A Fortuitous Stroke

As a Sixth-Rank official with real authority, Registrar Zhou would not write a preface merely because some Licentiate asked him to. Even if an Academy Student published a book, he would not do it. But Fang Yun was different. If the work spread far and wide, he, as the preface writer, would share in the glory.

"Let me have a look first."

Fang Yun handed Registrar Zhou the manuscript pages he had written over the past few days.

Registrar Zhou looked them over and was greatly surprised. "I heard that your poor handwriting nearly cost you a Double-A Honor, but while your writing is somewhat immature, it is not bad at all. Both the structure and form of the characters carry the air of a master. Keep practicing for a year, and you will be no worse than those taught by famous calligraphers."

"After the County Examination, I knew shame and then strove forward. I practiced my writing with all my strength, which is why I can write passably now," Fang Yun said.

Registrar Zhou did not pursue the matter and continued reading Fang Yun's original manuscript of The Western Wing.

"You have improved the punctuation? It is much easier to read—very good. Leaving two spaces at the beginning of every paragraph is also quite novel, and likewise makes reading easier. This style of yours is well suited for lazy people, for leisure reading..."

Registrar Zhou's voice abruptly stopped. He raised his head and looked at Fang Yun with an odd expression.

Registrar Zhou did not particularly care about Fang Yun's new punctuation, and he could easily understand the paragraph spacing as well, so he had not attached much importance to it. At the Academy Student level, one could quickly understand this book even without novel punctuation; otherwise, one did not deserve to be called an Academy Student. He was a Provincial Graduate, so punctuation mattered even less to him.

But for Licentiates or ordinary literate people, reading books without punctuation was especially taxing.

Registrar Zhou asked seriously, "You used this new punctuation and new paragraphing to popularize this novel? So that anyone who could read could understand your book quickly and without obstruction? Is the true target of this book the common people?"

"Your Excellency is wise. I never expected that you would not only accept this method, but see through my intentions at a glance. This student admires you greatly!" Fang Yun said.

Registrar Zhou smiled. "I am the registrar of the Literary Academy. Applying learning to practical use is the foundation of us Confucian scholars—otherwise, how would we deal with Demon Barbarians? Do not take me for one of those few rotten scholars. Still, your idea may work, but only if it is paired with a story that is sufficiently accessible and engaging. Since you dare use this method, your story must naturally have something extraordinary about it. Let me see."

Registrar Zhou began reading The Western Wing in earnest. After only three pages, he looked up, gave Fang Yun a deep look, and said, "The opening is novel, the structure rigorous, and the writing beautiful. Most importantly, the story flows smoothly. There is no showing off literary talent, no long-winded discourse; at a glance, one knows what it is about. If the new punctuation is the unusual, then your story is the orthodox. When the unusual and orthodox join forces, nothing can stand in their way!"

"Thank you for your praise, Your Excellency," Fang Yun said.

Registrar Zhou continued reading. Fang Yun had expected him to offer commentary on The Western Wing as he went, but he never spoke again, merely reading on and on.

At first Fang Yun was worried, but after looking carefully, he understood. Registrar Zhou had actually become absorbed in the book, completely forgetting that someone beside him was waiting for an evaluation. The expressions on his face shifted with the plot's developments.

Fang Yun secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The Story of Yingying and The Western Wing had remained popular for over a thousand years and were still praised by later generations; naturally, they had something worthy of acclaim. Even a genuine Provincial Graduate like Registrar Zhou, who looked down on popular fiction, had become engrossed. This showed that, in the barren desert of popular fiction that was Saint Origin Continent, this new The Western Wing would surely be embraced by hundreds of millions of readers.

Registrar Zhou turned to the last page of The Story of Yingying. He looked at it for a while, a satisfied smile appearing on his face, though there was still a trace of lingering desire, as though he could not bear to see such a fine piece of writing end so soon.

"When I was young, I also enjoyed reading tales of the strange and supernatural. I thought that after becoming a Provincial Graduate, I would no longer be interested in such novels, but after reading The Western Wing, I realized I had been too arrogant. Good! It does not write of the strange and supernatural, but of the human heart; it does not write of court and temple, but of men and women. This is true popular fiction, appreciated by both the refined and the common! Even if you did not let me write this preface, I would fight to write it. Perhaps centuries from now, the only thing by which people will know me will be the preface to your The Western Wing."

"You overpraise me, Your Excellency," Fang Yun said.

"Your The Western Wing was probably written in those days when you were full of indignation, was it not? The Liu Household truly went too far." Registrar Zhou looked at Fang Yun sympathetically.

"Alas..." Fang Yun did not respond. He lowered his head, afraid that he would not disguise himself well enough and be found out. In truth, The Western Wing had nothing whatsoever to do with Fang Yun's own experiences.

Registrar Zhou sympathized with Fang Yun even more.

"There is another piece?" Registrar Zhou asked.

"Yes. It was one of my old whimsical ideas, revised anew over these past few days. Though it is not as good as The Western Wing, it has some merits. I ask Your Excellency to correct it," Fang Yun said. The literary status of The Western Wing far surpassed that of The Pillow Chronicle, so he had only treated the latter as an extra and had not taken it too seriously.

Registrar Zhou nodded and continued flipping through The Pillow Chronicle.

When he saw the Half-Sage appear, Registrar Zhou smiled. "You are quite bold, writing even about a Half-Sage."

When he read of the scholar dreaming his way into Jing Kingdom, he praised, "Wonderful! Truly wonderful!"

But after finishing The Pillow Chronicle, Registrar Zhou did not speak at once. Instead, he pondered solemnly, treating it with far greater gravity than he had after reading The Western Wing.

Fang Yun was baffled. Was it not merely the story of a scholar who awoke after a dream, abandoned fame and fortune, and pursued the Sacred Way? Why was Registrar Zhou reacting so strongly?

"Excellent! This piece has lofty intent and gives one much food for thought! How can mere fame and fortune compare to the great path of the sages? Everyone understands this principle. Countless Classic Interpretations have expounded upon it again and again over thousands of years, some citing the classics and others drawing upon famous historical examples. Yet to create a novel to promote the Sacred Way while preserving its storytelling, using a dream of yellow millet to warn later generations—this is unprecedented! Splendor is but a dream; the Sacred Way alone is real. Subtle Words, Profound Meaning! This work may possess only Prefecture-Reaching talent, but its great merit in promoting the Sacred Way surpasses even a Nation-Quelling work. This piece will surely be Transmitted Under Heaven."

Fang Yun was confused. He had merely altered The Pillow Chronicle slightly to cater to the mainstream ideology of Saint Origin Continent. How had it become "lofty in intent and thought-provoking" in Registrar Zhou's eyes? The Western Wing was so outstanding, yet in Registrar Zhou's eyes it was inferior to The Pillow Chronicle, which "promoted the main theme"? He had spent three days writing the former, while the latter had taken only one afternoon, written merely to fill out the page count.

Fang Yun recalled the famous novels of Saint Origin Continent throughout the ages. Indeed, few had "promoting the Sacred Way" as their theme. Even when they did, they generally only touched upon it in passing, and both their intentions and stories were rather poor. Compared with the tale of the dream of yellow millet, they were not merely several streets behind, but several thousand years behind.

Fang Yun suddenly understood. It was not that The Pillow Chronicle was truly so exceptional, but that it happened to fill a void in areas such as politics, education, and thought in this era.

By contrast, although The Western Wing stood far above The Pillow Chronicle in literary status, in the eyes of Confucian scholars it could never compare to a work that promoted the Sacred Way.

Fang Yun felt somewhat ashamed. The evaluation "Subtle Words, Profound Meaning" was far too weighty. Those four words had originally been used by Great Scholars of the Han Kingdom to evaluate Confucius, and later were generally reserved for the sages.

Registrar Zhou said, "Leave your manuscripts with me for now. Tomorrow, I will personally present them to the Academy Lord. Next month's issue of Sacred Way has already been decided, so this piece will certainly appear in the issue after that."

Fang Yun was helpless. He truly did not want to draw attention now; he only wanted to quietly focus on making money. Why was he going to appear in Sacred Way again?

"Could it be that you think too highly of The Pillow Chronicle?" Fang Yun asked probingly.

Registrar Zhou said solemnly, "I have read every issue of Sacred Way throughout the ages, and I know very well the value of The Pillow Chronicle. I can say with certainty that within three years, a Half-Sage will surely designate this piece as required reading for students of the Literary Academies of the Ten Kingdoms. This The Pillow Chronicle is more than ten times as important as your previous Nation-Quelling poem. The Novelists School has declined for centuries. The most recent novel to appear in Sacred Way was the famous piece Song Dingbo Captures a Ghost from In Search of the Supernatural, written over two hundred years ago by the Great Scholar Gan Bao."

Fang Yun could only remain silent in response, though inwardly he was secretly delighted at having picked up such a tremendous bargain.

Being published in Sacred Way brought not only fame and rewards; one could erect a Literary Archway and receive Sage Pages. The number of works one published in Sacred Way determined one's future opportunities to visit places such as the Sage Stele Forest and Sage Pagoda. The highest-level reward was being allowed to enter the place where Confucius had secluded himself or the Land of Sagefall. Not only was that immensely significant, but the benefits were incomparably generous.

This was the fundamental reason Qing Kingdom's Grand Academician Qu Zhengxiang had obstructed Fang Yun.

Registrar Zhou said, "Wait here. I will fetch Cai He's gift for you." His tone was full of envy.

Before long, Registrar Zhou returned, holding a package wrapped in kraft paper. "The Sage Page inside is County Magistrate Cai's gift to you. Although your poetry was published in Sacred Way, the two places are far apart. The Sage Pages belonging to you will not arrive for at least another month."

Fang Yun hurriedly stood, both shocked and delighted. "Lord Cai was really willing to give me a Sage Page? He himself only has a few, does he not?"

Registrar Zhou said enviously, "He has only two in total. They were given to him by the Literary Chancellor before he came to Ji County—or rather, they were two that he shamelessly wheedled out of the Literary Chancellor. Still, the original manuscript of your Nation-Quelling poem is worth that price."

Fang Yun carefully accepted the kraft paper packet, opened it, and slowly drew out a sheet of paper.

The sheet itself was as white as snow, yet it emitted a faint orange radiance, as though wrapped in orange light. Fang Yun gently stroked its surface. It had an extraordinary texture, as though tiny waves were rolling between his hand and the page.

The sheet possessed an indescribable pull, making Fang Yun feel close to it by nature.

Registrar Zhou explained, "This is the legendary Sage Page. Its effect is just as the legends say: it doubles the power of War Poetry. If the poem is exquisite and the Literary Qi sufficient, it can even achieve Turning Void into Reality. Sage Pages are one of the greatest aids that allow our Human Race to contend with Demon Barbarians, and also the most precious treasure Sage Kong left us."

"How many Sage Pages are produced each year?" Fang Yun asked.

"On the surface, ten thousand are produced each year. Some are distributed to the authors of poetry and prose published in Sacred Way, some to living Half-Sages, some to the Sage Aristocratic Clans, and the rest to the Ten Kingdoms. There have always been rumors that Confucius Mansion secretly produces Sage Pages, creating an additional two thousand every year. As for the truth, I do not know."

"How many does Jing Kingdom receive each year?" Fang Yun asked.

Registrar Zhou sighed. "Sage Pages are distributed among the kingdoms according to their land area, population, and the number of Grand Academicians and Great Scholars they possess. Jing Kingdom suffered a disastrous defeat last year, losing three prefectures and another Grand Academician in battle, so it received even fewer Sage Pages than before. Jing Kingdom is said to have four provinces and one capital, but in truth it has only one capital and three and a half provinces. To ensure the safety of the frontier, Sage Chen gave up part of his own Sage Pages this year. Who knows what will become of Jing Kingdom..."