgot, your brain is like an archive, stuffed full of officials’ personal information and secrets.”
“I have no interest in officials’ private affairs. It’s merely my duty,” Shen Qi said. Though he inwardly enjoyed the fear and dread others felt toward him, he did not want Su Yan to have the slightest misunderstanding, so he explained, “This person’s surname is Zhao, given name Shizhen…”
He had only said the name when Su Yan immediately remembered and exclaimed, “There really is such a person! This is a fierce talent in firearm modification. The first time I returned from Shaanxi, I even asked the Ministry of Works about him, but no one had heard the name. I thought he hadn’t appeared yet, or that I had butterfly-effected him out of existence…”
Shen Qi asked, “Qinghe also knows of this person? And what does ‘butterfly’ mean?”
In an excellent mood, Su Yan waved his hand. “Never mind the butterfly. Just tell me, this Brother Zhao, how old is he now, and where is he hiding?”
“This person is over forty this year. He has had terrible official luck and has lived in hardship. He spent a full eighteen years as an unranked registrar in the Court of State Ceremonial. Later, because he befriended Westerners to develop firearms and presented one of his latest creations to Yu Wang, he finally received a recommendation and was promoted to a seventh-rank Secretariat Drafter. Oh, and the lightning gun you used when pursuing the leader of the Seven Kill Camp, that was developed by him.”
“A Secretariat Drafter? Isn’t that just a clerical position in the Cabinet Secretariat?”
Right under my nose, a minor clerk in the Cabinet Secretariat, and I never noticed? If I hadn’t come to the Heavenly Works Academy on a whim today, who knows how long this overlooked pearl would have remained undiscovered. This must be what they call a twist of fate, Su Yan thought with some emotion.
“Exactly. This man did not enter officialdom through the imperial examinations, so in the eyes of his colleagues he is considered inferior. He is also not good at maneuvering through officialdom, focusing all his energy on developing firearms. His greatest wish in life is for the weapons he creates to be equipped across the entire army, but that is only a dream. Two years ago, Yu Wang did sponsor him for a time, but the lightning gun he presented nearly blew off one of the prince’s fingers.” Shen Qi gave a faint sneer. “What a pity.”
Su Yan suspected that Shen Qi’s “pity” was not that the gun was ineffective, but that Yu Wang’s finger had not actually been blown off. He shot him an annoyed look. “Failure is the mother of success. What invention isn’t built upon hundreds or thousands of failures? Don’t gloat over others’ misfortune.”
Shen Qi raised his brows indifferently. “As long as you think he’s useful. We can extract him from the Secretariat and throw him into the Heavenly Works Academy, whether or not to give him an official title is up to you. It’s an effortless matter.”
Su Yan said seriously, “Reassigning a seventh-rank official is a small matter, but the development of the Heavenly Works Academy is not. I’ve decided, for the next two or three years, we won’t recruit students externally. We’ll focus solely on research projects.”
“The institute already has a large group of scholars in the study of things. Whether they are self-taught from among the common people or officials who have learned from foreign techniques, all will be treated equally. Only research results will matter, not status.”
“Six fields, geomancy, physics, chemistry, medicine, light industry, and mechanics, each will form a research group. A leader and deputy leader will be selected, and annual research topics will be set. We will evaluate achievements based on projects, not on conventional examinations.”
“Projects?” Shen Qi asked.
Su Yan nodded. “Look at the rubber tires from the light industry department and the rolling bearings from the mechanics department, weren’t those two projects done very well last year? We can consider mass production next, starting with equipping military transport carts. This year, each department should continue striving to produce results, so that the officials at court can see the benefits for themselves. Only then can I secure more special funding from the Ministry of Revenue.”
“…Then where does Qinghe plan to place Zhao Shizhen?”
Su Yan thought for a moment and said, “The Ministry of War also has a department for developing firearms, but it’s rather lackluster, and the higher-ups don’t value it much. I plan to place Old Zhao in the mechanics department first, support him with funding and Western techniques. If he really can produce something worthwhile, the Heavenly Works Academy can establish a new field, firearms.”
“If he can broaden his perspective further, seeing beyond individual guns and cannons to the long-term development of knowledge over a hundred years, then having him lead all departments of the Heavenly Works Academy would not be impossible.”
As he spoke, Su Yan had already walked to a screen wall carved with images of the sun and moon rising and stars illuminating the nine provinces. He stroked the stone surface, where eight large characters were engraved, and softly read aloud: “‘Life is finite, truth is infinite’… If I alone hold up the torch, it can only illuminate a small space. The flame of truth must be passed on by everyone in Great Ming, carried forward from generation to generation!”
The setting sun cast its slanted light upon the wall and over Su Yan, outlining him in a faint golden glow. Shen Qi watched without blinking, his heart a mix of warmth and chill, wanting to shield the torch in Su Yan’s hands from wind and rain, yet also wanting him to pass the flame on quickly so he would no longer have to bear such burdens.
“This, this really, can be done.”
A halting male voice suddenly came from not far away, carrying a distinct foreign accent. It was clear that his difficulty in speaking was not due to a stutter, but rather his limited command of the Ming language.
“This really cannot be done!” another young man’s voice replied bluntly. “Go on, go on, try recommending yourself somewhere else. This is the Heavenly Works Academy, not an academy of painting!”
Su Yan and Shen Qi turned toward the sound and saw a very tall young Westerner with curly hair and green eyes, holding a scroll and trying hard to explain something. The ones driving him away were workers and guards of the Heavenly Works Academy.
The two exchanged a glance and walked over to see what was happening. Su Yan asked, “What is going on here? Why are you making such a commotion?”
The worker recognized him and hurriedly bowed deeply. “I did not know Prime Minister Su was here. To disturb you, my lord, is a crime worthy of death…”
Su Yan waved impatiently, unwilling to hear such formalities. “Speak directly, what happened?”
The worker replied, “This inexplicable Westerner insists on recommending himself to enter the institute. He says his painting skills are superb, that his brushwork and style are completely different from ours, and that his portraits are as realistic as reflections, something called… oil painting! I’ve told him several times that the Heavenly Works Academy recruits scholars of the study of things, not painters, but he just won’t listen.”
Su Yan turned to size up the Westerner, estimating that he was under thirty. Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be from Southern Europe. Based on the maritime routes of this era, he was most likely Spanish or Portuguese, otherwise perhaps Italian, like that traveler from the previous dynasty.
In the eyes of the people of Great Ming, these Westerners all had strange appearances, only slightly better than blue-faced, fanged yakshas. One could tell from the worker’s expression, he found him thoroughly distasteful. However, Su Yan had been tempered by modern aesthetics and thought this foreigner looked quite decent, his features carrying a bit of the flavor of a young Cage.
The Westerner’s lively eyes sized up Su Yan and Shen Qi from top to bottom. Thinking they must be high officials, he performed an awkward, improper cupped-hand salute and said, “My lord, my paintings are very good, just like real people. Want to take a look?”
Just as Su Yan reached out, Shen Qi stepped in first, pulling the painting paper from the crook of the man’s arm and unfolding it.
Su Yan took a look, it was indeed a European classical oil painting, depicting a frontal portrait of a minor official. Although he was a layman in painting, he had seen many famous masterpieces in his previous life and could more or less judge quality. This Westerner’s technique might not reach the level of a master, but it was definitely professional. At the very least, the portrait was realistic and vivid, without losing artistic beauty.
“May I ask your honored name, and from which country you come?”
The Westerner blinked in confusion.
Su Yan reconsidered and smiled. “What is your name, and which country are you from?”
Only then did the Westerner understand and explain, “I am from Italy. My name is hard for you to pronounce. In your Ming language, just call me Ai Huaduo.”
Sure enough, Italian, naturally a bit slow-witted. Su Yan silently made a small quip to himself, handed the painting back, and said kindly, “Ai Huaduo, your painting is indeed quite good, but unfortunately the Heavenly Works Academy only admits talents in natural sciences, not artistic talents like painting or music, you understand that, right?”
Ai Huaduo finally understood and showed an extremely regretful expression.
Seeing that his clothes were washed to a faded pallor, Su Yan guessed he had crossed the seas to the Ming capital and fallen into poverty, having heard that the Heavenly Works Academy provided free food and lodging, and came to try his luck.
Perhaps he was another unlucky fellow influenced by travelogues, who thought the East was full of gold everywhere and came seeking fortune only to fail. Su Yan was about to take out some silver to send him off when a flash of inspiration crossed his mind, but it vanished before he could grasp it.
He pondered for a moment, unable to retrieve that spark of insight. So he decided to follow his instincts and leave a possibility open rather than block the path completely. He said to Ai Huaduo, “How about this, you leave an address… write it on this paper. If there is a need in the future, I will send someone to find you. This bit of silver is a meeting gift, take it for now.”
Ai Huaduo had no pride about refusing handouts and happily accepted the money, thanked him, and even said to him and Shen Qi, “How about I paint one for you too? A single portrait is fine, or a couple’s portrait is fine.”
Su Yan was greatly embarrassed and waved his hands. “No need, no need, the pigments aren’t easy to obtain. Save them.”
He pulled Shen Qi out of the Heavenly Works Academy gate and went to the stream to retrieve their horses. Shen Qi sneered lightly. “That barbarian looks foolish, but he has a bit of perceptiveness.”
Su Yan suppressed a laugh. “Stop mocking him, let’s go home for dinner.”
The two spurred their horses and hurried back to the Su residence. By the time they arrived, the sky was dim, just at the hour when lamps were being lit.
There were several cooks in the kitchen now. With nothing else to do, Su Xiaobei was guarding the gate, waiting for his master. When Su Yan entered and saw him, he was a bit surprised. “Where’s Xiaojing? Isn’t he always the one guarding the gatehouse?”
Su Xiaobei frowned slightly and said, “He asked for leave, said there was something with relatives on his mother’s side, and that he wouldn’t be back for these two days. But his mother has been dead for so many years, I’ve never heard of any relatives. Where did they come from? Could it be that they heard he works as a servant in a Gelao’s household and came to latch on and freeload? Xiaojing is simple-minded, don’t let him get tricked.”
Su Yan patted his shoulder. “When poor, even in a bustling market no one asks after you; when rich, even in the deep mountains you gain distant relatives. Such is the way of the world, how could Xiaojing escape it? Though he is simple and lively, without much scheming, he is not foolish, and shouldn’t be so easily deceived. Besides, he has his master to back him up. When he returns in a couple of days, help me ask him in detail whether he has any difficulties that need help.”
Su Xiaobei nodded in agreement.
Su Yan asked again, “Where is Ah Zhui?”
Su Xiaobei quickly glanced at Shen Qi. “Brother Zhui just left not long ago. Said he had something to take care of and would be back tonight.”
Su Yan thought it over and suspected that Ah Zhui had gone to the palace in the afternoon to pick him up, but saw him and Shen Qi riding out of the city together, and later saw them return home together after nightfall. In anger, he probably did not want to eat at the same table with them.
He looked somewhat helplessly at Shen Qi.
Shen Qi’s expression darkened. “This bandit, I haven’t even complained about him, and he dares to show me attitude? No one is to interfere in this matter. For tonight’s dinner, it’s either him or me.”
Su Yan had no choice. Presumably Ah Zhui would come back after his anger subsided; they could think of a way to mediate then.
But what he did not expect was that after finishing dinner, and after persuading Shen Qi with much effort to go back and rest, when he woke up in the middle of the night in his bedchamber, Jinghong Zhui was standing by the bed like a ghost, startling him badly.
“—Ah Zhui?” Su Yan sat up, recognizing his face in the dimness, and let out a breath of relief. “Why did you come back so late? Have you eaten?”
Jinghong Zhui took an outer robe from the rack, stepped forward, sat on the edge of the bed, and draped it over Su Yan. “My lord, may this subordinate take you to Lotus After Rain Villa tonight?”
Su Yan was startled and then delighted upon hearing this. “Has the imperial master awakened? I’ve been busy lately and haven’t gone to see him for two days!”
Jinghong Zhui said, “I haven’t heard Physician Chen say so. Tonight’s trip is at the young emperor’s request.”
“Helin wants me to go over? What for? Where is he?” Su Yan pressed.
While helping him dress, Jinghong Zhui said, “The young emperor said he would also go, but the exact time is uncertain. After all, leaving the palace unnoticed is not easy.”
“Then we should go as soon as possible.”
After Su Yan finished dressing, Jinghong Zhui added a hooded cloak to him, covering his head and face tightly, then lifted him up and quietly left the Su residence.
Can’t wait until next week to see more? Want to show your support? Come to my Patreon where you can get 5 or more chapters of The Reincarnation of a Powerful Minister right away ! Or go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! :)
