The Idle Man of Zhenguan Intercepts Wu Zetian at the Start

"Sympathy for the Peasants, Part One"

Plant a millet in spring and harvest ten thousand in autumn.

There is no land in the world, and the farmer still starves to death.

Sympathy for the Peasants, Part Two

When the hoe was on the day of the day, Khan dripped down the soil.

Who knows that every grain of rice on your plate is the result of hard work?

Liangzhou Ballad

The Yellow River flows far up into the white clouds, a lone city stands amidst towering mountains.

Why bamboo flute complain willow, spring is not degree Pass.

Liangzhou Ballad, Part 1

Grape wine luminous cup, urge you to drink Pipa immediately.

Do not laugh at me, drunk and lying on the battlefield; how many have returned from ancient battles?

... "

Zhang Sundan felt a little guilty for copying ten poems, but the nobles of Chang'an had no idea about the hardships of ordinary people. He figured that letting these masterpieces be published ahead of time might serve as a warning to the world, and with that thought, he felt much better.

Dongyao's life was full of hardships, and she felt these verses deeply. Every word and phrase accurately struck the most vulnerable and painful part of her heart. A huge wave surged in her heart. She was shocked by the county magistrate's talent and moved by his willingness to speak out for the people.

The admiration for Changsun Dan in her eyes could no longer be concealed. She sat on the edge of the bed with her knees bent and gently pounded his shoulder with her small fist. Any one of these ten poems would have been enough to set Chang'an, or even the entire Tang Dynasty, and would have been enough to be passed down through the ages and become a masterpiece. But the young man just closed his eyes leisurely and casually recited them.

Talented men are as numerous as carp crossing a river, but most of them are driven by fame and fortune, seeking to curry favor with the rich and powerful. Their poems either praise the prosperous times or flatter the powerful. The county magistrate, on the other hand, already holds a high position, yet he still cares about the common people. The difference in their talents and character is like heaven and earth.

After Chun Chan finished recording these poems, she quietly walked to the bedside. The two girls stared at the young boy, whose brows were slightly furrowed and who was still deep in thought. They were both shocked. Unconsciously, the thin young man in front of them was no longer the dissolute fourteen-year-old prince, but a wise man standing on the mountaintop looking down on the world. He was handsome and upright. He had compassion for all living beings and was very knowledgeable. How many people in this world could match him?

Changsun Dan wasn't very interested in making money. Since he had already handed over the task of making and selling wine to Chun Chan, he was already thinking about how to establish a paper mill. According to Zhou You Niang's report, there were more than two hundred disabled soldiers and weak men in Dunhua Ward who had nothing to do.

The hemp paper on the market is mainly made of hemp scraps, supplemented with high-fiber natural wood materials such as bamboo, wood, and rattan. Not only are the material costs high, but the quantity is also relatively scarce.

The new paper they made was mainly for printing books and for people to read and write. The materials were mainly straw and reeds, which were readily available in the countryside and even piled up and rotted. If used to make paper, the households could collect them and sell them for money.

Meiyuan Garden is backed by Qujiang Pool, so water is readily available. However, a few small pools still need to be dug for soaking materials and washing paper. Thinking of this, Changsun Dan suddenly sat up. Chun Dong and the other two girls were still in a daze and were startled by the county boy's sudden action.

Seeing the two girls staring at him blankly, Changsun Dan quickly retreated to the foot of the bed and pulled the blanket over himself.

"This county boy is still young, so you mustn't have any bad intentions."

Chun Chan realized what was happening and covered her mouth, chuckling, "Thank goodness, our young master is still that shameless little merchant. I've already transcribed the poem, but who will copy the verses to be pasted on the wine?"

Changsun Dan scratched his head: "A single word from this county magistrate is worth a thousand gold pieces. Let's price the Poet Immortal Wine at twenty strings of cash first and see the market reaction. If it sells well, we'll raise it to thirty or fifty strings. Good wine only costs a thousand stickers. You and Zhang Tao'er will copy them. Anyway, your writing isn't worth much."

Dongyao suppressed a laugh and turned her head away.

Chun Chan pouted, not wanting to argue about whether her writing was valuable or not.

"Young master is biased towards Dongyao, why doesn't she have to copy?"

Changsun Dan quickly got out of bed, grabbed a piece of hemp paper from the desk, and started scribbling on it:

"The ink for printing, and some of the secret recipes for our paper mill, I need to teach Dongyao. As for the three maids in our household, see if they are suitable. If not, find a few more yourself. I will be going to the military camp the day after tomorrow. When the snow melts in the north, His Majesty may send me to Youzhou. The journey is long, so this family will depend on you."

Chun Chan and Dong Yao exchanged a glance. Entering the military camp and heading to Youzhou, the county magistrate hadn't mentioned any of this beforehand. Besides, Youzhou was a long way away, so how could they not follow along! Although distilling liquor wasn't particularly difficult, it was now the family's money bag, so they couldn't just teach it to anyone. At this moment, both of them felt a headache coming on, and at the same time, a thought popped into their minds: to find Lady Hong Fu Nu, the wife of the Duke of Wei!

Changsun Dan naturally had no idea what the two girls were thinking. The water pool to be dug for papermaking, the filter screen for pulp filtration, the bamboo screen for papermaking, including the drying rack and wooden boards, all had to be made by carpenters and bamboo craftsmen according to standards.

"Dongyao, give what I wrote to Uncle Fu and have him arrange for people to make a few sets of each. The pond will be dug in the East Garden. The East Garden is large and has many houses; it would be a waste to leave it empty."

Dongyao took the hemp paper, hesitated, and asked, "The county magistrate is getting married soon. Aren't you and your wife going to live in the East Garden?"

Changsun Dan chuckled and said, "Then let my mother stay with Wu Xu in the East Garden. I'm still young and need someone to take care of me. You two will have to learn how to serve this county magistrate."

Dongyao was seventeen or eighteen years old after all. She thought that the county magistrate meant sexual relations. Her face turned red, she spat softly, and picked up the paper to go out.

Spring Cicada called out, "Wait, I'm going too!"

As Chun Chan passed by Changsun Dan, she snorted and pinched his waist and back.

Changsun Dan winced in pain, about to utter a few harsh words, when the two girls had already run off laughing.

When they arrived at the front yard, Uncle Fu was discussing the construction of a school with Old Hu, holding a piece of paper in his hand.

"The foundation must be made of bluestone, and the wall beams must be made of the best fir wood, coated with tung oil to resist insects. The eaves should be the same size as the blue tiles used for paving. There must be a courtyard in the middle of the house, after all, it is a school, it can't be too dark. The desks and benches can be made of pine wood. In short, Lao Hu, you have the heaviest task. We must ensure quality and save money wherever possible. The county will need more workers in the future, so don't ruin your good life all at once."

Carpenter Old Hu nodded repeatedly. Last time, when they made the dragon and phoenix lanterns, he hadn't used his group, but they hadn't been shortchanged at all, and they had all received bonuses afterward. It would be hard to find another master like that in Chang'an. Besides, the county was building the school so that the children of Dunhuafang could study for free, so how could he not do his best?

"Don't worry, butler. All our carpenters have told the lumber mill that they want the best materials, and the price is 80% of the original price. With so many people saying the same thing, they have no choice but to lower the price, since they're not the only business they have."

Uncle Fu patted Old Hu on the shoulder with a smile: "You guys hurry up and get busy. You'll be in charge of this, and your wages will be calculated separately."

Old Hu responded and left happily. Dongyao handed the hemp paper in her hand to Uncle Fu:

"Uncle Fu, please have the craftsmen make the things the county needs. Also, have people dig two pools in the East Garden according to the dimensions, and make sure it is clearly written on them that they should be built with blue bricks and lime."

Uncle Fu took it in his hand and was examining it intently when Dongyao turned back and said:

"In the future, the old lady and the young lady will also live in the East Garden. This pond is used for papermaking, so you need to dig it a bit further away so as not to affect the lady's mood."

Uncle Fu stood bewildered in the wind. This young master of his was really something; of all places to dig, he had to dig in the East Garden…

Chun Chan took Dong Yao's arm:

"Let's go, it's been a long time since we've seen Madam."