The Liang residence in the capital city is recruiting literate workers in large numbers and purchasing vast quantities of paper, single-handedly driving up the paper prices in the capital by ten percent!
The Ouyang family convened an emergency meeting that very night to discuss this matter.
Ouyang Hong roared, "They're specifically picking literate workers. It's likely related to Liang Xiao's so-called 'movable type printing.' Is that old dog Liang Qing preparing to snatch our bookshop's business?"
Ouyang Ji and Ouyang Ping nodded in unison, their brows furrowed with worry.
"Find a way to investigate the Ministry of Works. Bribe the officials there with money to loosen their tongues. We absolutely cannot let the Liang residence seize the market!" Ouyang Ji gritted his teeth.
Had it been anyone else, the Ouyang family would have dismissed them with disdain. But Liang Xiao had created too many miracles, leaving them no choice but to panic.
They could suppress the Liang family's bookshops, but what if the Liang family's books sold for far less than theirs?
By then, even if they desperately suppressed the Liang residence's bookshops, they would be hurting the enemy while also harming themselves significantly!
Unlike the Ouyang family, who sat on pins and needles, the people of the Liang residence were beaming with pride and exuded confidence, walking with a swagger wherever they went.
Ever since Liang Xiao's astonishing debut, the Liang family members had been increasingly respected by outsiders. They no longer had to grovel to the noble families, and no one dared to publicly challenge them!
Rumor had it that the Liang residence was recruiting workers in Liang Xiao's name, with favorable terms. A large number of workers flocked to them, seeking merely a meager livelihood, especially the impoverished scholars in the capital.
At the Gu residence, Mu Wanjun was a guest.
"Father, even with the Marquis of Anguo present, can the Liang residence contend with the Ouyang family? Won't the Dugu family sit idly by?" Gu Shaoyan worried.
Liang Xiao had invested all the money from his wine sales into buying land in Yanzhou. To defeat the Ouyang family, whose bookshops spanned the entire country, was it truly that easy?
"The Marquis of Anguo will surely have a countermeasure. We just need to watch. Anyway, the Marquis of Anguo isn't targeting our families' businesses."
Gu Hong was utterly nonchalant, adopting a 'let my neighbor's house burn' mentality, even appearing somewhat schadenfreude and eager.
The noble families that had now chosen the side of Xiao Qing and Liang Xiao could no longer maintain a symbiotic relationship with the Ouyang, Dugu, and He families. They were even on opposing sides.
However, they had already received various promises from Xiao Qing and were confident in acting on his behalf.
If the Ouyang and Dugu families were to fall, they could confidently seize those families' industries.
Gu Shaoyan was not mistaken. The Dugu family had also sent people overnight to find Ouyang Ji to discuss strategies for suppressing the Liang family's bookshops.
In Yanzhou, Liang Xiao, having had a busy day, finally returned to his courtyard.
Luo Qingxue, Yue Lian, and Jian Qinwan were quietly watching Zhen Mi continue writing "Heroes of Da Qian."
It was only at times like these that Luo Qingxue and Jian Qinwan rarely maintained their tacit understanding, not arguing, and even managing to sit together and watch.
Seeing Liang Xiao return, Zhen Mi stopped writing and said, "Brother Xiao, Mi'er's 'Heroes of Da Qian' may not be finished anytime soon, but Mi'er wants to help Brother Xiao."
Liang Xiao smiled, "No rush, haste makes waste! Mi'er, you can write it slowly. If anything, we can do it in installments."
"Installments?" everyone asked, confused.
Liang Xiao explained, "It means that every day or every few days, we'll specifically put together a newspaper, filled with novels and some fresh news, or interesting tales from the marketplace. Then we'll print a large number of copies and sell each for a few coins. It might even be a big seller!"
The paper craftsmanship in Da Qian was quite mature, costing three coins for ten sheets for printing books.
As long as the price was reasonable, newspapers had great potential!
Especially for the populace in prosperous regions, such as the capital or certain large cities in Jiangnan, people had some spare money but their spiritual lives were rather empty.
This kind of "newspaper" here could very well be a "dimensional-reduction strike"!
Moreover, the method of serializing stories in newspapers was proven effective. Early serialized exciting martial arts novels could even save near-bankrupt newspapers!
"Newspaper, that sounds very interesting," Jian Qinwan said with anticipation.
She truly wanted to see if future newspapers would feature anecdotes about flower-picking thieves!
Zhen Mi's eyes lit up, "Brother Xiao, you think Mi'er can create 'Heroes of Da Qian' and 'Great Qian Heroes' in installments, and then compile them into books when the works reach a certain point? As expected of Brother Xiao! You've instantly solved my predicament…"
"It's Mi'er's cleverness, grasping it immediately," Liang Xiao replied with a guilty conscience.
This little girl, in a few more years, would probably become a know-it-all little sprite!
Zhen Mi smiled radiantly and added, "Then Mi'er must arrange each installment's length properly, so as not to affect Brother Xiao's newspaper 'serialization'!"
Liang Xiao nodded, "Mi'er can focus on refining the books she wants to write first. Let Brother Xiao provide some stories, and Mi'er can jot them down."
"What stories?" everyone asked in unison, filled with curiosity.
"Let's name it 'Journey to the West.' For the publishing pseudonym, we'll use Wu Cheng'en! In the future, each book will have a different pseudonym!" Liang Xiao replied.
This was his maximum effort to reduce his guilt towards the ancients.
Spreading his hometown's culture in this world was also a good thing, and it could prove that these cultures were enduring treasures regardless of the world.
"'Journey to the West'? Wu Cheng'en?" Luo Qingxue asked with a puzzled expression.
Liang Xiao sat down and began to narrate the story of "Journey to the West" to the girls.
The girls listened in rapt attention, occasionally gasping in amazement, even forgetting about mealtime.
"A monkey born from a stone, cultivating all the way, finally becoming the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and then, defying the Heavenly Court's rule, wreaking havoc in the Heavenly Palace…" Luo Qingxue murmured to herself.
Yue Lian's little face flushed with excitement, "The imagination is simply boundless, truly worthy of my young master!"
Liang Xiao's old face flushed, and he coughed strategically, inwardly calling out "guilty."
He hadn't written it, but no one would believe him no matter how he explained, unless he could genuinely find a Wu Cheng'en here capable of writing "Journey to the West."
"To find out what happens next, please listen to the next installment! Everyone go eat!"
Liang Xiao stopped abruptly as he was about to recount how the Great Sage was thrown into the Eight Trigrams furnace, drawing a wave of wistful disappointment from the girls.
"Oh, young master, please tell us a bit more!" Yue Lian couldn't help but unleash her coquettish assault, while Luo Qingxue was already gathering tears.
Jian Qinwan looked at Liang Xiao with disappointment, wanting to speak but hesitating.
She also wanted to hear more!
Liang Xiao deliberately put on an air of maturity and said, "You all be good girls and don't wander off. As long as I have time, I will continue telling you stories!"
Only then did the girls become satisfied. Even Jian Qinwan nodded subconsciously.
Of course, they didn't want to take up Liang Xiao's time, especially since Liang Xiao was now the Marquis of Anguo.
Watching the girls happily discussing the plot, Liang Xiao felt a sense of contentment.
Even Jian Qinwan would occasionally chime in with a few words, joining the discussion.
Zhen Mi had an astonishing memory and could recall these stories. Later, she could have them transcribed and printed in newspapers.
For these past few days, Liang Xiao had continued to manage affairs in Yanzhou, arranging follow-up matters to prevent his subordinates from losing their rhythm after he left for Jiangnan.
As for Luo Qingxue and the others, they would naturally return to the capital with Liang Xiao to enjoy comfort.
It was currently spring, yet Yanzhou remained cold, with occasional snowfall in the northern parts of the region.
The Liang residence had been established in Yanzhou for generations and possessed many fields and houses. These residences had long been converted by Liang Xiao into various workshops.
The next day, Liang Xiao went to the workshop closest to the Liang residence to inquire about the movable type, accompanied by Liu Fan.
Looking around, the place was piled high with stacks of white paper, boxes of ink, and various movable types and iron frames.
Liu Fan was dumbfounded, "My Lord Marquis, what book are we planning to print? How much do we need to print? Ordinary people probably won't be able to afford it…"
Liang Xiao had acquired almost all the suitable printing materials of all specifications in Yanzhou. The entire Yanzhou knew that Liang Xiao was preparing to print books, intending to compete with the Ouyang family's bookshops in Yanzhou. All the landlords and gentry were waiting to see the spectacle of the two families, hoping to profit from the chaos!