Chapter 367

The Great King stretched out hands, aiming at the bustling reclamation scene, and made a framing gesture.

Senior Brother, have you heard of sketching?

"Never." Xie Tu curiously watched the Great King constantly changing angles to select a view.

I've heard that sketching is the foundation of all painting. It uses lines to create a monochrome picture of light and dark, and the brush used is our Youzhou-exclusive pencil. Zhao Bao~

Zhao Bao personally carried out a drawing board from the carriage—a hard board with several sheets of white paper clipped on it; the first sheet was the Great King's drawing of a bear with a deformed head.

Seeing this, the Great King quickly flipped open that sheet of paper, revealing underneath a drawing of a wildcat to show Xie Tu.

This is a pencil sketch, lifelike, right?

Xie Tu was amazed; the picture was completely different from anything he had seen before—it was as if a live wildcat leapt onto the paper, peeking mischievously from the corner at the picture's owner, vivid and lifelike, every detail distinct.

Nowadays, the paintings of the Great Jin pursue artistic conception; such realism, he had never seen before.

This, could it be Your Highness's painting?

The Great King was quite honest: "... Impossible! Even I wouldn't dare think that."

Xie Tu: ……

The Great King put his hands together to form a rough rectangle, saying, "If you can capture this bustling Xianbei reclamation scene with simple outlines and lines, I'll have the engraver carve it, and we can print it in the newspaper."

Xie Tu: ……Could there be some misunderstanding about him? The Xie Family never promoted him as a child prodigy, did they?

A new school of painting—he could grasp it at a glance?!

"Your Highness, this commoner still doesn't know the technique called sketching." He had no choice but to remind the Great King.

The Great King didn't care, the reason Xie Tu's great reputation besides the Xie Clan and his handsome appearance was his talent.

I've heard that Xie Tu's paintings are priceless in the south; the Great King believes that mastery in one area brings mastery in all.

The Great King simply had Xie Tu look at the scene he selected, saying, "I trust you, Senior Brother—come on, pick a good view and remember it; we'll ponder it slowly later. How about this angle?"

Xie Tu: ……

Is there anyone to speak up for him?!

Xie Tu returned home only at nightfall; the Lu brothers were already waiting, bombarding him with questions about what kind of formidable figure the Northern Border King who swept aside the Xiongnu really was.

This question was truly hard for Xie Tu to answer; judging a person from a single encounter is already one-sided, and the Northern Border King is even harder to evaluate.

He thought for a moment, using the Spring and Autumn Brush Technique: "He looks to be in his early teens, lively… easygoing? Easygoing is what he himself said."

Lu Xiong's focus went further off track: "Everyone says he's six feet tall at a young age, strong as an ox, with heaven-defying battle prowess. Have you seen that for yourself? All muscle?"

This time, without Xie Tu, Lu Jia didn't believe that either: "The Bai Li Family has held the realm for three hundred years—how could there still be ugliness in the line?" Even if the founder was ugly, generation after generation of beauties with optimized genes, he believed the imperial family wouldn't become ugly.

"That's not necessarily true; I heard his maternal clan consists of military commanders."

"Just look at the Late Emperor—ah, such a refined person, isn't it that he could…… you idiot, do you understand?"

Lu Xiong: "……That makes sense."

Xie Tu: ……

He finally advised Lu Xiong, "Here in the Northern Border, don't casually discuss the Northern Border King; consider his subordinates' abilities, lest trouble arise from speech."

Lu Xiong glanced out the window, thinking of the impenetrable iron pillars, and wilted. He then showed Xie Tu his shopping haul for the day.

"The Northern Border really does have good stuff— not only are there many varieties of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, they also have white porcelain! Look at this set I bought, elegant, right? White porcelain tea set!"

A servant brought up a large tea tray, with a teapot and four small teacups, plus a cute-shaped tea pet in the corner—already a qualified four-piece set plus.

They had someone bring boiling water, and on the spot they showed off the new skill they'd learned that afternoon.

"We in Fanyang still use black pottery, but folks in the Northern Border have already sold Youzhou White—this white porcelain is called Youzhou White."

Xie Tu picked up the delicate teacup and examined it—just two or three sips' worth—its thin white porcelain glaze shone clear, a few brushstrokes forming a clump of green bamboo, elegant and exquisite.

How much silver?

Lu Zhen proudly shook his head. "Talking about money is so vulgar!"

Lu Jia spilled: "A set costs 360 taels."

Lu Zhen: "... sigh!"

Xie Tu smiled and asked, "May I ask how much silver you still have? Is it enough for two years of study in the Northern Border?"

Lu Zhen instantly drooped: "Three hundred? Who could have imagined before coming that Youzhou is still a money-sink. Following my nature, I could eat a thousand taels' worth in a tavern in a day. Youzhou's paper and ink are even more varied than Fanyang's; collecting just one of each would bankrupt me. Tomorrow I'll write to Father asking him to send some silver; cousin, you write too—our stories must match!"

Lu Jia lifted him up: "At least wait a while; if you write to Uncle now, he'll think you were tricked and might send you back."

Lu Zhen frantically shook his head: "No no no! I won't go back! Youzhou is wonderful; we haven't even finished seeing Zhuque Street. We, from the poor backlands of Fanyang, have stayed ten-odd years. As the saying goes, reading ten thousand scrolls is no match for traveling ten thousand li."

Those who brought us to the princely mansions weren't boasting; Youzhou indeed can buy many good things not seen outside.

Give me 100,000 taels, and I could spend it all in a day on Zhuque Street.

Going again to Luofu Tower to see what crystal?

The newly arrived gold-haired crystal is gorgeous! Golden and sparkling, my dream is just to buy a single looped string...

Xie Tu listened to the Lu brothers chatting, feeling moved. Youzhou truly was completely different from what he imagined, whether people or city.

When Xie Yuan returned, he only saw the Lu brothers and couldn't help asking about Xie Tu.

The servant said Xie Tu, after seeing the Lu brothers, went to the study and never came out.

Xie Yuan went to his study, asking what the king had said to him today; Xie Tu showed an expression hard to put into words: "... He said a lot and left me an article. Most importantly, Uncle, can you draw? His Highness had me use a pencil to draw the scene of the Xianbei people opening up land."

Xie Yuan left without looking back: "Uncle also has many things to busy himself with; you should strive harder."

Xie Tu:...

The king, as chief editor, had the first issue of the newspaper printed in three thousand copies; in just a few days it would be issued; ninety percent of officials in the court didn't know about this.

Even those who knew, the king didn't invite them to review the manuscript.

Only Xie Yuan was asked to suggest a name; he knew more than others in that he knew the newspaper's name, .

Wait for the Printing Bureau to deliver the finished product; after the King inspected and was satisfied, he directly handed it over to Zhu Ti, with the Chief Steward fully responsible for sales and distribution.

At the same time, the unremarkable month of May arrived.

On the first day of May, with the sky just beginning to lighten, the entire Northern Territory was busy with spring planting; outside every shop of the King on Zhuque Avenue, a newsstand appeared silently overnight, and the attendants who greeted customers would shout twice while welcoming them to sell newspapers.

"Selling newspapers! Five wen per copy of the Northern Territory Weekly—it has everything you want to read!"

"The Northern Territory Weekly covers all major events, apprentice recruitment, spring farming guide, Xie Yuan's articles—everything you need, just five wen per copy~"

Xie Yuan, who had turned off his way to court to buy breakfast, stood on the street, his expression slowly splitting……

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………………new chapter………………

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"Northern Territory Recruitment Order—The King widely recruits famous physicians to sit in charge of the Northern Territory Medical Bureau~"

"Envoys from the Western Regions will soon come to pay tribute to the Northern Territory; Xiongnu envoys will soon arrive to negotiate peace and compensation! The Northern Territory Weekly has everything you need, just five wen per copy~"

"Front-page headline: Mr. Xie, Chief Lecturer of the Celebration Yang Academy, criticizes Chang'an articles~"

Xie Yuan stood there with his expression splitting; he wasn't angry, this feeling was just very strange, hard to describe. After all, it was also the first time he had seen himself alongside the Spring Farming Guide……

The attendant at the court-side eatery shouted loudly, he took out five wen and handed it over, saying, "Give me one." He never expected this thing to be produced so quickly and already be on sale; the King's efficiency is unstoppable.

That attendant was practically beaming with joy, oh wow it actually sells!

"You have good taste; what you bought is the first issue of our Northern Territory Weekly, very valuable as a keepsake!"

Taking the money, he pulled out a newspaper from the stand and handed it to Xie Yuan with both hands, "Keep it safe; we'll release the second issue in seven days, come back when you've finished reading~"

Xie Yuan thought, how could there be so much content to write in such a short time?

He took it and examined closely; the newspaper, when issued, is folded into a bundle, and when unfolded it's four times the size of their academy textbook, with text on the reverse side as well!

He examined it carefully; the ink was clear but the characters were quite small—this printing level is quite good. The whole newspaper, when unfolded, is divided into several large sections; his article indeed appears in the most prominent upper position. Of course, the most eye-catching is the newspaper title he wrote—.

Below right of those four characters, some information is written:

Title calligraphy: Xie Yuan;

First issue editor-in-chief: Wei Taiping;

Reviewed by: xxx;

Proofread by: xxx;

Come to think of it, it's actually quite proper?

Then roughly scanning each section's article, the largest characters are the title and author; unfortunately, the front of the first page prominently displays two of his big names.

Xie Yuan, rushing to morning court without taking a close look, folded it and slipped it into his sleeve. By the time he hurried all the way to Chengguang Hall, the officials waiting outside had already gathered in numbers; upon closer inspection, groups of three to five huddled around a newspaper, whispering……

Alright, it's not just him who bought it.

The King's newspaper—won't they just let it be digested internally!?

On the first day of the Northern Territory Weekly's release, the sales range wasn't limited to You Prefecture; the Chief Steward immediately had caravans take it to the other three provinces within the territory, and even southbound caravans brought some.

The Northern Territory's literacy rate is what it is; the King pins his hopes on the fertile lands of Jiangnan.

Sales on Zhuque Avenue the first day were not bad either; although the price isn't cheap, literate people can't help but be curious. There are Xiongnu and Western Regions folks, plus Xie Yuan's name as a signboard.

And ordinary folk also have a point of curiosity; hearing they're recruiting apprentices, just those three words are enough to make them spend money.

The workers who bring coal into Tongshui City heard about it, also bought a copy, eagerly bringing it back to find someone literate to read it aloud. This round of apprentice recruitment is sure to be good, but you still have to pay to see it!

Having someone read this issue's Recruitment Order, it not only recruits a hundred apprentices for medical studies, but also recruits skilled craftsmen who know carpentry; it explicitly states the pay is generous, with a chance to enter the Department of Works of the Northern Territory Prince's Residence, obtain an official posting, which would make one a minor official.

The King, as usual, elevates the tone, writing that Recruitment Order to be extravagantly lofty, raising the height to an extreme degree.

The northern border lies in ruins, its population sparse; only by everyone working together to rebuild can it resist the surrounding strong enemies.

The king already knew from Xie Yuan that there are many heirs of the Mohist school in the south, though they never come out to act. He even brought up his patriotic feelings, exaggerating the situation to lure these people in, showing how desperately he seeks talent.

As soon as they finished reading, many people felt stirred; the skilled workers weren't interested, but this apprentice could still give it a try—people said that as long as you love the trade, you don't need any prior experience.

In the Great Jin, such a technical trade isn't something ordinary people can learn; just one newspaper caused the entire Tongshui County to boil over.

Before nightfall, the newspaper's contents had already spread around Youzhou City; the king hadn't yet seen the public's reaction, for he had only just managed to slip out of the court assembly.

When he fled back to Suiyu Hall, his two beloved cousins were waiting for him, each holding a copy of his Northern Border Weekly.

The king thought of those in the ministers' hands, stroked his chin and feigned embarrassment, saying, "Ah, looks like I've overcharged acquaintances—this first issue was bought entirely by our own people; breaking even is just around the corner!"

Zhao Ba pushed forward the account slip given by the chief steward, saying, "Your Highness, wake up—studying this paper has wasted plenty of materials; even if the first run of three thousand copies sold, it wouldn't bring in much silver, and the account still shows a deficit of over five thousand taels at least."

The king: ……

He decisively pushed the ledger aside, saying, "Don't look, don't look—producing the second and third issues won't cost nearly as much; we'll make money soon! Exactly, just like that!"

Wei Shen didn't care about the money; he grabbed the king and asked, "Look at what's written—are the Western Regions about to come pay tribute? When is this supposed to happen?"

Wei Ke, who was drinking tea, also set down his cup and listened attentively.

"Weren't we supposed to jointly attack the Western Regions, or go on a western expedition together? What did I miss—when did the Wusun and Kucha agree to pay tribute?"

"Eh, once this spreads throughout the realm, the Western Regions will have to comply even if they don't want to—doesn't the king care about face?"

Wei Shen raised both hands and gave him a thumbs-up, saying, "How superficial—turns out you can do it like this?" He'd learned; such matters can still be handled by acting first and reporting later.

Wei Ke asked him, "What if the Western Regions simply refuse to comply?"

The king grabbed Wei Ke's arm and shook it, giving Wei Shen goosebumps, saying, "A tough guy acting coy? Want to trip up the boss, and you added this extra step?"

The king glared at him, "Hmph! You're just jealous!" Then he turned to Wei Ke, "Cousin, how's your martial training coming along?"

Wei Ke snorted, "This tribute—if they don't give it, we'll fight until they do, right?"

The Great King nodded vigorously, "If they have a bad attitude, the grudge of besieging the Southwest Army—this time your cousin will have avenged it. I, the King, am still young; not following the rules is also possible. What kind of not‑killing to use—such a thing doesn't exist in my presence!"

The Great King is not only capable of yielding and standing firm; his dignity comes and goes, and sometimes he can do without even a bit of it.

Wei Shen was full of admiration, "How did you manage to convince those old‑timers of the former dynasty?"

"They're just like you—today they only found out from seeing the newspaper. Not telling them in advance saves a hundred percent of lip‑service, which is why my ears have suffered greatly at today's morning audience."

Wei Shen: ……

Wei Ke bears a great grudge against the Western Regions; the darkest shadow of his life stems from the Western Regions and the Cui family, so he could never oppose the Great King's plan.

"I'm heading back to the North Great Camp first."

The Great King silently gave himself a thumbs‑up, adding one to his tally.