Chapter 327

Chapter 327 Guangming Newspaper Office

The next day, Wei Yu took Bai Feiyu to the Newspaper Agency’s office.

Wanting to run a Newspaper Agency, how could there not be an office?

Because it was official, the Imperial Court had approved funding. There was no suitable place inside the Imperial City to build the Newspaper Agency, so the Fifth Prince directly bought a nice mansion within the Inner City and refurbished it into the Newspaper Agency office.

On the day of naming, Wei Yu even knew about it. His father and the Fifth Brother were too lazy to come up with a name and pushed this responsibility onto him. Wei Yu immediately named it “Guangming Newspaper Office”…

Although his father was a bit displeased at the time, he didn’t oppose it, so the mansion’s plaque was hung with the four big characters “Guangming Newspaper Office.”

The Guangming Newspaper Office was established near the West Market in the Inner City. The entire mansion occupied a considerable area; it used to be a private residence of a fourth rank official who had been transferred out of the capital, which was why the mansion was vacant.

Residents nearby all knew about it. They had seen the plaque on the mansion change.

The previous owner’s plaque, some “So-and-so Residence,” was understandable—at least literate people could read and know what it meant. But the new plaque, “Guangming Newspaper Office”?

Sorry, the people around really couldn’t understand what it meant.

They recognized each character individually but the combination made no sense to them.

Especially after the new occupants moved in, the main gate was never closed during the day. The people coming and going all seemed to be officials!

Don’t ask how they knew—because they had seen several people dressed in official uniforms entering.

Officials gathering with the gate wide open, not hiding anything? Even the most knowledgeable commoners had never seen this before.

Curiosity led to inquiries; inquiries led to clues.

Moreover, the Newspaper Agency matter was not some Imperial Court secret. Many officials’ households were aware of it. After some word spread among the locals around the Newspaper Agency, the Guangming Newspaper Office was no longer a secret.

Although the newspaper hadn’t officially been published yet, to be honest, many people throughout the capital genuinely wanted to see the newspaper’s true form!

Noblemen and commoners alike.

Because nobody knew when the Newspaper Agency would officially release the paper, every day some busybodies watched the main gate, hoping to see which officials came today.

Thinking that the newspaper’s content was all painstakingly created by these officials, and that ordinary people could get to see it for a little money, many good-for-nothings were in high spirits.

Some sat nearby on tea shop stools with their legs crossed, idly gazing around, when suddenly a spacious and exquisite carriage arrived and stopped before the Guangming Newspaper Office’s gate.

The carriage, the horsemen escorting it… at the sight of the entourage, the tea shop customers shuddered and quickly put down their legs.

This was no ordinary visit!

No official they’d seen around before had such a grand setup!

Even the Upright King, who had been seen before, didn’t have this kind of grandeur.

The carriage stopped, and the horsemen dismounted. People at the front lifted the curtains and moved stools to prepare for the noble passengers to disembark.

The people drinking tea all stretched their necks, eager to see who had arrived.

Then they saw a thin and weak… young master?

Some frowned suspiciously.

No, that didn’t look like any young master! Whose son dressed so plainly these days? No jade belt or waist ornament—didn’t match the grandeur!

Just as doubts arose, the frail young man stepped down from the carriage, and then another person emerged.

This one instantly relaxed the brows of the folks in the tea shop, nodding repeatedly.

Wearing a jade crown, an ivory-white robe embroidered with floral patterns, wide sleeves like clouds, a wind-swaying jade belt.

Yes, this one fit!

Although short and even skinnier than the first, this one looked like a genuinely noble young master!

Satisfied with their own judgment, someone was about to raise their teacup to drink when yet another person came out of the carriage.

This person bent down to step out of the carriage and straightened up. Tall and slender, clad in a moon-white brocade robe with subtle floral patterns, hair held with a white jade crown, holding a folding fan, delicately lifting the robe and dismounting. His demeanor was calm and refined, showing youth and charm.

Before the people in the tea shop could get curious, he seemed to inadvertently glance their way.

The sunlight fell just right on his striking and delicate face, noble yet elegant in posture, giving off a sense of solemnity like a pine breeze and clarity like spring moonlight and willow.

With one glance, he turned his head away while fanning himself.

Only after the three young men entered did anyone in the tea shop speak.

“Hey, which family do these three young masters belong to? Seems like we’ve never seen them before?”

“They look extraordinary. Even though there are no official rules for their carriage, look at those escorts. Not even the marquis’s sons have such a big entourage when going out.”

“Hiss… speaking of which, doesn’t anyone feel like the last young master looks kind of familiar? I think I've seen him somewhere before?”

Once these words were said, laughter and rebuttals immediately followed.

“That’s obviously a nobleman. You, who wander the streets and alleys, where would you have seen him? Don’t try to climb the social ladder!”

The one who said this smiled sheepishly. Although embarrassed inside, he felt the other’s words made sense, so the vague feeling of familiarity was quickly dismissed.

Some scoffed at the “familiar” feeling, but others pondered.

The man who had been sitting with legs crossed blinked, his gaze flicking back and forth between the carriage and the plaque, looking distracted.

How to say it? He, too, found the last young master familiar, especially when that young master glanced in his direction, the careless way he fanned himself was just like…

“Pat.”

A cup fell to the ground. The man’s eyes widened, and he abruptly stood up.

“Oh! I remember now!”

He turned toward the astonished people in the tea shop, his face full of the thrill of a jackpot winner. “I remember who that young master is! Ninth Wise King! That one is the Ninth Wise King!”

The Wise King rarely showed himself, but recently people had often seen the Upright King—both sons of the Emperor, they actually looked quite alike, especially when fanning themselves. Both had that carefree, spoiled playboy aura.

As for why he was so sure it was the Wise King and not another prince—well.

He smiled half joking, half serious: “Back when my maternal family was trapped by loan sharks, about to sell off their children and house, if not for the Ninth Highness exposing the loan shark plot and prompting an Imperial Court investigation, who knows what state my family would be in now!”

The man excitedly rubbed his hands, eyes slightly red as he looked towards the direction of the carriage, shining with excitement. “Your Highness saved my maternal family; later, he also helped my distant cousin’s family in Danzhou who almost got cheated by salt smugglers. Such a great person—I could never forget the Ninth Highness!”

He only regretted not recognizing him at first glance!

Tsk, His Highness was so low-key. He has grown taller and more handsome in these two years but I didn’t even know!

So annoying.

Those in the tea shop looked at the man speechless, exchanging glances, clearly seeing the confusion in each other’s eyes.

Loans, salt smugglers…

Why was this family plagued by so many troubles?

Did all troubles seem to happen to his family?

Better to stay far away—bad luck…