Chapter 6

Damn it! Feeling utterly disheartened, Yun Ye’s heart turned cold. For thousands of years, no matter how much things changed, even if thrown to Mars, the temperament of the officials remained the same—self-righteous and self-smart. Could these traits be genetic? The actions of the military officer instantly drained Yun Ye of any interest in doing anything. "I am but a speck in the vast sky; why should I meddle in so many trivial matters?" Thinking this, he took off the backpack from Wangcai’s back, took out the salt bag, divided some for himself, and placed the rest in the trembling hands of the woman. He then put the backpack back on and led Wangcai out. Zhang Cheng, covered in mud, was still rolling around, but when he saw Yun Ye about to leave, he scrambled over and tightly hugged Yun Ye’s legs. "Young Master, you can’t leave! Have mercy on us warriors!" Tears streaming down his face, he shouted, "Commander, I swear on my head, Young Master Yun can definitely extract edible salt from the brine!" He yelled at the commander.

Seeing Zhang Cheng at his feet, Yun Ye’s anger could no longer be contained. He kicked Zhang Cheng away and strode to the commander. "Apologize to Uncle Zhang, or I’ll let you cut off my head, but you won’t know how to extract the salt!" He said coldly, staring at the commander.

The commander, however, calmed down and slowly said, "At the third watch last night, two soldiers galloped back to the city, knocking on the gate in the middle of the night. This was the first time in my jurisdiction in Longyou. We had to hoist them up in a basket to learn that someone could extract edible salt from brine. I immediately reported this to the General of the Left Wuwei, who was overjoyed upon hearing the news. If this method works, not only will the army no longer lack salt, but the Qiang rebellion can be quelled with a single move. We could even sell salt to Tuyuhun, as their conflict with Tubo is mainly over salt. This would make them a buffer for our Tang Dynasty. So, I left the city at night, brought all the tools you needed, and galloped here, only to see a child making grandiose claims. How could I not be angry? Zhang Cheng’s crime of false reporting is unpardonable. I beat him to show the General that I have punished him, hoping to save his life. Are you still being stubborn?"

The coldness in Yun Ye’s eyes slightly diminished. Although the man was despicable, his heart wasn’t bad, and he knew how to protect his subordinates. Coming from a military family, he wasn’t lacking in skills. However, his noble face, which looked down on everyone, made Yun Ye extremely uncomfortable. To get benefits without paying a price was impossible.

"Zhang Cheng has done me a favor. You humiliated and beat him, and no matter the reason, it cannot quench the fire in my heart. Let’s make a bet. If I can’t extract the salt, I’ll give you my head. If I can, you let Zhang Cheng beat you, and you can’t fight back. What do you say?"

The commander was taken aback but quickly said firmly, "As you wish. If you can’t extract the salt, I’ll cut off your head with my own hands to fulfill your vow."

Yun Ye chuckled, ignoring the commander’s scowl, and turned to Zhang Cheng. After checking that he was fine, he felt relieved. Zhang Cheng, looking like a panda, was still grinning at him. This face was already a mess.

"Where are my things?"

"They’ll be here in half an hour."

"Why, in Longyou, there’s no lack of salt, and the salt mines are easy to find. Have you never tried to extract edible salt from them?"

"The brine is toxic."

"Poison from snakes can be detoxified. Can’t the brine be detoxified?"

"Can’t we just detoxify the soldiers every time they eat salt?"

Yun Ye almost fell over at this ridiculous answer, looking at the commander with a gaze that saw him as an idiot. He decided not to discuss any scientific issues with him, as it would only hurt himself.

The carriage arrived, and the supplies were abundant. Besides the sieves, iron hammers, iron chisels, hemp cloth, charcoal, wooden buckets, and iron pots, there were even five hand-cranked stone mills. After a thorough inspection, Yun Ye found everything he needed. He turned to the commander and said with a smile, "Extracting salt is a simple task. After seeing your intelligence, I believe you will need my help in the future. I am a petty person. If you need my help, you must let Zhang Cheng beat you once for each favor. No cheating."

The commander stopped his furious subordinates and clasped his hands. "I now believe you can extract salt. If the soldiers no longer lack salt, what does it matter if I get beaten? I hope you win."

Less than five miles down the river, there was a salt mine. The commander brought 300 men, all burly. The road was difficult, and the large carts couldn’t pass, so the supplies were divided and carried by the men. Yun Ye and the two women, along with Wangcai, walked in the middle. In less than an hour, they arrived at the salt mine. The commander ordered the men to level a two-acre site, set up the camp, and place the equipment. He then looked at Yun Ye.

"Commander, your strength is impressive. Why don’t you knock off some salt ore?" It would be a waste not to use such strong labor.

The commander, suppressing his anger, picked up the iron hammer and struck twice, and a large piece of salt ore rolled down.

"Watch the process; I’ll only do it once." Yun Ye ignored the murderous looks from the burly men, took a small hammer, and carefully broke the large piece of salt ore into small pieces, about ten pounds. He called Zhang Cheng over, poured the salt ore into the stone mill, and Zhang Cheng started turning the mill. Brown ore powder slowly overflowed from the edge of the mill. Yun Ye collected the powder in a wooden bucket, added water, and stirred it with a stick to fully dissolve the salt. When the solution was saturated, he poured it into another wooden bucket lined with double-layered hemp cloth. Soon, the hemp cloth was full of gray-black ore residue. Removing the cloth, the solution in the bucket turned brown, lighter in color but still full of impurities. He then lined another wooden bucket with four layers of hemp cloth and filtered the solution again, leaving a light red solution. Yun Ye, seeing the impurities were filtered out, decided to detoxify it. He took a large funnel and instructed Zhang Cheng to crush the charcoal. Before Zhang Cheng could act, the commander had already crushed the charcoal into powder, probably encouraged by the changes in the solution. Yun Ye wrapped the charcoal particles in four layers of hemp cloth, stuffed them tightly into the funnel, and secured the funnel on a stand. He poured the solution into the funnel, and soon, a light blue solution slowly flowed out. He tasted it; it was good, only salty, without any bitterness. Although some salt was lost in the process, the salt that could be cooked would be absolutely edible. He set up a pot, poured the solution into it, and started boiling it. He then stood up, feeling his back ache. Making salt wasn’t easy.

"Will it work?" The commander, watching the solution bubble and foam in the pot, asked tremulously. Yun Ye knew how terrifying the profit from salt was in the Tang Dynasty. As the saying goes, "Possessing a precious jade is a sin." If he didn’t share the method, it could bring disaster. People shouldn’t be too greedy. Now, he didn’t have to worry; he might even get a reward. The commander probably forgot about the beating.

"Will it work? Can you please remove the 'will' part? The salt I cook will be better than what I used to eat, no different from blue salt." The commander shuddered. Blue salt wasn’t for eating; it was used to clean the mouth with willow branches, costing at least 500 coins per pound. Even in his wealthy family, only a few masters used it. As the water in the pot gradually evaporated, a thick layer of blue-hardened salt remained at the bottom. He removed the fire and broke off a piece to taste. "Hmm, not bad. This is salt. Uncle Zhang, throw your stuff into the river."

Before Zhang Cheng could taste it, the commander had already broken off a piece the size of a fingernail and put it in his mouth. Despite his face contorting from the saltiness, he didn’t spit it out, not even afraid of turning into a bat. The other soldiers, seeing the method work, rushed to the salt wall. Those without iron hammers used knives, especially Zhang Cheng, who was the most frenzied.

The commander wanted to talk to Yun Ye but saw him looking at him sideways. He thought, "This kid is indeed petty. But, capable people are all like this. I was rash earlier." He clasped his hands. "Young Master, your talent is impressive. I, Cheng Chumo, am in awe. I was blind earlier and acted rudely. I hope you can forgive me. As for the bet, I, Old Cheng, will pay up. Zhang Cheng, get over here!" He took off his armor and helmet. Yun Ye then noticed the guy was only about sixteen or seventeen. As a military officer, he was physically strong, but his youthful face was still evident. Zhang Cheng hesitated, making Yun Ye furious. He pushed Zhang Cheng to Cheng Chumo’s side. "Beat him." Cheng Chumo stood tall, his feet apart, looking like a master. Zhang Cheng circled around him, sometimes punching, sometimes slapping, sometimes using a powerful eagle claw, but he didn’t actually hit him. Cheng Chumo, probably tired of waiting, said, "Are you going to hit me or not? If you don’t, I’ll beat you." Zhang Cheng, his legs giving out, knelt down, crying, "Just beat me again. I don’t have the courage to hit you." This made Yun Ye’s blood boil, and he wanted to bury the guy with a shovel. But, the deep-seated hierarchy in the blood of thousands of years couldn’t be overcome. Cheng Chumo, walking to Yun Ye, said to Zhang Cheng, "It’s you who didn’t hit me, not me who didn’t pay the debt. Make it clear to avoid damaging my reputation."

"Brother, how did you know this method?"

"My teacher taught me."

"A great master. Please introduce me. I’ll send people back to Lanzhou to prepare gifts and ask my father to visit."

"Are you sure you want to meet my teacher?"

"Meeting such a great master would be a regret for three lifetimes if I didn’t."

"Then just slit your throat; you’ll meet my teacher soon enough."

"What do you mean?"

"My teacher has passed away. If you insist on meeting him, that’s the only way."

"Oh, heaven doesn’t protect the virtuous. Such a talented person dying young is a great loss to the world."

This guy, full of regret, his face twisted, but the excitement in his eyes betrayed him. Yun Ye decided to focus on the salt and ignore this hypocrite.

The salt was scooped out of the pot, about two to three pounds. This was much more efficient than boiling seawater. Sixteen pounds of ore produced three pounds of salt, which was already good. Cheng Chumo took it and weighed it. "Three pounds. Good. This salt mine could produce millions of pounds of salt. Ha, our army will no longer lack salt. Brother Yun, please accept my bow."

"Our army fights for the country. As Tang men, we put life and death aside. A simple method to extract salt is nothing to boast about."

"Good man. Cheng Chumo patted Yun