The Song Dynasty on the Sand Table

Chapter 158 Lend You a Papermaker

The scholars escaped safely, and the family heads were very happy.

This group of scholars are the hope of the dozen or so families present here. They hope that they can study hard, pass the imperial examinations, and bring honor to their families in the future.

"I'm glad you're back. We, more than a dozen families, have escaped the Jin people's control and arrived in the Song Dynasty. All our land and property have been lost. What should we do next? We're just trying to come up with a plan. Could you please offer some advice?"

Ji Menghan said, "On my way here, I ran into Uncle Zhang, who runs a paper mill. He separated from me at the rice shop and went to the county government office. I thought we should see how Uncle Zhang fares. If he's treated well here, we, the dozen or so families, might as well work for the prince. If he's not treated well, then we can go to the coast, find a boat, and escape to Jiangnan."
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Uncle Zhang, or Mr. Zhang, as Ji Menghan mentioned, had just arrived at the county government office.

He asked people along the way and gradually figured out the situation in Jiaoshui County.

It turned out that the Song army here was nominally called upon by the prince, but in reality it was a bandit army. Although the legitimate court officials also joined them in the fight against the Jin army, they were very reserved and kept a distance from the bandit army.

After hearing this, Mr. Zhang felt a little panicked.

But he had no choice. Unlike the old-fashioned gentry families like the Ji family, his foundation was not strong enough.

He was just a small paper mill owner and a small businessman in the county town. He had no inheritance or confidence from several generations. After the paper mill was robbed, he was broke and it was difficult for him to make a comeback. If he didn't find a way to make a living quickly, he would have no way out.

Now that someone has shown me a way, I have to go ahead even if it is a den of thieves.

He arrived at the yamen gate and saw a group of "bandit soldiers" guarding the door. He was panicked, but he forced himself to remain calm and stepped forward to clasp his fists. "My two generals, my name is Zhang Nan, a small businessman from Changyi County... A man named Su Qi'er recommended me to find a young master named Yue."

The gatekeeper was slightly stunned, then immediately smiled: "So it's you, the True Lord has already given instructions. You will be brought in immediately upon your arrival."

Mr. Zhang was surprised, thinking, "Huh? Su Qi'er clearly only dropped me off outside the city and then headed west, not entering. How did this city dweller, Master Yue, know I was coming?"

His mind was full of doubts, but he didn't dare to ask more questions.

One of the gatekeepers led him into the yamen.

Zhang Yuanwai stole a glance and immediately spotted the Jiaoshui County Magistrate. The magistrate wasn't sitting in the main hall, but had deliberately hidden himself at a stone table in the corner of the courtyard. Tea sat on the table, and he looked as if he were enjoying a cup of tea and watching a play, not wanting to mingle with the government office. However, when an official approached him, the magistrate gave a few instructions and attended to his own business.

Mr. Zhang thought to himself: As expected, the county magistrate is like an outsider here, and the rebel army has the final say in this city.

Soon, he entered the lobby.

In the seat where the county magistrate should have sat, sat a young man, looking quite relaxed and unconcerned. Next to him, in the seat where the chief clerk should have sat, sat a young woman, no more than twenty years old. She was wearing the standard armor of a Song Dynasty soldier and appeared to be of humble status, yet everyone around her treated her with great respect.

The gatekeeper who led the way said, "Master, Second Lady, this is Mr. Zhang from Changyi County. He said Su Qi'er introduced him."

Mr. Zhang immediately became nervous.

Madam Gong Er just smiled, nodded in agreement, and then went about her own business.

The young man sitting in the first seat gave Mr. Zhang a gentle smile and said, "Mr. Zhang, sit down!" Mr. Zhang was flattered and sat down on the chair with his butt tilted, only half sitting, as if ready to stand up at any time.

The young man said, "My surname is Yue, and my given name is Wenxuan. Everyone calls me Master Yue. I serve as a staff officer in the anti-Jin righteous army."

Mr. Zhang thought: You sit in the main seat and say you are an advisor, no one will believe you. Are you the mastermind behind all this?
He thought so in his heart, but did not say it out loud. He just bowed respectfully: "Thank you for your courtesy, Master Yue."

Yue Wenxuan said, "I heard that Mr. Zhang runs a paper mill in Changyi County."

Mr. Zhang was a little panicked: "Where did you hear that? Su Qi'er clearly didn't come with us! Did you use some super-hearing ability?"
"Yes, I used to run a paper mill, but it's gone now." Mr. Zhang sighed, "My family is broke and I've ended up here. Gang Leader Su said you could help me, so I shamelessly came here."

Yue Wenxuan smiled: "I can indeed help you! How about helping you rebuild a paper mill?"

Mr. Zhang: "It's easy to find a house, and the materials are not difficult either. The difficulty lies in the lack of a papermaker."

Yue Wenxuan clapped his hands: "Come in!"

When the door opened, five middle-aged men who looked exactly the same, like twin brothers, walked in in a line. The outrageous thing was that even the posture and rhythm of their steps were exactly the same.

The five men walked neatly to Mr. Zhang's front and spoke at the same time, reading in unison: "Mr. Zhang... hello... we are... papermakers..."

Mr. Zhang was so frightened that his butt was already hanging in the air. He jumped up and took three steps back. "You...what...is going on?"

Yue Wenxuan smiled and said, "These are the five papermaking brothers under my command. They are twin brothers, so they always move forward and backward together. Don't worry, this is only the case during normal times. When it comes to work, they will do their own steps and will not move in such a unified manner."

Mr. Zhang: "Ah? Ahhhh?"

Yue Wenxuan: "I'm lending you these five papermaking brothers. You can rely on them to open a papermaking mill. Their skills are very impressive, guaranteed to be better than your previous papermakers. But... they are my papermakers after all, so you have to return them to me after using them for a while. So, you have to quickly find an apprentice and let him learn from them. Once you've learned their skills, I'll call them back."

When Mr. Zhang heard this, he finally understood Yue Wenxuan's intention and was overjoyed: "Mr. Yue, you are like my second parents."

After thanking him, he suddenly thought of something: "Master Yue, as the saying goes, 'teaching an apprentice will only make the master starve to death.' Great skills are passed down to sons, not daughters. Are they willing to take on apprentices?"

Yue Wenxuan: "Of course they themselves are not happy about it, but since I have given the order, they have to accept it even if they don't want to."

As soon as he finished speaking, the five papermakers spoke at the same time, reading with sticks: "The Master has given an order... We are happy to..."

Mr. Zhang was taken aback by the shock, thinking: These papermakers are so weird. But never mind, it doesn't matter if they have weird personalities, as long as they can make paper, and papermaking doesn't depend on personality.

He quickly bowed respectfully and said, "Mr. Yue, your kindness is so great that I cannot repay you."

Yue Wenxuan waved his hand and said, "Work hard to make more paper so that the people can use cheap paper. That will be your way of repaying me. Go ahead."

(End of this chapter)