December 23rd, Jingzhou.
Winter is deep, and the cold wind is biting.
Outside Jingzhou City, the dry, frozen soil and ice crystals formed clumps of earth, making the carriage bump and jolt along.
The air in the city was filled with the faint aroma of gunpowder from firecrackers, and you could often see children playing and laughing with firecrackers by the roadside, looking very content.
As you walk in from the city gate, the streets are bustling with vendors and ordinary people coming to watch the excitement or buy things. There are vendors selling window decorations, Spring Festival couplets, lanterns and other New Year's supplies everywhere, and the festive atmosphere gradually becomes stronger.
This day in Anguo is also the Little New Year.
In the era before Jing Zhe's time travel, the Little New Year was a day for people to worship the Kitchen God.
According to folklore, on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month every year, the Kitchen God goes to heaven to report the good and bad deeds of each family to the Jade Emperor, who then rewards or punishes them. Therefore, when sending off the Kitchen God, people offer food on the table in front of his image and burn incense and kneel in worship.
Later, the Little New Year custom evolved into a series of derivative customs such as pasting Spring Festival couplets and window decorations, but these were mostly just to share in the festive atmosphere of the New Year. The customs of Anguo were not much different from these customs, showing that the two different worlds still had many things in common.
At this time, every household begins to put up Spring Festival couplets and paper-cut window decorations in front of their doors, and some are hanging lanterns, which come in various sizes, patterns, and shapes.
Everywhere was filled with a lively New Year's atmosphere.
The area outside Wenxiangju was even more bustling.
More than ten days have passed, and the newspaper announcing Jing Zhe's victory as the leader of the martial arts alliance has already been published. That issue of the newspaper achieved record sales, and even after three consecutive reprints, it was still sold out, demonstrating its significant influence.
After finishing his trip to Jinxi, Jing Zhe went directly to Liangzhou. The Da'an Newspaper seamlessly took over and wrote down all the details of his itinerary and the events that had occurred.
Today is the Little New Year, and also the day the newspaper is released, so the people of Jingzhou are indeed celebrating as if it were the New Year.
Today's newspaper reported that after Jing Zhe arrived in Liangzhou, he happened to encounter an attack by the Western Frontier Heavy Cavalry Regiment. The newspaper ended abruptly after reporting that Jing Zhe and Empress Yueyao Murong Xi were captured by the Heavy Cavalry Regiment.
At the end of the newspaper, there was that familiar line of sentences that had been cursed countless times by its readers:
Dear readers, if you wish to know what happens next, please stay tuned for the next installment.
"I freaking... want to kill someone!"
The first person to finish reading the newspaper slammed it shut and let out a cry that was almost a wail.
"Shut up, don't spoil it!"
Those who hadn't finished watching didn't even look up; they were immediately warned.
"I'm convinced, I knew it!"
"No way, no way? It didn't break again, did it?"
"Heh, you guessed right, it's broken again!"
"..."
At this moment, those who had finished reading followed suit with a wail just like the first person, while the person who had read the slowest had also finished and was almost in despair: "Why is it like this again? Those heavy cavalry regiments have no grudge against President Jing, so why did they kidnap him? And if they kidnapped him, why did they take Empress Yueyao with them? Won't President Jing be in any danger if they kidnap him?"
The man asked a series of questions, but no one answered.
Since the newspaper was first published, any serialized content has more or less included some unfinished chapters, especially serialized stories, where the unfinished chapters are often incredibly ingenious.
They didn't say anything else, since they knew it was all fictional and the creators would definitely write it in a positive light, and wouldn't want to disgust them, the loyal paying fans, for no reason.
However, these kinds of documentary stories are based on real events. For example, during a martial arts tournament, every outcome affected the hearts of all the people, which is why this excerpt has provoked so much dissatisfaction.
Despite the dissatisfaction, the discussion among the crowd was inevitable.
Do you think President Jing is in danger?
"Definitely not! Didn't the newspapers say last time that President Jing is now a super expert at the mid-stage of the sixth level? What can those Western Frontier heavy cavalry regiments do to President Jing?"
"Yes, yes, that makes sense!"
"So, not only is President Jing safe, but Empress Yueyao will also be saved because of President Jing, right?"
"I've heard that Empress Yueyao is incredibly beautiful, and President Jing is also very handsome. Do you think she might have taken a liking to President Jing because of this?"
"Hehe, you never know! Didn't the newspapers say that Empress Yueyao wanted to come to Jingzhou to discuss a marriage alliance, which is why she passed through Liangzhou to help repel the Western Frontier barbarians? It's quite possible that she ended up taking a liking to President Jing! After all, it's natural for men to marry and women to marry when they come of age..."
"hey-hey…"
In the end, everyone let out a smile that only men could understand.
After that, this scene happened repeatedly.
"This incomplete chapter is absolutely despicable!"
"Yes, the Broken Chapters don't have Little Chirp!"
"Hey, I heard that President Jing has left. The newspaper's editor-in-chief, Chen Jiannan, has been in charge of the newspaper's affairs. He's probably the one who wrote this newspaper!"
"Chen Jiannan doesn't have a little chick!"
"I heard that Chen Jiannan had a falling out with President Jing before..."
"Chen Jiannan doesn't have a little chick!"
"This newspaper is about events from more than ten days ago. It wouldn't take more than a few days for a letter to travel from Liangzhou to Jingzhou by carrier pigeon. Chen Jiannan probably knows exactly what happened in Liangzhou, but he's deliberately slowing down the writing. Isn't he just trying to keep us in suspense?"
"Stop talking, Chen Jiannan doesn't have a little chick!"
"Yes, Chen Jiannan doesn't have a little chick!"
In an instant, this slogan rang out outside Wenxiangju. Many people who had just bought newspapers from Wenxiangju came out, and after inquiring about the situation, they also joined the "Chen Jiannan has no little chicks" army...
After a long while, someone exclaimed with emotion:
"If one day I had a sword in my hand!"
"Castrate all the dog-like idiots in the world!"
The crowd's gazes were deep, and they spoke in unison.
...
Da'an Newspaper Office.
Second floor, editor-in-chief's office.
Chen Jiannan has been riding high lately.
Since becoming the editor-in-chief of the Da'an Daily, although his official position was not high, his social status rose sharply. Moreover, he was often able to attend the morning court sessions in the palace. Those high-ranking officials who had only heard of his name before treated him with great respect, something he had never dared to imagine before.
During the time Jing Zhe was away from Jingzhou, although he had Zhu Xinning's assistance, he was still in charge of the main affairs. From the initial fear to now, he has become quite adept at it.
His fame in Jingzhou grew, and many prominent families even came to inquire about his marriage prospects...
All of this is thanks to Jing Zhe, and his father, Chen Guozhong, often writes to him, praising his current situation and saying that he has brought honor to his ancestors, something that had never happened before.
In the midst of his triumph, Chen Jiannan felt even more grateful for Jing Zhe's patronage and worked diligently every day, determined to make the newspaper a success.
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