Liu Bian at the start, so you're called Dong Zhuo, right?

The bailiffs left, and the official in scarlet robes slunk away, full of anger. In the blink of an eye, only whispers and onlookers remained at the street corner.

Liu Bian stood in the shadows inside the door, about to have someone lower the curtain and close the door, when he suddenly heard the rapid sound of horses' hooves and wheels coming from the alley entrance.

"Back to the headquarters, quick!"

Cao Cao's voice was very low, but it still conveyed a sense of urgency.

As soon as the car stopped, he got out and immediately saw the simple yet steady car, the two men in blue robes, and the young man holding a document standing in front of the hall.

Cao Cao's eyes narrowed.

The servants of the Yang family of Hongnong—these were people who didn't rely on fancy clothes or wealth, but on the confidence that the Yang family's vermilion seal could silence even official documents.

He instantly realized that he had indeed been "lured away from the mountain".

At the same moment, the Yang family retainer also recognized Cao Cao.

He turned slightly to the side, his gaze falling on Cao Cao, his tone remaining calm and unhurried:

"Cao Mengde?"

Cao Cao bowed respectfully, his smile neither too deep nor too shallow: "Is this business with the Yang family?"

The retainer nodded, his gaze sweeping over the two documents at the entrance of the Tongsheng Society, as if he had memorized every word—"by batch," "number," "seal"—before speaking. He then began to speak, his words seemingly casual yet each one carrying a hidden meaning:

"Just now, someone came with an order from the Governor of Henan to seal off the shops and arrest people, saying it was to investigate the smuggling of prohibited goods. We happened to be nearby, so we asked if the order had been countersigned and filed—no."

"The warrant has neither been countersigned nor filed, yet they dare to order the bailiffs to seal off the shop. This is not an investigation; it's smashing up the shop."

He paused, his gaze falling on Cao Cao's face:

"Fortunately, we made it in time. If we had been a step later, the Cao family's new business would probably have been wiped out."

—The Cao family.

Cao Cao's brow twitched, and he was about to speak to distance himself, saying, "This gathering is not of the Cao family..."

But just then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the "young master" in the shadows inside the door gently shake his head.

Are you kidding me? Would you really let an "eight-year-old prince" reveal his identity in the street and say that the Tongsheng Society belongs to the Crown Prince? That would be truly throwing yourself into the fire of factional strife.

Liu Bian knew that the eunuchs and imperial relatives were already enough to hinder him; if the Yuan and Yang families used him as a pawn, his path of "establishing rules and controlling the chain of command" would be completely distorted.

Cao Cao's heart sank, and he immediately understood.

If he doesn't take the blame, who will?

Cao Cao swallowed his words, instead straightening his back even more firmly and smiling faintly:

"Thank you for your help, Yang family. I, Mengde, will remember this kindness."

The retainer didn't seem surprised by Cao Cao's "tacit agreement," and instead went a step further, directly stating his purpose:

"Since it's Mengde who's doing this deal, then things are easy to discuss."

The Yang family retainer pressed down the document in his sleeve, as if he had taken back the "official face" and replaced it with a "merchant face".

His first words were direct and to the point:

"Sell the paper-making techniques to my Yang family."

The hall fell silent instantly.

Cao Cao's smile remained unchanged, but his heart sank: They're here.

This is what the Yang family truly wants.

Liu Bian stood in the shadows inside the door, remaining silent, but in his mind he had already begun to make plans.

He had initially thought that Yang's move was intended to establish her authority by using Yuan's "official document smashing the shop" incident; but this retainer immediately asked for a recipe—

This isn't about saving the day; it's about seizing the opportunity to close the net.

Liu Bian instantly saw through the Yang family's scheme:

Once the paper was in the hands of the Yang family, they were in charge of promotion, pricing, and printing the "name".

At that time, scholars throughout the land will write on Yang family paper, use Yang family tickets, and remember the kindness of the Yang family—

The emotional debts of a scholar can accumulate and become longer and more powerful than official positions or military authority.

Seeing that Cao Cao did not answer, the retainer remained calm and composed, speaking in a tone as if he were reasoning with him:

"Brother Mengde, please don't misunderstand. My family has no intention of taking your business."

"The benefits of this paper are not just in money. It can establish laws, accounts, and reputation. It is not a big deal if the city of Luoyang can afford it, but it is a true law if scholars throughout the land can afford it."

He smiled slightly, but the smile carried the air of entitlement that came with privileged status.

"Only if my Yang family were to push this forward could it be done. We have students and former officials, schools in prefectures and counties, and bookstores and engravers. Your little gathering might last for ten days, but not ten."

"Furthermore—" he lowered his voice, "if this matter falls into the hands of the Yuan family, Mengde, how much leeway do you think they'll leave you?"

Cao Cao's heart tightened upon hearing this, and he immediately suppressed his smile, cupping his hands in greeting:

"The Yang family's kindness is deeply appreciated by Mengde."

"But matters of recipe involve craftsmanship, rules of the association, and the elders in my family—it's not something I can decide alone. I'm afraid I can't answer that in this rush."

The retainer smiled; this meant the entire Cao family had been brought out.

Instead of forcing him, he took a step back, as if leaving Cao Cao a way out, and also as if leaving himself a backup plan:

"It's alright. In business, it's not about being slow, it's about making mistakes."

"If Mengde changes his mind, he can come to the Yang residence at any time. The price is negotiable, and so is the status."

He pointed to the seal, his tone calm yet authoritative:

"Whoever gets this paper in their hands will owe the world a debt of gratitude. Mengde should understand who to benefit from it."

Cao Cao nodded: "I've got it."

The retainers did not linger and turned to get into the carriage. Two retainers in blue robes followed on either side, gradually disappearing into the distance.

Once the guests' carriages disappeared, the breath that had been held back in the hall was finally released.

Xiahou Dun was the first to explode, the veins on the back of his hand throbbing:

"I thought the Yang family was a family with integrity, unlike the Yuan family—but what happened? They demanded 'paper documents' as soon as they opened their mouths! Isn't that still robbery?"

Xiahou Yuan, his face grim, spat towards the alley entrance: "No matter how refined they pretend to be, they're still just opportunists at heart. The Yuan family smashing up shops and the Yang family taking paper are all the same thing."

Liu Bian, however, did not join in the anger.

He stood in the shadows inside the doorway, watching the car disappear in the direction it had gone, and then gave a slight smile.

"You think they're bad because you're still judging aristocratic families by the concept of 'loyalty'," Liu Bian said calmly. "Aristocratic families don't talk about loyalty; they talk about leverage."

Xiahou Dun was taken aback: "Bargaining chips?"

Liu Bian raised his hand and pointed to the sealed paper: "This is the bargaining chip."

"The Yang family wanted the formula not to make a few strings of cash, but to control the 'writing brushes' of scholars across the land. The Yuan family wanted to close the shop not to avenge Tonglihang, but because they feared this path would slip out of their grasp."

He paused, but his eyes brightened:

"But this may not be a bad thing for us."

"The fact that the Yang family was willing to step in and stop the Yuan family shows that they were willing to fight tooth and nail with the Yuan family for the sake of 'paper.' No one else would do something like that."

Xiahou Yuan frowned: "Young Master, do you mean... to win over the Yang family?"

"Yes," Liu Bian answered readily, "but applying adhesive paper alone is not enough."

"The stakes need to be even higher."

Cao Cao's eyes flickered: "Does the young master have another plan?"

"This paper works well, but we also need a faster, more economical, and more scalable paper."

Liu Bian looked up towards the palace gate, then waved his hand:

"Wang Ming, Zhou Wen, come back to the palace with me. Meng De, you take your men back first."

They all agreed.

When Liu Bian returned to Chengde Palace, it was already dark.

Instead of going to the inner palace first, he had Wang Ming bring over the palace market accounts and inventory records, and spread them out on the table.

"The path of the palace market must not be cut off." Liu Bian tapped the booklet with his fingertips. "Father Emperor comes every two days to see something new, not to keep track of the accounts. The new experiences must continue, and the accounts must be kept more stable."

Wang Ming quickly replied, "What would Your Highness like to add?"

Liu Bian thought for a moment and chose those who were susceptible to Emperor Ling's influence:

A pair of talking mynah birds, a wooden puppet that can spin, and a few colorful playing cards that can perform magic tricks—they look simple, but in reality, they can all be purchased from the palace market in the name of the imperial treasury. They are inconspicuous, but they can keep the emperor's interest steadily high.

"These are for my father," Liu Bian said calmly.

"Remember this: go through the palace market system and enter the palace market treasury. Don't let anyone find a reason to say that it was 'privately purchased by the Crown Prince' from the accounts."

"promise."

After settling down with the novelty, Liu Bian lowered his voice slightly:

"There's something even more important."

Wang Ming bowed his head and replied, "Your Highness, please give your orders."

"I need wood, a knife, ink, and paper."

"The wood should be pear or jujube, with fine grain that doesn't crack easily; the knives should be fine carving knives, flat knives, and round knives; the ink should be pine soot, and the paper should be our batch of sized paper," Liu Bian continued, speaking steadily.

"Go to the Imperial Household Department's workshop and borrow two engravers, one skilled in engraving characters and the other skilled in grinding printing blocks. Still use the name of the Imperial Market: 'Theatrical Toy Wooden Plaques' and 'Printing Blocks'."

Wang Ming didn't dare ask any more questions, and simply nodded emphatically: "Yes."

Liu Bian's eyes lit up slightly as he thought about what he was going to do next.

This set of things should be enough to completely win over the Yang family.