Cao Mengde posed a serious question to Chu Fan: "Your Majesty, if the court decides to print a newspaper every day and distribute it to every corner of the country, it will undoubtedly require a large amount of paper and manpower. Under such circumstances, can the Ministry of Revenue afford such a huge financial expenditure?"
Chu Fan smiled slightly after hearing this and replied to Cao Mengde, "Lord Cao, you don't have to worry. The cost of printing the newspaper does not need to be borne by the Ministry of Revenue. My inner treasury and your Cao family can jointly contribute funds and bear this responsibility. The Ministry of Revenue will not participate in any commercial activities related to the court. Its responsibilities are limited to supervision and taxation."
Cao Mengde couldn't help but sigh inwardly after hearing Chu Fan's words. He knew that although His Majesty had said that the expenses would be shared by the inner treasury and the Cao family, in reality, did he really dare to ask His Majesty to take money out of the inner treasury?
Ultimately, this huge expense would likely still have to be borne by the Cao family. However, Cao Mengde also knew that since His Majesty had made his position clear, he had no room to refuse.
Facing Chu Fan's proposal, Cao Mengde calmly replied, "I, your Majesty, will spare no effort to support your majesty's decision and ensure that the newspaper can be distributed smoothly to every corner."
After hearing this, Chu Fan couldn't help but say helplessly, "Lord Cao, why do you look like I'm going to bankrupt your family? The reason I let you participate in this is entirely for Liu Xueyu's sake. After all, you are her grandfather. When there is an opportunity to make money, naturally I have to consider my family first."
Chu Fan knew full well that the enormous profits from advertising on Blue Star could not be ignored. Simply by incorporating some appropriate advertising content into the newspaper, he could generate substantial revenue. After all, this was a newspaper personally led by the Emperor, with the strong backing of the royal family and the imperial court. With a little guidance, merchants would surely rush to place advertisements. This would not only cover the costs of printing and distribution, but also generate a substantial profit.
After hearing this, Cao Mengde knew that Chu Fan must have some means of profiting that he was unaware of, so he said, "This old minister is ignorant. Your Majesty, please explain the secret in detail. This old minister will fully cooperate."
If the Cao family can work with Your Majesty to run this newspaper, then the Cao family's reputation in the hearts of the people will be greatly improved. And if running a newspaper can really make money as Your Majesty said, then I have no reason not to take this matter to heart.
Chu Fan took out a piece of white rice paper from the bookshelf and slowly unfolded it. Then he looked at Cao Mengde with a firm gaze, and his tone revealed a hint of unquestionable majesty:
"The first page of the newspaper I have conceived will be dedicated to publishing the court's decrees and various important announcements to ensure that the people can keep abreast of the latest national developments and policy directions.
The second page is used to publish news from across the country and topics of general concern to the people. This enhances the newspaper's timeliness and relevance, allowing readers to feel the newspaper's close connection to their lives. For example, last year's flood in Hedong Jiuzhou was reported immediately, allowing the people to understand the disaster and the court's relief measures, thus preventing them from feeling helpless and panicking.
As for the third page, I plan to use it to publish some folk legends or anecdotes about celebrities. These contents can not only attract readers' attention, but also add interest to the newspaper and make reading more relaxing and enjoyable.
The fourth page will focus on agricultural technology and business information, aiming to help farmers increase crop yields and promote business prosperity. At the bottom of the newspaper, we will set up an advertising area to attract merchants from all over the world to place advertisements.
However, the content of advertisements must be strictly reviewed to ensure that the products offered by all merchants who want to advertise are genuine and there must be no false advertising. After all, this newspaper is published in the name of the imperial court. If false advertising appears, it will not only harm the interests of the general public, but also seriously affect the reputation of the imperial court.
Therefore, Lord Cao, you must personally take charge of overseeing this process and ensure that every business that wishes to place an advertisement undergoes rigorous scrutiny, ensuring that no one harms the interests of the people or the reputation of the court."
Although Cao Mengde was already over seventy years old, he felt unprecedented freshness and excitement when faced with Chu Fan's innovative plan. He realized that this was not just a newspaper, but also a means to maximize the authority of the court.
The plan formulated by Your Majesty is actually to use the high reputation of Your Majesty and the court to endorse it, so as to attract the attention of merchants and the people. The publication of newspapers can quickly spread various information, thereby greatly enhancing the influence of the court.
Merchants naturally valued the newspaper's official affiliation and were willing to place advertisements to enhance the reputation of their products. This way, the common people gained useful information, merchants gained credibility and sales, and the court gained popular support and wealth. Cao Mengde could not help but marvel at the majesty's wisdom and insight, having devised such a brilliant strategy.
Cao Mengde pondered for a moment, then asked, "Then, Your Majesty, what should we report in the first issue of the newspaper?"
Chu Fan pondered for a moment, then replied, "For the first issue of the imperial decree, write about education reform and the change of Prime Minister. These are the most important national affairs at the moment. As for the content of the other sections, you will arrange it, Cao Gong, and submit it to me for review after completion. As for the printing issue, I will have Xiao Li arrange for a few eunuchs who are proficient in movable type printing technology to assist you."
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