The Great Song Dynasty: You were put in charge of teaching, and you produced a whole bunch of prime

"My lord, we can't agree to that!"

After seeing off Transport Commissioner Chen Xiang and a satisfied-looking Zhang Ximeng, the clerk sidled up to Zhao Liben and said eagerly:

"Once this 'Top Scholar Ink' becomes a tribute item and is sent to the capital, the officials will definitely inquire about its origin. At that point, everything we've done before will be exposed!"

"Don't I know?" Zhao Liben waved his hand irritably, sweeping everything on his desk to the floor. "But what can I do? He's the Transport Commissioner! Can I refuse him?"

The clerk also fell silent. The power of the transport commissioner was indeed beyond what a mere prefect could contend with.

"It's all Jiang Lin's fault!" Zhao Liben gritted his teeth, his face contorted with rage. "What a clever 'open scheme'! He knew we wouldn't dare make a scene, so he deliberately used this 'refined' affair to draw everyone's attention!"

"Now all the scholars in the city are eyeing this ink, and even the transport commissioner has gotten involved. We're in a bind!"

"My lord, things have come to this point, there's no use complaining anymore. We must think of a way to break this deadlock," the advisor said, forcing himself to calm down.

"Break the deadlock? How?" Zhao Liben paced back and forth in his study like a trapped beast.

The clerk's eyes darted around, a venomous glint flashing within them: "Sir, since the source of this ink is Jiang Lin and his group, wouldn't it be enough if we just destroyed the source?"

"The source?" Zhao Liben stopped and looked at him.

"That's right." The clerk lowered his voice and said, "Now everyone in the city knows that 'Top Scholar Ink' was made by Su Shi. And Su Shi was with Jiang Lin."

"If they were able to make the first inkstone, they must have made a second, and a third. They must still be hiding ink-making workshops and secret recipes!"

"Although we can't find their people, we can deduce where they might be making ink!" The advisor's tone turned sinister.

"My lord, consider this: making ink requires fire, water, and seclusion. Looking across the entire Daming Prefecture, what place meets these conditions yet is most easily overlooked?"

Zhao Liben's eyes suddenly lit up: "Ghost Cry Garden!"

"Exactly!" The advisor slapped his thigh. "That place, already shrouded in mystery because of the 'Black Water' incident, has been portrayed as eerie and unsettling, making it impossible for ordinary people to approach. They're hiding there without anyone noticing! Moreover, there's a dry well there, said to contain 'ghost fire,' perfect for making ink!"

Zhao Liben's breathing became rapid. He felt that his advisor's analysis made a lot of sense.

"you mean……"

"If we're going to do something, let's go all the way!" The clerk made a "set fire" gesture, a cruel smile on his face. "Sir, we can use the excuse of 'exorcising a demon'! We can say that the Ghost Cry Garden is filled with demonic energy, wreaking havoc on the village, and must be burned down to purify the area. That way, we can legitimately mobilize the government troops to surround the Ghost Cry Garden."

"When the time comes, we'll set it on fire, and no matter what workshop or secret recipe it is, it'll all be burned to ashes! People will die, things will be destroyed, and this 'Top Scholar Ink' will become a rare treasure, impossible for anyone to make again. That way, we can give an explanation to the Transport Commissioner."

"And we can also claim to the public that the 'Khitan spy' committed suicide by self-immolation during the arson. In this way, there will be no one to testify, and the case can be completely closed!"

What a brilliant move, killing three birds with one stone!

As Zhao Liben listened, his eyes grew brighter and brighter, the gloom on his face vanished, replaced by a morbid excitement.

"Brilliant! Brilliant!" He slammed his hand on the table. "That's it! Go and make the arrangements immediately. Notify the city defense battalion to surround Ghost Cry Garden at midnight tonight! Remember, be quick and ruthless! Not a single word can leak out!"

"Yes, sir!" The clerk accepted the order, a smug glint in his eyes, and quickly retreated.

As Zhao Liben looked out the window at the gradually darkening sky, a sinister smile appeared on his face.

"Jiang Lin, let's see how you turn the tables this time!"

……

Meanwhile, inside the abandoned blacksmith shop.

"Achoo!" Jiang Lin rubbed his nose and muttered, "Who's talking about me?"

"Master, look!" Shen Kuo exclaimed excitedly, pointing to a blueprint on the table. "Based on your ideas, I've designed a simple petroleum fractionation device! With enough 'stone grease water,' we can not only refine a powerful fuel oil for combustion, but also a heavy oil that can be used to make ink, and even... even a 'clear oil' that is extremely easy to burn!"

Jiang Lin leaned over and took a look. Although the blueprint was rudimentary, the principle was correct. It was the most basic distillation equipment of later generations.

"Not bad, not bad, Cunzhong, you're a genius." Jiang Lin praised without reservation.

"Hehe." Shen Kuo scratched his head sheepishly, "It's mainly because the headmaster's idea was good."

Just then, a very faint meow came from the roof.

It's someone with lots of money who's here.

Soon, the man in black reappeared before the two of them and handed Jiang Lin a secret letter.

Jiang Lin opened the letter and quickly skimmed through it. The letter was written by Qian Duoduo, and it provided a detailed report on the sensation caused by "Zhuangyuan Mo" in the city, the intervention of Transport Commissioner Chen Xiang, and Zhao Liben's plan to burn down Guiku Garden.

"Heh, they're desperate." Jiang Lin sneered after reading the letter.

"Headmaster, what happened?" Shen Kuo asked anxiously.

"Zhao Liben is preparing to bring his men to burn down our 'lair' tonight." Jiang Lin handed the letter to Shen Kuo.

Upon seeing this, Shen Kuo's expression changed drastically: "What? He's going to burn down Ghost Cry Garden? What do we do? Should we move out immediately?"

"Relocate? Why relocate?" Jiang Lin retorted. "He's offering us a stage; why not take it?"

"A stage?" Shen Kuo was even more confused.

"Isn't he trying to use the excuse of 'exorcising a demon' to burn all the evidence to the ground?" Jiang Lin's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Then let's play along and put on a real 'divine show' for him in front of the entire Daming Prefecture!"

"Go, take all the inksticks we made. Also, take your fractionation apparatus; it's the star of the show tonight."

Jiang Lin stood up, stretched, and loosened his muscles.

"He wants to start a fire, so let's show him what it really means to 'play with fire'."

"Tonight, I will make everyone in Daming Prefecture believe that the Ghost Cry Garden is inhabited not by demons, but by gods!"

Jiang Lin's lips curled into a smile. He could almost foresee the incredible expression on Zhao Liben's face when Shen Kuo's ultimate move was unleashed in the night sky.

He wants more than just a breakthrough.

What he wanted was to completely nail Zhao Liben to the pillar of shame in front of everyone, so that he could never rise again!