Chapter 140: Telescope
Xiao Yi did not ride horseback; he strolled to digest his meal. By the time he reached the Li Residence, it was dusk.
A luxurious carriage was parked by the side door. The shadows were stretched long by the setting sun, and a young man in a brocade robe was pacing beside it.
Still some distance away, the gatekeeper glanced this way, then greeted them enthusiastically, saying, “Young Master Xiao has arrived. Please come in.”
“I intended to come a few days ago, but I was just unable to get free.”
“Wait.”
Suddenly, a shout came from behind. Xiao Yi turned to look and saw the young man in the brocade robe approaching. He bowed.
“Your surname is Xiao?”
“It is.”
“Su Dexiang, a native of Wugong County, Jingzhao Commandery, son of a Prime Minister.”
“Brother Su, what is it?”
“I heard that you were taken in by the Li Residence since childhood, and that you and the young lady of the Li family were childhood sweethearts?”
“It’s not quite childhood sweethearts; we went through hardships together, you could say.”
Su Dexiang’s eyes showed worry, and he asked earnestly, “Do you also wish to marry the young lady of the Li family?”
Xiao Yi felt somewhat offended. He saw no need to discuss such matters with a stranger.
He could hear Su Dexiang’s concern for Li Zhaoning, so he offered a reminder.
“If Brother Su wishes to marry the young lady of the Li family, I fear she will not like the surname.”
“I am not related to Su Fengji, my father…”
“We are not close enough for you to mention your esteemed father.”
“Then let us compare our literary talents.”
“No, I am here to see Duke Xin Chen. I must take my leave.”
Xiao Yi entered. Li Tao and Li Fang had already arrived.
They exchanged greetings and apologies for his absence on previous occasions. He then congratulated Li Tao on his reinstatement as Minister of Justice and Li Fang on his appointment as Left Remonstrator.
“When Young Master Xiao arrived, you must have seen my disciple?”
“Yes.”
“He is the son of Prime Minister Su Yugui. His literary talent is excellent, but he is clumsy in social matters. I apologize if he caused you any offense.”
“He is young; it’s understandable.”
“Look at him, speaking so pompously.” Li Tao said, “The current Son of Heaven is different. On the night of the first month of the year, he personally visited the homes of Dou Zhengu and Su Yugui to invite these two to resume their positions, with a desire to sweep away old malpractices.”
“It is good that Your Majesty is willing to employ scholars,” Xiao Yi said. “However, I believe that to sweep away malpractices, one must first arrange personnel properly, appoint officials, and reform the military system. Only then can one make bold changes.”
Li Fang said, “Hedong is not yet settled; it is too soon to say.”
“Brother Ming Yuan is simply too cautious.”
After chatting about politics for a while, Xiao Yi learned that Guo Wei had been promoting civil officials recently. After Li Tao left, he asked Li Fang about the telescope.
“Oh, it should be roughly tested and successful by now.”
“It’s been made?”
Li Fang smiled faintly and took a piece of paper from his sleeve. “Let’s talk about the cost first. Ninety percent of the expense is in the crystal stones and their polishing. Any stone with turbidity, impurities, or cracks cannot be used. It requires diamond sand for polishing and is extremely prone to failure. Including the lenses, two copper smiths experimented a total of twelve times. Your two hundred and twenty-two guan was not enough, so I advanced sixty-seven thousand three hundred and eighty-five *qian*. The principal and interest total seventy thousand and eighty *qian*, which can be settled with seventy guan.”
“Good, money is not an issue. Let me see the finished product.”
“It’s with You Niang. I’ve asked her to draw its diagrams and record all the measurements and specifications. By the way, the diagrams and specifications belong to my brother and me, and there will be a separate charge for them.”
“No problem, Brother Ming Yuan. Just name your price.”
“The materials cost three hundred guan. How much would the measurements and specifications we derived be worth? Six hundred guan, I think. Does that make sense?”
Xiao Yi was slightly taken aback. He actually agreed with this statement in his heart.
However, he only had two thousand guan on hand, one thousand of which was intended for purchasing cotton cloth in Xiangzhou. If he spent the remaining money like this, he would be quite tight.
“What is it?” Li Fang chuckled. “I, with my talent for managing worldly affairs, am handling your commercial matters, and you are unwilling to part with this much money.”
“Here. However, can I take the finished product to secure a deposit?”
“How do you plan to get a deposit?”
Xiao Yi asked, “What is the cost to produce one telescope?”
“At least sixty guan to guarantee the successful grinding of usable lenses.”
“I will sell it to His Majesty and give a demonstration.”
Li Fang shook his head. “Do you really think the Son of Heaven will give you a deposit?”
“If not, then how?”
As soon as Xiao Yi asked, he quickly understood.
Guo Wei would definitely treat him as one of his own, ask him to present the manufacturing method, and then reward him with a useless honorary title.
Li Fang said, “I can teach you a method. How about it?”
“Please, Brother Ming Yuan, enlighten me.”
“Thirty guan.”
“Why are you calculating money for everything today?”
“Because I’ve spent all my savings on you. Look.”
Li Fang lifted his robe, revealing a pair of worn-out boots.
Xiao Yi had no choice but to appease him. “I’ll give you some money later, Brother Ming Yuan. Go ahead and speak.”
“Find someone who the Son of Heaven feels guilty towards to speak on your behalf.”
“Who?”
“You are a close confidant of the Son of Heaven. How can you ask me?”
Xiao Yi thought to himself that among the living, Guo Wei felt most indebted to Wang Jun, whose family was annihilated due to his involvement. However, it was clearly impossible to ask Wang Jun to speak for him.
Besides that, there was indeed another candidate.
Li Fang beckoned, asking Old Pan and Hua Nong to step forward to check accounts and inquire about their recent experience using the glasses. During a lull, he casually dropped a sentence.
“Go to the Flower Hall to get the finished product and diagrams.”
Although Xiao Yi was reluctant to see Li Zhaoning, he felt it inappropriate to be overly sensitive at this moment, so he walked towards the Flower Hall.
He saw a beautiful silhouette cast on the paper window from under the corridor.
Approaching the door, he saw Li Zhaoning standing by the desk, writing. She was thinner, making her appear even taller. She wore a red cotton cloth cross-collared *ru* shirt and a floor-length skirt, her waist cinched like a willow.
She had the same double-bun hairstyle, yet she didn’t look childish at all; there was a touch of coolness about her.
Hearing the movement, she looked up. In an instant, her eyes misted over, inexplicably evoking a sense of apology in his heart.
Xiao Yi sighed softly, feeling he was about to be blamed by her. However, she turned her head, wiped her eyes, and then turned back, a faint smile of grievance yet happiness appearing on her face.
“You’re back?”
“Yes, I made a trip to Xu Prefecture and Hedong.”
“You’ve gotten much stronger. Wearing so little, aren’t you cold? Wait a moment.”
“No need to trouble yourself…”
“Try wearing this.”
It was a red, double-breasted cloak with slits on the sides of the sleeves. There were ties sewn under the collar. As he put it on, he first smelled a faint fragrance, and then his neck was touched by the soft but cold back of Li Zhaoning’s hand.
His gaze fell upon her. She was very close, her skin smooth and slightly flushed. As he looked, she lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly.
The atmosphere was quite intense, and he almost leaned closer, but he remembered she was not to be trifled with lightly.
“It looks quite good.”
“It is good.”
“I mean, it looks good on you after you put it on.”
Xiao Yi said, “I was also talking about it.”
“Oh.”
Li Zhaoning’s lips seemed to hold a smile. She turned her head and said, “I was originally going to be angry with you.”
“Did I offend you?”
“You bullied my close lady friend.”
“Lady An? She is the former Empress. I was ordered to have her move to Tai Ping Palace. I was merely carrying out orders.”
“Then, did you do anything else to bully her?”
“That person… if things don’t go her way, she calls it bullying.”
“Oh? It seems you understand her quite well.”
This was a difficult question to answer. Xiao Yi walked to the desk and looked at the diagram, which depicted the internal and external structure of the telescope.
Beside it, a list of fine script was written in beautiful handwriting.
“The tube is one foot two inches long, with a circumference of five inches.”
“Two *fen* of brass for welding, repaired with tin, the casing is two *fen* thick.”
“The front lens has a diameter of four inches, convex by three *fen* in the center.”
“The rear lens has a diameter of two inches, its edge is one *fen* thick, and it is concave by two *fen* in the center.”
Even details like “carve fine grooves three inches from the eyepiece end to prevent slippage” were not forgotten.
He knew how difficult it was to have these diagrams and data, so he couldn’t help but say, “You’ve worked hard.”
“It was just a small effort. My clan brother said he would rip you off heavily; that was just a joke. Please don’t pay any attention to him.”
“Brothers are clear in their accounts. I should pay what is due.”
“Afraid of owing a favor?”
“It’s not at a point where I need to owe favors.”
Li Zhaoning said, as if joking, “You don’t have to sell yourself to repay it.”
Xiao Yi seemed not to have understood and said lightly, “I’ve had enough of being a servant; I’d rather be extravagant.”
“Then give it to me.”
Li Zhaoning spread her palm in front of him and said, “Money in one hand, goods in the other.”
Her slender hand was like jade, and her expression was even more lively.
As if inspired, Xiao Yi casually took a house deed from his embrace and placed it in her palm.
Their fingertips touched. For the second time, he felt her hand was very cold, but he did not show concern.
“What is this?”
“Su Fengji’s residence. It belongs to me now.”
“Hm?”
“I’ve seen the diagrams. After Su Fengji seized the Li Residence, he annexed three neighboring houses, merging the four residences into one. I plan to separate the Li Residence and return it to you… to your elder brother.”
“Why?”
“Living in such a grand mansion attracts attention. Doing this will fulfill my reputation for loyalty and be beneficial to my image.”
“I cannot accept this.”
“As I said, it is for your elder brother. You do not need to make decisions on his behalf.”
As they spoke, Xiao Yi picked up the hand warmer on the desk and held it for a moment; it still had some warmth.
Li Zhaoning walked closer, returned the diagram to his embrace, and said with inexplicable dissatisfaction, “Then, when my brother returns, you tell him.”
“Alright.”
Xiao Yi did not insist. He casually handed the hand warmer to her and picked up the telescope from the table to play with it.
Li Zhaoning smiled faintly.
“By the way, Wang Jun was friendly with your father. Have you met him before?”
“Perhaps once or twice. You always kept your head down when meeting people, so it’s unlikely he would remember you… Don’t look at me, people look so ugly through this.”
Xiao Yi looked through the telescope. The vision was blurry.
Crystal stones were still not suitable. No matter how clear they were ground, they remained turbid inside.
However, it had indeed pulled the distant rooftops closer.
Li Zhaoning softly asked, “Is this what you wanted?”
“The place is too small. I’ll go outside the residence to take a look.”
“I’ll lead the way. I’m familiar with this area.”
“Isn’t the Shi Residence nearby?”
“We’ll use the side door.”
“Because of Su Dexiang?”
“He came out of nowhere to propose marriage. I told him I wouldn’t see him, but he blocked the door.”
“Can you see that cat?”
Xiao Yi truly didn’t care. He felt that if any woman happened to like him, there would only be more love rivals. He looked and saw that the telescope could see a cat walking on the distant rooftop.
“Where is the cat?”
“There.”
“I can’t see it. Meow… meow…”
Li Zhaoning called out a couple of times towards the rooftop. After waiting, she didn’t see a cat come looking for her.
“You’re not tricking me, are you?”
“This is the power of the telescope.”
“So it’s used for fabricating false reports.”
Xiao Yi smiled and went out through the corner door. Outside was Sweet Water Alley.
Li Zhaoning raised her hand and pointed. “Look there.”
Xiao Yi knew she was referring to the wall they climbed over together to escape. He deliberately said, “The wall is too close; it’s not suitable for a telescope.”
“Playing dumb.”
“Su Dexiang is chasing us.”
Xiao Yi saw a shop assistant running towards the carriage in the telescope, pointing this way.
Li Zhaoning suddenly pulled him and walked into Sweet Water Alley.
“I don’t want to see him, let’s go this way.”
“Still hiding.”
“Aren’t you hiding from me too?”
At her words, Xiao Yi felt pressured, so he said, “That’s not it. I’ve been really busy lately, both with official and personal matters.”
“What personal matters?”
“I’ve taken on a concubine.”
“Hm? Then… is she beautiful?”
Xiao Yi thought the telescope was a good thing. When he felt awkward, he could just lift it and look, and it would be much better.
In the distance, a figure staggered along, creeping stealthily and peeking towards the back door of the Shi Residence.
Bringing the view closer, a face appeared in the slightly blurry crystal lenses. The expression was dejected, the eyes fearful. It was just a refugee… No, it was an acquaintance.
“Hm?”
“A good trick to change the subject.”
“Look who that is.”
Xiao Yi handed the telescope over.
He knew who should step forward to leverage Guo Wei’s guilt and secure a deposit for manufacturing telescopes for the military.
