Chapter 0055: Shen Yuan in Disarray, Xie Chengze Skillfully Writes a Letter Home

As if doused with cold water, Shen Yuan abruptly snapped out of his desire-clouded, feverish haze. He saw Xie Chengze staring at him with icy disgust, as if he had committed some grave sin that left Xie Chengze utterly disappointed.

Indeed, his transgression was severe—he had harbored such improper thoughts toward Xie Chengze, an act of outright defiance. He could keenly feel his own terror and greed: terror at Xie Chengze’s revulsion and withdrawal, and at his own chaotic, distorted emotions; greed for Xie Chengze’s allure and closeness, which ensnared and overwhelmed him, leaving him powerless to resist.

“Your servant holds no impure intentions toward Your Highness…”

He offered a pale explanation, fearing Xie Chengze would distance himself. But Xie Chengze pointed mockingly at his lower body and sneered, “Then what is this?”

In a blur, Xie Chengze’s face grew indistinct, his form gradually fading. Shen Yuan frantically reached out to grasp him but caught nothing. Darkness swallowed his vision, and he plunged once more into the warm tidal surge. Seawater rushed violently into his mouth, drowning all his attempts to explain and plead…

……

……

……

“Hah…!” Shen Yuan’s eyes flew open as he gasped for air, his heart pounding as if trying to escape his chest.

Sweat dripped from his forehead, nearly soaking the soft pillow. He stared blankly upward, and upon realizing it was just a dream, he heaved a deep sigh of relief.

Thank goodness it was only a dream. He had thought…

Rising to wash away the stifling heat and dampness, he froze when he noticed an unexpected warmth and wetness in a certain area. As understanding dawned, his handsome face flushed a deep crimson.

Damn it!

Ears burning, he swiftly removed his inner robe. Frowning, he haphazardly cleaned up the mess and, before daybreak, eradicated all “evidence of his crime.”

For several days, Shen Yuan dared not look at Xie Chengze.

Whenever he saw Xie Chengze’s face, his mind replayed the dream’s scene of Xie Chengze’s seductive teasing. Especially when the lingering redness at the corners of Xie Chengze’s eyes overlapped with the flushed passion in the dream, Shen Yuan felt disoriented and flustered, unable to distinguish dream from reality. This left him hesitant and afraid to overstep even slightly.

He feared misreading his own feelings and losing control over his desires.

In both his past and present lives, Shen Yuan had never fallen for anyone nor had such dreams. This sudden, intense nocturnal fantasy left him utterly confused. His tangled emotions toward Xie Chengze intertwined, making it impossible to discern his true feelings.

Shen Yuan avoided Xie Chengze, and Xie Chengze had no desire to see Shen Yuan either.

In fact, Xie Chengze vaguely sensed that Shen Yuan was deliberately avoiding him. Otherwise, why would they be in the same place yet not cross paths for days on end?

Whatever. As long as Shen Yuan didn’t interfere with his gunpowder experiments, Xie Chengze couldn’t care less.

Thus, twenty days slipped by quietly. Then, one morning, Xie Chengze—sporting heavy dark circles—kicked his door open and laughed triumphantly at the sky, “Hahahaha—I’ve finally succeeded!”

The low-grade ancient materials had somewhat reduced the gunpowder’s potency, so he added sugar and other components. At last, he had created explosive gunpowder capable of blasting through mountain rocks!

He had even casually made two strings of firecrackers. It was just a pity he lacked a few materials, otherwise he could have produced fireworks too!

“Xiaobiao! Zimiao! Get up quickly, I’m taking you both out to play with something fun!” Xie Chengze shouted at the top of his lungs. In the neighboring room, the sound startled Zhu Xiaobiao awake from his deep sleep, making him jolt upright before he hurriedly responded, “Coming, coming!”

Xie Zimiao was also awakened. Rubbing her eyes as she stepped outside, she didn’t look too well. “Second Brother, what’s this good thing?”

Yi Province was humid and hot. Unlike Xie Chengze, Xie Zimiao couldn’t withstand the sun well. After just two days of accompanying him under the scorching heat, her face and body had started peeling. Since then, she had been holed up indoors, refusing to go out again.

Only upon hearing there was something fun to play with did she finally emerge.

“You’ll know when we get there.” Xie Chengze crooked his finger, and Xie Zimiao was drawn over.

Noticing the red oil-paper umbrella by her second brother’s door, Xie Zimiao casually picked it up and opened it, shielding herself from the blazing sun overhead. “Then let’s go~”

The three of them arrived at Yu Ji Mountain. Xie Chengze found the foreman in charge of the mountain excavation and expressed his desire to test the power of the explosive powder.

Several stone miners nearby gathered curiously, staring at the dark object in Xie Chengze’s hand and wondering, “This thing doesn’t look very big. Can it really blast through the mountain?”

“Won’t we know if we try?” Xie Chengze entered the cave. After he and the foreman dispersed all the miners, he stuffed the explosive into the deep groove reserved for firewood.

Then, he extended the fuse—which had been treated with flammable material—all the way to the cave entrance. He instructed everyone to retreat to a safe distance before finally taking out a fire starter to light the fuse.

The fuse crackled and sparked as it burned. Xie Chengze ran toward the distance. Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed intently on the cave, afraid to miss even a single moment.

After a long wait, just as Xie Chengze began to wonder if it had failed, a deafening roar suddenly erupted from within the cave. The entire ground trembled twice, causing everyone present to feel their hearts pound wildly, their eyes wide with shock.

Heavens! This explosive powder had such tremendous power!

Thick smoke billowed from the cave. After the workers used buckets of water to douse the flames and smoke inside, they saw that the small hole where the explosive had been placed had been blasted into a massive cavity. Rocks lay shattered and scattered across the ground—a scene both spectacular and astonishing!

“This small amount of explosive powder is equivalent to the work of ten stone miners over nearly three days?!”

“And the blasted opening is so large! The surface of the rocks is still hot—we can take the opportunity to pour water and chisel, creating an even bigger gap—”

“With this, we might be able to dig through Yu Ji Mountain in less than three years and channel the Min River’s water to the fields in our village! Then we’ll never have to fear drought again!”

Zhu Xiaobiao and Xie Zimiao stood by, utterly dumbfounded. The excavation foreman gazed at Xie Chengze with fervent admiration and said excitedly, “Young master, did you create this thing called explosive powder?”

“More or less.” Xie Chengze waved his hand dismissively and changed the subject. “Since this works well, I’ll go back and discuss with Governor Liang to put it to use in the mountain excavation project as soon as possible.”

The foreman was a sharp-witted man. Sensing that Xie Chengze was unwilling to reveal too much, he simply expressed his gratitude: “That would be wonderful! Thank you, young master. We appreciate your efforts!”

After leaving Yu Ji Mountain, Xie Zimiao gazed at Xie Chengze with pure admiration. “Second Brother, you’re amazing! You actually managed to create such an incredible thing!”

“It’s nothing much.” Xie Chengze shook his head with a sigh. “Whether this thing is a blessing or a curse remains to be seen. Later, come back to the county office with me to write a letter to Father Emperor.”

Xie Zimiao obediently nodded. “Alright.”

Upon returning to the county office, Xie Chengze first had Xie Zimiao write a letter to Liang Wan Da, who had already returned to Jiangdu Xian. Then, he picked up a few sheets of letter paper and began pondering how to write to Emperor Jian to report that he had successfully created gunpowder.

The tone couldn’t be too formal, or it might arouse Emperor Jian’s suspicion and wariness.

Beside him, Xie Zimiao stole a glance at him, seemingly hesitating about something. After a while, she whispered, “Second Brother, remember to ask Father Emperor for a reward. Don’t act like you want nothing…”

Mother Consort had said that if one doesn’t seek rewards, they must have grander ambitions.

Mother Consort had also said that as a prince, one should remain low-key and mediocre to live a stable life.

Xie Chengze was momentarily stunned, then lowered his head and chuckled, gently ruffling Xie Zimiao’s hair. “Alright, Second Brother understands.”

After stroking his chin for a moment, Xie Chengze picked up his brush and began writing on the letter paper in his hideously ugly handwriting:

“To my most heroic, radiant, beloved by all, adored by flowers, and blessed with twin-bearing consorts Father Emperor, have you been diligently attending to state affairs lately? Cultivating your virtue? Or slacking off and shirking your duties?

Your son, dispatched to Yi Province, has observed that fathers and sons here often support each other. Fathers toil tirelessly to save money for their sons’ education, while sons burn the midnight oil to earn scholarly honors and repay their fathers’ devotion. If a son lives up to expectations and passes the imperial exams, the father should redouble his efforts, sparing no pains to help him achieve the three great joys of life. If not, he would be scorned by neighbors and fellow villagers, and even his own son would look down on him, comparing him to other fathers and denouncing him as an inferior parent.

Your son has been deeply moved by this, recalling how Father Emperor has always showered me with boundless favor. I cannot help but feel ashamed and resolved to achieve great deeds to repay your profound kindness.

Unexpectedly, I have developed something of immense power, capable of sweeping away thousands of troops, quelling border unrest, and ensuring the prosperity of our Jian’an Dynasty for a thousand years!

Now, your son’s abilities are unmatched in the world, and his diligence even surpasses Father Emperor’s dedication to governance! I hope Father Emperor in the capital will not neglect court affairs but instead strive with utmost effort and devotion to continue securing rare delicacies and beauties for your son. Otherwise, your son would be shamed by you, envying the hard work of other fathers and lamenting the laziness and idleness of his own!

Enclosed is another letter containing the formula for that thing. Handle it with care and do not let it leak.

Wishing Jian’an prosperity, Father Emperor longevity and health, and your son ever more stunningly beautiful~”

The unsightly, atrocious handwriting sprawled across nearly thirty pages, filled entirely with psychological manipulation urging Emperor Jian to work harder and create a life of wealth and comfort for his son. Otherwise, he would be compared to other fathers and made to see how poorly he measured up as a parent.