Chapter 36

As the sun climbed to the zenith of the firmament and began its descent toward the west, a convoy of carriages escorted by cavalry entered Ying Commandery through the northern gate.

Amidst the rhythmic clatter of hooves, a carriage with an unassuming exterior traveled smoothly through the streets, finally coming to a halt before a lavish residence with its main gates thrown wide open.

The carriage door opened, and a figure clad in long green robes stepped out. Mo Yanyun, Feng Feng, and the others waiting by the entrance broke into smiles.

"It has been over a month since we parted. Nalan Zhi, your complexion is much improved; it seems you have fully recovered."

"A cause for celebration indeed."

The figure in green looked up, revealing a man of about fifty years. He had a pale complexion, long ears, and a long beard, exuding the air of a scholar. However, starkly at odds with his gentle temperament was a black mark upon his right cheek.

It was not a birthmark, but a black brand with sharp edges and a distinct pattern within.

This was a man who had once suffered the punishment of facial branding.

Nalan Zhi smiled and replied, "I would not say fully recovered, but I am barely fit enough for long journeys. However, when news of the Lord's encirclement strategy reached me, my spirits were greatly lifted. It was enough to instantly cure seven parts of a nine-part illness."

Feng Feng laughed heartily. "Then, when you see the Dragon Bone Waterwheel later, surely the remaining two parts of your ailment will vanish like mist in the wind?"

"What is this Dragon Bone Waterwheel? To make a knowledgeable Xuanxiao Cavalry Captain like yourself so excited, it must be something extraordinary," Nalan Zhi asked curiously.

The Dragon Bone Waterwheel—the name was certainly ingenious.

Feng Feng gestured with his hand, inviting Nalan Zhi to enter the mansion first. The latter smiled, stroked his long beard, and walked in alongside him.

As they walked, the two men vividly recounted the events of the previous day to Nalan Zhi.

Mo Yanyun began with his initial report, describing how Dai Li had used a tree branch as a brush to draw in the courtyard, and how Qin Shaozong had ordered a dozen carpenters to work through the night to build the waterwheel.

Feng Feng picked up the thread, "The Dragon Bone Waterwheel was moved to the rear garden just a short while ago. The Marquis is there now. Would Nalan Zhi care to go take a look?"

Nalan Zhi naturally nodded in agreement.

Having just arrived, propriety dictated he pay his respects to his Lord first. Moreover, unless he saw this invention with his own eyes, his curiosity would remain unbearably unquenched.

The afternoon sun was pleasant. The mansion's rear garden was built on a grand scale, landscaped with rockeries and strange stones, with pavilions and waterside terraces rising from the ground.

A breeze swept past, carrying the elegant fragrance of flowers throughout the garden. Amidst the fresh, pleasant scent, the sound of water was distinct. It was not the gentle gurgle of a spring-fed stream, but a loud, rushing sound, like floodgates opening.

Mo Yanyun, caught off guard, accidentally stepped into a puddle. "Strange. Why is there water here? Did the pond leak?"

"You blockhead, the Marquis must be testing the Dragon Bone Waterwheel," Feng Feng retorted grumpily.

Nalan Zhi quickened his pace, following the sound. After rounding a rockery adorned with flowering vines, his view suddenly opened up.

The pond, vast as a lake, was exceptionally broad. A pavilion stood upon the water, connected to the shore by a winding walkway, and snow-white cranes could be seen flapping their wings by the water's edge. Yet, none of these sights could hold Nalan Zhi's gaze.

He stared unblinkingly at the wooden dragon by the pond.

The wooden dragon was about twenty feet long, its tail dipped into the pond, with a body made of linked wooden planks winding upward. As a burly man at the top turned the 'dragon horn' at the dragon's head, the mouth spewed a continuous stream of water.

That powerful rushing sound from earlier originated right here.

A piercing light appeared in Nalan Zhi's eyes, like a meteor streaking across the night sky. He did not even pause to exchange pleasantries with Qin Shaozong, whom he hadn't seen in over a month. Instead, after a quick bow, he asked, "My Lord, where is the creator of this Dragon Bone Waterwheel? May I meet her?"

Even though Mo and Feng had not explained the waterwheel's capacity or that animal power could replace human labor, Nalan Zhi saw through its potential at a glance.

He saw even further—

More water meant more arable land, which meant increased grain production. It meant grain reserves for the North, surplus food in the homes of the Northern people, and a massive surge in his Lord's prestige.

Extending beyond that, it meant benefits for all the people under heaven.

This was absolutely an object destined to leave its mark on history, and correspondingly, history would reserve a place for its inventor.

"When the waterwheel arrived, I sent someone to inform the Madam. She will be here shortly," Qin Shaozong said with a smile, addressing Nalan Zhi by his courtesy name. "Wugong, you just need to wait."

*

After throwing down her brush, Dai Li stared at the books on her desk for a long while. Thinking of the events of the previous night, she finally took a deep breath and picked up the wolf-hair brush once more.

She had barely finished copying a single character when Bipo entered the room from outside. "Madam, a soldier has come to the courtyard. He says the Dragon Bone Waterwheel has been delivered to the rear garden, and the Marquis invites you to go take a look."

Dai Li's eyes widened involuntarily. "So fast?"

She had only drawn the design yesterday at noon. In just one short day—a mere twenty-four hours—the physical object had been built?

How many artisans had he put to work simultaneously?

"Alright, I'll go over there now." Dai Li set down the wolf-hair brush, which was starting to feel heavy in her hand.

"Madam..."

Dai Li turned to look at Nianxia. "What is it?"

Nianxia whispered, "Many beautiful clothes were delivered just now. Would you like this servant to help you change into them?"

Dai Li was currently wearing her simplest grey dress. Judging by this outfit alone, eight out of ten common women in the marketplace dressed exactly the same.

It would not matter in an ordinary household, but within these high gates—especially in the premier mansion of Ying Commandery—even the lowest-ranking dancer would likely be dressed far better than her.

Nianxia knew well that, aside from the official wife, all the women in the backyard relied on the master's favor to survive. She had seen concubines in wealthy households lose favor and fall from the clouds—from cherished flowers held by all, to mud scattered on the ground.

With favor came power and influence; without it came decay.

She was now Madam Dai's servant. When the master prospers, the servant glories. She sincerely hoped this mistress would remain in favor for a long time.

But Dai Li said, "No need. This will do."

Nianxia and Bipo wanted to persuade her further, but Dai Li had already stepped out the door.

Taking the shortcut, the journey wasn't far.

When she reached the moon gate connecting to the rear garden, Dai Li heard the sound of Qin Shaozong speaking with someone else.

The voice was unfamiliar; she hadn't heard it before. However, judging by the way Qin Shaozong spoke as if chatting with a close friend, she deduced that this person must be a key official under his command.

Dai Li thought of that Nalan Zhi. It seemed this heavyweight strategist had finally arrived.

She curled her lips into a smile, her steps instantly becoming lighter.

...

Nalan Zhi learned from his Lord that Madam Dai was merely the messenger. She claimed the inventor of the Dragon Bone Waterwheel was someone else, and the Lord asked him if he knew of a man named Ma Jun.

But he searched through every famous scholar, great and small, stored in his memory, yet he could not find this "Ma Jun" in any corner of his mind.

There was no such person. No, rather, he should say he was unaware of such a figure.

Thus, this Lady Dai became the key.

Aside from the moment he entered the manor, Nalan Zhi had heard no further news of Dai Li. In his imagination, this Lady Dai ought to be a simple, rustic peasant woman.

He imagined she might be forty or fifty years old, her skin darkened by years of labor, living in the secluded village where the hermit Ma Jun had hidden away from the world. One day, the great hermit invented this world-shocking device, but as he was unable to leave due to other matters, he entrusted this Lady Dai to carry the blueprints out of the village and deliver them to the Lord, who happened to be nearby.

However, when that figure clad in grey-black entered his field of vision, Nalan Zhi was stunned into a rare, prolonged silence.

There are some whose beauty cannot be concealed by attire. Even dressed in old, plain clothing, a halo of temperament seemed to shine from her, illuminating features that were already transcendent.

The vibrant spring colors filling the garden seemed to dim significantly with her arrival.

Dai Li saw the ink brand on Nalan Zhi's face. The mark was hideous, looking at first glance like a black centipede coiled upon his skin.

Leaving aside the myriad strange tattoos of the modern world, compared to which this was mere child's play, she could not afford to show even a hint of rejection or disdain, simply because she would need this Mr. Nalan to counterbalance Qin Shaozong in the future.

Dai Li offered a polite smile, as if the ink brand did not exist. "Earlier, I heard Commander Mo and the others chatting, saying that a scholar of unparalleled talent, well-versed in both the past and present, would be arriving at the manor today. I assume that must be you. Mr. Nalan, I have long looked forward to meeting you."

From the moment Dai Li stepped into the rear garden, Qin Shaozong's gaze had been fixed upon her.

He watched her sweep a breezy glance over everyone else, himself included, the corners of her lips tilting up slightly in what passed for a greeting, before she went straight to speaking with Nalan Zhi.

Starting right off with a heap of flattery, and claiming she had 'long looked forward' to meeting him? If she hadn't previously confessed to living in a secluded utopia cut off from the world, she would have sounded quite convincing.

Heh, she was definitely harboring ulterior motives again.

Qin Shaozong twirled his jade thumb ring, watching coldly as Dai Li exchanged pleasantries with Nalan Zhi, his gaze dark and inscrutable.

In the eyes of Nianxia and Bipo, the scene was utterly inconceivable. It was as if a thousand-foot wave had risen in a vast ocean, crashing fiercely against the shore and shattering everything they had ever known.

In their limited experience, even the official wife of a bureaucrat was required to show respect to her husband's direct subordinates and officials.

If an official wife must behave so, how much more so for concubines and mistresses...

Yet now, they stared dumbfounded as Dai Li, dressed in old clothes, conversed with the green-robed gentleman as if no one else were present.

Everyone in the rear garden was watching them. Whether it was the Lord Marquis who was said to control the entire North, or the commanders, captains, and soldiers standing by, not a single person spoke up to interrupt. The vast garden seemed to center around the two of them, while everyone else waited in silence.

She wore no fine silks or golden hairpins, yet she glowed like a luminous pearl, shockingly brilliant.

Nianxia felt a bit dazed, thinking she might still be dreaming; otherwise, how could she be witnessing such a surreal scene?

Establishing an instant rapport with someone like Nalan Zhi was, in Dai Li's view, not actually difficult.

For a famous scholar capable of serving as a strategist under a powerful noble and holding a significant position, profound knowledge was merely the baseline. Following that were traits like decisiveness in planning and an insight into the human heart.

Combining Qin Shaozong's high standards with the respectful attitude of those around him, Dai Li surmised that this Mr. Nalan, in addition to the aforementioned qualities, likely possessed unbending pride and compassion. He was likely someone who cared for the common people and took the peace of the realm as his personal duty.

As someone standing at the vantage point of the future—specifically one who had worked in a state-owned publishing house editing and reviewing books mostly related to history and agriculture—Dai Li found it perfectly within her wheelhouse to impress a scholar from a thousand years ago.

After all, the information gap lay squarely between them.

Feng Feng stood beside Qin Shaozong. As time slowly passed, he felt an inexplicable chill, though he didn't know if it was an illusion.

He looked around. The tested keel waterwheel had stopped working, and the wind that had risen earlier had stilled. There was no breeze blowing water vapor their way, and the golden sun in the sky was shining fine, unblocked by clouds.

Feng Feng had climbed from a destitute refugee to his current position thanks in no small part to a mind more flexible and acute than the average person. He scanned the area, finally keeping his head still while his eyes darted quickly to the side to look at his superior, then followed his superior's gaze to the woman not far away.

Suddenly, it dawned on Feng Feng what was happening.

Dai Li used the keel waterwheel as a starting point to discuss crops with Nalan Zhi.

The crops of this era were primarily "millet." Because of its short growing season and tolerance for poor soil and drought, millet had always occupied a core position, despite its relatively low yield. One could simply plant it in newly reclaimed wasteland, and it would survive.

Later, following the rise of large-scale water conservancy projects across the land, wheat—which had a high demand for water—gradually covered the North. Winter wheat was planted in autumn and harvested in summer, allowing for rotation with other crops, and compared to millet, the yield of wheat was significantly higher.

Dai Li paced the conversation carefully, not talking with Nalan Zhi for too long. Just when his interest was clearly piqued, she seemed to suddenly realize that she and Nalan Zhi were not the only ones in the garden. She hurriedly turned her head toward Qin Shaozong, who was a few steps away. "My Lord..."

The words that followed stuck in her throat. His expression—an enigmatic half-smile that seemed to see through everything—made Dai Li suspect that this man knew her plan.

He had likely guessed that she wanted to use Nalan Zhi to counterbalance him.

"If I recall correctly, the last time Madam was this enthusiastic and hit it off so well with someone, it wasn't long before she schemed against that 'old friend,' nearly costing him everything," Qin Shaozong said with profound meaning.

Dai Li: "..."

He was a perfectly fine man, so why did he have to have a mouth like that?

It seemed he really had guessed it.

But it didn't matter. Even if he guessed it, she could use it as an overt stratagem. In any case, this was something she absolutely had to do!

Nalan Zhi looked surprised, his gaze shuttling between the two of them thoughtfully.

"Mr. Nalan has only just arrived at the manor today; I imagine the Lord has many important matters to discuss with you, so I will not disturb you further." Dai Li decided to retreat for now, avoiding the brunt of the confrontation and waiting for a more suitable opportunity to strike.

She looked at Nalan Zhi, smiling as politely as before. "Mr. Nalan, until we meet again."

After Dai Li left, the garden fell silent for a moment. The atmosphere was indescribably strange. Finally, Nalan Zhi gave a light cough. "My Lord, this keel waterwheel is truly superior to the swape and the scoop by an unknown measure. Now is the season for spring plowing; it would be best to gather the carpenters and have them produce a small batch first. Then, distribute these keel waterwheels to the various commanderies of the North, and post notices in the cities to widely publicize the method of their construction. I imagine that within a year, this device will spread throughout the entire North."

Recalling the wheat Dai Li had just mentioned, Nalan Zhi stroked his long beard. "If fetching water becomes significantly easier, the wheat yields will increase, sweeping through thousands of households like a spring breeze."

If the common people lived well and had ample surplus grain at home, collecting grain taxes from them would also be convenient.

Qin Shaozong nodded. "That is exactly my intention as well."

The implementation of the keel water wheel was imperative. The money and manpower consumed in the initial stage, whether great or small, would pale into insignificance compared to the future results.

Nalan Zhi couldn't help but ask, "My Lord, this Lady Dai is extraordinary. Where exactly is she from?"

Qin Shaozong let out a light chuckle. "She escaped from a fox's den."

Nalan Zhi’s hand trembled, nearly plucking out a hair from his beard. Even knowing that his Lord could be sharp-tongued at times, he was still astonished at this moment.

The Lord rarely commented on young women in the past. Such unusual and subjective wording was, to his knowledge, a first.

His gaze shifted toward Mo Yanyun, whose expression was complicated. Judging by his look, Lady Dai's background and deeds were not something that could be explained in a few words.

*

Dai Li returned to her room, planning to take a nap before going to "accidentally" meet Nalan Zhi. Presumably, they would have finished discussing important matters by then, and Mr. Nalan would be free.

However, as she turned to sit on the couch, Dai Li looked up to meet two pairs of eyes. One pair was round like a cat's, the other slightly narrower. The shapes were different, but the gazes were identical in their fervor.

Dai Li was startled. "What's wrong with you two?"

"Madam, you..." Nianxia's face turned red from holding back, and finally, she only managed to squeeze out, "You're so amazing!"

Beside her, Bipo nodded repeatedly as well. "I have never seen anyone as imposing as you before."

Although they were vague, Dai Li understood. They had never seen a maverick woman like her, so they found it extremely novel.

Dai Li sighed and said something they didn't quite understand. "In the future, the distant future, everything will get better."

In the final analysis, it was the limitation of the era. This man-eating feudal era had cut off their path to reading and becoming officials, binding thousands upon thousands of women, trapping them in backyards where they could only live at the mercy of others.

If only it were possible...

A certain thought flickered for a moment, only to be dismissed by Dai Li.

Impossible. It was impractical.

When the dust of an era settles on a single person, it weighs as heavy as a mountain. How could she fight against the entire era with her strength alone? She was currently a clay idol crossing a river—hardly able to save herself, let alone possessing the ability to save others.

Nianxia and Bipo truly didn't understand, but that didn't stop them from nodding at whatever Dai Li said now. "Madam is right."

"I'm going to take a nap. Please wake me in an hour." Dai Li lay on the couch and pulled the quilt over herself.

The two maids agreed.

Listening to the chirping of insects outside the window, her mind slowly calmed down, and Dai Li soon fell into a deep sleep.

When she said an hour, Nianxia timed it precisely, not missing by even a moment. An hour later, Dai Li was awakened. After a short nap, her spirits were higher, and she decided to go out and run into Nalan Zhi.

Perhaps her luck was good today; not long after walking out of the main courtyard, Dai Li saw people going in and out of a courtyard pavilion not far away. Her intuition told her someone might have moved in.

Walking over to take a look, she hadn't guessed wrong. Not only was she right, but she had also found her target.

Dai Li's eyes curved into a smile, and she immediately invited herself in.

The idle people in the courtyard had mostly retreated, leaving only a young man in his early twenties, dressed as a servant, organizing boxes.

Hearing footsteps, he turned his head. After a moment of stunned silence, his face flushed red. "Who... who are you?"

"Is Mr. Nalan here? I have business with him," Dai Li said.

Inside, Nalan Zhi heard the voice and came out, personally inviting Dai Li in. "Lady Dai, please come inside to talk. Musen, stop organizing for now. Go boil some water and serve tea to the Lady."

Dai Li followed him into the room.

Nalan Zhi's room had excellent lighting. The furnishings inside did not appear rich or extravagant; instead, they were quiet and elegant, showing that care had been put into the arrangement.

After taking a seat, Dai Li didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point. "Mr. Nalan, I wish to ask you to act as a persuader. I want you to convince the Lord to allow me to join his council of advisors."