The Great Han Dynasty Volume 2: The mountain has trees, and the trees have branches. One two seven years have passed.

  "And," Zhang Yan said, raising her head to look at him with a smile in her eyes, "does Your Majesty remember when I came from Xuanping to Chang'an in the second year of Emperor Hui?"

  That year, Liu Ying was depressed and went on a trip to Xinfeng with Fan Tong, where they met Zhang Yan again on the main street.

  They rode together back to Chang'an, and at the city gate, they met a self-proclaimed Red Eyebrow Daoist.

  "Chi Mei Zi said," Zhang Yan continued with a smile, "'When it is full, it will be exhausted.' The character 'Ying' in Your Majesty's name has the implication of impending exhaustion. I fear that next year there will be damage to virtue. Even if we just consider him to be speaking nonsense afterwards, I still have concerns in my heart. The Tao Te Ching says, 'To hold and fill is not as good as stopping.' If we take the character 'Chi' from this phrase to create a new name for Your Majesty, it will mean 'to stop at what is suitable'. This can make up for the deficiency in Your Majesty's original name. I am thinking of Your Majesty's interests, so naturally you will like it."

  Liu Ying stared at her slightly upturned lip corners and crimson cheeks, momentarily dazed.

  Zhang Yan understood his heartfelt feelings, and he naturally felt it. But also because of feeling it, he was a bit at a loss.

  On that day, Chì Méi Zi also spoke of divination, saying that he and Zhang Yan would one day be husband and wife.

  He naturally regarded it as a ridiculous rumor. He had always thought of Ah Yan as his simple and lovely niece, how could they become husband and wife?

  But now, he let out a sigh in his heart and couldn't help but glance at the dimple on Zhang Yan's lips.

  It really is a Qin-Jin friendship with her.

  Was it the prophecy of Chi Mei Zi that fulfilled his and Ah Yan's marriage, or did he and Ah Yan have a predestined relationship, which was why Chi Mei Zi saw it in advance and spoke out the prophecy.

  He didn't know, and he didn't want to know. So he lifted the quilt, got up, and said, "It's not early anymore. I still have to go to the proclamation hall." He stretched out his hand in front of his forehead, clicked his tongue, and said, "This wine has too much aftertaste. Even now my head is still a bit dizzy."

  Zhang Yan couldn't help but feel a little guilty, and reached out to massage his temples, saying, "I originally thought that Your Majesty's capacity for wine was quite large, so I didn't hold back in urging him to drink. But I didn't expect the plum wine to be so potent. Your Majesty, I've ordered the palace staff to warm up a bowl of hangover soup in the corridor - would you like to drink it before heading out?"

  Seeing his pale face nodding, he turned around and ordered the servant to bring the sobering soup quickly. He blew a mouthful of air on the lacquer spoon and handed it to Liu Ying's face.

  In the bitter and astringent aroma of the sobering soup, Liu Ying faintly smelled a thread of fresh orchid musk fragrance, as if it came from the girl's breath, and seemed to linger on the slender fingers holding the spoon. He even felt that the fragrance had already stained his own body, entwining him unclearly. Unconsciously, he shivered lightly, hastily took over the sobering soup and drank it all in one gulp, then threw it aside. "A Yan, I'll leave first," he said, not leaving any more words behind, and left after putting on his clothes.

  Zhang Yan put the lacquer spoon back into the bowl of soup that had already been seen through, turned her head to look at Liu Ying's back, which seemed to have a hint of fleeing in disarray, and suddenly burst out laughing.

  "Your Majesty." Han Changyu was under the corridor. Seeing Liu Xian come out, he hurriedly went up to say, "I serve you..."

  "It's useless." Liu Ying shook her sleeve. Annoyed, "What are you still guarding here for? The Empress is young and doesn't understand things, you clearly know that I don't want to and can't stay overnight in the Empress' bedroom, as the first trusted eunuch by my side, why didn't you step forward to stop it last night?"

  Is Empress Zhang still young and ignorant of things?

  Han Changyu really wanted to throw his head back and let out a long howl.

  Your Majesty, you can't just eat a loss and still protect this child like that. That little empress in the Pepper Chamber is clearly pretending to be a pig eating a tiger, step by step, patiently waiting for the opportunity to capture her uncle's husband.

  But he remembered Empress Zhang's meaningful glance when she entered the bedroom early this morning.

  It seems that in front of this dark-hearted little queen, the honest and kind emperor has no chance of winning. Because no matter what, the emperor who values emotions will not treat the empress unfairly, and he will only be scolded by the emperor for taking the blame. But if something happens to the empress...

  He is the Grand Councilor of the Imperial Court, and he might have reached the pinnacle of his career.

  Han Changyu silently swallowed back his blood and tears, gritting his teeth in pain, "This slave knows his mistake."

  "Knowing the mistake is a mistake." Liu Ying couldn't help but want to kick him, thinking of the many years of friendship between master and servant, she forcibly endured it, and said dejectedly, "What's the use of knowing the mistake?"

  Have you ever slept in your nephew's bed when his uncle is around?

  He painstakingly drew a line between himself and Ah Yan, but this time he crossed it so shamelessly, it's infuriating.

  He walked a short distance before he couldn't help but beckon Zhang Cheng over and ask, "So, how was the Empress Dowager settled last night?"

  Han Changyu suppressed a smile and said seriously, "The Empress is indeed well-behaved. After settling the Emperor down, she slept on the couch outside the screen where the Emperor usually sleeps for a night. Your Majesty need not worry."

  Liu Ying finally let out a sigh of relief, but then heard Zhang Jian's last sentence, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt that something was off. She couldn't help but glare at him fiercely again.

  On this day, he was busy dealing with state affairs in the Xuan Shi Hall until Prime Minister Cao and Daifu Lu Jia withdrew. Only then did he take a slight breather, lift his head, and his gaze fell on the fine paper that had been brought up from the Houmen of the Xuanping Marquis's residence.

  "Ah Yan." He couldn't help but call out her name. Rubbing his temples to ease the headache.

  I'm afraid I have no choice but to deal with you now.

  Time flies, half a year has passed in an instant.

  When the autumn wind blows through Chang'an City, good paper has been widely used in Chang'an City, because it is lighter and more convenient than bamboo slips, and its price is cheaper than silk. It quickly became popular. And with the momentum of getting stronger and stronger, taking Chang'an as the center, it quickly spread to the counties and vassal states of the Great Han Dynasty.

  Because of the current emperor's abolition of the book ban, the folk academic atmosphere that had been stagnant for many years also burst out in an instant with a gushing momentum. In addition to the hundred shops operating in both cities, many more bookstores were opened. Poor students went back and forth between bookstores, and even if they couldn't afford to buy books, being able to read to their heart's content was still a fortunate thing.

  Xuanping Marquis's Mansion

  "Zhang Da," Zhang Ao called out to his trusted subordinate, "I supported the people of Mo Men in developing good paper. The Emperor appreciated my contribution and did not take away their method. He still allowed our manor to operate it. Your father and son have served me for two generations, I know you are intelligent and capable, so I want to entrust this matter to you."

  "Thank you, Lord Hou." Zhang Da was moved to tears and bowed again, "I will definitely do my best, not betraying your trust, Lord Hou."

  "That's good." Zhang Ao nodded, suddenly turned serious and said, "From now on, you will no longer be a slave of the Xuanping Hou Mansion, you can restore your original Lu surname, and everything you do outside in the future has nothing to do with the Hou Mansion."

  "Your Lordship." Zhang Da was suddenly shocked. "But what has this humble one done wrong? Please, Your Lordship, punish me. This humble one only begs Your Lordship to withdraw the order."

  "Don't be afraid." Zhang Ao smiled and comforted, "It's not because you made a mistake. Have you ever seen any merchant who does business with a slave identity? If I, the Ping Marquis, don't help you, would I still treat your parents well after you leave? Your parents are still in the Hou Mansion, and I will not mistreat them."

  After Lu Da left, a family member reported, "Your Lordship, Meng Nuofu from the inner palace has requested an audience."

  "Let her in."

  Before long, Jie You entered and bowed, saying, "The maid has seen the Marquis, but doesn't know why the Marquis ordered someone to summon her. What is it about?"

  Xiang Ao shook his head and said, "Jie You, since you are the privately appointed official of the Empress Dowager, you are a female official. From now on, there is no need to call yourself a slave."

  Jie You remained silent for a moment before bowing and saying, "Thank you very much, Your Excellency."

  It's true that Jiao understood, but she herself was a slave who had been sold to the Xuanping Marquis' household by her parents, and it was precisely because of this that the Xuanping Marquis trusted her loyalty without any doubts.

  "Thanks to Your Majesty's kindness, the Marquis of Xiping's household has been granted a monopoly on the production and sale of high-quality paper throughout the empire," Zhang Ao said with a straight face. "Just now, I have chosen a trusted family member and given him his freedom. From now on, he will sell high-quality paper in the name of a merchant. Although high-quality paper is cheaper and more convenient than bamboo slips and silk, it will surely bring in a lot of money within decades. I think that this proposal to produce paper was originally made by Her Majesty the Empress, and I am only contributing to its implementation. Therefore, all the profits from the sale of high-quality paper will not be taken by the Marquis's household, but will be entirely donated to the Empress's private treasury."

  Jie Yun spoke up in surprise, "Lord Hou, there's no need to be so formal. The Empress is your and the Eldest Princess' biological daughter, after all, you're family, why must you differentiate so clearly?"

  "Since we are family," Zhang Ao smiled, "the empress needn't decline."

  "He sighed and said, 'You go back and tell the Empress that your father was a king of Zhao in his early years. Although he was demoted, the previous emperor still took into consideration the status of Princess Chang Le and left me with the wealth accumulated by my father and son over the years. In the Chang Le Palace, Empress Lü also said that after her death, all private property in the palace would be given to Manhua. My wife and I only have one legitimate son, Detian. All our family business is his. He won't lose out. On the other hand, it's Ah Yan who, although she has a fiefdom as the Empress, also needs to have real wealth in her hands. Detian and she have been close since childhood, so he definitely won't be stingy.'"

  "Is it? Yan Er." He finished speaking and turned his face to ask outside the hall.

  After a while, Zhang Yan pulled Chi Guo out of the hall with his head held high and smiled nervously, "Dad, you know I'm here, right?"

  "What a loud noise! Do you think your father is deaf and can't hear?" Zhang Ao sneered, "What are you doing here, not studying with the master, but running to me instead?"

  Zhang Wan coughed and asked Jie You, "That..."

  "Little Shizi," Xie You knelt down and bowed, "I am a slave, surname Meng, name Xie You."

  "Oh," Zhang Wei nodded slightly, his delicate face looking both handsome and lovely, as he reminded him, "You go back to the palace and ask my sister for me, when will she come home? I haven't seen her in almost a month." The last sentence was slightly complaining, but still showed a childlike demeanor.

  Xie You smiled wryly and said, "In that case, I'll have you return and tell the princess exactly what the young master has said."

  "Goodness gracious," Zhang Yan muttered, seemingly not having heard what his father had just said about easily handing over a large piece of the Hou estate's business. "The Emperor's uncle is really something, always competing with me for Sister."

  For a moment, Zhang Ao and Jie You both couldn't help but laugh.

  Marquis Xuanping's eldest son, when will you understand that from the day she got married, she was no longer just your sister, but another man's wife.

  Clutching my fist, I have a goal. It's to fill Ah Yan's warehouse to the brim, cough, even fuller than the emperor's.

  (Oh.) There are supportive ones, give a passionate pink vote.

  Starry eyes.

  It's already been half a year in an instant, it's really fast.

  The next chapter, how these two will show up, I haven't thought it through yet.