Chapter 141: Arrangements for Publishing a Newspaper

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“Brother Li, Brother Yun, do you think this idea is feasible?” Song Sheng asked earnestly.

Yun Qin nodded. “It is an excellent idea. I’m already quite interested just hearing about it. Besides collecting these little stories, you could also publish your own writing. The goal should be to make people buy it once and then feel compelled to keep buying it.”

Li Xu sat up in bed. “Brother Qianhe, Worthy Brother, do you want to do something truly big?”

Curiosity gleamed in Song Sheng’s eyes. “What good idea do you have, Brother Li?”

Yun Qin also sat up and looked at Li Xu with eager curiosity.

“Publish a newspaper!”

“A newspaper?” Song Sheng and Yun Qin exclaimed in unison.

“Brother Qianhe, your bookshops are practically spread throughout every province. You could solicit submissions from the common people. For every piece you accept, the bookshop could pay the writer a fee.”

“These submissions could be stories about family life, love, hatred, and personal grievances. Ordinary people throughout the realm could use their stories to expose the injustices they had suffered. As you said, such stories could also inform people that some things they had grown accustomed to might actually be against the law.”

“There could also be a section for poems written by scholars.”

“Another section could cover major events in the current court, changes in policy, and true cases involving corrupt officials. Something like what happened to the Wang family could be written about there.”

“On one hand, it would let the common people and scholars throughout the realm learn about such matters. On the other, once the news spread, it would serve as a warning to other officials.”

“Merchants could also pay to advertise their goods in the newspaper. Naturally, every product would have to be inspected and approved before it could be published.”

“All of this would appear on a single sheet of paper. Some groups might buy it for only one particular section, but once they had it in hand, they might read everything.”

The brighter Song Sheng’s and Yun Qin’s eyes grew, the more they listened. If this could truly be accomplished, it would be an enormous benefit to the world!

Even hearing the idea was enough to set their blood racing.

“Of course, if we really go through with this, there is a good chance someone will try to sabotage us. The question is whether we are afraid of that.”

Song Sheng had the Song family behind him, Yun Qin had the Yun family, and Li Xu had both his master and his adoptive father. There was no need for them to be overly timid.

Song Sheng looked resolutely at Li Xu and Yun Qin. “Brother Li, Brother Yun, I want to do it!”

“Are you willing to join me?”

Yun Qin and Li Xu exchanged a glance, then nodded firmly at the same time.

“Brother Qianhe, Brother Yun and I will each invest some silver. Our investment will be limited to the newspaper, and we will take only a share of the newspaper’s profits. We can discuss all matters concerning the newspaper together, but we will not interfere in the bookshop,” Li Xu said slowly.

The bookshop belonged to Song Sheng. They would not meddle in its affairs; they were interested only in the newspaper.

Yun Qin strongly agreed. “Exactly. Brother Li is right.”

Song Sheng had no objection either. If the newspaper Brother Li had described could be successfully established, the benefits it brought would extend far beyond money.

Both Song Sheng and Yun Qin came from great clans. They understood all too well what a newspaper represented beneath the surface.

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Yet Song Sheng also knew that establishing a newspaper relying solely on himself and the Song family might not be a good thing. Even if they managed to protect it, they would have to pay a considerable price.

But with Brother Yun and Brother Li added to the effort, Song Sheng could only say that anyone who wished to make trouble would do well to consider the Wang family’s fate.

The three of them discussed how much silver each should contribute, each adding a thought or suggestion.

By that very night, they had settled everything, including who would oversee the various types of submissions.

They planned to establish the newspaper’s headquarters temporarily in Wenzhou. Once the papers had been printed, they would be sent to Song Sheng’s bookshops for sale.

Song Sheng and Yun Qin were now far too excited to sleep.

That same night, the two of them wrote letters home. They did not explain the newspaper in detail, merely informing their families that they were involved in it and asking them to offer some protection.

After all, the three of them were still only licentiates. Their true support still had to come from their families.

…

The next day, Yun Qin and Song Sheng packed away all their books. Yun Qin slung the bag over his back, feeling completely refreshed and looking thoroughly pleased.

It had been made by Brother Li’s mother herself, and Brother Li had given it to him. Only the three of them had one. The corners of Yun Qin’s lips curved upward despite himself.

Song Sheng ran his fingers over the satchel. “The workmanship is exquisite.”

“Brother Qianhe, let us go,” Yun Qin said. He could hardly wait to show the other students his new bag.

When the two of them reached the Heavenly Study, the bags on their backs naturally drew the attention of the students there.

“Student Yun, where did you buy those? They look very convenient.”

Yun Qin had been waiting for them to ask. His expression remained calm, and his tone was equally casual. “They are not for sale. Brother Li gave them to us. His mother made them by hand.”

Brother Li—the one Yun Qin called his worthy brother? Was that not Student Li?

The relationship between Students Yun, Song, and Li was truly close.

“Student Yun, you three really are close,” the students of the Heavenly Study remarked admiringly.

Yun Qin and Song Sheng were secretly delighted, though on the surface they continued chatting with the other students with practiced composure.

When Li Xu arrived, the students of the Heavenly Study asked him, “Student Li, could I buy one of these bags from you? I really think it would be perfect for use at the academy, and it is so distinctive.”

Li Xu smiled and declined. “I’m sorry, but this was made by my mother herself. I do not sell them, and I have no extras.”

The students felt disappointed, but they did not continue pestering him. They merely praised his close relationship with his family and said a few similar things.

Yun Qin and Song Sheng were even more delighted. Brother Li had made bags only for the two of them; even when other students were willing to pay for one, he refused to sell it. Yet he had given theirs to them for free.

…

Throughout the day, whenever the three of them had time, they discussed the details of establishing the newspaper.

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“Brother Li, Brother Song and I are going out for a while. We will first choose a location for the newspaper, then recruit a few people to review submissions,” Yun Qin said.

Wei Shian’s urging had grown increasingly insistent, and Li Xu’s most urgent task was to produce the alcohol.

Yun Qin knew about this and understood how important the alcohol was, so he decided that he and Song Sheng would take care of those matters first.

After nodding, Li Xu asked, “You are not planning to climb over the wall again, are you?”

Yun Qin and Song Sheng exchanged a glance. Without Li Xu, the two of them might not be able to climb out at all.

“Brother Li, since you are not coming with us, Brother Qianhe and I will request leave. We cannot get over the wall by ourselves, and choosing a location for the newspaper and recruiting submission reviewers are not things suited to doing in the middle of the night.”

Li Xu’s heart eased slightly. “That is good. Old Wei discovered us the last time we climbed out.”

Song Sheng and Yun Qin stared at him in stunned disbelief. They had been discovered?

Their faces inexplicably grew hot. They had thought that only Heaven, Earth, and the three of them knew about it. They had never imagined that Dean Wei had found out.

“Brother Li, does Elder Xi know?” Yun Qin asked. This mattered greatly to him.

“He knows.”

The hearts of Yun Qin and Song Sheng, which had been hanging in suspense, finally sank.

“But they thought I was the one who took you two over the wall…”

Yun Qin and Song Sheng suddenly felt like laughing. Brother Li had been wrongly blamed, yet they could not control the corners of their mouths.

Li Xu’s lips twitched. “If you want to laugh, then laugh. Do not make yourselves ill holding it in.”

Yun Qin and Song Sheng immediately burst out laughing, utterly shameless.

Brother Li had taken the entire blame for them.

It was hardly surprising that Wei Shian and Xi Sheng had come to that conclusion. Yun Qin and Song Sheng did not look like the sort of people who would do such a thing.

Li Xu, however, had a somewhat mischievous streak. He did look like someone capable of it.

Moreover, the secret guards had explained the whole matter clearly to Wei Shian: Li Xu had pulled Yun Qin and Song Sheng up onto the wall, then lowered them back down.

From that perspective, it was obvious who had come up with the idea and who had wanted to leave.

“But I explained everything afterward. They know the truth now.”

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