"He was intelligent and studious from a young age, even having a stroke of luck with the immortals. He is also a strong contender for the title of Ancestor of the Divine Path, and he is responsible in his actions. He can share both joy and sorrow, wealth and honor, and is one of the best men in the world. In addition, he is generous and possesses extremely strong personal charisma..."
Upon hearing this, Guo Jia nodded, a rare occurrence. Then, he exclaimed, "So what? It's great! You just praised yourself a few times. Why not use the channels you have?"
It should be known that even scions of prominent families often go to great lengths to earn a good review in a monthly evaluation.
Therefore, in Guo Jia's view, Lin Yang's actions were entirely reasonable. What was wrong with his own newspaper praising itself a few times?
Moreover, this gives everyone another good place to boost their reputation. And it's very convenient. As long as they're in the newspapers, at least millions, or even tens of millions, of people will have a good impression of this person.
“Yes, the Duke of Wu was originally from a poor family, but after he got control of this newspaper, he could truly stand on equal footing with those aristocratic families. It can be said that even if the expansion into the south failed, with this newspaper, becoming a first-rate family, or even a top-tier family, would be no problem,” Xi Zhicai said admiringly.
After all, Lin Yang also came from a poor background. A penniless man, through a series of coincidences, actually achieved his current position; that's a truly inspiring story.
"Let's look at this third page. It starts with a short poem: 'Jiangnan is beautiful, its scenery is familiar from long ago. The river flowers at sunrise are redder than fire, the river water in spring is greener than blue. How can I not miss Jiangnan?'"
"I don't know who wrote this with a guilty conscience, but they managed to portray the desolate Jiangnan region in such a way. It's sure to attract the attention of many young men and women."
"Subtly and gradually, it will change people's perception of Jiangnan. After several years, even the most stubborn old man will probably have a different impression of Jiangnan. The power of this newspaper is not to be underestimated," Guo Jia said coldly.
Although Guo Jia didn't know what public opinion or brainwashing was at this time, he could still see the enormous power hidden behind it at a glance.
"That's not all. Look at what's said here. There haven't been any major upheavals for ten thousand years. The population of the dynasty is already overflowing. It's common to see three or even four generations living together in one household. Even in the vast northern lands, there's not much vacant land left."
"At the same time, it also listed many examples of people who lived in poverty after migrating to the north. If ordinary people read this newspaper, they would subconsciously agree with this view."
"At that time, this person will definitely introduce the various advantages of the South. After that, even the common people will subconsciously consider the South when deciding to migrate," Xi Zhicai said admiringly, and then took a big gulp of fine wine.
Moreover, and more importantly, Lin Yang did not fabricate anything. The examples he cited were all genuine. In other words, Lin Yang was telling the truth all along, only part of the truth.
Although, in hindsight, this truth is more reprehensible than a lie, what can anyone do about it?
Shaking his head, Guo Jia continued, "One can only say that this person plans three steps ahead for every step he takes, and is meticulous in his thinking. As for whether he is as generous and magnanimous as described above, that remains to be seen."
Upon hearing this, Xi Zhicai nodded and then said, "The first edition is aimed at the royal family, the second edition is aimed at the chosen ones, the third edition is aimed at Jiangnan, and the fourth edition is aimed at the many scholars."
"Yes, there are only three articles this time. It's clear that they were all written by Cai Gong. Judging from the articles themselves, they are excellent, and the quality is absolutely top-notch," Guo Jia said.
"These three articles are all Cai Gong's annotations on the Book of Music. It can be said that these three articles alone are enough to make students all over the world go crazy buying this newspaper."
"What, you want to seek refuge with this Duke of Wu?" Guo Jia suddenly asked.
"No, the time is not right. Let's wait a few more days until the newspaper is a complete success."
Chapter 49: Blessed Land and Peach Tree
The next day, Xiao Tong started distributing newspapers early again. Compared to yesterday, he was distributing them much faster today. Many people even approached him to buy newspapers after seeing him.
However, the benefactor said the first seven days would be free. Anyone who dared to charge extra would not only be banned from delivering newspapers in the future but would also be punished. Therefore, although Xiao Tong was tempted, he also cherished the job and directly refused.
"This is today's newspaper. Let me see what kind of content Duke Wu has compiled this time," Xi Zhicai said earnestly.
...At that very moment, the white snake suddenly appeared, its enormous eyes like lanterns, and a foul, fishy stench emanated from it as it charged directly at the Great Ancestor.
To find out what happens next, stay tuned for the next installment.
"Hmm, not bad. Even though I know all of this is made up, I'm still quite interested," Xi Zhicai said with a smile.
"Yes, and today's third edition is quite interesting." Guo Jia narrowed his eyes, which seemed to radiate boundless light, and then said with a cold smile.
"Oh, let me see. 'The Peach Blossom Spring.' It seems yesterday's poem has been replaced by a full essay," Xi Zhicai said with a smile. However, just by looking at Guo Jia's reaction, one could tell that this essay was definitely not simple!
"A fisherman from Wuling made his living by fishing. He followed the stream, forgetting how far he had gone. Suddenly, he came upon a peach grove, stretching for several hundred paces along both banks. There were no other trees, only fragrant grasses and fallen petals. The fisherman was greatly surprised. He continued forward, wanting to explore the grove to its end. At the end of the grove, he found the source of the stream, and there was a mountain with a small opening, from which light seemed to emanate."
They abandoned the boat and entered through the opening. At first, it was extremely narrow, barely wide enough for a person to pass through. After walking several dozen paces, it suddenly opened up into a bright and spacious place. The land was flat and wide, with neatly arranged houses, fertile fields, beautiful ponds, mulberry trees, and bamboo groves. Paths crisscrossed the land, and the sounds of chickens and dogs could be heard…
He stayed for several days, then took his leave. The people there said, "This is not something to be told to outsiders." After leaving, he found his boat, and followed the path, marking the way at every turn…
He sought the path he had marked, but became lost and could not find it again. He died of illness while searching, and afterwards no one inquired about the place again.
"What a wonderful Peach Blossom Spring! This is no Peach Blossom Spring at all; it's clearly a paradise on earth! The fisherman mistakenly entered this paradise and saw people dressed in very different ways. That's quite normal. After all, no one knows how many years ago these people entered this paradise."
"As for searching along the markings again later, the formation attached to the blessed land has changed, so it's normal that we couldn't find it," Xi Zhicai muttered to himself.
"Hehe, I can only say that the Duke of Wu is indeed worthy of being called the Duke of Wu. Once this article is published, regardless of its authenticity, all the major families in the world will have to make preparations. After all, a blessed land can extend a family's fortune for ten thousand years. Even if other families suffer losses, they can retreat calmly and then seal off the blessed land to await the opportune moment," Guo Jia analyzed.
The truly top-tier aristocratic families all possess their own celestial abodes. First-rate aristocratic families at the state level generally possess blessed lands. This is considered the foundation of each family's resources, which they will not utilize unless facing a life-or-death situation.
Now that Lin Yang has written such an article, regardless of its authenticity, the powerful families will certainly pay attention. After all, the entire South has never been developed on a large scale, so the probability of finding blessed lands or hidden paradises is significantly higher than in the North.
"Fine, I'll take a look at the fourth edition."
"The county-level examination lasts only one day. It tests the simplest and most basic content. Generally speaking, as long as you find the scope of the questions, memorize and practice a lot, you can pass..."
"Furthermore, during the county examination, one should pay attention to..."
"Phew, they actually revealed the exam-taking methods and numerous tips for the county-level examination without any hesitation. This is truly, truly..." After thinking for a long time, Xi Zhicai still couldn't figure out what to say. He just felt his brain suddenly go blank.
This is incredibly valuable exam experience! Is it really okay to just share it like this? And, judging by this trend, shouldn't we be talking about the county exam tomorrow?
"Interesting, this is getting more and more interesting. What exactly does this Duke of Wu want to do?" Guo Jia muttered to himself.
...
On the third day, today's newspaper was distributed even faster. In fact, deacons from the academy and stewards from aristocratic families sent people to guard the Mercenary Alliance location in advance. Basically, as soon as the newspaper came out, they eagerly grabbed dozens, even hundreds, of copies.
As a result, the newspapers were distributed before dawn.