Linxia

Chapter 169, Holy News

Xuan Mo Zhai.

The second volume of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" went on sale today. Early in the morning, a long line of customers coming to pick up the book formed outside the store. At the end of the day, the store was packed with people and there was almost no room to stand.

Guests kept coming until it was getting dark. If this continued, we might not be able to have dinner.

Fang Lin apologized, asked them to come back tomorrow, and closed the shop.

The shop assistants, Huang Di, Chai Yiwei, Liu Hongwen and Geng Shi were all tired, but also happy.

"I'm so tired. I've loaded goods six times today." Huang Di pounded his shoulders and arms and stretched lazily.

Chai Yiwei scratched his head: "My situation is similar to Huang Ge's."

"It's the same here. I have to say, it's really popular. Today's scene is also the shopkeeper's first, and it lays a good foundation!" Liu Hongwen said.

Geng Shi nodded in agreement.

They were naturally happy that the store was doing good business. On the one hand, it was because of their friendship with Fang Lin, and on the other hand, it was closely related to themselves. One third of the store's net profit would be used as a reward. With the second part of Romance of the Three Kingdoms selling so well, this month's wages would probably be more than ten taels of silver, which was equivalent to several months' wages in normal times.

The person cooking in the store was no longer Tian Xuan, but an old lady hired from the alley. She steamed rice and fried some side dishes in the evening, and also bought a lot of meat and rice wine from outside at Fang Lin's instruction.

Since they were all family friends, Fang Lin didn’t care about the rules of who should sit at the table and who shouldn’t. They all sat down and ate together.

"You've worked hard. Eat, eat all. There's plenty of meat."

"Brother Fang, I'll do it myself."

"Linzi, think about our past..."

……

Today, the second part of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is selling well. Everyone is in a good mood. They are talking and laughing, talking about the hot sales, what will happen in the next few days, and the time when they were waiters together... The meal passed like this.

……

After meal.

Fang Lin slept in the room that used to be the shopkeeper Liu; Huang Di, Chai Yiwei, Liu Hongwen and Geng Shi shared one room.

Here, after washing up, Liu Hongwen sat down in front of the oil lamp and opened the second part of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" to read.

It turned out that his younger brother Liu Hongru had praised "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" a lot, and Manager Liu had also recommended it many times. Even though he had no interest in books other than the Four Books and Five Classics, he also read it privately. Although he didn't say it, he liked it very much in his heart.

Huang Di and Chai Yiwei were playing chess, patting their full stomachs.

Geng Shi watched from the side.

About an incense stick of time later, the three of them lay down on the bed and prepared to sleep. However, Liu Hongwen was still reading in front of the oil lamp.

"Brother Liu, the oil lamp is dim and it's not good for your eyes."

"Yes, Brother Liu, we still have work to do tomorrow!"

"What did Linzi say? If this person wants to achieve great things, he must have self-control."

……

"Okay, let's go to bed right now. Let's go to bed right now."

As Liu Hongwen was speaking, another quarter of an hour passed, but there was still no movement. Huang Di, Chai Yiwei and Geng Shi urged him again, and he said, "Just wait a little longer, just a little longer." Then, there was still no movement.

It turned out that the second part of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" was so wonderful that he was reluctant to put it down, but he felt embarrassed to be urged to read it all the time. Seeing that Huang Di, Chai Yiwei and Geng Shi couldn't sleep for a while, he offered to read it to them.

As the reading began, Huang Di, Chai Yiwei and Geng Shi stopped talking.

After reading two chapters, Liu Hongwen felt dry mouth and sleepy eyes. Seeing that Huang Di, Chai Yiwei and Geng Shi had stopped moving, he thought they might have fallen asleep, so he stopped and planned to read again tomorrow.

But just as they stopped, Huang Di, Chai Yiwei, and Geng Shi all sat up from their beds: "Brother Liu, why did you stop? Keep going!"

Liu Hongwen: …

You said it was homemade?

……

The next morning, Huang Di, Chai Yiwei, Liu Hongwen and Geng Shi got up one by one. They all had dark circles under their eyes and looked not very energetic.

Fang Lin was about to ask when there was a knock on the door.

"Brother Fang! Brother Fang! Give me the second part of Romance of the Three Kingdoms!" It was this kid Xu Xianwen.

"Didn't I send ten books to your house?" Fang Lin asked curiously.

"My father's friends and uncles are leaving, and there is only one book left at home. Also, Brother Fang, please give us your opinion..."

It turned out that, considering the boy's previous record of stealing books, the old couple Xu Kuo took the book directly to their room last night.

Xu Xianwen said, his face full of indignation: "Brother Fang, do you think there are parents like this? Treating their son like a thief?"

Fang Lin listened, smiled but said nothing, and did not comment. Is it necessary for your parents to take precautions? Don’t you have any idea?

In the end, I gave this kid a copy.

Xu Xianwen was so happy that he thanked Fang Lin cheerfully. He was afraid that Fang Lin would not want the money and would just leave and run away. Finally, he said, "Brother Fang, I listened to the second part yesterday and I liked Zhuge Kongming the most. I'm sure others like him too. If you print more of his cards, you will definitely make money!"

"This little bastard actually has a good business sense." Fang Lin picked up the change, looked at the boy's back, and scolded with a smile.

……

After sending Xu Xianwen away, Fang Lin, Huang Di and other waiters were having breakfast when they came back. There was a noisy sound outside. It was a customer shouting that he wanted to pick up a book.

When the door opens, guests greet you warmly and a lively day starts early in the morning.

To be honest, today is even more popular than yesterday because of the word of mouth.

Yesterday, many people who had made reservations had received the books. After reading them, whenever people around asked them whether it was good, they would answer, "It was good, better than the first one." If they asked why it was good, they would say it was good anyway. If they wanted to borrow it, they would not lend it to them. They had not finished reading it yet, and they would like to read it again or again after reading it. In short, there were two words: no. Driven by the excellent reputation, many people were eager to buy it. Those who had made reservations but did not want to come to Xuan Mo Zhai for the time being because it was too crowded, also came to pick up books. There were also those who had not made reservations before and wanted to wait and see the reputation, but now they came to buy it, but they could not buy it because Xuan Mo Zhai and its two branches only honored reservations for the time being.

In such a huge city like Huai'an, it was hard to find a book at such a short time!
Under such circumstances, scalpers who believed in Fang Lin, bet on the quality of the second part of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and made advance reservations made a fortune and were grinning from ear to ear.

Not only the scalpers were grinning from ear to ear, but also the teahouses, pubs and other places near Xuan Mo Zhai. Under the siphon effect of the second part of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", people from the city flocked to the area, making this area much more lively and business was several times better than usual.

After ten days, 70 to 80 percent of the reservations were filled and the flow of people to Xuan Mo Zhai decreased a little. Fang Lin announced the start of non-reservation sales, and the business immediately became popular again.

……

As copies of the second part of Romance of the Three Kingdoms were sold one after another, a Three Kingdoms craze swept through the city, with people talking about the Three Kingdoms in every street and alley.

It goes without saying that those who can read and write can just read it; those who cannot read have their own opinions as well, so they can just go to a teahouse or a restaurant and listen to storytelling!

The quality of the second part of Romance of the Three Kingdoms is beyond doubt. Even if it is not modified to make it more suitable for storytelling, but just read out verbatim, it is still attractive enough to make the audience applaud.

Compared to the first part, the second part spread faster and more violently because of its popularity, and the impact it brought was more immediate.

The most direct thing is that the business of teahouses and restaurants in the city has been obviously much better recently, as if all walks of life in the entire Huai'an city have been driven to become hot.

In addition, as soon as the second part of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" was released, Zhuge Liang gained countless fans. The limited edition Zhuge Kongming gold card from the first part is now skyrocketing in price.

The street thugs in the city also have another favorite figure besides Guan Erye. They always refer to the think tank as "military advisor" when they speak to him.

……

Not only Huai'an Prefecture, but also the Jianghuai areas, such as Yingtian, Fengyang, Lin'an, etc., also began to sell the second part of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", and it became a hot seller as soon as it went on sale.

If you look down from a bird's-eye view, you will find that with Huai'an City as the center, this wave of the Three Kingdoms is mighty and unstoppable, sweeping outward.

If we talk about Huai'an Prefecture, because of the bloody lesson of "The Popular Romance of the Song Dynasty Restoration", no one dared to touch the second part of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" this time, and the publication of the book was postponed. However, there were many bold ones in other prefectures, but the consequences were terrible, because the second part of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" sucked away all the popularity, and these books became unpopular.

Under such circumstances, distributors from all over the country were grinning from ear to ear; and those who had failed in the bidding and missed out on the opportunity were all sighing and resolving not to miss the opportunity again next time.

……

Two flowers bloom, one branch each.

Capital.

The imperial examination was over, and Dong Zugao, just as he had said at the beginning, had great ambition and passed the examination in one go, becoming a tribute scholar.

Of course, although the ranking in the provincial examination is not very high, one is still a Gongshi. As long as one is not expelled from the palace examination, one will be a Jinshi after the palace examination!

Moreover, because of his reputation as an editor of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, many successful candidates in the imperial examinations had heard of his name and took the initiative to make friends with him.

What impressed Dong Zugao most was that, among the scholars he met, most of them were arrogant. Whenever they opened their mouths, they would say "our capital is so great", as if everywhere else outside the capital was just a rural village. However, many of them praised "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" highly, and their praise was overflowing in their words.

The first volume of Romance of the Three Kingdoms must be sold in every bookstore in the capital, and it is usually the best-selling popular novel in the store.

"Brother Fang, Brother Fang, I have come a long way and there are few people in every place who don't know your name. This is also true in the capital. It is true that 'everyone in the world knows you'!"

Dong Zugao said with emotion: "After the palace examination, when we return to Huai'an, we will meet again to drink and talk happily, and I will tell you all this."

……

This day.

Emperor Hongtai presided over the palace examination and came to the cat room in the harem.

Everyone in the court knew that Emperor Hongtai loved cats. He kept many cats in the palace and even built a special place for them, with special people to serve them.

Some precious cats, like people, have status. No, that's not right. It should be said that some precious cats are more precious than people. The palace maids may not be given status when they visit the emperor, but cats have status and have special eunuchs to serve them. Their lives are not much different from those of the empress. What's more, "three or four attendants serve the cats with status in front of the emperor. Those who are favored by the emperor are also promoted to the title of steward"!
"Shuangmei, come here!" Emperor Hongtai waved and called.

"Meow!" The cat called 'Frosty Eyebrow' had light blue fur all over its body without a single stray hair, and the fur was slightly curly, making it very cute. The most special thing about it was its two eyebrows, which were white, two white strands amidst the blue, and as white and smooth as snow, making them extremely eye-catching.

Its cuteness lies not only in its appearance, but also in its gentle character and human nature. Most of the time, wherever Hong Taidi goes, it follows him closely and often looks well-behaved. When Hong Taidi takes a nap, it never makes a noise. If it wants to urinate or defecate, it will hold it in and will never make any move to disturb him. It will go out to solve the problem when he wakes up.

How could Emperor Hongtai not like such a cat?
When Frost Eyebrow came to him, Emperor Hongtai picked it up. The cold and hard lines on his face seemed to soften at this moment. He stroked it and spoke softly.

Emperor Hongtai still remembered that when he was still the crown prince, his father once said to him, 'The emperor has no confidants. The smarter the emperor, the fewer friends he has.'

He only understood this sentence after he ascended the throne.

'The emperor has the vast territory and supreme power. He seems to be the freest and most admired person, but in fact he is the most lonely and the least free. He cannot even easily reveal his inner thoughts to others. Not only that, no matter how hard, lonely or bored he is, he has to act like he is high and mighty, inviolable and out of touch with the world, as if he enjoys loneliness and is born to be bored.'

Emperor Hongtai thought so and looked at Frost Eyebrow in his arms.

The cat, which cannot speak, is just the person to whom he can confide his innermost thoughts. He does not have to worry about it betraying him, nor does he have to worry about it revealing its weak side or exposing its own shortcomings.

At this time, a eunuch was looking out the door.

"Chen Daban, come in! What's going on?"

"Your Majesty, do you still remember the book Romance of the Three Kingdoms? The second part is out."

It turned out that after reading the first part of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Emperor Hongtai mentioned that he would wait for the second part to be delivered. How could the people below take it lightly after the emperor said so? Now the second part of Romance of the Three Kingdoms was released and it was sent to the capital at an expedited speed of 800 miles.

"Oh?"

Emperor Hongtai remembered that it was a very good book, he picked up the book, held "Shuangmei" and read it, and saw the inscription on the title page: "The second part of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" was completed around the spring examination in the fourteenth year of Hongtai. I wish my sworn brother Dong Huizugao to win the first place in the Golden Palace, and I wish all the candidates in the world to be on the list of successful candidates."

He smiled, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes. Ordinary people can have family and friendship, but the royal family cannot, and they have always been alone.

Later, I read the main text and was quickly immersed in it.

The book "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" originally honors Liu Bei and suppresses Cao. As the emperor, Emperor Hongtai naturally puts Liu Bei in the perspective of the book. In the first part of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Liu Bei is still quite frustrated, defeated again and again... But in the second part, Liu Bei's perspective is put in the perspective of the book, and it suddenly enters the refreshing mode. The previous depression is swept away. Three visits to the thatched cottage, the wise ruler gets a wise minister, and from then on, the situation is out of control: Longzhong's "three-way division of the world", the burning of Xinye, the alliance between Sun and Liu, the Battle of Red Cliff...

Emperor Hong Tai had never seen such a refreshing novel before, and it was almost a refreshing novel tailor-made for him. He could not stop reading it. He was originally leaning on the chair, but soon he sat up straight; he was originally holding "Frost Eyebrow", but as he read, he felt it was in the way, so he put it down directly.

……

(End of this chapter)