Chapter 75 Birthday: The Most Expensive Gift [VIP]
When Xiao Yun walked into the Golden Hall, the banquet had already begun.
Nobles in gorgeous clothes walked through the glittering palace, and everywhere was filled with the frivolous laughter of men and women and the refreshing sweet fragrance of flowers and fruits.
But even though the entire banquet was filled with carefully groomed beauties, the most eye-catching person was still Yaris.
Secretly dubbed the "illegitimate son of the god of love" by his admirers, he looked as beautiful as a goddess born from the foam of the ocean even in his simple white attire, and his long black hair, shimmering like the night, added a touch of enchanting magic to his pure white.
The nobles who were invited to attend the event observed him from various angles, lamenting that if the Grand Duke was not so beautiful and elegant, his simple and casual attire would surely make him the laughing stock of the whole audience.
While discussing this, everyone's eyes invariably flickered to the Emperor sitting next to the Grand Duke. Edmund's clothing taste was already dull, and recently, for unknown reasons, his figure had become as haggard and withered as a skeleton, exuding a gloomy aura. Even those with a tolerant aesthetic would find it difficult to smile at such an emperor.
Edmund also knew that he was not welcome. When he saw Xiao Yun enter the venue, he immediately stood up and said, "Lucien!"
In an instant, the crowd quieted down - everyone had more or less realized the emperor's feelings towards the Grand Duke, and also realized that the emperor had always regarded the Grand Duke's closest brother as an enemy.
What's more, Lucien's outfit today was in stark contrast to his brother's.
He wears a black bonnet decorated with gems and fluffy white feathers on his dark brown hair, and half of his face is covered by a black velvet mask with gold trim, revealing a straight nose like a sculpture, elegant and delicate lips, and a smooth chin. The military-style dress with a short cape is also pure black, with gold embroidery and gemstones on the surface. Paired with long boots and a sword, he looks mysterious and heroic, like a dangerous lover who only exists in dreams.
"You look just like the Dark Knight protecting the Moon Princess."
Edmund scoffed glumly.
Then he said sarcastically, "Yaris loves you deeply and gave you the 'Grand Marquis of Gaura' as a birthday present. Today is his birthday. What will you give him as a birthday present?"
"I've prepared four gifts for today."
Xiao Yun raised his head and answered loudly.
“…Four servings?”
A palpable gloom crossed Edmund's face.
"Yes, four gifts, because I want to make up for the four years I spent away from home."
"Then where are the four gifts you prepared for him?"
Edmund showed obvious provocation.
Xiao Yun smiled and pointed behind him.
“Here!”
"here?"
Edmund narrowed his eyes.
Only then did he notice that the four servants behind Lucien were holding boxes in their hands.
"——What kind of valuables can be put in such a small box?! Don't think that just because Yaris loves you, you can just find anything as a birthday present!"
"I have a palace full of jewels, but the thought behind a gift is more important to me than its value!"
"Yaris, you—"
Edmund's expression became increasingly grim.
Xiao Yun smiled brightly and said, "The Flame Bead Necklace that Your Majesty gave to my brother may be a rare and precious item, but every gift I have prepared for today is worth more than the Flame Bead Necklace."
"oh?"
Edmund narrowed his eyes. "What on earth have you prepared? How dare you claim that your gift is worth more than the Flame Bead Necklace?"
Xiao Yun turned around and opened the first box.
"The first gift was a stack of paper."
"Paper?"
"Paper is not an expensive commodity for anyone present, but the paper I prepared for my brother was made of rags, fishing nets, straw, and tree bark."
"You're sending a pile of paper made of garbage and thinking it's worth more than—"
"—Lucien!"
Jarris interrupted Edmund.
He stood up excitedly because of his brother's gift, his eyes sparkling: "You found a way to effectively reduce costs and make paper affordable for more people?!"
"I have made some improvements to the current mainstream papermaking techniques."
Xiao Yun said nonchalantly, opening the second box and revealing a metal character plate.
"This is the second gift I prepared for today, movable type."
"Movable type?"
Yaris smiled with interest.
"Compared to the most primitive copying method, traditional woodblock printing can speed up the production of books. However, each page requires carving a woodblock. If a word is carved incorrectly, the entire block will be invalid. Moreover, each block can only be used to print the corresponding book. It is too inefficient and wasteful."
"Now, I have craftsmen carve all the letters that make up a word into metal character plates of uniform size. By effectively combining character plates and blank plates, we can quickly produce a full page of characters that can be used directly for printing. If a character error occurs, we only need to replace the incorrect character without discarding the entire plate. And all metal character plates can be used repeatedly."
"Um."
Yaris’ cheeks flushed slightly: “In front, the flame bead necklace is not worth mentioning.”
"What did you say?"
Edmund roared angrily, "How could something this cheap be more expensive than an average Flame Bead?"
“They are indeed cheap, but that’s also because they are cheap, things!”
"What's the meaning?"
"Because cheap means most people can afford it."
“…”
Edmund looked at me almost bewilderedly. Why am I…"
"Over 95% of the people in the Western Continent are illiterate. Even in the capital of Guangming, known as the cultural and literary center of the Western Continent, nearly 80% of the civilians in the lower city can only write their own names fluently. Are these people born with a dislike for writing? No, most civilians are illiterate simply because they can't afford to read or buy paper!"
"So you, your brothers—"
"Yes."
Xiao Yun said forcefully.
His eyes sparkled, and he exuded a steely determination to change the world.
"Cheap paper and books can give more people the opportunity to access and master knowledge."
"And then? What will happen then?!"
Edmund screamed, "Once the lower-class civilians master knowledge that doesn't belong to them, they'll yearn for more, bringing chaos to a once peaceful world! Provoking war! Causing massive death!"
"Is this your attitude toward knowledge?"
Yaris asked in return: "The gods have never stipulated that knowledge must be in the hands of a specific person. As the emperor of the mortal world, what qualifications do you have to decide the ownership of knowledge on behalf of the gods?"
"you--"
"Knowledge is a gift bestowed upon the world by the gods. It exists equally and widely in every corner of the universe, waiting for life to discover and master it. Every living being is qualified to become the master of knowledge."
"... Yaris! You will pay for what you said today one day!"
Edmund stared at Jarris angrily.
Yaris ignored him and looked at his brother tenderly: "Lucien, what surprises do you have planned next?"
"Well..."
Xiao Yun felt a little embarrassed.
Because these things—
(LA, is this really okay?)
[The Master is pushing the entire world forward to fulfill the special mission entrusted to you by fate.]
(All right……)
Taking a breath, Xiao Yun opened the third box.
"this……"
The nobles standing beside him were stunned.
The box contained golden grains the likes of which they had never seen before.
"What is this?"
Edmund said sarcastically, "Could it be the grain from the White Kingdom mentioned in the ancient books?"
"Whether it originated in the White God Country, I'm not sure, but it does have extremely high yields and improved resistance to pests and diseases. Furthermore, its growth cycle is staggered with wheat, allowing it to be intercropped with wheat, increasing land utilization while allowing farmers to harvest more food and reducing the incidence of famine."
"So you think I'm a bad ruler who can't guarantee the people's food and clothing needs?"
Edmund's face looked so gloomy that it could have rained.
"Edmund—"
"You want to speak for him?"
"No, I'm just reminding you—compared to the founding of the Yula Dynasty over two hundred years ago, the registered population of the Sun Empire has tripled, and only 50% of the newly reclaimed land has been cultivated. The situation in other countries is similar. In fact, all the land suitable for habitation and cultivation in the entire Western Continent has been fully developed. The king has only two ways to acquire new land: either attack neighboring countries or send troops into the wild lands that are still occupied by animals, plants, and mysterious demons."
"Furthermore, according to the calculations of the numerical professors at the Royal Academy, the Western Continent will see its population double again within the next fifty years, unless a fierce war sweeps across the entire continent and causes massive civilian deaths."
"—What exactly do you want to say?"
"With the development of civilization, the population continues to grow, but the land available for cultivation is limited. We must find higher-yielding crop seeds and more scientific and efficient planting methods now, before the contradiction between population and land erupts."
"Oh!"
Edmund snorted coldly, then said in a strange tone: "As long as you brothers are here, the Western Continent will not fall into disaster, and the people of the Western Continent will be immersed in happiness. It's a pity that you are a weak and sickly person."
"I will do my best to help my brother live longer."
Xiao Yun blurted out.
"It's a very natural thing. Everything you have now comes from your brother."
"Yes."
Xiao Yun said calmly, not at all offended by the provocation hidden in Edmund's words.
"...Last month, Adrian completed his calligraphy and entered the palace to serve."
Edmund said suddenly, "I remember he was your roommate and even challenged Canoa Duren to a duel to defend your brother's honor. Of course, Duren was eventually imprisoned for blasphemy and poisoned by one of Yaris's fanatical admirers."
"Durham's death has nothing to do with us brothers."
“It doesn’t matter!”
Edmund shamelessly stated, "Adrian suggested to me that we form a knightly order composed entirely of Dalavian knights to guard the royal capital. I wanted to agree to this loyal and resolute young man's request, but I was also worried that he would do something that would bring shame to the family for love. After all, his father, the current Duke of Dalavia, Adlon, is still a knight of Grand Duchess Anna, and he is even more infatuated and impulsive than his father."
"Edmund, the Duke of Dalavia, as a Viscount before officially inheriting the title, led the Dalavian Knights to guard the capital. This is an ancient tradition that has been passed down for over five hundred years. Adrian is simply fulfilling his duties according to tradition. Don't overthink it."
"Am I overthinking it?"
Edmund laughed dryly and looked at the Prime Minister who was as inconspicuous as a bat behind him: "Ulysses——"
"Your Majesty, His Highness the Grand Duke's explanation is correct."
"Since you insist so, I can only accept it. However, I still have some doubts and concerns about Adrien. He is too young and too innocent... Love is irreplaceable to him..."
"If Adrian makes an unforgivable mistake out of impulse, Adlon will be the first to stop him."
"Yeah?"
Edmund squinted his eyes again, examining the two. "Alright, I'll accept your proposal for now. May the empire's prosperity and stability last forever. Of course, if you, Yaris, have twin sisters, or if my sister is chosen by the oracle to be your wife, then a true and permanent bond will emerge between the Yula Royal Family and the Holy Family."
"In the past three thousand years, no royal princess has ever been chosen by the oracle to become the legal wife of the high priest upon his return to the secular world, nor has the Holy Family ever given birth to fraternal twins."
"Why? Is it because of God's will?"
"Yes, from the day the Holy Family was born, its fate was controlled by the gods. They had no say over life, death, or reproduction."
"Like a pet that's been kept in a cage since childhood, petted and played with by its owner?"
"Perhaps."
Yaris showed a kind and lovely smile: "Edmund, let's end this heavy topic and appreciate the last gift that Lucien brought."
"I almost forgot about the serious matter."
Edmund looked at Xiao Yun and said, "The one that comes out last is usually the best. So, Lucien, what is the best gift you have prepared for today?"
"It's a tube of medicine."
Xiao Yun opened the last box and took out the penicillin encapsulated in a crystal bottle.
"What good is it?"
Yaris stared at the liquid in his brother's hand with a fascinated look.
"It's called penicillin. It can treat common inflammations including pneumonia, puerperal fever, and tetanus. Of course, like most medicines, penicillin isn't a panacea. The conditions it can treat are very limited, and its preparation methods are strictly standardized. With current technology, mass production is difficult."
"It's okay. We can gather all the science guilds, magic guilds, and medical associations in the Western Continent to work together to overcome the difficulties of production."
Yaris looked at his brother tenderly: "The four gifts you gave me are the best and most expensive gifts I have ever received since I was born. Compared to your four gifts, any gifts given by others are not worth mentioning."
"I think—"
"The above evaluation is a completely objective one, stripped of any kinship between you and me."
Yaris opened his arms and hugged his brother tightly: "I am now absolutely sure that you are the child of miracles. If you are the child of miracles, any incredible thing can happen for nothing."
"elder brother……"
Xiao Yun couldn't help but look at Edmund beside him. The latter's expression was so ugly that it was beyond words.
I feel like he's about to—
It doesn't matter. Don't worry about Him.
As if provoking, after letting go of his brother, Yaris looked at Edmund with a smile on his face: "Your Majesty also completely agrees with my point of view, right?"
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