Chapter 33

At the first glimmer of dawn, the Thunder-Fire Camp began to stir with movement—the sound of voices, the sweeping of snow, and the clatter of saltpeter being rearranged.

The Crown Prince, feeling no sleepiness, did not rise. Instead, he lowered his gaze to the enchanting creature in his arms. The other had snuggled against him after falling asleep, likely because his body temperature had dropped and he felt the chill. Now, he was nestled against the Prince’s chest, sleeping soundly.

The thin, sheer garment he wore felt soft to the touch, and the skin beneath was clearly visible through the fabric. When his palm brushed against it, he could feel the warmth of the other’s body. Cheng Yun’s hand drifted across the other’s back of its own accord. His gaze rested on the pristine white earlobe, and he leaned in slowly, brushing his lips against it.

With no one to disturb them, he continued to hold the other, sleeping until the sun was high in the sky.

It was not until Wen Besang opened his eyes, propped himself up, and pushed aside the bed curtains that—

Cheng Yun hooked an arm around his waist and pulled him back. "Where are you going?"

"To wash my face."

"You’re going out dressed like this?"

Wen Besang gestured vaguely. "I left my outer robes outside."

Cheng Yun got out of bed to retrieve them. He shook out a cotton-lined inner garment and helped him put it on. Wen Besang extended his arms languidly, letting him assist.

Watching his obedient demeanor, Cheng Yun remarked, "You certainly take things in stride."

"Mm."

"..."

Cheng Yun sighed, added a padded jacket for warmth, and after tidying up, hooked the bed curtains to the sides. He bent down to pick up the cotton-lined boots embroidered with silver patterns.

Halfway through pulling them on, he looked up. The rabbit-spirit’s heavy lashes were half-closed, his eyes dazed, and he was still yawning. He was the one who had brought him here, and since they had only fallen asleep in the middle of the night, it was only natural that he was still drowsy.

...Just this once. Not to be repeated.

Breakfast was the camp’s communal mess-hall fare. Wen Besang had no complaints, nibbling on a steamed bun at a leisurely pace. What surprised him was that Cheng Yun showed no sign of dissatisfaction either. No one came over to specifically ask if the food was to his liking; it was clear they were accustomed to dining with the Crown Prince.

"This is meat! It’s so fragrant. His Highness the Crown Prince really cares for us."

"The Prince even issued us these padded jackets. Everyone, sew them into your inner linings when you get back; don't let anyone see them."

"We’ve been playing the part of the downtrodden for three years now. Do you think the Emperor really wants the Crown Prince to pay for our upkeep out of his own pocket?"

"Be content. If not for the Prince’s private aid, people would have starved to death these past few years. If the Emperor won't pay, how could the Prince support a whole camp on his own?"

"Let’s just make it through this year. By next spring, maybe others will be envying us again."

After the meal, as they walked out, someone suddenly called out to Wen Besang, "Your Highness the Crown Princess! That move yesterday was brilliant! Teach our soldiers in the camp later, and I guarantee we won't embarrass you when we’re out in the field!"

Cheng Yun narrowed his eyes and poked the man hard with his finger. The latter let out a cheeky laugh and began whispering with the others.

"Enough nonsense, or you’ll all be off to the mines to break rocks."

The surrounding area fell silent instantly. These guards were the soldiers who used to play with fire, and none of them wanted to spend time with the miners.

Wen Besang finally couldn't help but ask, "Why do they all call me the Crown Princess?"

"...Because when we went to the Prime Minister’s residence a while back, didn't I get you a fake identity?"

"You said at the time that I was your beloved concubine..."

"I said Sang Zi was my beloved concubine, not you."

"Then why do they all think I am your beloved concubine?"

"..." *Isn't Sang Zi your fake identity? Can't you make the connection?*

Cheng Yun spoke with a serious expression: "Recently, rumors have been swirling in the capital, all saying that I brought a male concubine to the Prime Minister’s residence. It seems Zhou Cangshu and the Prince of Chu are using leverage against me, trying to ruin my reputation."

"How will you respond?"

"Let them be." He then looked quietly at Wen Besang: "It’s just... it’s a grievance to you..."

Wen Besang did not seem to care. "It’s painless and itchy; I don't understand it."

Cheng Yun curved his lips, took his slightly cool hand, and said softly, "This way."

Cheng Yun first took him to the ballisticians' laboratory. Aside from the various metal canisters and mortar pestles Wen Besang usually used, there was actually a large smelting furnace and some glassware. As soon as Wen Besang entered, he began touching and examining everything, unable to tear himself away.

Next, Cheng Yun showed him the Thunder-Fire Camp’s forging workshop. Although it had ceased operations, the massive calcination equipment still left Wen Besang in awe.

The ancestors of the Great Liang had indeed put a great deal of effort into firearms manufacturing. From mining and smelting to forging, test-firing, and mass production, all the way to distributing to soldiers and training bases, they had everything.

By the time they finished the tour, the sky was darkening again, and the two walked back to the camp side by side.

Cheng Yun asked, "How does this compare to Gentleman’s City?"

"Better." Wen Besang did not hesitate. Compared to a single city, a state-level facility was far ahead in terms of both space and equipment.

"Then, have you decided to stay?"

"Mm." Hearing his answer without hesitation, Cheng Yun finally felt at ease.

The people in the meeting hall had been waiting all day—mostly veterans who had been in the Thunder-Fire Camp for a long time. Wen Besang sat inside, listening to Cheng Yun discuss the future development of the camp with them. Soon, someone looked toward him.

"Young Master Wen." Presumably having been instructed, the men in the camp no longer called him the Crown Princess. "What kind of firearm should we use to open the camp? Let those bastards on the outside who are waiting to laugh at us have a real eye-opener!"

Wen Besang thought for a moment and said, "Will the Sky-Soaring Cannon work?"

"What is a Sky-Soaring Cannon?"

"It soars ten thousand miles to shake the clouds, charging into enemy camps as if entering an empty valley." Wen Besang’s eyes brightened slightly, his voice firm and resonant. "With a single thread, one can breach a city of a hundred miles."

The ridges of the Wanlong Mountains were covered in white snow, stretching endlessly, with no end in sight.

In the dead of winter, birds were rarely seen in the sky, and wild beasts were hard to find on the ground. Between the embracing mountain ranges, the wide official road appeared winding and tortuous.

A horse neighed, and suddenly its reins were pulled tight. A man in plain clothes with half-bound black hair looked up.

Behind him, a young woman with a veil covering her face, revealing only her bright eyes, let out a long sigh, stopped her horse beside him, and followed his gaze.

In the vast, clear sky, above a towering mountain peak, a mechanical bird was flying smoothly. On its belly was painted a beautiful flame pattern, every stroke round and fluid.

The man’s pupils narrowed slightly, and the girl beside him reached out to point. "It looks just like Ah Sang’s Sky-Soaring Cannon!"

After watching for a moment, she noticed something wrong. "But that flame pattern isn't clumsy at all."

"The territory of the Wanlong Mountains is just ahead," Xie Lingshu said in a low voice. "That must be the work of Crown Prince Cheng Yun."

"Ah Sang actually let him paint his mechanical cannon?" Xie Nihong muttered. "Isn't Gong Cheng Yun supposed to be killing him?"

"From the letters he sent, the two seem to have buried the hatchet."

"Ah Sang would never bury the hatchet with him!" Xie Nihong said without hesitation. "He must have taken a fancy to Ah Sang’s talent for thunder-fire and tricked him somehow."

"At least he is still safe." Xie Lingshu felt slightly relieved, but suddenly saw the mechanical bird dive sharply, shooting bright flames from its tail, and crash headlong into the mountain ahead.

A loud explosion echoed.

"Hahaha," Xie Nihong laughed, "He failed again!"

Xie Lingshu also curved his lips. "With the mineral resources of the Great Liang Crown Prince as his backing, he can play to his heart's content."

Atop the mountain, Cheng Yun and the soldiers who had been observing the performance all stepped forward, peering over the edge of the cliff.

"Why did it suddenly crash?"

"I don't know?"

"Is this the ‘soaring ten thousand miles to shake the clouds’?"

It was clearly the first time everyone had seen such a thing, and they turned to seek Wen Besang’s opinion.

The latter replied calmly, "As expected."

"It succeeded?"

"Mm." Wen Besang coiled the thread in his hands, not blinking. "I used the thread to make it hover just now. After I pulled the thread away, the residual mechanism inside caused it to continue its dive."

"So that’s it." The crowd began whispering among themselves. "If that were an enemy camp ahead, wouldn't this dive land right in the middle of it?"

"Wouldn't the enemy be scared out of their wits?"

"Hahaha, this Sky-Soaring Cannon is powerful!"

"Can we have one for everyone next?"

"Your Highness, shouldn't we have the forging department start mass production?"

...

After barely pacifying the excited soldiers, Cheng Yun came to Wen Besang’s side.

The latter’s expression remained very calm, his hands winding the thread at a steady pace, looking as if everything was under his control.

Cheng Yun thought about how the mechanical bird had crashed just moments ago. He touched his chin thoughtfully and asked for confirmation: "Is this, ‘with a single thread, one can breach a city of a hundred miles’?"

"If you deliver a cannon to the enemy camp, isn't that breaching the city?"

Cheng Yun sat down beside him, his gaze fixed on his fair face, and said, "What if that mechanical bird wasn't carrying a cannon?"

Wen Besang rolled his eyes.

Cheng Yun enunciated each word: "You didn't want to build a cannon at all; you just wanted to play with a mechanical sparrow. You put a cannon on it because you knew you couldn't control them otherwise."

Wen Besang looked at him, his eyes so clean they seemed almost innocent.

"But as a firearm, it is a success."

"An uncontrollable firearm cannot be used on the battlefield."

"Why?"

Cheng Yun was silent for two breaths, then said, "Firearms are not built to kill people."

"Then what are they built for if not to kill?" The remaining thread had caught on something and wouldn't wind back, so Wen Besang pulled out a dagger, cut it, and stood up to walk back.

Cheng Yun brushed his sleeves and followed. "The Great Liang builds firearms to deter invaders. Your Sky-Soaring Cannon wouldn't pass the ballisticians' inspection."

Wen Besang stopped in his tracks, looking somewhat angry. "You know perfectly well that I am qualified."

"Who told you to play everyone for a fool?"

When he first heard about the concept of the Sky-Soaring Cannon—soaring ten thousand miles to shake the clouds, charging into enemy camps like entering an empty valley—he thought it was some peerless weapon of mass destruction. It turned out this fellow was simply engaging in private gain, purely wanting to play with a mechanical sparrow.

Wen Besang glared at him for a while, then suddenly punched him hard in the chest and turned to walk down the mountain.

Cheng Yun stood where he was, staring at his own chest for a long time—

His ears were gradually turning red.

...How, how could he punch someone in the chest?

He touched the spot on his chest where he had been struck, coughed lightly, and hurried to catch up. "If it really doesn't work, we can use Fire God Arrows instead... Wen Besang, don't be angry, walk slowly, watch your step!"

Wen Besang returned to the laboratory and grabbed a bag of saltpeter, squeezing it hard.

Crackle, crackle—explosions erupted in his palm, sending out tiny sparks.

Cheng Yun stood outside and said, "Alright, don't be angry. We'll use Fire Dragon Arrows. I'll issue you a badge; that’s suitable for the soldiers to train with as well."