I [Imperial] Am Not This Kind of Man

Chapter 21 - South Camp Workshop

As he devised his great money-making scheme, Qin Nuo was so excited that he was unable to sleep for half the night. He woke up early the next morning and animatedly ordered his servants to prepare the carriage before heading towards the artisan workshops with his meticulously drawn blueprints.

The exclusive craftsmen workshops of the Ministry of War just so happened to be located in the south side of the city, not far from his property.　　

Although it was called the “craftsman’s workshop camp,” it was more suitable to call it a small town. Over 30,000 craftsman households lived there. Adding up the surrounding apprentices, family members, and the 5,000 military guards who manned their posts and defended the area daily, the total number of people in the small town was close to 100,000. When he was closer to the town, the clamorous sound of iron being pounded intermingled with the rowdy sound of chatter entered his ears.    

Due to the area being interrelated to the classified military plans of the Ministry of War, the entry inspection was quite strict. Qin Nuo didn’t want to expose his identity as a commandery king during this incognito trip in plain attire, so he used the Shence Battalion’s token of authority and successfully entered the camp.

Based on the layout that he had inquired about beforehand, Qin Nuo made a beeline for the northernmost glass workshop with his entourage in tow.　　

The glass fusing of utensils by contemporary craftsmen could be considered refined. Although the glass utensils weren’t as transparent as those of later generations, it was enough to make containers. Qin Nuo found an old craftsman with a good reputation and handed him the utensil drawing. He then explained the dimensions and specifications to the old craftsman in detail.　　

Of course, these utensils could be made in private workshops too; however, the workmanship of private workshops in the outside world varied and was far less uniform than that of official workshops.　　

After paying the deposit, Qin Nuo went to the ironware workshop.　　

As the exclusive workshop of the Ministry of War, ironworks occupied the majority of the entire camp. Especially in places where the stoves were packed together, you had to roar to be heard amidst the ear-splitting sound of iron being pounded in the surroundings. And the heat brought by the fire of the stoves; even though it was clearly late autumn, it felt dry and hot like it was midsummer. Many people around him were shirtless. 　　

Most of the workshops here were engaged in the production of weapons such as knives, guns, swords, and halberds. Qin Nuo had previously asked the steward of the country estate; only three or four workshops had the ability to build precision instruments.　　

He finally arrived at the largest and most renowned workshop. It was a single family courtyard. Li Wan stepped up and knocked on the door. A young lad who seemed like an apprentice opened the door.　　

When he heard that they had come to place an order for custom-made utensils, the apprentice immediately led them into the courtyard.　　

They had just entered the door when they heard a roar from inside, “How could it be another failure? It must have torn apart because those martial warriors used too much strength!” 　　

The little apprentice with delicate and pretty features helplessly gave an apologetic smile and explained, “A distinguished guest is visiting Master. They are currently discussing business.”

Qin Nuo became curious. He followed the little apprentice into the workshop in the rear courtyard.　　

Some ten stoves were burning with scarlet red flames and numerous sturdy men were bustling about to get their work done in time.　　 

Past the courtyard with stoves and bypassing a winding corridor, there was a little garden with lush and flourishing vegetation. It was a place of serenity amidst the noise, and had quite an artistic mood.1 In the center was a pavilion built with green bamboos. Three people surrounded a table with a drawing on it. 　　

Among them, an old man, whose hair and beard were both white, was gesticulating at the drawing with a scowl on his face. Two men flanked him on both sides. The complexion of the Confucian scholar in purple who looked like a bookkeeper was scarlet red, and he was arguing fiercely with the old man. The other man in white did not speak; he merely stared at the drawing on the table with his brows furrowed.　　

Taking advantage of the moment when both parties paused to catch their breaths, the little apprentice quickly stepped forward and reported, “Master, there is an esteemed person from the Shence Battalion who has come to have some things custom-made.”　

The old man with the white hair and beard was the owner of this workshop. As soon as he heard the apprentice’s words, he waved his hand dismissively, “Can’t [you] see that we’re busy right now? [I] don’t have the time!”　　

The little apprentice obeyed submissively, not daring to interrupt again. The old geezer and the bookkeeper resumed bickering with great spirit. 　　

While they were talking, Qin Nuo had already walked over to the table. His gaze fell onto the drawing.　　

It seemed like a structure diagram of a mechanical crossbow with small, densely packed writing beside it. The sight of it (the writing) made one’s head dizzy. 　　

The scholar clothed in white, who was scrutinizing the blueprint, raised his head. Smiling, he remarked, “This is not something that children can see.”　　

His facial features were elegant and refined. With a distinctive aura and eyes as bright as stars, he made those who saw him forget about everyone else. Looking more closely, he appeared to be around twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, yet he possessed a composure that seemed intrinsic.2 　　

What an outstanding person. Somehow, he looks kind of familiar. Qin Nuo pondered over it for a long time before he finally remembered that he had seen this man on the night that his ol’ pops had died. Isn’t this the scholar in azure who entered the palace with General Pei Ling?3 He must be somone like General Pei’s confidant and military adviser.　　

As he thought this, Qin Nuo heeded the man’s words and averted his gaze.4 Things like bows and crossbows were military contraband weapons. If one were to look at them too closely, the person would be liable to lay themselves open to suspicion.5 But, towards the man in white’s teasing remark, he curled his lip petulantly, “It is merely a crossbow. What’s so rare about it? There are so many of them in the army.”　　

The Confucian scholar dressed like a bookkeeper just so happened to be thirsty from arguing. He picked up a teacup from the table and drank two mouthfuls. When he heard Qin Nuo’s words, he glared at him, “A junior who has no idea of what is what should not be a nuisance here. This Sky-opening Crossbow has the power of thirty catties6 and is as swift as lightning. How can it be compared to the rubbish in the military?” 

The white-haired and white-bearded old man huffed and glared,7 “What ‘power of thirty catties and lightning speed’? What good does it do if it cannot be made?!”

“The reason why it has taken so long to finish it is because the craftsmanship of your workshops is too poor.”　　

“Nonsense. Everyone knows that the craftsmanship of my Ol’ Zhao’s Workshops is the ultimate top-notch of the whole South Camp!” The old man jumped three feet high. It seemed like the two men were about to switch from verbally sparring to physically sparring.　　

Hearing their words, Qin Nuo’s interest was piqued. He couldn’t resist glancing at the blueprint two more times.　　

The man in white’s brows furrowed slightly, but when he recalled that the little apprentice had introduced this person (QN) as being from the Shence Battalion, he did not stop him (QN).　　

“This calculation method isn’t right!” After converting the numbers on the paper to Arabic numerals and doing a calculation, Qin Nuo blurted out.　　

“Where?” The man in white’s interest was piqued.　　

Qin Nuo raised his finger and pointed to a number. “Here. If the previous parameter changes, this has to change with it. The value should not be limited to less than five. It should be about seven.”　　

Surprise flashed across the man in white’s face. “You’ve learned the way of mathematics?”　

“I know a thing or two.” Qin Nuo said modestly.　　

In the modern society, who hadn’t ever experienced the repeated abuse of eccentrics like a train operator who liked to drive the train towards the east and the west at the same time, or a reservoir administrator whose hobby was to simultaneously pump and release water, or an animal keeper who habitually puts pheasants and rabbits in the same cage?8　　

The bookkeeper and the white-haired old man, who had rolled up their sleeves and prepared to demonstrate their fighting techniques, also stopped. The bookkeeper snorted twice. To begin with, he had no favorable feelings towards this rich boy who had suddenly barged in, and now, he was even more impatient. He waved his hand and said, “Shoo, shoo, shoo. Children should not interject recklessly. After all, this drawing has been checked with the help of three great mathematicians of the Ministry of Works. There is absolutely no way that there is a mistake.”

Qin Nuo wasn’t angry. He only disrupted things because he wanted to interrupt the endless quarrel between the two. Ignoring the Confucian scholar’s taunt, he took the opportunity to smile at the white-haired old man, “Mr. Zhao, I*9 came to request some tools for daily use.”　　

The white-haired old man was also feeling exhausted after quarreling, so he put the bookkeeper and the others aside and said with a smile, “There is no reason to shirk business if it comes to one’s door. What kind of equipment do you*10 want? Strange weapons?”　　

Qin Nuo hurriedly stepped forward and presented the blueprints he had prepared.　　

Old Mister Zhao accepted the blueprints to have a look and frowned. What odd-looking household utensils. What are these curves and twists? 　

 

Qin Nuo asked nervously, “Can these be made?” The tools for making soap and alcohol purification all required iron frames and glass cups with very specific size requirements.　　 

Old Mister Zhao nodded, “They can be made. Our store can beat the most malleable iron and the hardest steel—there is nothing that can stump us.” These things were just a little strange in shape. They weren’t very complicated.　　

Qin Nuo was overjoyed, “Thank you very much, Old Mister. How much will the deposit be? I will pay for it right now. Do [you] know when [I] will be able to pick up the goods?”　　

""

“It is enough to give twenty taels for the deposit. The balance can be determined after the things are made. As for when [you] can pick them up? [You] can pick them up after seven days.” Old Mister Zhao was also an efficient person. He immediately summoned two capable apprentices, handed the blueprints to them, and told them what to take note of.   　　

Having completed his task, a load was taken off Qin Nuo’s mind and he left the camp with Li Wan. When he exited from the main entrance, leaving the clamor behind him, he instantly felt that the wind was refreshing and the air was cool and crisp. The temperature even suddenly dropped two degrees.   　　

Li Wan lifted his sleeve and used it as a fan. He supported Qin Nuo up onto the carriage and thoughtfully held up a water sack for him.　　

The fresh and sweet grape juice slid down his throat. Qin Nuo lay comfortably in the carriage, and they quickly returned to his mansion.　　

He was completely unaware of the absolute upheaval that his departure made on the impasse in the Zhao Workshop.　　 

After entrusting Qin Nuo’s business to his competent apprentices, Zhao Ding11 returned to the pavilion, ready to continue his intense battle with the debased Confucian scholar.12 Yet when he came back, he saw that his old adversary was acting weird.  　　

One moment, he was lost in thought and dazed; the next, he was scratching his head while saying over and over again, “Is it really supposed to be done this way? No, that doesn’t seem right. Even if the calculations were wrong, how does one arrive at this number…” 　　

Zhao Ding and the other man were old friends who had worked together many times. They knew each other through and through. Seeing his friend like this, Zhao Ding didn’t bother him. He simply looked at the man in white next to him, “Sir,13 this…”　　

The man in white also sported a grave expression. He stared at the blueprint, his gaze flickering.14　　

Zhao Ding was even more afraid of speaking and disrupting him.　　

After quietly waiting for almost a shichen, the person clothed in white suddenly clapped and exclaimed, as if he had become enlightened, “It really is wrong!” 　　

His words also pulled the Confucian scholar out of his crazed state. He laughed heartily, “Wrong, wrong, so it really is wrong! I understand now! Who would have thought that that damn brat’s guess was right?”　　

After becoming clear-headed, his eyes were bright and full of energy, “Huh? Where’d that damn brat go?” 　　

Zhao Ding frowned, “He’s long gone. Look at the color of the sky.”　　

While the two men had been in a daze, the sky had become gloomy. 　　

“Forget it, I won’t bother with that right now. I’m going to solve this difficult problem first.” The Confucian scholar said, promptly throwing himself to the writing desk. He picked up the charcoal pencil and started calculating. 　　

“Cao Qi,15 do [you] really have to push yourself so hard? Are [you] still going to even eat dinn—” Before Zhao Ding finished speaking, the man in white beside him raised a hand to interrupt him. 　　

“Let him have some peace and quiet. He won’t be in the mood to eat if he doesn’t calculate the result.” He knew better than anyone about this old subordinate of his.　　

Zhao Ding sighed helplessly before turning his head and saying, “Then [I] invite you*,16 sir, to do us the honor of eating an ordinary meal here at our workshop.”　　

“Sure. I’ve heard that your shao dao zi17 is very mellow and rich, not inferior to Bei Shuo’s. [I] had never had the opportunity to have a taste, but this time I have the chance.” The man in white smiled and followed Zhao Ding to the courtyard.  　　

When they came back after dinner, they saw that Cao Qi was still in the pavilion. He was behaving more and more erratically, repeatedly muttering, “That’s not right, that’s not right, why can’t I calculate it?”　　

The person clothed in white smiled helplessly as he remarked, “He really has become fixated on it, hasn’t he?” 　　

Zhao Ding simply hollered, “Why are you making yourself so busy, Cao Qi? Didn’t that youngster say a number? We can just have these fellows give it a try based on that number and we’ll soon find out.”　　

The Confucian scholar dressed in purple didn’t seem to hear him. He was still busy racking his brains.　

Using up his mental and physical strength in this way might affect his wisdom. The man in white felt helpless. He stepped forward and, in a low voice, shouted, “Cao Qi!” His voice was clear and smooth yet it was extremely penetrating. 　　

It (his voice) was like a sudden clap of thunder that boomed by Cao Qi’s ears. Cao Qi was abruptly roused from his frenzied state with a lingering blankness.18 The man in white said gently, “Zhao Ding is right. Let’s try it first according to the number that that youth mentioned. As for the calculation process, we can go over it slowly. I’ve already dispatched people to invite several of the mathematicians at the Ministry of Works.”   　　

Cao Qi came back to his senses. Although he was still not content, he didn’t dare to defy his master and he was dragged away by Zhao Ding to eat dinner.　　

At the same time, with an order, the front stove immediately started its work. The materials were all ready-made. Several skilled craftsmen carefully assembled the materials according to the values ​​that Qin Nuo had suggested. After over one shichen, they had assembled two mechanical crossbows.　　

They called a bodyguard to test the crossbow by firing consecutive shots. The bow was like a startled bowstring; the arrows were like lightning.19 Even after dozens of arrows had been fired, the bow—the crossbow—was still intact. There was never an occurrence of a bow string breaking or even the archer’s wrist being hurt as had previously been the case.

Joy appeared on Zhao Ding’s face, “General, we really succeeded!” In the previous experiments, not only did they cost money and time, several sharpshooters had been injured by the crossbows.　　

The man in white sighed, “Sure enough, the previous number was wrong.” They had mainly adjusted the length and tension of the string for the crossbrow’s mechanism. 

That young man appeared to be no more than thirteen or fourteen years old but he could spot the mistakes in the drawings at a glance and calculate the correct result. Was it a coincidence, or did he really possess such astonishing mathematical skill? One had to know that this drawing has been repeatedly pored over by the Ministry of Work’s great mathematicians.　　

The Confucian scholar watched from the side with an incredulous expression on his face. After a moment, he personally stepped forward, grabbed a crossbow, and tried shooting a dozen times in a row. He looked at the arrows on the archery target and checked the intact bowstring before he finally accepted this result. He put the crossbow down then suddenly raised his head and asked, “Old Zhao, did you ask for that kid’s name and his address just now?”　　

 “Well…”　　

“Are you someone who runs a business? To not even ask about this.”　　

Zhao Ding glared at him, “It’s all because you angered me. However, there is no need to worry. He ordered something from the shop and he will come to pick it up in seven days.” 　　

“‘In seven days’?! No, that won’t do! The frontlines are still waiting to use this bow, this crossbow! The military situation is critical; how could it be delayed like this?!” The Confucian scholar wrung his hands again and again.   　　

The man in white asked, “That young man just now had the Shence Battalion’s token of authority?”　　

Zhao Ding’s eyes lit up, “That’s right, and it was a Silver Leopard token, to boot. He must be some commander’s son or nephew.” The Silver Leopard Token was the status symbol of a military general above the fourth rank. There were no more than five or six individuals in the Shence Battalion who fit this criteria.　　

“And that person was even willing to pay the deposit for the apparatuses he ordered. Someone with such good upbringing, I*20 can find out after making a few inquiries.” One had to know that when the self-centered, arrogant men of the Shence Battalion came to the South Camp Workshop to order things, they usually said one thing: ‘Just put it on the Shence Battalion’s tab.’ There weren’t many who were willing to pay the bill.

Thank you for reading my translation!

Footnotes

闹中取静，颇有意境眉目俊雅，气度清远，一双眼睛灿若星辰，让人见之忘俗。仔细看他容貌也就二十八，九岁左右，却天然有种沉稳感Refer to Chapter 10.从善如流 (cóngshànrúliú) -readily following good advice (idiom); willing to accept other people’s views瓜田李下 (guā tián lǐ xià). Abbreviation of 瓜田不納履，李下不整冠｜瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠. The original saying is a warning not to bend down to fix your shoe near a melon patch to avoid being suspected of picking melons; not to raise your hand to adjust your hat when you’re near a pear tree to avoid being suspected of picking pears. Baidu link here.30 catties = about 18kg吹胡子瞪眼 (chuīhúzidèngyǎn) – literally “blow out one’s beard and glare”/”huff and glare”. Essentially, it means that the person is angry or fuming.Maybe referring to those math problems where someone does something or buys something and you have to calculatein this context, as a self-appellation, 在下 (zàixià) = myself (humble)He calls QN “little brother”赵鼎 (Zhào Dǐng)”将秦诺的生意交待给得力的徒弟，赵鼎返回凉亭，准备继续跟这个衰神儒生大战三百回合…” 大战三百回合 Baidu explanation here.大人 (dàren) -adult / grownup / title of respect toward superiors. In this case, it’s the title of respect towards superiors, especially officials. I just translated it as “Sir” for this line.　白衣人也神情凝重，盯着图纸目光闪烁。曹七 (Cáo qī)courteous “you”烧刀子 (shāodāozi) – lit. burning knife. Baidu page here. Apparently it’s an ancient name for Baijiu. According to Sohu, before liquor was called “Baijiu”, it was called “shaojiu” (烧酒/燒酒; “burning liquor”) or “gǔlièjiǔ” (古烈酒; “ancient strong alcoholic drink”). And people liked to call it “shāodāozi” (烧刀子; “burning knife”) “From Wikipedia: “Baijiu, (Chinese: 白酒; pinyin: báijiǔ; lit. ‘white (clear) liquor’), also known as shaojiu (烧酒/燒酒), is a Chinese colourless liquor typically coming in between 35% and 60% alcohol by volume (ABV).””blankness” like “Huh? Wha? What’s going on?” kind of reactionI don’t know. I translated the raw pretty literally here. Raw: 弓如惊弦，箭如闪电.  My guess is that it probably means something like “the bowstring went fwip” (sound effect of the string being released) and the arrows went “whooshhhh.” Maybe 弓如惊弦 was supposed to be referencing “马作的卢飞快，弓如霹雳惊弦”?he refers to himself as “this subordinate”