What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 242 The Su Paper is Made! (First Update)
Xiao Lizhuang, petite like an eighteen-year-old woman, wore a light, flowing purple gauze dress that billowed in the frigid mountains, seemingly oblivious to the harsh cold.

She stared expressionlessly at the Dragon Guard soldiers, their hands gripping the hilts of their swords, as if facing a formidable enemy.

further away.

Dozens of archers, each wielding a hard bow, aimed their arrows firmly at her.

Xiao Lizhuang was slightly surprised.

The small Gufeng Mountain artisan camp was guarded by the most elite Longxiang Guard of the Imperial Army Command, with a large number of men, probably more than three hundred.

It is sufficient to test a scale of 1,000 households.

What surprised Xiao Lizhuang the most was that among the dozens of archers, several were clearly skilled in martial arts and magic, and their bows and arrows faintly emitted auras of magical power.

The arrowhead is made of high-quality steel and has a triangular shape.

Even a great sorcerer at the Divine Realm wouldn't dare claim to escape unscathed in the face of such a force.

No wonder the snake spirit fled to the artisan camp to avoid being captured.

Of course, for Xiao Lizhuang, who was at the Golden Core stage, the Dragon Guard's troops posed no threat whatsoever.

However, although Yu Lizhuang was confident, she was not arrogant.

A Golden Core cultivator is already the pinnacle of cultivation.

However, as the core of power in the Great Wu, several old monsters hiding in the capital were even more terrifying than those in the Golden Core realm.

If one thinks that because of the Golden Core realm, one can act lawlessly and disregard the laws of the Great Martial Kingdom.

That's a huge mistake!

The Nine Dragons Taoist, who had never seen the number one person in the world, was like a rat in a ditch, constantly fearful and afraid to show his face under the pursuit of Da Wu.

Xiao Lizhuang looked expressionlessly toward the checkpoint.

Her beautiful eyes narrowed suddenly, her gaze falling on the large group of soldiers who came out of the artisan camp.

The two people standing side by side in front were both wearing armor.

The one wielding the large silver spear, with a burly build, was the same Dragon Guard general who had previously dealt with her and ordered her not to enter the artisan camp.

The other person was slightly behind the Dragon Guard general by half a step.

Xiao Lizhuang's main focus was on this person.

Although this man was not as sturdy and robust as the general of the Dragon Guard, he was tall and slender, and was half a head taller than the general of the Dragon Guard.

His entire body was covered in a set of jet-black armor.

Although the armor lacked any magical aura, judging from its construction entirely of high-quality steel, it probably weighed no less than a hundred pounds!
This armor is complete from head to toe, including a helmet, arm guards, and boots.

The armor plates were connected by copper studs, phoenix spikes protected the neck, and lions swallowed the shoulders. The style was extremely gorgeous, and even the face armor was attached, completely protecting the whole body.

Xiao Lizhuang paid special attention to the black-armored general with the lion-like appearance, not because the armor was particularly eye-catching.

The pair of bright, piercing eyes in the eye openings of the mask seemed familiar, as if I had seen them somewhere before.

Xiahou Yi looked at Su Mo's armor with envy.

A good set of armor can greatly improve the survival rate on the battlefield. In particular, this armor is made of fine steel and has no flaws. It is several levels higher than his iron armor!

If properly cared for, it can be passed down as a family heirloom, from generation to generation.

The steel armor was extremely heavy, but for martial artists like them, a mere hundred pounds was no problem to wear it and fight for half an hour.

Unfortunately, even if Su Mo were willing to sell it, Xiahou Yi knew he couldn't afford it!
Such armor wouldn't be available for less than two thousand taels of silver.

He withdrew his envious gaze and looked at the woman standing in front of the checkpoint, about to speak.

Su Mo, who was standing next to her, suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "It's you?"

Xiahou Yi was immediately taken aback.

The two had previously agreed that he would be in charge of asking questions, while Su Mo would just listen.

But from Su Mo's words, it seems he not only knew the white snake spirit, but also this woman.
Xiao Lizhuang was slightly taken aback when she heard Su Mo speak, and her eyebrows furrowed: "It's you?"

Su Mo removed his helmet and looked at Xiao Lizhuang with a wry smile: "Why did you come to Lonely Peak Mountain, young lady?"

"And you're still hunting down the snake spirits I keep in my fiefdom?"

The woman opposite him was naturally a guest at Datong Temple. She was said to be the abbot's junior sister and was suspected to be the goddess physician of his wife's master.

Xiao Lizhuang never expected to see Su Mo here.

She looked Su Mo up and down again, then frowned and asked, "Are you the solitary mountain dweller, Marquis Su Mo?"

He paused, his expression slightly strange: "The person who was possessed by the evil spirit, you also cured them?"

She had even suggested that Su Mo go to that solitary peak to treat the woman with tuberculosis!

I never expected that the person who asked me to come to my home for medical treatment would be Su Mo!
Su Mo didn't hide anything, waving his hand to have the Dragon Guard soldiers lift their alert status, then nodded: "I am indeed Su Mo."

As she spoke, she frowned: "Didn't you promise me, young lady, that you would treat Chi Wuyou's illness?"

Xiao Lizhuang said calmly, "I have already visited Chi Wuyou and used the medicine, but his tuberculosis has been there for a long time and cannot be cured. I heard that Gufeng Shanzi can expel evil spirits, so I came to ask for his advice."

She looked at Su Mo: "I never imagined you were that Lone Peak Mountain Master."

Xiao Lizhuang said expressionlessly, "No wonder I asked Chi Wuyou and he didn't have a friend like you. It turns out he wanted me to help him and learn the art of treating floods."

Su Mo was speechless.

Xiao Lizhuang's divergent thinking ability is too strong.

But a sense of doubt began to creep into his heart.

Judging from her speech, she seemed completely unaware of her relationship with Lin Moyin.
Could it be that I guessed wrong, and this woman is not the Palace Master of Su Nu Palace? But her appearance and temperament are indeed exactly the same as the young master that my wife described.

Before he could speak, Xiao Lizhuang said calmly, "Since that snake spirit is being raised by you, I will spare her this time."

“If you treat Chi Wuyou’s tuberculosis as well, I will only charge you five thousand taels.”

Xiahou Yi, standing next to him, subconsciously swallowed.

What does it mean to only accept five thousand taels?
Could it be that Su Mo spent ten thousand taels of silver to hire this woman to treat Chi Wuyou's illness so that he could learn her skills from her?
What a grand gesture!
Surely Su Shi's profound knowledge of both heaven and man couldn't have come from such a place?
How much money will it cost!

He naturally knew Chi Wuyou.

Chi Wulei, a senior official in the Ministry of Personnel, has a younger sister suffering from tuberculosis. The imperial physicians at the Imperial Hospital predicted that she would not live more than a year.

Can this woman cure this incurable disease?
Su Mo was knowledgeable in medicine, and Xiahou Yi also knew this.

And everyone knows that Su Mo's medical skills are exceptionally superb!

When Su Mo dug up the dead from the graveyard and used his resurrection technique, it alarmed the entire artisan camp and the Dragon Guard!

The fastest-spreading things in the world are mythical rumors like these.

The Longxiang Guard soldiers who went back for their shifts naturally spread the news of this miraculous resurrection!
Only Su Mo was unaware that his reputation as a divine healer was extremely high, even greater than that of Gu Feng Shan Zi!

Even the renowned physician Su had to learn from this woman's medical skills, which shows that she was indeed extremely skilled. Xiahou Yi's gaze towards her became much more respectful.

Most of the time, doctors save lives and heal the wounded, earning them the deep respect of others.

Su Mo frowned again upon hearing Xiao Lizhuang's words.

The system told me to find this woman to treat Chi Wuyou's illness, and now she's asking me for help. Does this mean we need to work together to cure Chi Wuyou?
After a moment's thought, he said, "If the young lady needs my help, I have no reason to stand idly by."

"However, I have been very busy lately, and the medicine needed for treatment will take time to be prepared..."

Xiao Lizhuang interrupted Su Mo: "She also has time to recuperate and absorb the medicinal power to stimulate her vitality."

"Once you are ready, come to Datong Temple to find me."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Su Mo immediately said in a deep voice, "Wait!"

Xiao Lizhuang turned around and looked coldly at Su Mo: "Is there anything else?"

Su Mo said in a deep voice, "How did you know that I keep snake spirits on Lonely Peak Mountain?"

Rumors circulated some time ago.

However, to avoid panic, the imperial court denied the snake demon story on Gufeng Mountain, and no one mentions it anymore.

This woman has only been in the capital for a short time, how could she know about the white snake spirit on Lonely Peak Mountain?
Xiao Lizhuang said calmly, "Someone informed me!"

Su Mo frowned: "Who is it?"

Xiao Lizhuang snorted, "What's it to you?" Su Mo's expression turned serious: "Lonely Peak Mountain is my fiefdom, and the White Snake Spirit is a divine beast I keep. How can it be unrelated to me!"

"I have offended quite a few people, and I fear that the young lady may be plotted against, thus incurring my enmity!"

Xiao Lizhuang suddenly sneered, glancing disdainfully at Su Mo: "A feud?"

"You, a mere centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

She had barely finished speaking when a cold voice suddenly came from afar: "What if we add this commander?"

Everyone instinctively looked in the direction of the sound.

A magnificent black horse with snow-white hooves leaped out from behind the mountain pass.

A cold and beautiful woman dressed in white sat steadily on her horse, staring coldly at Xiao Lizhuang.

The person who arrived was none other than Nangong Sheyue, the Left Commander of the Fengming Division!
Su Mo was taken aback, wondering why Nangong Sheyue had suddenly come to the artisan camp again.

Xiao Lizhuang frowned slightly as she looked at the suddenly appearing Nangong Sheyue, then said indifferently, "Not very old, but quite skilled."

"However, you are still far inferior to me!"

A cold glint flashed in her eyes, and her pretty face suddenly darkened, all traces of her girlish innocence vanishing: "The reason I didn't force my way into the artisan camp is not because I'm afraid of you!"

"It's simply because I have disciples serving as officials in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so as to avoid making things difficult for her!"

Su Mo frowned: "Lin Moyin?"

Upon hearing Lin Moyin's name, Xiao Lizhuang was clearly taken aback, her sharp gaze falling on Su Mo's face like a knife: "How did you know?"

Su Mo sighed.

It turns out he really is Lin Moyin's master, the master of Su Nu Palace.

But why is he unaware of his relationship with Lin Moyin?

He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "So you are the Palace Mistress Su Nu, senior!"

"I happen to have a very good relationship with your disciple, Lord Lin."

"That is precisely why I must inquire further, lest you fall into the trap of a villain!"

Xiao Lizhuang was slightly surprised to see that Su Mo showed no fear upon hearing that her disciple was a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

A higher rank can have an absolute advantage, especially since his beloved disciple was two ranks higher than the centurion and had recently been promoted rapidly, wielding real power, which showed he was deeply favored by the emperor.

How could the centurion not be afraid!

Could this person really be acquainted with my disciple?

I have been in the capital for several days, but I have not been able to see my disciple, and I do not know her specific situation.

Thinking of this, Xiao Lizhuang snorted: "Whether I've been framed or not, I will find out for myself!"

After uttering those words, she flashed away, her green skirt billowing, and in the blink of an eye, she was ten feet away!

Seeing the Palace Mistress Su Nu leave, Su Mo could only suppress his suspicions and turn his gaze to Nangong Sheyue, bowing to her and saying, "Thank you for your help, my lord!"

"May I ask what brings you to the artisan camp, sir?"

Nangong Sheyue looked Su Mo up and down and smiled, "Lord Su, your armor is quite nice!"

He then explained, "General Leng sent men to transport the wool to the artisan camp. His Majesty ordered me to go to the artisan camp to see if Lord Su needs any assistance."

"But unexpectedly, we received a message halfway there that someone was causing trouble in the artisan camp, so we led the way."

Xiahou Yi, standing nearby, was filled with envy and jealousy.

His Majesty truly favors Su Mo immensely! He actually appointed a commander of the Fengming Division to serve Su Mo!

Ok……

General Leng?
That General Leng?
Xiahou Yi suddenly thought of something, his body trembled violently, and his face turned deathly pale.

Sure enough, Su Mo asked in surprise, "Princess Leng sent people to bring wool so quickly?"

"The princess is here too?"

Nangong Sheyue chuckled and rolled her eyes at Su Mo: "General Leng is busy with many affairs, why would he come personally to escort such a small matter?"

He paused, then continued, "General Leng's personal guard captain has come with the army, which shows that General Leng attaches great importance to this matter. Lord Su, are you ready to accept the wool?"

Su Mo was speechless.

The Empress and the Princess are forcing me to work like a beast of burden, giving me no time to relax!

Sure enough, not long after, a long convoy of cars came toward the artisan camp.

Three hundred thousand catties of wool is no small amount. Even if it is packed very tightly, it would still amount to as many as three hundred bales, with a volume of three to four hundred cubic meters.

Fortunately, the artisan battalion had built a lot of new workshops, and two of them were cleared out to store wool, with the use of torches, candles, and other lighting strictly prohibited!
Su Mo didn't need Nangong Sheyue's help.

He only told her to go back, select suitable disaster victims, and send them to Gufeng Mountain once she received his message.

In the following days, Su Mo was so busy that she didn't even have time to eat or sleep.

Matters related to house construction, papermaking, cement production, wool degreasing, etc.

After the first batch of 3,000 disaster victims were sent to Gufeng Mountain, things got even busier...

In the end, they could only select some of the top-scoring households from the original households and some veterans from the artisan camp to guide and train the newcomers, which finally allowed them to extricate themselves from this mess.

Su Mo took in so many disaster victims, and the Empress didn't really mistreat her man.

Along with the grain, three thousand bushels of rice were also delivered, enough to meet the needs of the disaster victims for two months.

More than a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Su Mo lived almost constantly in the artisan camp.

The number of disaster victims received by Gufeng Mountain has reached 20,000.

The silver gourds in the cellar of the Su residence also disappeared one by one.

In just over a month, more than 30,000 taels of silver were invested in the fiefdom and the artisan camp.

Fortunately, the income from restaurants and items like soap and bicycles was enough to cover the expenses.

With this relentless investment, the fiefdoms and artisan camps are changing every single day.

One by one, brand-new houses took shape.

The core building complex near Wulongtan is beginning to take shape.

Spanning a full thirty acres, the quaint manor, a blend of modern and ancient styles, with its cement and steel pillars, is taking shape.

The money was well spent.

The only pity was that the glass was not made, which was somewhat unfamiliar to Su Mo, who was used to the houses of later generations.

We still need to find a way to refine the glass.

Over at the artisan camp, the coke has been produced. Then, using graphite to make refractory bricks, there will definitely be enough furnace temperature to melt the gravel.

As for how to refine it, Su Mo only knew the principle, but not the specific steps, but it was nothing more than doing more tests.

During this period, Lin Moyin disappeared without a trace, leaving only a verbal message before going out on a mission.

The Palace Mistress of Su Nu remained silent.

The Empress did not summon Su Mo to the palace to sleep with her again. In the past month or so, he only went to Lonely Peak Mountain once, which shows that there are many things to do in the court at the end of the year!

Su Mo finally managed to find the time to extract the allicin.

I originally planned to go to Datong Temple to inquire about Chi Wuyou's treatment and give the garlic extract to Xiao Lizhuang to see if it could have an auxiliary effect on the treatment.

Suddenly, Liu Siyun burst into the government office, holding a pale yellow sheet of paper, and exclaimed excitedly, "Husband, the paper has been made!"

Su Mo's eyes lit up immediately: "You've made it?"

Liu Siyun nodded emphatically: "Look, my husband!"

She handed the paper to Su Mo: "This is the paper we made!"

"Although the paper is not as tough as mulberry bark paper, nor as soft as Xuan paper, it is several times better than ordinary straw paper. In fact, even mulberry bark paper and rattan paper are not as good as our Suzhou paper!"

Liu Siyun became more and more excited as she spoke: "This...this is an immense fortune!"

　One more chapter to go. Posting it right away!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)