Zhangsun sighed and said no more. She understood that when a country united to deal with external enemies, they could always easily reach consensus, because this related to everyone’s interests. Once attention turned from outside back to domestic affairs, wanting to do anything would become extremely difficult.

When national interests and personal interests couldn’t reach agreement, friction was inevitable. Regarding the matter of meritorious nobles bearing provincial governor titles, she had exhausted her eloquence before her elder brother accepted the position of Zhaozhou Provincial Governor. Among all the meritorious nobles in Chang’an, probably only Yun Ye serving as Yuezhou Provincial Governor could be considered willing. Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Wei Zheng, Zhangsun Wuji, Dai Zhou, Gao Shilian—not one of these people was willing. They all wanted to stay in Chang’an. Only Yun Ye was single-mindedly trying to run away.

His Majesty was currently brewing a copper coin crisis. At this time, he still had to attend to all sorts of chaotic evil cults—it was truly headache-inducing. Thinking of this, she came before Li Er and said gently: “Your subject believes you shouldn’t overthink this matter. Yun Ye probably hates this kind of human tragedy even more than you do. Perhaps the changes in this White Stone Palace were deliberately brought about by him. Being gentle and moderate toward internal matters has always been his way of doing things. Being able to permanently eliminate great enemies for the imperial family silently—this is what a subject should do. Your subjects are all very talented. You need not worry. The older generation of subjects is gradually withdrawing from the circle of power just as you predicted. The new generation of subjects can now shoulder great responsibilities. This is the fruit of your many years of cultivation. What else are you dissatisfied with?”

Li Er laughed heartily, quite self-satisfied. As long as Li Tai’s ship could truly fly, he would take advantage of the momentum to release large quantities of copper coins. From the effects caused by the earlier batch of copper coins released, he was still satisfied.

Li Tai was building a ship, and Yun Ye wasn’t idle either. The miraculous He Shao had actually managed to obtain ten bolts of fire-washed cloth for him. With this material, he had the best material for the opening where the hot air balloon would be lit.

“Brother Ye, you’ve given me, your brother, a difficult problem! Fortunately, your brother has extensive connections. After inquiring in many directions, I managed to purchase this item from an extraordinary merchant. It is a rare worldly treasure. There are records in the ‘Liezi,’ and also records in the ‘Records of Spirits and Immortals.’ Jin person Gan Bao said, ‘On the mountains of flaming fire, there are birds, beasts, plants, and trees, all living and thriving within the flaming fire. Therefore, there is fire-washed cloth. If not the bark and fiber of this mountain’s plants and trees, then it is the hair of those birds and beasts.’ Tell me, isn’t it precious or not?”

After speaking, he pulled out a small piece of white cloth, smeared it full with the meat juice from preserved meat. Xinyue watched with great heartache—she also knew that even obtaining an inch of fire-washed cloth was considered a treasure.

He Shao threw the fire-washed cloth into the furnace to burn, then continued drinking wine with Yun Ye. After the two had drunk several cups, he used fire tongs to clamp the fire-washed cloth out. After letting it cool slightly, he picked it up and shook it. That piece of cloth was indeed as clean as new. The name of fire-washed cloth truly lived up to its reputation. Yun Ye took it to look at, then threw it on the table, saying: “This broken thing is still too heavy, and it’s woven loosely. Trying to hold hot air would be too difficult. It doesn’t qualify.”

“Ah?” He Shao’s mouth couldn’t close. This precious treasure still wasn’t good enough for this lord?

“Close your mouth. You were cheated and still feel smug about yourself. Only an idiot like you would be like this. Last time it was the ‘Song of the Yue People,’ this time it’s fire-washed cloth again. Five thousand silver coins to get just ten bolts—you’re really stupid beyond measure. These broken things are worth at most fifty silver coins already, yet you particularly like being fleeced.”

“Look clearly, this is fire-washed cloth, made from fire rat hair, not ordinary cotton cloth or silk on the market. It’s a treasure!”

“What the hell do you know? This thing is stone, not woven from any fire rat fur. If you have the ability, get me a mouse that’s not afraid of fire, and I’ll give you another ten thousand silver coins. That damned merchant must have discovered an asbestos mine. Tell me, is that guy a Great Tang person, or a merchant from foreign regions?” Yun Ye asked He Shao indifferently.

“What are you planning to do?” He Shao immediately became vigilant, looking at Yun Ye sideways. He felt Yun Ye seemed to have ill intentions. That merchant would very likely be in trouble.

“This thing will become a strategic resource in the future. It’s not appropriate for it to be controlled by a merchant. If he doesn’t want his entire family to die, he’d better hand over this mine, exchange it for a title of nobility, or exchange it for wealth or land. You go explain the reasoning to him clearly. Once my experiments are complete, his great disaster will arrive. Even if I don’t find trouble with him, the military will tear him to pieces.”

“He won’t hand it over. His ancestors for generations have made their living from fire-washed cloth. He absolutely won’t hand it over. Even with his head chopped off, he won’t hand it over. I’m also a merchant. I’m very clear—this is cutting off someone’s foundation. Having your head chopped off only means one generation suffers misfortune. Without a livelihood, descendants for generations will suffer misfortune. That merchant, even if he has no courage, killing him at this time won’t help.” He Shao was a bit angry. He was most disgusted by this method of clever seizure and plunder.

Yun Ye didn’t get angry. He ate a bite of food and said to He Shao: “If his family continues to mine the asbestos mine, they’ll all die without anyone else lifting a finger. The merchant you met, if he doesn’t have consumption, he’s definitely someone who coughs all day long. There’s definitely more than just him in his family with the same symptoms. Since it’s a secret, they can only have their own family members personally do the work. You ask him—if he doesn’t want his entire family to die out from now on, he’d better hand over that mine. Otherwise, hmph, his family will never escape the nightmare of consumption.”

He Shao once again opened his mouth wide, looking at Yun Ye for quite a while before saying: “How do you know this?”

Yun Ye ignored He Shao’s question and continued: “His family still has many people whose skin will fester and itch unbearably. Old He, don’t think his family has discovered an eternal rice bowl. This rice bowl will take the lives of his entire family. That merchant already has no hope of being saved. As for whether his family’s descendants can survive, it all depends on his intentions. Exchanging life for money is meaningless.”

How toxic asbestos was—how could Yun Ye not be clear? Those tiny fibers would drill into pores. Yun Ye had experienced that feeling once. His arm had swollen red over a large area, and two layers of skin had peeled off before it healed. As for fibers entering the lungs, it was even more miserable. Coming from a mining area, how could Yun Ye not understand this principle?

He Shao was half-believing, half-doubting. He couldn’t figure out whether Yun Ye was deliberately making up a story to seize someone else’s property, or if this was truly the case. But that merchant indeed looked like he could die at any moment. He planned to go ask that person—just ask. If Yun Ye was fabricating a story, He Shao was determined to immediately withdraw. He absolutely would not help Yun Ye seize someone else’s property. This kind of matter concerned the merchant’s fundamental interests. He Shao did not intend to submit.

Yun Ye didn’t care what He Shao thought. Since he had the fire-washed cloth, the hot air balloon’s construction was put on the agenda. His father-in-law’s family had specially woven the most dense silk cloth for him. Yun Ye had tested it—this silk cloth was even sturdier than the sail canvas on the Great Emperor. Using it to make a hot air balloon couldn’t be better. The only drawback was that it wasn’t fire-resistant. Now with this fire-washed cloth, it was perfect. The parts closest to the flames would all be lined with fire-washed cloth, and there would be no worries.

The kerosene blowtorch had also already been developed by the Gongshu family. What remained was just to sew that silk cloth into a large sphere. Yun Ye had already chosen the day for takeoff. The third day of the third month was precisely a good day for flying kites. The Yun family bore the reputation of being an immortal family. Without one or two miraculous signs, how could people be convinced?

Xinyue stubbornly took on this work. She wouldn’t permit her husband to hand this needlework over to outsiders. The womenfolk of their own family were sufficient to do these things. The good methods passed down by the great-grandfather master couldn’t be ruined by outsiders.

Thus, old grandmother, Xinyue, aunt, sisters-in-law, older and younger sisters all threw themselves into the work of sewing the hot air balloon. Xiao Wu was responsible for design. Yun Ye very irresponsibly told her to just divide it into eight petals and sew them together. He casually drew a diagram and didn’t care anymore. With Xiao Wu and Di Renjie there, they could always produce a qualified hot air balloon.

Li Tai’s experiment failed again. It was said the entire ship was blown to pieces. That was right—wasn’t Wan Hu also blown to pieces? However, this time his ship seemed to have truly flown up. Although only for an instant, just this small victory was enough to let Li Tai know his starting point was correct, his theory also had no errors. What remained was just continuously improving the fire-spraying equipment. When he had tested the waterwheel back in the day, he had eaten bitterness through and through. The current difficulties couldn’t stump him at all.

Yun Ye had come to love the life of teaching at the academy. Li Yifu had successfully become one of the student leaders. Pang Yuhai very happily handed over large sums of money to Li Yifu to control. This fellow who was born wealthy and had a certain understanding of human nature harbored ulterior motives! He firmly believed his own future couldn’t be compared with several thousand silver coins, so he could regard several thousand silver coins as dirt. But this money, to Li Yifu who had been poor his entire life, was undoubtedly an enormous sum. Moreover, the other students all trusted Li Yifu very much and never questioned the ins and outs of money.

One silver coin could allow one to visit prostitutes at Yan Lai Tower for a night. Two silver coins could let one hear beautiful singing girls’ melodious singing voices. Three silver coins could outfit oneself with a very good set of clothing in Chang’an market. Great Tang horses were cheap—five silver coins could buy a horse at the horse and carriage market. If one added another silver coin, one could have a very good set of saddle and blanket.

If one had ten silver coins, one could purchase a Goguryeo maidservant. Although language was a barrier, they were gentle. If you had thirty silver coins, those Persian dancing girls with protruding fronts and curving backs were yours to choose. If you had a hundred silver coins, you could settle down in Chang’an. This was the dream of countless impoverished scholars.

Pang Yuhai had never underestimated the power of money. When he himself saw several thousand silver coins piled before him, his mind also momentarily lost control. He didn’t believe that Li Yifu, who loved vanity, could withstand this kind of temptation.

Moreover, that singing girl called Yan Zi looked favorably upon Li Yifu. To win a beauty’s smile, talent was not enough. Always having the beauty pay for him—there would always be times when he felt awkward. Perhaps at that time, Li Yifu would very likely use the students’ meal funds. Once he used them, even immortals couldn’t save him.

After giving Yan Zi one hundred silver coins, Pang Yuhai planned to watch coldly from the sidelines.