Chapter 20: Has the Mountain and Sea Bookshop Learned to Repent?

After being rescued from the water, Prince Li flew into a rage. He felt that Luo Muqing failed to grasp the reality of her situation, still clinging to the arrogance of a Prime Minister’s daughter and daring to defy him.

He clamored to divorce her, waiting with composed confidence for Luo Muqing—now stripped of the Chu family’s protection—to kneel, beg for mercy, and weep in agony.

Luo Muqing had originally married Prince Li only to lower the guard of Master Chu and find evidence against him. Now that Master Chu had been brought to justice, she saw no reason to entangle herself further and cleanly finalized the divorce.

Prince Li’s shock and humiliation went without saying.

Just as news of their divorce spread throughout Yanjing, an imperial decree arrived: King Jiang was ordered to marry Luo Muqing, with the wedding date to be set soon.

The entire capital was in an uproar.

So ended the current volume.

"What is going on? Why are they being married? Isn't King Jiang the Emperor's favorite son? Could it be that he has already investigated Lady Luo’s true identity and discovered she is the renowned master of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion in the Jianghu?"

Jian Hang was filled with questions he couldn't answer. To see the next volume, he would have to wait seven days.

Sigh, when would this ever end? Could the author not just finish it all at once?

While lamenting, he remembered he had also purchased a copy of the *Shanhai Gazette*. He hastily dug it out from beneath his books and opened this novel invention.

On the top right of the newspaper stood the eye-catching characters "Shanhai Gazette," accompanied by a circular emblem depicting mountains and seas in the center—an idea proposed by Xu Chengyue, who insisted that their paper needed a recognizable logo.

The paper was divided into rectangular sections of various sizes. Though the text was small, it did not look cluttered; it was highly organized.

The article at the very top occupied a significant space, and its title was strikingly bold, clearly indicating that the editor intended to emphasize it—it was, in effect, the "Today's Headlines" of the Tang Dynasty.

The piece detailed a major new government policy. It first explained the substance of the decree, then elaborated on its meaning, and discussed from various angles how it would benefit the common people and change their daily lives, all in clear, accessible language.

Most remarkably, the author offered no subjective opinions, providing only an objective explanation. In an era where most writing was saturated with the author’s own strong personal biases, this article broke away from that tradition entirely, focusing not on the author's insights, but on the decree itself.

As a scholar, Jian Hang understood this well, but he also grasped the author's intent: to ensure that even those with little formal education could understand the policies that affected their lives.

He glanced at the byline under the title. Sure enough, it read: "Author: Yueming."

It really was him! Jian Hang couldn't help but sigh.

The high-ranking officials of the Imperial Court often viewed the common people as being as ignorant as swine, believing they could not understand reason and only needed to be driven by law and obey the Emperor.

But Yueming did not think so. He broke these complex matters down, tearing them apart and explaining them word by word, fearing the people might not understand. He did not even carry the burden of sorrowful, patriotic sentiment; it was as if he naturally believed that this was knowledge the people should and could possess.

How... extraordinary.

Jian Hang felt a complex stir in his heart. Although he had read Yueming’s books before, he had never held the author in high regard. When other scholars made snide remarks, he had even agreed, thinking Yueming was merely a sycophantic, attention-seeking charlatan.

Yet, this article completely shattered his perception, proving that he was the one who was truly shallow and ignorant.

It felt as though he had been slapped across the face from afar.

He had been the one making assumptions. The absurdity of the stories was merely a facade; the real Yueming was magnanimous, broad-minded, and possessed great foresight. How could such a person be greedy for wealth and profit? That only proved he was not a fame-monger.

Jian Hang continued reading. This long article and several smaller ones were grouped together in a large section framed by a box labeled "News." The other articles were similar in style, covering various aspects of court politics. One could see the authors were attempting to imitate the first piece; though the style was still immature, it was taking shape.

He turned the page, intending to learn from their strengths. In his heart, he marked the *Shanhai Gazette* as mandatory reading, determined to never miss an issue. The bookstore owner had said it would be published every third, sixth, and ninth day of the ten-day cycle.

***

However, after turning the page, the content changed drastically. It was completely different from what came before—it was filled with the scandalous, whispered secrets of the great noble families.

Jian Hang’s eyes went blank, his head buzzed, and he fell silent, clutching the paper.

The author was clever enough not to name names directly, using homophones to obfuscate the identities. But for a scion of a noble family whose first lessons as a child involved memorizing the genealogies of all major houses, this paper was terrifyingly blunt.

Secrecy was the unspoken agreement among the noble families, and now, it was all being laid bare by a mere scrap of paper.

Jian Hang’s thoughts pulled him in two directions. His reason urged him that prying into the private affairs of others was not the conduct of a gentleman, yet he felt a secret, irrepressible thrill, unable to stop himself from stealing another glance at the paper.

Well, everyone else is reading it, so what harm is there if I take a look?

After convincing himself, Jian Hang continued reading with a clear conscience.

...What? A scandal between an uncle and his sister-in-law? Wasn't that family famous for their strict moral code? It was so chaotic beneath the surface.

Is this about Master Tian? I never would have guessed! He’s so stern and severe when he lectures us, yet he and his wife are so… passionate? Oh, and he’s henpecked!

Jian Hang decided he would never be able to look Master Tian in the eye during class again.

...

Jian Hang flipped through the entire paper and found that, aside from the serious news and the scandalous family secrets, there were grounded folk tales, urban legends, and accounts of customs from various regions. He couldn't help but marvel.

Whoever came up with this newspaper was truly a genius!

Similar scenes were playing out all over Luoyang.

Master Tian slammed his desk and roared, "Shameless rascal! You’ve ruined my reputation!"

The Duke of Zheng secretly rejoiced that he had previously sent a gift, as he was not mentioned in the paper for all of Luoyang to see.

But for most common folk, who had no connection to these people, it was merely an entertaining spectacle.

"I used to think these big-shot affairs had nothing to do with us commoners, but after reading what Master Yueming wrote, it seems we’re actually quite affected."

"Isn't that the truth? This is the first time I've ever understood what those laws and decrees actually mean."

"So that’s why the night watchmen have been patrolling more—there are thieves about! I’d better lock my doors tonight."

"And I thought those noble families were so dignified. Turns out they’re no better than common crooks."

Once the *Shanhai Gazette* began to circulate, it became an instant hit in Luoyang. Everyone who read it nodded in admiration—except for those whose secrets had been exposed.

***

In a courtyard of winding corridors, rockeries, and flowing water, a banquet was in full swing.

Everyone was drinking and composing poetry, a lively scene.

"Exquisite! This poem, if tasted carefully, has the style of Master Taixuan. With Brother Zhou’s talent, he is surely the next Poetry Champion. Come, I toast you, Brother Zhou!" someone lavished praise.

The said Brother Zhou, tickled by the flattery and secretly smug, replied with feigned humility, "Oh, you flatter me too much, brother."

Amidst the laughter, he raised his cup and drained it.

"Speaking of which, Brother Zhou, how is that Shanhai Bookstore doing? Is that fellow Yueming still writing?"

They wondered if the boycott they proposed at the last literary gathering had been effective.

Someone let out a jeer. "Why bring that up at such a lively event? Without our support, they must have closed down by now. Yueming is probably back home digging for sweet potatoes."

"Indeed, none of my friends go to that bookstore, and I haven't heard anyone mention it. It must be bankrupt."

"If you want to know the situation, it’s simple. I’ve already sent a servant to watch it," Brother Zhou said grandly.

He called over a servant and asked, "I sent you to watch that Shanhai Bookstore; how is it now?"

The servant bowed low, trembling, not daring to lift his head. He stammered, "Master, the Shanhai Bookstore is doing even better than before. They’ve released something called a *Shanhai Gazette*. This lowly servant saw many people buying it."

Silence descended upon the group.

In the extreme quiet, one could almost hear the sound of "slaps"—the phantom sensation of a hand crossing a face.

Brother Zhou’s face flushed the color of a pig’s liver. He had never expected such an answer.

"What is a *Shanhai Gazette*? I’ve never heard of it," someone asked curiously.

"Probably some filthy trash, just like those poisonous books. A death throe, nothing more."

"Go! Buy me a copy! I want to see what kind of 'good thing' it is!" Brother Zhou hissed through gritted teeth.

He had been the one to initiate the boycott of the Shanhai Bookstore; if it were thriving, it would be a direct slap to his face.

The servant, fearing he would be implicated, scrambled out to buy the paper. He hurried along, returning just before his master’s patience snapped.

As soon as the *Shanhai Gazette* was presented, a crowd gathered around it. They weren't curious; they were looking for flaws so they could heap even more abuse upon it.

"Hmph, just as I thought. Not a shred of literary merit. How dare they humiliate themselves like this? And there’s a crowd of fools praising it!"

"What is this? Are they even qualified to discuss state affairs?" the man sneered contemptuously.

The group began to tear into the paper, hoping to nail the defiant Shanhai Bookstore and its *Gazette* to the pillar of shame.

However, as they turned the page, the noisy crowd fell deathly silent.

The events described on this page... why did they seem so familiar? It sounded exactly like someone's...

Everyone’s gaze shifted toward one of the men in the circle.

That man covered his face and slipped away from the crowd.

This happened again and again, and several more people left.

Until the article about the "Uncle and Sister-in-law" appeared, the remaining people turned their eyes toward Brother Zhou, who held the paper in the center.

While no one had heard of this specific story, the description of the family left no doubt: the "younger brother" was none other than Brother Zhou himself.

Because the previous stories had turned out to be true, this one’s credibility was absolute. The men looked at each other, stunned.

Unbelievable! Brother Zhou actually... his family was...

Wait, if they hadn't even heard of this, how did the Shanhai Bookstore get the information?

If they had their own skeletons in the closet, wouldn't the Shanhai Bookstore know about those, too?

Suddenly, everyone felt their own security threatened and scrambled to find excuses to leave.

Brother Zhou’s hands trembled, crumpling the paper. The veins in his arms bulged, his chest heaving violently, as if he might faint at any moment.

No one else knew, but he did!

He hadn't actually done the deed—but the words in the article were indeed things he had said. He had once harbored improper thoughts about his sister-in-law and, in a drunken stupor, had let his tongue slip. He had thought no one heard him. He never, ever imagined that...

His sister-in-law’s family was a powerful clan known for being fiercely protective.

How could he face his brother and sister-in-law? How could he face their allied families?

Brother Zhou gasped for air, his vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground.

The servants were thrown into a state of panic, some rushing to support him, others running for help—the entire scene descended into chaos.