Chapter 157 Only the Crown Prince is allowed to set fires, the rest are forbidden…

Upon hearing the title "Prince," Su Zhen's eyes widened for a moment, whether from disbelief or simply because she hadn't fully adjusted to it. After a brief moment, she regained her composure and bowed deeply to Fusu: "It is all thanks to Your Highness's kindness."

Fusu's eyebrows drooped.

He had always had a good impression of Su Shi's elder sister, the only thing he found unsettling was her excessive politeness and formality. She was the complete opposite of Su Shi. He wondered how his family had raised her to be like that.

"Don't thank me," Fusu said.

Su Zhen looked up in surprise and saw the young prince, who was about the same age as his younger brother, blink: "If you politely express your gratitude, what will I use to blackmail Su Shi in the future?"

Su Zhen never expected the young crown prince to answer like that. She couldn't help but smile, even letting out a hint of laughter, before quickly covering her mouth with her hand, realizing her rudeness.

But the young prince seemed completely oblivious and walked straight past her: "Have you discussed it with your family about the interview later?"

“Everything is agreed upon, and my father has also given his approval.” Su Zhen bit her lip.

"Then let's go." Fusu noticed Su Zhen's unease at a glance. He expressed his complete understanding: even the emperor would feel nervous if he knew he was about to appear on the front page of the newspaper for the whole world to read.

But I still have to say it: "The newspaper's editor-in-chief is named Shen Kuo, courtesy name Mengxi. You can relax a bit when you see him. He's been looking forward to seeing you day and night."

Are you waiting day and night... to see me?

Su Zhen's face showed deep confusion. But she didn't take it too seriously. Perhaps His Highness was just making excuses to keep her from getting nervous? The editor-in-chief of the "Seeking Knowledge" newspaper was bound to be a busy and important figure; why would he be looking after someone as unknown as her?

It wasn't until she met the legendary editor-in-chief, Lord Shen, that she realized Fusu's words were true. The busy Lord Shen, upon seeing her, excitedly bowed and said, "You must be Lady Su, the inventor of the chariot machine that could cut ten bolts of silk a day! Your refined manners are truly admirable; seeing is believing."

"Jun Jun" is a title recently bestowed by the imperial court. Even Su Zhen himself had only just received the news. Yet Shen Kuo could address her immediately. Moreover, he was very familiar with the Zhenni machine and could immediately state its uses and production volume, clearly indicating that he had heard of her beforehand.

But as one question was answered, another arose: Why did Lord Shen know so much about her?

Su Zhen was utterly puzzled. She subconsciously looked at Fusu. Fusu, however, winked playfully again, showing no intention of explaining, and instead looked at Shen Kuo: "I've brought him to you, so just ask him in person."

Upon hearing this, Shen Kuo felt a pang of breathlessness. His face flushed slightly, and he glanced at Su Zhen before looking away, saying, "I..."

Seeing this, Su Zhen's eyelids twitched, and she immediately had a bad feeling. Her eyes darted around, and she said softly, "I am already married in Meishan."

No, no, no, no! That's not it!

Upon hearing this, Shen Kuo's face drained of color, and he almost jumped up. He immediately calmed down and stopped being coy: "Lord Su, that's not what I meant! I just wanted to ask if you would like your story with Zhen Niji to be written into your notes."

Fusu added the part that hadn't been explained: "The notes were written by him and are called 'Dream Pool Essays,' which are intended to record all the wonders of the Song Dynasty. Lord Shen wants to use you and Zhen Niji as the opening chapters and asks if you are willing."

“Yes, yes, just as His Highness the Crown Prince said.” Shen Kuo nodded repeatedly: “If the Princess agrees, we can go together today to conduct interviews and gather information, which will not take up the Princess’s time.”

Su Zhen was quite troubled: "This matter requires my father's opinion before a decision can be made. I'm afraid I cannot answer you immediately."

"this……"

Fusu shook his head in disagreement: "It's better for you to make the decision yourself."

If the matter of gathering material needs to be discussed with Su Xun, and if it's necessary to inform him before going out, then whether or not Su Zhen includes the material in "Dream Pool Essays" is entirely up to him.

After all, she was the one who invented the loom. And with the newly acquired title of County Lady, equivalent to the fourth rank, she was already the highest-ranking person in the family. Her father and younger brother were not as high-ranking as her.

What need is there to leave everything to others to decide?

Fusu could tell that Su Zhen was still hesitant, after all, his words contradicted the education she had received over the past fifteen years. His dark eyes darted around, and he added fuel to the fire: "The so-called 'Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, Teacher' order, the ruler comes first, the parents come second. If I were the Crown Prince today, and you were asked to decide whether you would enter or not?"

"..."

"No matter what you think, I will personally try to persuade your father."

The promise of the Crown Prince personally acting as an envoy was too tempting, and Su Zhen couldn't resist the temptation. She nodded gently, "Then I'll trouble you."

Shen Kuo immediately looked overjoyed.

Fusu suddenly sensed something was amiss. He looked at Shen Kuo: "How many of your written exchanges have you completed by now?"

"I haven't even started writing yet..."

In other words, the Zhenni machine was the first object he recorded.

Su Zhen: "..."

What should I do if I suddenly feel like I've been tricked? Is it too late to back out now?

Fusu: "..."

It's his fault for not asking beforehand.

They only used the historical "Dream Pool Essays" as a reference, forgetting that the Shen Kuo in front of them was a youthful version.

He rubbed his temples: "When you finish writing and publish the book, remember to send a copy to the Princess for her review. It only counts if she approves."

Shen Kuo suddenly felt immense pressure. Who were Su Zhen's father and brother? They were Su Suning and Su Zhe, father and son who both passed the imperial examinations. How could a daughter and older sister be lacking in talent and writing skills under such influence? At the very least, her family would be there to guide her.

But he also knew that this might be the only chance to put Su Zhen at ease. She was a woman, and being included in the book alongside the person who made the initial request was certainly risky. He had to do everything he could to reassure her.

Shen Kuo replied with a bitter expression, "I will."

After everything was agreed upon, it was time for the formal interview. Shen Kuo had prepared the interview transcript in advance and had it reviewed by Fusu. Logically, everything should have gone smoothly, but in reality, the opposite was true.

There was no other reason; it was simply that Shen Kuo was far too unfamiliar with the subject.

Shen Kuo, like his book "Dream Pool Essays," had a rather "engineering nerd" vibe. He might be able to write thousands of words in a flash when writing, but when it came to the interview stage, he would feel awkward and clumsy, not knowing what to do with his hands and feet.

If even the host couldn't speak fluently, how could the interviewee possibly do so? Su Zhen was also affected and became quite taciturn, his answers filled with dry "oh, um, ah." The editor who was called over to transcribe the proceedings dipped his brush in ink several times, but the content hadn't even filled a single page.

This can't go on.

"Let's rest for a bit, Lord Shen." Fusu gestured for a pause. "Go wipe your sweat, I'll take over for you?"

Although the words were phrased rather tactfully, the real intention was to replace Shen Kuo with Fusu himself. While Fusu wasn't a professional journalist, he had done similar work in a student organization during his university years. He was certainly more experienced than Shen Kuo.

Shen Kuo understood, and without a trace of dissatisfaction, he left his seat as if granted a pardon. He waved his hand, signaling the editor to give him the place to copy, then gripped his pen tightly, his eyes fixed intently on the two people in the interview area.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. His Highness himself was demonstrating interviewing techniques! Shen Kuo knew very well that with Su Junjun as his first example, similar tasks would certainly be plentiful in the future. He had to seize this opportunity and humbly learn.

Fu Su didn't think much of it. He keenly noticed that after he sat down in the interview area, Su Zhen's previously tense shoulders relaxed slightly. This was a good sign. He wasn't some obnoxious paparazzi who would relentlessly press for answers, nor would he ask aggressive questions.

Relaxation is the most important thing.

"Name?"

"Su Zhen".

"gender?"

"female."

"Your age?"

"Fifteen years old."

These most basic questions, asked by the unfamiliar and stiff Shen Kuo, sounded like torture. But when asked by the semi-acquaintance Fu Su, they sounded like a childish joke. The atmosphere was completely different from before, becoming relaxed and harmonious. When answering the last question, Su Zhen couldn't help but smile.

Shen Kuo, who was standing to the side, stared wide-eyed.

I see, I see.

After quickly answering the simplest questions, Fusu got straight to the point: "Lord Su, I heard you invented a loom. Was there a reason for it? And why did you come up with the idea to invent it?"

Su Zhen hesitated slightly: "It was Your Highness who said that there was such a wondrous object in the world, so I..."

"Wait, wait!" Fusu hurriedly waved his hand: "What would it mean if you confessed to me!"

He didn't want to have to explain to everyone how he knew about the Jenny machine from the future. He certainly didn't want to try and fool people with some kind of mystical trick!

"Then how should I say it?" Su Zhen asked humbly. She had no prior knowledge of the interview script and was simply saying whatever came to mind. If Fu Su had given her prior notice, she could have made something up on the spot. Now, her mind was truly blank.

"Well, you said you happened to meet a weaver, and were moved by the hardships of people's lives, and that's how you got carried away?"

Fusu, resting his chin on his hand, was just about to come up with an excuse when he noticed the other three staring at him with expressions that said, "You can do that?"

He glared back without hesitation: "That's called artistic embellishment, understand? And Princess, when you were building the chariot, didn't you visit the weaving factory and see the weavers?"

Su Zhen lowered his head: "I've been there, I've seen it."

“That’s right.” Fusu gestured with his chin toward Shen Kuo: “Quickly memorize it.”

With mixed feelings, Shen Kuo began to take notes. Suddenly, he heard Fusu earnestly instruct him: "By the way, Lord Shen, you must not interview people like this in the future. Please try to be as truthful as possible. Never make things up for the sake of the show."

Otherwise, it would be quite amusing if a perfectly good book like "Dream Pool Essays" ended up being called "Touching the Great Song Dynasty".

Shen Kuo: "...?"

The question on his face was almost concretely formed into a large question mark hanging on his forehead.

Your Highness, what do you mean by that? Are you saying that only the Crown Prince is allowed to set fires, but we editors aren't allowed to light lamps?

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Author's Note: There will be a 10,000-word chapter on Wednesday (actually, it's just a ranking disaster [angry]).