Chapter 144: Setting Up A Stall
In the evening, in the duty room, Old Pan lit a candle.
Xiao Yi leaned forward, gesturing with his hands, describing the glass he wanted as best he could.
“Elder Zhao, you are a skilled craftsman who builds imperial tombs. You should understand what I’m talking about, right?”
“General, regarding ‘glass made from melted sand,’ this old man has truly never seen it. It does bear some resemblance to Bi Liuli.”
“Oh? What is ‘Bi Liuli’?”
“Has the General ever seen the glaze on porcelain, transparent and lustrous.”
“Yes, it’s like that. Elder Zhao, do you know how to fire it?”
Zhao Chu stroked his sparse beard, pondered for a moment, and said, “This old man can try, but to make it as transparent as the General describes would be difficult. Perhaps I need to find some old colleagues who frequently deal with foreign merchants to ask.”
“Then I will trouble you, Elder Zhao. Please start as soon as possible. With many attempts, we will surely succeed.”
Although Xiao Yi didn’t understand the technicalities, he was willing to point the way, which made him very confident.
Zhao Chu looked flustered and worried, as if he feared he wouldn’t be able to make it and would be killed by this powerful martial man. He agreed, took his leave, and said he would go discuss it with someone tonight.
Old Pan was also a little worried and asked, “Young Master, the Emperor wants twenty telescopes. If they can’t be made in one or two months, will it be considered deceiving the Emperor?”
“Don’t worry, if it’s deceiving the Emperor, it will be Shi Deyu’s head that gets chopped off…”
Xiao Yi discovered that doing business was very troublesome. After calculating the accounts, he didn’t sleep well that night and woke up after only four hours of sleep.
He got up, and it wasn’t even light yet. Zhang Yongde’s bought crowing rooster had likely been eaten by someone again, and the camp was quite quiet.
While washing up, he heard someone talking to the guards at the camp gate. He went over to see that it was Lu Chou returning sneakily.
Xiao Yi said nothing until roll call, when he called Lu Chou out of the ranks.
“Lu Chou, step forward.”
“Yes!”
“Where did you go last night?”
“Reporting to the General, I had diarrhea for three days…”
“Tell the truth.”
“Yes, I rented a courtyard for Xiao Tao in Kaifeng, and I went to see her last night.”
“You’ve used this excuse to leave camp and see her for three consecutive nights?”
“No, it wasn’t, it wasn’t to see her. The first two nights I saw other lovers… No, why are you all laughing? Stand straight.”
Xiao Yi’s face darkened, and the laughter immediately stopped.
He deliberately waited a few breaths, and seeing his subordinates growing uneasy, he straightened his face before speaking again.
“Lu Chou has violated military law. He shall be given twenty lashes and expelled from the camp. Hua Nong, confiscate his waist token, armor, and weapons.”
“General! I know I was wrong.”
Lu Chou’s expression changed drastically, and he quickly knelt down.
Lu You hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward to plead, saying, “General, Ah Chou used to be a guard and is accustomed to a dissolute lifestyle. Please, General, consider that this is his first offense…”
“Military law is without mercy. Take him away.”
Zhang Mantun mumbled, as if wanting to persuade him, but ultimately said nothing. He hoisted Lu Chou up and dragged him out of the drill ground.
Shortly after, howls could be heard.
Xiao Yi’s gaze swept over the faces of the soldiers, which were all ashen and silent, and he said, “Continue training.”
“Yes!”
They continued training until it was over. Back in the duty room, Xiao Yi ordered someone to bring Lu Chou over.
“Are you wronged?”
Lu Chou, groaning on the stretcher, immediately nodded upon hearing this and replied, “To enforce military discipline for the General, I am not wronged.”
“It seems you feel you’ve been treated unfairly?”
“General, Xiao Tao was tricked by me into coming to Kaifeng. I can’t just abandon her.”
“Can you manage her?”
“I know the General is doing this for my own good. Twenty lashes and a few days’ rest would have been enough.”
Xiao Yi casually picked up a bag of copper coins and threw it at Lu Chou’s face.
Lu Chou first clutched his face in pain, but when he weighed the bag, he was overjoyed.
“Thank you, General, for the reward.”
“Take this and deal with the aftermath.”
As they were speaking, Old Pan entered with Zhao Chu. Xiao Yi had not ordered Lu Chou to be carried away, letting him lie there and listen.
“General, this old man might be able to try and fire the glass you want.”
“Then let’s get started. What do you need?”
“We’ll need a kiln. Preferably in a mountain hollow outside the city, so it’s easy to get firewood for the kiln fire. The hollow will block the wind, helping the kiln fire to retain heat. Being close to a water source would be even better for washing and cooling.”
“How much land is needed?”
“Two mu should be enough for leasing.”
Xiao Yi shook his head, knowing that Zhao Chu’s estimate was only enough to build a small workshop. He should buy a large plot of land to facilitate future expansion, and more importantly, to ensure secrecy.
He then beckoned Old Pan over and instructed him, “Find a good spot outside the city and, in your name, buy the entire mountain.”
“Young Master, the cost will be quite different.”
“For a major undertaking, why begrudge a small sum?”
After that, it was merely a matter of building the kiln, purchasing raw materials, and hiring craftsmen. Xiao Yi only focused on a few key points: the craftsmen must be trustworthy and able to maintain secrecy. Additionally, he asked Old Pan to act as much as possible under Shi Deyu’s name, so as not to reveal that he was the owner.
Once the arrangements were settled, he looked at Lu Chou again, who had a fawning expression on his face.
“What is it?”
“The General is in need of personnel. I wish to continue serving the General. I implore the General to give me an opportunity.”
“You’re not going back to inherit your family’s business.”
“What fun is there in slaughtering pigs? I only wish to serve the General, no, I only wish to serve you, Young Master, with all my might.”
“You are being dismissed. Your salary won’t be as high as in the military.”
“I deserve it. I will definitely work hard.”
Only then did Xiao Yi say to Old Pan, “Take him away.”
“Heh heh, thank you, Young Master.”
Finally, the enterprise was temporarily set up…
Xiao Yi knew that the current stability was quite hard-won.
Once the festival passed, and Liu Chong of Hedong learned of Guo Wei’s ascension to the throne, he would surely react. The various feudatories, and even other kingdoms, might not be able to sit still.
Therefore, he did not dare to slack off, arranging his industry with one hand and drilling his soldiers with the other, practicing his martial arts whenever he had free time.
By the fourteenth of the first lunar month, eighty percent of the troop quotas had been filled, and he had four hundred elite soldiers under his command, his body also growing more robust.
He declined some invitations and had not even visited the newly bestowed grand residence.
Besides being busy, there were also other reasons, such as not having the money to renovate it, or being alone and having no need to live there.
He was thinking of bringing Zhang Wan out, but Guo Xin, who had said she would stay with her for a few days, was holding her back.
Waking up this day, he had a dream, and his youthful, vigorous body felt like iron.
He simply went to the drill ground alone and practiced his spear forms. Finally, the time came. He beat the gongs and called his subordinates to assemble for roll call and drill them severely.
“Ha!”
“Ha!”
At the hour of Chen, Li Chongjin galloped his horse to the drill ground and said, “Your first command is too noisy.”
Xiao Yi, prepared to fight him at any moment, stepped forward and said, “Greetings, Military Head.”
“Go wash up. You won’t need to wear armor later. Come with me to handle some business.”
“Why?”
“You’re covered in mud and sweat. It will be cold if the wind blows. Hurry, I’ll wait for you.”
Although Xiao Yi didn’t know what Li Chongjin intended to do, he wasn’t afraid even without his armor. He changed into light clothing.
Li Chongjin looked at him and chuckled, “Heh heh, you look the part. No wonder you can charm the Palace Ladies-in-Waiting.”
“Where are we going?”
“Didn’t I say? To the Golden Phoenix Garden for Cuju.”
“The Military Head just said we were going to handle business.”
“That’s only because we were in front of the soldiers.”
The Golden Phoenix Garden was the open space west of Da Ning Palace, with a Cuju field set up, not very large.
On the field, Guo Shouwen was already preparing with a few young men, who appeared to be sons of generals.
A viewing stand nearby was set up with screens and private seats. Many female family members were eating fruit and preparing to watch the Cuju match.
Xiao Yi asked, “What’s going on here?”
“Tomorrow is the Lantern Festival, so we’re having a match.” Li Chongjin put his arm around Xiao Yi’s shoulder and whispered, “Some feudatory sons have come to the capital and have always been defiant towards us. We’ll find an opportunity to teach them a lesson.”
“Who?”
Before Li Chongjin could answer, Zhang Yongde arrived, thoughtfully helping Guo Siniang onto the viewing stand.
Xiao Yi quickly noticed that behind Guo Siniang were two figures he knew quite well, Guo Xin and Zhang Wan, both dressed in men’s clothing.
Guo Xin wore a white robe, which made her skin appear even fairer. Her attire lacked any heroic air, instead making her seem more delicate and charming than usual.
Zhang Wan was taller. After her hair was all tied up, her swan-like neck appeared more graceful, and her back was straight. Her neat clothing highlighted her slender figure.
Soon, perhaps sensing he was watching, Guo Xin took Zhang Wan’s hand, intertwined their fingers, and provocatively raised them towards them.
Xiao Yi knew that the more he cared, the less Guo Xin would return her to him.
He pretended not to see, turned his head, and continued talking to Li Chongjin.
“Brother Chong Jin, you haven’t said who it is yet.”
“Who?”
“Who is defiant towards you?”
“Oh, they’re here.”
Xiao Yi turned around and followed Li Chongjin’s gaze. A group of people in close-fitting, short-sleeved Cuju tunics walked over. He immediately noticed one person.
This person was about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with a handsome face, resolute eyes, and sword-like eyebrows that sloped up to his temples. His nose was like a hook, and his appearance was in no way inferior to Zhang Yongde’s. Moreover, his aura was even stronger. He was tall and robust, exuding a calm and substantial presence as he chatted with his companions.
Xiao Yi noticed that his hands were broad and thick, with large knuckles, clearly indicating he was a martial man. However, he had a flute tucked into his waist, adorned with a red tassel, which swayed with a casual elegance.
Seeing him arrive, Zhang Yongde quickly went to meet him on the field.
“Brother Cang Yong, you’ve just arrived in the capital, I presume. Are you well?”
“Brother Bao Yi, are you well? After today’s Cuju match, we must have a good drink.”
“Naturally. I have reserved a private seat at Lin Que Tower. If I could have the honor of hearing Brother Cang Yong play a tune, I would be content even if I lost today.”
“If Brother Bao Yi proves capable of winning, regardless of the outcome, I will play a tune for you.”
“Very well, let us both show our true skills.”
Xiao Yi understood that although these two appeared polite, they were actually competing.
He then asked Li Chongjin, “Who is that?”
“He is Gao Huaide, the son of Gao Xingzhou, the Military Governor of Tianping. His martial arts are very strong. We… cannot defeat him. Today, we must defeat him in Cuju and break his spirit.”
“Brother Chong Jin, I’m not very good at Cuju.”
“Are you backing down already? Wu Niang said you’re the best at Cuju. There’s no time for chatter, let’s go.”
That was clearly a lie, but since it had come to this, he couldn’t show weakness. Xiao Yi had no choice but to go onto the field and warm up.
There were over twenty young men on the field. Gao Huaide did not ask his name, his gaze sweeping over them with the dismissive air of a master looking at ordinary people.
Facing that gaze, Xiao Yi inexplicably felt a surge of eagerness and fighting spirit.
