A fierce wife enters the house: She helps up a house full of spineless people.

Winter has arrived, in November.

Before the first snowfall, a chill had already crept into the capital city along the long streets. However, today, the streets of the West Market were a scene of bustling activity and excitement.

After more than three months of secret preparations, the "Daliang Bookstore," with its plaque personally inscribed by Emperor Liang Song and under the full leadership of Crown Prince Liang Heng, finally opened in the West Market.

As soon as the auspicious hour arrived, deafening firecrackers resounded through the sky. Amidst the flying red paper scraps, the red silk covering the plaque was suddenly ripped off, revealing the four gilded characters "Daliang Bookstore" shining brightly in the thin winter sun, exuding an unapproachable imperial majesty.

The area in front of the bookstore was already packed with onlookers and students who had come after hearing the news. Crown Prince Liang Heng, dressed in a bright yellow python robe, stood tall and elegant on the high steps, his expression dignified yet gentle. Liu Qingfeng, the Vice Minister of Works, stood to his side and slightly behind him, holding a bright yellow notice and reading aloud:

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: In consideration of the hardships faced by students throughout the land in their pursuit of knowledge, the Great Liang Bookstore is hereby established. All citizens of Great Liang are permitted to enter and purchase books. From this day forward, the Four Books and Five Classics, along with other classic texts from various schools of thought, will be sold at affordable prices! Furthermore, all students of Great Liang, upon presentation of proof of their place of origin, can obtain a free 'Great Liang Student Card,' which entitles them to discounts on book purchases and allows for free trial reading within the bookstore. After the spring, the Imperial Court will also establish libraries in various prefectures, where students with their student cards can borrow books free of charge!"

Upon hearing this, the crowd fell into a deathly silence, followed by a deafening roar of exclamations.

"Sold at a low price? May I ask Your Highness, how much does a copy of the Analects cost?" A poor scholar, wearing a faded blue robe and shivering from the cold, mustered his courage and asked loudly.

In the past, in bookstores controlled by aristocratic families, such a book would cost at least several taels of silver, which was simply beyond the reach of poor families like theirs.

Liang Heng smiled slightly and held up two fingers: "One hundred coins!"

With a loud "boom," the crowd erupted in chaos.

"One hundred coins?! How is that possible!"

"We don't even have enough money to buy cheap, low-quality paper!"

"Is Your Highness making fun of us?"

Liang Heng didn't explain further, stepping aside to clear the doorway: "Gentlemen, please come inside and see for yourself!"

Students flooded into the spacious and bright Daliang Bookstore like a tidal wave. Upon entering, everyone was stunned by the scene before them. There were no imposing counters, nor were there any shop assistants watching them like thieves.

In the spacious shop, rows of neat open wooden bookshelves extend outwards, with eye-catching wooden signs hanging on them such as "Classics, History, Philosophy, and Literature", "Agriculture, Industry, and Crafts", and "Elementary Readings", clearly categorized and easy to understand.

What shocked them even more were the books on the shelf. The poor student who had asked the question picked up a copy of the Analects with trembling hands. He opened it and saw that the paper was as white as snow, smooth and delicate, the handwriting clear and neat, and it exuded a faint fragrance of ink. Books of such quality were usually hard to come by even if one had money; aristocratic families kept them hidden away!

"It really is one hundred coins...it really is one hundred coins!" The student's eyes instantly reddened, large tears falling onto the back of his hand. With a "thud," he knelt down towards the palace, kowtowing heavily, sobbing uncontrollably, "Your Majesty's grace is boundless! Long live Your Majesty! Long live His Highness the Crown Prince!"

This kneeling acted as if toppling dominoes, with students inside and outside the bookstore kneeling down one after another, their sobs and cheers mingling together and soaring into the sky.

A long queue instantly formed in front of the desks where students could apply for the "Daliang Student Certificate". Those who received their certificates then cautiously entered the trial reading area set up deep inside the bookstore.

There were clean tables and chairs, even a charcoal brazier and free hot tea. They sat there, holding their favorite books, reading with great eagerness, barely daring to breathe, for fear of shattering this beautiful dream.

In a private booth on the second floor of the teahouse opposite Daliang Bookstore, Wang Jinzhu leaned against the window, holding a hand warmer in her hands, and looked down at the excited crowd below with a smile.

"Mother, look at those scholars! They're so happy their faces are flushed, they don't even feel the cold. His Highness the Crown Prince is still handing out nameplates to them!" Wang Yunshu peered curiously from the windowsill.

Wang Yunfan sat upright at the table, calmly looking down, and said softly, "The aristocratic families monopolize books, and a single book can easily cost several taels or even more than ten taels of silver, which is simply unaffordable for poor scholars. Now, the books from the Daliang Bookstore are of excellent quality, but the price is less than one-tenth of what it used to be. His Highness the Crown Prince is so courteous to scholars, so they are naturally excited."

Wang Tianfang sat to the side, carefully peeling chestnuts for Wang Jinzhu. Upon hearing this, a smile appeared on his usually cold and hard face: "This is all thanks to your mother."

Just then, the door to the private room was gently pushed open.

The moment Wang Tianfang saw who it was, he straightened up abruptly, strode forward, and was about to kneel on one knee: "This humble general pays his respects..."

"No need." The newcomer was dressed in a low-key yet luxurious dark-patterned cloak, his face dignified yet somewhat amiable. He was none other than Emperor Liang Song, who had come out of the palace incognito. Beside him was the chief eunuch, Liu Dequan, who was bowing slightly.

Liang Song raised his hand to help Wang Tianfang up and said with a smile, "Today I am traveling incognito. When you are out and about, you can just call me Master Liang."

Wang Yunfan quickly stood up and respectfully bowed in a junior's greeting: "Yunfan greets Master Liang." He often studied under Yan Daru, and the Crown Prince often took him along, so he naturally recognized the Emperor.

"Good boy, no need for formalities." Liang Song looked at Wang Yunfan gently, then turned his gaze to Wang Jinzhu, who stood up neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Wang Tianfang quickly introduced, "Master, this is my wife, Madam Wang."

"This humble woman, Wang Jinzhu, greets Master Liang." Wang Jinzhu gave a slight curtsy, her manners impeccable, yet her expression remained calm and composed, showing none of the fear that an ordinary woman would feel upon seeing the emperor.

Liang Song sized up Wang Jinzhu, a hint of undisguised admiration flashing in his eyes. He laughed loudly, "Excellent! Excellent, Madam Wang! Meeting you today, I can see you truly are a woman who rivals any man. While Heng'er's skillful management and hands-on approach have certainly contributed to the success of the Great Liang Bookstore, it is you who deserve the greatest credit for devising this ingenious plan that allows impoverished scholars to access books!"

"You flatter me, sir." Wang Jinzhu smiled slightly, her expression composed. "I merely offered an idea. What truly makes this idea a reality and benefit the world is your boldness and the Crown Prince's leadership in managing the bookstore. I am but a merchant's wife; I dare not claim credit for it."

"To be successful without being arrogant, that's rare indeed." Liang Song pointed to the students flooding into the bookstore like a tide outside the window, his eyes gleaming. "Today, many people in the capital will probably be unable to sleep."

As Liang Song said, the opening of Daliang Bookstore was a godsend for poor students, but a bolt from the blue for those powerful families who monopolized books.

In a corner on the outskirts of the crowd, several middle-aged shopkeepers dressed in silk robes stood with their faces ashen, clutching the Analects and Mencius that they had just bought from the Daliang Bookstore.

"This paper... how can it be so white and so tough!" A shopkeeper's hands trembled as he flipped through the pages. "And the characters, all the same size, it's not handwritten! And the most terrifying thing is the price... only one hundred coins! One hundred coins!"

"It's over...it's all over..." Another shopkeeper's vision blurred, and he nearly lost his balance. "The royal family is trying to cut off our lineage! Quick! Quickly, get the message back to the master!"

In less than half an hour, the book samples from the Daliang Bookstore and the news announced by the Crown Prince were sent to the mansions of the major families in the capital like snowflakes.

A deafening sound of porcelain shattering echoed from the residence of Wen Ruochuan, the Minister of Rites.

Fifty-five-year-old Wen Ruochuan trembled with rage. Pointing at the hundred-cash copy of the Analects on the table, he roared at the steward below, "One hundred cash! Is the royal family doing charity?! Where did they get so much cheap, good paper? And how did they print so many books?!"

Inside the residence of He Changyuan, the Minister of Revenue, a similar atmosphere of gloom prevailed. He Changyuan stared at the books, his face so dark it seemed to drip water: "What a brilliant move to undermine our foundation! Using the scholar's badge and free trial reading, they've won over the hearts of scholars across the land! And they're going to establish prefectures and counties one after another? If they succeed, will the scholars of the land still have any respect for our aristocratic families?!"

"Master, what should we do now?" the butler asked tremblingly.

"What do we do?" He Changyuan gritted his teeth, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "The royal family wants to overturn the table, but they'll have to see if we agree! Prepare horses immediately, I'm going to the Wen residence! Also, immediately send messengers with urgent messages to the Gu family of Dongzhou, the Lu family of Nanzhou, and the Song family of Zhongzhou, along with the books from the Daliang Bookstore! Tell them the royal family is going to desecrate our ancestral graves, and those who don't want to die should join forces to fight back!"

In an instant, several fast horses braved the wind and snow, rushing out of the capital city gates and galloping wildly in all directions of Daliang. A war without gunpowder between imperial power and aristocratic families had officially begun on this day of the first snow.