Ouyang Sheng put on a bitter face and said, "Teacher, it's not that we don't want to take them, but we have no choice! The books we print ourselves cost more than five hundred wen! Moreover, once Liang Xiao's books enter the market, our Ouyang family's bookstore will no longer be able to operate. Because the common people will never accept the Four Books and Five Classics priced at more than five hundred wen..."
Gongyang He frowned.
Dugu Xiao said resentfully, "Since Liang Xiao is losing money, let him go bankrupt early at one hundred and fifty wen? At worst, none of us will open bookstores anymore. When there's no one willing to sell books in the Great Qian Kingdom, who will rip off whom?"
Gongyang He shook his head and sighed, "By then, the foolish emperor will definitely take over the bookstores and reprice everything. The bookstore business will then belong to the imperial power!"
Ouyang Sheng angrily said, "The bookstore business is such a large piece of fat meat, how can we just let it go!"
"Then let's all put pressure on the foolish emperor together and set the price directly!" Dugu Xiao pouted.
"Set the price, and then let Liang Xiao sell them to his heart's content, giving all the people in the country a chance to read and become literate, and to obtain official positions?" Ouyang Sheng was displeased.
Gongyang He's face darkened, and he said helplessly, "So that's how it is. He's clearly trying to drag your Ouyang family's bookstore into the mire. If you don't accept his challenge, the consequences will also be dire! The question is, is Liang Xiao really losing money?"
Ouyang Sheng nodded, "My uncle and the others have calculated the costs. It's impossible for him not to be losing money!"
Only then did Gongyang He feel relieved and nodded, "If your bookstores in the Jiangnan region are short of money, the Gongyang clan can temporarily provide funds to defeat Liang Xiao's bookstore!"
Dugu Xiao worried, "But, teacher, you've also seen it. This dog thief Liang Xiao only prints these few types of books, endlessly! The Ouyang family's bookstore doesn't need so many books. Is he preparing to hoard them and sell them for decades?"
Ouyang Sheng and Gongyang He fell silent.
According to the pricing of the Ouyang family's bookstore, so many books would indeed have to be sold for a long time!
And now Liang Xiao's bookstore stood firm like a rock, unshakeable. Those material suppliers only cared about money.
It was said that Liang Xiao had taken over almost all the material workshops in the capital, even producing his own materials...
Gongyang He gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "Persist! At worst, I will also support you along with the other noble families!"
With the Grand Tutor's support, Ouyang Sheng's face lit up with joy, and he knelt to thank Gongyang He.
These aristocratic families never imagined that Liang Xiao was preparing to pull the Ouyang family into the "bookstore" battlefield for a protracted war, slowly exhausting the Ouyang family, draining their blood, and thoroughly defeating the Ouyang family's bookstore.
But Liang Xiao still underestimated the aristocratic families' persistence in supporting the Ouyang family's bookstore. One after another, they stepped in to send money...
Upon hearing that Liang Xiao had sold another 220,000 copies of books, Zhuo Zifang and Gongsun Ye were overjoyed.
After understanding Liang Xiao's plan, they were almost so impressed that they prostrated themselves.
Zhuo Zifang stroked his beard and smiled, "I estimate that other noble families will not allow the common people to become literate, because this will ultimately lead to the common people breaking their monopoly on official positions. Perhaps, the major noble families are already preparing to support the Ouyang family. What do you think, Liang Xiao..."
Liang Xiao smiled, "Then let them continue to send money. I will only print the Four Books and Five Classics until they give up!"
Gongsun Ye laughed even more happily.
News came from Tianqin Mountain that Liang Xiao had also wholeheartedly imparted the craftsmanship of the ingenious puzzle ball. The Marquis of Dingguo's mansion could now produce ingenious puzzle balls to sell specifically to high officials and noble lords, earning their first pot of gold.
As the king of stinginess in Jiangnan, Gongsun Ye was the most reluctant to spend money, unless the emperor sought his help.
Upon hearing that his daughter had spent over a million taels to buy a batch of "Yi Zui Bai Nian" from Liang Xiao, Gongsun Ye was furious and almost had a stroke. Only when Gongsun Jing sent people to deliver several hundred jars from Tianqin Mountain did Gongsun Ye calm down.
It was truly, damnably delicious...
Zhuo Zifang's evaluation of Liang Xiao as "a genius of a thousand years" spread throughout Jinling, leaving everyone in awe!
Along with the spread of the news was Liang Xiao's plan to publicly sell "Yi Zui Bai Nian" in three days, at the plaza where the public trial had been held previously, inviting all high officials and noble lords to attend.
In the past, local tycoons who wanted to obtain "Yi Zui Bai Nian" either had to send people to the capital to wait, or they could only buy it at an inflated price from other tycoons who had already purchased it, such as the Duanmu family.
Now that Liang Xiao was bringing the "Yi Zui Bai Nian" business to Jiangnan, even merchants from the Great Heng Kingdom heard the news and crossed the river.
Mu Cheng, the Emperor of Great Liang, heard about it and sighed, "Send someone to get some. I need to entertain my ministers and envoys from the southern states, otherwise, how will I maintain my dignity..."
Qin Feng looked at Mu Cheng's bitter expression and couldn't help but chuckle wryly.
From military affairs, court politics, diplomacy, to commerce, the Great Liang Kingdom could not escape Liang Xiao's influence!
However, the Great Liang Kingdom, like the Great Qian Kingdom, was not lacking in the poor and the extremely wealthy. The price of "Yi Zui Bai Nian" was still within the affordable range for the extremely wealthy.
Moreover, Liang Xiao had also introduced a lucky draw activity where collecting poetic lines could be exchanged for a complete poem, which was incredibly exciting...
They could only scramble to buy it!
Upon hearing that Liang Xiao was preparing to sell "Yi Zui Bai Nian," the Ouyang family, and all the families who had decided to support the Ouyang family in crushing Liang Xiao's bookstore, were the most distressed.
Ouyang Sheng was already on the verge of tears.
With this momentum, Liang Xiao would have a large amount of money to support his bookstore again. When would it end? The Ouyang family was being held on the bookstore battlefield by Liang Xiao, and could no longer do any business!
Only Liang Xiao was leisurely enjoying himself in his grand courtyard, telling ghost stories to the girls. Even Christia was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she clung to Yue Lian.
The frightened girls unanimously asked Liang Xiao to tell something else.
Liang Xiao had a flash of inspiration and said, "How about I teach you a song?"
"Young Master, I can't sing songs like 'Serve the Country with Utmost Loyalty'..." Yue Lian said aggrievedly.
Gongsun Ye had specifically sent someone to learn the singing method of "Serve the Country with Utmost Loyalty" from Liang Xiao, preparing to promote it throughout Jiangnan.
Liang Xiao laughed heartily and sang "Myth of the Stars and Moon."
Everyone listened in stunned silence.
"Where will you be in a thousand years, with what scenery around you? Our story isn't exactly beautiful, but it's so hard to forget..." Yue Lian became more and more fond of it as she sang, her small face turning red.
"This kind of song is indeed best sung by girls," Liang Xiao praised.
After Yue Lian practiced a few times, she indeed sang it better than him.
"How did you think of this song? This is clearly a song for girls. You, you really are a flower thief..." Jian Qinwan hummed.
The four girls looked at Liang Xiao in surprise.
Liang Xiao replied without hesitation, "It was when I was sleepwalking in the divine realm, I heard a woman sing, and I just learned it casually."
The story of Liang Xiao's "sleepwalking in the divine realm" had already spread. The world only said that Liang Xiao had been taught by an immortal, and combined with his own low-key demeanor, he had finally achieved unexpected success and ascended to high positions. This theory was widely accepted, as even the person involved said so.
Many young people in the capital ran to the Heavenly General Temple to burn incense, hoping that the Heavenly General would grant them a dream journey to the divine realm...
Outside Suzhou City, by the river.
Hong Jie and the other two gazed at the flowing river, their spirits low.
Liang Xiao was even more difficult to deal with than they had imagined. They could only continue their slow infiltration.
After witnessing Liang Xiao's swordsmanship, Zuo Jing also rearranged her plan, not daring to let the Cloud Sky Guards act recklessly.
"You're back too?"
Hong Qu, with bandages on his left hand and head, walked over with Zuo Wushang.
"Big Brother, how did you get injured??" Hong Jie exclaimed.
His elder brother was not skilled at disguise, but his martial arts were definitely top-tier in the world. How could he be so severely injured?
Hong Qu said in a deep voice, "I was attacked by over a hundred assassins while I was out alone. It must have been the Rejuvenation Cult. These beasts, they haven't even dealt with Liang Xiao yet, and they're already persecuting us..."