Chapter 898 – Northern Overlord (Thirty-Five)
Cui Yu wished for it but couldn’t find a way.
Calling by courtesy name was something only close peers or elders could do.
Jiang Pengji’s inquiry carried an intimate implication.
If it were another woman, Cui Yu might have had improper thoughts, but in the case of Jiang Pengji, he wouldn’t dare.
The reason? He simply didn’t perceive her as a woman, instinctively disregarding it.
Facing Jiang Pengji always made him feel like he was attending an imperial court session.
The majesty of the heavenly family, perhaps, was merely this.
Before he realized it, his back was already drenched in sweat.
“Let’s not beat around the bush. You think highly of my Liu Xi, so I naturally can’t be stingy,” Jiang Pengji accepted the Cui family’s token of allegiance without any psychological burden. She had to show the Cui family her determination next. “Have you heard of Hejian bamboo paper?”
Cui Yu’s heart jolted, his eyes widened in shock, and his tongue felt numb, nearly forgetting how to speak.
Hejian bamboo paper?
How could he not have heard of it?
The Cui family had risen through business, and while they had gained some renown, they were still looked down upon as merchants.
The more they were disregarded, the more the Cui family wanted to infiltrate higher circles.
Things like bamboo paper were not something ordinary merchants could touch.
It wasn’t that the Cui family couldn’t afford it, but they lacked the qualifications to even place an order.
A bold thought circled in his mind—Could Liu Xi be willing to share the profits from the bamboo paper?
Even just a slice of the pie would be enough for the Cui family to digest.
However, this thought didn’t linger long as Cui Yu forcibly pushed it down.
His instincts as a business tycoon warned him that this woman could not be treated lightly, and he shouldn’t judge her with mundane eyes.
Some individuals, the more you try to take something from them, the more they resist.
On the contrary, unexpected rewards might occur.
Cui Yu replied, “Hejian bamboo paper is a treasure sought after by scholars across the world. I certainly have heard of it.”
Jiang Pengji continued, “My mother was clever and resourceful since childhood. Bamboo paper was her innovation based on Cai Hou paper. Unfortunately, due to limited materials, large-scale production is still impossible. My mother often said that bamboo paper isn’t exclusive to any one person. It’s just that she was afraid of it becoming a source of trouble, which is why she kept the production technique secret. It wasn’t because she was hoarding a treasured possession and unwilling to share it.”
Whether Gu Min actually said those words, Cui Yu had no way of confirming, but it didn’t matter what Jiang Pengji said.
His heart thumped hard, nearly missing a beat.
He nervously swallowed, clearly wanting to celebrate but had to maintain his composure.
Jiang Pengji’s hints were clear; she was pleased with the Cui family’s performance and was willing to allow them to dabble in the bamboo paper business!
Jiang Pengji continued, “This is my mother’s unfulfilled wish, and as her daughter, I naturally need to fulfill it. However, as my mother worried, the greatest challenge in mass-producing bamboo paper lies in the raw materials. If the supply of raw materials doesn’t work out, mass production becomes a fantasy.”
Upon hearing this, Cui Yu’s heart sank to the depths.
Joy turned into sorrow; it was simply too overwhelming.
Before Cui Yu could respond, Jiang Pengji sighed, “To fulfill my mother’s wish, I conducted experiments myself, and I did discover a perfect alternative to bamboo paper’s raw material. I started my trials several years ago, and now the papermaking technique has matured. As long as the raw material is stable, mass production will no longer be a challenge. While it may not mean everyone can afford paper, at least middle-class families won’t have to keep using cumbersome bamboo slips.”
If Cui Yu’s emotions could be illustrated, it would look like a roller coaster.
Up and down, enough to give someone a heart attack.
Jiang Pengji had someone bring over a stack of pre-cut rice paper, leaving Cui Yu stunned.
Previously, he had been modest, but the Cui family was wealthy enough to buy some through informal channels.
As the head of the Cui family, he had certainly used bamboo paper before.
Just by looking, he could tell that the improved bamboo paper Jiang Pengji mentioned was of a quality comparable to the finest bamboo paper.
If they could really get a slice of this pie, the Cui family would not just take one step forward.
It would be a leap that could rip their pants!
“Zhong Huan might not know this, but I plan to rebuild the Golden Scales Pavilion. While I don’t dare to compare it to the previous Golden Scales Pavilion, it won’t be far off either. I intend to use this type of paper for all the books in the Golden Scales Pavilion, which will require an enormous amount of paper. If it weren’t for my confidant, I wouldn’t dare easily entrust this matter,” Jiang Pengji said, “I wonder if Zhong Huan is willing to lend me a helping hand?”
After everything she said, nothing compared to her final appeal to Cui Yu.
He could hardly contain his eagerness, wanting to nod vigorously and shout—Willing, willing, willing!
A thousand times willing!
However, he needed to appear reserved.
So Cui Yu forced himself to contain his excitement and replied with restraint, “Certainly, that’s what I wish for; I wouldn’t dare to ask for more.”
Jiang Pengji smiled brightly, leaving the live audience momentarily dumbfounded.
【Wutong King】: What in the world? Translate, please!
【Falling Night’s Stranger】: Simplified translation—He’s saying he wouldn’t dare to ask because this is already his heart’s desire.
【Shunfeng Express】: I’m only concerned about one thing. Will the host really give away the papermaking technology so easily?
Jiang Pengji glimpsed this comment and couldn’t help but smirk inside.
How could she make such a foolish mistake?
Knowing the Cui family was a bunch of merchants, why would she reveal her trump card at this moment?
She agreed to let the Cui family be involved in the papermaking process but never stated she would hand over the core technology. She merely planned to utilize their manpower.
Once rice paper was mass-produced and the price came down, she wouldn’t mind sharing the technology with the Cui family then.
But for now?
The rice paper was the carrot she was dangling to lure the greedy Cui family donkey, making it look forward to the “carrot.”
Even so, the conditions Jiang Pengji offered greatly exceeded Cui Yu’s expectations, making them incredibly grateful.
Sometimes, giving too much would make people forget your kindness.
Bit by bit, what they received would help them realize just how precious those things were.
After nearly half a month, the city remained under strict martial law with heavy troops on guard, and the families under house arrest could hardly even hold proper funerals.
Many small noble families felt the heat, and they could no longer sit still!
At this critical moment, two pieces of news bombarded the social circles of Chongzhou’s gentry.
To be precise, the second piece of news was too explosive.
Compared to it, the first piece was inconsequential.
The first was that the formerly disregarded Cui family had hopped on Liu Xi’s big ship, fully choosing to stand by her side.
Whether the Cui family chose a side didn’t concern them at all.
To many, they merely appeared to be a frog trying to leap into the ranks of the top noble families in Chongzhou.
The second piece was more astonishing: the Cui family, who had chosen a side, had issued a token of allegiance, gaining the rights to sell bamboo and rice paper from Liu’s hands. Even more shocking, after five years of cooperation, the Cui family could also obtain the papermaking techniques for both types of paper from Jiang Pengji!
Upon learning the content of the Cui family’s pledge, the noble families couldn’t help but slam their chests and stomp their feet.
How could such a sweet deal fall into the Cui family’s hands?
