I traveled back to the Qin Dynasty, and the First Emperor begged me to become his empress.

Chapter 311 Preparing for Printing

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yuanshan was slightly taken aback, then shook his head and replied truthfully, "In response to Miss's question, I do indeed yearn for it. However, I am not very learned and know only a few characters. I imagine that the path of the imperial examination will be very difficult for me to pass."

Ying Wuyou nodded slightly in agreement. After all, the imperial examinations in ancient times were far more difficult than the modern college entrance examination. To participate in this grand event of selecting talent, merely knowing a few characters was far from enough. Take Ying Wuyou herself, for example. In her previous life, she was a college student who had received higher education, but after arriving in the Qin Dynasty, she found the complex and tedious memorials like reading a book written in a foreign language, completely at a loss. This shows that the difficulty involved was truly beyond imagination.

At this moment, Ying Wuyou turned his gaze to Zheng Yuanshan and said slowly, "Zhao Ran is about to take the imperial examination. In the future, you should follow him closely and learn from him, observing carefully the affairs of the estate. Once you have thoroughly grasped the essentials, you might as well try to handle some matters first. If you feel that you are not up to the task, I will make other arrangements to have someone else take over. As for the imperial examination, if you are interested in it, you can take some time to go to the school to study for a period of time and lay a solid foundation before making any decisions."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yuanshan was overjoyed and quickly bowed, replying gratefully, "Thank you for your guidance, Miss. I will do my best and dare not slack off in the slightest!" Ying Wuyou nodded in satisfaction and then waved for Zhao Ran to lead Zheng Yuanshan away to carry out his duties.

No sooner had Zhao Ran and Zheng Yuanshan left than Zhao Ran hurriedly led a craftsman in. Ying Wuyou, seeing this, looked puzzled and asked, "What happened?"

Zhao Ran quickly stepped forward and introduced, "Miss, this is Master Huang Aniu. Just now, after I told them about the wonderful effects of your movable type printing, Master Huang Aniu offered some personal insights. I thought his method was quite worthwhile, so I brought him here to meet you, Miss."

Ying Wuyou nodded slightly to indicate that she understood, then turned her gaze to the slightly reserved Huang Aniu and said in a gentle voice, "You don't need to be so nervous. Just tell me what you're thinking."

Upon hearing this, Huang Aniu clenched his fists nervously, took a deep breath, and cautiously asked, "Miss... I heard that you intend to use movable type printing to print books?"

Ying Wuyou smiled and replied, "That's right, exactly."

After receiving an affirmative answer, Huang Aniu composed himself slightly and continued, "In my humble opinion, while movable type printing is extremely convenient, if it is only necessary to print a large number of identical books, it might be more appropriate to carve it into a single template."

After listening, Ying Wuyou pondered for a moment, then nodded and replied, "Hmm, what you said makes sense. It seems that I didn't consider things thoroughly enough and was too hasty."

Seeing that Ying Wuyou agreed with his point of view, Huang Aniu's face showed a hint of joy, and he hurriedly asked, "Then, Miss, do you think my idea is feasible?"

Ying Wuyou nodded slightly in agreement, saying, "Yes, that's certainly feasible."

Upon hearing this, Huang Aniu was overjoyed and excitedly replied, "That's wonderful! No problem, I'll go prepare right away."

Ying Wuyou smiled and nodded slightly. Then, she took out a stack of classics and historical texts that she had carefully collected from the table, and solemnly handed them to Zhao Ran, instructing him, "These classics are precious. You must take good care of them and not be negligent in the slightest."

Zhao Ran respectfully accepted the book with both hands and solemnly replied, "Don't worry, Miss, I will certainly not fail in my mission!" After saying this, Zhao Ran turned and hurriedly left to carry out this important task.

Ying Wuyou watched Zhao Ran and Huang Aniu's figures disappear from sight, then slowly looked up at the window. The sun was setting, its afterglow painting the horizon, and the sky was gradually enveloped in night, appearing increasingly dim. Ying Wuyou sighed softly, turned, and boarded the carriage that had been prepared, slowly heading towards the palace.

The night passed quietly, and the next morning, sunlight shone through the clouds, dispelling the lingering chill of the night. After the morning court session, Ying Wuyou hurried to the side hall of Zhangtai Palace. At this time, the King of Qin was sitting upright in the hall. Seeing Ying Wuyou arrive, he looked puzzled and asked, "Why is Jiayang not busy with the imperial examinations today? Could there be some other reason?"

Ying Wuyou quickly stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and began to report in detail to the King of Qin his intention to promote the printing technology. The King of Qin listened attentively to Ying Wuyou's account, and when he finished, a look of great interest appeared on his face. He pressed on, asking, "Is this movable type printing technology truly as miraculous as you describe? I am quite curious." As he spoke, the King of Qin's gaze remained fixed on Ying Wuyou, his eyes revealing an undisguised curiosity and eager anticipation.

Ying Wuyou smiled gently, “Father, I have already arranged for people to begin preparations. Once it is completed, you will see for yourself. This movable type printing can not only print books quickly, but also save a lot of manpower and resources. If it is promoted, it will greatly benefit the spread of culture in the Great Qin.”

The King of Qin nodded slightly and said, "If that's true, it would be a good thing for the country and its people. However, are there any obstacles in this process?"

"Father, there is no major problem at present. However, the materials and techniques used to make the movable type still need to be continuously improved and perfected in order to achieve the desired effect. Moreover, the skills of the craftsmen in the countryside vary greatly, and it will probably take some time to train and guide them," Ying Wuyou replied respectfully.

"Yes, this is a good thing. Once it is finished, send it to the palace, and I will certainly test it myself." The King of Qin's face was filled with joy.

Seeing this, Ying Wuyou, standing to the side, smiled and replied, "No problem. Once it's finished, I'll send it over to Father for testing as soon as possible." The two then discussed matters related to the imperial examinations for some time. After a while, Ying Wuyou, having said what needed to be said, bowed to the King of Qin and took his leave.

At this moment, Ying Wuyou was incredibly busy, spinning like a top. Not only had the venue for the imperial examinations not yet been found, but even the venue for the medical exchange meeting was still undecided. Furthermore, she had to manage numerous affairs at the Coal Transportation Bureau, and the progress of printing technology also required close monitoring. Suddenly, a multitude of matters came rushing in, leaving Ying Wuyou feeling overwhelmed, as if she suddenly needed to juggle countless important tasks simultaneously.

After a moment of contemplation, Ying Wuyou decided to summon Zhou Xun for questioning. Soon after, Zhou Xun arrived hastily, bowing respectfully and asking, "May I ask why the princess has summoned me here?"

Ying Wuyou cut to the chase and asked, "Zhou Xun, how is the training of those guards going? Is it effective?"

Zhou Xun quickly replied, "Your Highness, after this period of arduous training, they have all successfully completed their tasks and all indicators meet the standard requirements. They are ready to be dispatched at any time."

Ying Wuyou nodded slightly in satisfaction, then instructed, "Very good. Here's what we'll do: you immediately begin making arrangements. First, allocate a portion of the personnel to various parts of the Great Qin to oversee the recommendation process for this imperial examination and carefully verify the true identity of each participant. Make sure everything is foolproof and absolutely no imposters are allowed to infiltrate. As for the rest of the personnel, I will assign them tasks later."

Zhou Xun bowed and accepted the order, saying, "Your subordinate obeys. Please rest assured, Your Highness, I will do my utmost to handle this matter properly." After saying this, he turned and left to begin making arrangements.