Chapter 1489

Following Lu Wen's words, the officials' gazes grew even more shocked.

Cui Xinghe, Wang Zhong, and the others felt incredibly fortunate in their hearts; it was a good thing they hadn't made a move.

This Living Yama Gao Yang actually possessed such a massive killer weapon; this was intended to uproot the Pei family!

Truly... ruthless!

Ding Yimo's face turned dark.

He had stepped forward too early, and now he had dragged himself into this.

Next, many officials all wanted to step forward to feel it for themselves, and Gao Yang granted all of their requests!

Some officials even took the initiative to write a few large characters, and Gao Yang granted this as well!

"Good, this is truly rare and excellent paper!"

"Although its texture is not as good as mulberry-bark damask paper, in terms of toughness, it far surpasses it!"

"This quality simply crushes hemp paper!"

The officials engaged in a round of discussion, which made Pei Cheng's expression increasingly unsightly.

Gradually, he also found it difficult to sit still.

He took the initiative to step forward, also wanting to get his hands on it to feel it.

But as soon as Gao Yang saw Pei Cheng, he immediately pulled back his hand and asked loudly, "Family Head Pei, what are you here for?"

"This old man has also come to experience it."

Pei Cheng felt somewhat awkward, but since it concerned one of the Pei family's lifelines, he had no choice but to lower his head.

Gao Yang said very bluntly, "No."

Pei Cheng's eyes widened, and his voice rose as he asked, "Why?"

"Others can touch it, why can't this old man?"

"I don't like the look of you, and I don't like the look of the Pei family. Do you have an opinion?"

Pei Cheng looked at Gao Yang's punchable face, his back molars aching from grinding them.

If looks could kill, Gao Yang would have been torn to shreds by him long ago!

At this moment, Wu Zhao couldn't help but ask, "Lord Gao, what kind of paper is this?"

"The raw material for this item is bamboo, so this subject simply calls it—bamboo paper!"

"According to my experiments, this bamboo paper is extremely tough; in terms of quality, it does not lose to the mulberry-bark damask paper on the market!"

"But its cost is far lower than mulberry-bark damask paper!"

"Therefore, this subject boldly requests that Your Majesty promote bamboo paper and abolish the regulation that cancels examination qualifications for those who do not use mulberry-bark damask paper in the imperial examinations!"

"At the same time, books of the sages do not necessarily have to be transcribed using mulberry-bark damask paper; bamboo paper can also transcribe them and carry the words of the sages!"

Once these words were spoken, Pei Cheng's expression changed drastically.

Almost at the very first moment, he stood out.

"Your Majesty, this must absolutely not be done!"

Wu Zhao swept her phoenix eyes over him and said with some amusement, "Minister Pei, why not?"

Cold sweat seeped from Pei Cheng's forehead, his brain spinning frantically.

Finally, he found an attack point regarding the bamboo paper and spoke to Wu Zhao.

"Your Majesty, using mulberry-bark damask paper for the imperial examinations is an ancestral system; for Prime Minister Gao to use inferior paper is to insult the sages!"

"Therefore, this subject boldly implores Your Majesty to abolish bamboo paper and strictly forbid this absurd act!"

Having said this, Pei Cheng threw out his trump card, saying word by word, "Bamboo paper is prone to rot; if it is used to transcribe the books of the sages, in a hundred years, the books of the sages will turn to dust, and then we will all be sinners for all eternity!"

Minister of Works Ding Yimo gritted his teeth, steeled his heart, and stood out to say, "Your Majesty, what Minister Pei says is not without reason; this subject also implores Your Majesty to strictly forbid bamboo paper!"

Pei Cheng swept his gaze around, his face ashen.

In his expectations, there should have been many officials speaking out in agreement at this time, but now there was dead silence, with only Ding Yimo and a scattering of a few officials standing out to echo him.

These bastards, they change their faces faster than he takes off his pants!

He used his eyes to coerce them, filled with threats.

This also caused some officials to waver.

Pei Ji was also dumbfounded.

What happened to the many people who were supposed to cause trouble tomorrow? Where are they?

Furthermore, he looked at Song Li, but Song Li had an expression of looking only at his nose and heart.

In fact, Song Li was also very conflicted inside.

Not just him, Wang Zhong and the others were all somewhat hesitant; the reason for causing trouble that Pei Cheng found was extremely appropriate.

If this isn't seized...

But it was also at this moment that Gao Yang scanned the entire hall, his gaze disdainful and overbearing, and he said coldly.

"Ridiculous words, nonsense!"

"Your Pei family uses gold paper to print empty words, while this Prime Minister uses bamboo paper to carry truth. The paper is cheap, but the truth is expensive. Do you gentlemen dare to stand out and debate this?"

Instantly, the officials who had been caught in hesitation and conflict fell into a silence, all stunned by Gao Yang's words.

They withdrew their restless feet and shrank back again.

They said to themselves in their hearts that the imperial court is not about human relationships, but about observing the situation.

Pei Cheng also didn't expect Gao Yang to be so capable of debating, but since it concerned the Pei family's lifeline, even if he couldn't win the debate, he had to bite the bullet and go on.

"Prime Minister Gao, no matter what you say, how can coarse bamboo and inferior hemp be worthy of carrying the books of the sages?"

"Your Majesty, the sages cannot be insulted, otherwise I fear there will be great turmoil!"

Pei Cheng said.

These words were said to Wu Zhao, with a faint sense of threat, making Wu Zhao's eyes turn cold.

"Minister Pei, are you threatening me?"

"This subject would not dare, this subject absolutely has no such intention!"

Wu Zhao narrowed her phoenix eyes, staring at Pei Cheng unkindly.

At this time, Gao Yang stood out. He shook open a piece of coarse, inferior hemp paper from his other sleeve, and he still said with a face full of emotion.

"Hemp paper is as brittle as autumn leaves, and ink seeps like tears, yet the Pei family's mulberry-bark damask paper costs a hundred coins a sheet, which could cover several months of food for an ordinary farming household!"

"This subject has prepared two copper chests outside the hall, and implores Your Majesty to grant permission for the copper chests to be brought into the hall!"

Upon hearing this, Pei Cheng felt that something was wrong.

He didn't know what medicine Gao Yang was selling in his gourd.

But he wanted to stop it, only to hear Wu Zhao's red lips part slightly, saying coldly, "Granted!"

Soon, guards brought two copper chests from outside the hall.

The officials craned their necks in anticipation, waiting for Gao Yang's follow-up.

Gao Yang's expression was calm as he opened the copper chests, only to see that the small copper chests each contained water, and both were soaking paper.

One chest contained mulberry-bark damask paper, and one chest contained the soaked bamboo paper.

Gao Yang first pulled out one sheet of mulberry-bark damask paper and one sheet of bamboo paper, and then he said to the officials calmly.

"One chest here contains mulberry-bark damask paper, and one chest contains bamboo paper; both have been soaking for several days!"

"This Prime Minister has written the three large characters 'The people are precious' on each of them; I ask you gentlemen to take a look."

Upon hearing this, the officials were somewhat confused.

But after Gao Yang finished speaking, he simultaneously raised the mulberry-bark damask paper and bamboo paper in his hands to show the officials.

Then, a scene that stunned the officials occurred.

The mulberry-bark damask paper turned to mush upon meeting water, and the three characters "The people are precious" could not be seen clearly at all.

But the "The people are precious" on the bamboo paper could be seen exceptionally clearly!

Pei Cheng saw this scene with his own eyes and couldn't help but feel as if struck by lightning, unable to believe it.

"This... how is this possible?"

Seeing this, the officials were also stunned.

The mulberry-bark damask paper was actually not as good as the bamboo paper, so this so-called insulting of the sages undoubtedly became a huge joke!

Seeing this scene, Wu Zhao also clenched her fists tightly to hide the excitement in her heart.

Gao Yang stared at Pei Cheng, his face as calm as an ancient well.

Mulberry-bark paper contains silkworm silk protein and is prone to rot, turning to mush when it meets water, but bamboo paper is more resistant to water stains because its fibers are tight.

But naturally, no one knew this point.