Volume 1, Chapter 6: The Recipe for Xuan Paper

Gong Xinyi nodded quickly. She was sharp and naturally understood the significance of Xuan paper. Perhaps this could finally reverse some of the Great Qian Dynasty’s trade disadvantages.

As if suddenly remembering something, Li Xian asked, "Yiyi, why did your mother wait six years to find me? What has happened at home during these six years?"

Gong Xinyi paused, her large eyes blinking for a moment before she replied, "Mother encountered some bad people, and those bad people recruited others to plot against her. They discovered the connection between Mother and me, so Mother didn't want to be distracted and sent me to you, Father. I didn't expect you to be so... magical, Father."

As she spoke, Gong Xinyi looked at Li Xian with curiosity. What was her father’s true background? Was he really just an ordinary villager?

Hearing this, Li Xian asked casually, "Is it serious? Do you need your father’s help?"

Having lived a quiet, retired life for six years, he felt he couldn't just sit by now that his wife was in trouble. Could he actually do something? If his guess was correct, his wife had been facing these issues for six years and had only sent the child away under mounting pressure. It must be a truly dire situation; otherwise, how could it trouble someone skilled enough to travel without leaving a trace? Li Xian knew that martial arts experts existed in this world, but living as a landlord in a small village, he had never encountered such things.

"Hmm... not yet. When Mother sends a letter tomorrow, I will talk to her again!" Gong Xinyi replied in her soft, childish voice.

She used to think that staying here was just about hiding from trouble. But now, it seemed her father might not be an ordinary person after all. Could he really help her mother? Before sending her away, her mother hadn't slept well for months, and she would watch her sigh over the official memorials every day. If her father could offer some help...

With this thought, when the carrier pigeon arrived the next day, Gong Xinyi attached her written letter to its leg. Soon, the pigeon landed in the Empress's bedchamber.

Gong Yuyan was silent for a long time as she looked at the papermaking techniques—more than one, in fact—and her eyes were filled with complex emotions. She never expected that this kind of paper was truly his creation! Who exactly was he?

The papermaking techniques recorded on the Xuan paper would cause a sensation throughout the entire world once revealed. Not only the Great Qian, but even the neighboring states of Great Chu and Great Qi lacked such craftsmanship. At best, they used early, rough grass paper that was inferior even to parchment. That was the extent of her knowledge, and even that was a royal-improved version reserved for the palace.

The Xuan paper process she held was divided into three grades. The first grade was the best, with a complex process involving specific raw materials and precise steps. Li Xian had also added a note: keep the first-grade method secret from everyone, seal off the papermaking workshop, use only the most trusted personnel, separate the steps, and control the flow of information by any means necessary.

The second grade was secondary, and the third grade was the lowest. As the quality decreased, the materials and steps became simpler. These could be sold externally, or even exported to the Qi and Chu states.

He even went further. At the end, Li Xian wrote: "My dear, keep the superior grade for ourselves and sell it at a high price. As for the lower grade, the technique can be sold after some time, but never for less than ten thousand gold."

In Great Qian, while gold was a hard currency, silver and copper coins remained the primary means of exchange. Paper money had not yet appeared. The conversion rates were similar to what Li Xian remembered: one string of copper coins equaled one tael of silver, and ten taels of silver equaled one tael of gold. Gold was the most valuable medium of exchange.

Therefore, the "ten thousand gold" Li Xian mentioned—due to the scarcity of gold in circulation—was worth at least one hundred thousand taels of silver!

One had to realize that the annual revenue of the Great Qian national treasury was only a few million taels. Li Xian knew that during the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, the annual treasury revenue was roughly thirty million taels of silver, yet Great Qian only had a few million. This showed just how weak the national strength of Great Qian truly was.

Because there were two major vassal states, they paid little to the Great Qian suzerain beyond a set annual tax. Between these two vassal states and the territories of Qi and Chu, they occupied over five-sixths of the continent. Great Qian was essentially reduced to this small corner in the north; having an income of a million taels was already considered decent.

Knowing the state of the treasury, Gong Yuyan fell silent again upon seeing Li Xian's handwriting. He actually claimed the lowest-grade papermaking formula was worth ten thousand taels of gold? If she had that amount, perhaps the current snow disaster could be managed effectively, sparing her the constant, crushing anxiety.

After a deep breath, Gong Yuyan called out, "Qingwei."

Qingwei appeared immediately, looking at the Empress with surprise. Was she being summoned because of Li Xian again? For the past two days, the Empress had barely rested because of that sheet of Xuan paper.

"Papermaking techniques, three formulas, from difficult to easy—he has written them all down for me..." the Empress indicated.

Qingwei’s pupils constricted, and she took them to read. Her relationship with the Empress was like that of kin, so she knew all the Empress's secrets, though she never let such favor go to her head. Qingwei was merely a martial artist tasked with protecting the Empress. She knew her place and what should or should not be said.

The world said that being with an emperor was like being with a tiger, but only she knew that the Empress was actually strong on the outside and gentle on the inside. This was evident in how she treated Xinyi. Even the fact that she had forced herself upon Li Xian was an act of mercy, as she had chosen not to kill him. If she were in the Empress's position, she would have killed him without hesitation.

The imperial family should be ruthless. People like the Empress were naturally too passive. Since her ascension, she had lacked the decisiveness she once possessed, and her hesitation in many matters had emboldened the clans and vassals.

"Your Majesty, what do you think..." Qingwei asked, having finished a quick scan. That Li Xian... he had really brought the formulas. A craft like this should be kept secret; how could he be so generous? Qingwei felt a sense of goodwill toward Li Xian’s generosity.

Gong Yuyan said calmly, "Follow the three formulas and have people prepare them. I want to see the finished products before making further decisions."

Qingwei hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Your Majesty, how should we deal with the people involved later?"

"If they can be kept, confine them; if not, kill them," Gong Yuyan said firmly.