Chapter 32: Hundreds of Thousands of Taels in Monthly Advertising Fees!

As the influence of the newspaper grew, merchants in the capital quickly grasped its true utility. While the serialized stories and gossip columns primarily served as entertainment, the merchants saw real value in the mundane information tucked away in the margins. Whether it was a tavern or a teahouse, businesses saw their revenue multiply several times over under the influence of the newspaper’s reach. Conversely, once these establishments stopped advertising in the paper, their business would plummet. This was clear evidence of the newspaper’s immense power.

Countless merchants flocked to Qin Feng’s publishing house. Some even attempted to imitate Qin Feng by starting their own newspapers, but the imperial court quickly issued a strict prohibition. Emperor Zhu immediately issued an imperial decree banning private individuals from operating newspapers. Qin Feng had only been able to establish his publishing house thanks to his relationship with the Emperor and the Crown Prince, Zhu Biao. Having ruled for so many years, the Emperor understood the nature of newspapers perfectly: they controlled the people’s daily lives and, more importantly, their thoughts. If others were allowed to publish newspapers, the minds of the Ming people would not be unified, which was a prospect the Emperor could not tolerate.

Following Qin Feng’s advice, the Emperor ordered the ban on private newspaper operations. Thus, industries vital to the Ming economy—grain, salt production, steelmaking, firearms, newspapers, and banking—were all consolidated under state management.

At the publishing house, a long queue of merchants from the capital and beyond snaked out the door. Seeing the bustling crowd, Zhu Biao asked in surprise, "Sir! When did our Great Ming Newspaper become such a popular destination?"

"Didn't Your Highness ask me last time how the newspaper could earn millions in silver?" Qin Feng gestured toward the crowd. "Aren't they all here to deliver the money?"

Zhu Biao found it hard to believe. Suddenly realizing something, he lowered his voice and said, "Qin Feng! My father has people watching! You must not accept bribes."

Qin Feng rolled his eyes dramatically. "Your Highness, this is called renting out advertising space. These merchants are here to rent spots in our paper for their own benefit."

"What? Advertising space?"

Qin Feng pointed to the information in the margins. "These merchants are shrewd; they’ve realized the secret behind these snippets. As long as their shop information appears in the paper, their revenue multiplies. If it were you, Your Highness, wouldn't you want to rent this space too?"

Zhu Biao had a sudden epiphany. He spread out the newspaper and carefully counted the entries in the margins—there were hundreds of advertising slots! No wonder these wealthy merchants were scrambling to the publishing house; it was all for this highly coveted space. Some wanted to post job openings, others wanted to advertise their shops, and even matchmakers were competing to post marriage solicitations.

The sheer volume of information required a large staff to organize. Qin Feng had already requested that the Emperor send help to manage the records of those wishing to buy space. They tracked the duration of the ads, the desired placement, and the fixed prices, calculating the total fees accordingly.

Zhu Biao flipped through the ledgers, which were filled with dense records of ad purchases. His hands trembled as he saw the final sum: tens of thousands of taels! And this was only after a few days. At this rate, the monthly revenue could exceed hundreds of thousands, and by the end of the year, earning millions for the imperial treasury would be effortless.

Zhu Biao gasped. His teacher was truly extraordinary. He had once doubted Qin Feng’s abilities, but now he was a firm believer. He bowed to Qin Feng in shame. "Sir, I once doubted your vision for the newspaper. I was truly ignorant before you."

Qin Feng looked up, smiling. "Actually, I have many ways to earn silver for the treasury. I just felt this method required the least initial investment and was the easiest way to make a vast profit."

"I have complete faith in your wisdom now, sir," Zhu Biao replied.

"Enough with the polite talk. How about some practical appreciation?"

Zhu Biao looked at him, bewildered. Qin Feng grinned mischievously. "Can you help me settle the remaining copyright fees for Mr. Luo? I’m doing all this for the sake of the imperial treasury, after all!"

Zhu Biao was speechless.

Although Qin Feng had helped secure enough silver to last a person a lifetime, many officials in the court were green with envy. They assumed Qin Feng was lining his own pockets, never suspecting that he hadn't kept a single penny for himself—he couldn't even afford the copyright fees for Luo Guanzhong.

"Sir," Zhu Biao said, "I can speak to my father and have him allocate some funds to you. You have been working diligently for the court; you deserve a reward."

"That would be a great help, Your Highness. I’ve been raising funds for the court for so long, and I haven't even received a salary. Please, make sure to report this to His Majesty."

Seeing Qin Feng pleading poverty, Zhu Biao laughed awkwardly. "I will certainly speak on your behalf."

The rising cost of advertising space left many wealthy merchants feeling helpless. After all, the *Great Ming Daily* had become an indispensable part of life and the favorite publication of the people. To keep their businesses afloat, they had to pay up, or risk losing customers to competitors.

This, however, began to stir resentment among the elite. A group of disgruntled wealthy gentlemen conspired to meet with Hu Weiyong, hoping he could help them force the *Great Ming Daily* to remove the advertisements.

In the Fengtian Palace, the officials were gathered, clutching copies of the newspaper and whispering among themselves.

"Do you all have this paper? Qin Feng is using it to profit—how shameless!"

"The content is vulgar and corrupts public morals. Using such shallow material is a disaster for the nation!"

"Prime Minister Hu, let us impeach Qin Feng together for poisoning the minds of the people and harming the interests of the gentry."

With the Prince of Yan and Qin Feng yet to depart for their new posts at the river works, Hu Weiyong and his faction saw a window of opportunity. Hu Weiyong had come to the morning court with a mission. Once the Emperor sat upon the throne and the customary salutations were concluded, Hu Weiyong stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, I have a report!" he declared. "Qin Feng’s *Great Ming Daily* is vulgar and corrupts public morality. I implore Your Majesty to put an end to it! He uses it for personal gain, causing public outcry and rumors that he is embezzling from the imperial treasury. I beg Your Majesty to conduct a thorough investigation!"