Wealth and Fine Wares Stir the Heart

The moment the door opened, clouds of mist drifted out and slowly dispersed. Then, an aura that shook the soul came howling forth!

Even Meng Qingyan and Meng Bufan, father and son, who had seen grand occasions and great personages and long grown accustomed to others' auras and pressure, could not help feeling a touch of shock.

When the two focused their eyes again, they finally saw Qiu Yan sitting upright in the middle of the room through the slowly fading mist.

Qiu Yan sat in a chair beside a table. A teapot and teacups rested upon it, and he watched the Meng father and son with a smile.

The Meng father and son were, after all, men of considerable experience. Though surprised, they quickly steadied themselves. Recalling Qiu Yan's earlier words, they could not help but feel puzzled.

We came because the ancestral vein shook, and because we wanted to understand the intent behind Qiu Yan's article. Was he truly planning to touch the interests of the great clans? Why did he say he had something to show us?

As these thoughts turned in his mind, Meng Qingyan instinctively looked toward his son. Meng Bufan happened to return his gaze, and when father and son exchanged a look, they only grew more bewildered, unable to fathom Qiu Yan's intentions.

In truth, Meng Qingyan had mainly come this time to test the waters. The movable-type Printing Technique proposed by Qiu Yan had lowered the costs of the trade. Once it spread, private workshops would inevitably spring up everywhere, and printing and engraving would become the fashion, threatening the interests of many people. Even the imperial court would have to keep a firm grip on the matter, lest its foundations be shaken.

For in this era, books effectively guided public opinion