With the passing of the Han Family's daughter case, the discussion gradually faded away. Instead, it was overshadowed by two other major events in Chang 'an.
One was the launch of the Confucian journal, and the other was the opening of the second Mo Arts Exhibition.
Pan Family Restaurant.
A scholar in a green robe said excitedly, his face flushed red, "We are all disciples of the Sage, so we naturally have to read the Confucian journal. The Mo Arts Journal is just a monkey's crown, but the launch of the Confucian journal is a great event in the literary world."
Immediately, many of the scholars around him nodded in agreement.
"I heard that the Mo Arts Journal this time has many great scholars writing articles. It is our honor to be able to read the articles of the seniors."
"The Mo Arts Journal, we have already canceled our subscriptions. We are just waiting for the Confucian journal to be released."
…
One by one, the scholars stood in line.
They were all disciples of the Confucian school, so they naturally supported the Mo Arts Journal.
"Shopkeeper Pan, shouldn't you change your Mo Arts Journal? We often come to your restaurant. If you don't have the Confucian journal, we won't come again!" The scholar in the green robe suddenly shouted at Shopkeeper Pan.
Shopkeeper Pan heard this and laughed, "When the Confucian journal is released, I will naturally buy it."
He was a businessman, and as long as a customer needed something, he would naturally not be stingy with that little bit of money. However, if he was asked to cancel his subscription to the ink magazine, he was indeed unwilling. After all, compared to these literati, there were more drinkers in the restaurant who preferred the more straightforward and interesting ink magazine that contained the world's strange stories.
How could the scholar not understand the perfunctory meaning of Shopkeeper Pan's words? He couldn't help but frown. Just as he was about to say something, Mo Jiazi suddenly appeared at the entrance of the Pan Family Restaurant.
"Could it be that the Mo Arts Journal has added a special issue?" Shopkeeper Pan saw Mo Jiazi's brother and his face lit up. As a restaurant shopkeeper, he usually had to entertain customers from all over the world. Meton's publication of the world's affairs made him feel like a fish in water. How could he be willing to cancel his subscription to the Mo Arts Journal?
Mo Jiazi's brother smiled, "The latest issue of the Mo Arts Journal will be published after the Mo Arts Exhibition. Shopkeeper Pan, don't worry."
Shopkeeper Pan didn't understand, "Then why are you here this time?"
Mo Jiazi's younger brother revealed a mysterious smile and said, "Although this time I'm not giving you Mo's Periodicals, I believe that Shopkeeper Pan will definitely like it."
"Oh!" Shopkeeper Pan's interest was immediately piqued.
Mo Jiazi's younger brother said seriously, "In view of the fact that Pan Family Restaurant is a loyal reader of Mo Magazine, the Mo Family has specially invited Shopkeeper Pan to participate in the Mo Skills Exhibition on the second of February."
"An invitation to participate in the Ink Skills Exhibition?" Shopkeeper Pan asked in surprise.
The crowd of diners was also dumbfounded. Last year's Mo Skill Exhibition was extremely exciting, and it was open to the public for free. However, because the Mo Family's reputation wasn't prominent, many people didn't manage to catch it. The extremely amazing Mo Skill Exhibition was still talked about with great relish and regret.
This year, they had been rubbing their fists and rubbing their palms, secretly making up their minds to not miss out on the Mo Skills Exhibition. Who would have thought that this year's Mo Skills Exhibition would not be open to the public, but would be directly invited?
"This follower of the Mo Family, may I ask how to obtain an invitation from the Mo Family to participate in the Mo Skills Exhibition? How much does it cost?" A diner asked curiously. The scholar sitting beside him couldn't help but listen in.
This Mo Jiazi's younger brother smiled and said, "Participating in the Mo Skills Exhibition is free. As long as you subscribe to Mo Magazine for a long time, you can obtain an invitation to participate in the Mo Skills Exhibition. Every Mo Magazine will be given an admission ticket. Of course, if you cancel your subscription midway, you won't get an admission ticket."
When the scholar's table heard this, their faces immediately turned green.
The diner was immediately overjoyed and said, "Then I'm relieved. This one subscribes to Mo Magazine for a whole year."
Mo Jiazi's younger brother said courteously, "Many thanks for your support of Mo Magazine. I believe that your admission ticket has already been personally delivered by Mo Jiazi's younger brother."
"This is the invitation ticket to the Mo Skills Exhibition! Shopkeeper Pan, please personally check it. "Mo Jiazi's younger brother respectfully handed over a large stack of invitation tickets to Shopkeeper Pan.
"Twenty tickets?" Shopkeeper Pan was immediately overjoyed.
Mo Jiazi's younger brother smiled and said, "Shopkeeper Pan ordered twenty copies of Mo Magazine. Naturally, there will be twenty admission tickets. Shopkeeper Pan, you must keep them well. There aren't many admission tickets given out in Chang 'an City!"
Shopkeeper Pan's eyes immediately turned. He naturally knew that because of the Confucian Magazine, many people canceled their subscriptions to Mo Magazine. As a result, those who canceled their subscriptions naturally didn't have admission tickets.
Seeing Mo Jiazi's younger brother leave, Shopkeeper Pan hid the admission tickets in his bosom as if he had found a treasure.
"In my opinion, there's no point in going to the Mo Skills Exhibition. Who knows, maybe Mo Jiazi's talents have already run out." The scholar said sourly.
"That's right. Mo Jiazi's only relying on the legacy of the Mo Family's ancestors. He's just sitting there and eating until he runs out of money!" His fellow scholars all agreed.
"Sourly! If you guys had half of Mo Jiazi's brain, you'd already be the top scorer. "The diner who had asked earlier curled his lips and ridiculed.
"You dare to humiliate me?!" The scholar said furiously.
"Humiliation? What I said is the truth. As far as I know, the Mo Family has long since built a large venue outside the southern city for the Mo Skills Exhibition. It's large enough to accommodate nearly ten thousand people. Mo Jiazi is so confident, yet you guys are making sarcastic remarks. If this isn't sourness and jealousy, then what is it?" The diner said mercilessly.
"A venue with nearly ten thousand people?" In the Pan Family Restaurant, the crowd couldn't help but exclaim.
"Mo Jiazi is worthy of being Mo Jiazi. He's still as generous as ever!" The other diners also exclaimed.
"I heard that the Mo Skills Exhibition in the southern city has already started preparations since the New Year. I believe that this time, it definitely won't disappoint."
"Hmph! When has Mo Jiazi ever disappointed anyone? "
…
The crowd spoke one after another, all of them supporting Mo Jiazi.
The scholar's face immediately turned green and red. Many of them were immediately filled with regret. They had previously subscribed to the Mo Journal for many years, but now, because the Confucian Journal was about to be released, they had to cancel their subscriptions.
If they had known that this would happen, they wouldn't have canceled their subscriptions. At the very least, they would have waited until after the Mo Skills Exhibition. Even if they didn't, they would have ordered two copies at the same time! The Mo Journal was a bi-monthly publication, and one copy was only one copper coin. Even if they subscribed to it for a year, it would only be twenty copper coins.
"Shopkeeper Pan, are you willing to sell your invitation tickets? I just came from Luoyang to see the Mo Skills Exhibition. Who knew that I would need an invitation ticket? "A merchant from Luoyang asked hopefully.
Many people's eyes immediately lit up. Shopkeeper Pan suddenly had twenty tickets. Naturally, he wouldn't be able to use them all.
Shopkeeper Pan's heart moved. "Of course, I'll sell them!"
"Shopkeeper Pan, please name a price?" The merchant from Luoyang said happily.
Shopkeeper Pan raised a finger.
"One copper coin? Shopkeeper Pan is indeed benevolent! "The merchant from Luoyang said happily.
Shopkeeper Pan shook his head. "No, it's one copper coin."
The merchant from Luoyang immediately said unhappily, "Why don't you just rob! Subscribing to a full year's Mo Journal is only twenty copper coins, and one copper coin is worth a hundred copper coins. It's enough to buy five years' worth of Mo Journal. "
Shopkeeper Pan sneered. "If it's Mo Journal, it naturally wouldn't be worth so much money. However, what I have in my hands right now is an admission ticket to the Mo Skills Exhibition. If you weren't a regular customer of Pan Family Restaurant, I would be willing to sell it. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't sell it even if the price was doubled! "
For a moment, everyone fell silent. Although one copper coin wasn't a small amount, it wasn't much to be able to see the Mo Skills Exhibition. However, Shopkeeper Pan didn't need to spend any effort to get it, while everyone else had to pay a high price to buy it.
"If you think it's expensive, you can wait three days until the Mo Skills Exhibition opens." Shopkeeper Pan sneered.
Even if they stayed in Chang 'an City for three days, they wouldn't have to spend a single copper coin. The merchant from Luoyang didn't hesitate any longer. He straightforwardly forked out a copper coin and bought an invitation ticket.
Soon after, many people also forked out money to buy it. Shopkeeper Pan quickly sold ten invitation tickets and earned one tael of silver.
However, even more people didn't think it was worth it. They all watched from the sidelines. However, the development of the situation made them regret it.
These people weren't the only ones regretting it. In Chang 'an City, those who had canceled their subscriptions were all regretting it. They had missed such a grand event like the Mo Skills Exhibition because of a momentary lapse in judgment.
The citizens who didn't have an invitation ticket to the Mo Skills Exhibition all spent money to buy it. For a moment, a new profession was born in the Tang dynasty: scalpers.
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