Chapter Forty-Five: A Heavy Loss

Watching Changsun Wuji limp into Li Er’s sickroom, Yun Hao felt a surge of gossip burning within him. A mountain of rumors seemed to tower over their heads. To endure such pain just to care for Li Er—could it be that they were the true pair, and the famed Empress Changsun of history the interloper?

Such matters concerning nobility were far beyond his speculation—especially between the greatest hero of the Lingyan Pavilion and Li Er. Yun Hao’s duty now was solely that of a physician; his responsibility lay in checking on the patient. Li Er had awakened and was whispering with Changsun Wuji. One maid was carrying out a spittoon, while the other wiped Li Er’s forehead with a cloth soaked in saline. Yun Hao had instructed that only salt water be used for cleaning Li Er’s body.

Wait a moment—sweat! Yun Hao nearly broke into a sweat himself. Though autumn was approaching, the summer heat still lingered fiercely. Outside, brewers stripped down to nothing but loincloths, and Yun Hao felt the urge to bang his head against the wall. Sweat breeds bacteria, and Li Er’s wound was on his back. If it became infected, it would be disastrous.

What to do? What to do? Yun Hao paced nervously at the door, feeling as desperate as someone needing the restroom. What cools things down quickly... Air conditioning? Refrigerator? Damn, even if he had one, he’d need electricity. Wait—refrigerator? If not a refrigerator, maybe ice would do. He’d heard that wealthy households kept ice stored underground from winter, to use for cooling in summer. As a nobleman, surely Duke Tang’s residence had an ice cellar.

With this thought, he rushed to find Chai Shao, determined to procure some ice to prevent Li Er from sweating excessively.

“Chai... Uncle Chai!” Yun Hao realized he didn’t know how to address Chai Shao.

“No need for such formality! Judging by your age, I’m likely no younger than your father. Call me Uncle Chai, that’s perfectly fine. Here, take this as Uncle Chai’s gift for your first meeting.” With that, Chai Shao took a jade pendant from his waist and pressed it into Yun Hao’s hand.

What a generous man! Yun Hao adored this Chai Shao. The jade was pure and warm to the touch—a true mutton-fat jade worth millions in later times. With such a treasure, Yun Hao felt calling him “Master” would be no trouble.

“Uncle Chai, how can I accept this!” he said, though he slipped the pendant into his pocket without hesitation, careful not to lose it, knowing its immense value.

“Is there something you need, Yun?” Chai Shao regarded Yun Hao, weighing a thought. Li Yuan was still ill; Li Er’s awakening had given him great hope. According to the maids, Li Er not only woke but seemed in good spirits—his wound swollen but no longer bleeding, and the stitching seemed effective. If a few days’ observation proved successful, Chai Shao planned to have Yun Hao examine Li Yuan as well.

These days, Li Yuan had been bedridden from dizziness. As his prospective son-in-law, Chai Shao had visited, but whenever Li Yuan tried to get up, the world spun, and at times he dared not even open his eyes. If the man he recommended cured Li Yuan, his standing in the Li household would soar. Chai Shao, ever shrewd, had noticed Li Yuan’s ambition—no ordinary man. Establishing his place early was crucial, so he gifted Yun Hao the priceless jade pendant.

Having grown up among noble families, Chai Shao knew the importance of reading people and objects—a basic survival skill. After half a day’s acquaintance, he realized Yun Hao was a money-grubber... maybe even a bit of a scoundrel.

“There is indeed something. We’re at the tail end of summer, and Second Master is bound to sweat. That risks infection of the wound. Please, Uncle Chai, procure some ice to cool his room so his wound stays safe from infection.”

Though he didn’t know what infection meant, Yun Hao’s earnest request made Chai Shao sense its urgency. Yet, the matter of ice left him troubled.

“What’s the matter? Is there a problem?” Yun Hao asked curiously.

“You may not know, Yun. Duke Tang only arrived at Taiyuan at the start of summer. The previous governor’s ice cellar was small, with little ice. Duke Tang dislikes the heat, so this year’s stock has already been used up. Besides, autumn is nearly here—most households in Taiyuan have exhausted their ice reserves. Where am I supposed to find ice for Second Master now?”

Used up? Impossible! Yun Hao’s mind buzzed. No ice—what could he do? He couldn’t just watch Li Er’s wound become infected, even if the risk was uncertain. Any risk was one he wouldn’t take.

Suddenly, inspiration struck. He said to Chai Shao, “Is there any saltpeter? If you can find saltpeter, I can make ice.”

Chai Shao glanced at the blazing sun, then at Yun Hao, and thoughtfully patted Yun Hao’s head.

Yun Hao slapped his hand away, annoyed at his impudence. “I’m not delirious from the heat. Just get saltpeter—I need to make ice.”

Chai Shao didn’t know how Yun Hao could make ice in such heat, but he trusted him and saltpeter wasn’t hard to come by. He saw it as humoring a child, but if Yun Hao succeeded, it would be a great boon. With the attitude of treating a dead horse as if it were alive, Chai Shao immediately sent someone to fetch the finest saltpeter.

The efficiency of the Li household’s servants was impressive. In less than an hour, several large sacks of saltpeter arrived—whether bought or seized was unclear, but judging from the fierce looks, the latter seemed likely.

Yun Hao found a vat, poured all the saltpeter into it, then added plenty of water. The reaction was intense; bubbles churned and occasional pops sounded. Once the surface calmed, Yun Hao poured cooled boiled water into a copper basin and let it float atop the vat. Before long, under Chai Shao’s wide-eyed gaze, white frost began to spread across the surface. In the time it took to eat a meal, the vat was covered in ice, and the water in the copper basin began to freeze. Chai Shao cautiously touched the ice, gasped, and said, “Yun, how did you do that? Ice in deadly heat—who would believe it?”

Basking in Chai Shao’s awestruck gaze, Yun Hao boasted, “A mere trick!”

Yet as he reveled in his triumph, he caught the sharp gleam in Chai Shao’s eyes. A quick thought—and his heart sank: Damn, I’ve suffered a great loss this time!