Lin Yi was momentarily speechless. Could it be that even the doctors thought the same? She couldn't help asking, "Don't even the Imperial Hospital's physicians realize that lead and mercury are poisonous?"
Gu Fang pondered for a moment before explaining slowly, "Actually, medical texts do mention that such ingredients should not be taken orally in large quantities and are mostly for external use. The Compendium of Materia Medica records that lead cream 'is used externally for boils and to kill parasites; it is cold in nature and should not be taken orally in excess, as it may damage stomach qi.' The palace's Imperial Pharmacy Records and the Princes' Medication Files also mostly note 'for external use.' However, cinnabar, calomel, and lead dan do have records of internal use. I suppose physicians believe that for certain conditions, the benefits of internal use outweigh the risks."
That made sense. After all, every medicine has side effects—even arsenic can be used as medicine. Even in modern times, taking many drugs in excess still harms the liver and kidneys. Those who took such prescriptions probably had no other choice. Lin Yi remembered hearing from a history department junior that ancient emperors became obsessed with elixirs often because they were plagued by illness, and in the end, only elixirs could temporarily alleviate their suffering. In such a situation, who wouldn't cling to those elixirs as their last hope?
She was about to nod in agreement and praise Gu Fang for remembering so many texts when the carriage gently came to a halt. From outside the curtain, A Fu reported steadily, "General, Madam, we have arrived at the city's eastern workshop."
Lin Yi blinked. Truly, chatting made time fly. Such a long and bumpy journey had passed quickly with conversation. She thought that next time she went anywhere, she should drag Gu Fang along—with him by her side, the journey wouldn't be so hard.
Lin Yi and Gu Fang got out of the carriage one after another. Before them stood an empty but clean workshop. Though it had been unused for a long time, there was no dust or cobwebs. A Fu was always thorough, even with idle properties, regularly sending people to clean, so everything looked tidy.
Lin Yi pushed Gu Fang's wheelchair to a stop at the entrance just as Liu Qing arrived from the rear carriage. The three exchanged nods and entered together.
The workshop was spacious with high beams and pillars. Afternoon sunlight slanted in through the open door, casting long shadows on the floor. The air carried a faint smell of old wood and dust, but it wasn't oppressive. Traces of where equipment used to be placed were visible, and in a corner lay some cloth-covered items—likely leftover materials from previous operations.
Liu Qing walked a few steps ahead, looking around with an appraising eye. He turned and bowed to Gu Fang and Lin Yi: "General, Madam, this workshop has a good layout and a solid foundation. But to restart it, we need to take inventory of existing tools, make up for any shortages, and hire skilled craftsmen."
Lin Yi pushed Gu Fang slowly inside, her eyes scanning the empty space as she began planning where to place water tanks, steam kettles, drying racks... Though she had never made paper by hand, the processes were clearly imprinted in her mind.
Gu Fang quietly observed this property—one he owned but hadn't set foot in for years. Hearing Liu Qing's words, he said gently, "Since you're familiar with workshop affairs, take full charge. For funds and manpower, coordinate directly with A Fu."
Liu Qing solemnly accepted.
Lin Yi felt that entrusting this workshop to this man was probably the right decision.
Pushing Gu Fang, she said to Liu Qing, who walked beside her, "The method of papermaking isn't complicated, and the tools are simple. Only one step requires a specially made item: a bamboo screen with a frame for scooping the pulp."
Liu Qing nodded and noted it down, then asked, "Are there any special requirements for this bamboo screen?"
"Nothing special. The frame size determines the paper size. You can decide based on the usual size of paper used for writing." Lin Yi replied straightforwardly, then began detailing the process, "Papermaking uses tree bark, hemp fiber, old cloth, and old fishing nets. The bark, hemp, and nets must be soaked first; old cloth just needs washing. Then everything is chopped into pieces, soaked in limewater, and then boiled. After boiling, it's pounded into a pulp. Then you use the framed bamboo screen to lift a layer from the pulp vat, let it dry, and peel it off—that's a sheet of paper."
Gu Fang listened and couldn't help interjecting softly, "It doesn't sound too difficult."
"Exactly," Lin Yi nodded with a smile. "It's time-consuming but not labor-intensive. The most time-consuming part is soaking. Tree bark often needs several days or even months until soft; hemp is shorter—a few days. The limewater soaking takes about ten days. Boiling takes several hours to several days, also until soft. The final drying is quick—one or two days to be fully dry."
Liu Qing listened intently, then said, "So, although it takes time, the process is clear. I've roughly memorized it. The key seems to be the varying soaking and boiling times for different materials. I will experiment one by one and record them in a handbook."
This made Lin Yi's eyes light up. He was indeed a practical and knowledgeable person who immediately grasped the crux. She smiled and continued guiding him, "This is just the most basic method. Since the cost is low, I plan to supply this paper to poor scholars. Once you can stably produce this 'commoner's paper,' we can try adding other materials—like pigskin, bamboo fiber, and some gold or colored flakes—to make special papers exclusively for the nobility."
Liu Qing lowered his eyes in thought for a moment, then looked up and asked, "Madam, do you mean to sell the commoner's paper at cost, without seeking profit, and then make up expenses by selling noble specialty papers at a high price?"
"Exactly!" Lin Yi nodded approvingly. "Paper benefiting the poor helps spread education. I don't seek profit from that. But those finely crafted specialty papers should be sold as expensively as possible. If particularly exquisite, we could even issue limited quantities, because rarity makes things precious."
Lin Yi then briefly explained some ideas about scarcity marketing. Liu Qing listened, falling into contemplation as if considering the business strategy. Seeing this, Lin Yi said no more and just leisurely pushed Gu Fang around the workshop.
Everything that needed to be said had been said, and the empty workshop had nothing much to see. Lin Yi thought they might as well leave early—the remaining date time would be more interesting than standing around here.
Back in the carriage, Lin Yi asked Gu Fang if there was anywhere he'd like to go or any scenery he'd like to see. Gu Fang tilted his head slightly, his eyes brimming with smiles: "I'm at Xiaoyi's disposal."
Lin Yi then cheerfully decided: when the carriage neared the city gate, they'd get off and take a walk. She remembered there was a small river outside the gate, with trees bearing pink blossoms along the bank. It was elegant and secluded, perfect for a leisurely stroll without worrying about people staring at Gu Fang in his wheelchair.
The return trip was indeed faster than the journey there. They reached the small river around lunchtime. A Fu had sent someone to prepare a food box from Lianxiang Restaurant and also brought a small, portable table. Lin Yi and Gu Fang ate under the shade of a tree by the river, then she pushed the wheelchair along the water's edge.
The river was clear, and they could see a few small fish swishing their tails. The trees on the bank were sparse, with tiny pink blossoms that fluttered down when the wind blew. Lin Yi was gazing at the water, lost in thought, when she heard Gu Fang ask softly, "Xiaoyi mentioned earlier that you want to sell the basic commoner's paper at cost to poor scholars—do you intend to let more children from impoverished families who can't afford books have paper to use?"
Lin Yi's heart tightened. She asked in a low voice, "Is that a bad thing?" This dynasty didn't have the imperial examinations yet, so scholarly commoners had very limited impact on the aristocratic families. She felt she probably wouldn't cause any major trouble.
"No, it's very good." Gu Fang smiled. Just then, a breeze blew by, scattering a few pink petals onto the ends of his hair, making him look like a figure in a painting. His voice was gentle: "If the price of paper can truly become affordable for everyone, in no more than three generations, the people of Great Qian will be able to receive some education. That's a great virtue."
Uh, that would require compulsory education first. Even in modern times, there's no shortage of people who dislike studying. Lin Yi's gaze wandered as she tried to change the subject: "Husband, you seem to love reading? Just now, you effortlessly cited those obscure medical texts."
"Mm, there is a world within books." Gu Fang nodded, his gaze on the flowing river. "Since childhood, I've enjoyed reading miscellaneous books—classics, history, military, agriculture. Then I was sent to the Northern Frontier battlefield. At that time, the enemy was strong and we were weak; the situation was perilous. Fortunately, I had read some military strategies and tactics. Several times in dangerous situations, I barely managed to get through using methods from those books."
Oh? So Gu Fang had been thrown onto the battlefield like that? In the original novel, since Gu Fang was only a side character who died early, it only briefly mentioned that he was a military prodigy who appeared out of nowhere, without any background. Since arriving in this world, Lin Yi had learned a bit of context: the Gu family, though a military lineage, held low ranks and had practiced monogamy for generations, leading to a dwindling lineage. By Gu Fang's father's generation, he was the only son. And that single son happened to marry Gu Fang's mother, who came from a merchant family, and they had only one son—Gu Fang. Later, when the Northern Frontier invaded, both of Gu Fang's parents died in the war.
Lin Yi felt her heart ache. Her voice unconsciously softened: "Husband, were you forced onto the battlefield?"
"You could say that." Gu Fang's lips curled into a faint trace of sarcasm. "Initially, Great Qian suffered repeated defeats against the Northern Frontier. Generals were nearly all lost, and soon there were no generals available at court. The emperor wanted to promote his consorts' brothers, but everyone knew it was a death sentence, so they made excuses. The emperor had no choice but to promote from lower-ranked officers—that's how my father got pushed forward. Later, even those lower-ranked officers died off, and still, no one wanted to take the hot potato. So the emperor simply selected from the sons of fallen generals, ordering them to inherit their fathers' posts and march to the Northern Frontier."
Lin Yi felt a surge of anger in her chest. That tyrant wouldn't even spare children? But then she had doubts: the ancients valued lineage most. If a family was left with only one son, they usually wouldn't send that sole heir into battle. Had that dog emperor abandoned even basic ethics?
"But by then, husband, you were the only surviving bloodline of the Gu family, weren't you?" Lin Yi's voice trembled slightly.
Gu Fang caught the pity in her words and shook his head gently. "By that time, the Northern Frontier cavalry were already pressing towards the Imperial City. The emperor and his high-ranking ministers had packed their belongings and fled south. There was truly no one left to use, so they couldn't afford to follow those rules."
Lin Yi felt a pang of sorrow and sighed softly. She looked around, and seeing no one nearby, bent down to Gu Fang's ear and asked in a low voice, "Then husband... how can you still recognize the Ying clan as your emperor? How can you tolerate this?"