It’s October Yiyou (24).

Bianjing has become increasingly cold.

In the cold wind howling, several boys selling newspapers were hawking along the street.

Although they had already put on thick linen, their faces were still red from the cold and their noses were dripping with mucus.

Fortunately, they seem to be quite nutritious.

Her complexion is rosy and her hair is relatively clean.

They are no longer the dirty children running around the streets in the beginning.

"Selling newspapers... selling newspapers..."

"Today's Bianjing Newspaper..."

"King Bingchang of Xixia and the Queen Mother died within three days of each other...The emperor sent envoys to express condolences..."

The more clever child began to use words to tease the curiosity of passers-by: "Our newspaper's commentator Hu Feipan made a sharp comment on this!"

So, an old man riding a horse pulled the reins.

His followers immediately stopped.

The old man looked at the boy hawking on the roadside and was very curious. He waved to the boy.

"Sir, would you like to buy a newspaper?" The child looked at him politely.

The old man asked: "How much?"

"Five cents!" The boy said with a smile: "Sir, it's a good deal..."

"It's only five coins. You can buy the major events in the world today, and you can also know the changes in the ministers of the DPRK..."

“You can even see Hu Feipan’s accurate comments!”

Listening to the child's clear words, the old man counted out five copper coins from his pocket and handed them over, and then asked: "Are you literate?"

The child replied: "I know something..."

"Why don't you go to study?" The old man became curious.

"I am studying...my younger brothers and sisters are all studying..."

"Um?"

"After we sell out the daily tabloids, we can go to school... There is a gentleman to teach us!" This child looked to be only eleven or twelve years old, but in front of the old man, he was neither humble nor overbearing.

This made the old man take a high look and asked, "Where are your parents?"

The child lowered his head: "My father died of illness the year before last, and my mother remarried..."

"Oh..." the old man became even more curious: "If that's the case, where does the money for your studies come from?"

"The leader of the newspaper, the gentleman you invited..." The child didn't hide it either.

"Will you be the first to invite me?" The old man felt as if he was listening to a myth.

The leaders of the Song Dynasty were famous for eating people without spitting out their bones.

How could anyone pay someone to teach these children to read?

"The leader of the meeting said that if we want to sell newspapers, we must be literate...so we ask the gentlemen to teach us how to read..."

"Oh..." The old man nodded thoughtfully, then he remembered something and asked: "Are you literate?"

The child nodded happily: "Natural love!"

"Why?" the old man asked.

"Because if you are more literate, you can get rewards..."

"If you can read a hundred words and be able to write them, you will be given a consistent amount of money... Five hundred words will be a consistent amount of money, and a thousand words and five thousand words will be rewarded..."

After hearing this, the old man raised his hands to the boy and said, "Thank you very much!"

He took the tabloid and took a look.

Indeed, as Fan Zuyu said, the new tabloid called "Bianjing New News" published in Bianjing City is completely different from all tabloids in the past.

It's not just several times bigger than the tabloids of the past.

Moreover, there are several different layouts arranged.

The old man remembered what the boy had just said, and he sighed: "The leader of the 'Bianjing New Newspaper' actually came up with an ingenious way to reward the boy with money for literacy..."

"He must be a great Confucian who is enthusiastic about teaching and aspiring to be a saint..."

So, he ordered a Yuan Sui beside him: "Go and find out who the leader of this 'Bianjing New Newspaper' is and where he is from..."

"I want to pay my respects in person!"

The Song Dynasty did not establish a land system, and mergers and annexations were not allowed. Naturally, people and merchants were also not allowed to do business.

There are as many Jinshis as there are merchants’ descendants!

There are even a few champions, and the prime ministers are all sons of merchants.

For example, Feng Jing is the son of a businessman!

Naturally, there are countless businessmen who are descendants of scholar-bureaucrats from official families.

No one will despise or dislike them.

I can only envy and admire these people who can make a lot of money.

The reason?

Today, all wealthy businessmen are relatives of the emperor!

Princess, princess, they may not be able to marry.

But for a county head of two thousand guans, these extravagant families have married countless people.

Among the heads and leaders of the major guilds in Bianjing City, which one does not kneel down to the county horse to worship their ancestors?

When merchants and merchants were in the household, they could go to school and gain fame, and when they retired, they could marry royal relatives and build relationships with the royal family.

Who can still discriminate and criticize them?

Both the new party and the old party have a large number of businessmen.

People who are good at financial management are even more valued by the government and the public.

For example, not long ago, Jiang Zhiqi, the transfer envoy of the Jianghuai Road, was promoted to the post of direct bachelor of Longtuge and the official of Chengdu Prefecture.

And Jiang Zhiqi is famous for his financial management.

Therefore, for scholar-bureaucrats, interacting with merchants was a very normal interpersonal relationship.

He sent Na Yuansui to find out the name of the leader of the "Bianjing New Newspaper".

The old man took the others and continued to move forward on horseback.

After crossing Zhouqiao, he arrived at a mansion he had already booked.

And here, there are already many people waiting.

"Mr. Sima..." Fan Zuyu stepped forward, held the horse for the old man, and said respectfully: "You have finally entered the capital..."

The old man was Sima Guang, who had just been summoned to Beijing by imperial edict from his tenure in Chenzhou.

Behind Fan Zuyu, more than a dozen court officials in Bianjing City stepped forward to salute Sima Guang.

They are all ministers who have admired Sima Guang for a long time.

In later history books, they had a common name: Shuodang.

…

Just as Sima Guang was being welcomed into the official residence by Fan Zuyu and others.

The head of the Bianjing New Newspaper that Sima Guang wanted to inquire about was urging people to arrange the layout of the Bianjing New Newspaper that would be published tomorrow.

"Tong Ti, please..." A soft voice came from outside the door: "Shen Tiju just sent someone to ask, when will the saltpeter we collected be delivered?"

Tong Guan listened, looked outside the door, and saw Yan Shouqin's figure. He immediately smiled and said: "Please tell Shen Tiju that our family has received the saltpeter everyone has allocated, and it can be delivered tomorrow!"

Yan Shouqin nodded and said: "This is the best!"

"Now is a critical time for the Gunpowder Department... This saltpeter is absolutely indispensable!" He warned: "If we short the supply of saltpeter and miss everyone's important events, it will be a big sin!"

"Of course our family knows!" Tong Guandao said: "Please rest assured Shen Tiju, our family will go to Zuozang in person tomorrow and personally escort the saltpeter to the Gunpowder Department!"

Tong Guan has a lot of responsibilities now.

Quan was in charge of the Gunpowder Company, Tong was in charge of the Movable Type Preparation Institute, Tong was in charge of Gou Bianjing's sub-committee, and there was also the non-existent Quan Faqian, the editor-in-chief of the "Bianjing News" that would not be recorded in the official archives.

And to the outside world, he also has a name: Hu Feipan.

This is a name given by everyone.

Tong Guan even thought about changing his real name to Hu Feipan.
To be continued...