The Azure Mountain

Chapter 96: Leaving and Staying

Pig hour (9-11 PM). People settle down to their roots and rest early.

However, in a certain inconspicuous little kiln factory, no one was sleeping. The military artisans were stacking the kiln overnight. Chen Ji and Liang Mao'er were pushing the massive stone roller. The Prince Heir, Liu Quxing, and She Dengke were sifting the raw materials fine together.

Even the little monk rolled up his sleeves to work, constantly bringing over new raw materials.

Only Liang Gou'er had his legs crossed, covered by a straw hat, caring about no one.

The Prince Heir squatted beside the stone roller, covered his mouth and nose with a strip of cloth, and asked with a muffled voice: "Chen Ji, if we succeed in this matter, can we really leave our names in the annals of history?"

Chen Ji smiled: "We can."

The Prince Heir asked again: "What kind of name will be left?"

Chen Ji answered: "In the autumn of the thirty-first year of Jianing, the cement produced by Zhu Yunxi, Zhu Baili, Chen Ji, She Dengke, Liu Quxing, the little monk, and Liang Mao'er left a legacy for ten thousand generations. Cement is an era-overturning item. In less than a hundred years, every household building houses and rooms will no longer use yellow mud and glutinous rice mortar, but our cement. Even if the history books of later generations completely forget Prince Fu, Prince An, and Prince Qi, they will not forget us."

The Prince Heir's eyes shone brightly: "Work, work!"

Right at this moment, a carriage stopped at the entrance of the kiln factory.Everyone looked over, only to see Old Yao slowly getting off the carriage supported by the cart driver, holding two bamboo strips in his hand...

The expressions of Liu Quxing and She Dengke changed: "Oh no, we didn't tell Master about not going back tonight. Master has come to beat us up!"

The two of them looked at the Prince Heir together: "Prince Heir, save us! Master will definitely not strike a lethal blow on your account!"

The Prince Heir said bitterly: "What face do I have with Physician Yao?"

Old Yao sneered from afar: "The Prince Heir still has some self-awareness."

Liu Quxing proactively moved in front of Old Yao and said with an awkward smile: "Master, you must be tired holding those two bamboo strips. Let me hold them for you for a while."

But just as he reached out his hand, the back of his hand received a strike from the bamboo strip.

Old Yao said in a plain tone: "I remember the last time I beat you guys for not coming home at night was just a few days ago. I am old after all, my strength is small, and easily giving you a beating can't even make you learn your lesson."

Liu Quxing's eyes darted around, hurriedly changing the topic: "Master, today Chen Ji's father came to the kiln factory and said he had already discussed with you, wanting to send him to Donglin Academy and no longer have him be an apprentice in our clinic."

"Oh?" Old Yao slowly looked towards Chen Ji beside the stone roller: "This is a good thing. Why didn't you leave with your father, but instead are pushing the stone roller and doing heavy manual labor here?"

"Master, I want to stay in the Taiping Medical Clinic."

Old Yao was amused: "You don't even want the fine clothes and rich food of the Chen family, but insist on eating bitterness when there is no bitterness to eat? I have already agreed to Lord Chen. You should quickly return to the Chen Estate."

Chen Ji said calmly: "I don't believe you agreed to him."

Old Yao raised his eyebrows: "Your father came to the clinic today, politely offering the eight-item dried meat bundle, which included ten silver ingots and one silver discipline ruler. Why wouldn't I agree? Don't act like you're some precious treasure. I can't wait for you to return home early, so you'll anger me less at the clinic."

Liu Quxing took the opportunity to fetch a chair for Old Yao, supporting his own Master to sit down: "Master, when Lord Chen arrived today, Chen Ji already righteously refused him. Please calm down. He didn't want to return to the Chen Estate purely out of the master-disciple bond with you."

Old Yao fell silent for a moment, then turned to look at Liu Quxing: "There is some food in the carriage, with donkey meat burgers and sweet garlic. Go fetch them and share them. You young people go hungry one meal and full the next, not knowing the severity of things. Wait until you are old and you will understand that having a good body is the most important thing."

Liu Quxing's eyes lit up, almost drooling tears of emotion from his mouth: "It's still Master whose heart aches for us!"

At dusk, they had returned to the kiln factory in a rush of hot-headedness and hadn't even eaten dinner. If the military artisan older brothers hadn't shared a bit of flatbread, they would probably still be hungry right now!

Everyone rushed towards the carriage, but Chen Ji stopped and didn't move.

Under the night sky, the youth and the old man gazed at each other from afar. Mountain Lord and Mountain Lord, like the old era and the new era staring at one another.

This Master had a mean mouth, yet brought a carriage full of food.

Old Yao fell silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke: "Go back. Return to the Chen Estate."

Chen Ji was surprised: "Why?"

Old Yao looked up at the night sky and said slowly: "The Chen Estate's family status is something others couldn't climb up to in several lifetimes. Going back is beneficial to you. Whether you continue to delve into medical skills or go to Donglin Academy to plan for the imperial examinations, it's always better than staying in my small Taiping Medical Clinic. I have nothing left that's good to teach about the Mountain Lord Pathway. You don't need to stay by my side."

Chen Ji froze. He didn't expect that his Master, after thinking hard for a day, finally rushed over overnight not to keep him, but to persuade him to leave.

He knew that Old Yao must have rejected Chen Liqin from the very beginning.

But Old Yao thought it over and over for a whole day. Not knowing how many changes of mind he went through, he still chose a smoother path for Chen Ji.

Only because this path was better for Chen Ji.

Old Yao said calmly: "The Mountain Lord Pathway burns money like flowing water. If you stay in the Taiping Medical Clinic, even if you learn my medical skills, you're only slowly saving money at one tael of silver per patient. Ultimately, you will waste your life away, never able to touch the threshold of the Divine Path Realm your entire life. If you return to the Chen family, as long as you pass the imperial examinations and attain official honors, even as a concubine's son, there will be handfuls of silver for you to spend."

Chen Ji hummed in acknowledgement.

Old Yao's words were exceptionally numerous tonight. He continued: "Today, Jin Zhu came to the clinic again but still didn't find you. His patience will eventually be exhausted. If you return to the Chen family, he will hesitate to pelt the rat for fear of smashing the vase, and probably won't dare to do anything to you."

"Go back, the Chen family is more suitable for you."

Chen Ji said: "But Master, people cannot always choose what is suitable for them. They have to choose what they want."

He looked at the Prince Heir and the others wolfing down their food at the entrance of the kiln factory, and suddenly asked: "Master, in fact, you calculated long ago that the Prince's Estate will face a great kalpa, so now you don't want to see me get dragged into this vortex, and chose to send me away, right? Is it that as long as I return to the Chen family, stay far away from the Taiping Medical Clinic, far away from Prince Jing's Estate, far away from the Prince Heir, and far away from the Commandery Princess, I can stay out of the matter and escape this kalpa?"

Old Yao fell silent for a moment: "Yes."

Chen Ji said earnestly: "Master, since even my fate can be changed, can the fate of Prince Jing's Estate be changed?"

Old Yao gazed at Chen Ji: "The fate of Prince Jing's Estate is intricate and complex, it is no longer something one person or one word can change. Their fate is already destined, but your life still has infinite possibilities. If you do not leave, it's just a moth flying into the fire, being rolled into an unknowable flame."

At this time, the Prince Heir, who had been hungry for most of the day, shoved his mouth full of donkey meat burger while smiling foolishly. Liu Quxing leaned against the carriage, teasing She Dengke's eating appearance.

Chen Ji looked at the figures of these people and suddenly said: "Master, they are very good friends, I cannot leave. Even if fate is already destined, I still want to try and change it."

The little monk had once said that Chen Ji in this life had already severed the words greed and anger, only keeping an irresolvable word of foolish attachment.

Foolish attachment(infatuation) is stubbornness, and also persistence.

Old Yao looked at this disciple of his, remaining silent for a long time.

After a long time, he stood up: "You can pretend I never said these words tonight. Only when you see fate, do not regret."

"No regrets."

Chen Ji was seen smiling and waving to the Prince Heir and the others: "Are you full?"

"Full!"

"Work!"

Liu Quxing chuckled playfully: "Chen Ji, you eat one too. I saved the one with the most donkey meat for you!"

Old Yao turned around and got on the carriage. Halfway up, he turned his head to look back at the kiln factory. The youths had already shoved the donkey meat burgers in their hands into their mouths and resumed pushing the stone roller, as if pushing their heavy fate.

...

...

The following afternoon, the sunlight was just right.

A carriage slowly drove on the official road.

Commandery Princess Bai Li lifted the window curtain a crack, letting the cold wind caress the light strands of hair at her temples: "Dad, my brother and the others didn't return to the estate yesterday."

Prince Jing sat straight at the end of the carriage compartment, resting his mind with his eyes closed, and only gave a light hum.

Bai Li let out a soft "yi": "Dad, in the past, if my brother didn't return home at night, you would hang him up and beat him. Why are you so lenient now?"

Prince Jing didn't even open his eyes: "In the past, I was strict with him because he will become Prince Jing sooner or later. Sitting in that position, every word and action affects the livelihood of countless people, naturally he cannot be allowed to act recklessly according to his temperament."

"Then what about today? Why didn't I see you get furious?"

"Because he is doing serious business."

Bai Li looked out the window and casually probed: "Dad, you've been resting your mind with your eyes closed for half the day, are you considering how to scheme against Chen Ji?"

Prince Jing slowly opened his eyes: "In your heart, is Dad such a narrow-minded person?"

Bai Li closed the window curtain, sat up straight, and said earnestly: "Dad, how wide your own mind is, you are clear in your own heart. Just say it straight. Having suffered a stifled loss yesterday, how do you plan to scheme against him?"

Prince Jing was amused: "Why are you asking this? If I told you, wouldn't you just turn around and go inform him? Alright, Bai Li, starting to play mental games with your old father."

"Stop scheming against him, when we get back I'll make red braised pork for you!"

"Dad doesn't like eating red braised pork now, it's too greasy."

"Then I'll massage your back!"

Prince Jing let out an "yi": "Why are you siding with this kid so much? Did he pour a magic potion down your throat?"

Bai Li said solemnly: "He has no family to rely on, so us friends naturally have to consider his well-being. He is not like those gentry. You are not allowed to use the methods you use to deal with the gentry against him."

Prince Jing fell silent for a moment: "Alright, but some matters involve military strategy, I will not let those secrets spread among the populace. Moreover, you must understand, letting him exclusively enjoy some things is like a child holding onto a precious jade; it will attract disasters."

Bai Li reached out her pinky finger: "Anyway, you promised me. Pinky swear."

"Alright, alright, alright, pinky swear."

The carriage slowly stopped in front of the kiln factory. Before Eunuch Feng could even place the footstool down, Bai Li had already lifted the carriage curtain and jumped down.

Eunuch Feng called out anxiously from behind: "Eh, Commandery Princess, slow down, the muddy road is slippery!"

Just as his voice fell, Bai Li had already run through the main gates and disappeared from sight.

A light cough came from Prince Jing inside the carriage. Eunuch Feng turned his head to look: "Your Highness, how is your body?"

Prince Jing smiled: "After drinking Physician Yao's medicine, it's much better... Why is it so warm here? Let's go in and take a look!"

At this time inside the kiln factory, a solid and sturdy downdraft kiln stood in the center. Coal was being tossed shovelful by shovelful into the combustion chamber by Chen Ji and the others.

A raging fire ignited, sweeping through the enclosed downdraft kiln. The raw materials were bit by bit swallowed, melted, and sintered by the flames.

Prince Jing stood silently in front of the kiln. He couldn't see what was happening inside the kiln, and could only feel the waves of heat rushing against his face through the kiln walls.

He looked at Wang Kezhi: "How is it?"

Wang Kezhi said with difficulty: "Your Highness, the flame is close to white, the temperature is even higher than we imagined."

"What are they firing right now?"

"Cement."

"How much longer?"

"This is already the third furnace. In the morning when the sky was not yet bright, they had already fired the first furnace and used the clinker from that furnace to build a brick wall."

Only then did Prince Jing notice that, at some point, a brick wall had actually appeared in the corner of the kiln factory, with muddy ash clinging between the brick joints.

Just as the voice fell, Chen Ji was seen stopping his coal shoveling action, looking at Prince Jing with a smile, and handing over a hammer: "Your Highness, please take the hammer and strike that brick wall to test whether this cement of mine can replace glutinous rice mortar."

Eunuch Feng said from the side: "Your Highness, you just drank your medicine, let this subject strike it."

Prince Jing looked at the brick wall but shook his head: "No need, I will do it myself."

After saying that, he dragged the hammer to the front of the brick wall, swung a powerful hammer strike, only to see some of the stone skin knocked off the gray bricks, yet this brick wall was adhered extremely firmly and didn't budge an inch!

Prince Jing smashed a few more times, and finally knocked down a few gray bricks.

Seeing the wall hammered broken, the Prince Heir looked at Chen Ji with worry: "What do we do, this isn't sturdy enough either."

However, the next moment, Prince Jing was heard asking: "This wall was built this morning?!"

Wang Kezhi explained: "Reporting to Your Highness, I watched them build it this morning."

Prince Jing continued asking: "If it were glutinous rice mortar, how long would it take to reach this level of strength?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, glutinous rice mortar requires a full ten days. If this cement item is used in the border towns to repair city walls, it might have miraculous effects."

Prince Jing asked again: "How long do they need to boil and prepare this cement?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn. If replacing it with glutinous rice mortar, it would need to be boiled on site for four double-hours, and then left to sit for two double-hours before it can be used."

Prince Jing asked once more: "How much do you think the cost of this item is?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, the raw materials of this item are nothing more than clay and chalk. The cost is less than one-fifth of glutinous rice mortar. If materials can be sourced locally, subtracting the transportation required, I'm afraid the cost is even less than one-tenth..."

The Prince Heir fell silent. Just as the saying goes, laymen watch the excitement, experts look at the tricks of the trade. Only a military artisan like Wang Kezhi could understand the significance of cement to this era.

Prince Jing looked at Eunuch Feng: "Go invite Lord Zhang Zhuo and Lord Chen Liqin over."

Eunuch Feng was puzzled: "Your Highness, Lord Zhang still needs to host the Autumn Examination matters at the examination hall today, and Lord Chen still has to handle river embankment engineering affairs. I'm afraid they cannot come."

Prince Jing smiled: "Then you just tell Lord Zhang, isn't he currently worrying about how to build houses to resolve the Yuzhou refugees? Now his problem is solved. With this item, the refugees can have some temporary dwellings. If Luo City can have no people die this winter, it will be an enormous political achievement for his, Zhang Zhuo's. Compared to this matter, the Autumn Examination is nothing. He knows which is lighter and which is heavier."

"Then what about Lord Chen?"

"Tell him his river embankment is also saved."

The Prince Heir suddenly cheered, while Bai Li watched with a beaming smile as he, Liu Quxing, and She Dengke all hoisted Chen Ji up together: "It succeeded! It succeeded!"

(End of Chapter)