Gunpowder Alchemy by Jeannie Lin

Hongmen,” Little Jie piped up. He fished through my pack, found the puzzle box and ran it eagerly over to his master.
    Yang took hold of the box and waved the boy out of the room, leaving the two of us alone. He glanced once more at me before bending to inspect the gleaming steel.
    â€œIt belonged to Father,” I said, my chest pulling tight.
    â€œI remember.” A heavy look crossed Yang’s face as he inspected the marks on the steel. “Other than its craftsmanship, this piece has little value in and of itself. Worth perhaps a tael or two in silver to a collector.”
    His hands traced over the metal. Unlike Chang-wei, he knew how to find the panel that triggered the opening sequence. The box came to life, gears whirring as the panels shifted to reveal the secret compartment. “What it held inside, however . . .”
    He looked to me, but I shook my head. “It’s always been empty.”
    Why had I lied to him? Perhaps it was because his appearance was still a shock to me.
    I didn’t know if he believed me, but Yang peered at the empty compartment for another few seconds before setting the cube aside.
    â€œYou were always so curious when you came to the Ministry, wanting to know everything.” His tone grew fond as he regarded me. “You look as if you have a thousand things to ask me now.”
    I started to open my mouth, but he stopped me.
    â€œThree questions; do you remember, Ling-ling?”
    It was a game we used to play. I could ask any three questions, but only three. It wasn’t that Yang was impatient with my inquisitiveness. He wanted me to learn how to choose my words with care.
    â€œWhy do you look like this?” I couldn’t help staring at his Western clothing and the shorn hair that marked him forever as an outcast.
    â€œI hate the Flower Empire,” he answered simply, using the archaic name for our kingdom. The little crooked smile never wavered from his lips. “It forsook me long before I turned away from it.”
    I started to protest but bit my tongue. Hadn’t I felt the same on nights while I lay awake, missing Father? Missing the life we once had?
    â€œSo you’ve turned yourself into one of them? One of the
Yangguizi
?”
    â€œNo.” If possible, his smile became colder. “I hate them, too.”
    Yang uncrossed his legs and straightened, waiting patiently for my final question. He was full of secrets now, with more hidden levers and compartments than that puzzle box. Whatever connections or loyalties he’d once held were long gone.
    I licked my lips, my heart pounding fiercely. “Am I in danger here?”
    For the first time, I noticed a crack in his hard exterior. A look of shock crossed his eyes. “I would never hurt you, Soling. Why would you even ask that?”
    I allowed myself to breathe easier, but not much. “You must have some idea of why I was sent here.”
    â€œI know who sent you,” he acknowledged.
    â€œThe crown prince thinks you have Father’s gunpowder formula.”
    His mouth twisted. “We worked on a thousand different experiments, a hundred different combinations.”
    â€œThe empire needs that formula to power its warships to fight against the foreigners.”
    â€œThe imperial court denounced our work and now they seek it like some elixir.” With a snort, Yang uncrossed his legs and straightened, turning away to deposit the puzzle box into a drawer in the desk. “You have more reason to hate the empire than I. The imperial navy failed because of pride and ignorance, yet Master Jin was the one who paid with his head. Why do you want to help them?”
    â€œI don’t care about the Emperor’s war. I care about my family,” I told him truthfully. If we don’t do anything, the foreigners will take it all.”
    My impassioned speech failed to move him. Lifting a long coat from the wall, he worked his arms into it.