While the students were praising the Fourth Prince, a bookstore took out a cheaper kind of paper, which cost only one penny.

The paper is snow-white and delicate, and writing on it is smooth and does not smudge. Compared with the slightly yellowed paper that costs five cents, the difference is obvious.

It happened that the Fourth Prince was attending a poetry competition, so someone took out this paper for comparison.

A student asked, "Is this also the paper made by Your Highness? Why is it cheaper than before?"

"Of course it's because the Fourth Prince is kindhearted and couldn't bear to see us poor students without paper."

"Why is this good and cheap paper being sold so cheaply? Is the Fourth Prince making any money?"

The Fourth Prince listened to the discussions of those around him. Even though he knew the paper was not his, he neither admitted nor denied it. He said ambiguously, "Whether we can make money or not is secondary. As long as we can support the craftsmen, that's all that matters. The most important thing is that everyone has books to read and paper to use."

As soon as he finished speaking, the eldest prince walked out from the crowd. He clicked his tongue twice and said, "Your answer is so ambiguous. People asked you if you had the paper made, but you didn't say."

Someone then asked, "Brother, the Fourth Prince's words are very clear. He made the paper. Otherwise, why would he support the craftsman?"

Others said, "Yes, if it wasn't the Fourth Prince who did it, then who could it be? Only the Fourth Prince cares about the scholars of the world and works for their well-being."

"Who are you to question the Fourth Prince like that?"

The eldest prince pointed at his nose and asked the fourth prince, "Fourth prince, who am I? Tell them."

The Fourth Prince had an ugly look on his face. On that day during the county examination, the First Prince and the Third Prince stood beside the Crown Prince, and had already drawn a clear line between them. Today they openly questioned him. Was this surrendering to the Crown Prince?

The eldest prince looked at the fourth prince in silence, sneered and shook his head: "Forget it, forget it. If fourth brother doesn't want to talk, then I will tell you. I am the eldest prince. I know who made this paper."

The eldest prince picked up a piece of snow-white paper, shook it gently, and said, "This paper was made by the current crown prince. It took over a year of research and countless manpower and resources to manufacture. The cheapest raw materials were selected to ensure that the paper was flexible and not easily smudged, and secondly, the cost was kept low."

As he spoke, he counted the time on his fingers and said, "The papermaking incident happened after the Crown Princess's divorce and before she met the Crown Prince. So, the Crown Princess has always been concerned about the empire, not her status or reputation."

"When His Royal Highness the Crown Prince learned of what she had done, he also gave his all to help her, but he did not take any credit for it, unlike Fourth Brother..."

The eldest prince sighed and shook his head: "Fourth brother, it's inappropriate to take credit for other people's achievements, isn't it?"

With a loud bang, the crowd seemed to explode, and everyone was talking about it:

"What do you mean?"

"I understand what the eldest prince said. Was the paper the fourth prince was selling for five cents a piece made by someone else?"

Someone spoke up for the Fourth Prince: "He's still a prince, so why would he make paper? He must have ordered his subordinates to do it. His thoughtfulness is a blessing for all students."

"Yes, didn't the Crown Princess also ask the craftsmen to make these papers?"

The eldest prince shook his head. "The art of papermaking is extremely complex. Not only does it require someone to take the lead and spend money, but it also requires someone to come up with recipes and ideas. The fourth prince didn't get involved from beginning to end."

The students asked curiously, "Who did this?"

The eldest prince didn't keep the secret. "Of course it's Mrs. Lu Bai, Marquis of Pingyang. She's so willing to work so hard for the Fourth Prince. It's truly admirable."

Some students even came to the defense of the Fourth Prince:

"Since they were working for the Fourth Prince, it's only natural that he cared deeply about the students and ordered this. This doesn't negate the Fourth Prince's contribution."

"Yes, but why is the wife of the Marquis of Pingyang running around for the Fourth Prince? Doesn't the Marquis of Pingyang mind having his own credit taken away?"

Nowadays, women are all vassals of men, so Bai Wanyi's achievements will naturally be regarded as Lu Yan's achievements.

The eldest prince shook his head upon hearing this. "This is their family affair. How should I know? I just saw someone taking credit for the Crown Princess's work today, and I felt unfair, so I said a few words. Everyone, remember, this snow-white paper was made by the Crown Princess. Okay, I have things to do, so I'll be leaving now."

After the eldest prince finished speaking, he turned and left, leaving the fourth prince standing there with a sullen face.

Qin Wan!

It’s Qin Wan again!

He enjoyed the good reputation brought by cheap paper, but within a few days, she actually came up with even cheaper paper!

The Fourth Prince gnashed his teeth in hatred as he listened to the students praising the current Crown Princess.

But facing the questioning looks from everyone around him, the Fourth Prince had to put on a generous front: "Marquis Pingyang's wife thought she was a woman, and Marquis Pingyang is not one to seek fame and reputation. Besides, the papermaking workshop is also my property, so she gave me the credit."

"We are partners, and the Marquis of Pingyang is supportive. However, since everyone knows this, please help clear the name of the Marquis of Pingyang's wife. She is a woman who doesn't care about her own reputation and works hard for students all over the world. She is truly worthy of admiration."

The Fourth Prince could only bring up Bai Wanyi and praise him again and again.

Upon hearing this, the students who had long since joined the Fourth Prince immediately echoed, "Yes, it's truly admirable that a woman can achieve such a feat."

"The Crown Princess is also a woman." Someone muttered.

Of course, some people had strange thoughts: "What kind of luck does this Pingyang Marquis have? The Crown Princess is his ex-wife, and Lu Bai is the current Pingyang Marquis' wife. Both women are extraordinary people."

When the Fourth Prince saw someone mention Qin Wan, he immediately spoke up again, "Our original intention in making paper was to consider everyone's needs. Now that we have cheaper and better-made paper, I'm very relieved."

He raised his glass again and said, "I promise everyone here. The craftsmanship of making paper will continue to improve. In the future, the paper made by my paper mill will also be sold for one penny per piece. You can use it with confidence."

Every penny and every knife cost, the Fourth Prince felt heartbroken as if blood was dripping from his body. In the past, he would never care about the gain or loss of these silver coins, but in the past year, he spent his silver like water without receiving any results.

This paper was sold for five cents before, which was not very profitable, but paper is used in huge quantities, so a lot of money can be made by selling at a low profit but in large quantities. Now it is sold for one cent, which is really a waste of money.

As soon as the Fourth Prince finished speaking, the students immediately applauded:

"The Fourth Prince is so kind!"

"The Fourth Prince deserves the title of Wise King!"

"No, no, I am not crowned king yet, so I can't do that." The fourth prince raised the corner of his mouth and humbly rejected everyone's compliments.