Volume 2: Residence in the Capital Chapter 162 Let’s Change the Play
My teacher is a gentle, leisurely and elegant gentleman... It would be strange if Lu Sanlang thought so!
He couldn't understand why his ancestor Ge Yong, the emperor, and the craftsmen all thought that Zhang Shou was a gentleman who was oblivious to the world outside and devoted to studying mathematics? Looking at Zhou Jijiu, Luo Siye, and his father, it was clear that Zhang Shou only had a clean and elegant face, but in fact he was a cruel and ruthless person!
At this time, after watching the carriage leave, Lu Sanlang turned back unhappily. Seeing Zhang Shou also standing at the door, he was really nervous. After finally making sufficient preparations, he forced a smile and greeted him.
However, Zhang Shou simply turned around and walked back through the door, leaving him with only his back. Startled, he hurried to catch up, only to hear Zhang Shou say without even turning his head: "Take me to see the scholars who wrote books for you."
Lu Sanlang wanted to say that everyone was sleeping, but when he was about to say it, he felt that Zhang Shou might have a deeper meaning, so he ran forward to lead the way. When he arrived in front of a room, he pushed open the door and smelled a strong smell of alcohol. He quickly turned back and smiled apologetically, "I heard that after finishing writing last night , these people drank and made a scene, and didn't go to bed until dawn, so they definitely can't be woken up now."
It would be troublesome if they could be woken up. Maybe these people would talk nonsense in front of Zhang Shou and ruin his already poor reputation!
Zhang Shou certainly would not bother to wake those people up. He looked at several rooms in a row, and saw a drunk sleeping soundly in each room. The beds and furniture in the rooms were not exquisite, but they were neat and tidy, and the clothes that the scholars had not taken off in time were also made of good materials, so he had an idea in his mind.
Although the method is simple and crude, fundamentally speaking, Lu Sanlang's approach can be regarded as... curing diseases and saving lives?
The fat guy's three views are probably like this: only the rich have the right to be lazy, and the poor deserve to die of laziness and poverty! Therefore, I lock you up in a small dark room to save you, so that you can have enough food and clothing and become rich.
Thinking this in his heart, Zhang Shou turned around and quietly left the house. When he stood in the yard, he looked at Lu Sanlang and asked, "You lock people up here to write and write, and then use the rewards to buy houses and land for them. Do you think this is for their own good?"
"Of course!" Lu Sanlang blurted out these three words instinctively, then cursed himself for telling the truth, and quickly explained, "I give all the money to their families regularly. Some families' wives and sons rely on this money to live; some families' elderly parents also rely on this money to support; and some people are single, and with houses and land, they can get married in the future..."
Before Lu Sanlang could finish his words, Zhang Shou laughed and said, "How many copies of your book can you sell to allow them to have a house and land in such a short time?"
"Well, it's not the inner city, it's the outer city, just a small courtyard with a gate, and the land is also a few acres or tens of acres scattered around the capital, but at least the family is not without permanent property."
Lu Sanlang looked away with a guilty conscience, but when he saw Zhang Shou taking a step closer to him, he instinctively felt that something was wrong and quickly explained, "There aren't many people who can buy these books, but I bribed a few collectors to sell them together."
Thinking that things had come to this, he decided to speak out boldly.
"If the scholars in those stories want to pass the imperial examination and marry a daughter of a noble family, it is of course not just empty talk. They have to review before the exam and read the books of the eight-part essay anthology writers. There are naturally some rules. I have negotiated a deal with the corresponding anthology writers and added their book titles to the stories. This is naturally a win-win for both of us."
"Moreover, many people who have read my books will buy my new anthology because they want to read the sequel. But I will no longer supply books to the family of that shameless old man who claimed to be the best selector in Gyeonggi Province, whom you scolded, young sir!"
This little fat guy is really good at promotions like buy one get one free and product placement. He even turned it into a mutually beneficial industry!
Zhang Shou couldn't help but put his five fingers together and tapped the fat boy's forehead gently: "You have a good brain, but you have too many crooked ways! But do you think this crooked way can last long? Even if you have recruited 10 to 20 people now, others can recruit more, even if they just imitate your books, they can disgust you to death. You can't do this business for too long, so prepare to let them go as soon as possible."
"How do you know, young sir? It's definitely not as easy to do business now as before!" Lu Sanlang's eyes widened. Seeing Zhang Shou was about to leave, he hurriedly chased after him, saying, "There are more and more bookshops doing the same thing as me now. If it weren't for my San San Bookshop monopolizing Master Ge's books, other bookshops would have lost their business long ago because of Master Ge's reputation."
Of course, he is not afraid of losses. After all, the dividends from Tingyu Xiaozhu are long-lasting...
Therefore, these scholars can only make a living under him. If they go somewhere else, they might be squeezed to death!
Zhang Shou went straight out and got on the carriage. Seeing Lu Sanlang also squeezed in with a smile, he leaned his head out of the window and told Ah Liu to drive. After the carriage started steadily, he tapped the armrest with his fingers and said, "Books are too easy to be reprinted and imitated. Since you have a place like Tingyu Cottage behind you, have you ever thought of turning the book into other forms?"
"Young sir, you mean, drama?"
Seeing that Lu Sanlang had really thought of this, Zhang Shou smiled and said, "It's not a play, it's a drama. If it's a play, you have to think about how to write catchy lyrics, and find a famous singer with a good voice to practice with carefully, but if it's a drama, it's much easier. The most important thing is that it's more immersive than storytelling, because after all, it's played by people."
Zhang Shou briefly introduced the art form of drama to Lu Sanlang. Seeing that the little fat man's eyes lit up immediately and then he concentrated on thinking about the possibility of implementing it, he said leisurely: "Besides, how can the success in the imperial examinations in books be as interesting as acting it out? If we spend time on making the scenery well and choose a beautiful girl like Shieryu to play the role, it will definitely be very interesting."
"Wait a minute, young sir, let me think it over!" Lu Sanlang quickly stopped Zhang Shou from continuing. He rubbed his temples with the middle fingers of both hands and thought quickly. The more he thought, the more excited he felt, and the more excited he became, the more he thought.
And what Zhang Shou said next made him feel that the future was brighter.
"To perform like this, you don't need to sing or act , but you need a different kind of figure. Why not see if these scholars you support have any talent in this area? Besides, for the young ladies, the male lead must be handsome; for ordinary men, the female lead only needs to be beautiful..."
Zhang Shou casually told Lu Sanlang about the audience problem of performing a drama nowadays. Seeing people scratching their heads and almost wanting to do it immediately, he suddenly patted the armrest again and waited for Lu Sanlang to come back to his senses before continuing.
"Since ancient times, actors and actresses have been performing in operas, which is a lowly profession. So if Shi Er Yu were to perform, there might not be much resistance. However, scholars might like to hang out in brothels on weekdays, but it is hard to say whether they are willing to go on stage..."
"It's just a small matter, don't worry, young sir!" Lu Sanlang was already very excited, but he said with a smile, "What the world lacks most is people who dare to try! You know, why are there people willing to come to me to write these legendary stories? It's because the imperial examinations are too difficult to pass!"
At this point, the little fat man suddenly realized a problem. Zhang Shou casually gave him a good idea. He and Zhang Kang would discuss it later and it would be possible to get it done. In the future, it would definitely be a bigger business than the current bookstore. But the money earned would only be divided between him and Zhang Kang, which seemed a bit unreasonable.
Then, the clever little fat boy rolled his eyes and immediately came up with a brilliant idea. He approached Zhang Shou with a drooling face and said flatteringly: "Young sir, this is my first time doing this and I have no experience. How about you give me some guidance? I know you are very busy. So , young sir, as long as you are willing to give me some guidance, I will give you 30%... no, 40% of the shares!"
Zhang Shou just mentioned it casually, not seriously, but now Lu Sanlang was seriously planning to make this a business, and even planned to give him shares. He immediately lost his joking intention. After pondering for a long time, he smiled and said, "How come so many people underestimated you, such a smart person like you?"
Seeing that Lu Sanlang was so happy about the compliment, he said calmly: "It's only natural that you came to me for my idea. In this case, for the first play in the future, don't use those stories about passing the imperial examination and marrying a princess. I'll find another good story!"
Originally, he was just expressing his gratitude and investment, but now that he heard that Zhang Shou was willing to write the book himself, Lu Sanlang couldn't believe his ears. He thought he was indeed a mathematical genius, but if that was the case, what about Zhang Shou? But now, people actually say that besides mathematics, they can also write those fascinating legendary stories? This is simply unscientific!
But having said that, Lu Sanlang knew that the works written by the scholars he employed were just that good, and there was a huge difference between them and the well-known "Journey to the West" by Emperor Taizu. If he really wanted to perform it, a top star like Shier Yu might not be willing to do it, so he hesitated for a moment and nodded repeatedly.
The teacher and the student were chatting all the way, when suddenly, the carriage stopped without warning, and then Ah Liu's voice came from outside: "Master, the eldest lady is coming on horseback!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Shou heard the sound of horse hooves and quickly leaned out of the car window. The next moment, he saw Zhu Ying, dressed in red, riding a horse towards him. Not far away was the university archway in front of the Imperial College. Before she stopped, she shouted, "Ah Shou, is Lu Sanpang with you?"
