Chapter 46: Friends (Part Three)

“Before the window, the moonlight is bright, as if frost upon the ground. I raise my head to gaze at the bright moon...”

“And lower it, thinking of my homeland...”

“Brother Taibai, I truly love this poem of yours. Though I wish to return home, I have long since taken root here, and sheltering our wandering compatriots is the least I can do.” Chao Heng sat on a folding stool, gazing up at the full, round moon.

“Ah, when I left home to travel the world and wrote this poem, it was a longing for Shu born of emotion,” Li Bai lay sprawled upon the steps, a stalk of rice between his lips, bathed in moonlight, his white robe shining even more brilliantly.

“Brother Taibai, you are a master of poetry, wine, and the sword, and serve beside the sage. You will surely accomplish great things in the future!” Chao Heng encouraged the melancholy Li Bai, for as a friend, what else could he do?

Li Bai smiled amicably at Chao Heng, then looked up at the autumn night sky and let out a faint, bitter laugh. “The world says Li Bai is wild and unrestrained, fearless before the powerful, able to make eunuchs remove their boots. But who truly understands the torment in my heart? Only you, Brother Chao.”

“Brother Taibai, eight or nine out of ten things in life do not go as we wish. Sometimes, I feel like a lone boat drifting with the current, while you alone press bravely against the wind,” Chao Heng picked up the wine jar and handed it to Li Bai.

“Hahaha...” Li Bai drank deeply in one gulp, then leapt up, drew his sword, and began to dance. The sword’s movements were unstructured, guided only by his heart. Laughing wildly, he sang to the moon, “I shall take my treasured sword and ride a celestial steed, lead countless troops to vanquish the barbarian invaders, wield the emperor’s might to secure the borders, and bring everlasting glory home! I am not meant to be some mere poet, exchanging verses for amusement! My ambitions are for the whole world! Yet the court is rife with treacherous ministers—I wish I could sweep them all away with a single sword!”

“Alas...”

Wu Yueling returned from the palace, exhausted, having cooked three tables’ worth of dishes. Her adoptive father hosted Li Linfu and praised him for a long while. That man gifted two exquisitely carved jade zithers to Yu Huan to curry favor with her father—he truly had a knack for such things.

After resting all afternoon, Wu Yueling recovered her spirit and went up to a secret room on the third floor of Heaven’s Gift Pavilion. There, she had gathered all sorts of materials for making gunpowder. After many trials, she finally mixed saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal to produce a black substance.

Pouring the synthesized black powder onto a sheet of paper, Wu Yueling lit a small strip with flint and tossed it on top. A burst of glaring smoke exploded, followed by silence, and a strong scent of gunpowder filled the air. A black scorch mark appeared on the stone slab.

She clapped her hands in delight, having succeeded in the first step. Then she tried adding other ingredients, making slight improvements until she produced a grayish-blue powder. By now, night had fallen, so she decided to stop for the day, tidying up and storing the gray-blue pyrotechnic powder.

When she opened the door, she found Hua Chuer waiting outside. Wu Yueling had told everyone, including Hua Chuer, that no one was allowed inside, lest some accident befall her among all the jars and bottles. Many failed batches of gunpowder were stored in those jars, and Hua Chuer’s meddling could easily cause trouble.

Fortunately, Hua Chuer asked no questions, well aware of her boundaries. The young lady rarely hid anything from her, and if something was truly important, it was the young lady’s own secret. She guessed the secret room was used for alchemy; after all, her mistress always seemed able to conjure miraculous things.

That night, Wu Yueling received a report from Yu Chao’en about the chili field. On the table was a bag of pungent chili seeds, harvested from the field, along with two trays of dried chilies. Wu Yueling was pleased—she now had all the ingredients ready for hot pot.

After storing the chili seeds, Wu Yueling took out a tactical flashlight, increasing the illumination, and began to draft diagrams. Turning her bamboo pen, she planned first to design a wooden, reusable firework tube, mulling over the details for a long time before deciding to use hemp cord as a fuse, starting with fireworks as a test.

The next day, Ding You brought his two wives and three sons to the Princess’s residence, moving in.

In the garden, Wu Yueling cradled a white tiger cub, which was already bigger than the lynx kitten. The lynx had started growing sideways and now ate a pound of meat a day—Wu Yueling decided to switch it to a vegetarian diet to cut down on meat; otherwise, it would grow as fat as Ding You and lose its charm.

The rotund Ding You followed Yu Chao’en into the garden, looking around curiously. He’d never been to the Princess’s residence, and its grandeur filled him with awe and envy. From now on, he would be part of this household—a prospect that made him see a bright future ahead.

“Greetings, Princess,” Ding You bowed at once upon seeing her.

“Hmm, Ding You, tell me—which is better, the East Market or the West Market?”

“Ah?” Ding You looked at the Princess, who offered no further explanation, so he bowed his head in thought and replied resolutely, “Both are good, each with their advantages and disadvantages.”

Wu Yueling nodded, gesturing for him to continue.

“The West Market is a gathering place for foreign merchants, a bit chaotic. But the tavern selling grape wine has been in business for over a decade, and there’s a brothel run by Madam Ti specializing in foreign women and servants. Then there’s Ajati, who deals in specialties from the western regions—he’s the leader among the western merchants, offering a vast array of goods and attracting many visitors.”

“The East Market is the hub for Chang’an’s merchants, all local businesses with distinctive features. The city’s six major trading families are all based there!”

After a moment’s silence, Wu Yueling asked, “So do you think it’s better to open a tavern in the West Market or the East Market?”

Ding You smiled with a sturdy, honest face, “Princess, I think it’s best to open two.”

“But there aren’t enough people. I originally planned for you to be the manager. If there are two taverns, can you handle both?” Wu Yueling asked.

Ding You nodded in excitement, then shook his head vigorously, “No, I can’t, Princess. I do know something of management, but I’m still lacking.”

“However, I do have an idea. Princess, please don’t think me greedy...”

“Speak.”

“Hehe, well, my wife also knows management. A lot of what I know, she taught me.” Ding You stared nervously at Wu Yueling’s face, afraid she’d be angry, his pinkies fidgeting against each other.

“Bring your wife here,” Wu Yueling suppressed a laugh, thinking, you truly are lucky to have such a wife.

When Mrs. Ding entered the garden, she first gave Ding You a scornful glance, then bowed to the Princess.

Wu Yueling quietly observed Mrs. Ding. She was slim, her figure utterly unlike Ding You’s, as if she were a matchstick beside him. Yet the determination in her eyes spoke of much hardship—surely a strong woman who had weathered many storms. No wonder she managed three children and a poverty-stricken household; this woman was remarkable.

“You know the ways of management? Did Ding You teach you?” Wu Yueling stood and asked.

“Yes, I, a humble woman, know a little of business,” Mrs. Ding shot Ding You another glare and answered crisply, with no hesitation.

“Good. For now, you two will be managers of the tavern I plan to open. As for choosing locations in the East and West Markets, Yu Chao’en, that’s your task. Any expenses needed can be taken from the Princess’s residence treasury!” Wu Yueling handed two sheets of paper to Mrs. Ye, then asked, “Can you read?”

Mrs. Ye took the papers and replied, “Yes, when I was young I learned from the village teacher!”

“Good. These are performance regulations—your scorecard and management guidelines for the tavern. Read them over, and if you have suggestions or objections, come discuss them with me!” With that, Wu Yueling departed.

Mrs. Ye read through the content, finding it substantial. She understood income and expenses, but there were performance evaluations for the staff and formulas for calculating them? Ding You noticed his wife’s brow furrow and leaned close to peek over her shoulder, only to have his pudgy face pushed away by her hand.

“Fat Ding, how many times have I told you to eat less! You never listen! Didn’t you complain about being weighed down last night? And now you’re weighing down my shoulder again!?”

Little Mi, plump and sweet, giggled on the side. Ding You could only thicken his skin and turn to her, coaxing his irritated wife with a tone of apology.