Standalone Northern and Southern Dynasties

Chapter 95 Paper

There must be some connection behind these individual events.

Gao Huan suddenly said something that woke Su Ze up: "Brother Su, since this is Luoyang's matter, can't you go ask Henan Prefecture? Don't Brother Su and Li Dafu have some contacts?"

Su Ze quickly stood up and said, "That's right, I just happened to have something to ask Lord Li."

Gao Huan rubbed his hands and said, "Hey, Brother Su, can you help me introduce someone? I'm planning to open a horse shop in Sitong City."

Ever since he was whipped by Zhang Lingshi last time, Gao Huan's horse appraising business has been abandoned. He has to make friends and drink on weekdays, and his money is getting less and less. Gao Huan, who is quick-witted, saw another business opportunity.

Luoyang was the imperial capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was surrounded by fertile land and there was a lot of bulk cargo transshipment in the city, which naturally gave rise to the demand for transportation.

A horse shop is a shop that rents horse-drawn carriages and carts. Although it is not as profitable as selling horses, it is still an income.

Gao Huan was good at judging horses and was also an excellent driver of horse carriages, so he naturally thought of opening a horse inn.

"Of course this is no problem."

Gao Huan showed a delighted look on his face, and he immediately said, "Don't worry, Brother Su, it's the same as before. You will get half of the profit from this horse shop! Shall we go now?"

"Wait until I get something from the backyard."

Su Ze walked into the backyard and heard a lazy voice saying, "Master, the sun has set. I'm off work!"

Su Ze pushed the door open and came in, only to see a middle-aged man in cloth clothes lying on the bed drinking. Su Ze ignored him and walked directly to the shelf in the backyard, stroking the rough bamboo paper.

Su Ze took out a stack of exquisite bamboo paper from the system and threw it to the lazy papermaker.

“Can bamboo paper like this be made?”

The papermaker lying on the bed said, "Master, this is not ordinary bamboo paper, but Xiaoxiang paper that has musk and gold foil mixed into it during the papermaking process. The craftsmanship is much more complicated than my cheap bamboo paper."

“Can you do it?”

"Yes and no."

"why?"

"The bamboo paper I'm making now is made from the same bamboo used to make bamboo slips. These bamboos are grown in all government offices in Luoyang, and there are also people outside the city who grow bamboos specifically to make bamboo slips. The texture of the bamboo is dense and hard, and the bamboo slips made from it are strong and durable."

"But to make Xiaoxiang paper, you need Xiaoxiang bamboo. The stems of this kind of bamboo are relatively soft and easier to soak. It is a high-quality raw material for making bamboo paper. However, there are not many of this kind of bamboo near Luoyang. Only the homes of dignitaries will plant it as an ornamental bamboo."

Su Ze looked at the coarse bamboo paper made by the papermaker. The surface of this paper was rough and the ink easily smudged. It was indeed not high-end enough for writing and painting, but it could meet daily office needs.

"Then go find some tomorrow and make some Xiaoxiang paper."

"Alright, alright! My Lord, it's time to get off work. I'll do it tomorrow!"

Gao Huan looked at the Xiaoxiang paper in Su Ze's hand curiously. He stroked the smooth surface of the paper and said, "It is indeed a good thing. Those shops selling southern goods sell this kind of paper, and the price can be as high as silk! Brother Su actually has a retainer who can make this kind of paper?"

No wonder Su Ze was not interested in Gao Huan’s horse shop business. It turned out that he had such a capable person under his command.

Gao Huan became even more curious about Su Ze. Even in the sacred city of Luoyang, skilled craftsmen were rare. They were either in the Ministry of Works or monopolized by the wealthy and powerful families. Where did Su Ze find so many capable retainers?
Su Ze picked up the stack of Xiaoxiang paper that the system had created, picked up a stack of rough bamboo paper made by a papermaker, and held a scroll of bamboo slips in a brocade bag, and took Gao Huan to the Henan government office. Since Li Daoyuan was promoted to the position of Henan Yin, the appearance of Henan Prefecture has been completely renewed.

It was almost dark, but there were still yamen runners coming in and out of Henan Prefecture. The donkey carts carrying official documents in Henan Prefecture creaked as they delivered thick bamboo slips to one official room after another. Officials in the prefecture lit up lights to handle the documents.

Su Ze had the badge of the City Gate Captain issued by Li Daoyuan. He quickly entered Henan Prefecture with Gao Huan. After a minor official informed Li Daoyuan, he took Su Ze and Gao Huan to the Mingtang where Li Daoyuan worked.

Entering the Mingtang, Li Daoyuan was still reviewing official documents. Su Chao stood beside Li Daoyuan, looking for information on the bookshelf. When he saw Su Ze coming in, Li Daoyuan put down his pen and said, "Marshal Su is not in the army. What business do you have in Henan Prefecture?"

There was a hint of alienation in Li Daoyuan's tone. Su Ze guessed that Li Daoyuan had heard about Su Ze's methods today. He was an upright person and did not like this kind of power politics.

Su Ze put down what he was holding and said, "Mr. Li, this is a new book."

Send a book?

Li Daoyuan was a little surprised. He had already made up his mind that if Su Ze came to give gifts, he would immediately expel him from Henan Prefecture, confiscate his badge as the city gate captain, and cut off all contact with him.

But when he came up to deliver the book, Li Daoyuan was confused.

While Li Daoyuan was hesitating, Su Chao picked up the bamboo slips and brought them to Li Daoyuan's desk.

"The Extinction of God"?
"The Destruction of God"!?
Li Daoyuan rubbed his eyes. He remembered that Cui Guang had entrusted him to find a book. Wasn’t this the book he was looking for?
Li Daoyuan hurriedly opened the bamboo slips and read them word by word.

Su Ze and Su Cho both stood quietly in the hall. Only Gao Huan felt uncomfortable all over and his eyes kept darting around.

When Li Daoyuan finished reading, he closed the book and sighed, "It is indeed a great article! It is indeed 'There are many good ministers in Jiangnan'!"

Li Daoyuan's sentiments also reflected the general mentality of the literati in the Northern Wei Dynasty at that time. The Eastern Jin Dynasty moved south, but the north experienced the turbulent Sixteen Kingdoms period, so the south was naturally more advanced than the north in culture.

After the fall of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Liu Song, Southern Qi and Southern Liang dynasties were all dynasties with highly prosperous cultures. The Southern Dynasty monarch Xiao Yan was well versed in Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, and his literary attainments were among the best among emperors in history.

The Northern Wei Dynasty originated from the nomadic Xianbei people in the north, and it was only after Emperor Xiaowen's reform that it began to fully sinicize. The northern aristocratic families also experienced a cultural gap during several wars, and naturally could not compare with the cultural prosperity of the Southern Dynasties.

The phrase "There are many good ministers in Jiangnan" was said by Emperor Xiaowen himself when he was promoting sinicization.

Su Ze blurted out, "'Southern China has many good ministers, but its ruler changes every year; northern China has no good ministers, but its ruler changes every hundred years.' Ze heard that the author of this book, Fan Zhen, was not highly valued by the Southern Dynasty."

Li Daoyuan raised his eyes and looked at Su Ze in surprise. The sentence 'There are many good ministers in Jiangnan, and the ruler changes every year' was what the attendants who followed Emperor Xiaowen said to Emperor Xiaowen. Su Ze's father served as a Yulin Lang, so it must be his father who told him this.

But the fact that Su Ze could answer so quickly was enough to show his quick wit.

Li Daoyuan admired Su Ze's talent even more, and heard Su Ze say:

"This book was lent to Li Gong by Su Ze."

Gao Huan looked at Su Ze in confusion. Aren’t you here to give me a gift?

Su Ze handed over two stacks of paper and said, "These two are the gifts Su Ze gave to Lord Li, but I don't know which one Lord Li likes more."

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(End of this chapter)