"Oh?" Fang Yun poked his head out of the window. More than twenty carriages followed behind, all of them belonging to scholars from the Poetry Society.
"Maybe it's on the way. Don't worry about them. Let's send Brother He home first," Fang Yundao said.
He Yutang hurriedly said, "My home is very far from here. I can walk back when we reach your home."
"How about this? Send me home first, then let Da Niu send you home."
"That's fine," He Yutang said.
The horse's hooves made thumping sounds as it entered the city. The carriage slowed down.
Suddenly, a hawking voice came from the front of the carriage.
"After reading 'The Western Chamber', you will become a great scholar after reading 'The Pillow'! The double-armored sage scholar Fang Yun has published a book! Come and buy it. If you buy 'The Romance of the Western Chamber', I'll sell 'The Sacred Path' and 'Wen Bao' at the original price! "
He Yutang heard it clearly. He turned his head to look at Fang Yun and said angrily, "How can someone use your name to sell books? What great scholar? That's preposterous! Come, let's get off the carriage and send them to the officials. This is outrageous. "
"Cough! That book was indeed written by me. Now, many booksellers in the city are cooperating with my bookstore, "Fang Yundao said.
"This …" He Yutang was flabbergasted. He couldn't understand why a sage scholar with a bright future would use such arrogant words to advertise.
"Studying costs a lot of money. I can't just sit around and eat, so I wrote two popular novels to sell. I came up with the advertising slogan. Oh, it's widely publicized. "Fang Yundao said.
He Yutang was silent for a moment before asking, "It won't affect your studies, right?"
"It won't. I only write these popular novels when I'm practicing calligraphy," Fang Yundao said.
"That's good. If it's really written by you, I'll buy one too. "
Fang Yundao said, "If you want to read it, I'll bring it to the family school tomorrow."
"Confucius said, 'Don't worry about scarcity, but worry about inequality.' If you give it to me, what will the other teachers think? If you give so many books to others because of me, that won't be good. How about this, I'll buy your book, and you write a quote for me, "He Yutang said.
Fang Yun thought to himself that this was just a signing, so he said, "Sure."
"Then … you were the one who came up with the advertising slogan, right? Other people aren't as bold as you. "In Fang Yun's eyes, this was a very ordinary thing, but in He Yutang's eyes, it was shocking.
"Since it's widely publicized, we naturally have to amaze the world with a single brilliant feat."
"What if someone uses your publicity to attack your Literary Name?" He Yutang slowly accepted Fang Yun's explanation.
"I'm the shopkeeper of the bookstore, and the management is done by the staff. I'm only guilty of not investigating, so how can you harm my Literary Name?"
"That's true."
When the carriage approached the small cart, He Yutang saw the advertisement saying, "The Duke of Sword-Eyebrows, Grand Scholar Li, invites you to read the Divine Text of the Holy Path next month in advance." He was so scared that his face turned pale.
"Fang Yun, did you really get Duke Jianmei's permission to do this?"
"No, but I believe that Lord Li doesn't care."
"You're really not afraid of death. You're even braver than a Monster King." He Yutang shook his head helplessly.
When the carriage behind passed by, they heard the shouts of the bookseller, and even saw Fang Yun's name on the signboard.
Yan Yue said contemptuously, "You and Liu Zicheng have overestimated Fang Yun. Look at his methods, they're only a little better than the despicable ones. Who sells books like this? In my opinion, he's afraid of being poor. It wasn't easy for him to get the Literary Name, but he's already drained the pond to catch the fish. He won't be able to achieve anything great. "
Guan Yaoyuan looked at the bookseller's cart and nodded. "No wonder he's a poor child from a small county. He has so many cheap tricks. If I publish a book, I'll go directly to the deacons of the three major booksellers. When the time comes, thirty percent of the bookstores in Da Yuan Mansion will advertise my book. With this method, I can only earn a few hundred taels of silver a year. What can I do with that? Let the coachman take a look and follow closely. Don't lose him. "
Yan Yue poked his head out and said, "Fang Yun's carriage is just in front. Don't lose him."
Fang Yun's carriage made several turns before stopping in front of the house. Fang Yun alighted from the carriage and said to He Yutang, "Brother He, goodbye."
"Goodbye." He Yutang had just finished speaking when he noticed that Fang Yun had turned his head and was looking in the direction he came from. His expression was somewhat cold.
"What's wrong?" He Yutang alighted from the carriage and saw many carriages crowded at the entrance of the alley. The people on the carriages alighted and walked towards them.
Walking at the front was the organizer of the poetry festival, Guan Yaoyuan. He had a kind smile on his face, as if nothing had happened. The people behind him looked unhappy.
Behind them were many scholars from the Prefectural Institute. Gao Minghong from Ji County was among them. He shouted, "Fang Yun, we were about to leave, but Guan Yaoyuan's carriage kept following you. It might be harmful to you, so we followed."
Guan Yaoyuan immediately complained, "You really misunderstood me. I came here to apologize to Fang Yundao again. Fang Yun, don't worry. When I go back today, I will immediately spread your name! I will use my own money to print ten thousand copies of your poem, 'The Butterfly Loves the Flower Spring Scene', and distribute them to the scholars. Do you believe me now? "
Fang Yun was unmoved and said, "Brother Guan is too polite. Soon, I will publish a collection of poems, so there is no need to trouble Brother Guan. My house is simple and crude, and I don't have any wine, so I won't invite you in. "
While Fang Yun was speaking, he saw other people appear at the entrance of the alley. One of them was a Ma Barbarian who was clad in full armor. He was abnormally tall, and held a huge axe that was ten feet long in one hand. His eyes were like two big copper bells.
In front of the Ma Man stood a tall person, but that person only reached the Ma Man's chest. The person was dressed in a black robe and had a stout figure. He had a kind face and smiled as he looked over.
Guan Yaoyuan said, "Ai, you still don't believe me. That's good. Time will reveal a person's heart. This one will take his leave. "
Yan Yue angrily said from the side, "Fang Yun, even if you are a Double Armor Saint, you are still a scholar. Guan Yaoyuan is already so humble, why are you still so unforgiving? Do you look down on the scholars of our Wen Academy? Do you look down on us landowning households and Ingshe? "
"Yan Yue, you can spout nonsense, but you can't spout nonsense. You and Guan Yaoyuan are playing good cop and bad cop. Do you think we can't see it? "Fang Yun hated this Yan Yue.
Guan Yaoyuan hurriedly pulled Yan Yue and said, "Don't say too much. Let's go. Fang Yun, let's talk later. This time it was my fault. Next time, I will drink with you and apologize. "
Yan Yue immediately shouted, "Fang Yun, you despicable and shameless person. Today, I will write a poem for you! Listen carefully: You don't know shame and only know how to talk like a hero. I don't know if you are a child bride or a daughter-in-law raising a child! "
Everyone present was stunned. Yan Yue's words were too vicious. If this poem were to spread and someone were to add oil to the fire, then Fang Yun would inevitably become an incompetent hypocrite who only cared about himself and didn't care about the life and death of a child bride. As long as Fang Yun was labeled as an ungrateful person, then no matter how big his Literary Name was in the future, he would still be spurned by others.
"Bastard!" Guan Yaoyuan slapped Yan Yue's face, causing him to repeatedly retreat until he hit the wall.
"You …" Yan Yue seemed to be afraid of Guan Yaoyuan. He lowered his head and didn't speak.
Guan Yaoyuan immediately said to Fang Yun, "Fang Yun, I really didn't expect things to turn out like this. I know that you are a child of a poor family. Even the carriage and travel expenses to the Da Yuan Residence were given to you by others. Although you are a little poor, although the place you live in is simple and crude, and you even sell books in a way that scholars disdain, I believe that you have a backbone. "
Everyone could hear that Guan Yaoyuan was openly attacking Fang Yun.
Without waiting for Fang Yun to speak, the slightly plump man outside the alley loudly said, "Who said that is a way that scholars disdain? Our Xuanting Bookstore has decided to purchase the entire book selling method from Fang Shuangjia. We will pay him five thousand taels of silver. In addition, we are willing to pay another five thousand taels of silver for the right to sell 'Romance of the Western Chamber' in the Saint Origin World. If Fang Shuangjia is willing to sign an agreement to sell all of his future works to our Xuanting Bookstore, we will give him an additional five percent of the income! Now, who said that Fang Yun is relying on a child bride? "
Everyone was shocked. Even if Yan Yue and Guan Yaoyuan were from prominent families, they could only earn seven to eight thousand taels of silver a year. Fang Yun's book selling method and the right to sell a book could sell for ten thousand taels of silver? Could it be that Fang Yun had hired this man to keep up appearances?
Everyone looked at the man carefully.
Everyone present was a scholar from the Prefectural Institute, and they often met with famous people in the prefectural city. Almost all of them knew this man.
"Head Shopkeeper Tang!" All of the scholars bowed and cupped their hands respectfully.
Guan Yaoyuan and Yan Yue also bowed to Head Shopkeeper Tang in fear.
Xuanting Bookstore was one of the three largest bookstores in the Saint Origin World, and it had more than twenty percent of the market share. Its shareholders were many Half-saint families, and Chen Guanhai was one of them. Therefore, Xuanting Bookstore was the largest bookstore in Jingguo, and it had more than fifty percent of the market share of Jingguo books.
Xuanting Bookstore had a manager in every province, and his position was the Head Shopkeeper.
The largest bookstore in a province was nothing, but if there were many Half-saint families behind it, even the Prefecture Overseer and the Emperor would not dare to offend them.
Gao Minghong looked at Yan Yue with schadenfreude and said, "Didn't you scold us commoners? Didn't you say that Fang Yun doesn't know how to make money? With Head Shopkeeper Tang here, what else can you say? The right to sell the book can be sold for five thousand taels of silver, and this book can be sold for at least two hundred thousand taels of silver. "
Yan Yue was flustered. Liu Zicheng had taught him to criticize Fang Yun for being lazy and not knowing how to make money, but he did not expect that Fang Yun alone could make more money than the entire Yan family. If this matter spread out, that crooked poem would not only not harm Fang Yun's Literary Name, but it would also make more people interested in Fang Yun's novel.
Head Shopkeeper Tang looked at Yan Yue and asked, "You're called Yan Yue, right? I've seen your father. You look down on Fang Yun? Very well, I'll give you fifteen minutes. If you can't take out ten thousand taels of silver in fifteen minutes, I'll break your mouth! Then I'll give you three days. If you can't earn ten thousand taels of silver by yourself, I'll break your legs! Old Ma, keep a close eye on him. If he can't write a good book like 'Romance of the Western Chamber' in three days, break his legs! "
"En." Barbarian Ma agreed and stared at Yan Yue.
Yan Yue leaned against the wall, his face pale. He did not expect that not only would he fail to humiliate Fang Yun, he would be humiliated and even face an unknown punishment. He had heard many things about Head Shopkeeper Tang. Some people used eight words to describe Head Shopkeeper Tang: vicious and merciless.
Yan Yue's heart was filled with despair.
"It's over. Since he knows my father, he must know that I come from a prominent family. Even so, he still dares to break my legs. This means that Fang Yun can help him make a lot of money. Since he was willing to give Fang Yun ten thousand taels of silver, then he was confident that he could make twenty thousand taels of silver from Fang Yun. Will my father fall out with Xuan Court Bookstore for me? Impossible! In order to show goodwill to a scholar, he actually threatened me, a dignified scholar! How much does he value this Fang Yun! "
Guan Yaoyuan took a step forward and respectfully said, "I am Guan Yaoyuan. My uncle is a fifth-ranked official in the Ministry of Personnel and is a student of the Left Prime Minister. This is a misunderstanding. I hope that Head Shopkeeper Tang will give Yan Yue a chance. "
"You want to stop me?" Head Shopkeeper Tang said sinisterly.
"No …" Before Guan Yaoyuan could finish his words, Barbarian Ma, who was several feet away, suddenly spat out a mouthful of saliva.
The saliva made an ear-piercing sound as it flew towards Guan Yaoyuan. Before Guan Yaoyuan could react, the saliva hit his forehead.
Guan Yaoyuan screamed as his body flew out and landed heavily on the ground. His forehead was badly mutilated. He clenched his teeth in pain and struggled to sit up.
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