Chapter 31: The Emergence of Glaze

That soft, mosquito-like "Brother" felt like a feather gently tickling the tip of Zhao Yi's heart. He watched Chu Yanran's earlobes turn a shade of red so deep they seemed ready to bleed; while he was overjoyed inside, he kept a perfectly straight face.

"Yes, that's a good girl."

Satisfied, he cleared his throat, and his voice took on that rhythmic, engaging cadence once more as he continued the legend of the Seven Heroes. "As I was saying, Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit jumped off the cliff together, but they did not perish; instead, they landed in a deep pool..."

The story hit its stride. Zhao Yi spoke until his throat was parched, his hands gesturing wildly. One moment he was the righteous Rainbow Cat, the next, the cunning and treacherous Zhu Wujie.

Outside the pavilion, without anyone noticing, the servants of the Duke of An's estate had gathered, layer upon layer. The maid carrying tea forgot to refill the cups, and the servant sweeping the floor abandoned his broom; they all stretched their necks, listening with such rapt attention they completely lost themselves.

Zhao Yi spoke until he was spraying spittle and his throat felt like it was smoking, yet he hadn't managed to take a single sip of water. He paused and gave a heavy cough. Only then did the surrounding servants wake from their trance. Seeing the empty tea cups in front of their mistress and Young Master Zhao, they turned pale with fright and scrambled to apologize.

Fresh tea was served immediately. Zhao Yi picked up his cup, only to set it back down. He had brought the story to the crucial moment where Sha Li was framed by Ma Sanniang, her martial arts crippled and her right arm severed, before slamming his hand onto the table.

"That is all for today!"

"What?"

Chu Yanran's heart was in her throat. She was so distressed by Sha Li's plight that she was frantic when he stopped. The servants were equally agonizingly curious, but dared not speak a word.

Zhao Yi chuckled, turning to look at Chu Yanran with a roguish glint in his eyes. "Little Sister Ying'er, you see, I've been talking for so long, my throat is dry and my hands are tired." He pointed to the tea cup on the table. "Feed me a sip, and I'll tell you what happens to Sha Li."

"You!"

Chu Yanran's face flushed a deep crimson—this time not from shyness, but from pure anger. How could this man be so shameless?

"Not going to feed me?" Zhao Yi spread his hands. "Fine, then Sha Li will remain a cripple for the rest of her life and die in sorrow. Rainbow Cat and the others will be wiped out by the Demonic Cult, flayed and dismembered..."

"Stop it!"

Chu Yanran was trembling with rage, her delicate fists clenched tight. She glared at Zhao Yi's infuriatingly smug expression, her chest heaving, but in the end, she surrendered. She picked up the tea cup and stiffly held it to Zhao Yi's lips, her gaze wishing she could pierce him through with holes.

Zhao Yi drank a sip, making loud, appreciative smacking sounds. Chu Yanran yanked her hand back, grinding her teeth as she hissed, "Everyone outside says you have a foul mouth; seeing it today, it's true!"

Zhao Yi laughed heartily, his skin as thick as a city wall. Seeing that it was getting late, he stood up to take his leave.

He turned to walk away, but after a few steps, he realized Chu Yanran had followed him, silently accompanying him all the way to the main gate of the Duke's estate. Watching her cold, retreating figure, Zhao Yi stroked his chin. This little girl, she says no with her mouth, but her body is honest enough.

Chu Yanran didn't even realize it herself, but she stood watching the rogue's back disappear around the street corner for a long time before turning back to the estate, a faint, unconscious blush lingering on her cheeks.

***

Back at the Zhao estate, the dining hall was still brightly lit. His father, Zhao Zhao, was busy boasting to his grandfather and mother. "...at that moment I thought, those Southern Yue savages are going too far! How can our Great Zhou endure such insults? I immediately..."

He spoke with such passion, as if he were the one who had debated the scholars in the Golden Throne Hall and driven the Southern Yue envoy to vomit blood. Zhao Yi rolled his eyes, feeling like he might throw up his dinner, and slipped away to his own courtyard.

He had been exhausted all day and hadn't even made it to the Bailu Pavilion. He wondered what new songs that girl, Liu Ruyan, had sung today. He lay on his bed, tossing and turning.

Damn it, today I bolstered national prestige and offered national policies, working myself to the bone, and that wretched Empress didn't even give a fart of a reward! No promotion, no money! The more he thought about it, the angrier and more cheated he felt. As he drifted off, his thoughts wandered uncontrollably to that cold, stunning face and that slightly loose black uniform.

He fell into a hazy sleep. In his dream, he was back in the Imperial Study. The Empress was reclining on a soft couch, looking at him with that playful curve to her lips. This time, she wasn't wearing that cumbersome dragon robe, but a layer of gauze as thin as a cicada's wing. The breathtaking curves, the bottomless valley, the blindingly fair skin—it was clearer than ever before. She beckoned to him with her finger.

Zhao Yi felt his blood burning and lunged forward in excitement! Just as he was about to touch that long-awaited scenery...

"Young General! Young General! Wake up!"

"We did it!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The violent knocking and the pig-like squeals of Li Jin and Li Yin hit him like a bucket of icy water. Zhao Yi's dream shattered. He bolted upright in bed, consumed by extreme fury.

"Get out!" He grabbed a pillow and hurled it at the door. "I'll fuck your ancestors! Whoever dares to disturb my sleep again, I'll wring your head off!"

The noise outside ceased instantly. After a moment, Li Jin's voice, laced with tears, spoke cautiously.

"Yo... Young General, the glaze... the glaze has been fired!"

Zhao Yi's rage was extinguished by half at the mention of the word. With a dark face, he threw on some clothes and pulled open the door. Li Jin and Li Yin were standing there, each holding a tray covered in red cloth, looking at him with pathetic expressions. If not for the trays, Zhao Yi would have broken both their legs right then and there.

"Bring it here!" he barked.

The two scrambled to hand over the trays. Zhao Yi brought them into the room and yanked off the red cloth. In an instant, the room was illuminated. Under the candlelight, seven or eight crystal-clear vessels lay silently on the trays, emitting a dreamlike luster. There were emerald green wine cups, tea bowls clear as water, and a crimson vase carved with intricate patterns. Each piece was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Beautiful!" Zhao Yi picked up a glass cup. It felt warm and smooth, the texture delicate. Holding it to the candlelight, the play of light and shadow made it look like a perfect work of art.

The anger in his heart had long since vanished, replaced by boundless ecstasy. He was going to be rich! He was truly, damnably going to be wealthy!

He carefully stored the treasures and turned to the two brothers still standing at the door. "Go, tell Foreman Zhang he did a good job! Everyone at the farm gets double pay this month!"

"Understood!" The two brothers looked as if they had been granted amnesty and scampered off.

Zhao Yi packed the seven or eight glass pieces into brocade boxes and quietly made his way to the Shadow Guards' secret stronghold in the city.

"My lord." Tian Yi was already waiting.

Zhao Yi pushed the brocade boxes toward him. "Everything is here. The rest is up to you."

***

A piece of news spread through the streets and alleys of Luoyang City like a gust of wind.

"Have you heard? Tonight at the Wangyue Pavilion, a group of mysterious merchants from the Western Regions are auctioning off some peerless treasures!"

"They're called 'Glaze,' and they're even more transparent than the finest jade!"