That night, Wang Huanzhi and his advisor Wang Zhang went to the Eastern Market together.

The Eastern Market in the commoners district was very busy, but it was far less opulent than the Western Market.

This included the passersby, as well as the various restaurants and theaters in the area, but the shouting of vendors and the swelling crowds gave it a more lively and bustling atmosphere than the Western Market.

However, it was now late at night during winter, and even though curfew had not yet arrived, the street vendors had all packed up and almost all of the shops along the street were closed, with only a few restaurants, gambling dens, and brothels still lit up.

Wang Huanzhi considered himself to be a man of high social standing, and rarely visited the Eastern Market.

Or rather, he had almost no interactions with commoners.

He frowned slightly upon stepping onto the main street of the Eastern Market. But, mindful of maintaining his composure, he didn’t react further and simply continued onward.

Wang Zhang’s reaction was slightly better, but his eyes still darted around nervously.

When he saw intertwined figures through the window of a brothel, he quickly averted his gaze and thought to himself, how distasteful and vulgar.

Even the sight of the thick, coarse linen curtain hanging in the doorway of a restaurant seemed to offend his eyes, and his gaze carried a perpetual hint of arrogant disdain.

In front of them was a man in the garb of a restaurant server.

He walked slightly bent at the waist, not daring to walk too fast or too slow, and constantly kept track of the two high-class figures behind him in his peripheral vision.

The streets and alleys in the eastern part of the city were quite narrow, making it difficult for carriages to pass through, which was why they were on foot.

Unfortunately, their destination was deep within the market, so they were forced to brave the biting wind and snow as they hurried on their way.

Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang were wearing fox fur cloaks and hoods, but even so, they shivered with cold throughout their journey.

Had they not been aware that the papermaker wished to remain anonymous, which was why he had chosen this location for the meeting, Wang Huanzhi and his companion would have suspected that someone was playing a trick on them.

When they had walked for about fifteen minutes, the servant finally stopped.

They also spotted a two-story restaurant named “Silver Lining Tower.” It looked neither particularly old nor new, much like the other restaurants on the street, but seemed even more inferior than the first one they had seen.

“This is the place, esteemed guests,” the servant said, lifting the curtain at the entrance of the restaurant and pushing open the door.

Warmth immediately spilled out from within, and Wang Huanzhi and his companion quickly stepped inside.

The interior of the restaurant was fairly clean and tidy, with many tables and chairs on the first floor where several groups of customers were having their meals.

When these people noticed someone entering, they all looked over. Seeing how expensively these two were dressed, some people observed them with curious scrutiny, while others dared not look too closely and averted their gazes.

Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang instinctively tightened their hoods to better hide their faces.

Meeting the papermaker wasn’t anything to be ashamed of, but the esteemed head of the Wang family and a family elder coming to such an inferior restaurant was somewhat embarrassing.

The servant led them both upstairs.

The second floor consisted of private rooms and guest chambers.

Upon reaching a private room, the servant knocked on the door. After receiving a response, he opened it and ushered Wang Huanzi and Wang Zhang inside, then closed it again and made himself scarce.

As soon as Wang Huanzhi entered the room, he looked up at the person sitting at the table.

He was a middle-aged man wearing a mask and a straw hat, which made it impossible to distinguish his face. But judging from his build, he appeared to be rather short and stout, with a protruding belly.

“Please have a seat, both of you.” He stood up, gesturing toward the two other chairs at the table.

Wang Huanzhi went over and sat down, and Wang Zhang did the same.

The man waited until they were both seated before retaking his own seat.

Then he poured tea for Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang, and said as he handed it to them: “Thank you both for traveling all this way through the snow. I apologize for not being able to reveal myself, and I hope you can understand the circumstances I am under.”

His behavior was very respectful, which went a long way toward mollifying the anger Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang had felt during their arduous journey through the snowstorm.

But their anger still existed in some form, and therefore, neither of them bothered with offering the man pleasantries: “We’ll skip the tea. Since you sent someone to escort us here, can we presume that you’ve decided to partner with the Wang family?”

The man also dispensed with formalities, saying: “The Wang family is the most prestigious scholarly family in the world, and possesses the valuable Langya Gold paper. Naturally, this one would like to partner with the Wang family. Only…..”

He deliberately paused, then looked up at Wang Huanzhi.

When Wang Huanzhi met his gaze, he noticed that the man’s eyes were brown and deeply set. He didn’t look like someone from the Central Plains, but rather like someone from the Western Regions.

It turned out to be a foreigner.

With this idea in mind, Wang Huanzhi lowered his guard somewhat.

“Only what?” he asked.

The man said: “Only, two factions of the Wang family have made contact with me. I wonder if there is any reason for this?”

Upon hearing this, Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang promptly exchanged glances.

It seemed that the information they received earlier was correct. Wang Qichen, that rebellious son, had managed to make contact with the papermaker.

However, it was clear that Wang Huanzhi, the head of the Wang family, was the better choice.

Wang Huanzhi was even more eager to obtain the contract for the new paper quickly, fearing that if he dragged his feet, Wang Qichen would beat him to it.

Then, he would truly be trampled underfoot by the other party.

But one could not reveal their hand during negotiations, so instead of directly stating a price offer, he said: “Both groups naturally belong to the Wang family. We divided our focus in the interest of discovering more opportunities, but unexpectedly, both groups ended up making contact with you.”

Upon hearing this, the man smiled in apparent relief: “Family Head Wang’s words have put me at ease.”

Wang Huanzhi remained silent, so Wang Zhang spoke up: “The volume of any transaction in the paper business is enormous. I wonder if you could show us some of the paper so that we can know whether the money spent will be worthwhile?”

As he spoke, his gaze fell toward the table.

From the beginning, a rectangular box the same size as the paper regularly used in Great Ning had been sitting there. Wang Zhang had spotted it the moment he entered the room, and surmised that it must be the Yaotai Green paper.

However, they still needed to see the Yaotai Green paper with their own eyes first, and also determine if this foreign merchant actually had it in his possession.

The merchant then said: “Rest assured, gentlemen. This one has been doing business for decades, and has never cheated.”

As he spoke, he reached out and opened the box, carefully retrieving a sheet of rice paper from it.

It was pure white and supple, smooth and delicate, like a divine artifact.

Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang stared forward, momentarily stunned.

This was truly good paper!

Few members of the Wang family disliked literature and calligraphy, and were naturally fond of the Four Treasures of the study.

Their family possessed a wide range of expertise in making writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, but they were the most renowned for the paper they manufactured.

But the sheet of paper in front of them completely overturned their previous impression of what paper could be.

Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang finally understood why this paper had become so famous in the capital even before sales had begun. The rumors were no exaggeration.

Observing their reactions, the foreign merchant spread the paper out on the table and said: “Please take a look, gentlemen.”

Wang Huanzhi immediately reached out and gently stroked the smooth, slightly matte-textured paper.

Wang Zhang did the same.

“This paper looks smooth, but has some texture when touched, making it perfect for writing,” Wang Zhang remarked.

Wang Huanzhi couldn’t bring himself to part with it.

Indeed, such paper was worthy of his poetry.

Once he got his hands on this papermaking method, he would certainly rewrite all of his poems on this paper.

His works would be passed down to future generations, who would surely admire them greatly.

Noting their unwavering focus, the foreign merchant spoke up: “What do the two gentlemen think?”

Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang were slightly startled. Realizing that they had forgotten themselves, they quickly regained their composure.

“It is good,” Wang Huanzhi said in a mild voice. “May I ask how much you intend to charge for the papermaking technique?”

“Papermaking technique?” The merchant said with a smile, “There seems to have been a misunderstanding. This one isn’t selling the technique – just the finished product.”

Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang had actually guessed that this was the case.

Such a lucrative business would allow the papermaker to obtain a continuous stream of income simply by holding onto the formula and technique, which was much more profitable than a one-time buyout.

“Then what is the price for the finished paper?”

The three discussed the matter for almost an hour before Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang departed.

They now had the rectangular box in their hands, which contained two sheets of the new paper, a gift from the foreign merchant.

They had also given the merchant ten gold ingots as a deposit.

Before dawn, the Wang family still needed to send three more boxes of gold to that small inn in the eastern part of the city. At that time, they would be able to receive the first batch of the new paper.

Thirty sheets in total.

Scarcity created value.

The Wang family would be able to sell each of these thirty sheets of paper at a sky-high price and elevate their name once more.

And if Wang Huanzhi were able to obtain the manufacturing rights to this new paper, his status would be far higher than Wang Qichen’s. Not only would he be able to secure his position as Family Head, but he might also find a way to transfer the position of heir to Wang Wenyao.

Combining all of these factors, the value of these thirty sheets of Yaotai Green paper far exceeded three boxes of gold.

Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang both felt as if they had stumbled upon a fortune, but fearing that the merchant might have second thoughts, they left the Eastern Market very quietly after signing the contract.

Discussion could wait until the transaction was completed tomorrow morning.

Nearly a quarter of an hour after they left, the foreign merchant got to his feet and left the private room, turning to walk toward the guest rooms further inside.

After knocking on the door of one of the rooms and going inside, the foreign merchant removed the disguise covering his face and head.

If Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang were still present, they would have been shocked to find that this person actually looked like someone from the Central Plains. It was only that his brow and eyes were more deep-set than the average person’s, which gave him the appearance of someone from the Western Regions.

After shedding his disguise, the man offered a formal bow to the person reclining on a soft couch near the window: “Young Master, the contract has been signed.”

He stepped forward and placed the ten ingots of gold on the table, saying: “This is their deposit. As you predicted, they will send over three more boxes of gold tomorrow morning.”

The young man in pink propped his face up with one hand. His eyelashes fluttered slightly as his cunning, fox-like eyes slowly opened.

He regarded the man with a calm look and said lazily: “You’ve worked hard. Take two ingots of gold and buy some food and drink.”

The man had always known that this young master was generous, but he was still delighted to hear this.

Two ingots of gold, ah!

How much food and drink would he be able to buy with this?!

“Thanking the Young Master for this reward.” The man bowed with his hands clasped.

“Go on. Get an early start tomorrow so as not to keep them waiting,” said Wang Qichen.

The man then turned and left.

*

*

The next day.

At noon, after lunch.

It was a rare occasion where all of the clan elders were gathered in the Wang family’s council hall. The two main seats were occupied by Family Head Wang Huanzhi and Minister of Rites Wang Zhiyuan.

The seats and tea tables in the next few rows were arranged according to rank and status.

Young Master Wang Qichen sat to the left, while Deputy Minister of Revenue Wang Pengyi sat opposite him. Behind them were the other clan elders, and those sitting to their left and right were officials of higher status.

There were many familiar faces, such as Deputy Minister of Justice Wang Ruzhen, Wang Yu, a senior official with the Ministry of Personnel, and Wang Zhang, a clan elder.

There was also Wang Huanzhi’s second son, Wang Wenyao, on whom he had placed all of his hopes, doting on him since he was a child.

Wang Wenyao was neither an elder nor an official, and although he was allowed to attend this meeting due to his status as a son of the family head, he could only sit at the end of the row.

When he looked up, his gaze fell upon a figure in pink at the head of the row.

Only by becoming the heir would he ascend to that level and be able to compete for the position of the next family head.

As if sensing something, Wang Qichen suddenly looked in his direction.

Wang Wenyao’s face was cold and stern, displaying the same aloof demeanor as Wang Huanzhi.

Wang Qichen smirked and casually looked away, not taking him seriously at all.

His opponent had never been Wang Huanzhi’s son, but rather 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 as for the main wife who had risen to power by treading on his mother’s corpse…..she, too, must pay the price.

Once everyone had arrived, Wang Zhiyuan turned to Wang Huanzhi and said: “What urgent matter has the family head summoned us here for today?”

He had long noticed the rectangular box, which was about the size of a sheet of paper, sitting on the table between him and Wang Huanzhi.

It seemed that Wang Huanzhi had obtained that “new paper” and invited everyone over to show it off.

This sentence was exactly what Wang Huanzhi had been waiting for, and he smiled faintly with an air of serene elegance.

“I indeed have something to tell you all,” Wang Huanzhi said. “The Yaotai Green paper that has been widely circulated in the capital recently actually originates from the Western Regions. After a long search, I finally made contact with the papermaker yesterday and signed a contract, and I sent over three boxes of gold this morning to secure the newest thirty sheets of Yaotai Green paper.”

These words caused an uproar.

“That papermaker is so mysterious, yet the Family Head was able to locate him. Truly remarkable.”

“Heavens, thirty sheets of the new paper. These days, even a single sheet of that paper is worth a fortune. Thirty sheets for just three boxes of gold is simply…..”

Some people rushed to flatter Wang Huanzhi and some were already dreaming of riches, but others asked the most important question.

“I just wonder if the papermaker will change his mind about selling it to us if we resell it at an exorbitant price?”

Upon hearing this, Wang Huanzhi raised a hand and silenced everyone before speaking: “Everyone, there is no need to worry. I have already signed a contract with him and ordered one hundred sheets of paper. I even sent someone to follow him back to his residence.”

Although he didn’t state it explicitly, most of them understood.

Wang Huanzhi had no intention of maintaining a long-term business partnership. He simply desired the papermaking technique.

Therefore, he had placed another large order, which would prompt the papermaker to manufacture another batch. Wang Huanzhi had ordered people to secretly follow the man, which would allow them to discover the papermaking site and find a way to steal information or directly obtain his papermaking secrets.

This was a highly-profitable business.

Everyone understood what was going on, but it wouldn’t be good if word got out. The Wang family valued their reputation above all else, so no one would speak a word of this.

If they really cared so much about saving face, they should have simply told Wang Huanzhi to conduct his business in an aboveboard manner.

But when faced with the prospect of personal gain, their pride appeared to be completely worthless.

The crowd showered Wang Huanzhi with praise and flattery. He remained indifferent and aloof, never speaking a modest word as he enjoyed the attention.

Wang Zhiyuan and other members of the Young Master’s faction, including Wang Pengyi, regarded him with disdain.

Wang Qichen, however, let out an amused chuckle.

His laughter wasn’t loud, but because Wang Huanzhi had been paying close attention to his expression, he noticed it immediately.

“Qichen.” Wang Huanzhi looked at him and said softly, “What are you laughing about?”

He donned the look of a “loving but strict father,” and those who didn’t know better might even think that the father and son had a functioning relationship.

But nowadays, who among those in the hall were unaware that the two were irreconcilable enemies?

But while he could put on a facade, Wang Qichen could put on an even better one.

The young man regarded Wang Huanzhi with a smile: “Naturally, I am laughing from joy. I’m very happy for you, Father.”

Wang Huanzhi’s lips twitched slightly, as if he could see through the boy to the impotent rage hiding beneath.

“Let a lord be a lord, a minister a minister, a father a father, and a son a son,” he said. “You are still young. Listen to your father’s advice so that you may go further in life.”

His meaning was that no matter how much power Wang Qichen gained, he would never be able to defeat his father.

Wang Qichen, however, was unbothered. All smiles, he said: “Father has spoken so much, but why hasn’t he shown us the new paper? Could he be trying to trick us?”

Upon hearing this, everyone fixed their gazes on Wang Huanzhi.

They didn’t believe that Wang Huanzhi was tricking them; they simply wanted to lay their eyes on the new paper.

Wang Zhiyuan gave Wang Qichen a deep look, then turned to Wang Huanzhi and smiled: “The Young Master is correct. Why doesn’t the Family Head bring out the new paper for us to see?”

Since he had spoken, Wang Huanzhi naturally had no choice but to respond.

But he had always intended to show everyone. Seeing was believing, and he wished to demonstrate his competence in front of everyone.

Thus, he opened the box on the table. Inside was supple, pure white paper that drew gasps of amazement from everyone in the hall.

Wang Huanzhi’s lips curved upward, and he looked toward the end of the seating area: “Wenyao, take this new paper and let the elders have a look.”

He was intentionally demonstrating how much he valued Wang Wenyao, and also giving him an opportunity to gain recognition in front of the others.

Wang Wenyao had no problem with being the center of attention. He agreed and stood up, then went to the table and picked up the light wooden box, showing it to Wang Zhiyuan.

Then he proceeded in sequence down the row.

Wang Wenyao deliberately made a circle, drawing everyone’s amazement before finally returning to the front to show Wang Qichen.

Wang Qichen merely gave it a fleeting glance, then said with a smile: “Father is so impressive. He managed to fool everyone with just this single piece of paper.”

“What?” Wang Huanzhi frowned.

Wang Wenyao fixed Wang Qichen with a heavy look, then said in a stern voice: “Brother, this paper is pure white and supple, neatly-cut and without any rough edges. In every way, it is far superior to our Langya Gold paper. How can it possibly ‘fool’ anyone?”

“What are you getting so worked up about?” Wang Qichen sat cross-legged on his chair, looking casual and indolent with his long, wavy hair cascading over his shoulders.

He gestured toward the paper in the box and said: “I don’t mean that the paper isn’t good quality – I’m merely pointing out that there is only one sheet, not thirty.”

He gave Wang Huanzhi a faint smile, saying: “Father, have you been tricked?”

Wang Zhang had been observing Wang Qichen’s reactions from beginning to end, and for some reason, he felt a little ill at ease upon hearing these words.

Wang Huanzhi scoffed: “Ignorant. The remaining paper is naturally underneath the first sheet. How could there only be one?”

Deputy Minister of Revenue Wang Pengyi suddenly stood from his seat and said: “The Young Master’s words make sense. What if the merchant only placed the new sheet of paper on top, and the rest are all ordinary sheets of paper?”

“Deputy Minister Wang is overthinking things,” said Wang Huanzhi. “This is an important business deal, so I’ve naturally inspected it myself.”

In order to prove himself, he got up and approached Wang Wenyao, reaching over to lightly pick up the top sheet of paper.

Just as he was about to tell Wang Wenyao to show everyone the rest of the paper, he suddenly froze, his pupils contracting sharply.

When Wang Wenyao caught sight of the second sheet of paper, his expression changed drastically.

“What’s wrong?” Wang Pengyi asked, feigning confusion as he leaned in to take a look. Then he exclaimed in surprise, “Wait, why is this paper moldy?”

Upon hearing this, everyone started to gather around for a look.

Wang Pengyi had already snatched the box from Wang Wenyao’s hands and poured out the remaining twenty-nine sheets of paper.

The sheets rustled as they scattered across the floor.

Upon closer inspection, everyone noticed that the mottled yellow paper held traces of blueish-black mold, making it look even worse than ordinary paper piled up and rotting in a warehouse.

“What…..what’s going on?”

Everyone was in a fluster, but they could vaguely guess what had occurred. All of them turned their gazes toward Wang Qichen.

“Wang Qichen! It was you! You’re sabotaging me!” Wang Huanzhi saw through it all, and was so furious that his hands trembled. His usual composed and lofty demeanor was nowhere to be seen. “How dare you mess with me!”

He had inspected the sheets of paper one by one, and they were all fine before. Why were they all moldy and yellow now?

It had to have been Wang Qichen working behind the scenes!

Fearing that his father would anger himself sick, Wang Wenyao quickly went over to support him.

Wang Qichen had indeed tampered with the paper.

He readily nodded in agreement, saying with a smile: “Father should be glad that it was me this time. Had it been someone else, this Wang family would have never been able to get the money back.”

Wang Huanzhi trembled all over: “Y-you…..”

Wang Qichen didn’t give him a chance to fall further into rage.

He turned to look outside the hall, then raised his hands and clapped twice. The door opened, and servants carried in four large boxes.

The boxes were placed on the floor, and everyone recognized them as the containers used to store gold in the Wang family storeroom.

There was an additional box, upon which was printed the words “Yaotai Bookstore.”

In an instant, everyone came to a realization.

The servants carrying the boxes opened all three of them, but the boxes of glittering gold didn’t draw a single glance from the crowd.

All eyes were on the contents of the fourth box.

The supple, pure white paper inside…..wasn’t that the priceless Yaotai Green paper?

“I-impossible!” Wang Huanzhi’s teeth chattered as he spoke. “Those are fake!”

But Wang Zhiyuan, Wang Pengyi, and others had already gone forward, each of them carefully plucking a piece of paper from the box.

All of the sheets were a uniform snow white. Wang Huanzhi felt the blood rush to his head and almost passed out.

Wang Qichen glanced at him and said with a half-smile: “Why is Father in such a state? Is it because he’s proud of me?”

“If that’s the case, I’m about to make Father even happier.” As he observed Wang Huanzhi’s increasingly unsightly expression, his smile deepened. “I’ve been the owner of this Yaotai Green paper from the very beginning.”

Wang Huanzhi’s anger surged to the point that he could no longer withstand it, and he collapsed.

It was unclear whether anger or shame was the primary factor.

“Father!” Wang Wenyao grasped him tightly, but he was thin and weak, and was unable to support a fully unconscious person. He stumbled and fell, the father and son each looking more disheveled than the other.

Wang Qichen promptly adopted an anxious expression, calling to the servants: “Did you not see the family head faint from happiness? Are you not going to help him back to his room?”

The servants rushed to carry Wang Huanzhi out.

Wang Wenyao pushed himself up from the floor and glared at him with bloodshot eyes, but no words left his mouth. Instead, he rushed out furiously after Wang Huanzhi.

Wang Qichen put them out of his mind. He turned to address everyone in the hall, saying with a smile: “Thank you all for coming to watch the show today. Later, I will have someone deliver two pieces of paper to each of you for your enjoyment.”

Having said this, he bowed deeply to the crowd.

The father and son had been at odds before this, but never so blatantly, and everyone had their own biases.

But during today’s game, anyone with a discerning eye was able to see the truth.

This young master was far superior to the family head.

He was even more superior to Wang Wenyao, the second son on whom the family head had placed all of his hopes, but who only knew how to bury himself in books.

Everyone approached Wang Qichen with smiles on their faces and an eagerness to get a word in with him. Even the clan elders who had previously been indifferent to him now wore pleasant expressions, clearly beginning to sidle over to his faction.

Wang Qichen handled them with ease, moving among them like a pink butterfly as he held lighthearted conversations.

Wang Pengyi stood with his grandfather, Wang Zhiyuan, at the back of the crowd for a while. Then he said with a smile: “He’s really grown up.”

He remembered that when the late madam passed away, Wang Qichen had been just a little boy, dressed in plain clothes as he knelt on a prayer mat. At an age when he should have been oblivious to the world, his beautiful fox-like eyes had been filled with an unspeakable sorrow and helplessness.

At that moment, Wang Pengyi had thought, I must protect this child.

Wang Zhiyuan glanced at his soft-hearted grandson, then turned to walk away with a chuckle.

Wang Pengyi followed, then heard his grandfather say: “You have a keen eye to have recognized his extraordinary nature so early on.”

“That’s not the case at all,” Wang Pengyi said with a smile. “At first, I just felt sorry for the child and wanted to take care of him. Over time, we became like brothers.”

“Good, ah.” Wang Zhiyuan let out a long breath. His tense back seemed to relax at this moment, as if he had set down a heavy burden.

*

*

Nighttime.

Just as Chu Jiubian was about to go to sleep, the System notified him that Wang Qichen was requesting an audience.

He then summoned the other man into the Divine Realm.

Qin Xiao had changed into new undergarments, and didn’t bother tying the sash. When he turned around, he found that Chu Jiubian was already huddled under the covers with only his eyes showing.

He went to the bedside and lay down, lifting the blanket to cover himself, though he left his upper body exposed.

The dim lighting in the room caused the man’s honey-colored skin to appear even more alluring.

Chu Jiubian’s gaze automatically fell upon the man’s prominent collarbones, then moved downward.

This was just like yesterday. He had thought Qin Xiao was doing it unintentionally, but then he went ahead and did it again today.

How did he manage to hit the right modeling pose every time?

And those muscles were rather soft when relaxed, but they seemed to flex every time Chu Jiubian touched them.

Every time they were alone, Qin Xiao showed off the contours of his superior muscles.

Chu Jiubian looked up and met the other’s gaze.

Their eyes locked, and they spoke at the same time.

Qin Xiao: “Want to touch?”

Chu Jiubian: “Are you seducing me?”

Chu Jiubian: “……”

Qin Xiao chuckled softly, then suddenly turned over and moved closer to Chu Jiubian.

Chu Jiubian instinctively scooted back, but Qin Xiao easily trapped him in his arms, then took one of his hands and pressed it against the muscles of his chest.

“I said you can touch me if you want to.”

Chu Jiubian hesitated, but then he closed his eyes and decided to follow his heart.

“Go to sleep,” he mumbled.

Qin Xiao chuckled, the vibration of his laughter transmitting through Chu Jiubian’s palm.

The lights in the room went out, plunging it into complete darkness.

Chu Jiubian closed his eyes, gradually relaxing as the heartbeat under his palm thumped steadily and powerfully.

An unknown amount of time later, Qin Xiao loosened his grip on his wrist. The man’s breathing had long grown deep and even.

He had fallen asleep.

Chu Jiubian opened his eyes, only to be met with complete darkness.

Once his eyes had adjusted, he could vaguely make out Qin Xiao’s hazy outline.

After staring at him quietly for a while, he closed his eyes again and sank into the Divine Realm.

Wang Qichen was examining Situ Zhaoling and Jiang Shuoye’s chairs when he heard the High Priest’s voice. He quickly stood up and bowed: “Greeting the High Priest.”

“En. What brings you here?” Chu Jiubian asked.

“This subordinate accomplished something today.” Wang Qichen’s eyes were bright as he recounted what had occurred with the Wang family that day.

Then he said: “Sales of the Yaotai Green paper have already begun, with over a dozen sheets being sold in just one afternoon.”

Scarcity drove up value, and since Wang Qichen’s current goal was to make money from the wealthy and powerful, the pricing was naturally outrageously high.

But even so, many people still flocked to buy it. Had Wang Qichen not been controlling the quantity, several hundred sheets would have likely been sold today.

He had taken much of today’s profits into the Divine Realm with him.

Delivering the funds was the reason he had contacted the High Priest, and he was so quick to do so because he knew that the money was needed in the Northern Desert.

Jiang Shuoye’s clothes had been patched when he was in the Divine Realm before, so he must be short on funds.

Little did he know that Jiang Shuoye did have money, but that he couldn’t bear to buy himself a new set of clothes, and instead used it all to purchase new clothes and extra food for his soldiers.

Chu Jiubian thought for a moment. He was indeed somewhat short on money, so he accepted it.

But he informed Wang Qichen that there was no need to send him more money, and that the issue could be revisited in the future.

The National Treasury was in better shape than before, but after the Imperial Examinations, the expenses would only increase as the court made more and more changes.

Therefore, he needed to find more ways for Qin Xiao to make money.

The Nanjiang silk business had stabilized, and cotton could be planted in the spring, which would bring in another influx of funds.

But it wasn’t enough. Chu Jiubian considered whether or not he should have Situ Zhaoling go and look for “rubber trees.”

Rubber had a wide range of uses. If it could be found and utilized, there would surely be unexpected benefits when paired with the inventive abilities of Situ Zhaoyao and the engineering scholars.

In Hexi Prefecture, Han Yuandao was also instructing the common people to plant sweet potatoes.

Once this high-yield crop was available, even more people would rush to plant it during the second part of the year, thereby solving the majority of the food scarcity issue.

He had provisions, money, and an army.

Chu Jiubian had already begun preparing for the potential war that lay ahead.

But these things alone were not enough. He also needed military equipment.

He needed warhorses and weapons.

Weapons were easy enough. Jiang Shuoye would continue to build more steel mills and produce more weapons, which could then be used to equip troops even outside of the Mobei Army.

As for warhorses, since they couldn’t be seized directly from the Tatars for the time being, they could only be traded for with the Jurchens.

However, this was not an urgent matter. Chu Jiubian planned to discuss the specific regulations with Qin Xiao after the final round of the Imperial Examinations.

And as the date of the examinations grew closer…..

Chu Jiubian was also extremely busy on a day-to-day basis, not only preparing for the examinations, but also for the “parade of officials” afterward, also known as the “Horseback Achievement Parade.”

He didn’t inform the students of this, but simply had someone instruct them in horseback riding practice. Even Qin Xiao and Bai Lihong had no idea of what was keeping him so busy every day. When they asked, he would only say: “You’ll find out when the time comes.”

As a result, the two of them looked forward to the day of the exams with mounting anticipation.

More and more people were coming to the capital, including those from the jianghu.

Qin Chuan saw many friends, but also many people with bad reputations. He would then relay this information to Qin Xiao, who could caution An Wuji to be more vigilant.

As the exam day grew closer, aside from practicing horseback riding at the city garrison, the students rarely left Clear Sky Tower, where they spent all day discussing the questions that might be asked and possible exam formats.

Since they had all been confirmed as Imperial Academy students, and many of them were Believer candidates who appeared in Chu Jiubian’s cards, the quality of their character was guaranteed. The students got along exceedingly well, and grew very close through their discussions.

Before they even officially became “classmates,” these sixty-five people had already formed bonds.

And so, amidst the bustle, everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.

It was the first day of the third month of the second year of Jingrui.

The long-awaited palace examination had arrived.

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T/N: Ah, some good old-fashioned face-slapping. You love to see it.

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Chapter 81 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 83