Chapter 599 My Gentleman Friend
"Plastic surgery?"
Hearing the long-lost new words and phrases again, Li Yang couldn't help but feel very familiar.
He put away his folding fan with a "snap" sound, moved closer and asked curiously: "Brother Wei, what is plastic surgery?"
"Uh, it's just a disguise."
Wei Changtian said perfunctorily, his eyes remaining on Li Yang's face.
Looking closely, it is indeed the same appearance.
But in my memory, Li Yang was clearly a bit vulgar. Although he cannot be considered "upright" now, he can at least be called "elegant".
how?
Could it be because of the business he runs Chunshen Bookstore and Jing Bao?
A person who is well-read and well-read will naturally be elegant? ? ? "Brother Li."
After hesitating for a moment, Wei Changtian whispered tentatively: "Are you still going to brothels now?"
"Oh, I haven't been there for a long time."
Li Yang shook his head, his expression seemed a little regretful: "Now the publication volume of Beijing News is getting bigger and bigger. I am busy all day long, so how can I have the time to go to such a place."
"Besides, my father has already found a marriage for me. She is the daughter of the Minister of Rites. We will get married after the first month of the year."
"Since you are already engaged, it is not appropriate to go to the land of willows and mist."
“.”
My goodness, you don’t even go to brothels anymore?
Wei Changtian had the impression that Li Yang's main hobby before was visiting brothels, but now he had lost even this biggest hobby.
Brother Li, what on earth have you been through? For the next half hour, Wei Changtian was reminiscing about the past with Li Yang and Wang Er.
The three of them chatted for a long time while drinking tea in his private courtyard.
Everything in the courtyard, including the furnishings in the room, remained the same as when he left, except that the maids serving him were no longer Yuan'er and Qiuyun, and the three big hens that jumped up and down all day long had long disappeared.
During the conversation, Wei Changtian learned more about the current situation of Freemasonry and Chunshen Bookstore.
The former has more than 50,000 gang members in Da Ning and Da Shu, and the headquarters in the capital alone has more than 3,000 people. Except for the fact that there is no second-grade realm in charge, it has become the undisputed number one underworld force in the two countries.
The latter has also developed by leaps and bounds in the past two years.
Chunshen Bookstore's current "business focus" has shifted from "printing books" to "distributing newspapers", and its "flagship product" "Beijing News" has a daily printing volume of more than 100,000 copies.
Of course, this number not only includes the head office in Beijing, but also branches in various places.
Although there are many imitators who have launched a variety of newspaper types, for example, the Tianji Pavilion that once published the "Daning Good and Evil List" has come up with the "Jianghu Monthly".
However, these newspapers are constrained by the size of their "distributing agencies". From distribution cycle and timeliness to price and audience, they are simply not competitive compared to the Beijing News.
Therefore, Chunshen Bookstore will be able to completely monopolize the direction of public opinion in Daning at least for the next few years.
This is by no means a wasted effort.
At the very least, when Ning Wenjun usurped the throne, the reports in the Beijing News had a great influence on the people's perception of Ning Wenjun and Ning Yongnian.
To them, the emperor and other things were too far away; instead, the daily published "Beijing News" was more intimate and trustworthy.
“.”
"Brother Wei, when you first proposed the idea of newspapers, I just thought it was novel, but I didn't expect that a mere piece of paper could have such an effect."
In the pavilion in the courtyard, Li Yang took a sip of hot tea and said with emotion: "Nowadays, the people of Daning don't even believe in the imperial edicts, but only believe what is said in the Beijing News."
"If you ever want to pull the emperor off the throne, I don't think you'll need any soldiers. I can just make up a few crimes for Ning Wenjun in the newspaper."
"Killing people with a pen is truly unprecedented."
“.”
The breeze blows the gauze curtains, bringing up the fragrance of tea.
As the head manager of Chunshen Bookstore and the chief editor of "Beijing News", Li Yang has obviously fully realized the great significance of grasping the throat of public opinion and what can be done by doing so.
In other words, there are many things that Xuan Jingsi may not be able to do, but Jing Bao can.
Therefore, Li Yang would naturally attribute the reason to a new thing like "newspaper".
But "Brother Li, killing people with a pen is not the credit of the newspaper, let alone the Beijing News."
Wei Changtian shook his head and gently corrected him, "This is actually the credit of 'authority'."
"authority?"
Li Yang was stunned for a moment, lowered his head and thought for a moment, and suddenly understood what Wei Changtian meant.
really.
The reason why people believe in the Beijing News is not because it is a newspaper.
It is because in the minds of the people, this information, which is supported by the Xuan Jing Bureau and the Freemasons, is, to a certain extent, the most authoritative source of information they can access.
Before the publication of the Jing Bao, most information came from word of mouth and notices posted by government offices.
The former is difficult to tell whether it is true or false, and the information is mixed.
Although the latter is endorsed by the government, its timeliness is very poor, and most of the things announced are irrelevant to the daily lives of the people.
After all, official notices will never talk about gossip in the underworld or things like local commodity prices.
In this way, "Beijing News" became the most comprehensive, timely and reliable source of information.
Many people have developed the habit of reading and listening to newspapers every day, and no matter how big or small the things reported in the "Beijing News" are, they can eventually be verified to be true.
Over time, this has formed a bottom-up credibility, and its "authority" has even far exceeded that of the government and the court.
The authority of the "government" is not even greater than that of a "private" bookstore.
Wei Changtian and Li Yang were naturally happy to see this scene, but there were certainly many people who did not want to see it.
For example. "By the way, Brother Wei."
"The emperor recently established a new official newspaper department under the Ministry of Works. I guess he is going to start preparing to publish an official newspaper."
Putting down the teacup, Li Yang narrowed his eyes and said, "Should we mess this up?"
"Um"
Wei Changtian thought for a moment and shook his head: "Forget it, I can stop it for a while but not forever."
"We can't be the only ones producing newspapers. It's only a matter of time before the court publishes an official newspaper."
"If Ning Wenjun wants to do it, let him do it. We just need to ensure that the Beijing News is the most authoritative newspaper at all times."
"Brother Li, you should know how to do this, right?"
"Hahaha, of course!"
Li Yang smiled and said, "Brother Wei, don't worry. If the official newspaper is really printed, I will make it so that no one dares to believe it in less than a month!"
"That's good."
Wei Changtian nodded, looking at Li Yang, whose temperament and conversation were completely different from before, and once again sighed in his heart, "Things have changed and people have changed."
The "lackey" who used to go to brothels with him all day has now become one of the most influential people in Daning.
It may be difficult to say how much this change has to do with Wei Changtian and how much it has to do with Li Yang himself.
Yes, Wei Changtian invited him to join Chunshen Bookstore, and the concept of newspaper was also proposed by Wei Changtian.
But the operation of the entire bookstore, including the entire process of building "Beijing News" from scratch, was all Li Yang's job, and he did it very well.
So in Wei Changtian's opinion, Li Yang's ability to get to this point is actually more due to himself.
Wei Changtian was actually quite relieved to see that his former friends had finally found the "direction" in life and were no longer indulging in sensual pleasures all day long.
Of course.
It is not enough to just work, you still need to combine work and rest.
"Brother Li, it's still early now. Are you really not going to go to Pingchangfang?"
“This matter.”
"If you don't want to, forget it."
"Well, it's not impossible."
"Then walk?"
"Let's go! Since Brother Wei has said so, I will break my vow!"
“.”
Soon, Li Yang, who was willing to sacrifice himself for justice, got on the carriage and went to Pingchangfang in the north of the city with Wei Changtian.
Pingchangfang is still as lively as it was two years ago, and there are even more women in each building and courtyard than before.
"Tsk, tsk, I miss it!"
Wei Changtian walked casually with Li Yang in the alleys of Pingchangfang, looking at the open windows around him and the beautiful girls leaning against the windows and waving handkerchiefs, and he was deeply moved.
"Hahaha, Brother Wei."
Li Yang beside him laughed twice and was about to say something.
However, at this moment, an old procuress standing in front of a building not far away suddenly shouted in surprise: "Hey! Master Li!"
"What? You just left last night and you're here again today?"
"Xing Er will be so happy if she finds out."
“.”
Wei Changtian: “???”
(End of this chapter)
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