[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou":3,"chapter-the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-101":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Ink Saint of Great Zhou",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2292064,4481,"Chapter 101: Assigning Roles","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-101",101,"\u003Cp>“Well written,” Lu Fang chuckled. “But all three of you wrote about Lin Daiyu, and your content is nearly identical—I’m starting to suspect you copied each other.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’d never dare to slack off on Master Fang’s orders; it’s just that Lin Daiyu happens to be our favorite.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xin affectionately brushed the dust off Lu Fang’s long robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you think of Zhao Niang in Dream of the Red Chamber?” Lu Fang let her pamper him, asking softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xin smiled mischievously, casting a sultry glance at Lu Fang. “Master Fang, this question won’t stump me. Zhao Niang in Dream of the Red Chamber—I think she’s not truly evil, just a bit foolish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang studied Zhong Xin’s features, nodding, then shaking his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the actress who portrayed Zhao Niang in his past life, Zhong Xin was far too young and far more beautiful; most importantly, her sensual charm made her unsuitable to portray Zhao Niang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Fang,” Zhong Xin felt her whole body grow warm under his gaze, shifting uncomfortably. “Did I say something wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang smiled faintly, stepping past Zhong Xin into the elegant chamber and glancing at Tong Wan’er and Wang Huachu. “You three are all here—let me tell you exactly what you’ll be doing next.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He no longer concealed his plans, laying out his vision for staging Dream of the Red Chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?” Tong Wan’er blinked, as if she hadn’t heard correctly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this real?” Wang Huachu sounded doubtful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stage Dream of the Red Chamber?” Zhong Xin paused, cautiously asking. “But Master Fang, Dream of the Red Chamber was written by the Marquis of Elegant Literature—wouldn’t it be improper for us to perform it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang shook his head. “Don’t worry about that. Just read Dream of the Red Chamber carefully, and deeply study the characters. You’re Tong Wan’er? You’ll portray Shi Xiangyun.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tong Wan’er leapt three feet in the air. “Really? That’s amazing! Besides Lin Daiyu, Shi Xiangyun is my favorite.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xin seemed to realize something, frowning with a pout. “Master Fang, why are you favoring one over another? I don’t want to play Zhao Niang—I’m nothing like her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If Lin Daiyu’s out, how about Wang Xifeng? If that doesn’t suit, Qingwen would do too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you really make me play, I’ll nail it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zixuan said, “Master Fang, I think she does resemble these roles quite well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang agreed. “Alright, then study these three roles for now. This is only preliminary—final casting isn’t set yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Wang Huachu, who disliked competition, grew anxious. “Master Fang, what about me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang looked at her. “Study Lin Daiyu, Miao Yu, and You Erjie. If you feel you can handle others, study them too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you have any ideas or thoughts on how to portray them, write them down—I’ll read every one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright,” Wang Huachu smiled brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With roles tentatively assigned, Lu Fang and He Zixuan departed, chatting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three women watched them leave, exchanging glances, each seeing delight in the others’ eyes. They had thought being sold here meant a life of servitude—but now they were to stage Dream of the Red Chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It thrilled them beyond words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wang sister, Zhong sister—is this real? Am I actually going to play Shi Xiangyun?” Tong Wan’er swallowed hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xin pinched her cheek until she yelped, then let go, laughing and darting away. “Looks like we’re not dreaming.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tong Wan’er, who should have chased after her, only stood there grinning foolishly—just thinking of playing Shi Xiangyun made her unable to stop smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xin sighed. “Wang sister has the better fate—Master Fang chose roles everyone loves for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Huachu frowned. “I just wonder if we can pull it off—I fear the Marquis of Elegant Literature might not approve.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fourth Elegant Literature tale, “The Smiling, Proud Wanderer,” serialized in the Great Zhou Literary Gazette, stunned readers with a style unlike the first three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the story unfolded, readers became utterly captivated by this world of martial arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taihe Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhou Emperor laughed heartily. The winter was cold, yet both northern and southern borders remained calm, and Lu Fang had written a fourth Elegant Literature tale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What could be more joyful than reading a new chapter of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Marquis of Elegant Literature writes brilliantly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhou Emperor praised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chief Eunuch smiled—he’d lost count of how many times the Emperor had said this. In all his years serving the Son of Heaven, he’d never seen him this happy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was no wonder the Emperor was delighted—good fortune had come in waves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether due to the growing popularity of the Great Zhou Literary Gazette or The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, the number of people at Grand Void Gate gaining literary qi had more than quadrupled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many were illiterate, never trained in martial arts, and unable to cultivate the Confucian Dao—but their strength meant the strength of Great Zhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumors said some had even obtained the Evil-Exterminating Sword Art and other techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhou Emperor was deeply envious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the Shen family estate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, wonderful news! The Marquis of Elegant Literature has written a fourth Elegant Literature tale in the capital—and it’s sparked a huge uproar there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Qi reported to Shen Yuan in the back mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yuan nodded with a smile. “The Marquis of Elegant Literature is truly extraordinary—four consecutive Elegant Literature tales, unprecedented in history.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Send a message to Squad Leader—tell her to accelerate the spread of the Great Zhou Literary Gazette while the momentum lasts. Don’t let delays invite trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” Shen Qi replied. “Father, the Xiao family in the capital is secretly investigating the Marquis of Elegant Literature—they’re likely preparing another move. Should we warn him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yuan paused, then said, “Not yet. Have our best spies watch the Xiao family closely—find out what they intend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone offers flowers in times of prosperity, but only true loyalty brings gratitude in times of hardship.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be patient. The greater the Marquis’s influence over the Emperor, the less chance the Twenty-Seventh Imperial Prince has of ascending the throne.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Xiao family and the Twenty-Seventh Imperial Prince will spare no effort to eliminate the Marquis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I once feared the Twenty-Seventh Imperial Prince might become emperor—but now I’m no longer worried. He has no chance. The Xiao family is truly unfortunate to have made an enemy of the Marquis, the Chanting Man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We may not even need to act—the Xiao family might collapse on its own.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Qi shook his head. “But the Xiao family has three half-sages—they won’t fall quickly. I’m more worried the Marquis will be destroyed by them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yuan nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s possible—but the odds are slim. With me here, the odds are even smaller. And don’t forget Xu Han Yi, the legendary figure—he would never abandon a disciple, especially one as outstanding as this.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1152,"2026-06-20T03:56:21.568Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e51bebcb5cff100099f6cf4e7f75f156278e2061a27000ead3505d878d19541a","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-102","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-100",289,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-cover.jpg"]