The Abbot Has Been Found

"Tsk, Old Fang, I just looked outside, and it really is as you said. Today's newspaper is selling like crazy. What's so interesting about such nauseating writing? So many people like it. I saw many scholars joining in the excitement too."

Li Yuanzhao walked into the newspaper office with a puzzled expression, carrying a newspaper.

He had previously mocked Fang Zheng for the Northern Rong delegation interview.

Creating such nauseating content would simply lower the newspaper's standards, but who knew it would become a bestseller!

The readers were just commoners, yet they were discussing it enthusiastically.

Truly baffling behavior...

Fang Zheng sat with his legs crossed, munching on an apple. Seeing Li Yuanzhao return, he smiled and tossed him an apple.

"What did I tell you? The people love reading that stuff!"

"In my opinion, we should regularly create this kind of news. Have the newspaper station a few people at the Court of Diplomatic Receptions."

"Whenever there are foreigners, drag them over for interviews. At worst, give them some money."

Li Yuanzhao sat across from Fang Zheng, looking at him with disdain. "Didn't you say the newspaper couldn't publish fake news? How is this different from fabrication? Besides, this stuff has no value whatsoever!"

Fang Zheng shook his head. "How could this be fake news? Isn't life in the capital much better than those tiny countries? We're just helping them say what's in their hearts!"

"Moreover, this type of news actually has value. Not to mention it's good for newspaper sales, at least people feel energized after reading it! More confident! More patriotic overall!"

Speaking of patriotism, Fang Zheng had long noticed something was off.

Since transmigrating, he discovered that ordinary Great Jing people had virtually no patriotic sentiment.

Completely different from what he'd imagined. But after careful consideration, it wasn't hard to understand.

Studying history, you always identified with the rulers. Even the most down-and-out officials in history books weren't the same as ordinary people.

Common people could barely afford meat, and when the government conscripted soldiers, they'd want to crawl into any crack in the ground to hide.

But the capital was better off, obviously having some foundation in this regard.

"Hah! Ridiculous! Which Great Jing person isn't patriotic? Do they need to read this? This news is just a novelty for them. I don't think we need to keep making this kind of news." Li Yuanzhao said disdainfully. "This isn't called confidence, it's called insecurity! Composed tranquility, not being swayed by external things or personal gains and losses - that's what deserves to be called confidence!"

"When I lead our great army to decisively defeat Wutu! Then our Great Jing people won't need to read this stuff and will still be confident!"

You leading the great army?

Fang Zheng glanced at him.

Forget it, you've got a bit of that Tumu Incident student vibe...

"Your Highness speaks well, but they're ordinary people. Don't set the bar too high for them."

"Their wallets are empty - where would confidence come from? We can't help them get rich quickly, and we can't fight wars."

"So rather than improving ourselves, why not put others down first!"

"Besides, this is called a wealth code! If people like reading it, we'll give it to them daily. Won't newspaper sales skyrocket?"

Li Yuanzhao thought about it, looking at the apple core in his hand. "Seems to make some sense. Give me another apple."

"There aren't any left."

"Ah, I want to eat winter melons. Are there any in the market? Have someone buy some."

"There aren't any in the market, but there are some in the greenhouses in Taoyuan County. If Your Highness wants some, I'll have someone send some tomorrow."

"Greenhouses?" Li Yuanzhao's face showed confusion. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"It's growing crops indoors in winter, using stoves for heating so crops can grow in winter too. The technology isn't quite mature yet. I remember mentioning greenhouses to Your Highness before. Did you forget?"

Actually, greenhouses had been tested in Taoyuan County for some time. Emperor Jing had accidentally seen someone buying winter melons to eat during his first visit to Taoyuan County.

It's just that they were never promoted widely because they weren't economically viable. They could only grow some high-value vegetables and fruits for personal consumption.

Li Yuanzhao rubbed his chin. "Oh, I think I have some impression. So farmers can farm in winter too?"

I thank you on behalf of the farmers!

Fang Zheng smiled without warmth.

"Greenhouse yields are low, hard to control, and extremely expensive. You can only grow high-value vegetables and fruits."

"Plus the winter melons grown aren't very tasty - not sweet. Otherwise I would have sent some to Your Highness last year."

"Add some salt and won't they be sweet?"

Hearing him mention salt, Fang Zheng suddenly froze.

Salt... calculating by time, Xie Xian and the others should have already returned to Jianjiang. Wonder how things are going there.

It would take nearly another month to receive a reply.

If they continued investigating south, communication back and forth would be too troublesome...

"Old Fang! Old Fang, I'm talking to you. Did you hear me?"

"Ah? What did Your Highness say?" Fang Zheng snapped back to attention, seeing Li Yuanzhao looking at him excitedly.

"I said, why doesn't your Taoyuan County take this good stuff outside to sell for money?"

"I'll help you sell it in the palace! Sell each melon for ten or twenty taels, calling them health melons!"

"Melons that can grow in winter obviously have miraculous effects. Won't that make a fortune?"

Seeing his excited expression, Fang Zheng's face looked strange.

What had the Crown Prince become?

He was clearly transforming into an unscrupulous merchant! Like those health supplement salesmen who specialized in scamming old people.

Did Liu Jin teach him this? That damn eunuch actually led the Crown Prince astray!

When Imperial Father asks about this later, I'll have to set the record straight...

"Forget it, Your Highness. It's just a broken melon, edible or not - won't make much money. No need!"

"I think..."

"Stop moving around, you bastard!!"

Just as Li Yuanzhao was about to speak, shouting came from outside the door.

Then the door was pushed open.

Two young men entered, supporting a filthy old man. Seeing Fang Zheng, their faces lit up with joy.

"Oh! Master, we finally found you! We went to your house earlier but couldn't find you!"

Fang Zheng looked at the two men from Taoyuan County and quickly asked, "What's wrong? Who is this person?"

The two looked at each other in confusion. "Master, you don't recognize him?"

"This person was found on the mountain by our county's monkey-catching team. He's been cursing continuously. When we listened carefully, he seemed to be cursing you."

"After reporting to Master Ao Chen, he said to bring him to see you and ask if he's an important enemy!"

The old man had disheveled hair covering his face, still muttering.

"You won't die well... will go to the eighteenth level of hell..."

Fang Zheng frowned. "Push his hair aside."

Who was this? He had no memory of offending such a character, completely crazy.

When the hair was pushed aside, the old man saw Fang Zheng and immediately became agitated like he'd been stimulated, shouting loudly, "Bold demon! I can tell at a glance you're not human! Quickly show your true form!"

Demon?

Li Yuanzhao covered his mouth on the side, giggling.

Fang Zheng's face quickly darkened as he studied the old man carefully.

After staring for a long time, his expression gradually changed.

Wasn't this Hongcheng, the abbot of Fuyun Temple? How had he become like this? He'd even run to the mountains of Taoyuan County!

He couldn't have heard that he was in Taoyuan County and come for revenge, could he...

What a sin, what a sin!

"Abbot Hongcheng?" Fang Zheng asked cautiously.

Hearing someone call his name, Hongcheng suddenly stopped his continuous cursing.

Unbearable memories instantly flooded his mind.

Two streams of murky tears carved two furrows down his face...

"Fang Zheng, I'll @#$%^&*..."

"........"

Seeing he couldn't stop, Fang Zheng quickly stuffed the apple core from his hand into Hongcheng's mouth.

Hongcheng immediately wolfed it down...

Seeing his pitiful state, Fang Zheng also felt some sympathy.

This monk really had no grudge against him, yet he'd been hurt so deeply.

After sighing, he said to the two young men from Taoyuan County, pointing at Hongcheng, "Remember, this is Master's honored guest. He's lost his mind. Take him back to the county and find someone to settle him properly."

"Tell Ao Chen to help him find a couple of doctors to treat his illness, and give him a place to live. Then go back."

The two responded and turned to leave with Hongcheng.

Watching Hongcheng's retreating figure, Fang Zheng sighed. "Your Highness, this is the consequence of not studying Buddhism properly."

Li Yuanzhao said seriously, "Mm, let's put it in the newspaper."