HCB Chapter 57 Paper Spreads to Six Countries (Part 6)
Chapter 57 Paper Spreads to Six Countries (Part 6)
While Ying Wuyou was busy promoting bone meal feed, a completely different scene unfolded in the six kingdoms. A strong tremor was quietly spreading throughout the six kingdoms, and the source of this tremor was none other than seemingly ordinary sheets of paper!
These papers spread to various countries, bringing unexpected changes and shocks. Whether it was nobles in the court or ordinary people in the city, everyone was filled with curiosity and fear about these mysterious papers.
Suddenly, undercurrents surged among the six kingdoms, and a controversy over paper quietly unfolded. Meanwhile, various rumors circulated among the common people; some said paper brought bad luck, while others regarded it as a precious treasure. In this storm caused by paper, everyone was searching for answers.
In the magnificent and imposing palace of the Chu King, King Fuchu, dressed in a splendid royal robe, sat on the dragon throne, his expression solemn, his gaze fixed intently on a piece of paper in his hand.
He frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "My esteemed ministers, do you know what this is?"
A hush fell over the hall. The ministers exchanged bewildered glances, shaking their heads in ignorance. At this moment, a minister stepped forward, respectfully cupping his hands and saying, "Your Majesty, could this be the legendary paper from Qin?"
King Fu Chu of Chu, his face grim, nodded slightly and said in a heavy tone, “What you say is very true, my dear minister. It is truly astonishing that the Qin people can create such a marvelous thing. Compared to the bamboo slips we have always used, this paper has indeed brought great convenience. If our great Chu does not have such paper, and Qin paper becomes popular in the six states in the future, I am afraid that our Chu will be in an extremely unfavorable situation!”
After speaking, he glanced at all the civil and military officials and asked, "I'm sure you all know how important this paper is. Now, tell me, what should we do next?"
At this point, a minister suggested, "Your Majesty, we should send envoys to the Qin state to learn the papermaking method."
Another minister countered, "This is inappropriate. If Qin becomes wary of us because of this and refuses to share our skills, it will backfire."
The two argued fiercely, their faces flushed and necks red, neither willing to give in. The ministers standing by remained silent, afraid to interrupt for fear of getting caught in the crossfire. King Chu, however, sat on his dragon throne, saying nothing, seemingly observing the entire scene.
Finally, the two seemed to have tired of arguing, and their voices gradually subsided. At this moment, the King of Chu spoke, "Alright, you two stop arguing. I've heard enough. Does anyone else have a different opinion?" His tone was calm, but his eyes revealed a hint of authority.
The hall fell silent; no one dared to speak. Everyone knew that the King of Chu's patience had reached its limit, and any further tactless arguments would likely bring trouble.
Seeing that everyone was silent, the King of Chu said loudly, "I have heard that this thing only appeared in the world in Qin not long ago. Perhaps we can try to develop it ourselves."
The court officials all nodded in approval, and the King of Chu decisively ordered them to concentrate their efforts on researching papermaking. Suddenly, a surge of enthusiasm for papermaking swept through the state of Chu…
In the Yan Palace, Crown Prince Dan hurriedly entered with several papers in his hand. Seeing that Prince Xi of Yan was enjoying the dance and music, Crown Prince Dan waved his hand to dismiss the dancers and musicians. Prince Xi of Yan, seeing that his good mood had been interrupted, frowned and asked, "What do you want?"
Crown Prince Dan bowed and said, "Your subject greets Your Majesty. Today, I heard about an object outside the palace and brought it here to show Your Majesty." Upon hearing this, Prince Yan Xi's expression softened, and he asked, "Oh? What is it?" Crown Prince Dan presented the paper to Prince Yan Xi and explained, "This is paper. It is said that it can record text and is much lighter than bamboo slips."
King Xi of Yan picked up the paper and examined it closely, secretly delighted: "Where did such a fine item come from?"
Upon seeing this, Prince Dan sighed inwardly, but remained outwardly calm and said, "Father, I have heard that this was made in the Qin state."
Upon hearing this, the Prince of Yan's face darkened instantly, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes. He then said, "Go quickly and summon the Grand Historian and several high-ranking officials to the palace to discuss how to handle this matter."
Crown Prince Dan nodded in agreement and turned to leave. A short while later, the Grand Historian and several high-ranking officials hurriedly arrived at the Yan King's palace.
After they had learned the details of the matter, one of them stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, our Yan state has no idea how to make such a novel item, and it is almost impossible for us to manufacture it ourselves. In my humble opinion, it would be better if we paid to buy it from the Qin state. This way, we can meet the needs of Yan state and avoid the disruption to the operation of the state due to a shortage of paper."
Another person chimed in, "I agree. Now that Qin and Yan have developed many grudges because of the Jing Ke incident, if we take the initiative to buy paper and show goodwill to the King of Qin, he will surely accept it gladly and shake hands with our country to make peace. In this way, the relationship between the two countries will be greatly eased, which will benefit both sides."
However, Crown Prince Dan quickly waved his hand to stop him, saying, "Father, this is absolutely unacceptable! Qin has always intended to attack our Great Yan. After Jing Ke's failed assassination attempt on the King of Qin, Qin will certainly not let it go easily. If you give money to Qin now, wouldn't that be tantamount to admitting defeat to Qin?"
When Prince Xi of Yan heard this, he hesitated. At this moment, someone stepped forward, looked at Crown Prince Dan, and asked, "Then what should we do according to the Crown Prince's suggestion?"
Crown Prince Dan said to King Xi of Yan, "Father, I think we can send someone to Qin to steal their knowledge."
The man hurriedly said in a panic, "Does the Crown Prince want our Yan state to be destroyed? Qin has already been eyeing our Yan state covetously since the Jing Ke incident. Now they are sending people to steal their papermaking techniques. If this is discovered, wouldn't it bring utter destruction to the Yan state?"
Upon hearing this, Prince Yan Xi also felt that Crown Prince Dan's idea was too risky, so he said, "I think that spending money to buy it is the safest method. My dear ministers, you can go down and discuss the details to see who is suitable to send."
Several ministers bowed and said, "Yes." But when Crown Prince Dan was about to say something more, Prince Yan Xi waved his hand to interrupt him.
In the end, Prince Dan could only leave in a huff.
Meanwhile, the State of Yan was also preparing funds to select envoys to go to the State of Qin to buy paper.