94: Chapter 94 Zhao Fusu's Magic Show - The Magic Box

The banquet gradually reached its climax as everyone drank together.

Quite a few people began to look at Zhao Fusu with curious gazes.

Aside from discussing the grain acquisition, the most important part of the evening banquet was Zhao Fusu's magic performance.

The gathered nobles were all curious about what kind of magic Zhao Fusu would perform.

"Quiet, everyone, please."

Xiao Weizi stepped forward, his shrill voice sounding particularly piercing within Xianyang Palace.

The drinking nobles fell silent, and those who were about to raise their cups to drink set them back down.

"His Majesty the Head of State is about to perform magic."

"Please welcome him with applause."

Clap, clap, clap!

Xiao Weizi was the first to clap.

Clap, clap, clap!

The nobles all followed suit, clapping their hands and looking curiously at Zhao Fusu as he walked onto the high platform.

"Before I perform the magic, let me first introduce the prop I will be using—the Magic Box."

A Magic Box?

Although the nobles didn't understand what it was, the name 'Magic Box' made it sound like something extraordinary.

This piqued their curiosity even further.

Many nobles leaned in to whisper to one another, speculating on what the Magic Box could be.

"I have no idea!"

"I don't know either."

None of them could guess the nature of the Magic Box.

Clap, clap, clap...

Zhao Fusu clapped his hands.

A soldier carrying a wooden tray in both hands slowly walked onto the platform.

The nobles' eyes fell upon the tray; it was covered with a black cloth, preventing them from seeing what was inside.

They didn't have to wait long. Once the soldier brought the tray before Zhao Fusu, he whipped off the black cloth, revealing a white paper box.

The words 'Magic Box Napkins' were printed on the box—not in simplified characters, of course, but in lesser seal script.

Zhao Fusu had specifically commissioned someone to carve a seal to stamp this on.

"This is the prop I will use for tonight's magic performance—the Magic Box!"

Zhao Fusu picked up the box of facial tissues.

The soldier stepped down and stood guard in front of the platform.

Standing alone on the platform, Zhao Fusu became the focal point of everyone's attention in Xianyang Palace.

The nobles gazed curiously at the Magic Box in Zhao Fusu's hand.

Whether they were Qin Nobility or Nobles of the Six Lands, they were all well-traveled and knowledgeable people, yet none of them had ever seen the Magic Box Zhao Fusu held.

They grew increasingly curious, eager to understand the secrets of this Magic Box.

"Now, let us activate the Magic Box."

As Zhao Fusu spoke, he pressed his finger into the oval-shaped area in the center of the box.

The oval area was pressed inward by his touch.

Rip!

Zhao Fusu tore away the oval piece of paper and pulled out half of a pure white tissue from inside.

"We have now successfully activated the Magic Box and broken its seal."

"Our Magic Box can provide us with tissues that remain floating."

"We pull one out, and a sheet is floating."

"We pull another out, and a sheet is still floating."

"Now, the moment to witness a miracle has arrived."

Imitating the tone of a famous magician, Zhao Fusu tossed his long hair back, snapped his fingers, and said, "Let's count down together: 3, 2, 1!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

The atmosphere of the scene was completely controlled by Zhao Fusu; the nobles couldn't help but shout along as he directed.

Wei Changcheng and Meng Yi sat together.

The two had seemingly become good friends.

Both watched Zhao Fusu's performance with faces full of curiosity.

When they saw Zhao Fusu pull out one sheet of paper and the next one remained 'floating' there, they couldn't help but click their tongues in wonder.

"We pull out the second sheet, the third, the fourth..."

Zhao Fusu pulled out sheet after sheet, making the nobles feel both amazed and strangely relaxed as they watched.

"This is simply too miraculous!"

Wei Changcheng took the initiative to start a conversation.

"Indeed!"

Meng Yi nodded.

To a modern person, pop-up tissues are a common sight and not worth mentioning.

Treating pop-up tissues as a magic show would be considered utterly boring.

Not only would no one watch, but people would probably roll their eyes.

But for the people of the Qin Dynasty, who had never even seen paper, paper itself was a novel thing.

And Zhao Fusu had even come up with pop-up tissues.

To these Qin Dynasty nobles who hadn't seen much of the world, those constantly 'floating' sheets of paper were a magic performance—and an incredibly miraculous one at that.

The more than three hundred nobles in Xianyang Palace, regardless of whether they were Qin Nobility or Nobles of the Six Lands, were all shocked by the magic Zhao Fusu performed.

The corners of Zhao Fusu's mouth curled up significantly.

It was just as he had expected; this magic performance had captured the nobles' attention and left them with a deep impression of the pop-up tissues.

Now it was time for the advertising phase.

Zhao Fusu didn't actually want to perform magic; he was using the magic show as a gimmick to attract the nobles' attention and promote his pop-up tissues, the better to harvest their wallets.

"Our Magic Box Napkins provide you with neat, smooth, and convenient tissues."

"When you finish eating and need a tissue to wipe your mouth, you can use our Magic Box Napkins."

"The floating tissues don't require you to tear them, allowing you to get a tissue with ease."

"Place a pack of Magic Box Napkins on the dining table for the convenience of you, me, and everyone!"

"Our Magic Box Napkins are aesthetically pleasing and the paper is soft, no worse than a silk handkerchief. In terms of cleaning, they are even better than silk, and the price is nowhere near as expensive."

Zhao Fusu's voice, full of persuasion, said, "Come and use Magic Box Napkins."

"Every time you use a Magic Box Napkin, you are performing magic in front of others."

"Our Magic Box Napkins don't need to be reused like silk handkerchiefs; once you use a silk handkerchief, you have to wash it."

"With our Magic Box Napkins, every time you finish using a floating sheet, you just throw it in the trash. It is elegant, civilized, and hygienic. Everyone can be a civilized person!"

"Civilized people love using Magic Box Napkins; Mother will never worry about me being uncivilized again!"

Zhao Fusu directly employed a form of 'civilization kidnapping'.

If you didn't use Magic Box Napkins, you were uncivilized, not a man of culture, and would be looked down upon!

Where had the Qin Dynasty nobles ever seen such a tactic? Zhao Fusu's rhetoric cornered them until they felt they simply had to use the napkins.

They were nobles, after all; if they didn't uphold civilization, could they still be called nobles?

They began to look down on nobles who used silk handkerchiefs.

Reusing a silk handkerchief... just thinking about it felt unhygienic and not as civilized as a noble using Magic Box Napkins.

"Your Majesty the Paramount Leader, how much do these Magic Box Napkins cost?"

Although Meng Yi came from a military family, he was a man of letters and had always styled himself as a civilized person.

As a civilized person, he had to use Magic Box Napkins!

"Tonight's Magic Box Napkins are free of charge."

Once Zhao Fusu said those words, the nobles inside Xianyang Palace erupted with excitement.