At the same time, similar scenes were playing out in other parts of Luoyang.
"What exactly happened next? Why wasn't it written all at once?"
"Why did such a perfectly good story suddenly end abruptly, and at such a perfect time? Who is so shameless and depraved?"
"That's right, don't let me find him, or I'll beat him to death!"
"......"
Those who were engrossed in reading the newspaper suddenly found it cut off, and they were furious, cursing loudly.
Even more enraged, many readers went to the Royal Bookstore to demand an explanation.
When people learned that this was done by Cao Song, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, on the emperor's orders, and that newspapers would continue to be sold the next day, they finally calmed down.
On the other hand, because Liu Hong had to go to Changle Palace every day to pay his respects to Dou Miao and Dong Shi, he would only come to Deyang Palace to handle government affairs after breakfast.
Therefore, Sun Zhang, who rushed to the front of Deyang Palace, could only wait there despite his great anxiety.
"His Majesty has arrived!!"
With Jian Shuo's shout, the guards in front of the hall immediately stopped, and then Liu Hong emerged from around the corner.
Upon seeing this, Sun Zhang hurriedly walked over and bowed to Liu Hong from three meters away.
"This servant, Sun Zhang, greets Your Majesty!!"
"Sun Zhang...?"
Looking at the somewhat unfamiliar face in front of him, Liu Hong stopped, frowned, and turned to look at Jian Shuo beside him.
"Your Majesty, this Sun Zhang is a eunuch from the Imperial Household Department, responsible for overseeing the accounts of the Royal Bookstore!"
Jian Shuo quickly told Liu Hong about Sun Zhang's background.
"Oh, I see..."
Liu Hong nodded, then looked Sun Zhang up and down.
Seeing this, Jian Shuo immediately stepped forward, looked at Sun Zhang, and rebuked him:
"You little brat, if you have something to say, why don't you go to Attendant Lü? Why are you here? Is this a place for you?"
Upon hearing Jian Shuo's rebuke, Sun Zhang's expression changed, and a bead of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead. He immediately knelt down on the ground.
"This matter concerns the Taiping Dao and those students undergoing the examination, which is why I felt it was of great importance and rushed here in a moment of urgency. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
As he spoke, Sun Zhang slammed his head to the ground with a thud, kowtowing to Liu Hong to apologize.
"Hmm~, never mind, get up!"
Upon hearing that it concerned the Taiping Sect, Liu Hong's expression shifted, and he then waved to Sun Zhang.
"Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty! Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty!!"
Hearing that the emperor had no intention of blaming him, Sun Zhang was overjoyed. After kowtowing again, he stood up as if he had been granted a pardon.
"Let's talk inside the hall!"
After saying this, Liu Hong took a step and walked into the Deyang Palace, with Jian Shuo and Sun Zhang following closely behind.
As they walked, Jian Shuo glanced at Sun Zhang, who was following beside him, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
As if sensing Jian Shuo's gaze, Sun Zhang turned his head and saw that Jian Shuo was looking at him. He then nodded humbly to Jian Shuo and showed a flattering smile.
"This man is meticulous and ambitious; he could be made an ally to deal with Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong!"
With this thought in mind, Jian Shuo couldn't help but show a kind smile and nodded to Sun Zhang.
Upon entering the hall, Liu Hong sat upright on the imperial throne and then looked at Sun Zhang.
"What is it? Tell me now!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!!"
Sun Zhang respectfully agreed, and then told Liu Hong in detail about the Taoist priest's plan to use newspapers to teach children to read, as well as the matter concerning Mao Jie and others.
"Heh, interesting..."
Upon learning of the Taiping Dao's actions and the matter concerning Mao Jie, Liu Hong couldn't help but laugh out loud.
The matter of the Taiping Dao, in particular, piqued Liu Hong's interest.
If the Taiping Dao's methods are feasible, it will undoubtedly be a great help to my future desire to promote education.
Seeing the smile on the emperor's face, Sun Zhang felt reassured. He knew that his gamble had paid off.
After groaning for a moment, Liu Hong looked at Sun Zhang and laughed:
"The two pieces of information you provided today were very useful to me. You did a good job. I will have your rewards sent to you!"
"It is my honor to share Your Majesty's burdens, and I dare not ask for any reward!"
Upon hearing the emperor's praise, Sun Zhang's face lit up with joy, and he quickly expressed his feelings to Liu Hong.
Liu Hong smiled and then instructed, "Alright, you don't need to concern yourselves with the affairs of the Way of Peace."
As for Mao Jie and the others, when you return to the bookstore, instruct someone to take care of them. Make sure they can buy ink and paper for free whenever they go there in the future!
"promise!"
As Sun Zhang respectfully accepted the order, he was secretly overjoyed. He had made the right bet on these two matters, and he could be considered to have truly caught the emperor's eye.
Seeing Sun Zhang's smug expression, Liu Hong's lips twitched slightly, and then he said in a deep voice:
"Also... in the future, if anything happens, it's best to talk to your boss, Lü Qiang, first, so he won't make things difficult for you later, understand?"
"Yes, sir!!"
Upon hearing the emperor's words, Sun Zhang was startled and quickly and respectfully replied, "Yes."
"Okay, I understand. Let's go back then!"
Liu Hong smiled slightly, then waved to Sun Zhang.
"This servant takes her leave!!"
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