"Brother, I don't like the sound of that!"
The voice came loud and clear, targeting the exact concern that had been whispered in the crowd. Wan Zhanping raised his voice for all to hear.
"Do you know who is buying this gossip? It is none other than Her Highness the Fifth Princess and His Highness the Sixth Prince! The two of them are children of the dragon and phoenix, members of the imperial family. Do you think they would cheat us common folk out of a few dozen or even a hundred copper coins?
Since we've placed this gossip table openly here on the street, it means we are doing things in broad daylight, with a clear conscience. If we had anything to hide, would we dare face the public?"
He paused briefly, then continued with a grin.
"Besides, gossip like this holds little value elsewhere. If you speak up and it's not selected, you lose nothing. But if luck favors you and your tale is chosen, then silver falls into your hands, does it not?"
"Wait, they're royalty? The prince and the princess? Is this really true?"
"I must say, it makes sense. We're just talking about curious tidbits. Even if we don't earn anything, we haven't lost anything either."
The idea of buying gossip was already novel enough. But now that the people learned it was being run by a royal princess and prince, the crowd's excitement only grew.
Before long, someone with a 'might as well try' attitude stepped up to Wan Zhanping. He rubbed his hands together, looking slightly thrilled.
"See if this one's good enough. A few days ago, Huaman Lou was hosting its courtesan contest, right? I happened to have some spare silver and went to take a look. That Peony girl, she was—just stunning! Her little hands were so soft—"
"Stop right there!" Wan Zhanping's face darkened at once.
The Fifth Princess and Sixth Prince were still watching from nearby. Such… improper speech must never reach their ears!
He lowered his voice to a stern growl.
"We asked for amusing and interesting stories, not filth to corrupt decent minds!"
"No, no, that's not what I meant!" The man realized he had strayed and quickly tried to fix it with a flattering grin.
"What I really wanted to say was, that day there were quite a few wealthy merchants and young masters there. They spent everything they had trying to win Peony's favor!
But the one who bid the highest was Young Master Wu, son of the Ministry of Revenue's assistant director. He offered twenty thousand taels of silver on the spot, scaring everyone else off.
The envy in the room was something else—everyone looked at him like he was made of gold! But before he could celebrate, his father stormed into Huaman Lou and dragged him out by the ear!"
Laughter erupted from the nearby townsfolk.
Wan Zhanping glanced toward Yun Shu. Seeing her quietly raise one finger in approval, he understood at once. He pulled out a pouch and counted out one hundred copper coins on the spot.
"Alright, yours passed! A full one hundred wen, not a coin less. Count it yourself!"
They were truly paying?
The informant cheered in delight. The crowd around them gasped in astonishment. With such a good example set, a line quickly formed as many more came forward, eager to try their luck.
Soon, Wan Zhanping and Tang Muzhi's study servant were overwhelmed. Yun Chuhuan and Tang Muzhi were inevitably roped in as well, forced by Yun Shu to help write and record the chosen stories.
The table stayed in place for over two hours. While many stories were discarded, a fair number were accepted.
After announcing that gossip would continue to be collected daily here and at the door of the Tang family's Qingsong Bookshop, Wan Zhanping happily packed away the table and chairs.
Yun Chuhuan rubbed his sore wrists, finally sobering from the fun of listening to gossip. A realization dawned on him.
Had his Fifth Sister tricked him into free labor?
Yun Chuhuan: "..."
What a "full and unforgettable day."
So she had planned it all along!
"Alright, I'll treat you to sweet and sour pork when we get back," Yun Shu said as she strolled up, noticing the Sixth Prince's slowly souring expression. She slung an arm around his shoulder with ease.
"You were writing those stories with such joy just now..."
Yun Chuhuan turned his head and shot her a resentful glance.
Yun Shu instantly changed her tone and coaxed him sweetly.
"Fine, fine. This time, your sweet and sour pork will be made by me personally. And I'll even add a dish of crispy fried ribs. Alright, Sixth Prince, don't be angry anymore, will you?"
"Hmph."
Yun Chuhuan huffed and looked away with pride.
A moment later, he could not resist asking, "Will those two dishes taste good?"
"Tch!"
Yun Shu arched a brow and held back a laugh.
"When has anything made by your Fifth Sister ever tasted bad?"
"…"
Fair point.
If only his Fifth Sister weren't his Fifth Sister, but just a lowly palace chef.
Then he could keep her locked in the kitchen every day, ordering her to make delicious dishes just for him.
…
Unaware of the rebellious thoughts sprouting in her younger brother's mind, Yun Shu returned to Fengyang Palace, fulfilled her promise by cooking the two dishes herself, and saw Yun Chuhuan off with a full belly.
Then she headed into the study to begin writing part of the article that would appear in the Capital Weekly's first issue.
It was not until Tingxue came in to light the lamps and remind her to rest that Yun Shu finally set down her quill. Tomorrow, she would meet her new Grand Preceptor for the first time, and lessons resumed in the study hall.
—
The next day, Yun Shu arrived at the study hall before dawn, as always.
Her head rested on her hand as she dozed. Beside her, Cen Yiyi sat upright and quietly recited from her book.
Somewhere along the way, Yun Chuhuan must have run into Liu Ziming, for they entered the hall together. Yun Chuhuan was in the middle of animatedly recounting all the gossip he had gathered the day before.
Noticing that Yun Shu—who normally arrived right on time—had somehow beaten them today, Yun Chuhuan blinked in surprise.
Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he pulled out a thick stack of silver notes and strode up to her desk.
"Fifth Sister, the money!"
Bang!
Startled, Yun Shu's elbow slipped. Her forehead nearly smacked against the desk. She lifted her head, about to complain, but the sight of that thick bundle of banknotes instantly restored her spirits.
"Good morning, Sixth Brother!"
Whoever said people with morning tempers shouldn't be disturbed while sleeping?
If every wake-up call came with this kind of surprise, she wouldn't mind being roused twice a day.
In a splendid mood, Yun Shu lifted the ten thousand tael note and gave it a satisfied little tap, then patted Yun Chuhuan on the shoulder with a benevolent air.
"I promise, for every issue of the Capital Weekly from now on, you will be the third person to receive it."
"Third?"
Yun Chuhuan's expression fell.
"Why only third? I'm one of the founders of the Capital Weekly… Why should I be third!?"
===
Hi everyone! Just a little update from me (っ´▽｀)っ
Right now, I've officially finished translating this novel! The story's not over yet, so updates will keep coming as scheduled, but from my end, the work is done. (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡
As for my next project, I'll be diving into a post-apocalyptic rebirth story. The female lead is a mother who survived two years after the world ended, only to be reborn before the apocalypse began. In her first life, she was mistreated and used by her husband and his mistress. But in this second life, she's determined to protect her daughter and live for herself. Revenge? Oh, absolutely. But her child comes first.
Like most apocalypse+rebirth stories, she has a space with still-time storage. Alongside her daughter, she forms a small survival team: a male gym instructor, a college student, a women (I forgot her exact pre-apocalypse jobs) with her grandmother. Oh, and if I remember right... there's a dog too!
This isn't a zombie apocalypse, by the way—it's a full-blown natural disaster apocalypse.
What left the deepest impression on me was the twist near the end. I honestly didn't see it coming. Without spoiling too much, let's just say that by the final chapters, most of humanity is wiped out by a disaster so bizarre and illogical... it actually works as a narrative gut punch.
After that novel, I plan to return to ancient Chinese historical fiction, specifically set during the Qin Dynasty. It has some similarities to the current novel, but it's at least twice as long, with even more depth in kingdom building, strategy, innovation, and political maneuvering.
I'm also eyeing another historical novel where the female MC is the daughter of Wu Zetian, the first female Emperor of China. I haven't read the full novel yet, but the premise alone has me curious, so I've added it to my Upcoming Projects list. Both of these historicals are quite long, but I'm excited to tackle them!
On the flip side, I've decided not to pick up that popular novel about a female police officer transmigrating to ancient times, fleeing danger, and becoming an empress. While the story has its strong points, the heroine's core beliefs just don't align with mine. I enjoy kingdom-building and strategic development, but one of her major principles really grated on me. And since translation is more than just a one-time read, forcing myself to work on something I clash with would feel like mental torture (´-﹏-`). I wouldn't be able to bring my best to the table that way.
I might also start working on a yuri-themed ancient historical novel—daily updates, maybe one chapter per day. That one's still in the planning stages though, so no promises yet!
Thank you for reading my ramblings and for supporting my work! Stay tuned for more exciting stories ahead~ (≧▽≦)💕