The Young Man from the Great Qin

Chapter 9: The Alchemist’s Scheme

When Xiao Ren returned to Shen Qingshang’s residence, it was already pitch black. Shen Qingshang sat in the main hall, holding a bamboo scroll. Upon seeing him enter, she set the scroll down and examined him closely. “Your complexion is off.”

Xiao Ren didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he poured himself a bowl of water, drank it all, and then said, “Zhao Hu wants to see me.”

Shen Qingshang’s fingers paused. “When?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Where?”

“He didn’t say. Only asked Magistrate Wang to pass on the message: Zhao Hu, a retainer of the Zhao residence, invites you.”

Shen Qingshang fell silent for a moment, tapping her fingers lightly against the bamboo scroll twice. “Zhao Hu is the most capable retainer under Zhao Gao, in charge of gathering intelligence around Xianyang. If he wants to see you, there are only two possibilities.”

“What are they?”

“The first is that the token incident has been exposed, and he wants to arrest you for questioning.” Shen Qingshang looked up, locking eyes with Xiao Ren. “The second is that he has discovered what you did in the military camp—the quicklime method. Zhao Gao has been looking for talented people lately. Someone like you who can solve the problem of grain spoilage would interest him.”

Xiao Ren set down his bowl. “Which do you think it is?”

“Both are possible.” Shen Qingshang stood up and walked to the window. “But Zhao Hu has a habit: he never fights a battle he isn’t sure of winning. If the token incident had been exposed, he wouldn’t have sent a messenger; he would have come himself to arrest you. The fact that he sent a message means he is still testing the waters.”

Xiao Ren nodded. “That’s what I thought, too.”

“So, what do you plan to do?”

“I’ll go.”

Shen Qingshang turned to look at him. “Are you mad?”

“If I don’t go, it’s tantamount to telling him I have something to hide. If I go, I might still find a way to handle it.”

“How?” Shen Qingshang walked back and sat opposite him. “Zhao Hu is no ordinary retainer. He’s been by Zhao Gao’s side for ten years; he’s seen all kinds of people. You’re just a seventeen-year-old boy. Say the wrong thing in front of him, and it’s over.”

Xiao Ren didn’t speak. He picked up the teapot on the table, poured himself a cup of tea, and then poured one for Shen Qingshang as well.

“Have you heard of alchemists?” Xiao Ren asked.

Shen Qingshang was taken aback. “I have. The First Emperor is searching for the elixir of immortality, and so is Zhao Gao. There’s a sorcerer in Xianyang named Xu Fu, recommended by Zhao Gao to the Emperor. He’s said to be quite renowned.”

“Xu Fu?” Xiao Ren frowned. “What kind of person is he?”

“A sorcerer from the Qi region, who claimed he could refine the elixir of eternal life. Zhao Gao introduced him to the First Emperor, who trusted him greatly, granting him substantial funds and supplies for his alchemy.” Shen Qingshang explained. “But Xu Fu refined for three years and produced nothing. Although the Emperor didn’t blame him, Zhao Gao grew anxious. He needed a new alchemist to replace Xu Fu.”

Xiao Ren’s eyes lit up. “So Zhao Gao is in urgent need of someone who can perform alchemy now?”

“Yes.” Shen Qingshang nodded. “Zhao Gao has made too many enemies in court. If the Emperor were to blame him for the failure to obtain the elixir of immortality, he would be the first to suffer. That’s why he’s been searching for a genuine alchemy master.”

Xiao Ren lifted his teacup and took a sip. “Then what if I tell him I am an alchemist?”

Shen Qingshang’s hand froze in mid-air. “You?” She stared at Xiao Ren. “Do you know alchemy?”

“I know a little,” Xiao Ren said. “It’s not real alchemy, but it’s enough to fool people.”

Shen Qingshang was silent for a long time. The candle flame flickered between them, casting a swaying shadow on the wall.

“Do you know what the crime of impersonating an alchemist is?” she asked.

“Deceiving the sovereign. Capital punishment.”

“You know that and you’re still daring to do it?”

“Because I have no choice,” Xiao Ren set down his teacup. “The token incident, the quicklime method, Magistrate Wang, Zhao Hu… I have enough troubles on my plate already. One more won’t make a difference.”

Shen Qingshang looked at him, her expression changing. “How confident are you?”

“Seventy percent,” Xiao Ren said. “The remaining thirty percent depends on whether Zhao Hu believes me.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“Then I’ll have no choice but to run.”

Shen Qingshang laughed, a helpless, bitter smile. “You really are bold.”

“If I weren’t bold, I wouldn’t have survived this long.” Xiao Ren stood up. “I need some things. Can you help me get them?”

“What things?”

“Sulfur, saltpeter, charcoal, and some medicinal herbs.” Xiao Ren said. “Also, I need a quiet place where I won’t be disturbed.”

Shen Qingshang thought for a moment. “For sulfur and saltpeter, I can have someone buy them from the apothecary. Charcoal is simpler; we have it in the backyard. As for herbs, what do you need?”

Xiao Ren recited a list: cinnabar, realgar, mica, quartz, and stalactite.

Shen Qingshang frowned upon hearing this. “These things are not cheap. Are you sure this will work?”

“We’ll only know if we try.” Xiao Ren said. “You help me get the materials, and leave the rest to me.”

Shen Qingshang stood up, walked to the door, and summoned a servant, whispering a few instructions.

The servant nodded and hurried away.

“The materials will arrive early tomorrow morning,” Shen Qingshang said as she returned. “Rest well tonight. We’ll deal with tomorrow’s matters tomorrow.”

Xiao Ren nodded and turned to walk toward his room.

As he reached the doorway, Shen Qingshang called out to him, “Xiao Ren.”

He turned back.

“Why are you helping me?” Shen Qingshang asked. “You could have left on your own. Why did you come back?”

Xiao Ren paused. “Because you helped me.”

“Just because of that?”

“Isn’t that enough?”

Shen Qingshang didn’t speak, merely looking at him. The candlelight danced in her eyes, like two small flames.

“That’s enough,” she said.

Xiao Ren turned and entered his room.

The next morning, the servant indeed delivered the materials. The sulfur was a yellow powder, the saltpeter white crystals, and the charcoal consisted of pre-burnt black blocks. The herbs were complete as well; the cinnabar was red as blood, and the realgar yellow as gold. Xiao Ren moved the materials to the backyard, closed the door, and began his work.

First, he made the simplest thing—mixing sulfur, saltpeter, and charcoal in proportion to create black powder. He remembered the ratio clearly: one part saltpeter, two parts sulfur, three parts charcoal. It wasn’t precise, but it was good enough. He crushed the saltpeter, the sulfur, and the charcoal separately, then mixed them together in proportion. The powder gleamed with a dark gray luster in the sunlight, looking just like ordinary medicinal powder.

Next, he started making “elixirs.” He took some cinnabar, ground it into powder, added a small amount of honey, and rolled it into small pills. The pills gleamed with a dark red luster in the sunlight, resembling the legendary immortal elixirs. He then took some realgar, ground it into powder, mixed it with a small amount of mica powder, and rolled it into tiny white pills. These pills gleamed with a milky white luster in the sunlight, looking like jade. Finally, he made some “special effect” elixirs.

He wrapped small amounts of black powder inside cinnabar pills, coating them with a thin layer of wax. These pills, upon contact with fire, would “pop” and emit white smoke. In ancient times, this created the effect of “immortal elixirs manifesting miracles.” He rolled over a dozen of them, placed them in small porcelain bottles, and tucked them into his chest. By the time he finished, it was already afternoon. Xiao Ren washed his hands, changed into clean clothes, and prepared to go out.

Shen Qingshang stood at the door, watching him. “Are you really going?”

“Yes.”

“Then take this.” Shen Qingshang handed him a jade pendant. It was greenish-blue, carved with the character “Shen.” “If anything goes wrong, take this pendant to a silk shop called ‘Shen Ji’ in the West Market. The manager will help you.”

Xiao Ren took the pendant and weighed it in his hand. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll bring trouble to you?”

“I am afraid,” Shen Qingshang said. “But I’m more afraid of you dying.”

Xiao Ren smiled. “Then I’ll strive to come back alive.”

He turned and walked toward the military camp.

Along the way, he kept thinking about how Zhao Hu would question him and how he should respond. He put himself in Zhao Hu’s shoes, imagining what Zhao Hu would ask, how he would probe, and how he would set traps. He went through the scenario over a dozen times, deriving different response strategies each time. Finally, he reached a conclusion: Zhao Hu’s greatest weakness was his desperate need to find an alchemist.

As long as he displayed sufficient “immortal aura,” Zhao Hu would believe him. After all, Zhao Hu needed someone who could satisfy his requirements, not a real immortal. Xiao Ren curled his lips into a faint smile and quickened his pace. At the entrance of the camp, Magistrate Wang was already waiting.

Seeing him arrive, Magistrate Wang greeted him with a forced smile. “Deputy Officer Xiao, Master Zhao is already waiting for you in the tent.”

Xiao Ren nodded. “Lead the way.”

Magistrate Wang led him through the tents to a large one.

The curtain was lifted, revealing a man sitting inside. He was in his forties, wearing a blue robe, and holding a feather fan, looking like a scholar.

Xiao Ren stepped inside and bowed. “I am Xiao Ren. Greetings, Master Zhao.”

Zhao Hu looked up, examining him for a few moments. His gaze lingered on Xiao Ren’s face for a while before dropping to the burn scars on his hand.

“Deputy Officer Xiao, please sit.” Zhao Hu pointed to the mat opposite him.

Xiao Ren sat down. Magistrate Wang withdrew, and the curtain fell, leaving only the two of them in the tent.

Zhao Hu didn’t speak immediately. He picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea for Xiao Ren, and then one for himself.

The aroma of tea filled the tent; it was high-quality tea leaves.

“Deputy Officer Xiao, I hear you used the quicklime method in the camp to solve the problem of grain spoilage?” Zhao Hu asked.

“Yes.” Xiao Ren said. “A trivial skill, hardly worth mentioning.”

“A trivial skill?” Zhao Hu smiled. “Do you know how much grain and fodder the Qin army saves every year because of this trivial skill?”

“I don’t know.”

“At least thirty thousand *shi*,” Zhao Hu said. “Do you know how many soldiers thirty thousand *shi* of grain can feed?”

“Ten thousand.”

“Exactly, ten thousand.” Zhao Hu set down his teacup. “So, you are not an ordinary deputy officer in charge of supplies; you are a talented person.”

Xiao Ren remained silent, waiting for Zhao Hu to continue.

Zhao Hu stared at him, his gaze sharp. “Deputy Officer Xiao, what did you do before?”

“I studied at home.”

“Studied?” Zhao Hu smiled. “Does a scholar know the quicklime method?”

“My father was a merchant who traveled extensively north and south, encountering some unusual people and events.” Xiao Ren said. “I learned some of it from him.”

“Oh?” Zhao Hu’s interest piqued. “Then what else can you do?”

Xiao Ren took a porcelain bottle from his chest and placed it on the table. “I can perform alchemy.”

Zhao Hu’s smile froze. He stared at the porcelain bottle on the table, then at Xiao Ren, his eyes changing. “Say that again?”

“I can perform alchemy,” Xiao Ren said. “The elixir of eternal life.”