Chapter 84

In fact, the large-scale production of cheap paper not only solved Tang En's long-standing toilet paper problem but, more importantly, gave him a tool to control public opinion.

Indeed, it was newspapers.

He had already created a simple printing press, and now with a large supply of cheap paper, the launch of a newspaper was only natural.

In this Prandall, controlled by the Enlightened, ordinary people's lives were still in the feudal era, and all information dissemination was severely lagging. Often, news from one place would take a month to reach another.

Of course, this only referred to ordinary news. For very important news, magical communication would be used, which could instantly transmit information to the farthest corners of the continent. Unfortunately, this method was extremely expensive, and ordinary news would never be transmitted this way.

In such an environment, launching a newspaper was one of the best ways to control public opinion within the territory. Tang En could learn from politicians on Earth, guiding public opinion by showing people what he wanted them to see, thus consolidating his rule here.

Originally, Tang En wanted to discuss with Fiona who would be in charge of the newspaper, but seeing her state just now, he figured it would be futile to approach her at this moment. So, he decided to formulate the first edition of the newspaper himself.

As for the newspaper vendors, those energetic teenagers who had no outlet for their energy finally had something to do. No one would report him for employing child labor here...

Suddenly, the residents of Ellington found something strange. In recent days, those children who usually ran around the streets playing had become very peculiar. They ran around the streets asking strange questions and came home at night looking mysterious and excited, as if they had encountered something very exciting...

When the adults asked them, they just laughed foolishly, leaving everyone very puzzled.

And the answer came three days later.

"Selling newspapers! Selling newspapers! Freshly printed Tang Dynasty Daily!"

"Why did One-Eyed Buck die a tragic death on the street?? Why did hundreds of beasts howl in the middle of the night?? Why were the soaps in the shops repeatedly stolen?? Why did the maids' clothes in the lord's house all disappear?? Why was the old widow's door knocked on every night, and was it a person or a spirit?? What secrets lie behind the death of the former lord, Hogg?? Is it a distortion of human nature or a decline in morality?? To find out the answers, please stay tuned to the Tang Dynasty Daily!"

On the streets of Ellington, a little boy, with a bag slung over his shoulder, ran and shouted, his words drawing the attention of people on both sides of the road.

"Isn't that Vitt? Why isn't he playing with those kids today? Instead, he's selling newspapers?"

Vitt smiled, showing his teeth. "Uncle Leonard, would you like a copy of the Tang Dynasty Daily? It has a lot of interesting news."

Vitt remembered that Uncle Leonard could read and would be a good customer.

"Tang Dynasty Daily?"

Leonard asked curiously, "What is that? And what is news?"

"The Tang Dynasty Daily is a newspaper published by the Tang Dynasty Press, established by Lord Tang En. It contains many interesting pieces of information. These recent interesting pieces of information are called news. How about it, are you interested in buying a copy? It's very cheap, just one silver coin."

"One silver coin!? Kid, that's worth ten good candles I sell!"

"You can't say that," Vitt countered with unusual eloquence. "Candles, no matter how good, can only be used for lighting at night, but this newspaper can keep you informed about the latest news in Ellington. It even publishes Lord Tang En's latest decrees and various job opportunities. This information is priceless, and besides, the newspaper is made of paper! Usually, a single sheet of paper costs ten silver coins, but now you get so many sheets for just one silver coin. You can even reuse it after reading. Do you still think it's expensive?"

Leonard, who was initially hesitant, felt that Vitt's argument made sense. Usually, a single sheet of paper was so expensive, and these newspapers had several sheets, all for just one silver coin. It was a great deal!

"Alright, I'll take a newspaper!"

Leonard owned a candle shop and was relatively wealthy in Ellington, so spending one silver coin on a newspaper was no big deal.

A few people nearby saw Leonard buy the newspaper and immediately gathered around. "Hey! Boss Leonard, what does the newspaper say?"

Leonard enjoyed the attention and opened the newspaper, reading aloud.

"Today's top headline: The Tang Dynasty Steel Mill is about to be established, and new job positions are open. According to information from Lord Tang En, the Tang Dynasty Steel Mill is under construction and will be completed in a few days. The steel mill, newly established, needs a large number of workers, so it is inviting applications from all over Ellington. Any man between the ages of sixteen and fifty who has the ability, ideas, and interest can apply at the recruitment office outside the lord's house. Once trained and successfully hired, the starting salary is at least ten gold coins per month! In addition—"

Just as he read the headline, there was a commotion around him.

"The steel mill has such good benefits!?"

"Ten gold coins a month! I applied when Lord Tang En recruited craftsmen, but only thirteen girls were hired. I thought Lord Tang En was biased, giving only girls a chance, but now we have a chance too!"

"Heaven! I must try!"

"Boss Leonard! Keep reading! What else is there!?"

Seeing everyone eagerly looking at him, Leonard cleared his throat and continued reading another piece of news.

"According to our investigation, the agricultural subsidy program promoted by Lord Tang En has been widely praised. Farmers in the surrounding villages of Ellington have truly benefited. Iron farming tools have greatly increased their efficiency, giving them more time to spend with their families and enjoy life. Some even have the energy to participate in the construction of Ellington, earning a second income..."

"The Tang Dynasty Chamber of Commerce's trade team has recently set out with our specialty, mint candies, and soaps, heading to the mountain city of Bain. They plan to open shops in Bain and establish a trade route to bring more diverse products and business opportunities to Ellington..."

"One-Eyed Buck and his men died tragically on the street, the reason being that Miss Fiona used a precious fourth-tier magic scroll, which is worth..."

"Exclusive news from our paper: According to an unnamed Miss Tina, a shocking incident recently occurred in the lord's house. The maids' clothes were all destroyed, and all clues point to Lord Tang En..."

"What!?"

"Impossible!?"

"How can this be!?"

This gossip instantly ignited everyone's enthusiasm, and they all stared at Leonard with wide eyes, eager for him to continue reading.

"Cough, everyone, let me rest a bit, then I'll read on."

Leonard felt very pleased and deliberately teased them, savoring the attention.

Seeing this, Vitt's eyes twinkled, and he shouted loudly, "All the news you want is in the Tang Dynasty Daily! Buy a copy and you can read it at your own pace without crowding together!"

Hearing Vitt's shout, everyone snapped back to reality and rushed to him to buy newspapers. When Leonard realized this, he found that everyone had already bought the newspapers and could only read his own copy in disappointment.

"What!? Sold out!?"

A few people who were too slow to buy the newspapers were immediately anxious.

"Don't worry! I'm out, but maybe Marshall and the others still have some!"

Vitt shouted, "Starting today, the Ellington newspaper boys will bring you a new issue of the Tang Dynasty Daily every day! Limited quantity, buy early!"

After shouting, Vitt slipped away.

Since it was the first issue, Tang En had not printed many copies, considering the habits of the residents. However, after receiving the report from Vitt and the others in the evening, Tang En realized he had underestimated the residents' acceptance.

The first day's print run of one thousand copies was completely sold out!

This greatly exceeded Tang En's expectations. In fact, when he finished printing the newspapers, he had thought of a very important issue.

Newspapers were primarily text-based, and the number of literate people in Ellington was probably not that high.

Now it seemed that the literacy rate in Ellington was not too low.

However, considering the issue of literacy, Tang En thought for a moment and decided to start a literacy column in the second issue, teaching people how to read and understand the newspaper.

This would not only help in promoting policies and controlling public opinion but also improve literacy, raising the average cultural level in Ellington, achieving multiple goals at once.

"Very well done, here is your pay for today."

He paid Vitt and the others ten silver coins each for selling newspapers, and with one thousand copies, that was one hundred gold coins. After deducting the cost of paper production, the profit was substantial—though Tang En didn't care much about this profit. He valued controlling public opinion and improving the efficiency of information dissemination more.

Vitt and the others left happily with their silver coins. Selling newspapers was faster than digging for mint grass, and they could earn three gold coins in a month, which was an unimaginable sum in the past!

Fiona was amazed, "Newspapers, this is your idea!?"

"How effective is it?"

"Very good! More than fifty people have already applied for jobs at the steel mill! Now the problem is how to screen them."

"Leave that to me. Remember, we can never have too many workers!"

The steel mill was a top priority, and more workers meant higher efficiency. Tang En didn't mind hiring a few more people.

However, he also needed to find someone else to manage the Tang Dynasty Daily—he couldn't spend all day as the editor writing gossip...

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