latelenovela Chapter 24 The First Paper of the Great Qin Dynasty
Chapter 24 The First Paper of the Great Qin Dynasty
At dawn, the sun rose in the east, its golden rays bathing the earth and illuminating the entire Qin Empire. It was another bright and sunny day; the sky was a deep, jewel-like blue, without a single cloud to obstruct the view. The air in Qin was fresh and pleasant, free from the industrial pollution and car exhaust of later generations, filled with the scent of nature. Ying Wuyou took a deep breath, feeling the fresh air fill her lungs, bringing a refreshing and comfortable sensation. She especially loved taking a deep breath of this fresh air every morning after waking up; it felt like a cleansing for both her body and soul.
As the seasons changed, the weather in September gradually turned cooler, and the morning temperature was noticeably lower than in summer. Ying Wuyou felt a slight chill, so she put on a thick coat to ward off the morning coolness. Then, she tidied her clothes, stepped out of her house, and headed to the palace school. Along the way, Ying Wuyou enjoyed the scenery and felt the autumn atmosphere. The autumn wind blew gently, the leaves rustled, and occasionally a golden leaf would fall, adding a touch of autumn color to the earth. Many palace maids and eunuchs hurried past, bowing and greeting Ying Wuyou. Ying Wuyou also met her older brothers and sisters, and greeted them all in return.
This afternoon, Ying Wuyou left the palace as usual. Today was very important to her; she was about to officially begin papermaking. So she hurriedly ate a few bites of lunch and, accompanied by her guards, left the palace for the estate. Along the way, she was both excited and nervous, eagerly anticipating the results of her papermaking attempt.
Upon arriving at the estate, Ying Wuyou was pleased to see that the newly purchased servants had lost the restraint they had displayed the day before. After greeting them, she went straight to the west courtyard. In a secluded area of the west courtyard, several basins were laid out, filled with tree bark and hay soaking in the water. Ying Wuyou touched the bark and hay, which had been soaking overnight, and finding them softened, she ordered them to be taken out of the water. Then, she instructed several sturdy servants to crush the bark and hay with stones or wooden sticks.
Once all the bark and hay had been shredded, Ying Wuyou had the residue poured into a large pot and slowly simmered, stirring constantly. When the residue softened further, she had it scooped out and pounded until it became a pulp. Then, she added water and stirred until smooth. Next, she personally filtered the pulp through a fine sieve to remove impurities and large fibers. She then poured the filtered pulp onto a flat surface and spread it evenly by hand or with a tool, forming a thin sheet of paper. Finally, she placed the paper in the sun to dry or used a fire to harden and flatten it. After much effort, Ying Wuyou successfully created her first sheet of paper. Although this paper may not be as smooth and delicate as modern paper, it was a product of Ying Wuyou's own hands, making it exceptionally meaningful.
Ying Wuyou repeated the same steps once more, turning the remaining pulp into paper one by one. She worked with focused patience, as if time had stood still, and only she and the pulp in her hands were communicating. Every drop of sweat represented her dedication to the process, and every successful transformation was proof of her hard work. Finally, when the last drop of pulp became a slightly rough sheet of paper, Ying Wuyou felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction welling up inside her. She was exhausted, but her heart was filled with joy and pride.
Ying Wuyou sat there quietly, gently stroking the stack of papers with both hands. These papers seemed to be the fruits of her hard work, each one carrying her heart and expectations. She carefully observed the texture and grain of the paper, feeling its softness and smoothness. This was the first batch of paper she had produced in the Qin Dynasty, and the first time she had made such an important contribution to the Qin Dynasty.
A surge of intense emotion welled up within Ying Wuyou; she knew what this moment meant. It would change people's lifestyles and promote the spread and development of culture. This was not merely a piece of paper; it was a boon to the scholars of Qin, a crucial guarantee for the unification of writing in Qin, and the most important step in advancing Qin civilization.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Ying Wuyou couldn't contain herself, and tears welled up in her eyes. She recalled her initial reason for coming to the Great Qin Dynasty: to realize her value here and bring something new to the country. Now, she had done it, and even better than she had imagined.
Ying Wuyou took out a dagger and carefully cut the papers one by one until they were all neatly cut. Then, she quickly took out a box she had prepared beforehand, put the papers inside, and hurried towards the palace.
The carriage arrived at the palace gates in no time. Ying Wuyou eagerly disembarked and rushed towards Zhangtai Palace. The guards in front of the palace saw someone carrying something rushing towards them from afar. Thinking it was an assassin, they drew their swords and assumed fighting stances. As the person drew closer, the guards recognized Princess Jiayang, quickly sheathed their swords, and bowed respectfully. Ying Wuyou had no time to pay them any attention and charged straight into the palace.
After performing the rites, Ying Wuyou smiled and said to the King of Qin, "Father, I've come up with something wonderful! Please take a look." The King of Qin immediately became interested and asked, "Oh? Quickly, let me see it." The eunuch hurried down, took the box from Ying Wuyou, carefully examined it, and after confirming it was in order, respectfully presented it to the King of Qin. The King of Qin took the box, looked at its contents, pulled out a piece of paper, and asked curiously, "Jiayang, what is this? What is its use?" Ying Wuyou replied, "Father, this is paper. Please allow me to demonstrate its specific use to you." The King of Qin nodded and said, "Alright!" Ying Wuyou quickly stepped forward, pulled out a piece of paper from the box, picked up a brush from the imperial desk, dipped it in ink, and wrote the character "Qin" on the paper.
King Qin looked at the words on the paper and a look of surprise appeared on his face. He quickly understood the use of the paper; it was simply a treasure. He excitedly said, "Good, good, good, Jiayang, you have truly made a great contribution! This matter is of great importance. I must summon the ministers of the court to discuss it. You may go back now." Ying Wuyou naturally knew that his task had been completed, so he happily withdrew.