ah?
Cai Yan had never heard such lewd talk before, and her fair cheeks flushed slightly, but she did not refute it, but simply nestled quietly against his chest.
It took her a long time to force herself to recover.
She sat up straight and said in a serious tone, "Your Highness, the newspaper is now on track, selling more than 300,000 copies a day. I'm afraid it won't be long before it reaches a million copies!"
"Oh, so fast?"
Lin Yi's eyes lit up. Selling 300,000 copies in such a short time, it seems Cai Yan really did work hard.
Even with its own backing, selling this data still requires the newspaper's own content; it seems entrusting the matter to Cai Yan was the right choice.
Women are often more meticulous than men.
"According to our survey, most people are drawn by the preferential policies and literacy; these two reasons account for 60% of the total!" Cai Yan stated in a deep voice, presenting a statistic.
Sixty percent!
A hint of a smile flashed in Lin Yi's eyes as he said softly, "No one in this world can escape the allure of power and profit. I previously promised their descendants the opportunity to become officials, and these people naturally want to seize it!"
Opportunities to learn to read are rare these days, and these resources are mostly controlled by powerful families. Now, Lin Yi, the Prince of Xiliang, has shown them leniency and given them this chance. If they don't seize it, they'll be fools for life.
Therefore, Lin Yi specially reserved some seats for them.
Although some key officials were his cronies, these requirements did not apply to officials below the county level, which was the loophole he left for the common people.
As long as they are literate and understand principles, they will be given some positions, which can motivate them.
Besides learning to read, they also gained access to a lot of the latest news and expensive paper, which was a huge windfall for them.
"I see, no wonder these people are so enthusiastic!"
Cai Yan's eyes lit up. This statement hit the nail on the head. So it was all for power. That made sense.
Speaking of this, she thought of a question and asked, "By the way, Your Highness, recently many women have submitted articles hoping to be published in the Northern Daily. Should we give them that opportunity?"
"Female submission?"
Lin Yi's lips twitched. These days, women are submitting articles? That's a bit too strange. He asked curiously, "What's going on? What kind of women are they?"
Could this be Princess Shenle and Wang Zijin?
Cai Yan shook her head and smiled, "Recently, some young ladies and wives from prominent families have often come to chat with me to relieve their boredom. In their conversations, they've all mentioned submitting articles, and they're all very enthusiastic. That's why I asked Your Highness for permission."
"A daughter of a prominent family and her wife?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yi's heart skipped a beat. Was he planning to take the "wife" route?
These people have good eyesight; they spotted Cai Yan at a glance.
He nodded and smiled, " Wenji, you can decide on this matter. However, everything must be reviewed. If there are any mistakes, I will punish you and show you what it means to be unable to walk!"
ah!
Cai Yan blushed instantly; that was truly impressive.
Seeing her shy expression, Lin Yi's eyes lit up. This woman was the legendary socialite.
For some reason, at this moment he thought of Princess Shenle. He hadn't seen this woman in a long time, and he wondered what she was up to now.
"What has Princess Shenle been up to lately? There shouldn't be anything unusual going on, right?"
"Princess?"
Cai Yan's smile remained unchanged as she praised, "Your Highness, Princess Shenle has been tending to the flowers in the courtyard lately, and also watering the Lord's apple tree, saying she's trying to cultivate her mind and spirit."
"Tsk tsk, is she on her way to becoming a saintess?" Lin Yi exclaimed in amazement, marveling at how composed this woman was.
But thinking about it, it makes sense. She's been in the palace for over ten years, so she's probably used to being alone and has her own ways of entertaining herself.
A thought struck him, and he smiled, "Find a few palace maids to serve her. She is, after all, a princess, so we can't go too far. Also, let Wang Zijin meet her. A princess and a crown princess, they should have something to say."
ah?
Cai Yan was startled. This Princess Shenle was no pushover. Could Wang Zijin Princess Shenle been poisoned by her?
Lin Yi wasn't worried about this. Princess Shenle was a smart woman and should know what he meant; he was just trying to amuse her.
"Your Highness, several members of prominent families request an audience!"
Just then, the butler suddenly walked in and whispered in Lin Yi's ear.
People from aristocratic families?
Lin Yi was slightly taken aback. Could it be because of the ocean fishing issue? This matter should be directed at Xun Yu, so why was it being brought up to him?
He waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Just let them go see Xun Yu. I have no interest in a few brats!"
This time, it wasn't some powerful family head who came; they were just a few juniors. They weren't high enough to even see me. If I wanted to make money, I should just stick with Xun Yu.
"Your Highness, they're carrying huge boxes of gifts," the guard whispered.
Huh!
These words brought a smile to Lin Yi's face. Although he had no interest in the younger generation, bringing a gift made all the difference; they were still quite enlightened.
He laughed and said, "In that case, let's meet them. Take them to the hall!"
It's said that no one visits a temple without a reason. These powerful families usually only act for profit, but now they're coming so humbly to offer gifts. They must have a big business deal to do!
Upon reaching the lobby, I indeed saw a group of people there, with a huge pile of boxes in front of them, almost overflowing the lobby.
Seeing this, Lin Yi's smile widened. These people really know what they're doing!
At this moment, everyone saw Lin Yi and quickly stood up, saying respectfully, "Greetings, Your Highness!" They had come to seek wealth and dared not offend Lin Yi.
"Haha, you're too kind, everyone!"
Lin Yi nodded slightly. It seemed these people were quite sensible; they didn't resort to any ridiculous posturing.
That makes sense. Anyone who tries to show off in front of you, even if they come from a prestigious family, will eventually turn out to be a fool!
He walked straight to the throne and said with a smile, "Guests from afar, I am very pleased that you have all come together today. As everyone knows, I love making friends the most."
"Of course, I would be even happier if you didn't bring these worthless things."
Forehead!
Everyone's lips twitched in unison; without gifts, they probably wouldn't even have been allowed to enter the Prince's mansion.
However, they dared not say such things, and could only smile obsequiously and say, "Your Highness is of noble character; we are merely being vulgar. These things are simply to congratulate Your Highness on the annihilation of the Jushi and Shachi kingdoms; there is absolutely no other meaning!"