The rebellious grandson of Emperor Zhenguan of the Tang Dynasty: Please, Your Majesty, be called Cro

Chapter 129 Made of bamboo and paper!

Xuanyi Ward, South of Chang'an City.

Inside the Lu family's papermaking workshop, there was none of the usual noise and filth; instead, it was clean and orderly. Rows of bamboo paper sheets stretched out, taut on wooden drying racks, stacked layer upon layer in the courtyard, quietly drying in the sunlight and breeze.

Wang Xuance and Lu Zhaolin stood side by side under the corridor, dressed in plain clothes, avoiding the movement of the craftsmen. Although they seemed to be chatting, their eyes were fixed intently on the new paper on the shelf.

"The weather is perfect, the moisture has dissipated completely, it should be ready soon," Lu Zhaolin said softly, his voice filled with suppressed anticipation.

Wang Xuance nodded slightly, his eyes gleaming with eagerness: "Judging from the even color of the paper, without any mottled spots or clumps, the quality should be quite good."

Upon learning of the improved bamboo papermaking process from Chengguang Tower, Wang Xuance immediately thought of Lu Zhaolin, whose family owned a paper mill in Chang'an.

Although Lu Zhaolin was born into the Lu clan of Fanyang, one of the five prominent clans and seven prominent families, he was only a branch of the Lu clan. Apart from a house full of books and a few properties, his family had long since declined.

While at the Imperial Academy, Lu Jun treated Wang Xuance with utmost respect and humility. Even after the incident of knocking on the emperor's gate at Zhuque Gate, Lu Zhaolin, though still young, offered considerable protection to many scholars from humble backgrounds.

They are not comparable to those纨绔子弟 (spoiled brats) among the five surnames.

Bamboo is felled, soaked, pulped, shaped, and dried to produce bamboo paper. After several tedious processes, the first batch of fully formed bamboo paper has finally been produced and dried today. Before this, papermaking relied mainly on tree bark, hemp fibers, and rags, which were expensive and produced in small quantities. It was common for poor scholars to lack paper for their studies and to have no records for their writings.

For Lu Zhaolin as well, this was a good thing: he had been fond of literature since his youth, but although his family owned a small papermaking workshop, it was already struggling to make ends meet and was on the verge of bankruptcy. He himself had long suffered from poverty, and paper and pens were precious, preventing him from fully expressing his thoughts.

If this batch of bamboo paper is successfully produced and usable, it will be an unprecedented innovation.

"Gentlemen, the new paper has dried completely and is now ready to be cut and tested."

Several craftsmen nimbly stepped forward and carefully peeled the bamboo paper off the drying rack. One of the older craftsmen picked up a piece of bamboo paper, crumpled it, and then clasped his hands in greeting to Wang and Lu.

The two stood up excitedly. They saw that the bamboo paper was slightly bluish, yet smooth and delicate. It was cool to the touch and not prickly at all.

Wang Xuance stepped forward, picked up a sheet of paper, and lightly ran his fingertips across its surface. It felt smooth to the touch; though seemingly lacking in resilience, it didn't tear even when slightly bent, far superior to ordinary coarse paper. He couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Your Highness, you are truly a divine being! This book made from bamboo paper has actually been created!"

"Although it is not as tough and white as rattan paper, it is far superior to straw paper and coarse hemp paper."

"Young master, you may not know this," the old craftsman said with a smile, his eyes filled with excitement and amazement. "It's not white enough or tough enough because we were in a hurry to produce the paper."

"If you soak it for a longer time, and soak it in paper medicine for a while longer, it will naturally become tough and white enough!"

"If the paper doesn't bleed when tested with ink, it can be considered a success! I've been making paper for over forty years and have never heard of such fine paper being made from bamboo that grows all over this mountain."

Wang and Lu were delighted to hear this. Seeing the craftsman take out a sharp knife and cut the large sheet of paper into standard-sized pieces according to precise dimensions, making them square, even in thickness, and neatly stacked, Wang Xuance smiled and said, "Shengzhi is a young man who excels in poetry, and his calligraphy is unparalleled among his peers. Today, the first character on this new paper should rightfully be written by you."

Lu Zhaolin quickly waved his hand to decline, saying, "Brother Xuan Ce is too kind. You have also contributed greatly to the improvement of this paper, so you should be the one to write the first character."

After some initial refusals, Lu Zhaolin finally accepted the brush and ink brought by the craftsman.

His heart was surging with emotion. He solemnly took a stack of new bamboo paper and laid it on the table. He dipped his brush in ink, concentrated slightly, and with a light turn of his wrist, his brush moved swiftly and smoothly. After a moment's thought, he wrote three large characters on the newly made bamboo paper:

Imperial grandson's paper.

The ink spreads instantly on the paper, its color rich, bright, and pure, without any stagnation, astringency, or seepage.

Wang Xuance and the old craftsman bent down to examine the paper closely, their eyes sweeping over every detail, from the ink stains and paper toughness to the texture of the paper, verifying each one.

His tense expression suddenly relaxed, and the corners of his lips involuntarily turned up.

"It's done!" Wang Xuance sighed softly, his tone filled with undisguised excitement!

The bamboo paper is ready!

From then on, scholars from poor families across the land were no longer troubled by the lack of paper for writing or reading books!

The two looked at each other and saw the burning light in each other's eyes.

"Uncle Liang, the technique of making bamboo paper was passed down by the imperial grandson, not by my family. You must not pass it on to others," Lu Zhaolin said solemnly.

The old craftsman patted his chest and assured him, "Don't worry, sir, the recipe for retting bamboo was done by me personally; no one else knows it!"

"Brother Xuance," Lu Zhaolin said, his gaze immediately fixed intently on Wang Xuance. "We should take this bamboo paper and report the good news to His Highness the Imperial Grandson."

"Hahaha, that's only right!" Wang Xuance laughed. "I know you've long admired the prince's talent and have been eagerly awaiting the completion of the paper before paying him a visit."

"They must have been eagerly anticipating it for a long time!"

The two men took a stack of newly made bamboo paper, summoned a carriage, and happily headed to Longqingfang.

Meanwhile, Li Xiang was under the big locust tree in Longqingfang, chatting with Aunt Pang and others while inquiring about the situation in Chang'an.

"Have you heard? The other day, that Zheng official from the Yingyang Zheng clan in the Ministry of Personnel, who was holding a good position in the capital, was suddenly reprimanded by His Majesty and demoted to the post of county magistrate in Luoyang! It was said that during the land survey, he concealed the amount of land that aristocratic families had acquired from the common people, deceiving his superiors and misleading His Majesty!"

"And yesterday, two assistant instructors at the Imperial Academy, both from aristocratic families in Guandong, who were usually very aloof and quiet, lecturing at the Academy every day, were impeached and dismissed by the censor in court! Their charges were accepting gifts from aristocratic students and showing favoritism towards their students."

"Using favoritism and taking shortcuts!"

"And that's not all! I've heard that several officials who had a history of wrongdoing but received excellent performance evaluations, who were on track for promotions, have had their cases re-examined by the court in the past few days. The court has uncovered hidden corruption from previous years, and all of their positions have been stripped of their seniority."

No promotion allowed!

"Furthermore, several prominent families in Guanzhong have been hoarding grain and concealing land, which previously went unnoticed. Now, however, the government is frequently coming to their homes to investigate and register them, showing no leniency whatsoever!" —

A group of elderly women were chatting enthusiastically about these private matters in Chang'an.

Li Xiang understood, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.

These people are undoubtedly the individuals listed in that booklet—secretly investigated, systematically reprimanded, and severely punished for minor offenses.

Clearing out layer by layer.

It's obvious that it was that scoundrel Li Er who, based on the booklet, weakened the power of the aristocratic families!