In the warm boudoir, the charcoal brazier crackled softly, filling the air with a faint fragrance of incense.
The icy coldness that had lingered on Li Shuchen's brow for days seemed to melt away, replaced by a barely perceptible tenderness in his eyes.
Looking at the vivacious and spirited young lady beside him, his body reacted faster than his mind—
He kissed her.
He pushed her down.
His passionate kiss, intertwined with endless longing, ravaged her lips like a wild storm.
Qi Huan tried to push him away, but finding her efforts futile, she resigned herself. If you can't resist, might as well enjoy it~
However, Li Shuchen suddenly stopped. He rolled back onto the bed beside her, silently reciting a mantra to calm his restless desires.
To avoid neglecting Qi Huan, he multitasked, speaking while still trying to compose himself:
"Huan, Uncle Prince Shun sent me ten concubines."
It was expected, so Qi Huan wasn't surprised. What she cared about was his attitude towards the matter.
The warm yellow candlelight flickered, and her heart involuntarily quickened as she anxiously waited for him to continue.
"I turned around and presented them to Father Emperor. He rewarded me with a piece of warm jade."
Even an emperor's lechery had its benefits.
As he spoke, Li Shuchen removed a jade pendant from his waist and pressed it into Qi Huan's palm. "It's bitterly cold, and I can't be by your side. Let this warm your hands in my stead for now."
The flawless jade pendant was translucent and lustrous, its warmth seeping through her skin straight to her heart. Qi Huan's eyes curved into a sudden smile.
She set the pendant aside, cupped Li Shuchen's face in her hands, and gave him a light kiss. "That's your reward."
"But you should keep the jade pendant. You've been afflicted by a cold poison, so you need it more. Besides, I have another gift for you."
Qi Huan sat up and retrieved some hand warmers she had prepared earlier from her spatial storage. She skillfully tore open the packaging and stuck them to his trouser legs. "Take these with you when you leave. Stick them wherever you feel cold. Also, don't sacrifice warmth for the sake of looking dashing. Dress warmly."
"Better yet, bundle up like a ball so no one will covet you."
Li Shuchen chuckled deeply, sat up with her, and pulled her onto his lap, embracing her from behind. He replied briefly, "Alright."
Leaning against his chest, Qi Huan nestled in his arms, playing with his long fingers while chattering about the people and affairs of the Song family.
When she mentioned "Song Jingche," her willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed slightly, and her expression grew serious. "Shuchen, Song Jingche was the man in black who fought you in the cave on Mi Mountain. I recognized his eyes."
Li Shuchen rested his chin on her shoulder and asked with displeasure, "What kind of eyes?"
Sensing the familiar scent of jealousy, Qi Huan quickly smoothed things over, "Very unpleasant eyes."
Li Shuchen's lips curled into a satisfied smile. He kissed her cheek and spoke in a gentle tone that carried a hint of coldness, "I see."
After all, "Song Jingche" was Huan's cousin.
Since they were relatives, he would instruct his subordinates to make his death as quick as possible.
Perceiving his killing intent, Qi Huan hesitated slightly. "The Song family cares deeply for Song Jingche."
The Song family had shown her genuine affection, and she didn't want to stab them in the heart behind their backs.
She wanted to negotiate a deal with Song Jingche.
She bit her lip, finally making up her mind.
But she feared Shuchen wouldn't agree.
The system enthusiastically offered advice: "Don't panic, host. When women act coy, men's souls take flight."
"Use a cutesy voice, cling to Li Shuchen's arm, and beg him not to hurt your cousin~"
"...System, take my advice and watch fewer soap operas."
Qi Huan's skin crawled.
The troublesome system was up to no good.
If she really believed its nonsense, "Song Jingche" would only die faster.
Qi Huan promptly blocked out the system.
She and Shuchen didn't need to beat around the bush. It was best to speak plainly.
She honestly expressed her thoughts: "Shuchen, first I want to emphasize that I'm asking for leniency for Song Jingche not for his sake, but for the Song family's."
"Secondly, I know his secret, and I want to talk to him. If we can reach an agreement, everyone wins. If we can't, I support you taking him out. You're the most important."
Of all she said, only one phrase truly registered with Li Shuchen—"You're the most important."
Li Shuchen let out a pleased "Mm," which counted as his agreement.
Having concluded the matter of "Song Jingche," Qi Huan changed the subject and began sharing her upcoming plans with him.
"Shuchen, in the long history of our Heavenly Court, there was a man named Bi Sheng who invented a convenient method of printing books called movable type printing."
"Specifically, it involves making uniform blanks out of clay, carving reversed single characters on one end, with the strokes protruding to about the thickness of a copper coin's edge. These are then fire-hardened to create individual clay type pieces."
"The clay type pieces are then sorted by rhyme and placed in wooden compartments labeled with paper tags. When typesetting, an iron plate with a frame is used as a base, covered with a layer of a mixture made from pine resin, wax, and paper ash. The needed clay type pieces are picked out and arranged one by one within the frame."
"When the frame is full, it becomes a page. It's then heated by fire until the mixture melts slightly, and a flat board is used to press the type face flat. Once the mixture cools and solidifies, the page mold is complete. For printing, you just need to apply ink to the mold, cover it with paper, and apply some pressure!"
(The above description is based on historical records of movable type printing.)
"Although the production process sounds a bit complicated, once the type is set, it allows for rapid, large-scale printing."
"It's far more time and labor-efficient than traditional book copying."
"This way, costs are reduced. Even if I sell books cheaper than other bookstores, waging a price war, I'll still have a large profit margin."
"At the same time, as books become less precious, knowledge can spread more widely among the people. More people in Li Country will be able to afford books, cultivating more talent!"
"It's beneficial both publicly and privately, for the country and for the people."
At this point, Qi Huan stuck out her tongue playfully. "The only ones who might be unhappy are probably the owners of other bookstores."
"But social progress outweighs the interests of a few. I think I should do this."
"Once the bookstore is well-established, I want to open a printing factory and wholesale books to other stores, giving them a share of the profits. We can make money together! Spread knowledge together!"
From her increasingly confident tone, Li Shuchen could imagine how bright the eyes of the young woman in his arms must have been as she spoke, and how exhilarated she must have felt.
He gave a soft "Mm" in response, then added, "Whatever Ahuan wants to do, go ahead and do it. I've got your back."
His words carried a double meaning.
He was indeed right behind her.
Qi Huan beamed with joy. At this moment, taking the system's advice, she coyly said, "Ashu, you're so good to me~"
"Mm, I am good. And what's best about me is my taste."
"For choosing Ahuan."
Hearing his roundabout way of praising her, Qi Huan's eyes sparkled with an even deeper smile. She turned around and straddled his lap, hooking her arms around his neck and kissing him again.
She complimented him, "Your lips are so sweet."
Li Shuchen skillfully recited a mantra to calm his heart while contentedly narrowing his phoenix eyes. His hand slowly caressed her silky hair as he mused, "The power dynamics in the capital are intricate. Many inconspicuous shops have deep-rooted connections behind them. If you rashly try to compete with their businesses, you might attract unwanted attention."
"I'll give you Xiuyuan. Let him handle all the public affairs."
"You can offer advice from behind the scenes and just wait to collect the money."
