He Wanted to Throw Caution to the Wind, but His Way Out Was About to Be Blocked

The literary gathering ended in a completely unexpected way, and Emperor Hongyao departed happily with all his civil and military officials.

Xiao Yanchen personally escorted Shen Anxin home, and rewards arrived from the palace that very day.

Eunuch Chen, who served the emperor himself, came to deliver them.

Chest after chest of rewards was carried into the marquis's manor, opened, and inventoried in public.

But whenever a chest was opened, revealing the golden gleam within, the servants' expressions grew rather strange.

Eunuch Chen felt a little awkward himself as he read from the inventory.

Generally speaking, a great achievement would be rewarded with rare treasures, imperial tributes, valuables, and antiques.

Yet Emperor Hongyao had decreed that everything they delivered was to be gold.

Gold ingots, gold vessels, gold jewelry—it was practically blinding.

Vulgar, far too vulgar! It wasn't as though she were a merchant. Would a lucky star like Miss Shen be angry when she saw all this?

Eunuch Chen was still worrying when he saw that Shen Anxin's clear black-and-white eyes were already filled with the gleam of gold.

Her inner voice erupted so loudly it nearly sent the hidden guards on the roof flying.

Shen Anxin: Ahhh, so much gold! It's so shiny and golden, just looking at it makes me happy! Emperor Hongyao really knows how to give rewards!

Eunuch Chen: ...He really did give her exactly what her heart desired? Didn't the young lady think these things were vulgar?

Chacha: Host, you like gold?

Shen Anxin: Obviously! As long as you're human, you love gold down to your bones. I used to put on airs and think gold was tacky, but looking at it now, no snow, moonlight, or beauty is as heart-stirring and soul-stealing as the color of gold. Its charm hasn't changed in thousands of years. Tsk, tsk, tsk, what a tormenting little temptress~ Why can't gold and I have a love where we run toward each other?

Eunuch Chen couldn't listen anymore. Miss Shen's words were always so startling.

He hurriedly offered his congratulations and prepared to take his leave.

But Shen Anxin remembered that she was supposed to give someone a red envelope when they delivered rewards.

She hadn't prepared one, so she simply let go, took out a gold ingot, and pressed it into Eunuch Chen's hand. "Sorry for the trouble, Eunuch!"

Looking at the gold ingot in his hand, Eunuch Chen suddenly felt that he had been putting on airs too. Gold was wonderful! Gold wasn't vulgar at all; it was the very picture of wealth and grandeur.

After receiving her rewards, Shen Anxin was even eager to attend court the next day.

That morning, the hidden guards reported to Emperor Hongyao that Shen Anxin had spent an hour counting gold in her private treasury the day before. He knew then that he had been right to take the crown prince's advice and give her gold. The crown prince really was observant; the girl simply loved gold.

Now he had a standard to follow whenever he wanted to curry favor with the little lucky star.

In the Hall of Heavenly Mandate, Shen Anxin was happy for a while, but when she noticed quite a few ministers sneaking glances at her, she remembered what had happened the day before and grew wary.

Shen Anxin: They aren't going to ask me about yesterday's poems and prose, are they? I already said I was blessed with an infusion of literary talent, with inspiration that only lasted a day. Please, nobody come asking me!

Chacha: If someone really does ask, Host, you can come up with more lofty-sounding words to fool them.

Shen Anxin: That takes a lot of brainpower too, you know. As the saying goes, tell one lie and you need countless lies to cover it up. With my memory, I'm really afraid that one day I'll tear down the east wall to patch up the west. Besides, Shen Anlan will have to take over all this later. The more I say, the greater the risk of him being exposed.

The onlookers eating melons: ...Don't worry, we won't.

It was just that the words Shen Anxin had spoken at the end yesterday, advising officials and scholars alike, had truly shaken them to their core.

Even with a thousand years' worth of talent gathered together, not one person could have written words like those.

Although they knew the words were not Shen Anxin's own, they had still tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, their hearts yearning for them.

They all knew that once those words spread, they would surely be passed down through the ages.

And as people of Great Qi living in the same era, helping to spread those words, they felt bathed in glory.

If they failed to accomplish something grand enough to order the heavens and the earth, they feared they would not be worthy of living in an era that had produced such timeless words.

Thinking of it that way, their blood really did begin to boil!

Come on, let's get morning court moving! We have work to do!

Until Emperor Hongyao arrived, no one came to ask Shen Anxin for advice, and she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But the first matter Emperor Hongyao addressed at morning court was to have the Hanlin Academy compile the works Shen Anxin had recited the day before.

"Minister Shen, once they have been compiled, you shall review them. As for annotations..."

Shen Anxin broke out in a cold sweat.

Emperor Hongyao glanced at her and couldn't help chuckling when he saw her state. "Never mind. Since Minister Shen said that fine writing is a gift of heaven, everyone may annotate it as they see fit."

Shen Anxin's eyes lit up. Yes, that's exactly how it should be! A thousand readers will have a thousand interpretations. It's good to let them draw on their own experiences to understand it; that's how you get a collision of cultural ideas.

The onlookers eating melons: ...She really managed to turn her excuse into a sound argument.

Chacha: Huh? Don't human reading-comprehension questions all have standard answers?

Shen Anxin: Let me tell you a joke: the standard answer to a reading-comprehension question understands the work better than its original author.

The onlookers eating melons: How could that be possible?

"As for the title of the book..." Emperor Hongyao continued.

Shen Anxin was startled. Please don't call it something like The Collected Works of Shen Anlan!

"Let us call it Lingering Voices of Immortal Sages."

Shen Anxin's eyes widened instantly, and she looked at Emperor Hongyao in disbelief.

Emperor Hongyao said, "Minister Shen said the sages above bestowed this inspiration upon you. What do you think of this title?"

Shen Anxin said, "Your Majesty is wise!!!!"

"Then would you like your name on it?"

Shen Anxin shook her head at once. "Since it was bestowed by the sages, naturally I cannot put my name on it."

Shen Anxin: Emperor Hongyao understands me so well! This is perfect! Lingering Voices of Immortal Sages—it also gives our ancestors their due. I hope their works can spread in this new world, for more people to appreciate, savor, and learn from.

Emperor Hongyao then made arrangements for copying, publication, and distribution. This made it a public enterprise that would generate revenue for the state treasury, though Shen Anxin would also receive a share of the profits.

Shen Anxin didn't have to manage a thing; she could simply sit back and wait for the money.

She hadn't expected this pleasant surprise, and delight immediately spread across her face.

Shen Anxin: Doesn't this mean that, whatever happens in the future, I can just eat and wait to die? As long as Great Qi still exists and Lingering Voices of Immortal Sages can still be distributed, I'll have money for my old age! This is pension insurance!

Chacha: Based on the distribution figures for well-known books in Great Qi, if Great Qi maintains its current peaceful and prosperous development, the profits Host receives will indeed be enough to meet your needs in retirement.

The onlookers eating melons: Wait, how do you manage to connect everything to eating and waiting to die? This is a momentous event that will leave a fragrant legacy for generations!

Shen Anxin had no other thoughts now. The thought that she could even live off her ancestors filled her with bliss.

Shen Anxin: Splendid verses came from heaven above~ I'll write three hundred poems in a frenzy~ How can I invite that wondrous brush into my dreams~~~~

The onlookers eating melons: She could eat and wait to die, so she happily burst into song?????

Accompanied by Shen Anxin's uninhibited singing,

Emperor Hongyao continued the court session.

Before long, the Southern Xia delegation and the representatives of Jixia Academy were summoned in.

They had come to take their leave. It was time for them to go.

Everyone saw that the group presented a striking contrast to when they had first arrived in Great Qi.

Back then, they had been so full of high spirits, as if they had condescended to grace Great Qi with their presence. Now every one of them looked as if their vitality had been sucked dry, their eyes darting evasively.

There was no need to say much about the delegation.

As for Jixia Academy, Mr. Xun still couldn't get out of bed and was unable to attend. The person representing Jixia Academy had been replaced by its oldest honorary dean, Elder Han, who was also a renowned Confucian scholar in Southern Xia.

Elder Han's face was ashen; presumably he hadn't rested well all night either.

He took his leave of Emperor Hongyao on behalf of Jixia Academy.

Emperor Hongyao reminded him bluntly, "Since Mr. Xun is absent, Elder Han, convey Great Qi's position to him later. The wager stands. As for what was staked, I will send a team to accompany the people of Jixia Academy back. The deadline is two months. I hope my people can bring back the people and things they are due."

Elder Han's expression turned ugly at once, and he tried to speak up and bargain.

But Southern Xia's minister of rites grew anxious first. "Wait, Your Majesty, respected emperor of Great Qi, sending people into Southern Xia... this may not be appropriate. How many people do you intend to send?"

Emperor Hongyao naturally knew what the man was wary of.

"They will only be responsible for transporting the books and escorting the people of Jixia Academy. Fifty guards."

Southern Xia's minister of rites hesitated. That was still within an acceptable range, so he could only fall silent.

But the next second, he heard Emperor Hongyao speak slowly. "Of course, that is if everything goes smoothly. If there are any mishaps, or any lack of cooperation, then do not blame Great Qi..."

Emperor Hongyao unleashed his imposing presence, his imperial might bearing down on them in an instant as his dangerous gaze swept over every person from Southern Xia.

Words left unfinished like that were the most frightening of all.

What would happen if they didn't obediently cooperate?

Would the other side send troops outright?

They couldn't give the other side an excuse for something like that.

Southern Xia's minister of rites immediately broke out in a cold sweat and promised, "Rest assured, Your Majesty. We in Southern Xia will also see to it that the wager is fulfilled."

Elder Han drew a sharp breath and looked at Southern Xia's minister of rites with disbelief and resentment.

Fine, fine! So when disaster struck, it was every bird for itself?

It seemed there was no escaping this calamity for Jixia Academy. Its standing of several hundred years really was going to be shaken.

Elder Han knew very well that once those three thousand books from its collection were given to Great Qi, Great Qi would surely use them to support another academy.

With Shen Anlan as well, both the books and the spirit were already in place. An academy would completely supplant them.

But that was not the worst possibility. When they had sat down to discuss it last night, there had been something else they feared most.

"Jixia Academy will certainly honor the wager. Your Majesty, this commoner has a question. Once the books are delivered, will Great Qi keep them in a collection, or..."

Emperor Hongyao narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled. "Naturally, we will distribute them."

Elder Han's expression changed dramatically! It really was the worst possible outcome.

The people of Great Qi were madmen. What right did they have to distribute those precious things? Wouldn't that mean anyone could read the words of the sages?

Were those people at the bottom worthy?!

Despite yesterday's shock, Elder Han's deeply rooted beliefs were difficult to change. Even those four earth-shattering lines were of no use.

But he had also come to understand Great Qi's way of doing things.

Since they couldn't stop it, they would have to find another path.

Even for the worst possibility, they had a plan.

Distributing books still took time. Brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were expensive to begin with, and copying by hand took even more time, effort, and money.

If Jixia Academy opened its collection for copying first, the one thing they would never lack was scholars eager to copy ancient texts.

That way, they could not only win back some of the hearts of the scholars under heaven, but also seize the opportunity to make a fortune.

With funds, Jixia Academy could keep operating.

As long as they used those two months to distribute the books quickly, whatever Great Qi wanted to do afterward, it would be unable to catch up.

This was the only way to minimize their losses.

If Great Qi dared to scheme against them, it had better be ready for them to turn the tables.

As Elder Han thought this, a subtly smug expression appeared on his face.

There were many observant people in the hall, and Xiao Yanchen frowned slightly when he saw it.

Beside him, Shen Anxin was still distracted, happily imagining a bright future with Chacha.

Chacha: It's just a pity. If distribution were a little more efficient, Host, your pension would be even more abundant.

Shen Anxin: Right, that reminds me. Things are still terribly backward here, relying on people to copy everything by hand. Honestly, I can't even. Last time I read a storybook, they'd even copied some characters wrong.

The onlookers eating melons quickly switched from the court's political maneuvering back to the inner-voice channel.

They keenly noticed that they seemed to have just heard something.

Copying? Terribly backward? Was there a more advanced method?

Shen Anxin: Chacha, logically speaking, the pattern of development here is similar to ours. Given the inevitability of history, movable-type printing is bound to appear in the future, right?

The onlookers eating melons: Did we just hear a new term?!!!

Chacha: Actually, a primitive form of woodblock printing already exists among the common people of Great Qi. It just hasn't spread yet.

The onlookers eating melons: Woodblocks? Printing? A primitive form already existed among the common people?

What on earth was it??? Had anyone heard of it?

Shen Anxin: Do you know who has it?

Chacha: That is personal melon, so I can't look it up.

Shen Anxin: As expected, the experts are among the common people. But if it's still at the woodblock stage, who knows how long it'll take to develop movable type.

Maybe when Shen Anlan comes back, I could demonstrate it for him and stimulate his inspiration.

If movable-type printing appears early, I can increase my share of the profits sooner.

Chacha: Indeed. With movable-type printing, if you print a few dozen copies, it is about twenty times as efficient as copying by hand. If you print hundreds or thousands, it can reach fifty times the efficiency.

The onlookers eating melons: !!!!!

How much did you say?

How many times as efficient?!!!!!

Meanwhile, Elder Han was already calculating how many people to enlist to copy the books. As long as they spent money in advance to hire enough people to copy a sufficient quantity, they could seize the market faster.

His heart was full of ambition, and even more so of a desire for revenge against Great Qi. Jixia Academy would make sure Great Qi's efforts came to nothing, like drawing water with a bamboo basket.

Shen Anxin: Wouldn't that mean my share of the profits would multiply by that much too?! Ahhh, Shen Anlan, hurry up and get here!!! I'll teach you!!!!

The onlookers eating melons: Don't! Don't wait for him! Us-show us! We're even more eager!!!!!

What on earth were movable-type printing and woodblock printing?!

Chacha: Host can have a carpenter carve them in advance to save time.

The onlookers eating melons: Keywords: carpenter, carve?

Everyone turned in unison to look at the minister of works. Your job was here!

The minister of works: Ready to take the job!!!!

Shen Anxin: Right. I'll have some character blocks carved first, then play a sentence-building game in front of Shen Anlan, constantly rearranging them, dipping them in ink, and stamping them on paper to make different sentences. Shen Anlan's mind is fairly quick; he'll definitely see the ingenious principle behind it.

Everyone was still struggling fiercely to understand the principle.

Xiao Yanchen had already grasped it before them. His eyes shone as he quickly looked at the imperial seal on his father's desk, then exchanged a glance with his father.

He used hand gestures to suggest repeatedly stamping the seal.

Emperor Hongyao quickly understood. If the imperial seal were big enough-big enough to carve an entire article into, for example-how many articles could be printed in a day just by stamping it over and over?

Movable type... was the combination Shen Anxin had mentioned. Different pieces stamped different characters, and by combining them... they could be reused, rather than being one rigid block. As for the efficiency...

The minister of works also quickly understood, murmuring in delighted surprise, "So that's how it is! So that's how it is! A miracle, this is a miracle!"

Others might not understand, but the minister of works knew that once this efficiency was unleashed, it would not only turn the world of scholars upside down; the communication of government orders and documents, and every other aspect, would undergo unprecedented change.

Take Jixia Academy's three thousand books, for the nearest example. They could even prepare commonly used movable type before the books arrived, then arrange the type and print as soon as they did. In ten days, perhaps they could turn those three thousand books into ordinary volumes found everywhere in Great Qi and even Southern Xia.

Just then, Elder Han, who was turning things over in his mind, suddenly sensed that the Great Qi officials around him seemed somewhat restless.

Some even wore expressions of wild delight.

Elder Han thought, Could they have gone mad with joy because they'd been allowed to circulate the three thousand volumes they were about to receive?

Hmph! You won't be able to start for another two months. By then, who knows how many copies of those three thousand volumes we'll have made? By the time you start copying, we'll be ready to sell them. By the time we bring them to Great Qi to sell, perhaps you'll only just have finished copying the whole set once.

Then the whole world will know that the great achievement belongs to Jixia, not Great Qi!