Li Er finished the food in his bowl in two or three bites, poured tea water into the rice bowl, drank it down, and pointed at Yun Ye saying, “You little rascal, using that nonsensical logic of yours to bamboozle me again. You want the jade plaque? Don’t want me to seek immortals and ask about the Way? Just say so directly. I haven’t become so muddled as to be obsessed with it now. The Great Tang has a hundred industries waiting to prosper. I have neither the spare time nor the dignity to abandon everything and become an immortal.”

“Then return the jade pendant to this subject, or it would be fine to smash it. No matter what that thing represents, it’s not an auspicious good thing. Wanting to become an immortal is impossible. This subject has experienced some strange events—when one’s lifespan is up, one will still die. If Your Majesty cuts me with a blade right now, I guarantee I couldn’t be saved. My master claims to have reached the realm of unity between heaven and man. Apart from knowing more than others, won’t he still die? White Jade Capital? During the day up there it’s hot enough to boil water, at night it’s cold enough to crack steel and iron. Everywhere are huge craters bombarded by meteors. Walking even one step makes you feel light and floating. Are you certain you want to go there?”

Li Er looked at Yun Ye without speaking. Empress Zhangsun also looked at Yun Ye in surprise. Li Chengqian’s eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. Li Tai paid no attention and continued eating heartily. Seeing that everyone else wasn’t moving, he muttered, “Don’t state your conjectures as certainties, will you? There are indeed huge craters up there, and they really were created by meteor impacts. There’s no Chang’e, no rabbit, no human habitation—saying these things is enough. Why must you mention some speculations? You can’t talk to my father emperor like this. That day I saw Father Emperor holding Little Xiang’er, pointing at the moon and mentioning Chang’e.”

Upon hearing this, Empress Zhangsun immediately covered her mouth and laughed heartily. Li Er’s face instantly darkened. With one kick, he sent Yun Ye tumbling from his stool to the ground, then turned back to ask Li Tai, “How do you know there are no people on the moon?”

“Father Emperor, students at the Academy used distilled water to create a very large block of ice, ground it into a lens, and hung it in the air. They chose a day when the moon was full, and your son saw what the moon looked like through this enormous lens. Craters everywhere—very desolate. Where is there any Chang’e or osmanthus tree?”

“Making ice into this shape?” Li Er took out a magnifying glass from his bosom and asked Li Tai, then asked another question, “If you can use ice, why not use glass?” Yun Ye rubbed his buttocks and stood up, saying, “After water is boiled and then frozen, there are very few bubbles inside. Glass won’t work—no matter how we make it now, there are bubbles that can’t be eliminated. Besides, the color of glass isn’t right either. Small pieces might be possible, but for large pieces there’s absolutely no method. We can only hope the Academy produces the purest glass before talking about it.”

“What you just said was all conjecture? Why do I feel you don’t seem to be telling the truth?”

Before Yun Ye could speak, Li Tai continued, “Father Emperor, Yun Ye knows the answers to many things. This is what he heard when his master was chatting idly. As for the process, he doesn’t know much of it. We need to verify it bit by bit. Father Emperor, your son has decided that in three days, I will conduct a large-scale experiment to prove that atmospheric pressure truly exists. I request that Father Emperor and Mother attend to watch.”

Empress Zhangsun said happily, “Master Hypatia conducted an experiment called pressure in the Imperial Palace a few days ago. Qing Que, is what you want to do the same thing? She said you don’t have much gentlemanly demeanor, you know.”

“It’s not the same, Mother. That ugly woman can only dabble in small matters, can’t make it onto a proper stage. She deceives those ignorant noblewomen into spending money, letting her recklessly squander it. Your son’s experiment is different. Your son will fit two hemispheres together, pump out the air inside, and even ten horses probably couldn’t pull them apart.”

“Really? Then Mother must have a good look. Your Majesty, will you go in three days too?”

“That’s fine. After appreciating the Heavenly Demon Dance, we’ll go watch Qing Que’s experiment. Not bad. Yun Ye, I only learned from reading memorials just now that many noble lords all hope the Wa princess can go to their homes to perform the Heavenly Demon Dance. What’s the reason for this?”

“Even Elder Yan has sent an invitation. The Academy seems to have invitation letters too. Wuji, Xuanling, Keming—one after another all want the Wa princess to come dance at their homes. This is truly absurd. You’re not giving the Wa envoys any face at all. When she dances for me during my birthday celebration, that’s the respectfulness of a subject. Dancing everywhere for you all—this is treating her as a dancing girl.”

“Forget it. Just the title ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ leaves my anger with no place to vent. I won’t bother with it.” Li Er stood up to leave, but that jade pendant remained on the table. Perhaps he too found it uninteresting. Empress Zhangsun followed and left. Li Chengqian, who had been playing the obedient son all along, said, “The sea cucumbers are gone. Ye Zi, you talk too much. Eat scallions!”

Returning half-hungry from the imperial family, Yun Ye squatted under the eaves holding a large bowl of noodles and ate ravenously. Li Anlan leaned beside him with a worried and distressed face, muttering constantly. One couldn’t even make out what she was saying.

The Heavenly Demon Concubine couldn’t remember who gave it to her. Back when she was favored, she had received countless gifts, including from Empress Zhangsun. She had no interest in even glancing at the jade pendant. Happily holding the tree bark mask and hugging the box containing the mushrooms, she went back to her small courtyard. Her only interest now was decorating her little courtyard. Xiao Ya was obediently helping her do it together.

“Husband, Father Emperor’s birthday celebration is approaching soon, and this consort still hasn’t found a suitable gift. Feng Ang’s gift is a giant turtle, said to be eight hundred years old already. Rong’er’s gift cannot be inferior to his.”

“Didn’t you open the family treasury? Just go in and choose. Whatever you fancy is fine. We must properly flatter your father’s vanity.”

Yun Ye happily let out a satisfied burp. The busy day had finally passed, and all the things that needed to be done were completed. Though being kicked by Li Er was depressing, fortunately, after rambling nonsensically, he finally diverted his attention. There even seemed to be a bit of guilt—that was good. Not seeking the White Jade Capital was progress.

Li Anlan pulled Yun Ye’s arm and entered the Yun Family treasury. Although it was the Yun Family treasury, this was the first time Yun Ye, the master, had entered. It was indeed dazzling—all kinds of jewels arranged on shelves, colorful and beautiful. The large pearls in the dishes would roll around chaotically at the slightest touch. These must be the legendary “rolling plate pearls.”

What the Yun Family had most of was coral. The most precious red coral—over a dozen pieces three to four feet long were placed on the shelves. The agate stones were all sent by the Cheng Family. Their family was first in caravans traveling the Western Regions.

Glass products had completely disappeared from the Yun Family treasury. Just as he took out two gold ingots from a chest intending to stuff them in his sleeves, Xinyue, who came from behind, snatched them away and put them back in the chest. There was no help for it—country folk who hadn’t seen gold before had an impulse to stuff it in their pockets when they saw gold, regardless of whose it was.

“Husband, why do you still like to take gold? Which item in this treasury isn’t worth more than gold? Our family doesn’t even put silver in this storehouse. When this consort has nothing to do, I just like to wander around inside. Looking at it gives me peace of mind. It’s all hard-earned money that husband accumulated bit by bit, enough for the children to live prosperously for a lifetime. Our family lacks nothing now except children.”

Holding the plump and lustrous Xinyue, he looked at her with a stern face for quite a while before saying, “Well, there’s no help for that. You two can remain widows for another ten days. Master Sun’s medicine still needs ten more days to wear off.”

The bashful Xinyue pounded Yun Ye’s back like beating a drum. Li Anlan hugged Xinyue and whispered a couple of sentences in her ear, then looked at Yun Ye charmingly—like a seductress.

The Yun Family treasury could only be described with one word: “vulgar.” Fortunately, they had the “Huangting Scripture” to salvage some dignity. Otherwise, Yun Ye would think he was just a nouveau riche. Xinyue could barely be considered a cultured young lady from a good family, but the treasures she collected—she collected whatever was valuable, and she also liked big things. An agate stone as large as a table was placed on a sandalwood frame. This was backwards—the sandalwood frame should be placed on the agate stone. She couldn’t even figure out which was more valuable.

“If we give the Huangting Scripture, your father will definitely be greatly pleased. He’s coveted our family’s calligraphy scroll for more than just a day or two. If it’s given to your father, I guarantee even if Feng Ang sends a ten-thousand-year-old turtle, it won’t compare.”

“That won’t do. There’s only one copy of the Huangting Scripture, and it must be saved for the children. For my father, choose something else.” Not only was this Li Anlan’s opinion—Xinyue was the same, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

“His Majesty will have another birthday next year. If this year’s gift is too precious, what will we give next year? How will other families give gifts? Why does Feng Ang give an eight-hundred-year-old turtle instead of a thousand-year-old one? It’s because he’s afraid of doing things too absolutely and having no way out in the future. Our family will give something else. The Huangting Scripture won’t do.”

Since both women had the same opinion, Yun Ye had no objection. Suddenly he remembered that Li Er recently seemed to be bored out of his mind, with nothing to do and always loved to ponder over things. Why not give him a model airplane? Didn’t the Gongshu family have birds made of bamboo that could fly in the sky for several days? Just give him a wooden bird and be done with it. Releasing birds all day long was better than wildly speculating about people.

Seeing Gongshu Mu with a smug look on his face releasing the legendary bamboo bird, Yun Ye turned and walked away. The bamboo bird did fly up, but why are you pulling a string from below? A kite that looks like a bird—you dare bring this out to embarrass yourself? If this were given to Li Er, it would be strange if he didn’t spit on it.

Not expecting the Gongshu family to build an airplane, he had better honestly draw plans and make a boat model himself. Total dimensions one meter two—starting now. The mocked Gongshu Mu took Yun Ye’s blueprint and casually tossed it to his old partner. Such crudely made things didn’t require his personal attention. He still had to hurry and watch the Heavenly Demon Dance. Tonight was the third performance by Takayama Yoko. Old Gongshu most enjoyed watching—it could make tender shoots sprout again from his long-decayed youthful heart.

The performance troupe from the Land of the Rising Sun was very busy, constantly going in and out of various great households and important groups to perform, rapidly accumulating their own connections. During the viewing, many passionate young men, steady and refined middle-aged people, and highly respected elders all unanimously fell in love with the Heavenly Demon Dance.

Yan Zhitui and Li Gang—this group watched halfway through and left in a rage. Only Hypatia watched from beginning to end, and even attended all three performances. After returning, she even instigated Xinyue and Li Anlan to go watch as well, saying it was very entertaining.