Chapter 30: A Cat That Can Catch Mice Is a Good Cat

On hearing Zhao Huan's words, all the ministers fell silent. If no money was to be spent, there seemed to be no reason to oppose it.

"Your Majesty, if it doesn't cost anything, we will certainly support it wholeheartedly. But how can we establish this newspaper without spending money?" Li Gang inquired.

Zhao Huan pointed to the newspaper template in Li Gang's hands and said, "Actually, you are overcomplicating the issue. You think we need to exert great effort to encourage the common people to read it, but have you considered that they actually want to know this information? After tea and meals, a few old friends can sit together and discuss these news items."

Li Gang and the others remained perplexed by Zhao Huan's words.

Zhao Huan continued, "Since this newspaper is a demand from the people, there will naturally be buyers. With buyers, we can make money from this paper."

Now everyone was even more confused.

"Your Majesty, are you suggesting that this thing can actually make money?" Zhu Shengfei asked in surprise.

"Of course! Don't be so conservative. Look at this newspaper, it's not necessary for all sections to be filled with news. We can leave some space and invite large shops to pay for advertisements." Zhao Huan explained.

Such a method had never been heard of before. This group of clever people from the Song Dynasty felt a bit out of their depth.

Zhao Huan had no choice but to further enlighten them on how this could generate profit.

After listening, everyone finally understood, but there were still some concerns. Scholars tend to be rather rigid in such matters, especially Zhu Shengfei, who grimaced at the mention that the initial costs would need to be advanced by the Ministry of Revenue, looking as if he had just been wronged.

The next day, the world's first newspaper was launched under Zhao Huan's organization. As a trial operation, only one hundred copies were distributed within Kaifeng city.

The newspaper featured two sections. The first section prominently displayed the title "Song Dynasty Daily," which Zhao Huan had personally inscribed. Fortunately, Zhao Huan inherited the calligraphy style of Zhao Ji; if it were his later handwriting, it would be quite embarrassing to showcase.

The first section mainly introduced several new policies issued by the court and described the ongoing conflict between the Song Dynasty and the Jin Kingdom. On this section, the name of Yue Fei became widely recognized for the first time. The second section published a light novel, the authorship of which was unknown, titled "The Legend of the White Snake." At the bottom of the second section, there was a blank space inviting advertisements, along with a contact address.

After the newspaper was released, it immediately sparked a strong reaction in the market. For the first time, the entrance of the Ministry of Rites was bustling with scholars, causing the Grand Minister of Rites, Li Guang, to hurriedly report this to Zhao Huan.

"Your Majesty, there is now a throng of scholars surrounding the entrance of the Ministry of Rites, eagerly requesting to see the next issue of the Song Dynasty Daily," Li Guang said, kneeling before Zhao Huan.

Zhao Huan had anticipated the success of the Song Dynasty Daily, as people had a high demand for cultural content, but he did not expect such a fervent response.

"What is happening?" Zhao Huan inquired.

"The majority of those clamoring for the next issue are young students from the Imperial Academy. They are captivated by the 'Legend of the White Snake' published in our Song Dynasty Daily and are all eager to get their hands on the next issue," Li Guang explained.

"Ah, I see!" Zhao Huan pondered for a moment and then said to Li Gang, "It seems we set the price too low. Let's increase the print run to one thousand copies tomorrow, and raise the price to ten cash each."

Li Gang was startled by this. Selling a sheet of paper about three feet in size for ten cash each felt akin to extortion. He quickly said, "Your Majesty, isn't that a bit too high?"

Zhao Huan waved his hand and replied, "Not at all. As the saying goes, rare items can be valued highly. At this price, they will definitely sell out tomorrow."

Li Guang also felt the price was excessive. It was set at one cash today, and the next day it jumped to ten cash. He worried that the restless students from the Imperial Academy might complain, so he gently cautioned, "Your Majesty, I fear this price increase might cause dissatisfaction among the students."

Zhao Huan dismissed his concern, saying, "It’s of no matter; if they feel it’s too expensive, they don’t have to buy it. These are voluntary actions, and few of the students studying at the Imperial Academy are short on ten cash."

Zhao Huan's statement was quite true; students at the Imperial Academy were generally children of officials, and ten cash was indeed not a significant amount for them. However, Li Gang couldn't shake the feeling that the emperor was taking advantage of them.

"Your Majesty, I actually came here to discuss a more critical matter. I wish to meet the author of 'The Legend of the White Snake.' After all, everyone is eager to know how the story unfolds. If the story ends abruptly, I worry these students might cause trouble at the Ministry of Rites," Li Guang said with a wry smile, knowing that among these young men were also royal relatives he couldn't afford to offend.

Zhao Huan nodded and said, "Rest assured, I will have the continuation of 'The Legend of the White Snake' sent to you shortly. In the meantime, don’t be idle. Did you not notice that our newspaper has a blank space? Proactively seek out some businesses to sponsor advertisements."

Feudal dynasties have always favored agriculture over commerce, and having officials actively seek money from merchants was something they looked down upon, so Li Guang was somewhat resistant to this order.

"What's the matter? Do you have objections?" Zhao Huan said, noticing Li Guang's reluctance.

"Your Majesty, our ancestors established the principle of emphasizing agricultural development while suppressing commercial growth. Is what we are doing not contrary to propriety and law?" Li Guang stammered.

"I understand your point, but consider how to serve in your position and benefit the people. We talk about valuing agriculture, but does that ensure our citizens live happy lives? I reiterate, regarding our ancestors' rules, we should extract the essence and discard the dross. It doesn't matter whether it's a black cat or a white cat; as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat. Do you understand?" Zhao Huan explained to Li Guang.