Chapter 009: The Gift System

Su Ze watched the newsboys hawking their wares along the street. Well, there went another potential get-rich-quick scheme for a transmigrator.

He called over a newsboy and, pulling out a copper coin, asked, "Is this the latest Di Bao?"

The boy replied hurriedly, "Rest assured, sir, this is the very latest gazette freshly printed by the Jinzou Court!"

The Jinzou Court was the government office responsible for the transmission of official documents. Beyond this, it held another function: compiling political affairs into collections to be distributed to various government offices and local prefectures—this was known as the Di Bao.

Official gazettes were, naturally, imperial documents and could not be sold on the street. What these newsboys sold were pirated copies, transcribed by merchants who hired scribes to copy the contents. The merchants of Bianjing were truly resourceful. Su Ze had only encountered Fan Zhongyan’s procession entering the capital that morning; the Jinzou Court had likely compiled the gazette in the afternoon, and by evening, the merchants had already recruited scribes to finish copying it so the newsboys could sell them at the night market. It seemed that being quick was not just the specialty of Hong Kong reporters; those in the news business, both ancient and modern, domestic and foreign, all played by the same rule of speed.

The people of the Great Song Dynasty possessed a fervent passion for politics, and the citizens of the capital were particularly fond of discussing state affairs. Since Fan Zhongyan’s arrival in the capital was a major event, the newsboy was quickly surrounded by passersby. Seeing his companions’ copies all sold out, the boy asked impatiently, "Sir, are you buying or not?"

Su Ze handed over the copper coin and was given a pirated gazette that reeked of ink. Having no money for lamp oil at home, Su Ze, like the other passersby, simply read under the lanterns of the shops along the street.

The top story was, naturally, the matter of Fan Zhongyan’s audience with the Emperor. The gazette clearly stated that Fan had been summoned to the capital due to the military situation in the Northwest. However, Su Ze knew that Emperor Renzong holding a consultation in the Tianzhang Pavilion meant this was far more than a simple inquiry about border warfare.

The Tianzhang Pavilion had been built by the late Emperor Zhenzong to house the imperial collection of calligraphy and writings. In the Song palace, every hall and pavilion held profound political significance. First, the appointments of scholars within these pavilions—such as a Scholar of the Tianzhang Pavilion or a Scholar of the Longtu Pavilion—were prestigious career milestones; to become a high-ranking official, one had to hold such a library position. The famous Bao Qingtian of later years, "Bao Longtu," earned his moniker from his tenure as a Scholar of the Longtu Pavilion. Of course, the current Bao Zheng was still serving in an outlying prefecture and had not yet reached that rank.

Moreover, the Emperor receiving ministers in the Tianzhang Pavilion was a significant political signal. Originally, the pavilion was a place for Emperor Zhenzong and his ministers to appreciate paintings and calligraphy. However, since Renzong’s accession, his choice to receive ministers there to discuss military strategy and state affairs had become the highest honor bestowed upon them.

Recalling his historical knowledge, Su Ze knew that Fan Zhongyan would be appointed Chancellor in the third year of the Qingli era, marking the beginning of the "Qingli Reforms." Although it was only the second year of Qingli, Emperor Renzong likely already harbored thoughts of reform, hence the summons to discuss the Northwest border.

The mountains were looming, and the winds were rising! A reform was always a fierce clash between old and new forces. Though the Qingli Reforms would not last long, they had a profound impact on Northern Song politics. If he wanted to pass the imperial examinations and become an official, he would inevitably be drawn into the fray.

Tucking the pirated gazette under his arm, Su Ze found his clothes stained with low-quality ink. These pirated copies were hand-copied by scribes using poor paper and ink, riddled with typos. Yet the two books Zhang Chulan had brought him today were block-printed. Bi Sheng should be of this era, shouldn't he? Could he use the Peach Blossom Spring to improve upon movable type printing? Perhaps he could make a fortune in the newspaper business after all.

Lost in thought, Su Ze finally arrived home. The next morning, he couldn't wait to grab the *Story of the Peach Blossom Spring* from his bedside, clutch the Champa rice seeds, and enter the Peach Blossom Spring. After a brief wave of dizziness, Su Ze opened his eyes to find himself standing on the Peach Blossom Dock.

The realm had changed. The pink mist that originally shrouded the surroundings had receded, revealing a plot of farmland about one mu in size. The Guide Spirit sat on the ground, looking listless. Beside the field stood a simple thatched cottage, and there, "A-Nong," the Epic-grade Agricultural Spirit with wheat ears atop his head, was busy weeding the fields. White clouds drifted leisurely—a true paradise on earth.

Seeing Su Ze, A-Nong put down his hoe, walked over, looked up, and held out his hand. "Where are the seeds?"

Su Ze handed over the bag of Champa rice seeds. A-Nong opened it, cupped the golden grains in his palms as if admiring a rare treasure, and after a long moment, exclaimed, "Plump and round—top-tier grain!"

Satisfied, A-Nong rummaged through his belongings and pulled out a book, handing it to Su Ze. "This is the wisdom I’ve gathered from farming all these years. Take it, Master of the Peach Blossom Spring!" With that, A-Nong picked up his hoe and returned to the [Low-grade Dry Field] to continue his work.

The Guide Spirit floated over, clicking his tongue in amazement. [I never expected A-Nong to give someone a gift! If you give the right gifts, the Spirits will provide suitable returns.]

Su Ze understood; this was essentially a "favorability" system, common in farming games. He opened the book—a crudely bound manuscript. It was written in the popular vernacular of the time, simple and easy to understand, containing a summary of agricultural techniques through the ages along with insights on seed breeding. Su Ze was delighted; in the hands of an official who understood agriculture, this book could be invaluable. He carefully stowed it away. So, that was the benefit of recruiting Spirits.

The Guide Spirit added, [In a month, A-Nong will harvest the rice!] [How about that, Master? You see? Keep collecting the Aura of Literature, and you can build even more in the Peach Blossom Spring!]

Su Ze was very satisfied. If he could harvest crops every month, his food issues would be solved. For a mere 10 points of Literary Aura, this was a great result, and he felt more confident about his future. Thinking about the upcoming banquet at Wang Anshi’s home, he wondered how much Literary Aura he could gather there to build even more facilities. Even if he failed to become a jinshi, he could still survive in the Northern Song. Such a life wouldn't be half bad.

"Send me back."
[Returning! Returning!]

When Su Ze opened his eyes again, he was back in his dilapidated room. After putting some dried fish in Yan Zhixue’s food bowl, he took the gifts he had bought yesterday and set off for the address written on Wang Anshi’s stationery. He did not notice, however, that two shadowy figures were trailing him.