Li Shimin told Changsu Wuji what he did, and Changsun Wuji told Changsun Ning what he did. Li Yan had no idea. His current attention returned to the papermaking workshop.

Today's slaves have learned the basic methods of making paper, and making newsprint has become Li Yan's next goal.

During the Tang Dynasty, the raw materials for paper were mainly hemp, vine, rag, tree bark, etc., and the main raw materials for making newsprint were wood pulp, which was also the reason why Li Yan specially purchased wood mills.

After telling the raw materials and basic methods of newsprint production to these slaves, Li Yan asked the papermaking workshop to try to produce the first batch of newsprint.

"Your Highness, this is Zhao Erniu!"

On this day, as soon as Li Yan arrived at the papermaking workshop, Su Moer brought a young man aged around 24 to Li Yan.

Li Yan looked at Su Mo'er in confusion, not understanding what it means to bring this person with her.

Su Mo'er continued: "Your Highness, please forgive me. When learning papermaking, Zhao Erniu was very diligent and the paper he made was the best, so I dared to promote him to the foreman of the papermaking workshop."

"Is that true?" Li Yan looked at Zhao Erniu. His body was quite strong and honest. At this time, he looked at Li Yan with a little fear, "Are you sure to create newsprint?"

Zhao Erniu said respectfully: "Report to Your Highness, the young man has made the first one, but I don't know if it's right, so I reported to Butler Su!"

"Really?" Li Yan was overjoyed, "Take me there and have a look!"

Following Zhao Erniu, Li Yan arrived at the place where the paper was dried. Zhao Erniu uncovered a slightly yellowed piece of paper and handed it to Li Yan.

The newsprint paper is soft and has good elasticity, absorbing water and ink. When I picked up the paper, Li Yan first tried the feel. It was already seventy percent softer than the newspaper. He shook it hard again, and the elasticity was also good.

He nodded with satisfaction. Li Yan took a little water and poured it on the paper, and it was quickly absorbed. Various tests proved that this was a qualified piece of newsprint.

"Zhao Erniu, you are a hero of the paper mill!" Li Yan happily patted Zhao Erniu on the shoulder, which scared Zhao Erniu. A prince acted intimately towards a slave, and could no longer describe Zhao Erniu's mood with words like being flattered.

Putting down the newsprint, Li Yan faced the five hundred slaves and said, "Zhao Erniu has made great contributions to creating newsprint. Starting today, Zhao Erniu's slavery will be cancelled!"

"What!"

"How is that possible!"

“…”

As soon as Li Yan finished speaking, the slaves immediately burst into trouble and looked at Li Yan incredibly, wondering if they had heard it wrong. Since becoming slaves, they have lost their yearning for a better life, and lived a numb life day by day, surviving like walking corpses.

Li Yan's words hit Zhao Erniu's already silent heart like a thunderbolt. Before he sold himself to a slave, he was an honest farmer. The locust plague in the second year of Zhenguan caused him to lose his land and crops. The family of ten people had no food since then. Four young sisters and three young brothers were so hungry that they cried all night. As the eldest brother, he was heartbroken. In order not to let his younger brother and sister starve to a passing Hu merchant without his family, he sold himself at the price of ten pounds of rice. Later, he was resold several times and finally arrived here.

"Your Highness, is this true?" Zhao Erniu said in a trembling voice.

Li Yan didn't speak. At this time, Su Mo'er handed over a certificate of slavery to Zhao Erniu. Sometimes his language was pale, and only actions could have strength.

"Now you can tear it!" Li Yan looked at Zhao Erniu with a smile.

After receiving the certificate, Zhao Erniu's hand holding the certificate was trembling. At that time, he pressed the contract of selling his body with his finger print. How could he forget it? How could he forget it!

"This is it!" As if he had used all his strength, Zhao Erniu tore the certificate to pieces, and his bean-sized eyes kept flowing down, "Thank you, Your Highness, Thank you, Your Highness!" Zhao Erniu kowtowed on the ground like crazy. He had fantasized about this day countless times, but facts repeatedly destroyed his fantasy. Today, after he lost hope, this extravagant hope suddenly came.

Li Yan quickly helped him up, so that he could harm himself and die, and he would suffer a lot.

"You have all seen that there is hope in life. As long as you are willing to work hard and can contribute to the workshop like Zhao Erniu, you all have hope of getting out of slavery. Not only that, you can also get married and have children here, look at the strong man opposite you, and then look at the woman opposite you. Do you have no idea in your heart at night?"

Li Yan was so straightforward that the slaves felt a little embarrassed. People had emotions and desires. Now these male slaves don’t want to hold a wife, and the female slave doesn’t want to find a man.

"Your Highness!" Su Mo'er also blushed and reminded Li Yan.

Li Yan was stunned for a moment and realized that this was not the twenty-first century, and he was too unreserved.

After coughing awkwardly, Li Yan said, "I have said everything I should say. Should I continue to live numbly or fight for tomorrow? You can do it yourself!"

Silence. After Li Yan finished speaking, the slaves were silent, but from their lit eyes, Li Yan understood that his words worked.

Let these slaves go back to work, Li Yan left Zhao Erniu alone, "Although you are out of your slave family, you still have no household registration. Keep working hard. In five years, I will hand over a Chang'an household registration to you. From today on, you can receive a monthly salary of 200 million yuan per month, take a day off every six days, and you can go to a place outside the workshop. But you won't blame me for not applying for household registration for you now!"

"Your Highness is as kind as a mountain to me. I dare not ask for too much. Erniu used to be the same as a beast, but he has become a real person today. In the future, whatever Your Highness says will be whatever you say. Even if you sacrifice your life for Your Highness, I, Zhao Erniu, will not frown without frowning!" Zhao Erniu said firmly.

"Your life will be left to yourself. Next is mass production of newsprint. The output cannot keep up. Let's see how I deal with you!" As he said that, Li Yan's expression changed and he said to Zhao Erniu in a low voice: "Is there any girl I like? I will be a matchmaker for you!"

"Hehe..." Zhao Erniu immediately smirked.

After brainwashing, Li Yan and Su Moer discussed a workshop reward and punishment regulations, and established a points system under Li Yan's suggestion. For example, a model worker can increase points every month. If the points reach the standard, slaves can be cancelled. Like Zhao Erniu, they become hired workers in the workshop. On the contrary, those who passively slacked off their work will sell them back.

"My Highness's novel ideas make Mo'er really sigh!" After discussing, Su Mo'er sighed, "And Mo'er admires his kindness even more!"

"Okay! You girl, you have learned to flatter her!" Li Yan teased her with a heart, "If you really admire me, it's better to kiss me!" Li Yan pointed to his face.

Su Mo'er said in shame: "Your Highness is so bad!"

"Hehe..." Li Yan stopped at the right time. Su Mo'er was a lady of a noble family. She was not as bold and enthusiastic as Yun'er. Thinking of Yun'er, Li Yan suddenly realized that she had not seen her for five or six days. She couldn't help but ask, "By the way, why haven't you seen Yun'er recently?"

Su Mo'er said in his expression: "Sister Yun'er originally came to the palace for her sick cousin. A few days ago, Mo'er's cousin came to the palace and replaced Mo'er back."

"Oh!" Li Yan suddenly felt a little disappointed, "This girl left and didn't even call me!"

Su Moer and Yuner had a good relationship. She explained: "Originally, Yuner wanted to say goodbye to Your Highness, but your Highness was busy practicing equestrians those days. That day, Yuner's cousin came suddenly, so she didn't see you!"

"I ignored it!" Li Yan still likes Yun'er's personality very much, unlike other maids who saw Li Yan, met Mouse, and cats, and couldn't talk a word. Apart from serving tea and pouring water, they just stood like wooden people.

After returning to the royal palace, the maid who came to serve Li Yan was indeed a different person, with a somewhat similar face to Yun'er, probably her cousin.

"Yun'er is your cousin?" Li Yan asked.

This girl is about sixteen or seventeen years old. She had served Li Yan before. She still had the impression of Li Yan before. Seeing Li Yan's face unhappy, she knelt down in fear and said, "Your Highness, I am sick. I have asked my cousin to replace me for a while!"

"Where is Yun'er now?" Li Yan was not targeting her, but there was a missing person close to her, and he felt a little uncomfortable.

"Your Highness, Yun'er is not from Chang'an, she just came to my house to stay for a while. A few days ago, my aunt was about to go back, and my illness was cured, so I changed her back. Where Yun'er's uneasy service is, your Highness blames me if you blame me!"

"No, she served very well!" Li Yan sighed.

On the official road from Chang'an to Qingzhou, a girl and a middle-aged woman walked side by side. The postmen who were coming and going often passed by on horseback, constantly stirring up waves of dust, causing the young and old to cover their noses from time to time.

The girl was fourteen or fifteen years old, wearing linen clothes, with patches on her arms and knees, but even with such clothes, the girl was washed cleanly.

"The food in the royal palace is to support people. Our Yun'er has only been a few months ago. Now it has not only become white, but also beautiful. No wonder the girl from Chang'an has snatched her head and ran to those noble masters!" After walking for a while, the woman found a place on the side of the road to sit down and rest. Looking at her daughter's outstanding appearance, she said: "Just relying on the appearance of our daughter, it is not a sure thing to find a wealthy family to be a concubine." After that, the woman smiled happily. In her opinion, it would be a blessing to be a concubine of a rich family and not worry about food and drink.

A bitter smile appeared on the corner of the girl's mouth. She did not answer her mother's words. She just looked in the direction of Chang'an, and was infatuated for a moment!
Chapter completed!