Chapter 1150: The Diamond Ring, Biographies of Famous Ministers and Scholars (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Xun Zhen's sudden burst of power startled even Shen Tang. As Xun Zhen's momentum surged, Shen Tang's energy waned slightly: "Han Zhang, Han Zhang, don't be anxious! It's not that I really don't want the money, it's just... I just can't bring myself to do it... Of course, if it's for your sake, I'm willing to lose face, it's... not a big deal."
Shen Tang's strategy of retreating as a means of advancement quickly cooled Xun Zhen's mind.
His face was full of trouble and pain.
As a subject, she naturally didn't want to force her lord to do things she didn't want to do; she had already sacrificed enough in other areas. Shen Tang's words pained Xun Zhen's conscience to the point of wanting to repent in the middle of the night: "If Your Majesty truly doesn't want to..."
Xun Zhen forced himself to harden his heart.
"...The deworming medicine and diamond projects sound promising. If we invest our time and effort and manage them diligently, we might see a return on our investment in two or three years. At worst, we can just tough it out for the next couple of years..." In this world, as long as you don't starve, there's hope; you don't necessarily have to live a life of luxury and wealth. The Kang Kingdom's court and the people have good cohesion; they can manage even if they tighten their belts.
Seeing Xun Zhen's stinginess, Shen Tang's Schrödinger's conscience ached, and she reflected on why she cared so much about empty fame. After the two battles against the Northern Desert and the Gao Kingdom, life was difficult for everyone in the Ministry of Revenue. Xun Zhen, while fighting alongside the army, also had to rack his brains to stretch every penny, making ends meet was a struggle…
Shen Tang said, "I'll discuss it with the High Priest later."
Being open and honest will reduce any resentment the other party may have.
Xun Zhen hadn't expected his lord to back down, and he breathed a sigh of relief—he was truly desperate. Everyone was asking the Ministry of Revenue for money; where was he supposed to get so much money for them? He could deflect the request once or twice, but if it happened too often, people's morale would easily waver.
While it may not lead to chaos, it will certainly affect the operation of the royal court.
Apart from a few lifelong bachelors who only have themselves to feed, the vast majority of officials have families to support. Officials may be driven by their career prospects and political ideals, but their families cannot; they cannot force their families to live frugally.
Xun Zhen mentally estimated just how much that ancestral property was.
He needs a rough estimate so he can make arrangements more easily.
The more he thought about it, the more elated he became, until he floated away: "My lord, I've observed with a cold eye that the high priest is quite different from others. He has repeatedly expressed his desire to serve you. With such sincerity, talent, and beauty, he's even willing to give up his ancestral property..."
Look at them, they're practically overflowing with affection.
Shen Tang was thinking about how to make money using roundworm medicine and diamonds, so her attention was scattered and her mind couldn't quite process it for a moment.
What's wrong with that?
Xun Zhen said, "Such a beautiful woman, why not grant her wish?"
Consider it a way of thanking them for their sincere and devoted heart.
They've given us so much money, it's not unreasonable to give them a formal title.
Ji Moqiu is not bad either. He is young, handsome and strong. The key is that he is also simple-minded. He even gave away his ancestral property to serve his lord. Who wouldn't say that he is love-struck? If the lord really takes Ji Moqiu as his wife, his dowry will include Gongxi Chou.
It's a great deal no matter how you look at it.
Shen Tang almost jumped up in anger when she heard that.
"You betrayed your master for such a small amount of money?"
Xun Zhen, feeling guilty, whispered, "It's really not just a little bit."
The accumulated wealth of the Gongxi clan over hundreds or even thousands of years!
It might be equivalent to several years' worth of Kangguo's fiscal revenue.
Shen Tang: "..."
She pulled her clothes tighter.
He said irritably, "Don't even think about it!"
Kangguo is the company she owns, but with so many debuffs, she's just a working-class ruler, basically a diligent corporate slave. What corporate slave would sacrifice their job for the company's future? Do you really think hiring her is just adding more chopsticks?
She's struggling to support herself.
Shen Tang emphasized again: "Don't even think about it!"
Xun Zhen: "..."
Shen Tang didn't deliberately hide the fact that Ji Moqiu was going to hand over his ancestral property—the battle in the Northern Desert barely broke even, while the battle in the Gao Kingdom was a complete financial disaster, with daily military expenses being a huge sum. Under these circumstances, announcing that a tycoon was going to invest in the company was a way of giving everyone a shot in the arm. Shen Tang didn't exaggerate the figures and made a conservative estimate after inquiring with Gong Xichou.
In Shen Tang's view, this matter was over.
All that's left is for Ji Moqiu to bring the windfall back.
As a result, everyone acted abnormally.
Why would someone give away a huge sum of money to a complete stranger for no reason? Especially ancestral property, which is of extraordinary significance! What exactly is High Priest Jimo Qiu's purpose? Is it for fame and fortune? Or does he have some other shady plan?
This money is too hot to handle!
Even Chu Yao couldn't help but ask Shen Tang what was going on.
"Does this high priest have improper thoughts about the lord?" The lord has no interest in romantic love, and seeing no hope, he simply spends money to buy a title for him? Compared to other warlord forces, when powerful families want to invest and support, marriage is an indispensable part of the process.
In layman's terms, it means using money to buy a title.
With the marriage alliance in place, both sides felt at ease.
Shen Tang sighed and repeated the words several times: "...No, he doesn't ask for anything else. He gives money without expecting anything in return."
Chu Yao frowned: "Just a gift?"
Shen Tang nodded: "Mm!"
Chu Yao asked again, "No other purpose?"
Shen Tang nodded again: "No, really no."
Chu Yao choked for a moment: "This—"
Shen Tang flicked her bangs, revealing a bright and flamboyant smile, and said narcissistically, "Wu Hui, look at me. I stride with the confidence of a dragon and the aura of a tiger, with extraordinary bearing and heroic spirit. I have the aura of a true dragon. It's normal for people to be captivated by my aura and submit to me, spending money on me! My damn personal charm has mesmerized a couple of male fans, isn't that perfectly normal? Right?"
She's not bragging, but her personal charm is priceless!
What's wrong with fans showering her with money?
It's so vulgar to assume that someone wants to use money to climb the social ladder!
Chu Yao: "..."
Shen Tang pulled Chu Yao's wrist: "Let's not talk about that. Wu Hui, come and see something good! I got some diamonds from Gong Xi Chou, each one is about the size of a fingernail. I cut a ring setting out of them. Don't you think this ring is sparkly?"
She slipped the ill-fitting ring onto her finger.
"I'm planning to give it as a gift this year."
Diamond rings of varying sizes were given to officials according to their rank, and each ring was engraved with their name. Since taking Qin Li under her wing, Shen Tang had developed a fondness for distributing gifts bearing the company's cultural mark to officials. Sometimes it was rings, bracelets, or hairpins; other times it was hairbands, official robes, or velvet flowers... The variety of gifts depended on what good tributes she received that year, with rings being the most frequent.
"This one is for Wu Hui."
Shen Tang held Chu Yao's hand and put it on him.
Civil officials often wear rings, and with Shen Tang sending them frequently every year, the frequency of wearing them increased even more. Because he had suffered a lot in his early years, Chu Yao's fingers were not as perfect as Qin Li's, but they still appeared slender and snow-white under the diamonds.
"It's a bit rough, I'll revise it."
This ring is closed; the size is determined by visual estimation.
Chu Yao smiled and withdrew his hand: "As long as it is what Your Majesty desires, it is a perfect thing in the world. Any more polishing would make it look more like a work of art, far inferior to its current natural perfection. Your Majesty is very kind."
Shen Tang said, "Wear it more often."
The principle of "what the superiors do, the inferiors follow" works well no matter where it's applied.
Those below, seeing those above fawning over something, will follow suit. Shen Tang, wanting to profit from this, needs supporters. Distributing diamond products to civil and military officials and having them appear in public more often will easily inflate the diamond price. This is similar to how the Gongxi Chou brothers inadvertently popularized pearls. Shen Tang's true aim isn't to exploit the powerful families of Kangguo, but rather the wealthy people of other countries, so—
Shen Tang gestured for Chu Yao to sit down.
"There's something I need to discuss with Wu Hui."
Chu Yao sat up straight and said solemnly, "Please speak, my lord."
Shen Tang said, "I plan to write a book for you."
Countless possibilities flashed through Chu Yao's mind, but this one was not among them. In a moment of stunned silence, tears welled up in his eyes: "My lord, what virtue or ability do I possess... I fear my virtue is unworthy of my position..."
Shen Tang raised her hand to stop him from moving: "Listen to me first."
Chu Yao suppressed his turbulent emotions and listened attentively.
Shen Tang said, "I remember reading a book many years ago. A famous scholar paid for books to be written for famous scholars and officials throughout the country, which resulted in the first version of 'Biographies of Famous Scholars and Officials'. I remember that Zhai Xiaofang recommended that I read it at that time."
Sigh, more than ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Chu Yao nodded: "There is indeed such a book."
Rumor has it that the author of this "Biographies of Famous Officials and Scholars," who funded the book himself, was a down-on-his-luck scholar with mediocre talent but unwavering perseverance. Undeterred by the chaos of war, he traveled throughout the continent, solely to gather traces of once-shining figures. He spent years collecting sufficient material, selecting outstanding individuals, ranking them, and compiling the book. Besides their deeds, the book also includes descriptions of the power of words and the ways of the scholar. Each figure's story is captivating and tragic, quickly resonating with many scholars.
They had no idea that such kindred spirits existed in a corner of the mainland.
Countless scholars were applauding it!
Because of the overwhelming response, the author also benefited greatly; the previously declining family rose rapidly in popularity thanks to the support of its followers. This family was also quite interesting; seeing the potential of "Biographies of Famous Officials and Scholars," they seized the opportunity and devoted themselves entirely to writing critiques!
The first editions all recorded the deeds of deceased heroes.
Subsequent generations of family leaders wrote biographies of prominent figures of their time.
Ten years of searching for materials, ten years of revision to compile this book!
Each version is the result of twenty years of impartial and selfless work!
To show humility and to avoid any shady dealings, the living are generally listed after the dead. Those who can be included in the "Biographies of Famous Ministers and Scholars" are basically destined for fame and become role models for literary figures! It's considered the fastest way to become famous! Shen Tang had read one of these books in her early years, and it was full of praise and subtle flattery, which she didn't like.
Perhaps the first author was truly selfless.
But that doesn't mean that the other party's descendants also have the same childlike heart.
Who can resist the temptation of profit?
Shen Tang smiled slyly and gestured, "I plan to write a Kangguo version of biographies of famous ministers and scholars! Not only will it be well-written, but it will also be richly illustrated! I'll draw your most handsome, dashing, and elegant sides! And you'll wear diamond accessories!"
While praising their own people, they made money while maintaining a respectable image.
Biographies of famous ministers and scholars—wouldn't that be irresistible?
Chu Yao: "...Is this...is this feasible?"
"Why not? Wu Hui, we must have faith! Putting everything else aside, just look at yourself. How dramatic your life has been! With a few embellishments, it could move countless people to tears. From peak to trough, and from trough back to peak, isn't that experience more legendary than those in 'Biographies of Famous Officials and Scholars'? Spirit! Most importantly, the spirit of never giving up! Only in this way can one find a way out of the darkness!" Shen Tang excitedly slammed his hand on the table. "Listen to this! How many scholars in their troughs and confusions can this encourage? That's exactly the effect we want!"
Chu Yao was somewhat insecure.
He didn't think there was anything good about his life of hardship.
If it weren't for destiny, this life would be a joke.
Shen Tang: "You can do it! You're capable! Those who lie in the trough and can't get back up are losers, but your return to the peak is a legendary story! Just that alone makes you stand out from countless others!"
Since his lord was certain that he was worthy, Chu Yao accepted it.
"How does Your Majesty intend to proceed?"
Shen Tang said, "First, we need to find someone with good writing skills, and second, someone with excellent painting skills! This book of ours should be different from the original 'Biographies of Famous Officials and Scholars.' We need to make it more approachable and down-to-earth; it's not just for aristocratic families!"
The status of the biographies of famous officials and scholars is unshakeable.
Shen Tang compiled a book, but other prominent families and celebrities in other countries did not recognize it.
Therefore, she needs to take a roundabout approach.
"First, win over the commoners and low-ranking families, then encircle them from above. This plan is for the commoners and low-ranking families to surround the powerful clans! Achieve widespread promotion from the bottom up. The text can be rigorous and meticulous or light and humorous, but the portraits must be exquisite! Subtly reveal the magnificence and nobility of diamond artifacts! Diamond crowns, diamond hairpins, diamond rings, diamond bracelets, diamond pendants!"
Diamonds aren't just white and sparkly.
Want other colors?
Customization is also available!
After that, create some anecdotes about famous figures related to diamonds, spread them virally, and secretly have merchants send diamond gifts to these figures for them to wear. Wouldn't that generate publicity? The better the effect, the faster she can strike!
Shen Tang could hardly contain her excitement.
"...Besides their life experiences, battle achievements, and status, the content should also include some everyday descriptions. I've got it! A question-and-answer interview would be great! What do you think of this idea? We can't be biased; we need to take care of both civil officials and military officers. Let's make a roster of military officers too!" Shen Tang said, then came up with another idea. "It won't work if we just do it ourselves."
To penetrate another market, you always need to find a breakthrough.
Who would mind giving a few spots to the "breakthrough point"?
Chu Yao smiled and said, "Why don't we combine them into one volume? Besides those skilled in literature and martial arts, outstanding members of the Mohist medical school can also be included..."
The descendants of both families have gradually emerged in recent years.
Giving both sides face and glory is also beneficial for winning people's hearts.
Shen Tang agreed: "Wu Hui's words make sense!"
Everyone must be dressed exquisitely and beautifully! The brochure must be incredibly beautiful, ideally an artwork! No one would guess that this thing is actually a diamond brochure! Shen Tang gritted her teeth: "Half of the paper mill's output for the next two years will be used to print brochures!"
|ω`)
Tang Mei wants to brag about her colleagues to the whole world.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
