Spreading awareness to prevent abduction

Because Great Chu's laws on trafficking punished buyers and sellers alike, the child-snatcher case implicated a great many people. Many criminals were sentenced to death, yet every last commoner applauded the verdicts.

On her way to the Heavenly Derivation Pavilion, Chu Siqing made sure to bring the matter up with Tu Qingchen.

Chu Siqing said, [If only we could publish all the child-snatchers' trafficking methods in a newspaper. That would spread the word far and wide and help people become more alert to abduction.]

Something suddenly occurred to her, and she asked Tu Qingchen, [Does this world have newspapers?]

Tu Qingchen thought for a moment before answering, [Only court gazettes. They mainly cover court affairs, and only princes, nobles, and officials can read them.]

Chu Siqing asked in bewilderment, [Why hasn't anyone started a newspaper covering gossip and things like that? Ordinary people could read it too.]

She couldn't help imagining herself starting a gossip newspaper and earning enough money to fill every pot and bowl.

[I feel like that would definitely sell like hotcakes. After all, who in this world doesn't love munching on a juicy bit of gossip?]

Tu Qingchen explained, [Newspapers have to be copied by hand, so they're expensive. How could ordinary people afford to read them?]

A spark flashed through Chu Siqing's mind. [Don't tell me this world doesn't even have movable-type printing yet?]

Tu Qingchen understood what she was thinking and said, [It doesn't.]

Chu Siqing mocked him. [You've been in this world for over twenty years, and you haven't "invented" a single technology?]

Tu Qingchen rolled his eyes. [I was a humanities student in my previous life. I'd only heard of most technologies. I have no idea how they actually work, okay? ~_~]

Chu Siqing said smugly, [Now you see how important this Holy Maiden is!]

Tu Qingchen asked curiously, [You know how movable-type printing works?]

Chu Siqing gave an embarrassed smile. [I don't know the specifics either, but I have the System Shop!]

Tu Qingchen's eyes lit up. [I almost forgot you had a cheat! Hurry up and show me.]

Chu Siqing spoke to the system in her mind. [A-Tong, open the System Shop. I want to redeem "Movable-Type Printing."]

System: [Host, "Movable-Type Printing" successfully redeemed. Points -100. Place it in the System Space?]

Chu Siqing said, [No need. Just take it straight out. Tu Qingchen isn't an outsider.]

System: [All right.]

The next moment, Tu Qingchen watched a book appear out of thin air in Chu Siqing's arms. Its format was the same as that of books in Great Chu.

Tu Qingchen marveled, [That's amazing.]

He took the book and saw "Movable-Type Printing" written on the cover. When he opened it, he found detailed methods and procedures inside, all written in Great Chu's script.

Tu Qingchen asked, [Should I just give this book to the emperor? What am I supposed to tell him about where it came from?]

Chu Siqing thought for a moment and said, [Didn't you divine that I was the Holy Maiden? Just say I came up with the method and you wrote it down.]

Tu Qingchen said, [...All right.]

Chu Siqing took the fight against trafficking very seriously and added, [I don't think publishing it in a newspaper will be enough. Plenty of people can't read.]

She considered it, then said, [It would be best to have storytellers tell the stories in teahouses too, and stage some operas about trafficking. We need to raise people's awareness of abduction from every angle.]

Tu Qingchen said, [All right.]

Later, he reported each of Chu Siqing's ideas to Emperor Chu Ming.

Emperor Chu Ming nodded repeatedly as he listened. At last, he clapped his hands and laughed. "Imperial Preceptor, with you and the Holy Maiden here, how could Great Chu fail to flourish?"

Tu Qingchen flattered him. "Your Majesty is so wise and decisive. Great Chu's prosperity is all thanks to you."

The corners of Emperor Chu Ming's mouth lifted. "No need to be modest, my dear minister."

Tu Qingchen stole a glance at him, then quickly lowered his head. He felt the emperor was rather pleased to be praised for his wisdom.

Emperor Chu Ming then summoned the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Justice to discuss how to spread awareness of trafficking prevention among the people.

Inside the Imperial Study.

Emperor Chu Ming said to Feng Zhonglin, "Give this copy of 'Movable-Type Printing' to Minister Zhang."

Eunuch Feng handed the book to the Minister of Works.

Zhang Yuan dared not delay and quickly skimmed its contents.

After reading several pages, Zhang Yuan's expression went from solemn to stunned, then finally to wild delight.

A smug gleam appeared in Emperor Chu Ming's eyes as he deliberately asked, "What do you think of this book?"

Zhang Yuan said excitedly, "Your Majesty, with the printing technique described in this book, we will no longer need to copy books by hand. We can greatly increase the number of books in Great Chu. The benefits are too numerous to count!"

Hearing this, Qu Huaiqing, the Minister of Rites, also looked curiously at the book in Minister Zhang's hands.

Emperor Chu Ming said, "Minister Qu, Minister Du, you should read it as well."

Zhang Yuan passed the book to Ministers Qu and Du.

Everyone looked delighted after reading it. With this book, the price of books in Great Chu would fall, allowing more people to afford them.

Emperor Chu Ming said, "You have surely all heard of the recent child-snatcher trafficking case. It occurred to me that many children are abducted among the common people, leaving no small number of families torn apart, their homes ruined and loved ones dead. The consequences are truly appalling."

He paused, then continued, "Raising the people's vigilance against abduction is now a matter of pressing urgency. We should establish a new newspaper and publish some of the child-snatchers' usual tricks to warn people."

The Minister of Rites asked doubtfully, "Your Majesty, the government already has court gazettes. Would founding another newspaper not be somewhat redundant?"

Emperor Chu Ming answered, "Court gazettes are mostly read by officials. The People's Gazette I intend to establish will be something all the people of Great Chu can read. Besides preventing abduction, it will have other uses in the future."

Everyone looked thoughtful.

Because copying by hand was inconvenient, books and court gazettes were expensive, far beyond the means of ordinary people. Now that they had movable-type printing, establishing the People's Gazette was indeed feasible.

Emperor Chu Ming added, "Besides publishing warnings about child-snatchers in the newspaper, we must turn some trafficking cases into stories and send storytellers to tell them in teahouses. We should also write scripts for theatrical troupes to perform."

Everyone was filled with admiration and began furiously flattering the dragon on his throne.

The Minister of Rites spoke first. "Your Majesty is absolutely right."

The Minister of Justice followed. "Your Majesty has considered everything thoroughly."

The Minister of Works also managed to squeeze out a line. "Your Majesty's deep care for the people is a blessing to all the people of Great Chu!"

Even though Emperor Chu Ming knew they were flattering him, he still felt thoroughly pleased.

Finally, he assigned each ministry its tasks. "The Ministry of Works will develop movable-type printing. The Ministry of Justice will compile trafficking cases and methods from every region. The Ministry of Rites will arrange the establishment of the People's Gazette and write the stories and scripts."

Emperor Chu Ming instructed them, "All ministries must cooperate with one another. No shirking responsibility."

The ministers all accepted their orders and withdrew.

They would all have plenty to keep them busy now.

Before long, a new newspaper called the People's Gazette began circulating in the Capital. Its extremely low price had everyone scrambling to buy it.

Unlike the court gazettes, the People's Gazette mostly covered matters among the common people, so it later became known by the shorter name of the People's Gazette and spread to every region.

This issue of the People's Gazette published many of the methods child-snatchers used to abduct children, and everyone who bought a copy took them very seriously.

At the same time, storytellers in the major teahouses began telling all kinds of stories about child-snatchers abducting people, while theatrical troupes began rehearsing adapted scripts.

For a time, the people of the Capital became far more vigilant against abduction.

These methods of spreading awareness to prevent abduction were later adopted by prefects throughout the country. In the years that followed, child-snatcher trafficking cases almost vanished entirely from Great Chu.