Chapter 008: The Five-Year Imperial Examination

Wang Fang also provided Fang Hong with some suggestions, such as the differences in materials, patterns, and quality levels; naturally, the prices for selling to ordinary citizens and to affluent households cannot be the same

"Oh, it really has been grown?" Wang Anshi exclaimed in astonishment

After several rounds of sparring, Fang Hongxun developed a great interest in the cards. When he heard Wang Lang passionately discussing marketing strategies, his eyes lit up like light bulbs

According to the commission method that he instructed Fang Hong to write down, it is essentially a rather primitive royalty calculation method, where a certain percentage of the selling price is given to the author based on the number of copies sold

Principal Hu Ai, as mentioned earlier, took charge of the Taixue with decisive action, employing rigorous measures to rectify a host of undesirable behaviors among the children of officials.

This time, Hu Shougong fell ill, and his parents did not notice. Hu Shougong was heartbroken, lying in bed, lamenting the autumn and spring in silence while secretly wiping away his tears, thinking, "Perhaps I should just die from this illness."

With Wang Fang and Sima Yan explaining the rules while playing, Hu Shougong and Li Laoer quickly learned the game

She gave Wang Fang an example, saying that an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor treated a girl by merely glancing at her stiff, immobile hands, and then he lifted his pipe to raise her skirt. At this, the girl was utterly humiliated and furious, quickly reaching out to hold down her skirt. As a result, her hands became free to move.

Sima Yan said: "What is there to it? In the past, there were people who cured local paralysis by lifting skirts."

This is the contract that Wang Fang brought home.

Wang Fang recalled Wang Anshi's stern face, feeling a moment of weakness, and immediately abandoned the thought of giving up literature to pursue medicine. He escorted Sima Yan to his doorstep and then slipped back home with the paper card in hand

Wang Fang was immediately somewhat impressed by Wang Anshi's acuity

Wang Anshi found Wang Wang's idea of "Five Years of Imperial Examination and Three Years of Simulation" quite novel, yet he did not show any outward expression and remarked, "Where do you get so many ideas from?"

Currently, the payment method for manuscript fees is generally a buyout, meaning that the publisher pays you a sum of money to print your manuscript, and once you receive this payment, any subsequent sales are no longer your concern

As the sky darkened, Wang Tang praised, "Sister Ayan, your medical skills are remarkable; you can even use playing cards to treat illnesses!" while escorting Sima Yan back.

Wang Wang and Sima Yan were still young, and Fang Hong could easily deceive and mislead them, swallowing all the profits for himself. However, after hearing the ingenious strategies that Wang Wang casually proposed, Fang Hong completely abandoned the idea of monopolizing the gains

Wang Tang and Wang Anshi have been competing for a long time, and he has long understood Wang Anshi's temperament. How could he not know that Wang Anshi is already inclined to act?

Fang Hong was completely bewildered

He and Sima Yan conspired for two days to create a set of primitive playing cards

Wang Anshi cast a sidelong glance at him

Wang Anshi was perplexed: "What is 'Five Years of Imperial Examination, Three Years of Simulation'?"

Wang Lang, sensing the favorable moment, quickly changed the subject: "Father, let me tell you, the leeks that my sister Ah Yan and I planted have grown quite long. In a few days, we will be able to harvest them for eating"

In this day and age, the paper industry is quite advanced. Wang Tang took a stroll and indeed found paper that met the hardness requirements of both him and Sima Yan

Once the market is fully opened, special commemorative editions can still be sold during holidays and festivals. Do not underestimate the purchasing power of collectors; as long as their interest is piqued, they are absolutely willing to spend a little more money—often, just a change in style or packaging will have them waving their cash and shouting "buy, buy, buy!"

After a while, other children came to see Hu Shougong. They watched for a bit and eagerly joined in. Soon, Hu Shougong, who was lying on the hospital bed, found himself unable to join the card game! He had just learned how to play, and feeling the urge, he anxiously got out of bed and rushed over to claim a spot.

Everyone was astonished by the picture book: this card can actually cure diseases!

Wang Anshi finished reading the contract that Wang Fang had handed over, and after clarifying the details of the matter, he nodded and said: "This contract is indeed quite unique. If this paper can be divided in such a way, can the sale of books also be divided in this manner?"

Wang Lang quickly began to deceive Fang Hong after learning about his character and abilities from Hu Shougong, preparing to lure Fang Hong onto the pirate ship

Fang Hong and Madam Hu exchanged greetings and walked towards Hu Shougong's house. Before even entering, Fang Hong could already hear the lively voices of children inside, and upon listening closely, he discerned phrases such as "pair of sevens," "pair of nines," "three eights beating four," and "straight flush"

It is uncertain whether emotions have affected his condition, but Hu Shougong's illness has worsened significantly; he has not gotten out of bed for over half a month. The doctor, upon arrival, was also at a loss, causing great distress to his parents and brothers.

Wang Lang is quite cunning; upon seeing outsiders arrive and just as a round was ending, he immediately stopped. Although a group of children had all played, it was utterly impossible for them to articulate the complete rules or draw out the entire set of cards.

Sima Yan sat beside Wang Lang, watching him showcase his skills, yet he was more aware than anyone else of what was truly happening. When a person has idle time, it is easy to let their thoughts wander, especially for a child like Hu Shougong, who had been overlooked since childhood. As long as something happened to divert his attention, his little worries would dissipate.

Wang Fang suddenly recalled that Wang Anshi was a prominent figure, and he encouraged Wang Anshi: "Father, since we are not going anywhere during the New Year period, why not engage in something meaningful instead"

Wang Anshi seemed to be deep in thought. Scholars often look down upon matters related to commerce, yet writing books and establishing theories is indeed a matter of great prestige. If his son were to succeed in his reckless endeavors, this model could be promoted in terms of royalties, allowing many scholars to earn an additional income to support their households—especially those from hetushu.com, who are quite reputable yet live in poverty.

Hu Shougong's distant uncle is quite adept at social interactions. Upon arrival, he did not directly propose to take a shortcut, but instead brought a large assortment of food and medicinal herbs to visit his distant nephew, Hu Shougong.

The paper was ready, and Wang Fang and Sima Yan diligently worked for two days to finally create the playing cards. Children always have a high acceptance of new things, and the four of them formed a group just in time to start playing cards

These two children are so small, yet their minds are already so sharp. Just imagine how extraordinary they will be when they grow a little older

Unfortunately, Sima Yan coldly shattered his thoughts: "You must first finish reading the Records of the Three Kingdoms on my father's bookshelf before you can explain how you know so many characters and so many skills"

In other words, Shou Gong is the second among the second, a fighter among the second, and has never been valued from childhood to adulthood

It is indeed very difficult to take shortcuts; even if you want to offer money, the other party may not necessarily accept it. If they are willing to accept your money, you should be grateful and consider yourself fortunate

Wang Lang actively proposed: "Uncle Sima said that the National Academy and the Grand Academy are frequently holding examinations now. I think you and Uncle Sima could collaborate to publish a book titled 'Five-Year Imperial Examination, Three-Year Simulation'!" His body is still small after all, and saying such a long passage is a bit tiring for him; he stopped after reporting the book title.

Wang Fang felt a bit sorry for Hu Shougong, but even if your parents' hearts are biased, you cannot win by trying to correct it, can you? You still have to find your own way out!

Wang Fang took the opportunity to have Fang Hong formally draft the contract. He and Sima Yan provided the card template and detailed gameplay. He was responsible for production and sales, and for each deck of cards sold, it was sufficient to pay him and Sima Yan one wen each.

According to Wang Wang's thoughts, he prefers to play "Three Kingdoms Kill," a card game he learned after meeting with other national team members during the World Olympiad. This game holds significant meaning for him

This matter must begin with the grandson of Principal Hu Lai.

Wang Lang was astonished and exclaimed: "This is an even higher level, using trickery to treat illnesses! Sister Ayan, do you take disciples? I also want to learn some medical skills, especially this miraculous method of lifting skirts to cure diseases!"

Generally speaking, the eldest son is valued, the youngest son is cherished, while the middle child is the most pitiful, often overlooked in times of sadness and distress

Sima Yan : `` ... ... ''

Of course, that is the greenhouse I built with my sister Ayan!" Wang Wang said proudly. In fact, the greenhouse is less than one meter high, quite small, just enough to grow a few bunches of chives

Wang Fang can only temporarily set this idea aside. After all, with their current level, they cannot recreate the beautiful cards of later generations. It is better to start with the set of red bricks, plum blossoms, hearts, and spades to introduce these children to the basics. At least they will become familiar with the numbers, and after playing, they will definitely count one, two, three, four, five, six, seven!

This is both about publishing a book and making money; in the future, if things turn sour, it shouldn't be too absolute, right

With such a small amount of money, Fang Hong naturally agreed readily. Although this item is easy to replicate, the market is vast, and after just one demonstration, anyone can play it. Fang Hong is confident that he can sell it to every household.

Sima Yan glanced at him and said, "If you want to be beaten to death, then go ahead and try it." Such unconventional methods, if they were not sufficiently shocking, would not have been passed down through generations among those studying medicine

Wang Fang said: "Let me count for you, Sister Ayan said that Uncle Sima was a successful candidate in the first year of Baoyuan, and you, Father, were a successful candidate in the second year of Qingli, which is a gap of five years!" He slowly analyzed the meaning of the book title for Wang Anshi, "You and Uncle Sima should each organize the recent examination questions and solution examples from the last few rounds of the imperial examinations. There is no need to select other articles for the topic-breaking essays; both you and Uncle Sima are in the top ten, so you can directly use your own! And the *illustrated* book represents five years of imperial examinations! For the three-year simulation, you and Uncle Sima should review the past examination questions and create a few sets of simulation questions for the students to practice."

Wang Fang had a private stash of money, and that day he urged the Wu family to take him outside to select some paper

Hu Shougong has a close friend, the second son of Professor Li Ziyi's family. This second son, Li, is honest and straightforward, having inherited his father's square and upright face. (Indeed, Li Ziyi is the professor whom Wang Fang first saw teaching when he sneaked into the Guozixue.) After getting to know Wang Fang, he realized that Wang Fang is quite clever and secretly entrusted him to find a way to help Hu Shougong resolve his inner turmoil.

Principal Hu has many grandchildren, all of whom are taught exceptionally well. However, no matter how fairly he tries to treat them, there will always be instances of favoritism towards his own children and grandchildren

However, this matter cannot be rushed; if we act too hastily, they may notice something unusual.

To offend two individuals who are sure to become very influential figures for a small amount of money is completely inconsistent with Fang Hong's principles of handling affairs

Principal Hu has three grandsons, and their father is the second in rank; their father has three sons, and he is the second in rank.

Wang Lang nodded and said, "It is certainly possible to establish a contract."

Principal Hu has a grandson named Hu Shougong. This child is seven years old this year, exceptionally intelligent, but somewhat unfortunate

This method of remuneration is quite friendly to authors who sell only a few copies, as they would hardly earn much based on the number of copies sold; however, for authors whose books sell well, this buyout method can be quite disadvantageous, as even if they sell thousands or tens of thousands of copies, they would only receive a pitifully small fee.

This is actually one of the strategies devised by him and Sima Yan, aimed at finding ways to continually deepen the relationship between their fathers

Unexpectedly, on the following day, guests arrived at Principal Hu's home. They were Hu Shougong's distant uncle, Fang Hong, who was also a bookseller. He came to seek a connection through Principal Hu.

Fang Hong glanced at the cards on the low table, curious enough to want to scratch his head in confusion