---
Several weeks passed.
The Li Family's paper had already become a habit in the city. Ledgers grew thinner, contracts were written faster, and even small merchants began keeping organized records for the first time.
Everything seemed under control.
Then one day, a bundle was brought before Li Tian.
"This came from the border," his man said quietly.
Li Tian took a sheet into his hand.
It was white.
It was light.
But when he gently rubbed it with his finger, the fibers tore. The ink bled slightly.
Fake.
He understood immediately—someone had attempted to replicate the recipe. But the real problem wasn't the inferior quality.
The real problem was that this paper was circulating in an enemy country.
Two days later, an urgent message arrived.
The Princess summoned him at once.
The air inside the room was heavy.
"You have broken the contract," the Princess accused directly. "The recipe was to remain only in the imperial vault. Then how has it reached the enemy nation?"
Her voice was cold, but the suspicion in it was unmistakable.
Without panic, Li Tian placed the bundle of fake paper on the table.
"Please examine it," he said.
The Princess picked up a sheet. The ink spread slightly.
"This is not our product," Li Tian said calmly. "The fibers are weak. The pressing is uneven. The drying technique is flawed."
She looked at him sharply. "But the process is the same."
Li Tian gave a faint shake of his head.
"Part of the process is the same. Not all of it."
Silence filled the room.
"The version of the recipe I provided," Li Tian continued slowly, "contained controlled ratios. Some key steps were intentionally vague."
The Princess's eyes narrowed.
"You gave an incomplete formula?"
"For protection," Li Tian replied directly. "If the full formula spread everywhere, the monopoly would collapse."
"Now the real question," he continued, "is where the leak originated."
The Princess countered immediately, "Or perhaps you sold it yourself for profit."
Li Tian met her gaze without wavering.
"Four hundred gold coins are earned once. But the price of losing the Empire's trust is far greater."
Silence.
The Princess was not confused—she was calculating.
Li Tian made his next move.
"I need time," he said. "One month."
"During that time, I will trace the source of the fake circulation. Production patterns, fiber supply, drying marks—everything can be tracked."
"I will return with proof."
The Princess exhaled slowly.
"And if you fail?"
"Then you may decide as you see fit," Li Tian answered calmly.
After a long silence, she spoke.
"You have three weeks."
"Not a day more."
---
On his way back, Li Tian remained silent.
This was not merely about fake paper.
It was a war of trust.
And the most dangerous part—
The scale of production in the enemy country did not appear small.
That meant either:
Someone had stolen the formula from the imperial vault.
Or someone inside the Li Family had leaked information.
Both possibilities were dangerous.
That night, Li Tian placed the genuine paper and the fake one side by side on his table.
Then he smiled faintly.
"When a fake spreads quickly," he thought,
"the real thing becomes even more valuable."
This was no longer just about clearing his name.
It was an opportunity.
In three weeks, he would either clear his reputation—
or erase someone else's.
---