"Master Huang, bring me a printed copy of the newspaper."
"Coming right up!"
A newspaper with ink that had barely dried was handed to Princess Xinyue.
Curious about its contents, Princess Xinyue eagerly unfolded it.
"Yun Yue Gazette? Domestic affairs?"
Princess Xinyue frowned slightly in disappointment but patiently continued reading.
Soon, she discovered that the left page of the newspaper was filled with various matters, big and small, that had occurred within the Yun Yue Kingdom.
These included policies discussed in court, how certain issues within the Yun Yue Kingdom were debated and resolved, the positive leadership role played by officials in their work attitude, and the diligent efforts of the clerks.
In addition to this, there were also the views of various court officials on the current situation.
These constituted the upper half of the content. The lower half detailed certain domestic incidents, such as the absurd behavior of a merchant's son.
Or disasters that occurred in a certain region, or local officials who had incurred the wrath of the populace.
Princess Xinyue was not interested in these matters and after a brief perusal, she folded it and turned to the right side.
The content on this page was somewhat more interesting. It detailed affairs of other countries, generally similar to the left page, but without the incidents among the common people. It primarily reported major events in the countries surrounding the Yun Yue Kingdom.
After reading these, Princess Xinyue learned that the surrounding countries of the Yun Yue Kingdom were also striving to enhance their national strength.
She realized that their emperors and court officials also engaged in arguments and held differing opinions on certain policies.
Princess Xinyue then turned to the back left page. This side still contained domestic affairs of the Yun Yue Kingdom, but it focused on the well-being or hardship of the common people.
Among them were a couple of matters that Princess Xinyue was very familiar with, such as high rents and the tragic lives of tenant farmers who did not own their own land.
There were also accounts of the lives of people in the three professions of craftsman, merchant, and soldier, which allowed Princess Xinyue to understand the lives of people in professions other than farming and commerce, and what they generally did in their daily lives.
As for farming and commerce, Princess Xinyue had witnessed a lot of farming through her interactions with Chu Chen, and her close friend Shao Lili's family was involved in commerce.
The back right page was titled "Miscellaneous Talks," but in reality, it contained only one and a half stories written in a blend of classical and vernacular Chinese. It was this story that deeply captivated Princess Xinyue.
Watching her engrossed in the story, Chu Chen smiled. He knew the newspaper had been a success.
The entire newspaper, with its four sides, front and back, had, to the best of its ability, included items of interest to different groups and classes of people.
To enhance its competitiveness, the price of two copper coins was one aspect. Another was the competitiveness of its intelligence on various matters, and finally, the appeal of its entertaining stories.
This story was actually serialized, adapted by Chu Chen from "A Ghost Story" (Liaozhai) into "Nie Xiaoqian." The abilities of characters like Yan Chixia were changed to those of advanced martial arts cultivators.
Other related content was not significantly altered. Of course, this "Nie Xiaoqian" was based on parts of the first film in the trilogy from Chu Chen's previous life.
The original "Nie Xiaoqian" was not as captivating.
An incense stick's time passed quickly as Princess Xinyue was immersed in the story.
Reading to the very bottom, she saw a cliffhanger, leaving readers desperately wanting to know the answer, followed by a notice: This story is serialized and will continue in subsequent issues of the Yun Yue Gazette. Please look forward to the next installment.
"Ahhh~ Who is the author of this story? I'm going to kill him!"
Her enjoyment interrupted, Princess Xinyue cried out in great dissatisfaction, drawing the attention of the artisans in the printing room.
Sensing their gazes, Princess Xinyue glared fiercely at them, scaring them into looking away.
She then grabbed Chu Chen's arm and asked menacingly, "Who is the author of this Nie Xiaoqian? To dare leave a cliffhanger and break off the story! I'm going to kill him... no, I'll have him arrested and locked in a dark room, ordering him to write for five hours a day!"
"Uh~" Chu Chen chuckled sheepishly and said, "Is that really necessary? It's just a story, wouldn't that be too cruel?"
"Cruel? Isn't it cruel to make me wait? Wait a minute, with that expression on your face, could it be!"
Princess Xinyue seemed to sense something from Chu Chen's expression, but before she could finish, Chu Chen quickly covered her mouth.
He whispered in her ear, "Shh, I wrote this Nie Xiaoqian. If you want to read the next installment, I'll have someone deliver it to you later. Don't tell anyone right now."
"Mmm-hmm~"
Princess Xinyue nodded, her ears and cheeks flushed with embarrassment, indicating she understood.
Chu Chen then released her and said sternly, "Remember what you just promised. Don't speak carelessly, or if something unexpected happens with the newspaper, His Majesty will not let either of us off lightly."
"I know, honestly, do I look like someone who doesn't know the gravity of the situation?"
Princess Xinyue pouted her lips, but the blush on her face had not completely faded.
With swift movements, she folded the newspaper several times and tucked it into her wide sleeves.
The story of Nie Xiaoqian was so captivating that she decided to reread it several times upon returning, and also share it with her maids.
Chu Chen was speechless watching her actions but said nothing further.
"Is this how the newspapers printed in this printing room are? Or will they always be like this?" Princess Xinyue asked pointedly.
"This issue is like this. Future content will be modified, but the general themes on each side will remain the same. Any changes would be far in the future," Chu Chen replied with a smile, understanding what she meant without explicitly stating it.
"That's good then," Princess Xinyue nodded, then asked worriedly, "But what happens when the Nie Xiaoqian story finishes serialization?"
Chu Chen smiled and said nonchalantly, "That's simple. If there's Nie Xiaoqian, there will be other excellent stories. They won't be worse than this one. Moreover, once a trend is established, with so many scholars in the Yun Yue Kingdom, someone is bound to imitate and specialize in writing stories, so we won't lack content to publish."
"That's wonderful!"
Princess Xinyue, content and smiling, patted the newspaper in her sleeve and said, "I must say, your idea is truly excellent. This story alone could make the newspaper widely accepted."
"Of course, who do you think your husband is?" Chu Chen said proudly.
"You're such a chatterbox," Princess Xinyue playfully swatted him.
Soon, Chu Chen, carrying several copies of the newspaper, accompanied Princess Xinyue to the palace to present them to the Empress.
In the imperial study, the Empress, just like Princess Xinyue earlier, was deeply captivated by the final installment of Nie Xiaoqian.
In that moment, she was not the majestic Empress, but an ordinary person enthralled by a fascinating tale of spirits and the supernatural.