Chapter 86: My Sole Wish Is to Bring Warmth and Comfort

The first snowfall came down in a scattered, half-hearted way, barely leaving any trace on the ground. But the clear skies lasted only three days before another cold wave swept through. This time, the chill was far more severe; overnight, the whole world was blanketed in pure silver.

“Achoo!”

Leaf Chang, who had originally wanted to let his poetic spirit soar in the midst of this shimmering landscape—perhaps even to recite something like “the mountains dance with silver serpents, the plains charge with waxen elephants”—had all his enthusiasm stifled by a sneeze.

It was cold, unbearably cold.

His physique was strong, and he never slacked off on exercise, but this kind of cold was too much even for him. It was understandable, though—the houses in Wolong Valley had only been built that summer, and in the rush to finish, some details were neglected. The buildings didn’t exactly leak from every wall, but they were certainly not well insulated.

“Achoo! Achoo!”

Like an epidemic, sneezes began erupting all around him; he was not alone in his misery.

“This won’t do,” the monk Shanzhi spoke in his deep, rumbling voice. “I, a humble monk, can endure it, but these children surely cannot. Eleventh Young Master, we must light the fires!”

“Lighting a fire isn’t enough; these houses need to be rebuilt. I’m going to build heated brick beds!” Leaf Chang declared in bitter frustration. “I want heated beds, underfloor heating, air conditioning!”

He could endure the cold himself, but he couldn’t let Xiang’er and the other children freeze, especially as they came to study every day—he didn’t want them all sniffling and shivering.

Building heated beds was no simple matter. Leaf Chang summoned Ye Zhi and the other craftsmen, explained his ideas, but none of them had ever built such things before. They could only fumble their way through. Fortunately, money was no longer an issue for Leaf Chang. He quickly purchased the blue bricks needed for the fire pits, and that very afternoon, as the snow began to melt, they started work.

The first attempt at a heated bed resulted in smoke flooding the room; it had to be torn out and rebuilt. The second wouldn’t light—the airflow was wrong—so it, too, was dismantled and redone. After an afternoon’s toil, that was all they had to show for it, and Leaf Chang himself was left covered in dust and ash.

It was, as ever, far easier said than done. Still, he did not lose heart, and directed the craftsmen to start on a third attempt. Halfway through, someone remarked, “This won’t do—if built this way, half the bed will be hot and the other cold.”

The voice was familiar. Leaf Chang turned and saw his brother-in-law Liu Kun grinning at him.

With a slap to his own forehead, Leaf Chang chided himself for his oversight. The craftsmen he’d hired were carpenters and masons—good enough for building stoves, but not for this. Liu Kun, on the other hand, was a master kiln builder. With Leaf Chang’s support over the past six months, he’d opened his own kiln, recruited highly skilled masters, and even cast bronze movable type. He was the expert.

“Brother-in-law, what brings you here?”

“The new year is nearly upon us. I brought your sister home for the holiday—did you forget?” Liu Kun replied with a smile.

“Ah, I’ve been so busy I lost track.” Leaf Chang laughed. “But you’re just in time. I need your expertise with these heated beds—how to ventilate them, how to distribute the heat evenly. This is your specialty. Please, take over!”

Liu Kun didn’t stand on ceremony. “So the illustrious Eleventh Young Master does have his limits after all,” he teased.

With Liu Kun’s guidance, the third heated bed came together much more easily, and by nightfall, it was complete. Still, it was too damp to use right away. After lighting a fire to help it dry, Leaf Chang pulled Liu Kun aside to talk.

Though Liu Kun claimed to have come to bring his wife home for the holiday, Leaf Chang knew there had to be more to it. His brother-in-law was good at keeping things to himself.

“Is my sister with your wife?” Leaf Chang asked.

“Yes. She’s starting to show. I wouldn’t let her come here—the road’s too rough.”

“Right, it’s slippery in this weather. You were right not to let her travel...” At this, Leaf Chang’s heart tightened a little.

His sister was pregnant, and in this era, the mortality rate for childbirth was terrifyingly high—some said nearly one in three women died. He now had some means, and could hire the best doctors and midwives, but he remained deeply anxious.

Previously, he hadn’t given the matter much thought, but today’s ordeal with the heated beds made him realize he couldn’t wait until the last minute to act.

“After the New Year, I’ll hire the best gynecologists and pediatricians, and the finest midwives... Yes, I’ll have them compile a treatise on childcare.” An idea sprang to mind. “If it takes a while to compile, they’ll have to stay with us longer. Whenever a woman in our community is due, we can call them in as a team. Brother-in-law, what do you think?”

For Leaf Chang to make such a commotion over his sister’s pregnancy, even Liu Kun—who was used to his grand gestures—was left speechless. When he remained silent for a while, Leaf Chang grew impatient. “What? I’m paying for all of this—are you not happy?”

“I’m happy, of course! How could I not be?” Liu Kun hurriedly replied. “But, Eleventh Young Master, I also have another matter to discuss with you. When do we start building the blast furnace?”

Leaf Chang had spoken to him more than once about how a blast furnace could be used not just to fire pottery and porcelain, but to make glass even more transparent than porcelain, and to smelt better and more abundant steel. Liu Kun was a reserved man, but his passion for kilns was boundless. Improving kilns had long been his ambition, and now Leaf Chang was offering a clear direction—how could he not be eager?

“I haven’t finished making all the ceramic movable type yet. Why the rush? And this is just the beginning—the next step is to use ceramic molds to cast lead type.” Leaf Chang chuckled. “Besides, I told you to find some master kiln builders first. Have you done that?”

“I wouldn’t have come if I hadn’t. I’ve found six masters and ten apprentices—just waiting for the rice to hit the pot.”

At this, Liu Kun hesitated. “This is going to cost quite a bit...”

“Money’s not a problem; don’t worry about that,” Leaf Chang interrupted.

Indeed, money was no longer an issue. The rewards from Li Longji upon his return from Chang’an, the gifts from He Zhizhang and Han Chaozong, the presents from Princess Yuzhen and Lady Twenty-Nine—all had made him quite well-off. Plus, his paper mill brought him a steady profit every day. Though he’d nominally transferred the mill to his concubine’s name, it was still under his control.

“That’s good. But... they’ve said that if we develop a new furnace technique, they want to use it as well.”

That condition was a bit much—if Leaf Chang was putting up all the money and effort, the results should belong to him. But with the Tang Dynasty’s prosperity, even lavish sums couldn’t always buy the loyalty of craftsmen who guarded their secrets jealously. Refuse their condition, and those well-paid artisans would turn their backs without a second thought.

Even if Leaf Chang offered several times their usual wage, it would make no difference.

“Fine. But everyone will sign a formal agreement: only those who participate in the research may use the new technique,” Leaf Chang said with a faint smirk.

The craftsmen’s small-mindedness kept them from seeing the bigger picture; even if they could use the new blast furnace, how could they possibly compete with him?

“Truly you agree?” Liu Kun asked, delighted. He’d been wondering how to persuade Leaf Chang, only to find him already willing.

With Liu Kun’s help, building the heated beds was suddenly much simpler. In just two days, every house in Wolong Valley had one; some rooms that saw frequent activity even had basic underfloor heating, utilizing the excess heat from the beds. Of course, this heating was quite rudimentary and of limited effect, but for Leaf Chang, accustomed to comfort, it was a major improvement.

“Hm, next I’ll have to get running water installed...”

Pondering further ways to improve his standard of living, Leaf Chang looked around his house with satisfaction. After the renovations, it was much more comfortable. The only flaw was the poor lighting, but until he succeeded in making glass, there was nothing to be done.

“Um, Eleventh Young Master...”

Just as Leaf Chang was basking in his achievements, one of the craftsmen spoke up hopefully.

“Yes? What is it?” Leaf Chang had just paid them, at a rate somewhat above the norm but not so high as to make him look like a fool. If they grew greedy, he wouldn’t hesitate to teach them a lesson.

“It’s like this... After seeing your heated bed, I’d like to build one at home. Would you permit it?”

“So that’s it—a small matter. Go ahead, by all means. In fact, in the future, if others hire you to build heated beds, you may do so without consulting me.”

At his words, the craftsmen were overjoyed and bowed deeply. “Thank you, Young Master! If you ever need anything at your residence, just send word and we’ll be there at once!”

This was more than just a way to keep their homes warm in winter—it was a new way to make a living. Now that they’d learned the technique, they could each take on a few apprentices and start teams to build heated beds for others. Having experienced the comfort themselves, they knew that every prosperous household would soon want one.

A few strings of cash for firewood each winter—or even just wood chopped from the mountains—was all it took to keep warm. Anyone with a taste for comfort would want this.

“But before that, I need you to build three more heated beds for me,” Leaf Chang said after a moment’s thought. “My elder brother’s family needs them as well.”

“Of course, we’re happy to serve!” the craftsmen replied with delight.

With the experience gained at Leaf Chang’s home, building heated beds back at Wu Ze Po was smooth sailing. At first, when she saw Leaf Chang arrive with a group of craftsmen, Lady Fang was a bit flustered. “Eleventh Young Master, what are you doing?”

“Don’t worry, Sister-in-law—I’m here to bring you warmth.” Leaf Chang chuckled at his own pun.

When she heard him explain the function of the heated bed, a faint blush rose to her cheeks. “Eleventh Young Master, you certainly know how to enjoy yourself; your mind is always on these things.”

“Is that so—” Leaf Chang was just about to retort when Chunming hurried in. “Young Master, Young Master, there’s a visitor.”

“A visitor?” Leaf Chang was surprised. With the year nearly over, who could be coming to call?

“They arrived with quite a display. Cui Xiujing only asked a couple of questions and was slapped for his trouble,” Chunming complained.

“Who are they?” Leaf Chang’s face darkened. Cui Xiujing was a skilled shipwright, though currently out of work and serving as a doorman. But to strike his man was to insult him!

“They won’t say. Young Master, you’d better hurry back—they’re so overbearing, they might just tear Wolong Valley apart if you don’t return soon.”

“I’m going.” Anger flared in Leaf Chang’s heart. He rose and turned to Lady Fang. “Sister-in-law, I—”

“Don’t rush,” she said, waving her hand. “You have a great reputation here. Anyone who dares act so rudely must hold the law in contempt. There are only two kinds who would dare: mountain bandits, who fear no law, or powerful officials, who place themselves above it. Though there are bandits in the northern mountains, none have come as far as Fufu Mountain. Besides, bandits would act in secret, not so brazenly. So it must be officials, especially those low-ranking enforcers who throw their weight around. If they were locals, they’d at least show you some respect. So, a group of outsiders from the government have come to throw their weight about—you needn’t worry too much. Gather a few dozen clansmen to go with you. If things get out of hand, just make sure you get away safely. Since they came looking for trouble, they must know you have powerful connections—even a minor noble recognizes your ties. As long as they don’t deal with you on the spot, they won’t dare go too far, for fear you’ll seek revenge from your patrons.”

Leaf Chang was silent—Lady Fang began with sensible advice, but soon slipped into teasing him.

Nevertheless, he followed her suggestion, called together several dozen men from Wu Ze Po, and returned in force to Wolong Valley. As they reached the valley’s entrance, they saw dozens of people blocking the way.

“What’s going on here?” Leaf Chang demanded, his face grim, as he saw his makeshift wooden fence torn down and used for firewood.

“Well, in Chang’an, we smashed the gates of ministers and no one complained. Here, we burn a few rotten sticks and you start nagging?” sneered one of the men. “Boy, you should count yourself lucky we’ve come looking for you...”

Leaf Chang glanced at him—he was a eunuch!

“Who are you, and why have you come to my home?” If they had been soldiers, Leaf Chang might have been prepared, but a eunuch was a surprise. He wasn’t sure if Tang law forbade palace eunuchs from leaving the capital, but he knew they didn’t roam freely for no reason.

Leaf Chang’s gaze turned cold. His first thought was: The Residence of Princess Xianyi!

There were always eunuchs in the princess’s household. With Xianyi’s power, her eunuchs could smash the gates of ministers with impunity.

“Well, what are you waiting for? You must be Leaf Chang, right? The distinguished guest is already waiting for you inside—go greet them,” the eunuch barked by the fire. “What a wretched place—so damned cold. What rotten luck, getting stuck with this assignment!”

“A distinguished guest?” Leaf Chang frowned.

So be it—he would meet this guest. There was no avoiding it now.