Chapter 82 The Changes in the Wang Family
That night, Wang Huanzhi and his strategist Wang Zhang came to the East Market.
The East Market in the working-class district was also bustling, but it was far less luxurious than the West Market.
Even the bustling crowds and the numerous restaurants and theaters couldn't compare to the wealth of the West Market, but the vendors' cries and the sheer number of people made it more vibrant and lively than the West Market itself.
However, it was already late at night, and it was winter, so even though it was not yet the curfew time stipulated by Da Ning, the vendors on the East Market Street had already left, and most of the shops along the street were closed, with only some restaurants, gambling dens and brothels still lit up.
Wang Huanzhi considered himself a celebrity and rarely visited the East Market.
Or rather, he hardly ever interacted with ordinary people.
As soon as he stepped into the main street of the East Market, he frowned slightly, but out of consideration for his so-called manners, he didn't say anything and just walked forward.
Wang Zhang was slightly stronger than him, but he still kept glancing around.
Upon seeing the intertwined figures reflected in the brothel window, he quickly averted his gaze, thinking to himself how utterly vulgar it was.
When he saw the heavy linen curtain hanging at the entrance of a restaurant, he felt as if it had tainted his eyes, and there was always a sense of superiority in his eyes.
In front of the two of them was a man dressed as a waiter in a restaurant.
He bowed slightly, not daring to walk too fast or too slow, his eyes constantly watching the two dignitaries behind him.
The streets and alleys of the East Market were rather narrow, making it inconvenient for carriages to travel, which is why they walked all the way here.
Unfortunately, their destination was deep in the city, so they had to hurry along the way, braving the cold wind and snow.
Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang were wearing fox fur coats and hoods, but even so, they felt shivering from the cold as they walked.
If they hadn't known that the person who had arranged to meet with them about the new paper didn't want to reveal their identity and that's why they met here, Wang Huanzhi and his companion would have thought that someone was deliberately playing a trick on them.
They walked like this for about fifteen minutes before the waiter finally stopped.
Before them came a two-story restaurant called "Yinxulou". It looked neither new nor old, and was similar to the other restaurants on the street, even less impressive than the one they had just entered.
"Esteemed guests, this is the place." The waiter lifted the curtain at the entrance of the restaurant and pushed open the door.
The warmth of the room instantly filled the air, and Wang Huanzhi and his companion immediately stepped inside.
The restaurant was fairly clean and tidy, with many tables and chairs on the first floor, and several tables of guests were dining.
Everyone looked over when they saw the two people come in. Some people were curious and inquisitive when they saw that the two were dressed expensively, but others did not dare to look for long and avoided their gaze.
Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang subconsciously pulled their hoods up to cover their faces more completely.
Meeting with the paper maker was nothing shameful, but for the dignified head of the Wang family and elders to come to such a small restaurant was still a bit embarrassing.
The waiter led the two of them upstairs.
The second floor consists of private rooms and guest rooms.
Upon arriving at a private room, the waiter gently knocked on the door a few times. Hearing a response from inside, he opened the door, let Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang in, and then closed the door and left.
As soon as Wang Huanzhi entered the room, he looked up at the person sitting at the table.
It was a middle-aged man wearing a mask and a straw hat, so his face was not visible. Judging from his figure, he was rather short and stout, with a large belly.
"Please have a seat, both of you." The man stood up and pointed to two other chairs at the table.
Wang Huanzhi walked over and sat down, as did Wang Zhang.
The man waited until they were seated before sitting down himself.
Then he raised his hand and poured hot tea for Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang, handing it to them and saying, "You two have come all the way through the snow, it must have been hard for you. I really didn't want to show my face, so I hope you can forgive me."
These words and actions showed great respect, which greatly dispelled the anger that Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang had felt during their journey through the wind and snow.
However, they were still somewhat angry, so they didn't bother with formalities with the man and said directly, "We won't have any tea. You sent someone to bring us here, so you must have decided to cooperate with my Wang family, right?"
The man then dropped the formalities and said, "The Wang family is the foremost scholarly family in the land, and with such fine items as Langya Gold Paper, I naturally wish to cooperate with them. However..."
He paused deliberately, then looked up at Wang Huanzhi.
When Wang Huanzhi met his eyes, he saw that the pupils were brown and the eye sockets were deep-set. At first glance, he did not look like a person from the Central Plains, but rather like someone from the Western Regions.
So they came from the Western Regions.
Wang Huanzhi had a plan in mind, and his guard was lowered somewhat.
“Just what?” he asked.
The man said, "However, there are always two forces within the Wang family that have been in contact with me. I wonder if there is any reason for this?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Huanzhi immediately exchanged glances with Wang Zhang.
It seems the information they had heard earlier was correct; Wang Qichen, that rebellious son, had also managed to get in touch with this paper maker.
However, it now seems clear that Wang Huanzhi, the head of the family, is the better choice.
Wang Huanzhi was even more eager to get those new paper contracts quickly, fearing that if he acted coy, Wang Qichen would beat him to it.
At that time, he will truly be trampled underfoot by the other party.
However, in negotiations, one should not reveal one's bottom line. Therefore, Wang Huanzhi did not directly state the price he could offer, but instead said, "Both sides are naturally members of the Wang family. We just wanted to find more opportunities, so we split into two groups. Unexpectedly, we have both become connected with you."
Upon hearing this, the man seemed relieved and smiled, "With Patriarch Wang's words, I am at ease."
Wang Huanzhi remained silent, but Wang Zhang spoke up, saying, "The volume of transactions in the new paper business is enormous. I wonder if you could show us some new paper so we can know whether the money was well spent."
As he spoke, his gaze fell on the table.
There was a rectangular wooden box on the table from the beginning, the same size as the paper that Da Ning was using now. Wang Zhang noticed it as soon as he entered the room and guessed that it must contain "Yaotai Qing Paper".
However, they still wanted to see the appearance of the Yaotai Qing paper with their own eyes first, and also to find out if the Western Region merchant really had new paper.
The Western Regions merchant then said, "Rest assured, gentlemen. I have been doing business for decades and never cheat."
As he spoke, he reached out and opened the box, carefully taking out a sheet of Xuan paper from it.
Pure white, supple, smooth and delicate, it seems like a divine object.
Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang looked over, their gazes both momentarily stunned.
It's really good paper!
Few members of the Wang family disliked literature and calligraphy, and naturally, they also loved the Four Treasures of the Study.
The Wang family was involved in all sorts of crafts, including writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, but they were most famous for the paper they made.
But the piece of paper in front of them completely overturned their previous impression of "paper".
Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang finally understood why this paper had become famous in the capital even before it was sold; it was no exaggeration.
The Western Region merchant looked at the two of them, spread the paper in his hand on the table, and said, "You two may take a look."
Wang Huanzhi immediately reached out and gently stroked the smooth paper with a slightly frosted texture.
Wang Zhang was the same.
"This paper looks smooth, but it feels a bit rough to the touch, making it perfect for writing," Wang Zhang remarked.
Wang Huanzhi also loved it dearly.
Yes, only such paper is worthy of his poems.
Once he gets his hands on the method for making this paper, he will definitely rewrite all the poems he has written before.
If this story is passed down to future generations, they will surely worship it.
Seeing that the two of them were completely absorbed in this, the Western Region merchant asked, "What do you two think?"
Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang were taken aback, realizing that they had both been somewhat out of line, and quickly composed themselves.
"Not bad," Wang Huanzhi said calmly. "May I ask how much you're asking for for your papermaking technique?"
"Papermaking technique?" the merchant laughed. "You two have probably misunderstood. I don't sell formulas, I only sell finished paper."
Wang Huanzhi and the others had actually guessed it beforehand.
Such a lucrative business allows papermakers to obtain a continuous stream of income simply by holding the formula and process, which is far more profitable than a one-time buyout.
"What is the price of the finished paper?"
The three chatted inside for most of the hour before Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang left.
However, they now had a rectangular box in their hands containing two new sheets of paper, a gift from a merchant from the Western Regions.
They also gave the merchant ten gold ingots that he carried with him as a deposit.
Before dawn tomorrow, the Wang family will need to send someone to deliver three more boxes of gold to a small inn in the west of the city, at which time they will also be able to receive the first batch of new paper.
There are thirty in total.
Things are valued for their rarity.
Each of these thirty sheets of paper could fetch an astronomical price from the Wang family, and would once again bring them fame.
Moreover, once Wang Huanzhi obtains the right to sell the new paper, his status will be far higher than Wang Qichen's. Not only will he be more secure in his position as head of the family, but he might also be able to find a way to transfer the position of young master to Wang Wenyao.
All these factors combined mean that the value of these thirty sheets of Yaotai blue paper far exceeds that of the three boxes of gold.
Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang both felt they had made a great deal, but fearing the merchant might regret it, they left the East Market after signing the contract, both behaving calmly.
We'll discuss everything once the transaction is completed tomorrow morning.
Nearly a quarter of an hour after they left, the Western Region merchant got up, left the private room, and turned to walk towards the guest rooms further inside.
After knocking on the door of one of the rooms and going inside, the Western Region merchant removed the disguise from his face and head.
If Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang were here, they would be surprised to find that this person clearly still looks like a person from the Central Plains, only his eyebrows and eyes are more deep-set than ordinary people, which makes him look somewhat like a person from the Western Regions.
After shedding his disguise, the man bowed respectfully to the person leaning against the soft couch by the window and said, "Young Master, the contract has been signed."
He stepped forward, placed the ten ingots of gold he had just received on the table, and said, "This is their deposit. Just as you predicted, they will send over three more boxes of gold tomorrow."
The young man in the pink shirt propped his face up with one hand, his eyelashes fluttering slightly, and his cunning fox-like eyes slowly opened.
He looked at the cold-faced man and said lazily, "You've worked hard. Take two ingots of gold and buy some wine."
The man had always known that his young master was generous, and upon hearing this, he was still delighted.
Two ingots of gold!
How much alcohol could that be enough for him to drink?
"Thank you for the reward, young master." The man bowed.
"Go ahead, go early tomorrow, don't keep them waiting," Wang Qichen said.
The man then turned and left.
The next day.
At noon, after lunch.
It was rare for almost all the clan elders to gather in the Wang family council hall. The two main seats were occupied by the patriarch Wang Huanzhi and the Minister of Rites Wang Zhiyuan.
The seats and tea tables in the next few rows were arranged according to the rank and status of the officials.
Young Master Wang Qichen sat to his left, while Vice Minister of Revenue Wang Pengyi sat opposite him. Behind them were other clan elders, who were of higher status than the two above them.
People like Wang Ruzhen, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Wang Yu, Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel, and Wang Zhang, a clan elder, were all familiar faces.
Another one was Wang Huanzhi's second son, Wang Wenyao, on whom he placed high hopes and doted on since childhood.
Wang Wenyao was neither an elder nor an official, so he could only attend the meeting because of his status as the son of the head of the family, but he could only sit at the end of the table.
He raised his eyes, his gaze seemingly falling on the pale pink figure at the head of the table.
Only by becoming the young master can one ascend to that high position and have the opportunity to compete for the position of the next head of the Wang family.
As if sensing something, Wang Qichen suddenly looked at him.
Wang Wenyao's face was cold and stern, displaying the same aloof demeanor as Wang Huanzhi.
Wang Qichen curled his lips, casually withdrew his gaze, and didn't take him seriously at all.
His opponent was never Wang Huanzhi's son, but Wang Huanzhi himself.
There was no evidence that Wang Huanzhi was responsible for his mother's death, but that didn't matter; he was determined to take revenge anyway.
And the matriarch of the Wang family who rose to power by stepping on his mother's corpse will also have to pay the price she deserves.
Once everyone had arrived, Wang Zhiyuan turned to look at Wang Huanzhi and asked, "Does the Patriarch have summoned us here today for some important matter?"
He had long ago noticed a rectangular wooden box, about the size of a sheet of paper, on the table between him and Wang Huan.
It seems that Wang Huanzhi has obtained "new paper" and specially invited everyone over to show it off.
Wang Huanzhi and the others were referring to this sentence. Upon hearing it, he smiled faintly, displaying an air of serene elegance.
“There is indeed something I need to tell you all,” Wang Huanzhi said. “The Yaotai Blue Paper that has been widely discussed in the capital recently actually comes from the Western Regions. I searched for a long time and finally reached a contract with the paper maker yesterday. This morning, I also spent three boxes of gold to obtain the latest thirty sheets of Yaotai Blue Paper.”
These words caused an uproar in the audience.
"That papermaker is so mysterious, yet the patriarch was able to find him. He is truly remarkable."
"Thirty sheets of new paper, good heavens! These days, even a single sheet of paper is worth a fortune, and to get thirty sheets for just three chests of gold is truly..."
Some people rushed to flatter Wang Huanzhi, some had already started dreaming of getting rich, but others asked the most important question.
"I just wonder if the papermaker will regret it and refuse to sell it to us after selling it for such an exorbitant price?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Huanzhi raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet before saying, "Don't worry, everyone. I have already signed an agreement with him, ordered a hundred sheets of new paper, and even sent someone to accompany him back to his residence."
The words were not explicitly stated, but most people understood them.
Wang Huanzhi had no intention of engaging in long-term business cooperation; he simply wanted the papermaking technique.
Therefore, he ordered a large quantity of paper, forcing the paper maker to make paper again. Wang Huanzhi ordered his men to secretly follow the paper maker so that they could find the papermaking location and try to learn or even steal the secret formula for papermaking.
A highly profitable business.
Everyone understood, but it would be really bad if this got out. The Wang family valued their reputation the most, so naturally no one said anything.
If they really cared about saving face, they could have simply told Wang Huanzhi to conduct business in a fair and square manner.
But when faced with the prospect of personal gain, their pride seems utterly worthless.
The crowd showered Wang Huanzhi with praise and flattery, but he remained aloof and indifferent, never uttering a word of modesty, clearly enjoying it immensely.
Wang Zhiyuan and Wang Pengyi, along with other elders of the young master's faction, looked down on him.
Wang Qichen found it amusing.
He did indeed laugh.
He laughed softly, but Wang Huanzhi, who had been paying close attention to his expression, noticed it immediately.
"Qi Chen," Wang Huanzhi looked at him and said calmly, "Why are you laughing?"
He put on a "strict father" demeanor, and anyone who didn't know better would think that he had a good relationship with Wang Qichen and his son.
But now, who among the people in the hall doesn't know that the two of them are irreconcilable enemies?
But while he can pretend, Wang Qichen can pretend even better.
The young man looked at Wang Huanzhi with a smile and said, "I'm smiling because I'm happy. I'm happy for you, Father."
Wang Huanzhi's lips twitched slightly, as if he had seen through Wang Huanzhi's "impotent rage".
"The proper order of ruler and subject, father and son," he said. "You are still young, so you should listen to your father more often so that you can go further in life."
This means that no matter how much power Wang Qichen gains, he can never defeat his father.
Wang Qichen, however, was not annoyed. He still smiled and said, "Father, you've said so much, why don't you take out that new paper and show it to us? Are you trying to trick us?"
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at Wang Huanzhi.
They didn't think Wang Huanzhi would lie; they just wanted to see the rumored new paper.
Wang Zhiyuan gave Wang Qichen a deep look, then turned to Wang Huanzhi and smiled, "Young Master is right. Why don't you ask the Patriarch to bring out some new paper for us to see?"
Since he had spoken, Wang Huanzhi naturally had no choice but to respond.
However, he originally intended to show it to everyone, since seeing is believing, and he wanted to demonstrate his abilities in front of everyone.
So they opened the box on the table, and inside were pure white, supple papers that immediately drew gasps of amazement.
Wang Huanzhi smiled and looked towards the end of the seating area, saying, "Wenyao, take the new paper to the elders for them to see."
He intentionally showed that he valued Wang Wenyao highly, and also gave him the opportunity to gain recognition in front of others.
Wang Wenyao was not intimidated. He stood up and agreed, then walked to the table, picked up the not-too-heavy wooden box, and showed it to Wang Zhiyuan.
Then proceed in sequence.
Wang Wenyao deliberately went around in circles, drawing everyone's amazement before returning to the front to show Wang Qichen.
Wang Qichen glanced at it and laughed, "Father is really funny, trying to fool everyone with this piece of paper."
"What?" Wang Huanzhi frowned.
Wang Wenyao stared intently at Wang Qichen and said in a deep voice, "Brother, this paper is soft, pure white, neatly cut without any rough edges. It is several times better than our Langya gold paper in every way. How can it be called a sham?"
"What's your hurry?" Wang Qichen sat with his legs crossed on the chair, his slightly curly long hair cascading over his shoulders, looking relaxed and casual.
He pointed to the paper in the box and said, "I don't mean the paper is bad, but there's only one sheet, not thirty."
He then looked at Wang Huanzhi and smiled slightly, saying, "Father, you've been tricked, haven't you?"
Wang Zhang had been paying attention to Wang Qichen's reaction from beginning to end, and now, hearing his words, he felt a little flustered for some reason.
Wang Huanzhi scoffed, "Ignorant. The remaining paper is naturally underneath this one. How can there only be one sheet?"
Wang Pengyi, the Vice Minister of Revenue, suddenly stood up and said, "Young Master, what you say makes sense. What if the merchant only put new paper on top and the rest are ordinary sheets of paper?"
“Minister Wang, you are overthinking it,” Wang Huanzhi said. “I have personally inspected such an important business deal.”
Perhaps to prove himself, he got up and walked to Wang Wenyao, reaching out to gently pick up the top piece of paper.
Just as he was about to ask Wang Wenyao to show the rest of the papers to everyone, he suddenly froze, his pupils shrinking sharply.
Wang Wenyao also saw what the second piece of paper looked like, and his expression changed drastically.
"What's going on?" Wang Pengyi leaned over to take a look, feigning confusion, then exclaimed in surprise, "Wait, why is this paper moldy?"
Upon hearing this, everyone wanted to gather around and take a look.
Wang Pengyi had already snatched the box from Wang Wenyao's hand and poured out the remaining twenty-nine sheets of paper inside.
The papers rustled and scattered on the ground.
Upon closer inspection, everyone noticed that the yellowed, rough paper had faint bluish-black mold on it, making it look even worse than the ordinary paper piled up and rotting in the warehouse.
"What... what's going on?"
The crowd was in a state of chaos, but they vaguely guessed what was going on and all looked at Wang Qichen.
"Wang Qichen! It was you! You're the one who ruined me!" Wang Huanzhi had obviously guessed the reason, and he was so angry that his hands were trembling. He had completely lost his usual composure and arrogance. "How dare you play me!"
He checked all the papers one by one, and they were all fine at the time. How come they are all moldy and yellowed now?
It could only be that Wang Qichen did something behind the scenes!
Wang Wenyao was afraid that he would get sick from anger, so he quickly went over to support him.
Wang Qichen did indeed tamper with things.
He nodded readily in agreement and said with a smile, "Father, you should be glad that it was me this time. If it had been someone else, the Wang family would never have been able to recover this money."
Wang Huanzhi trembled all over: "You, you—"
Wang Qichen didn't give him a chance to continue his madness.
He turned to look outside the hall, raised his hand and clapped twice. Then, the door to the hall opened, and several servants carried in four large boxes.
When the boxes were placed on the ground, everyone immediately recognized that three of them were boxes containing gold from the Wang family's storeroom.
There was another box with the words "Yaotai Bookstore" printed on it.
In an instant, everyone understood what was going on.
The servants who carried in the boxes opened all three boxes, but the three boxes of gleaming gold didn't even attract the attention of the crowd.
All eyes were on the inside of the fourth box.
The pure white and supple paper inside—isn't that the priceless Yaotai Blue Paper?
"No, impossible!" Wang Huanzhi's teeth chattered as he said this one. "This one is the fake one!"
However, Wang Zhiyuan, Wang Pengyi, and others had already gone over, and each of them carefully took out a new piece of paper from the box.
All the papers were exactly the same pure white, like snow and moonlight. Wang Huanzhi felt his blood rush to his head and almost fainted.
Wang Qichen glanced at him and said with a half-smile, "Father, are you so excited because you are proud of me?"
“If that’s the case, then let’s make Father happier.” He looked at Wang Huanzhi’s increasingly unpleasant face and his smile deepened. “This Yaotai Qing Paper has been my property from the very beginning.”
Wang Huanzhi was so angry that he could no longer hold on and actually fainted.
I don't know if it was anger or shame.
"Father!" Wang Wenyao held him tightly, but he was already thin and weak, and could not support a person who had completely fainted. He staggered and fell to the ground. The father and son were both in a sorry state.
Wang Qichen immediately adopted an anxious expression and called to the servant, "Can't you see that the master is so happy he's fainted? Hurry up and help him back!"
The servants hurriedly carried Wang Huanzhi out.
Wang Wenyao got up from the ground, staring at Wang Qichen with bloodshot eyes, but said nothing. He angrily took a step and ran out after Wang Huanzhi.
Wang Qichen didn't care. He turned to look at everyone in the hall and said with a smile, "Thank you all for coming to watch the play today. Later, I will have someone send each of you two sheets of new paper for you to enjoy."
As he spoke, he bowed to the crowd.
Previously, the father and son had been at odds, but it had never been made public, so everyone had their own biases.
But in today's open match, anyone with a discerning eye can see the tricks of the trade.
This young master is far superior to the patriarch.
He was far superior to Wang Wenyao, the second son on whom the family head had placed high hopes, but who only knew how to bury himself in books.
Everyone smiled and chatted with Wang Qichen. Even the clan elders who had previously been indifferent to him were now smiling, clearly starting to side with him.
Wang Qichen dealt with these people with ease, moving among them like a pink butterfly, chatting and laughing.
Wang Pengyi and his grandfather Wang Zhiyuan stood at the back of the crowd for a while, then laughed and said, "They've really grown up."
I still remember when the late Madam passed away, Wang Qichen was just a little boy, kneeling on a prayer mat in plain clothes. He should have been too young to know anything, but his beautiful fox-like eyes were filled with unspeakable sorrow and helplessness.
At that moment, Wang Pengyi thought that he should protect this child.
Wang Zhiyuan glanced at his grandson, who had always been soft-hearted, chuckled, and turned to walk away.
Wang Pengyi followed, and then heard his grandfather say, "You have a keen eye; you saw his extraordinary nature early on."
"No, not at all," Wang Pengyi said with a smile. "At first, I just felt sorry for the child and wanted to take care of him. But over time, we've become like brothers."
"Okay." Wang Zhiyuan let out a long sigh of relief. His originally straight and tense back seemed to relax a little at this moment, as if he had put down some heavy burden.
at night.
Chu Jiubian was just about to go to sleep when he heard a system notification that Wang Qichen was requesting an audience.
He then summoned his men to enter the divine realm.
Qin Xiao changed into a brand new undergarment, not even tying the sash. He turned around and saw Chu Jiubian already huddled in the quilt, only his eyes showing.
He walked to the bedside, lay down, and lifted the blanket to cover himself, but his chest and upper body were exposed.
The dim lighting inside made the man's honey-colored skin appear even more alluring and suggestive.
Chu Jiubian's gaze fell uncontrollably on the man's prominent collarbone, then slowly moved downwards.
It was the same yesterday, and he thought Qin Xiao had done it unintentionally, but it's the same today.
How could the angle of exposure be just right every time?
Furthermore, muscles are soft when relaxed, but Qin Xiao's muscles were always hard to the touch of Chu Jiubian.
Therefore, when Qin Xiao was in front of him, he always deliberately showed off his superior muscle lines.
Chu Jiubian raised her eyes and met the man's gaze.
Their eyes met, and the two suddenly spoke at the same time.
Qin Xiao: "Want to touch it?"
Chu Jiubian: "Are you seducing me?"
Chu Jiubian: "..."
Qin Xiao chuckled softly, then suddenly turned and moved closer to Chu Jiubian.
Chu Jiubian instinctively stepped back, but Qin Xiao easily trapped him in his arms, holding his hand and pressing it against his chest muscles.
“I said it before,” Qin Xiao said, “Touch me if you want.”
Chu Jiubian hesitated, but finally closed his eyes and decided to follow his heart.
"Go to sleep," he mumbled.
Qin Xiao laughed, the vibration in his chest transmitted through his palm to Chu Jiubian, making his heart tingle slightly.
The lights inside went out, plunging the room into complete darkness.
Chu Jiubian closed his eyes, feeling the steady and powerful heartbeat under his hand, and gradually relaxed.
After an unknown amount of time, Qin Xiao loosened his grip on his wrist, and the man's breathing became long and even.
She fell asleep.
Chu Jiubian opened his eyes, only to be met with complete darkness.
After waiting a while, until his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could vaguely make out Qin Xiao's blurry outline.
After watching quietly for a while, he closed his eyes and sank into the realm of the gods.
Wang Qichen was examining the chairs of Si Tu Zhaoling and Jiang Shuoye when he heard the High Priest's voice. He quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Greetings, High Priest."
"Hmm," Chu Jiubian asked, "What brings you here?"
"I did something today," Wang Qichen said, his eyes bright, as he recounted what had happened at the Wang family that day.
Then he said, "The Yaotai Qingzhi paper has already started selling, and more than a dozen copies have been sold in just one afternoon."
Scarcity drives up value, and Wang Qichen currently only wants to make money from the powerful and wealthy, so his pricing is naturally outrageously high.
Even so, many people still flocked to buy them. If Wang Qichen hadn't controlled the quantity, several hundred copies would probably have been sold today.
He took most of the money he received that day and brought it into the Divine Realm.
The purpose of this meeting with the High Priest was to deliver money. The reason he was in such a hurry was because he knew that the northern desert region needed money.
When Jiang Shuoye went to the Divine Realm before, his clothes were patched, so he must have needed money.
Little did he know that even though Jiang Shuoye had money, he couldn't bear to buy himself a new set of clothes; he used it all to buy new clothes and extra meals for the soldiers.
Chu Jiubian thought about it for a moment, and since he was indeed short of money, he accepted it.
However, after he calls Wang Qichen, there's no need to send him any more money yet; we'll talk about it later if needed.
The national treasury is in better shape than before, but after the palace examination, the court will make more and more changes, and the expenses will only increase.
Therefore, he needed to find some more business for Qin Xiao.
In southern Xinjiang, the silk business has stabilized, and cotton can be planted in the spring, which will bring in another large sum of money.
But that wasn't enough. Chu Jiubian thought he should have Si Tu Zhaoling go and see if there were any "rubber trees".
Rubber has a wide range of uses. If we can find it and make use of it, combined with the inventive abilities of Si Tu Zhaoyao and the engineering scholars, there will surely be unexpected benefits.
In Hexi County, Han Yuandao also instructed the people to plant sweet potatoes.
Once high-yield crops are available, more people will rush to plant them in the second half of the year, which will solve most of the food problem.
They have food, money, and an army.
Chu Jiubian had already begun preparing for the possible war that might follow.
But these alone are not enough; he also needs military equipment.
Warhorses and weapons are needed.
Weapons are easy to deal with. Jiang Shuoye will continue to build more steel mills and produce more weapons, which will then be able to equip the armies other than the Mobei Army.
As for warhorses, they cannot be directly seized from the Tatars for the time being, so we can only trade with the Jurchens for the time being.
However, there was no rush. Chu Jiubian planned to discuss the specific procedures with Qin Xiao after the palace examination.
As the date of the palace examination drew closer...
Chu Jiubian was also extremely busy every day, not only preparing for the day of the palace examination, but also for the "parade of officials" after the examination, which is commonly known as "riding a horse through the streets".
However, he did not tell the students about this matter. He only asked someone to lead the students to practice horseback riding. Even Qin Xiao and Baili Hong did not know what he was busy with all day. When asked, he would just say, "You'll find out when the time comes."
Therefore, the two of them looked forward to the day of the palace examination with increasing anticipation.
More and more people came from the capital, including martial arts practitioners.
Qin Chuan saw many friends, but also some with bad reputations, and would tell Qin Xiao, who would then tell An Wuji to be more careful.
As the day of the imperial examination drew closer, the students, apart from practicing horseback riding at the city defense camp, basically stayed at Qingyun Tower, spending their days chatting about the possible questions and exam formats.
Since they were all confirmed to enter the Imperial Academy, and many of them were candidate believers who had appeared in Chu Jiubian's cards, their character was guaranteed, so the students got along exceptionally well and became close when they chatted with each other.
Before they even officially became "classmates," these 65 people had already formed a bond.
It was all done in an orderly fashion amidst the busyness.
The first day of the third month in the second year of Jingrui.
The long-awaited imperial examination has finally arrived.
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