Chapter 47: Between Heaven and Earth

Some knowledge, if none point the way, one might toil a thousand hardships and still grasp it not. Yet, once revealed, it appears no longer a rarity, much like the formula for gunpowder.

Consider the simplest mnemonic: "One nitrate, two sulfur, three charcoal, add a dash of white sugar for the great master." This translates to saltpeter from earth, sulfur, and charcoal. Matched against the scale of this era, using a sixteen-tael jin copper scale, the ratio is 16:2:3. White sugar is added to enhance the duration of gas production during burning. This proportion of gunpowder, when ignited in a sealed space, can produce an explosion comparable to a miniature indoor nuclear blast, likely beyond the endurance of even officials like Yun Yang or Si Cao.

Sulfur can be found in medicinal halls. Charcoal is easily produced. The so-called "earth nitrate," scientifically known as potassium nitrate, is in fact the "wall frost" found on the surface of adobe walls. Ancient peoples making fireworks and firecrackers would "dig the wall roots" to obtain it. Luo City still boasts a great number of houses constructed with brick and earth. Chen Ji's impression is that wall frost is ubiquitous.

The Jing Chao military intelligence department, toiling through a thousand hardships to uncover the secrets of firearms, would do well to seek out Chen Ji rather than the Liu family! Even the drawings for various muzzle-loading firearms – from the smallest handguns to the largest city-gate cannons – pose no great difficulty for Chen Ji. He possesses a slight understanding of one or two such designs...

However, the most crucial point is that since his arrival, Chen Ji has felt constrained at every turn when encountering figures like Yun Yang, Jiao Tu, and Si Cao, solely due to his lack of any means of resistance. But now, he possesses such a capability.

The next moment, someone interrupted Chen Ji's thoughts: "Dare I ask, esteemed sirs, if you have prepared any works? Why the silence?"

Liu Qu Xing and She Deng Ke exchanged glances, unsure how to proceed. After all, this was a literary gathering, and they had arrived solely to partake of food and drink without any prepared pieces, which was indeed improper.

Yet, Chen Ji suddenly displayed a smile and spoke: "We merely accepted the invitation from Wang Fu to the medical hall to partake of food and drink. We are not skilled in these matters, so please enjoy yourselves. We shall take our leave. Senior Brother She, Senior Brother Liu, the waiter Xiao Zhang from the rice shop opposite the medical hall mentioned that on the adjacent Zheng He Street, there is a noodle shop called Mu Xin Zhai that makes exceptionally fine knife-cut noodles. I invite you to dine there."

Having said this, he turned and departed, showing no signs of embarrassment. If he could, he could; if he could not, he could not. There was no need to feign competence. Everyone has their specialized skills. You understand your art, and I too understand an art... My art, perhaps, can even dispatch your art.

Chen Wen Zong and Chen Wen Xiao observed Chen Ji's retreating figure, serene and contented, chatting and laughing with his companions as if utterly unaffected by the literary gathering, and seemingly having not taken the recent events to heart. He suddenly felt that Chen Ji was not speaking out of anger, but truly had no intention of returning to the Chen family. But that grand and imposing threshold of the Chen family – how could it not be the aspiration of all? How could anyone actively abandon it?

At his seat, County Princess Bai Li looked towards the World Son: "Brother, did you invite him?"

"No," the World Son shook his head. "I don't even recall sending an invitation to the medical hall... But it matters not!"

County Princess Bai Li pondered for a moment, then suddenly rose: "This is tiresome. I shall go out for a stroll!"

The World Son looked at his sister's retreating back, wanting to speak but hesitating: "You..."

...

...

On the road back.

"Senior Brother She, why did you speak up for me?" Chen Ji asked curiously.

She Deng Ke walked along the road, his tall and sturdy figure appearing less imposing due to his lowered head. He spoke in a low voice: "Yesterday, I nearly caused you harm. I am sorry. My head was muddled at the time. Our two years of friendship were almost destroyed by me. I truly deserve death."

Chen Ji asked again: "Were you only trying to save Chun Hua's life at that moment?"

"There were also selfish motives. Chun Hua said that if this matter succeeded, she would beg Consort Jing to betroth her to me, and afterward, we would live a peaceful life together."

Liu Qu Xing scoffed: "You believe everything Chun Hua says? Your family is so poor, could she abandon Wang Fu's glory and wealth to follow you?"

She Deng Ke retorted: "She is not that kind of person... Chen Ji, you cannot tell my brother and my father about this. They would beat me to death if they knew."

"Rest assured, I will not," Chen Ji said with a smile.

Liu Qu Xing, at his side, felt a touch of annoyance: "I don't know what my father was thinking when he gave me this name. I am truly useless. All Wen Qu Xing are said to descend to the mortal world, yet I cannot even comprehend those classics. Now, when I introduce myself, I feel a little embarrassed to mention my name."

To awaken in the morning a rustic boy and ascend to the emperor's hall by evening – this was the greatest dream of the scholars of the Ning Dynasty. But this was not Chen Ji's dream. What was his dream? He once dreamed of being a diplomatic military official, but neither the Ning Dynasty nor the Jing Dynasty were worth his life's dedication. So, now, he had no dream. There was no one he wished to protect, no place he wished to protect. He could only barely protect himself, swept along by the torrents of this era.

Today, the words "gunpowder" and "sword seed" held a fatal attraction for him. When these two things were placed on the scales, perhaps they represented the balance of fate, which would tilt in his favor.

Just as he was contemplating, someone called out from behind: "Chen Ji!"

Chen Ji turned to look, and saw none other than County Princess Bai Li chasing after him. She was still clad in heroic attire, her white clothes and red pendant unchanged. However, today she wore a silver silk cloud chignon, beneath which was a circle of bead necklaces that swayed as she walked.

Chen Ji asked doubtfully: "County Princess, do you require something?"

Bai Li did not state her reason, but simply waved a large hand: "Let's go! I invite you to Zheng He Street to eat. We'll have those knife-cut noodles you just mentioned!"

Having said this, Bai Li led the way with her hands clasped behind her back, her footsteps light and proud, like a free antelope in Chen Ji's eyes.

The three senior and junior brothers exchanged glances. Chen Ji suddenly said: "You go ahead first. I'll go back to the medical hall and call for Liang Mao Er..."

Two quarters of an hour later, inside the knife-cut noodle shop, County Princess Bai Li rested her arm on the tabletop, supporting her chin, her eyes wide as she looked at the stack of bowls and dishes before Liang Mao Er: "Five bowls, six bowls, seven bowls... Chen Ji, you are truly something!"

Chen Ji smiled and looked towards Liang Mao Er: "Eat your fill tonight. You might not eat so much tomorrow morning."

Liang Mao Er cautiously looked towards Bai Li: "County Princess... Am I eating too much?"

Chen Ji said seriously: "County Princess has a chivalrous heart. We are all children of the Jianghu. How could she dislike you for eating a lot?"

"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter, a bowl of noodles costs only a little!" Bai Li, with a slightly pained expression, took out her purse: "But you truly can eat... No wonder last night everyone was drinking, and you were just stuffing yourself at the side."

Liang Mao Er awkwardly explained: "I don't know why, but I've been able to eat a lot since I was small. When my brother was ten years old, I was three, and I ate more than him."

Bai Li no longer dwelled on the matter. Since she was the host, she would be generous with her invitation. After settling the meal money, she turned to look at Chen Ji and asked curiously: "Earlier, they were saying such things about you at the literary gathering, why weren't you angry?"

"There's nothing to be angry about."

"Then if I help you speak up, can you not charge me a toll fee later?"

"Impossible."

Bai Li became indignant: "Then I won't help you speak up anymore. Let them scold you till you reek!"

Chen Ji smiled and said: "They can say whatever they wish, but time will prove everything."

Liu Qu Xing, at the side, suddenly spoke: "Chen Ji, you can actually write poetry. I have seen it."

"Hmm?" Chen Ji was slightly stunned.

Liu Qu Xing said in a low voice: "I saw you studying in secret late at night, making excerpts on the back of a prescription. So, when you were sleeping, I took it to see what you were excerpting, and I saw half a line of poetry."

Bai Li asked doubtfully: "What did it say?"

"People walk between heaven and earth, suddenly like a distant traveler."

Bai Li felt that as she read this half-line of poetry, she was like a lone figure walking in the snowy mountains, covered by the dusk, feeling especially lonely. That day, Chen Ji awoke from dusk, the streets bustling with people, yet he had no family waiting for him. He casually scribbled a rough poem in the night, which was then seen by Liu Qu Xing.

Bai Li slowly looked towards Chen Ji: "This is your..."

But before she could finish, a head peeked out from behind and exclaimed in surprise: "Chen Ji, is this your poetry? Since you can write, why didn't you say so at the literary gathering?"

Chen Ji was also stunned. He saw the World Son and the little monk just behind them. The main character of this literary gathering had actually secretly slipped away at some point. How careless could he be!? Moreover, it was somewhat strange. Did this world not have this line of poetry? Clearly, the story of the Double Ninth Festival was exactly the same. He maintained a calm voice and a thick face as he replied: "This half-line was obtained by chance. I do not have the full poem. Furthermore, I have no interest in this path. Poetry and books are not my aspiration."

The World Son had been restraining himself for a long time. He suddenly rubbed his hands awkwardly and smiled: "That... Aren't you trying to earn money? You can sell this half-line of poetry to me, right?"

Chen Ji: Huh?

The World Son explained: "These past three years at Dong Lin Academy have truly choked me. Those literati write a poem every day. They see a lotus and write one; they see the moonlight and write another. I, however, cannot even produce a single fart. I know some literati are secretly saying that I am a straw-bag World Son. I have always wanted to write a poem to shock them, but I truly cannot... How about this? Your half-line is powerful enough. Sell it to me for ten taels of silver. I will have face, and you will have silver. How does that sound?"

"Deal!"

Writing poetry was not necessary, but selling a half-line of poetry... That could be done.