Linxia

Chapter 182, to be sold

On that day, Fang Lin delivered the manuscripts of the third and fourth parts of Romance of the Three Kingdoms to the capital, and then went to find the caravan that had been contacted long ago to deliver the letter to Dong Zugao and the sweet potato manuscript.

The letters and manuscripts sent to Dong Zugao were private affairs. With his face, he could indeed send them through official channels, and no one would say anything. However, such an act was not thoughtful. If Emperor Hongtai learned about it, it might not only lower his impression, but also if someone with ulterior motives targeted him in the future, this mistake would turn a small matter into a big one.

Many things are like this. If it is not weighed on the scale, it is less than 4 ounces, and if it is weighed on the scale, it is over 1,000 kilograms. Fang Lin would naturally not make such a mistake and give others the opportunity to accuse him.

'The letter to Brother Dong and the manuscript, together, amounted to tens of thousands of words. 'Fang Lin didn't actually write much, just some family matters and greetings about daily life.

It is extremely difficult to send a letter in this era. It is not like the telegram in the past, which charges by word. The price of sending a letter is generally fixed. After all, how heavy can a piece of paper be? A thick letter costs this much, and a thin letter also costs this much. In this case, shouldn't I write more?
The letters sent to Xiaohe Village in the past were like this, covering every detail, wishing to say everything that could be said. The letter to Dong Zugao now is the same, so there is a four-character saying: "The paper is short, but the feelings are long."

'The caravan from Huai'an to the capital is such a long journey that I only get a chance to travel once every one or two months. I write and write every day, and I have accumulated so many.'

"Brother Dong always hates articles that are long and boring, like an old lady's foot binding. I wonder how he will react when he sees such a thick letter from me, which is as tedious as an old woman's nagging?" Fang Lin tried to imagine Dong Zugao's reaction when he received the letter and smiled.

After these were sent out, I felt at ease.

"If Hongtai Emperor can take sweet potatoes seriously this time, countless lives can be saved in the natural and man-made disasters that follow, and Daxia will be able to retain more vitality. Daxia may even have a glimmer of hope of rebirth from the ashes..."

But to be honest, Fang Lin still didn't have much confidence.

"The current situation of Daxia is that it is beset with internal and external difficulties. There are natural disasters, party disputes, and problems with the country's military strength. There are problems within the garrisons, with redundant personnel and empty salaries. Outside, there are the Liaodong Tartars, who are preparing for war..."

'More importantly, the rise and fall of a feudal dynasty depends largely on the emperor. If the emperor is incompetent, the damage that can be caused is simply unimaginable. No matter how much wealth a family has accumulated, it can be lost in one day, such as Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. If Daxia really cannot be saved, even if there are sweet potatoes, it can only prolong its life for a little longer.'

"Never mind. I have done everything I should and can do, but I cannot forget about making preparations for the future."

Fang Lin is not a blindly loyal person. If Daxia is really powerless to save the situation, he will not be buried with it.

'Right now, the manuscripts of the third and fourth parts of Romance of the Three Kingdoms have been sent to the capital through official channels. Your Majesty may not be able to avoid leaks in the process. I really can't expect too much from those eunuchs who are greedy for money... What's worse is that even if they spread the manuscripts for money, what can I do to them?'

"Therefore, we still have to release the third and fourth parts of Romance of the Three Kingdoms as soon as possible to bring in money and create fame."

Fang Lin made up his mind secretly.

……

The next day, Fang Lin invited booksellers from Beppu in the Jianghuai area through distribution channels.

Compared with last time, there were many more booksellers from each prefecture coming this time. One reason was that several popular novels by other people had been released in the past two months, and the distribution channels had become increasingly mature. The other reason was that this was Fang Lin’s book, and it was the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" which had a long-standing reputation and was a truly top-notch book.

Just like last time, I gave these people sample books of the first ten chapters to let them have a look at the quality. After seeing them, all the booksellers present were immersed in it, Zhao Yun intercepted the river to capture A Dou, Zhang Yide released Yan Yan out of loyalty, Kong Ming devised a plan to capture Zhang Ren... There were many climaxes, such as attending a meeting alone, a hundred riders raiding the camp... There were endless famous scenes.

Fang Lin played a little trick, this time it was also the first ten chapters of the third part, and the later deaths of Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Liu Bei were not written. If you only read the first ten chapters, there is no "stab" in the face, it is a completely enjoyable article that cannot be more enjoyable.

Such high quality dispelled the last bit of worry of these booksellers. Knowing that they would make a profit if they could grab the book, they competed to bid, especially the distributors who tasted the sweetness last time, who were even more crazy.

Because this time he hit two targets at once, and also captured dozens of prefectures in the Jianghuai area, Fang Lin made nearly 100,000 taels of silver in one fell swoop!
Afterwards, the booksellers who obtained distributors took the manuscripts back overnight. In Huai'an, Fang Lin had already given instructions and started printing in full swing.

……

It was during the printing period of the third and fourth parts of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" that Prefect Pu took action. On the one hand, he met with grain merchants in the city to curb the sharp fluctuations in grain prices to avoid panic among the people. On the other hand, he allocated grain from the Changping Warehouse to the market and released the news that Huai'an was relatively less affected by the disaster, the grain supply was stable, and there was no need to rush to grab grain.

Because of Magistrate Pu's long-standing prestige and popularity, grain prices were temporarily stabilized.

Afterwards, as the victims arrived in waves, Prefect Pu released news one after another: in order to crack down on illegal vendors and hoarders, he limited the purchase of grain according to household registration; he wrote to the court to reduce Huai'an's taxes for this year; and he purchased grain from prefectures that were less affected by the disaster...

According to Fang Lin's thinking, whenever the people heard bad news and started to panic, he would release "good news" to neutralize and hedge the situation. This would also let the people see that the government was not idle and was continuing to do practical things. Everything was under the control of the court, which would build their confidence and stabilize grain prices.

As disaster victims arrived one after another, the shantytown that Fang Lin had visited in the city two years ago was put into use again.

The government allocated grain from reserve warehouses and charity warehouses to provide disaster relief and provide porridge to the victims.

Docks and factories are also continuing to absorb disaster victims and relieve pressure.

But even so, the pressure is still enormous because of the severity of the disaster.

Needless to say, when Prefect Pu invited the city's dignitaries, wealthy businessmen, and merchants of all sizes, they all knew that they were doomed to be killed this year.

However, they were still immersed in their past experience and planned to argue with Prefect Pu again and again, and finally just to show some courtesy. However, Prefect Pu did not play by the rules and took out the tactic of "engraving a stele to record the amount of donations and make it public for the people of the city", which hit them in the weak spot.

——The big families in the city have their roots here, and they cannot let their reputations get ruined. Small vendors also do local business, so it goes without saying that if their reputations get ruined, what business are they doing?
Therefore, even though it hurt, they could only donate a sum of money that was commensurate with their status. In the end, the amount of funds raised this time was several times that of the last disaster year.

Fang Lin was also among them, following the crowd and taking out just the right amount based on the current industry, not too much or too little, so as not to be conspicuous.

Afterwards, Magistrate Pu's brilliant plan was widely praised by the people in the city and talked about with great relish.

……

Just when the situation in Huai'an City seemed to be improving, details of the disaster in the Jianghuai region and other prefectures came one after another. The details were shocking, but it would have been fine if it were just that.

It is not known whether it was because the big families in the city were unwilling to be ripped off because of their donations, or because the grain merchants in the city spread the news that "the grain price near Linzhou Prefecture has soared, and has exceeded Huai'an by 30% to 50%", "there is a grain shortage in the Jianghuai area, and Prefect Pu sent a fleet to purchase grain but returned empty-handed"... Such rumors began to spread, causing panic in a small area. It is foreseeable that if they are allowed to spread, within a day or two, the grain price in the city will go crazy again. The government is on high alert, and Prefect Pu even invited Fang Lin away overnight.

The next day, Xuan Mo Zhai announced that the third and fourth volumes of Romance of the Three Kingdoms would go on sale simultaneously, and that 10% of the profits would be donated to help disaster victims, with the slogan "For every book bought, there will be an extra bowl of porridge to help disaster victims."

Thanks to the huge reputation of the first two parts of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and the government's intention to fan the flames, the news spread throughout the city that morning, instantly overshadowing those rumors and becoming the only undisputed focus of Huai'an City.

Especially when the Xuan Mo Zhai main store and two branches started pre-sales, all three stores were packed that day, and customers who had made reservations crowded outside the store.

All we can say is that even in years of disaster, the rich were not affected too much and were still as wealthy as ever. Or, in other words, the current era is characterized by a lack of spiritual needs, and many people will really spend money on a good book.

When the people saw this, they instantly felt: Well, the rich people in the city are still snatching books that cannot be eaten or drunk, which means it’s no big deal, and they felt relieved all of a sudden.

Not only that, the entire Huai'an city, contrary to common sense, showed signs of economic prosperity after the disaster.

Many book fans are very happy that the third and fourth parts of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" are coming out so soon. Moreover, reading the books can also help disaster victims and give them moral satisfaction, which makes them doubly happy and they are very willing to spend money on them.

At the same time, the third and fourth parts of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" were about to be released, which boosted the popularity of the first and second parts, and made restaurants and teahouses prosperous again, saving the bleak business and making the owners of teahouses and restaurants smile from ear to ear, and the other party was extremely grateful.

Furthermore, Fang Lin donated 10% of his profits, which was a noble act and his reputation in the city was greatly enhanced.

When the people in the city shifted their attention from the disaster to the third and fourth parts of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", the government officials breathed a sigh of relief.

……

After the situation in the city stabilized, that day, Prefect Pu invited Fang Lin to dinner.

Prefect Pu said with emotion: "Fang Lin, you are truly a wise man. Stabilizing grain prices, raising donations, and stabilizing people's hearts are all going according to your expectations, especially the public opinion in the past two days, which turned the tide... I thank you on behalf of the people in the city."

"Your Excellency is overpraising me. I was just talking nonsense. The actual credit goes to you and the officials of the government. I really don't dare to take credit for it."

"Fang Lin, you are so modest. You don't really look like a teenager."

As they were talking, Pu's wife served the dishes: roast chicken, fish in vinegar, poached duck... eight dishes and one soup.

Prefect Pu looked at these, frowned and said, "The year of great disaster is over."

He couldn't help but think of the previous two days when he went to inspect outside the city and saw the victims were pale and thin. Looking at the delicious fish and meat in front of him, he really couldn't eat them.

Pu's wife was originally very happy and had cooked delicious food, but when she saw Magistrate Pu's face, she lowered her head and left.

After a while, the old lady came over and pointed at Magistrate Pu's nose and scolded him: "Xiao Fang finally came once, what's wrong with cooking a good meal? Our family is not short of money now. We have Xiao Fang's bookstore dividends, clean money, can't we spend it? What, cook too much, waste it? If it can't be eaten in one meal, then make two or three meals, and the leftovers will go into the stomach, what's the waste?"

It was indeed as she said. Fang Lin often came to visit because of the profits from the bookstore and also because they knew Fang Lin's character. The Pu family had a very good impression of Fang Lin, which was why they had all these delicious meals. They would not have been so extravagant at other times.

Facing the old lady's reprimand, Prefect Pu was submissive and didn't dare to refute a word. After the old lady passed by, he covered his face and said awkwardly: "I'm sorry to make you laugh, Fang Lin."

"Why do you say that? Your diligence and thriftiness are a blessing to the people of Huai'an. But then again, considering what you have done for the people of Huai'an, and you have spent your own money, it is not a waste, so a good meal seems to be nothing wrong."

This is Fang Lin’s true thought. Being fair and honest doesn’t mean that a good official has to eat coarse food every day, right?
"There is nothing wrong with a good meal, but a thousand-mile dam can be destroyed by an ant hole."

Prefect Pu said, his eyes slightly fixed, "Just like in our city, there are bad people! It's ok to test and probe me normally, but the news two days ago, 'the price of grain in the neighboring prefectures has soared, exceeding Huai'an by 30% to 50%', 'the purchase of grain has returned in vain', spread these, how malicious their intentions are!"

Fang Lin listened to this and recalled the hunting of Prefect Pu by the big families in the city at the Qixi Poetry Festival. He also recalled the sudden public opinion in the city a few days ago: "Sir, can you catch the person behind this?"

"Those people are very slippery. As soon as there is a slight disturbance, they immediately cut off their ties as soon as they see that things are hopeless... In the end, they only caught some small fry. But if you think about it, you know that this matter is nothing more than those few families in the city."

Prefect Pu sneered, "There are five major families in the city: Fan, Gu, Ma, Shao, and Duan. The Gu family's fleet does business overseas, shipping silk, tea, porcelain, etc., and when they come back they often buy cheap grain in Luzon to store in warehouses; the Ma, Shao, and Duan families have a lot of land and often store grain; the Fan family is less suspicious."

"The Gu family, the Ma family, the Shao family, and the Duan family." Fang Lin nodded slightly, knowing that these were also rivals of his factory.

'Although the Gu family is in a state of decline because of the strange field case, they may not sit idly by and watch me rise. The Ma family, the Shao family, and the Duan family are the same. Although they have a strong sense of small farmers and value land, they will most likely annex land after this disaster, but I am afraid they will also make things difficult for me after that.'

This is not targeting Fang Lin, but business is like this, if you take more, I will make less, and the five major families will fight each other. You dig a pit for me, and I lay mines for you...

"But they all have backgrounds and are respectable people. At least their methods won't be too extreme. We should just fight back when the enemy comes and block the water with earth!"

Fang Lin knew that the four families, Gu, Ma, Shao and Duan, each had their own burdens now, and this was the time when resistance was the least. If they couldn't get through this hurdle, then they should not do this business.

"By the way, I have already investigated and confirmed the sweet potatoes that Fang Linni mentioned, and have submitted a memorial to Your Majesty. When they are promoted in the future, they will surely be of great benefit to the country and the people."

Prefect Pu poured the wine, stood up and toasted Fang Lin: "In public, if sweet potatoes are planted, countless lives will be saved; in private, this is a political achievement, and I am involved in it, so my name will surely go down in history. This glass of wine is for you!"

"Your Excellency's words are too serious. If you are poor, you should take care of yourself. If you are rich, you should help the world. I am just doing my duty."

Fang Lin clinked glasses with Prefect Pu and drank the wine in one gulp. Thinking that by now, his manuscripts and letters might have already arrived in the capital, he wondered what kind of storm they would stir up.

……

(End of this chapter)