Qian Renxue's Admiration, Half a Year's Gains

"Checks and balances."

Qian Renxue murmured, her golden eyes turning to Gu Han as a flicker of surprise and admiration passed through them.

For a six-year-old child, Gu Han's ability to think this far already made her greatly admire him.

He was a true genius!

However, in response to Gu Han's words, Qian Renxue crouched down. With a helpless sigh in her voice, she smiled and gently stroked Gu Han's head as she said,

"Xiao Han, your idea is correct, but putting it into practice will not be so simple."

"If nobles were so easily replaced, how could they have remained deeply entrenched across the Douluo Continent for thousands of years?"

"That's why we need to find a way, Sister Xue'er!"

Gu Han smiled faintly, still brimming with confidence.

"Sister Xue'er, the reason nobles can help emperors govern their countries is nothing more than the fact that, at present, only they possess the ability to govern the people. Moreover, most of them are either Soul Masters themselves or have recruited Soul Masters—violent tools capable of suppressing the populace."

"But for the former, as long as commoners can also receive widespread education and learn how to govern a country, they can likewise help govern it."

"This is not difficult. We only need to improve the medium through which knowledge is recorded, make knowledge cheap, and allow commoners to learn. The rest can be left to time."

"As for the latter, doesn't our Spirit Hall help commoners awaken their martial souls for free across the continent?"

"Our Spirit Hall already has enough commoner Soul Masters. As long as Spirit Hall assists them and helps these commoners who have learned how to govern a country govern it together, wouldn't nobles be easily replaced?"

"Of course, I understand that the existence of Soul Masters makes things more complicated to handle."

"But if we truly want to govern a country, we can let those powerful Soul Master Families and sects make money in other ways, but it would be best not to let them become nobles or possess territories."

"Because that would erode the foundations of the country!"

Gu Han's words left Qian Renxue stunned once again.

This time, Gu Han had explained things in greater detail. He had dissected the essence of why nobles could help govern a country and proposed a concrete method for replacing them.

That was to have commoners who had learned how to govern a country replace them with Spirit Hall's assistance.

It was entirely feasible!

Qian Renxue could not help but continue asking how the medium for recording knowledge could be improved.

Because that was the hardest part!

The development of an era was often constrained by tools and materials.

On the Douluo Continent, parchment and silk were still used to record writing.

Neither of these was something ordinary people could afford.

They were laborious and costly to produce, and their prices were high. They were far inferior to paper.

Without improving the medium used to record knowledge and inventing cheap paper, it would be utterly impossible to carry out the plan to replace the nobles!

In Gu Han's previous life, the reason nobles and powerful clans had been eliminated was because of two things.

The former was because sages such as Confucius broke the monopoly nobles held over knowledge, teaching without regard for status and spreading knowledge outward.

The latter was because paper became increasingly cheap and the spread of knowledge became more convenient and simple. Only then could the Imperial Examination System rise irresistibly, eventually reducing the powerful clans to history.

As it happened, Gu Han had also loved reading novels in his previous life, and aside from female-oriented novels, he had dabbled in almost every genre.

Among them were historical novels.

Therefore, although Gu Han had never made paper himself, he still knew the general methods and process.

"Sister Xue'er, that is a good question. As for how to improve the medium for recording knowledge, I happen to know."

"Back when I was reading in the library, I happened to see something called paper in an ancient book that was a lone surviving copy."

"It only needs materials like bamboo, tree bark, and hemp to be made."

"The ancient book said it was as thin as a cicada's wing. You could use colored ink and similar things to write on it. It was more convenient than parchment and silk, and its production cost was low. It was very cheap and could easily be widely adopted."

With a confident smile on his handsome little face, Gu Han spoke.

"What ancient book was it? Can you show it to me?"

Qian Renxue greatly wanted to see the book Gu Han had mentioned for herself.

However, Gu Han had long since prepared a response. Putting on a somewhat helpless and troubled expression, he said,

"Sister Xue'er, I'm afraid that won't be possible. That ancient book seemed to have been brought out of some ruins. It was a lone surviving copy, and it appeared to be extremely old."

"After I finished reading through it, it fell apart."

"I see!"

Qian Renxue was somewhat disappointed.

Still, she remained very curious about paper and asked Gu Han whether he knew exactly how to make it.

Gu Han naturally replied with a smile that he remembered the general process.

But it was already late, and they definitely could not make paper now. Qian Renxue could only ask about the materials needed and prepare to come find Gu Han again the next day.

In the blink of an eye, more than half a month passed.

Spirit City, inside a house.

"So this is paper? It's so thin!"

Inside a spacious room filled with basins of paper pulp, Qian Renxue held a successfully made sheet of pale yellow paper in her hand, unable to restrain her excitement and admiration.

Because Gu Han knew the materials needed to make paper as well as the general process, and because Qian Renxue helped prepare everything, paper was quickly made.

The instant she saw the paper, Qian Renxue knew.

It truly had the potential to change this world!

During this time, Qian Renxue discovered that Gu Han was no ordinary child. He actually possessed profound insights into matters such as governing a country.

Thus, Qian Renxue often asked Gu Han questions about statecraft.

Gu Han answered every one of them. He even adapted various historical stories from his previous life to fit the circumstances of the Douluo Continent and told them to Qian Renxue.

These historical stories often contained profound philosophies, as well as principles for governing a country and being an emperor.

This knowledge from Gu Han's previous life in Huaxia gradually changed Qian Renxue's understanding and broadened her horizons. Her way of thinking gradually became more Eastern, and a powerful ambition arose in her heart.

After hearing Gu Han tell the story of Qin Shi Huang, Qian Renxue had already come to regard Qin Shi Huang as her goal and idol.

Though she had not said so outright, Gu Han felt that Qian Renxue probably wanted to become the First Emperor of the Douluo Continent as well—to unite the Douluo Continent, which had been divided for thousands of years, and lead it into a new era.

However, unlike most ancient emperors.

Perhaps because she had been born into the Six-Winged Angel family, or perhaps because of Qian Daoliu's teachings and influence, Qian Renxue truly possessed compassion for the people and a strong sense of morality.

This made Gu Han feel that perhaps he could teach Qian Renxue more advanced knowledge in the future.

For example, that old man's teachings.

As they continued spending time together, Qian Renxue had initially regarded Gu Han as a child.

But later, Gu Han proved to be nothing like an ordinary child—naive and innocent. Instead, he was calm and mature.

Moreover, when it came to statecraft, he possessed lofty views and insights and could even propose solutions. This could not help but make Qian Renxue admire him, and feelings of reverence gradually rose in her heart.

Admiring a little boy six or seven years younger than herself might sound unbelievable to outsiders.

But Gu Han's speech and conduct had truly conquered Qian Renxue's heart.

In Qian Renxue's heart now, she had long ceased to see Gu Han as a child. Instead, she saw him as someone of the opposite sex who was close to her own age, yet far more mature!

And through Gu Han's efforts, the changes in Qian Renxue's thoughts and beliefs had successfully brought him three Heavenly Points, even before she had replaced Xue Qinghe.

Gu Han had already decided how to use these three Heavenly Points.