The Idle Man of Zhenguan Intercepts Wu Zetian at the Start

Wu Xu walked calmly across the covered bridge. The papers on these filters were carried across a ditch with burning charcoal, and then laid out one by one on bamboo poles like cloths to dry. In just a moment, they were collected into the greenhouse in order of their order and neatly stacked together. In the Tang Dynasty, where paper was as precious as gold, the production speed of each sheet of paper in Plum Garden was only a few breaths.

A new gate had been installed in the courtyard wall of the plum garden. Many villagers were lining up outside the wall to have their chopped straw weighed. A box of copper coins was placed next to it. After each load was weighed, they could immediately receive a few copper coins. Wu Xu did not recognize Zhou Youniang. Seeing her arranging the weighing and payment, the coldness in his eyes intensified.

Once the straw was collected, it was poured into another large pool filled with a white slurry, still bubbling and steaming. Wu Xu coldly said:

"No wonder this scoundrel was reluctant to hand over the paper mill to me. He can cut a hundred small sheets of paper from just two or three large sheets of paper. Even if they only sell for a hundred coins, with this speed of papermaking, money will soon flow in like a river."

Wu Xu had only said this casually to Wu Shun. Dong Yao was injured and had nothing to do. Today was also the first day of official paper production, so she had prepared the compost and pulp early in the morning and had Kan Yue and the others carry it over. She herself was in the greenhouse checking the quality of the paper when she came out and heard these words, which immediately made her furious.

"Who are you calling a lecher? If it weren't for the young master's kind heart in agreeing to marry you, do you think you'd still be standing here alive? In your eyes, this is money flowing like water, but the young master only wants all the people in the world to be able to read. These hundred sheets of paper are priced at no more than ten coins. If you were to use them to amass wealth, how would you be any different from those ruthless, bloodthirsty noble families?"

Wu Xu's anger surged to the top of his head. How dare this little girl talk back to her mistress! Turning around, he saw Dong Yao staring at him with an icy expression, clearly not taking him seriously. Wu Xu's face changed instantly, and he burst into laughter:

"So that's who dared to be so bold. It turns out you're relying on the Empress's backing. But don't forget, I am His Majesty's betrothed wife. If I don't agree, Changsun Dan can forget about marrying you. However, as I said last night, I will not interfere with his life, but if you dare to push your luck, then you'll be his maid for life!"

After saying that, she proudly raised her head:

"If he hadn't ruined my reputation and used prophecy to smear my Wu family, how could I have married such a despicable scoundrel? His stupidity will only lead to his own demise. Do you think this thousand-year-old family is made of paper? Do you think you girls can protect him for life?"

Before Dong Yao could even speak, the old, weak, and disabled soldiers carrying straw outside the door couldn't stand it anymore. The old man weighing the straw in front of them, his face red, stopped looking at the scale and angrily said:

"Young lady, I don't know which family you come from, yet you look down on our county magistrate. Have you ever seen such a good person as him in this world? He not only built schools so our children could attend for free, but he also paid the price of coarse grains even for straw and thatch so that we, the old, weak, sick, and disabled, could have a meal. We may be crippled and old, but we are not without conscience. If anyone tries to go against the county magistrate, we, the people of this ward, will risk our lives to put on our armor again and shield him from these swords and arrows..."

Dongyao said coldly:

"Did you hear that? The school that the young master built was so that the children of Dunhuafang could study for free. The printed books were also distributed to them for free. Even if the bookstore sells them in the future, the price of books used for the imperial examinations, such as the Five Classics, cannot exceed twenty coins. He entrusted you with managing this enormous merit, not so that you could get rich and enjoy yourself!"

Hearing this, Wu Shun's cheeks flushed red, his heart surging with emotion. The county magistrate, possessing both integrity and virtue, cared deeply for the common people. He knew his actions would be fraught with danger, yet he faced them with equanimity. Such responsibility and courage—how many in this world could match that! Meiniang's treasure was right before his eyes; if he didn't cherish it, not only would the hearts of the people turn against him, but he might also lose more than he gained…

Wu Xu was also greatly surprised, his mouth slightly agape, momentarily forgetting to refute. This lecherous fellow, though sickly, actually had such ambition—to enable all people in the world to read. He dared not do anything that was not the ambition of an emperor. He usually only knew how to use hemp to make paper, but he actually collected straw at a high price to make paper, and the selling price was less than one-tenth of that of hemp paper. When did such a prodigy emerge in Chang'an? He has such extraordinary talent and such lofty ambitions, so why does he still want to smear my reputation... Even he himself almost lost his life. How much truth is there in his prophecy? For a moment, his head was spinning, and he stood there dumbfounded.

Wu Xu was, after all, the future mistress of the house. Seeing that she remained silent, Dong Yao didn't want to press the matter further. Kan Yue and the others breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Senior Sister Dong had suppressed Wu Xu's aura. Yesterday, they had seen Wu Xu being arrogant and domineering, and they were afraid that she would use her position as the mistress of the house to oppress others in the future. They were all orphans themselves, and they cherished the rare freedom and warmth of Plum Garden even more. At this moment, their expression towards Wu Xu softened a bit—she was just a willful little girl.

Changsun Dan was completely bewildered by Cheng Yaojin's words. He quickly drew up the blueprints for the recurve bow and handed them to Cheng, intending to escape immediately. However, Cheng Yaojin asked another question:

"How were you able to forge this bow in just one night?"

Changsun Dan knew that he still suspected that he had stolen the bow from the Changsun residence.

It's just a recurve bow. In later generations, it's just a toy for children and women. Men play with metal composite bows with a range of seven or eight hundred meters. It's based on very simple mechanics. With the current technological level of the Tang Dynasty, it's entirely possible to make one. It could even pierce a gas cylinder a hundred meters away. But Old Cheng wouldn't understand, so he still explained it carefully:

"Actually, the principle of this bow is very simple. Its size and composite materials are almost the same as the existing cavalry horn bows. As for the bow tip curving backward, it is exactly the Taoist idea of ​​using four ounces to move a thousand pounds. The bow body is hard, but the bow tip is soft. The bow tip curving backward increases the tension at the bow tip and reduces the tension in the bow arm. With this increase and decrease, you can use less force to pull a heavier bow."

Whether Lao Cheng believes it or not, Changsun Dan can only cling to the Taoists now. As long as Yuan Tiangang doesn't appear, no one can prove that he is a fraud.

Old Cheng looked enlightened upon hearing the phrase "using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds," and his expression relaxed considerably. He chuckled and patted Changsun Dan's shoulder forcefully.

"I truly cannot bear the thought of anything happening to you. I am asking on behalf of His Majesty. Your explanation is quite reasonable, and I will report it truthfully to His Majesty. Now, get out!"

Changsun Dan felt that this silly old Cheng was too cunning. Historians' books were ultimately just superficial. He quickly took his leave and rode off on Red Hare in a flash.

Cheng Yaojin stood at the entrance of the command tent, watching Changsun Dan leave. He picked up the Xuanhua axe with one hand, swung it a few times, and laughed heartily:

"Heroes are indeed born young, and I am getting old. Guards, prepare the carriage; I am going to the palace to meet the Emperor!"