Chapter 244: Newspapers

The next morning, inside the council hall of Returning Sea Manor.

"I hope you all slept well and are getting used to the place!" Xiao Xie said with a smile as he looked at Old Ban and the others.

"Grand Master, I always knew the Ascending Heaven Tower was wealthy, but I never imagined it was *this* wealthy," Jing Tianming exclaimed with a sigh. Yesterday, when Jing Tianming visited the latrine, he almost thought he had entered the wrong place.

The latrines were scented with sandalwood. As soon as one stepped inside, a pleasant fragrance greeted the senses. There were even disposable, specially made nasal plugs crafted from infused cotton cloth; once placed in the nose, not a single trace of bad odor could be smelled.

Beneath each commode was a flowing waterway, allowing waste to be flushed directly into the sea by the current. What Jing Tianming found even more wondrous was that the material used for wiping was a kind of thing called toilet paper, rather than bamboo slips or clay tiles.

"Grand Master, everything here is wonderful, but could you please tell those young maidens not to barge into my room early in the morning to help me dress? I, Big Hammer, have hands and feet of my own, and I'm much more used to dressing myself," Big Hammer said somewhat awkwardly. Early this morning, two maidserving girls had rushed into his room to wait on him as he washed up and changed. Big Hammer, a rough man, had never been served like that in his life. He had stood there foolishly, not daring to move, and only snapped back to his senses after the maids finished dressing him.

"Hahaha, Brother Hammer, you've simply never enjoyed this kind of luxury. After staying here a few more days, you'll get used to it," Xue Nu said, covering her mouth with a chuckle upon hearing Big Hammer's words. As the former owner of the Feixue Pavilion, Xue Nu had been waited on plenty of times in the past, so she adapted to life here quite easily.

"Old man, I also find living here very comfortable, but I'm afraid that once I get too used to such a fine place, if I ever have to live somewhere that isn't as nice in the future, I won't be able to stand it anymore. Hahahaha..." Old Ban could not help laughing. The houses within the Mohist City of Mechanisms were all stone and wooden huts, which paled considerably in comparison to the rooms in Returning Sea Manor.

"If any of you find anything uncomfortable, just give your orders to the servants," Xiao Xie said with a smile upon hearing this.

With that, Xiao Xie turned his head and asked Murong Huang, who was seated nearby, "Xiao Huang, where is Xiao Feng?"

"Elder sister went to fetch something and will be here shortly," Murong Huang replied, kneeling beside Xiao Xie as she poured him a cup of tea.

"Young Master, this is the first batch of newly printed newspapers." A short while later, Murong Feng walked in carrying a stack of newspapers.

Hearing this, Xiao Xie's face lit up with joy, and he asked in pleasant surprise, "You got them ready so quickly?"

Murong Feng smiled sweetly and replied respectfully, "After receiving your instructions, Young Master, I immediately began making arrangements. The first edition of the newspaper has already been printed. Furthermore, early this morning, these papers went on sale across more than seven hundred shops under the banner of the Ascending Heaven Tower. Each paper costs a single copper coin, sold at the absolute lowest price as you instructed, Young Master."

"Ah, bring it here and let me take a look." Xiao Xie nodded and smiled.

Hearing this, Murong Feng hurriedly handed one of the newspapers to Xiao Xie.

Xiao Xie had instructed Murong Feng to produce these newspapers beforehand. After all, for Xiao Xie, earning worship points was the most crucial objective, and the newspaper served as an extremely convenient tool. During the Qin Dynasty, let alone newspapers, even paper itself could only be produced by the Ascending Heaven Tower under Xiao Xie's command, so there was zero fear of competitors.

The articles within the newspaper published by Xiao Xie would subtly convey his greatness, unconsciously influencing readers and ultimately achieving the effect of generating worship toward him. In an era where information dissemination was backward, the advent of the newspaper was undoubtedly a revolutionary development. Moreover, Xiao Xie's newspaper would feature classic articles by renowned scholars. In an age when cultural dissemination was difficult, Xiao Xie believed the common people would certainly not mind spending a single copper coin to purchase a newspaper.

"Grand Master, what is that in your hand?" Old Ban asked with a curious expression.

"Xiao Feng, hand a copy to each of them as well," Xiao Xie instructed Murong Feng.

"Understood, Young Master." Murong Feng nodded and quickly distributed a copy to Old Ban and the others.

Xiao Xie turned his attention back to the newspaper in his hands. The front and back sides were divided into four sections. The first section contained recent events from around the world, such as news of various military campaigns or new policies issued by Ying Zheng—all major affairs of state. The second section recorded major livelihood issues concerning the common people. The third section featured poetry and songs, while the fourth section contained mythological tales.

"Mm, not bad!" Xiao Xie nodded and said.

Xiao Xie commanded an intelligence agency dedicated to gathering information, and the news in the newspaper was all gathered by them. However, due to the inconvenient transportation of this era, the newspaper could not be published daily; instead, it was issued once every three days.

The first lyric recorded in the third section was the "Song of Xue Nu" that Xiao Xie had previously composed for Xue Nu, with the author credited as "Xiao Xie, the Foremost Gentleman under Heaven." Below this poem were several selected passages from the Analects.

Although Xiao Xie was not inherently skilled in composing poetry and verse, the saying goes: "He who is well-read in three hundred Tang poems can chant even if he cannot compose." Backed by the later Tang and Song poetry, Xiao Xie would leave behind a poem or lyric in every future issue of the newspaper. Over time, the identity of the Foremost Gentleman under Heaven would naturally be universally acknowledged. And how many people would generate feelings of worship toward someone capable of continuously producing timeless, immortal poetry?

The fourth section recorded the mythological tale of Pangu separating heaven and earth, complete with an illustration. However, upon closer inspection, one would find that Pangu's face in the illustration bore a striking resemblance to Xiao Xie.

"A newspaper like this will have a tremendous impact on the spread of poetry and literature!" Old Ban remarked with deep emotion after finishing the newspaper.

Hearing Old Ban's sentiment, Xiao Xie smiled. Naturally, he knew that newspapers were infinitely more convenient than bamboo slips. He estimated that after today, countless people would approach the Ascending Heaven Tower seeking partnerships! As for anyone attempting to seize it by force, Xiao Xie had zero worries—as long as he was unwilling, even if Ying Zheng himself wanted to snatch it by force, he wouldn't be able to take it away.

Paper, as one of China's Four Great Inventions, impacted not just China, but the entire world. Without paper, Western countries at this time would still be recording information on sheepskin!

"Xiao Feng, how many copies of the newspaper were printed this time?" Xiao Xie asked Murong Feng after finishing the paper.

"Young Master, because this is the first time we are selling newspapers, we only printed two hundred thousand copies. The next issue will have a larger print run based on the sales performance of this batch," Murong Feng explained to Xiao Xie.

"Mm!" Xiao Xie nodded in satisfaction upon hearing Murong Feng's words. Two hundred thousand copies were printed for the inaugural run, but Xiao Xie believed that future newspaper sales would surely reach millions of copies per day. After all, even the poetry recorded in the newspaper far exceeded the value of a single copper coin.

In the Qin Dynasty, attending school was not something just anyone could do; only financially well-off families could afford to send their children to study. Being able to spend a single copper coin to acquire knowledge from a newspaper was an absolute bargain. In fact, even in modern times, educating a child was an expensive endeavor.

After finishing the newspaper, Fan Zeng smiled at Xiao Xie and Xue Nu and said, "Hehe, once this newspaper is released for sale, Young Master Xiao's name will be known throughout the realm. As for those wishing to catch a glimpse of Lady Xue Nu's beauty, they are likely as numerous as the stars in the sky!"

With the publication of the newspaper, the "Song of Xue Nu" would undoubtedly be chanted by people across the realm. Who knows how many people in the world would yearn to see this peerless beauty with their own eyes? Based on this poem alone, Xue Nu would likely become the dream lover of countless men.

"Master Fan flatters me. Xue Nu merely basks in the Grand Master's radiance," Xue Nu said with modest humility. She understood full well the kind of impact the spread of this "Song of Xue Nu" would bring.

"I personally find this story of Pangu separating heaven and earth even more fascinating!" Jing Tianming chimed in with a laugh after reading the paper.

Big Hammer nodded in enthusiastic agreement. Splitting the cosmos apart with a single axe—what a mighty and awe-inspiring feat that was!