Lin Wuyang, however, thought what she said was simply a fantasy. "The government has many things to do. How do you know that the government would bother with such a trivial matter?"

Qingdai couldn't help but stand up and speak up, "My young lady was trying to teach you all with good intentions, why are you all acting like you've been hit by firecrackers!"

Her words left Lin Wuyang speechless, turning him into a mute, his neck turning red from holding it in.

Lu Qiqi ignored the minor incident and continued to ask, "If the government doesn't intervene, will the students suffer any real harm?"

These words struck a chord with Lin Wuyang. He now understood that Qian Heng and his group did this to provoke their anger.

Qian Heng is probably in his residence now, laughing at them for being fooled.

After a long pause, Lin Wuyang finally said, unconvinced, "No."

This was exactly the effect Lu Qiqi wanted. Only when the students truly understood how to make straw paper from bamboo paper could they break the deadlock.

She said, "There are different prices and qualities of writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones."

Knowledge only favors the intelligent and diligent; a good-for-nothing who doesn't strive for improvement will remain a good-for-nothing.

When students were studying, whether they used Xuan paper or bamboo paper, everyone was treated equally on the day of the imperial examination.

Paper is merely a medium for presenting knowledge; the content of the article is what truly matters.

Moreover, you are all pillars of the future of the Great Jin Dynasty. When you gain the right to speak, I believe that a completely different world will emerge.

Having said that, Lu Qiqi did not linger any longer and took Qingdai to the carriage that had stopped by the street.

By the time everyone realized what was happening, Lu Qiqi had already taken a carriage and left the street corner, heading to another restaurant owned by the second master of the Chen family.

The group went to the restaurant, and Lu Qiqi ordered two tables of dishes.

She and Qingdai ate at one table, while the other table was arranged for the Shadow Guards.

When the restaurant manager learned that Miss Biao was coming to visit, he specially instructed the chefs in the restaurant to work faster.

In less than half an hour, all the dishes were served.

Lu Qiqi picked up her chopsticks and began to eat heartily.

The Shadow Guards sitting at the next table, seeing the delicious-looking and fragrant dishes, didn't hesitate to start eating.

One of the shadow guards said, "I've gained weight around my waist these past few days while following the county princess."

The Shadow Guard who snatched the chicken leg grinned happily, "My brothers didn't lie to me, following the County Princess means I'll get to eat big fish and big meat."

Before she could finish speaking, her face instantly turned aggrieved as she watched the chicken leg in her bowl being snatched away.

Fortunately, the person who stole his chicken leg was just teasing him and didn't really want to take it.

The Shadow Guard, who finally got to eat the chicken leg, smiled so broadly that his eyes crinkled into crescents.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Lu Qiqi asked Qingdai to call a Shadow Guard into the private room.

He then instructed the Shadow Guard, "Go and find out how the students imprisoned in the government office are doing."

After responding, the Shadow Guard left the private room, leaving only the master and servant behind.

Qingdai served a cup of hot tea.

Looking at the rising steam from the tea, Lu Qiqi said, "Qingdai, let's go back to the manor."

"yes!"

...

The student was imprisoned for a day and a night, but was released the same day after arguing in front of his study.

Feng Hua Academy did not pursue the matter, but simply told the students to continue attending classes with peace of mind.

On the other side, at the Ministry of Revenue's office.

Qian Heng was beaten up by a group of young men that day. Even though his page was protecting him, he still took several punches to the body and face.

Now his right eye is red and swollen, and the left corner of his mouth is purple, making him look extremely disheveled.

He lay on the chaise lounge in Qian Duoduo's room, desperately trying to gain sympathy.

"Ouch! It hurts so much! My eyes hurt, my mouth hurts, my whole body hurts!"

He called out for a long time but Qian Duoduo didn't respond, so he opened one eye and looked in Qian Duoduo's direction.

Qian Duoduo was staring at his face with wide eyes, as if admiring something new, making him feel very uncomfortable.

After a while, Qian Duoduo finally looked away and had her maid bring a bag of silver to Qian Heng.

"Well done. Tell the paper mill workers to speed things up. I want to turn the bamboo paper into waste paper within the next few days!"

Money-grubbing Qian Heng readily agreed after receiving the money.

Even his smile seemed more genuine, but his lips hurt whenever he moved, making him look incredibly ugly.

Qian Duoduo was convinced that her plan was flawless and stubbornly believed that even if Lu Qiqi realized what was happening, it would be too late.

But she didn't know that after the argument in front of the study, all her plans were destroyed.

...

Gu Shaoqing returned after leaving, not only delivering the bamboo paper Qian Duoduo had ordered, but also escorting a batch of bamboo paper with an improved formula to the capital.

Upon receiving the news, Lu Qiqi instructed the Tianlang Escort Agency to deliver all the bamboo paper to the Marquis of Lin'an's residence.

Qian Duoduo made yellow paper popular in the capital, and she could easily do the same.

So, Lu Qiqi took the bamboo paper to Chen Ziye, wanting to discuss a business deal with him.

When she was refining the formula, she made two plans.

One approach targets high-end customers, printing designs onto bamboo-textured paper, which naturally commands a higher price.

One option is to target budget-conscious customers, which is to sell ordinary bamboo-textured paper. Although the price is lower, it won't be ridiculously low considering that it's an everyday item.

In this era, straw paper will always be cheaper than bamboo paper, so finding the right market position is very important.

When Chen Ziye touched the bamboo paper, he looked Lu Qiqi up and down several times.

Perhaps because she was too surprised, she hesitated for a long time before speaking, "My daughter is really amazing. Your mother always crushed me when we were kids."

Even you, a junior, are more outstanding than me now! The younger generation is truly formidable!

Lu Qiqi knew he was exaggerating on purpose, "Second Uncle is so humble, it makes me feel ashamed."

You have spread the Chen family's business throughout the Great Jin Dynasty, if it weren't for the pawnshop you opened in Yushan Town back then.

"Ayao and I want to reunite as relatives, but I don't know how many detours we'll have to go through."

The uncle and nephew settled the business deal while chatting and laughing.

Lu Qiqi was responsible for providing the goods and transportation, while the bamboo paper was sold by shops under the Chen family.

Cooperation naturally involves profit sharing. Both of them understood that this business could only be done exclusively in the early stages, and in the later stages it would inevitably spread like bamboo paper throughout the Great Jin Dynasty.

The two finally reached an agreement to cooperate on the sale of bamboo-textured paper for one year, a mutually beneficial partnership.

Chen Ziye signed his name on the contract and sighed, "I never thought I'd be doing business with a young girl and not even gain any face."

Lu Qiqi smiled and said, "Second Uncle, it's fashionable to favor the younger generation these days. If you feel you're being taken advantage of, let's discuss this further."

Chen Ziye quickly waved his hand, "No, no, I think this is fine. If you keep talking, I'll start wanting to work for you."