Li Bi curiously accepted the undergarment. It was soft and delicate to the touch, a unique feel completely different from silk or cotton. The material was a fine, pure white, lustrous silk. It wasn't cotton, nor silk; he couldn't immediately discern its composition.
Li Bi brought the clothes to his ear and sniffed them carefully. There was a scent of incense. Besides that, there was a very faint fragrance. Li Bi frowned slightly, then quickly relaxed.
"Is this made of wool?"
"Haha, not bad, not bad, these wools have all been degreased and bleached. I didn't expect you to be able to tell so quickly."
Most wool products of this era were used to weave carpets, cushions, and the like. Moreover, due to the pungent smell of wool, only some taverns run by people from Central Asia would use it.
But this garment, far from having that greasy, fishy smell, felt smooth, delicate, and soft to the touch. It was clearly a rare, high-quality fabric. If this technique could be used on a large scale…
Li Bi suddenly looked up at Lu Xuan.
"How did the General manage to do that?"
"This? It's a trade secret. But if you want to know, that's fine too. Let's go into business together," Lu Xuan said with a smile.
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Chapter Ninety-Seven: An Introduction to Mathematics (Bonus Chapter for Every 2,000 Average Subscriptions)
Li Bi put on the wool sweater. Then his eyes lit up; it looked thin, but it was very comfortable and warm when he put it on.
This wool sweater is entirely handmade. Every single strand of wool was personally sorted, degreased, and then hand-spun by Xu Hezi and a group of specially hired textile workers.
In later generations, this would be considered a true handcrafted luxury item. Gucci and Hermès pale in comparison.
"This deal is probably beyond what the two of us can handle." Although Li Bi couldn't immediately picture a scenario of sheep eating people, he could still see the enormous commercial value involved. This was because, to date, the Tang Dynasty had not yet begun to utilize wool effectively.
"That's right, so we need to find more partners."
After eliminating Li Linfu, Lu Xuan's task was to fundamentally and gradually change the Tang Dynasty, fulfilling his wish to continue its golden age.
However, this is not a simple matter.
Just look at those time travelers. The vast majority of them first have to befriend a few nobles in the Tang Dynasty to raise their starting point. Only then can they gradually change the people around them, thus influencing the surrounding society and eventually changing the entire Tang Dynasty.
This isn't simply a matter of wish-fulfillment stories; it reflects a very obvious issue. In this era, even if you possess a wealth of technological ideas that benefit the country and its people, you may not be able to widely promote them.
In feudal times, things could only be promoted if the upper classes saw benefits. The Crown Prince's palace was willing to promote the technologies provided by Lu Xuan because they could enhance the Crown Prince's prestige. Now, Lu Xuan was preparing to gradually implement the "wool war," and he needed to first ensure that the highest-ranking rulers saw the benefits.
Throughout history, every policy promoted by any dynasty was originally well-intentioned. The equal-field system, the militia system, and the military governorships—weren't they all policies for the benefit of the country and its people? However, in the end, they were all distorted, dragged down, and ultimately eliminated.
Because in feudal dynasties, the ruling class existed openly and legitimately. Officials were considered "parental officials"... and the power they wielded was utterly unbridled. If these people didn't receive benefits, they would find ways to enrich themselves. Therefore, no matter how good the plans or policies, they would ultimately be ruined by them.
Lu Xuan, born in modern times, knew a key phrase: win-win. Although this phrase was essentially a toxic motivational rhetoric, the kind used to exploit people, it was still effective in feudal times. It allowed the nobility to benefit, thus incentivizing them to voluntarily promote certain things.
Li Bi acted swiftly, leveraging the Crown Prince's reputation to quickly win over a large group of nobles and bring them into the wool trade. Lu Xuan contributed his expertise, taking a 50% stake. The rest they divided among themselves.
With the prospect of profit in mind, these nobles were immediately motivated. In less than a month, the first caravan to collect wool on the grasslands set off.
In Chang'an, An Lushan was very pleased with himself. He had successfully obtained the position of Jiedushi (military governor) of Hedong. From then on, he held the position of Jiedushi in three regions simultaneously. His power was unparalleled throughout the entire Tang Dynasty.
Lu Xuan ultimately did not object to this; in fact, he even secretly encouraged it. The issue of the military governors was a national policy of the Tang Dynasty. So far, it had been very effective. Lu Xuan alone could not shake this national policy. Therefore, he could only use a darker method: to prematurely ignite the conflict.
Yes, Lu Xuan planned to force An Lushan to rebel, thus prematurely igniting the An Lushan Rebellion. Only by making the officials in the court realize the seriousness of the problem would they be motivated to change things.
If possible, Lu Xuan never wanted to start a civil war. Because no matter what, such a civil war would only harm the Tang Dynasty itself. But at this point in time, there was actually no better solution.
However, when he thought of this, he suddenly realized that it was exactly the same method he had used to deal with Li Linfu! "Hmm, this is a problem of the times, not my fault," Lu Xuan told himself.
An Lushan left triumphantly. The wool-collecting caravan wouldn't be back for a while. Lu Xuan found himself in a state of idleness again. But this time, he didn't continue to be a couch potato; instead, he started to get busy.
The first task was to determine and improve the spindle technique, a task assigned to Xu Hezi. He gave only brief instructions and then left it to develop. Lu Xuan himself began to recall the useful knowledge in his mind, preparing to compile it into a book.
This could be considered the most important thing he had done since arriving in this era. Lu Xuan didn't intend to dedicate his entire life to this era. He hoped to enjoy it. However, if he didn't change certain things, he would inevitably have regrets. So, he simply organized everything, planted seeds in this era, and let the era choose for itself.
First and foremost is mathematics, the foundation of all industry. Lu Xuan, a seasoned office worker, had little mathematical knowledge left. He could only recall the multiplication tables, basic algebraic equations, and the simplest geometry.
To complement geometry, he also created tools such as right-angle rulers and compasses.
It's worth noting that the mathematical concepts mentioned above actually had their beginnings in this era, or even earlier. However, these concepts ultimately failed to develop.
This is because, in that era, such knowledge was the most treasured possession of a family or school of thought, kept secret and not shared. The end result was that it was gradually buried in the long river of history.
Lu Xuan had no such concerns; what he wanted was for this knowledge to spread and break the monopoly on knowledge. He was even less concerned about the consequences. In the process of spreading knowledge, it would choose to integrate into the world or be eliminated by it.
After more than a month, Lu Xuan finally completed his first book, "An Introduction to Mathematics".
This book is roughly at the elementary to junior high school level of modern education. It starts with the multiplication table and systematically introduces the rules of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It then briefly touches on the concept of equations. It's not that he didn't want to write more; it's just that he himself had almost forgotten it.
As for geometry, besides the use of simple set theory tools, it includes the Pythagorean theorem, various aspects of circles, and numerical calculation rules for various regular solids, such as cubes, cylinders, and cones. These things all have important applications in modern society.
After another half month of refining various details and adding illustrations and more detailed annotations, Lu Xuan's book, *An Introduction to Mathematics*, was finally published.
Thanks to the advent of movable type printing, book printing had become extremely common. Even so, "An Introduction to Mathematical Studies" still caused quite a stir in the Tang Dynasty.
At the Crown Prince's residence, Li Heng and Li Bi had a long-awaited game of chess. Before Li Heng lay a book on basic mathematics. He spoke with a slightly wistful tone.
"Now look at it, who would still believe that person was a so-called barbarian from the Western Regions?"
"The background of Lieutenant Lu has always been a mystery. But at least he is loyal to the Tang Dynasty and to His Highness."
"His loyalty to the Tang Dynasty is true, but his loyalty to me... that's another story." There was an indescribable sour feeling in Li Heng's tone. He himself had realized that Lu Xuan had never truly cared about him. The only thing he cared about was the country, and even its people. It was as if he considered the entire Tang Dynasty as his own.
"This Tang Dynasty belongs to Your Highness. To be loyal to the Tang Dynasty is to be loyal to Your Highness."
"Hehe, you're right." Li Heng said, placing another piece. "Changyuan, you're going to lose this time."