Chapter 35: Ingenuity

Gao Yang shifted his target from time to time. Under such immense pressure, it was truly difficult not to feel terror; the slightest lapse in composure could result in immediate death.

Gao Yin stepped to his side and bowed, hoping to strike up a conversation that might persuade Gao Yang to lower his bow. Instead, Gao Yang kicked him aside without looking: "Don't disturb me!"

Suddenly, a beautiful dancing girl faltered. Gao Yang, like a glutton spotting a delicacy, instantly released his grip. The arrow flew straight into the dancer’s mouth.

"Gkh...!"

The dancer seemed to try to beg for mercy, but the sound was strangled in her throat. Her hands reached out feebly, but this only made her long sleeves flutter with a tragic elegance; it served no purpose. She collapsed to the ground, her graceful body trembling slightly, her eyes glazing over until she finally drifted into an eternal sleep.

"Hahahaha!"

As if savoring a supreme delicacy, Gao Yang let out a laugh like a malevolent spirit. He clapped his hands repeatedly, pointing at the dancer's corpse, and roared with laughter: "Rare, truly rare! It actually went right into her mouth! Quickly, find out who her family is and reward them. She died well, she died well indeed!"

Gao Yin felt as though he could see countless invisible threads extending from Gao Yang’s hands, tugging at the lips and tongues of the ministers in the corridor, forcing them to echo the praise in unison.

They looked like nothing more than a group of puppets.

A sudden wave of nausea rose in Gao Yin. He covered his mouth, prompting Gao Yang to turn his head and ask with feigned concern: "What is it? Are you unwell?"

His gaze shifted to the boxes held by the attendants behind Gao Yin, a playful look crossing his face: "Are these meant to be presented to me?"

Gao Yin suppressed his disgust and replied: "Indeed, Father. You are burdened with the affairs of the world; you must take care of your health. I have pondered deeply and finally devised these two items."

He took the box from the attendant and handed it to Gao Yang personally: "This is called a toothbrush. It cleans the teeth and leaves one feeling refreshed. Paired with this toothpaste, made from a mixture of honey, refined salt, and gastrodia, it can prevent tooth decay."

"Truly?!"

At these words, Gao Yang grinned, revealing teeth as yellow and jagged as mountain ranges.

Having lived a life of excessive drinking and unrestrained gluttony, it was a miracle that Gao Yang was still alive. His body was rapidly failing, his teeth included, which caused him immense suffering—had it not been for this, Gao Yin would never have been able to knock his teeth out with a single punch.

Gao Yin ordered for clear water to be brought. Gao Yang picked up the toothbrush, ignoring the pig bristles, dipped it in the paste, and put it in his mouth. The moment he began to brush, a cooling sensation surged to his scalp, so refreshing that he gasped.

"What did you add to this? Why is it so cool?"

Gao Yin had the medicine box opened and pointed to one of the ingredients: "I added a bit of mint so that it would be more comfortable to use."

Gao Yang found it impossible to put down. He brushed three times, then ordered a bronze mirror to be brought so he could examine his teeth. Confirming that they were indeed much cleaner than before, he was delighted: "Good, this toothbrush is truly excellent. You, you..."

He laughed, poking Gao Yin with his finger: "After reading so many books, you’ve finally put them to some use!"

Gao Yin continued: "Bringing joy to you is my duty, Father. I was thinking that many people in the world do not know how to care for their teeth and suffer greatly from toothaches. In the countryside, they often use their fingers or willow twigs. If I were to mass-produce these toothbrushes and turn them into a business, it could provide a steady income to help subsidize the state’s expenses."

Gao Yang pondered this for a moment before nodding slowly. He had previously been quite resistant to such mercantile matters; had the Crown Prince suggested this in the past, it would surely have invited a scolding.

However, the Crown Prince had greatly changed his impression in recent times, and this proposal was for the benefit of the nation and the people—a sign of great statesmanship.

Currently, the Qi treasury was nearly empty due to the costs of supporting the army, constructing the Great Wall and palaces, and Gao Yang's own boundless, extravagant rewards.

Under the old Wei system, officials received no salaries and served the state for free. Thus, one of the first things Gao Yang did after ascending the throne was to provide salaries to officials. This measure was warmly welcomed, and the officials had looked upon him with much more favor as a result.

But now, as the state sought to cut costs to satisfy the Emperor’s needs, it seemed they were on the verge of returning to that era of unpaid labor. While the ministers dared not speak of it, Gao Yang knew they harbored resentment.

Therefore, the Crown Prince’s initiative brought Gao Yang great relief, and even a faint sense of guilt.

"There is logic in what you say. Write up a memorial and propose a plan for it later."

Gao Yang coughed twice and asked about the other unopened box: "And what is this?"

Gao Yin opened it himself, revealing a light goose feather.

Gao Yang didn't understand and asked with a smile: "What? Are you suggesting I wear it in my hair to cure my headaches?"

Gao Yin produced the ink he had prepared and explained: "This is a way for me to be lazy. Sometimes grinding ink is troublesome, so I store the ink beforehand and use it in places where formalities are not strictly required; it is more convenient. The goose feather works the same way. Watch."

Gao Yang looked closely and saw that the quill of the feather had been whittled to a point. Gao Yin dipped it into the ink and began to write on the paper.

"This is..."

Gao Yang raised an eyebrow. This appeared to be a pen made of a feather.

It was different from a calligraphy brush. While brushes produced more beautiful characters, the bristles were soft and required precise control of force and speed—which was why the art of calligraphy was born; the brush itself was difficult to master. The saying that practicing with a brush builds patience was, in reality, an admission that the brush inherently required such training.

This quill, however, had a hard tip and was ready to use immediately. Furthermore, it could write smaller, finer characters, allowing for more text to fit on a single page, thereby saving on paper costs.

Moreover, it was obvious that the cost was merely a single feather, which was visibly cheaper than the brushes that required the collection of various animal hairs.

"...I think I need not elaborate, Father. With your wisdom, you surely see the utility of this quill."

Gao Yin stopped writing to display his work. A single sheet of paper was filled with three hundred characters, whereas a brush would typically only allow for seventy.

Gao Yang couldn't help but exclaim: "A truly ingenious invention!"

Why was it that ancient Chinese texts were often so concise? It was not because they did not want to write more, but because in the early periods, they used knives to carve characters into bamboo strips, and in the later periods, they used brushes on paper or silk. Due to the limitations of writing materials, the content had to be brief.

Even those who could write extremely small characters required long practice; the tip of the brush was simply too soft and difficult to control.

But this quill could be held freely between two fingers, allowing one to write tiny characters with ease. Using the same amount of material, this quill could contain several times the content, greatly facilitating the writing and dissemination of information.

Gao Yang could foresee that, in time, the quill would threaten the status of the brush, for it was simply too convenient.

He took the quill from Gao Yin and found it remarkably light. He could lift it with one finger, and as he twirled it between two fingers, he couldn't help but smile.

Gao Yin retreated behind the attendants. Before the attendants could react, the ink from the quill splashed onto their faces, much to Gao Yang's amusement.

"The tip of this quill is hard and prone to wear, requiring a knife to sharpen it again. Its lifespan is short—only about seven days. But..."

Gao Yin stepped out from behind the attendants and said softly: "It will never shed bristles like a brush, its production cost is low, and when paired with pre-stored ink, it eliminates the need for an inkstone among the Four Treasures of the Study."

By the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, the term "Four Treasures of the Study"—brush, ink, paper, and inkstone—was already established.

The great noble families and high-ranking court officials would continue to use refined brushes and inkstones; it represented a status symbol and a lifestyle, much like a membership card might for the elite.

However, when traveling, carrying an inkstone was cumbersome. If one used a quill, one only needed to carry a few feathers, paper, and a bottle of prepared ink, which was far more convenient than carrying an inkstone. It was highly beneficial for the common scholars and people, and it was, likewise, a very suitable business venture.