Gunpowder Alchemy by Jeannie Lin Read Free Book Online Page B

was.
    â€œ
Imperial Highness
.” With a gasp, I dropped to the floor and tapped my forehead against the wooden floorboards.
    The man that stood before me, who I had so rudely stared at, was Yizhu, the crown prince of the empire. I pressed my head to ground two more times.
    The doors snapped shut behind me while I kept my head down and tried to make myself as still and small as possible. I was alone with the man that would one day be our Emperor.
    â€œPlease accept the sincerest apologies of this most unworthy servant,” I blurted out, not realizing until too late that I was breaking yet another rule of conduct:
wait to be addressed first
. Squeezing my eyes shut in horror, I sank even lower to the floor.
    â€œRise,” the prince said after forcing me to wait for an interminable amount of time.
    I did as he commanded and my knees shook as I heard the prince approach.
    â€œLift your head.”
    I was a puppet on a string, controlled by years of adhering to the strictest rules of etiquette.
    â€œYou are indeed the daughter of Minister Jin Zhi-fu,” he pronounced. “His Imperial Highness remembers you.”
    I felt sick inside. Yizhu’s father had ordered my own father’s execution.
    We had met once as children. A young boy had wandered into my father’s workshop one day. He looked to be the same age as me, but I was taller. Without a word, he had reached for a model of a miniature rickshaw pulled by an automaton. I snatched the model away and started to scold the boy, but a pair of imperial eunuchs burst into the room.
    They reprimanded me for offending an imperial prince and then called for a bamboo rod to be brought immediately. I was forced to hold out my hand and count out each blow as the rod struck. My father could do nothing but stand by while I was punished, and the eunuchs stopped short of breaking my hand, but I could barely move it for days.
    I was only six years old.
    â€œMaster Jin was my tutor and a great man,” the prince began. “He taught me many things.”
    â€œHis Imperial Highness’s kind words bring peace to my father’s spirit.”
    Bitterness filled my mouth even as the words spilled out. There was no apology in the prince’s tone, yet he knew my father had been blamed for the failure of an entire kingdom. There was nothing that could bring peace to his soul.
    Yizhu gestured to the table at his side. “Inspector Aguda found these in your possession.”
    My acupuncture case lay open. Yizhu picked up one of the thin needles to examine it in the light.
    â€œThe Western devils believe that acupuncture is nothing but a folk remedy. Our weapons are primitive and outdated. We are easy prey.”
    He looked directly at me and I fought the urge to duck away.
    As Prince Yizhu returned the needle to its place, I caught a glimpse of his expression. Lines of quiet anger cut deep, but only for a moment. When he raised his head, his look was impenetrable. To show emotion was a weakness.
    â€œDo you think the
Yangguizi
are correct?” Yizhu asked me. “That our ways are ancient and misguided?”
    I could sense the teeth behind the question, and I struggled to find a proper answer. “How can it be a mistake to follow tradition? Our empire is the greatest under heaven and always will be.”
    Yizhu laughed and the sound rang out flat in the chamber. “A good answer, Soling.”
    My palms started to sweat. I didn’t like that the crown prince knew my given name.
    â€œA perfect answer,” Yizhu continued. “The same answer echoed by every minister and every general that serves the dragon throne. The same answer we have heard from every scientist since the blade fell over Master Jin’s neck.”
    My chest squeezed so tight I could barely breathe. The crown prince was being cruel, but the Emperor’s son could be as cruel as he wanted to be.
    â€œBut your father once told us something different,”