I traveled back to the Qin Dynasty, and the First Emperor begged me to become his empress.

Chapter 407 Wang Wan Launches an Attack

In less than a day, the contents of the newspaper spread like wildfire throughout Xianyang. Whether on the streets or in the alleys, or during leisure time, the topic of conversation almost always revolved around the trade fair.

However, this situation has caused dissatisfaction among many officials. They can't help but wonder why they haven't heard of many important government orders, such as this trade fair. What exactly is this trade fair? What's so special about it? Why are they all unaware of it?

On the contrary, these ordinary people knew everything about the trade fair? This was unacceptable to those officials who always thought highly of themselves; they felt their authority had been challenged.

So Wang Wan went to see Ying Wuyou, who was then considering when to begin distributing the guarantee in smaller installments. Just then, a guard rushed in to report: "Princess, Prime Minister Wang Wan requests an audience."

Ying Wuyou frowned slightly: "Prime Minister Wang? What brings him here?"

The guard whispered, "The Prime Minister is holding a newspaper, and his expression is grim."

Ying Wuyou knew trouble was brewing. She straightened her clothes and said, "Please let the Prime Minister in."

Wang Wan was about fifty years old, with a serious face and steady steps. He entered the hall with a newspaper in his hand and a gloomy expression.

"This old minister pays his respects to the princess." Feng Quji bowed, but his tone was not very respectful.

Ying Wuyou remained calm: "Prime Minister, there's no need for such formalities. May I ask what brings you here today?"

Feng Quji held up the newspaper in his hand: "This old minister dares to ask, was this item created by the princess?"

“Exactly,” Ying Wuyou readily admitted. “This is a newspaper I created specifically for the trade fair, hoping that merchants from all over the country will see it and come to the trade fair held in Xianyang.”

The King of Qin glanced at Wang Wan standing beside him, and Wang Wan spoke up: "Does the princess know that official documents are always copied and distributed uniformly by the Prime Minister's office? Such an important matter has never been mentioned by the princess in court; how can it be casually published in newspapers? What kind of decorum is this!"

Ying Wuyou, neither humble nor arrogant, replied: "Prime Minister, you are wise. All the edicts published in the newspapers have been approved by my father, and their contents have undergone rigorous review. Moreover, newspapers allow government decrees to spread throughout the country more quickly, which is beneficial to the nation and its people."

"Absurd!" Wang Wan raised her voice. "How can the dissemination of written words be so arbitrary? If everyone can read newspapers, where is the system of etiquette? Where is the hierarchy?"

A flash of anger crossed Ying Wuyou's eyes, but he quickly calmed down: "Prime Minister, you are mistaken. Since Shang Yang's reforms, the Great Qin has governed the country by ensuring that 'profits come from a single source.' Newspapers are the best way to unify the dissemination of information; how can you say it's 'arbitrary'?"

Wang Wan was momentarily speechless after being refuted, her face growing even more ashen: "Princess, your words are eloquent; this old minister cannot refute you. But this old minister will certainly report this matter to His Majesty for his decision!"

After saying this, he turned and left. The atmosphere in the hall became heavy for a moment.

Cui'er said worriedly, "Princess, offending Prime Minister Feng... I'm afraid..."

Ying Wuyou raised his hand to stop her from continuing: "It's alright. Prime Minister Wang represents the conservative forces; they fear change because it will shake their privileged status. But for Qin to become strong, it must constantly innovate."

Her gaze was resolute: "The newspapers must continue, and the trade fairs must proceed as scheduled. I will personally explain to my father the value of these new things."

That afternoon, Ying Wuyou was summoned to the King of Qin's study. To her surprise, the King of Qin was also holding a newspaper, but his face showed no anger.

"Jiayang, was this newspaper your idea?" King Qin asked bluntly.

Ying Wuyou readily admitted, "It was your son's doing. I believe that movable type printing, combined with newspaper distribution, can greatly improve the efficiency of conveying government orders and promote the flow of commercial information, which will be of great benefit to the preparation of the trade fair."

The King of Qin flipped through the newspaper: "Prime Minister Wang believes this action violates the rules of propriety."

Ying Wuyou remained calm and composed: "Father, you are wise. As Shang Yang once said, 'A sage neither follows the ancients nor innovates in the present. To follow the ancients is to fall behind the times; to innovate in the present is to be hindered by circumstances.' If Great Qin wants to become strong, it must be bold in innovation, not cling to the old ways."

The King of Qin gazed at his daughter for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter: "What a fine 'neither following the ancients nor adapting to the present'! Jiayang, you have more courage than your brothers. This newspaper is well-run; I approve it!"

Ying Wuyou was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Thank you, Father!"

The King of Qin then said sternly, "However, the content of the newspapers must be strictly reviewed, and inappropriate remarks must not be disseminated. Also, I will appease Prime Minister Wang, but you must also save him some face."

“Your subject understands,” Ying Wuyou replied respectfully.

Leaving the Qin King's study, Ying Wuyou breathed a long sigh of relief. The first obstacle had been overcome, but the road ahead was still long. She knew that Wang Wan would not give up so easily, and the trade fair and the newspaper would face even more challenges.

Sure enough, at the court meeting the next day, many officials unanimously pointed their fingers at Princess Jiayang, Ying Wuyou.

An official, his face grave, stepped forward, bowed to the king on the throne, and said sternly, "Your Majesty, I believe there are many improprieties regarding the newspaper launched under Princess Jiayang's direction. Before its publication, it was not discussed at all in court, and the matter of the trade fair was not mentioned at all. The morning court session is an important venue for discussing national affairs and decrees. Princess Jiayang did not mention these proposals in the morning court, so we ministers neither passed them nor were we even aware of them. Yet now this newspaper has been widely circulated among the people, making these matters known to everyone. This is truly unbecoming! I implore Your Majesty to severely punish Princess Jiayang to uphold justice!"

No sooner had the official finished speaking than the other officials in the court echoed his sentiments. Immediately, a chorus of criticism arose, one after another. Some officials exclaimed with deep distress, "How can such an important matter be handled so carelessly!"

Some shouted angrily, "Princess Jiayang's actions are utterly disregard for court rules!"

Some officials sighed with worry, "If this continues, the country will cease to exist!"

Ying Wuyou stood calmly to the side and said unhurriedly, "My lords, the purpose of publishing this newspaper is to inform the people of more things, and the trade fair is to promote the prosperity of our Great Qin's commerce. As for the government decree, it was my oversight, and I will definitely improve it in the future. But the fact that the trade fair has spread so quickly shows that the people are interested in it, which is beneficial to Great Qin."

Just as everyone was whispering and gossiping, and some were even eager to step forward and criticize Ying Wuyou, the King of Qin suddenly spoke up: "Jiayang is quite right; the trade fair will indeed bring many benefits. As for the transmission of government orders, I have long known about it. Considering that Jiayang has always been in charge of commercial affairs, and that you ministers know very little about them, I did not ask Jiayang to submit a memorial. However, Jiayang, you still need to pay more attention to this matter. Alright, let's leave it at that; there's no need to discuss it further."

The King of Qin's words were like a stabilizing force, instantly silencing the officials who had been itching to speak. They looked at each other, still harboring resentment, but seeing that the King had made such a statement, they dared not utter another word and could only suppress their grievances for the time being.