Chapter 363: Defected

"Want to buy osmanthus and share wine, yet it's nothing like a youth's roaming."

The Grand Tutor wrote it down, and the more he pondered it, the more exquisite it seemed; he took it to show Xie Yuan.

Xie Yuan tasted it and thought it was not bad, then asked the Grand Tutor why he felt this way—was there some regret from his youth?

The Grand Tutor shook his head. "His Highness blurted it out; looking at his state of mind, it doesn't seem like something someone his age could write. He didn't even ask whose it was, just rushed ahead. He said he wanted to pull a carriage with six horses worth three million taels of silver; if we don't let him do it, then when he's old… it won't be like a youth's roaming."

Xie Yuan: "…Buying horses worth twenty million taels just to pull a carriage—how dare humans even think of that?"

"What has His Highness been busy with these past two days? I haven't seen him go to the Imperial Academy."

"What kind of newspaper are you planning to put out? It seems you want to print and distribute it among the people; you've just had the minor clerks write articles about the tribute the Western Regions will bring, waiting for the Xiongnu and Wusun to arrive, and there's still more hassle."

Xie Yuan took a deep breath. "…Just this morning I came here and collected some miscellaneous writings." He had thought the King himself wanted to see them.

The Grand Tutor: "…You should be able to see Mr. Xie's article in that newspaper right away."

Xie Yuan: …

The King busily fussed over his newspaper, having the Chief Steward personally handle the accounts to keep costs under control.

But running a newspaper can't save money; the carved type must be made smaller than print for books, otherwise his paper would have to become a book, which would make the block‑carvers work harder and slow output.

He had tried a few paper samples, but the King realized he couldn't do this work himself. Even if he picked the articles and gave them the go‑ahead, with Zhu Ti handling sales and promotion, the paper still needed layout, design, proofreading and other basic posts.

The King's manor had no idle hands left to exploit, so he turned his gaze to the Northern Border Academy.

"Tell the Imperial Academy, tomorrow I'll go hold a recruitment; if they're taken on, they'll have a proper job, and our newspaper office will at least count as a government office… Cousin, are you listening? Do you know anyone who can do this work?"

Wei Shen was dragged back from the Martial Training Field to hear the King's worries about the newspaper, sitting slumped and dusty in the King's recliner, when he was called upon he replied helplessly, "If you want to kill someone, I can recommend a person, but printing books is beyond my knowledge." His attitude was extremely perfunctory.

The King waved at Wei Ni, "Hit him!"

Wei Ni put down his chewy jerky, about to crawl over to give his cousin a taste of his own medicine, but Wei Shen surrendered at once.

"Wait! Haven't I already recommended someone? Have you caught that whatever qilin child of the Xie clan?"

"Let him do this job! Besides Xie Yuan, is there anyone else in the Northern Border more famous as a man of letters?"

The King stared wide‑eyed, "Exactly!"

Xie Yuan and a disciple of the Lu clan—his character is decent, he should be able to handle this work.

He personally reached out and grabbed Wei Ni, "Hold off, let's wait and see."

The thug sat where he was, shifted his butt over to pick up the jerky and keep gnawing…

Wei Shen fumed, "This is outright bullying—is there anyone to stand up for me?"

"No. But if you figure the time, a round trip to Fanyang should have him back by now."

The King's calculation wasn't wrong; being a little slow just drags things down too much.

Tiezhu never expected these young nobles to be so delicate.

Earlier I'd seen those three riding horses in the suburbs and thought they were experts, but once we set out, after two days of continuous riding without picking up speed, all three couldn't take it—now they'd complain of sore legs from chafing, now of sore buttocks from bouncing.

Tiezhu anxiously hurried back to report, and all he could do was switch their carriage; the moment he changed it, the speed dropped.

The three no longer had to ride themselves; once they were settled in the carriage, they finally had leisure to glance out the window at the Northern Border.

"The Luoshui Pass already shows its outline—it's truly impressive—does the King of the Northern Border really have the strength?"

"This imperial road is also something I've never seen in my life."

"I've never been to Chang'an; is Chang'an not comparable either?"

"We can't figure out how it was built—there's nothing like it in Chang'an. Know that this place is just Yizhou, not the original fief of the King of the Northern Border, Youzhou."

The Lu brothers chatted quietly in the carriage, Xie Tu leaned against the window lost in thought, and Lu Jia gave him a push to bring him back.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing much—we're about to enter the city, and the gate is crowded with people; maybe they're refugees?"

When they got closer, they saw it wasn't refugees but the local populace.

After the government office's gong stopped, a person dressed as a scholar began reading the notice posted on the city wall.

They also listened closely; it was a notice issued by the Northern Border King's manor.

Xie Tu grew more puzzled listening, "…This writing style—how can it be so like my uncle's?"

Lu Jia: "Huh?"

The thick‑eyed, big‑eyed Mr. Xie has defected?