If you traveled back to ancient times, while others ate Guanyin clay, you would actually have giant

The immense popularity of "Journey to the West" has propelled Gu Family Restaurant to new heights, transforming it from a simple place to eat into a more sophisticated establishment.

When nobles in the capital were entertaining guests, Gu's Restaurant was their absolute first choice.

The storyteller became a highly sought-after figure in the capital. Whenever he wasn't performing at the Gu Family Restaurant, wealthy families would invite him to their homes for special performances.

Since he was invited, he was bound to be paid a lot of money. With the tips from the restaurant patrons, the old man made a fortune.

. . . . .

Zhou Wu hasn't been idle at home these past few days; he's found a carpenter and started carving small wooden blocks.

"Zhou Wu, what are you doing now?"

Li Xixue has come again. These past few days, she has been coming to Zhou Wu's house early every morning without fail, and her reason is quite good: she is going to find the storyteller to tell her father and mother the latest episode of Journey to the West in the palace.

However, today he happened to see Zhou Wu fiddling with a lot of small wooden blocks, and assumed that the other party was playing some new game.

"This is movable type printing, used for printing books."

Are you going to print Journey to the West?

"Not too stupid."

Li Xixue had gotten used to Zhou Wu's teasing and was now too lazy to talk back.

"The woodblock printing for books is very complicated. With so many characters, how many months do you plan to finish it?"

Li Xixue was referring to the fixed woodblock printing plates that exist today, where the printer carves the content to be printed onto a single piece of wood.

The biggest drawback of this type of solid board is that if even one character is wrong, the entire board is ruined.

Therefore, printing a book often takes several months, or even longer.

However, when Li Xixue walked closer and saw Zhou Wu fiddling with those small wooden blocks, she discovered that there were actually words carved on them.

"A few months? My book doesn't have many words, a few days should be enough."

"A few days? Are you kidding me? Even the imperial engravers can only carve one block a day at most. Your book has dozens of pages in a single chapter, right?"

"I already said that this is movable type printing."

What is movable type printing?

Li Xixue tilted her head and looked at Zhou Wu with a puzzled expression.

Zhou Wu could only demonstrate to Li Xixue using the wooden block he had already carved.

"Look, I carve each character individually, so that any content can be arranged immediately."

Looking at the small cube Zhou Wu was fiddling with, Li Xixue immediately understood. It was so simple, but why had no one thought of it before?

"You are really smart."

"Not worth mentioning."

Although Zhou Wu is quite mature, he still felt a little embarrassed when praised by a beautiful woman.

"By the way, when you print it out, please save some for me. Father, Mother, Aunt, Crown Prince, and my brother all love your Journey to the West."

"OK, no problem."

A few books are nothing to Zhou Wu; it's a minor issue.

. . . . . . .

Royal Palace

Li Tiancheng's brows were furrowed into a deep frown.

"What troubles Your Majesty?"

Li Tiancheng had been frowning ever since the morning court session ended.

"Oh, Your Majesty, you're arguing with the ministers about the imperial examinations again today."

Just as Li Tiancheng was about to confide in the Empress, Li Xixue arrived.

"Father, Mother is well."

"Xue'er is here."

The Empress greeted him warmly, and Li Tiancheng managed to force a smile from his embarrassed face.

"Father, is something on your mind? Why not tell Xue'er? Perhaps Xue'er can help you think of a solution."

"It's nothing, it's just the court's troubles."

"Oh, Father, please tell me."

Li Xixue said coquettishly, "If it were any other prince or princess, they would have been scolded long ago, because this action would be considered interference in politics. But Li Xixue has special privileges with Li Tiancheng, because Li Tiancheng dotes on her the most."

"Alright, alright, I'll talk, I'll talk, you've made my head spin."

Faced with his beloved daughter's shaking, even the king of a country, Li Tiancheng, was helpless.

"Then Father, please tell me. Your daughter will share your burdens."

"It's the same old problem. This morning at court, I had another argument with the ministers about the imperial examinations."

"The imperial examination? Does His Majesty intend to recruit scholars from humble backgrounds again?"

They were an old married couple, and Li Tiancheng had no secrets from the Empress, so as soon as he opened his mouth, the Empress knew what was going on.

"Yes, the imperial examination is just around the corner next year, but every year it is the sons of the powerful and wealthy who come out on top. What's the point? What I need now is to promote people from humble backgrounds, but it's difficult for those from poor families to rise to the top."

Just thinking about this gave Li Tiancheng a headache.

"Father, why is it so difficult for children from poor families to rise above their circumstances?"

“Every year in the imperial examinations, those who pass are all sons of powerful and wealthy families. Do you know why? It’s because these families have thousands of books in their collections, while for a poor family, getting a single book is as difficult as climbing to heaven. So it’s not that poor families are incapable; it’s just that books are as expensive as gold these days.”

"Father, the books are expensive. Can't you just make them cheaper?"

Li Tiancheng could only treat Li Xixue's advice as childish talk and listen to it without taking it seriously.

"Xue'er, this book is so inefficient to copy."

"Father, if copying is too slow, then print it."

"Hehe, for plate printing, just the engraving of the printing plate alone can take several months if everything goes smoothly."

Li Tiancheng had considered getting more books and driving down the prices, but he simply couldn't find a highly efficient way to do so.

Children from poor families lack books and therefore cannot learn systematically. That's why children from wealthy and powerful families always excel in exams—because they have vast collections of books and can receive a better education.

"Father, why not use movable type printing?"

"Movable type printing? What's movable type printing?"

"It's just that, Zhou Wu made it, a small piece, a small piece."

Li Xixue wasn't very good at describing things, and it took her a long time of talking and gesturing to barely explain the movable type printing technique.

"Someone, summon Zhou Wu."

"promise."

At first, Li Tiancheng thought Li Xixue was just joking, but the more he thought about it, the more likely it was to be true. Plus, it was Zhou Wu who made it. Now he couldn't wait to see this movable type printing technology.

While discussing printing books with his master, he was suddenly informed by a servant that an imperial envoy had arrived.

"His Majesty summons Lord Zhou. Please come with me to the palace to meet the Emperor."

"Does Your Majesty know why His Majesty summoned me?"

"They say it's some kind of printing technology. By the way, Lord Zhou, you'd better bring your tool."

"it is good."

The messenger was not Eunuch Changqing, an old acquaintance of Zhou Wu's. Zhou Wu hadn't seen Eunuch Changqing for a long time, and since he was going to the palace anyway, he decided to bring him some local specialties.

After quickly tidying up, Zhou Wu and the eunuch went into the palace together.

After entering the palace, he was led by a eunuch straight to the Empress's main hall.