Chapter 47

"Can you really do it?" Tang Dazhanggu asked, his eyes wide open. Without mentioning the literary status of "The West Chamber," in terms of sales, it might be decades before a popular novel could match it.

"We can sign a contract. If I fail, I will compensate you. What do you think?"

"Good!" Tang Dazhanggu said happily.

Fang Yun said, "As far as I know, if a book is priced at ten coins, the Literary Academy and the court take four coins, the author, the bookstore, and the book distributor each take two coins. If I were to open a book distribution business, I don't know how long it would take to reach the level of Xuanting. Not only would my reputation spread more slowly, but it might even delay my literary rank. Therefore, I would choose to cooperate with your business. However, can we adjust the profit-sharing ratio?"

"I can make the decision. We will give you half a percent, and you will get two and a half percent," Tang Dazhanggu said.

Fang Yun smiled and said, "Tang Dazhanggu, you didn't say anything smart. This book will definitely sell well, and the share you give to each bookstore will be reduced from two percent to one and a half percent, which means your own share remains unchanged. I don't ask for much, just two and eight percent. What do you think?"

Tang Dazhanggu lowered his head, seemingly calculating carefully. After a long time, he looked up and said, "Alright! It's settled. I will contact the chief manager immediately to finalize the contract details and come back to you tomorrow. If other book distributors come to you, I hope you will honor the gentleman's agreement."

"Of course, unless you, Xuanting, give up first, I will not discuss popular novels with any other book distributors."

"Fang Shuangjia is a straightforward person, farewell!"

Not long after Tang Dazhanggu left, a servant from Li Wenyi's residence brought the Demon-Exorcising Pen. Besides two strong servants, there was also a Juren-level Nioman general escorting the literary treasure.

Fang Yun sensed something was watching him and instinctively looked up. He saw a huge eagle demon flying high in the sky. The eagle demon let out a cry and flapped its wings, then flew away.

"Truly a great scholar, even sending a gift requires two demons. His private army alone could probably wipe out an entire county," Fang Yun thought to himself.

The servant handed Fang Yun a brocade box containing the Demon-Exorcising Pen, then handed him two small boxes, saying they contained two pieces of Tianhuang stone for Fang Yun to use as seals. Finally, he said Li Wenyi wanted Fang Yun to carry the Demon-Exorcising Pen with him, especially in the city.

Fang Yun didn't understand Li Wenyi's intentions but knew he wouldn't harm him; otherwise, his literary spirit would have a problem.

The family members finished counting the Empress's gifts and started a fire to cook.

Jiang Pozi and Fang Da Niu were more excited than Yang Yuhuan, constantly talking about the Empress's rewards and praising Fang Yun. Jiang Pozi volunteered to make a cloth bag to wrap the Empress's edict, saying it was like the Imperial Sword.

Yang Yuhuan took a thin slice of Dragon Palace Blood Ginseng, washed it, and placed it in water. She then took half of the water and cooked a small pot of porridge for Fang Yun.

The porridge was fragrant, and the entire room was filled with a slightly salty, exotic aroma. Just the smell made one feel refreshed.

Yang Yuhuan placed the porridge in front of Fang Yun and said, "The person who brought the gift told me that ordinary people cannot eat Dragon Palace Blood Ginseng directly; they can only drink the water it is soaked in for about ten days before gradually consuming it. This is something dragons eat, and a small dragon is ten zhang long. Our human race can't handle it."

"You are weak, so let's split it in half," Fang Yun said.

Yang Yuhuan quickly declined, "You are a Tongsheng and can handle it, but I'm afraid my current body can't withstand such a powerful supplement."

"Alright, you can drink it after a few days."

Nunu looked at Fang Yun's porridge with longing, gently licking her lips with her small pink tongue.

Fang Yun, seeing her hungry look, smiled and asked, "Do you want to drink it?"

Nunu's eyes struggled for a moment, then she firmly shook her head and pointed to Fang Yun with her small, furry white paw.

"Do you want me to drink it?" Fang Yun asked.

Nunu nodded, put her two small paws to her mouth as if eating, then raised her arms, stood up on her hind legs, and her white fox fur fluffed up, making her look even bigger.

"Do you want me to eat it myself to make my body stronger?"

Nunu nodded vigorously.

Fang Yun smiled and patted Nunu's head, saying, "It seems you are a conscientious little fox."

Nunu immediately grinned and jumped happily.

After the meal, Fang Yun returned to his room and carefully examined the Demon-Exorcising Pen.

It was an ordinary small calligraphy brush, with a light brown handle and a gray-white tip. The handle, which was clearly made of ordinary bamboo, felt like jade in his hand and weighed about one pound.

Fang Yun took a deep breath, dipped the brush in ink, and started writing. He found that the brush was too heavy, making writing awkward. However, he decided to practice calligraphy with the Demon-Exorcising Pen since he would likely have to use it often in the future.

Unfortunately, he was still a Tongsheng and couldn't use the power of the Demon-Exorcising Pen through "talking on paper."

Fang Yun thought, "After today's events, Liu Zicheng will certainly use other means to attack me. I must be cautious and not leave the city until I master 'talking on paper.' As long as I stay within the range of the Holy Temple, he won't dare to kill me. I will also try to be low-key for the enrollment on the tenth of this month, otherwise, he will certainly use it against me."

"My foundation in the capital city is still weak, and I lack capable support. Once I become a Holy Scholar, even if you, Liu Zicheng, don't come to me, I will take the initiative to find you and eliminate this major threat!"

After practicing calligraphy, Fang Yun picked up a book called "Explanations of the Classics," which taught Tongshengs how to write classic interpretations for the scholar exams.

Fang Yun found a classic interpretation topic, "Seek and You Shall Find," and wrote an essay without using the power of the book, using the method taught by County Magistrate Cai He. He then evaluated it using the methods in the book.

Fang Yun analyzed carefully.

"My classic interpretation should not be at the lowest level, at least it should be at the middle level, or even the upper middle level. The weakness of my interpretation is the lack of depth and a comprehensive explanation of Mencius's words, and the thesis statement is not strong enough. However, the advantage is that, as a modern person, I have been exposed to a vast amount of information, which makes my 'thesis' and 'examples' exceed the level of ordinary scholars. The thesis is one of the important aspects of classic interpretations and policy essays."

"In simple terms, a classic interpretation involves first explaining the topic, then using your own examples or views to support the explanation, followed by citing the views of famous scholars to further support it, and finally concluding. The topic 'Seek and You Shall Find' means that by seeking and striving, one can achieve their goals. I used the examples of innocent children, reckless youths, and wise elders to argue this point, and then cited the words of a half-saint I learned a few days ago to support my view. The basic structure is sound."

"Next, I need to practice the ability to break down the topic, using the most incisive language to catch the examiner's attention from the start, then attracting them with a novel thesis, and finally writing in a way that aligns with the examiner's preferences by quoting the words of the sages."

"However, even if I need to cater to the examiner, I cannot violate my own principles! I am writing classic interpretations for my holy path, not for the exams!"

As Fang Yun thought this, he felt a slight tremor in the Literary Palace, and his talent became more refined, more effective than three days of continuous hard study.

Fang Yun was even more confident in his choice.

Fang Yun continued reading "Explanations of the Classics" for three hours before he began to understand its essence.

"The author of 'Explanations of the Classics' was originally an ordinary Jinshi from Jingguo, and he has a deep understanding of the structure of classic interpretations, which is very helpful to me. However, his thinking is too rigid, and he focuses too much on 'techniques,' while his understanding of 'methods' is lacking, let alone 'principles.'"

"The structure and transitions of a classic interpretation are techniques, while making the thesis statement profound and the thesis novel are methods. As for principles, they are ideas on par with the sages, which I currently dare not aspire to. Based on my inference, mastering techniques is enough to pass the scholar exam, but to pass the provincial exam, one must have their own methods, and to pass the imperial exam, one must master both techniques and methods to a high level."

"Principles, at least, can only be touched by Hanlins. No wonder the exams only go up to the imperial level, as principles cannot be measured by exams."

"I understand, 'techniques' can be clearly explained, but 'principles' and 'methods' cannot be taught through fixed patterns, which is why I noticed the book's shortcomings. To truly learn methods and principles, no one can teach you, and there are no shortcuts."

"Read more. Read a large number of classic interpretations by famous scholars and even the sages, even if they are not suitable for the exams. Their writings are like seeds, which may not be useful in the short term but will certainly sprout and form inspiration at critical moments."

"Think more. Reflect on what is good in others' classic interpretations, identify your own weaknesses and think about how to improve them, and consider how to strengthen your strengths."

"Write more. Reading and thinking are 'receiving,' not 'expressing.' Only by continuously writing can you learn how to express your ideas and thoughts correctly and achieve a balance between receiving and expressing."

"I have finished reading this 'Explanations of the Classics.'"

Fang Yun put the book away in the Book of Heaven and Earth without hesitation, and in the future, he would only skim it, not read it in detail.

Fang Yun continued to browse other related classic interpretation guide books. With experience, he no longer read them word by word but skimmed through them.

The moonlight at the beginning of the month was dim, and the room was pitch black, with no lamps or candles, but it did not affect Fang Yun's reading.

Soon, Fang Yun came across the early works of the great Confucian scholar Zhu Hongzhi, which also mentioned the importance of reading, thinking, and writing. He felt as if he had found a treasure and decided to buy all of Zhu Hongzhi's works the next day.

"Truly a great Confucian scholar, not only can he write, but he can also teach others. His classic interpretations are exemplary, with a tight structure, clear logic, and novel theses, equivalent to teaching step by step. This 'Starlight Collection' is truly a must-read for candidates. Unfortunately, other candidates cannot read as quickly as I can, or they may not have the luck to see it, or they may not understand its meaning. If they could understand this book, combined with other studies, passing the scholar exam would be more than enough."

Fang Yun solemnly put the 'Starlight Collection' in the Book of Heaven and Earth and closed his eyes to read it repeatedly.

When he opened his eyes, it was already four in the morning, and the sky was just beginning to lighten.

"Dragon Palace Blood Ginseng is indeed a good thing. I am still energetic. If I have a steady supply of Dragon Palace Blood Ginseng, two hours of sleep a day would be enough! This way, my chances of becoming a scholar this year will greatly increase."

Fang Yun left his desk and went to bed.