fake gentry

Xie Hong was unaware that he had already become the target of jealousy.

He woke up early in the morning and went to find Liu Chong: "Brother, come with me to find Ge Xianweng today."

Liu Chong, being young and frustrated, readily agreed. So the two quickly packed their things, one with a knife and the other with a sword, and prepared to set off.

Chen San could also see that Liu Chong had become much more cheerful recently, so he didn't stop him or follow him, but still told the two to be careful on the road.

After all, while Mount Lu was not lacking in gentry who lived in seclusion, it also had a lot of displaced people and bandits, and who knew where a group of them would suddenly appear.

Ah Heng pitifully begged Xie Hong to take her along: "My lord, I'll go with you too. I'll carry your bag and sword for you."

Xie Hong smiled and shook his head: "Let me go scout ahead first, and I'll take you and A-Ling with me next time."

Ah Heng reluctantly handed the water bag to Liu Chong and instructed, "You must protect your husband well. Remember to give him water every mile you walk."

Liu Chong glared at Ah Heng and reluctantly accepted the water pouch.

The two left Taoping and followed the mountain path at the foot of Xianglu Peak to circle around the back of the mountain. It was a long and arduous journey, and they walked several miles before finally getting around the mountain.

Xie Hong wasn't worried about getting lost, because there was only one road at the foot of the mountain, but the road at the back of the mountain became increasingly rugged. It was difficult for even a single person to pass, let alone an oxcart.

Liu Chong had Xie Hong walk behind him. He drew his knife and cut off the branches of trees along the roadside as he walked. After walking for about five miles, he saw a canyon in the distance.

In the canyon, cave entrances were visible, and in the middle of the flat ground stood a simple thatched hut, which, without a doubt, must have been Ge Hong's thatched hut.

Liu Chong sheathed his sword and said, "Brother, why aren't you with Lady Xi? What are you doing here looking for Ge Zhichuan?"

Xie Hong glanced at Liu Chong and asked with a smile, "Have you ever eaten ice cream?"

Liu Chong blinked a few times: "Ice cream? What's ice cream?"

Xie Hong immediately recalled that ice cream was recorded in writing during the Song Dynasty, but probably not during the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

You'll find out tomorrow.

Liu Chong curled his lip, and the two of them went around a mountain ridge and down into the valley.

The canyon is not deep and is only a hundred feet long, but the scenery is beautiful and the air is fresh.

Upon arriving at the thatched hut, Xie Hong faintly smelled the scent of saltpeter and sulfur. A servant in his thirties, seeing the two, immediately asked, "Are you young master Xie?"

Xie Hong smiled and said, "Yes, is Mr. Zhichuan here?"

The servant's attitude immediately became much more respectful, and he bowed and replied, "My lord, the master is not here."

Xie Hong was taken aback: "Not here? Didn't Mr. Zhichuan say he was in a hurry to refine pills upon his return?"

The servant shook his head and said, "Master has gone into the cave to make saltpeter and will not return for three to five days."

Xie Hongdao asked, "Could you take me there?"

Just as the servant was about to reply, a joyful voice came from another direction: "Feng Zhi, Feng Zhi!"

Ge Hong came out covered in dust, and a strong, fishy smell of bat droppings wafted into Xie Hong's nose from afar.

Liu Chong stood behind him, one hand covering his nose and the other gripping the hilt of the ring-pommel sword at his waist, his brows furrowed tightly.

Xie Hong bowed to Ge Hong: "Mr. Zhichuan."

Ge Hong laughed heartily and said, "Is Feng Zhi being so polite because she's afraid I'll hold her hand?"

Xie Hong was not embarrassed when his secret was exposed. He smiled and said, "Mr. Zhichuan and I are of one mind, as fragrant as orchids."

Ge Hong laughed loudly, "Didn't Feng Zhi dislike metaphysics? How come she's well-versed in the Book of Changes?"

Xie Hong laughed and said, "It's just a piece of cake."

Ge Hong's eyes lit up: "Listening to Fengzhi speak is always a pleasure. Come into the hut quickly, I want to debate with you."

Ge Hong's thatched cottage was very simple, with only a few rooms. He usually didn't have any guests. The two rooms on the left and right were used as alchemy rooms and study rooms, and the middle room wasn't really the main hall. There were also servants' quarters on the side.

A wooden plaque hangs on the thatched hut, inscribed with the two characters "Baopu" (抱朴).

Ge Hong welcomed Xie Hong into his study. After they were seated, Ge Hong ordered his servants to serve tea. He then went to wash up and change his clothes. Xie Hong looked around Ge Hong's study and found that all four walls were lined with bookshelves filled with bamboo slips, as well as some books on silk and yellow paper. He then began to look through them.

Okay, most of them are in seal script. They recognize Xie Hong, but Xie Hong doesn't recognize them.

When Ge Hong returned, he was delighted to see that Xie Hong seemed to really like his study. He said, "These are all my treasures. If Fengzhi likes them, she can come and copy them anytime."

Xie Hong laughed and said, "Mr. Zhichuan, can't you give me a ride?"

Ge Hong shook his head directly: "Don't even think about taking my books."

The two couldn't help but look at each other and smile.

Xie Hong sat down again, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and shuddered from the bitterness. He quickly put it down and said, "Mr. Zhichuan, I have a favor to ask of you."

Ge Hong asked with some surprise, "Does Feng Zhi want to learn alchemy from me?"

Xie Hong joked, "Then shouldn't I become Mr. Zhichuan's student? After you pass away, these books will still be mine."

Ge Hong laughed heartily: "I will now leave the mountain to get married, and I will have children without you."

Xie Hong's heart skipped a beat.

Ge Hong should be forty years old this year. It seems that in a few years he will retire to Luofu Mountain and get married. His wife is named Bao Qianguang, who is the first female moxibustion expert in the history of Chinese medicine and one of the four famous female doctors in ancient times.

Bao Qianguang married Ge Hong at the age of 18, a classic case of an older man marrying a younger woman.

Damn, I hope my appearance won't let Ge Hong get away with his wife.

He quickly regained his composure and explained his purpose to Ge Hong.

Ge Hong was taken aback at first, but then immediately agreed and took Xie Hong to the alchemy room.

In the center of the alchemy room is an alchemy altar, with the alchemy furnace placed at the core. The floor is made of bluestone in the shape of the Yin-Yang Eight Trigrams, with the symbols of the Eight Trigrams such as Qian, Kun, Zhen, and Xun engraved on the bluestone.

The room has running water for easy cleaning and fire extinguishing, and there are storage areas for medicinal herbs on the east and west sides.

Ge Hong squatted down, took out a burlap sack, and laboriously dragged it to Xie Hong.

"Here are thirty catties of top-grade saltpeter for you. If that's not enough, you'll have to wait another ten days. I've discovered a cave called the Thousand Bat Cave, which can refine at least several hundred catties of good saltpeter."

Xie Hong quickly opened the sack, dipped his finger in the white powder inside, and rubbed it between his fingertips.

The powder feels slightly cool to the touch, and when rubbed together, it has a slightly astringent, slippery feel.

Indeed, it was a crystal of extremely high purity nitrate, demonstrating that Ge Hong's nitrate-making technique was in no way inferior to modern traditional methods.

This purity of nitrate perfectly meets his needs.

Using the principle of layered cooling, usable ice blocks can be produced in half a day, and the nitrate solution can be extracted and reused repeatedly.

He got up, wiped the powder off his fingers, beckoned Liu Chong in, and handed him the sack: "Brother, take this carefully, don't get it wet."

Then he took his leave: "Mr. Chikawa, I won't bother you any longer. If you have time the day after tomorrow, please come to Taoping. I have prepared a surprise for you."

Ge Hong was taken aback by his question, then his expression hardened: "Does Feng Zhi have some new alchemy technique now?"

Xie Hong was both amused and exasperated, then turned to Liu Chong and asked, "Does the General of the West's residence have ice available in the summer?"

Liu Chong's face darkened; he didn't want others to know his identity.

"There are no ice cellars in Hefei, only in Jiankang, but those are imperial ice cellars, which even the Langya Wang clan cannot afford."

He paused and then added, "The emperor would bestow ice upon me once a year, and I used to drink chilled plum juice."

"That's it then," Xie Hong laughed. "Even the emperor might not be able to freely use ice in the summer."

"So?" Liu Chong asked impatiently.

Xie Hong smiled mysteriously: "If I can make ice in the summer, will you, little brother, be willing to follow my lead from now on?"

Liu Chong opened his mouth immediately.

Ge Hong was also taken aback, then looked at Xie Hong suspiciously: "Feng Zhi, is what you say true?"

Xie Hong nodded and said, "I wouldn't dare to deceive Mr. Zhichuan."

Ge Hong immediately perked up and grabbed Xie Hong's hand: "Then what are we waiting for? I'll go with Feng Zhi right now and see for myself!"

Xie Hong remained silent for a long while.

It didn't matter to Ge Hong that he knew about the soap-making technology; even if it were leaked, it wouldn't be possible to mass-produce it, since others didn't know that vegetable oil could also be used to make soap.

But Xie Hongzhen didn't want to reveal the secret of using saltpeter to make ice; it would be a very useful card in his hand.

This thing isn't even as technologically advanced as soap. Soap at least requires a specific ratio, while saltpeter only needs to dissolve in water to absorb a large amount of heat, causing the water temperature to drop sharply and turn into ice.

But he didn't want to hide it from Ge Hong.

I'm so conflicted.

But if he kept it from Ge Hong, he would seem petty, and he also planned to use Ge Hong to endorse his identity.

This is such a dilemma.