It was the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), a time when people should be resting peacefully.
Yet, in a small, inconspicuous kiln factory, no one was sleeping.
The military craftsmen were working through the night, stacking the kiln.
Chen Ji and Liang Mao'er were pushing a massive stone roller, while the Prince, along with Liu Quxing and She Dengke, were sifting raw materials.
Even the young monk had rolled up his sleeves and was tirelessly bringing in new raw materials.
Only Liang Gou'er was lounging with his legs crossed, a straw hat covering his face, seemingly indifferent to everything.
The Prince squatted beside the stone roller, his mouth and nose covered with a cloth, his voice muffled as he asked, "Chen Ji, if we succeed in this, will we really leave our mark in history?"
Chen Ji smiled.
"Yes."
The Prince asked again, "What kind of mark?"
Chen Ji replied, "In the autumn of the 31st year of Jianing, Zhu Yunxi, Zhu Baili, Chen Ji, She Dengke, Liu Quxing, the young monk, and Liang Mao'er created cement that would benefit generations to come. Cement is a revolutionary material. Within a hundred years, every household will use our cement instead of yellow mud and glutinous rice mortar to build their homes. Even if future history books forget about the Princes of Fu, An, and Qi, they will not forget us."
The Prince's eyes sparkled.
"Let's get to work!"
At that moment, a carriage stopped at the entrance of the kiln factory.
Everyone turned to look and saw Old Man Yao being helped down by the coachman, holding two bamboo sticks in his hand...
Liu Quxing and She Dengke's faces changed.
"Oh no, we forgot to tell Master we wouldn't be back tonight. He's here to punish us!"
They both looked at the Prince.
"Your Highness, save us! Master won't go too hard on us if he sees you here!"
The Prince said bitterly, "I don't have much face with Old Man Yao."
Old Man Yao chuckled from a distance.
"At least the Prince has some self-awareness."
Liu Quxing quickly approached Old Man Yao, smiling awkwardly.
"Master, carrying those bamboo sticks must be tiring. Let me hold them for you."
But as soon as he reached out, he got a smack on the back of his hand.
Old Man Yao said indifferently, "I remember beating you two just a few days ago for staying out all night. I must be getting old; even after a good beating, you still don't learn."
Liu Quxing quickly changed the subject.
"Master, Chen Ji's father came to the kiln today. He said he had discussed it with you and wants to send Chen Ji to Donglin Academy. He won't be an apprentice at our clinic anymore."
"Oh?" Old Man Yao slowly turned to look at Chen Ji by the stone roller.
"That's good news. Why didn't you leave with your father and instead stayed here pushing a stone roller and doing hard labor?"
"Master, I want to stay at Taiping Clinic."
Old Man Yao laughed.
"You're giving up the luxurious life of the Chen family for hardship? I've already agreed with Master Chen. You should go back to the Chen residence."
Chen Ji said calmly, "I don't believe you agreed with him."
Old Man Yao raised an eyebrow.
"Your father came to the clinic today, politely bringing eight gifts, including ten silver ingots and a silver ruler. Why wouldn't I agree? Don't act like you're some treasure. I'd be happy to see you go home early and stop annoying me at the clinic."
Liu Quxing quickly brought a chair for Old Man Yao and helped him sit down.
"Master, when Master Chen came today, Chen Ji firmly refused him. Don't be angry. He doesn't want to go back to the Chen residence because of his bond with you."
Old Man Yao was silent for a moment, then turned to Liu Quxing.
"There's some food in the carriage—donkey meat buns and pickled garlic. Go get them and share them. You young people don't know the importance of eating well. When you're old, you'll understand that good health is the most important thing."
Liu Quxing's eyes lit up, and he almost shed tears of gratitude.
"Master, you really care about us!"
Earlier that evening, they had rushed back to the kiln without eating.
If it weren't for the military craftsmen sharing some bread, they would still be starving!
Everyone rushed to the carriage, but Chen Ji stayed where he was.
Under the night sky, the young man and the old man looked at each other from a distance, like two mountain lords, one representing the old era and the other the new.
This master, though harsh with his words, had brought a carriage full of food.
After a moment of silence, Old Man Yao suddenly said, "Go back. Go back to the Chen residence."
Chen Ji was surprised.
"Why?"
Old Man Yao looked up at the night sky and said slowly, "The Chen family's status is something others can only dream of. Going back will be good for you. Whether you continue studying medicine or prepare for the imperial exams at Donglin Academy, it's better than staying at my small Taiping Clinic. I have nothing more to teach you about the Mountain Lord's path. You don't need to stay by my side."
Chen Ji was stunned.
He hadn't expected that after a day of contemplation, his master had come late at night not to keep him but to persuade him to leave.
He knew that Old Man Yao must have initially refused Chen Liqin.
But after a day of deep thought, Old Man Yao had decided to choose a smoother path for Chen Ji.
Because it was better for him.
Old Man Yao said calmly, "The Mountain Lord's path burns money like water. Even if you stay at Taiping Clinic and learn my medical skills, you'll only earn a tael or two per patient, slowly saving up. In the end, you'll waste your life and never reach the threshold of the Divine Path. If you return to the Chen family, as long as you pass the imperial exams, even as a lesser son, you'll have plenty of silver to spend."
Chen Ji nodded.
Old Man Yao continued, "Today, Jin Zhu came to the clinic again, still looking for you. His patience will run out eventually. If you return to the Chen family, he'll think twice before causing you trouble."
"Go back. The Chen family is more suitable for you."
Chen Ji said, "But Master, a person shouldn't always choose what's suitable. They should choose what they want."
He looked at the Prince and the others devouring the food at the kiln entrance and suddenly asked, "Master, did you already foresee that the Prince's mansion would face a great calamity? That's why you don't want me to get involved and are sending me away, right? If I return to the Chen family, stay away from Taiping Clinic, the Prince's mansion, the Prince, and the Princess, can I avoid this disaster?"
Old Man Yao was silent for a moment.
"Yes."
Chen Ji said seriously, "Master, if my fate can be changed, can the fate of the Prince's mansion be changed too?"
Old Man Yao looked at Chen Ji.
"The fate of the Prince's mansion is too complex. It's not something one person or one word can change. Their fate is sealed, but yours still has infinite possibilities. If you stay, you'll only be throwing yourself into the fire, caught in an unpredictable blaze."
At that moment, the Prince, who had been starving for most of the day, was stuffing his mouth with donkey meat buns and grinning foolishly.
Liu Quxing leaned against the carriage, teasing She Dengke about his eating habits.
Chen Ji looked at them and suddenly said, "Master, they are good friends. I can't leave. Even if fate is sealed, I want to try to change it."
The young monk had once said that Chen Ji had already cut off greed and anger in this life, leaving only obsession.
Obsession is stubbornness, but it's also determination.
Old Man Yao looked at his disciple for a long time without speaking.
After a long while, he stood up.
"You can pretend I never said these things tonight. But when you see your fate, don't regret it."
"I won't regret it."
Chen Ji waved to the Prince and the others.
"Are you full?"
"We're full!"
"Let's get back to work!"
Liu Quxing laughed.
"Chen Ji, have one too. I saved the one with the most donkey meat for you!"
Old Man Yao turned and got back into the carriage.
As he climbed in, he looked back at the kiln factory.
The young men had already stuffed the donkey meat buns into their mouths and were pushing the stone roller again, as if pushing against the weight of fate.
...
The next afternoon, the sun was shining brightly.
A carriage slowly made its way along the official road.
Princess Baili opened the curtain slightly, letting the cold wind brush against her temples.
"Father, my brother didn't come back last night."
Prince Jing sat at the end of the carriage, meditating with his eyes closed.
He simply hummed in acknowledgment.
Baili was surprised.
"Father, in the past, if my brother stayed out all night, you would have hung him up and beaten him. Why are you so lenient now?"
Prince Jing didn't open his eyes.
"In the past, I was strict with him because he would one day become the Prince of Jing. In that position, every word and action affects countless lives. I couldn't let him do as he pleased."
"And today? Why aren't you angry?"
"Because he's doing something important."
Baili looked out the window, casually probing.
"Father, you've been meditating for a while. Are you thinking about how to deal with Chen Ji?"
Prince Jing slowly opened his eyes.
"Do you really think your father is that petty?"
Baili closed the curtain and sat up straight.
"Father, you know how petty you can be. Just tell me, after yesterday's setback, how are you planning to deal with him?"
Prince Jing laughed.
"Why do you want to know? If I tell you, you'll just go and warn him. Bai Li, are you starting to play games with your old man?"
"Don't plot against him. I'll make you braised pork when we get back!"
"Your father doesn't like braised pork anymore. It's too greasy."
"Then I'll give you a back rub!"
Prince Jing raised an eyebrow.
"Why are you so protective of this boy? Has he cast a spell on you?"
Baili said seriously, "He has no family to rely on. As his friends, we should look out for him. He's not like those gentry. You can't use the same methods on him."
Prince Jing was silent for a moment.
"Alright, but some things involve military strategy. I can't let those secrets fall into civilian hands. And you must understand that letting him have certain things alone is like a child holding a precious gem—it will only bring trouble."
Baili stuck out her pinky.
"You promised me. Pinky swear."
"Alright, alright, pinky swear."
The carriage slowly stopped at the entrance of the kiln factory.
Before Feng Daban could even set down the footstool, Bai Li had already lifted the curtain and jumped out.
Feng Daban called out anxiously, "Hey, Princess, slow down! The ground is slippery!"
But before he could finish, Bai Li had already run through the gate and disappeared.
From inside the carriage came Prince Jing's light cough.
Feng Daban turned to look.
"Your Highness, how are you feeling?"
Prince Jing smiled.
"I took Old Man Yao's medicine. I'm feeling better... Why is it so warm here? Let's go in and see!"
Inside the kiln factory, a sturdy inverted flame kiln stood in the center.
Coal was being shoveled into the combustion chamber by Chen Ji and the others.
A raging fire burned inside the sealed kiln, consuming, melting, and sintering the raw materials.
Prince Jing stood silently in front of the kiln.
He couldn't see what was happening inside, but he could feel the heat radiating through the kiln walls.
He turned to Wang Kezhi.
"How is it?"
Wang Kezhi said with difficulty, "Your Highness, the flames are nearly white. The temperature is even higher than we imagined."
"What are they burning now?"
"Cement."
"How much longer?"
"This is the third batch. Early this morning, before dawn, they had already fired the first batch and used it to build a brick wall."
Only then did Prince Jing notice that a brick wall had appeared in the corner of the kiln factory, the mortar holding the bricks together.
As soon as Wang Kezhi finished speaking, Chen Ji stopped shoveling coal and smiled at Prince Jing, handing him a hammer.
"Your Highness, take this hammer and test the wall. See if my cement can replace glutinous rice mortar."
Feng Daban said, "Your Highness, you just took your medicine. Let me do it."
Prince Jing looked at the brick wall and shook his head.
"No, I'll do it myself."
With that, he dragged the hammer to the wall and swung it with all his might.
The bricks chipped slightly, but the wall remained firmly intact!
Prince Jing struck a few more times, finally knocking down a few bricks.
The Prince, seeing the wall damaged, looked worriedly at Chen Ji.
"What do we do? It's not strong enough."
But the next moment, Prince Jing asked, "This wall was built this morning?!"
Wang Kezhi explained, "Your Highness, I watched them build it this morning."
Prince Jing continued, "If it were glutinous rice mortar, how long would it take to reach this strength?"
"Your Highness, glutinous rice mortar would take ten full days. If this cement were used to repair city walls in the border towns, it would be incredibly effective."
Prince Jing asked again, "How long does it take them to make this cement?"
"Your Highness, less than an incense stick's time. If it were glutinous rice mortar, it would take four hours to prepare and two more hours to set before it could be used."
Prince Jing asked once more, "What do you think the cost of this material is?"
"Your Highness, the raw materials are just clay and lime. The cost is less than one-fifth of glutinous rice mortar. If we can source the materials locally, the cost might even be less than one-tenth..."
The Prince fell silent.
As the saying goes, laymen watch the spectacle, but only experts like Wang Kezhi could understand the significance of cement for this era.
Prince Jing turned to Feng Daban.
"Go invite Minister Zhang Zhuo and Minister Chen Liqin."
Feng Daban was puzzled.
"Your Highness, Minister Zhang is overseeing the imperial exams today, and Minister Chen is dealing with river dike affairs. They might not be able to come."
Prince Jing smiled.
"Then tell Minister Zhang that his problem of building shelters for the refugees in Yuzhou has been solved. With this material, the refugees can have temporary shelters. If Luoyang can avoid deaths this winter, it will be a great achievement for him. Compared to this, the imperial exams are nothing. He'll know what's more important."
"And Minister Chen?"
"Tell him his river dikes can be saved too."
The Prince suddenly cheered, and Bai Li smiled as she watched him, Liu Quxing, and She Dengke lift Chen Ji into the air.
"We did it! We did it!"
(End of Chapter)