The legend begins with becoming a white deer.

Inside the Imperial Study, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, and sunlight streamed through the window, falling on the desk covered with memorials.

King Bilin sat behind his desk, his fingertips lightly tapping the tabletop as he looked at Su Yanji below, his expression quite complex.

In the past, he might not have been willing to let a powerful force like the Wanhua Merchant Guild, which spanned multiple countries, take root too deeply in the capital. Merchants wielding great power has always been a major taboo for monarchs.

However, the turmoil of the past few days originated within the royal family, causing the Chamber of Commerce to suffer heavy losses and damage to its reputation. Therefore, he had no reason to obstruct it further, both morally and logically.

"Does Chairman Su mean to set up a permanent branch in Jinhua City?" Bilinwang asked calmly.

"Exactly."

Su Yanji nodded slightly, her words clear and logical.

"The purpose of establishing this branch is twofold: firstly, to be stationed permanently on the Bilin Kingdom's trade route and to hold regular auctions to facilitate the exchange of rare treasures from various countries; secondly, I intend to use this opportunity to establish a newspaper and publish the 'Chronicles of Various Countries,' which will compile information about our observations of other countries and local affairs into a book and be regularly distributed to various counties and prefectures."

Prince Bilin raised an eyebrow. "Regarding the newspaper, I have read the memorial you submitted earlier, but the descriptions were too brief. I still do not know the details. How is it different from books and official notices?"

Su Yanji was prepared. She took out a neatly folded paper pattern from her sleeve and presented it with both hands.

"The king will know at a glance that newspapers are not as heavy as books, nor as rigid as notices. Their content is diverse and lively, including new government orders and regulations, rumors from the streets, strange stories, and travel information. Ordinary people can buy a copy for a few copper coins and know what is happening in the world without leaving their homes."

The eunuch took the newspaper and presented it to King Bilin.

The paper is thin yet sturdy, covered with densely packed small print, neatly categorized and arranged.

As soon as King Bilin glanced at the front page, the headline immediately caught his eye: "Ten Villains Storm the Capital Auction, Auspicious White Deer Appears to Slay the Murderers."

King Bilin frowned slightly and continued reading.

The text details how Yan Lie led his men to storm the meeting and kill the powerful and influential. It also describes the scene of the auspicious white deer defeating the villains. The text also subtly mentions that this matter is related to the royal family. Although no names are mentioned, it is obvious to anyone with discerning eyes that it refers to Yuan Shuying.

King Bilin's expression gradually darkened.

"President Su,"

He looked up at Su Yanji, his tone becoming more serious: "You're also planning to publish Shuying's story in the newspaper?"

"Your Majesty has misunderstood."

Su Yanji remained calm and explained, "This is just a preliminary proof, not the official printed version. I brought it here today so that Your Majesty could take a look first. Please feel free to tell me which parts are sensitive or inappropriate, and I will have them revised when I get back."

King Bilin tapped the paper lightly with his fingertip, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "Everything else may be mentioned, but the matter of Shuying must not be mentioned at all."

He knew in his heart that no matter how fierce the rumors were, they were ultimately just hearsay and no evidence. But once they were printed in the newspapers and spread throughout the counties, they would be an undeniable royal scandal, and the Kingdom of Bilin would lose all face.

Upon hearing this, Su Yanji frowned slightly: "Your Majesty, there were many guests present that day, and quite a few left the city. The matter concerning the Eldest Princess will spread sooner or later."

"What spreads is a rumor, what's published in the newspaper is the established fact."

King Bilin said firmly, "As long as you agree to erase the relevant content, I will allow the Wanhua Chamber of Commerce to set up a branch in my Bilin Kingdom and publish a newspaper. I will not make things difficult for you."

Su Yanji pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement: "Alright, in that case, I'll have someone revise it when I get back."

For the next half hour, the two discussed many more details.

King Bilin proposed opening a special column in the newspaper to convey the government's new regulations.

Su Yanji then discussed the newspaper's tax revenue and profit sharing.

Although the terms were complicated, each side made concessions, and in the end, both sides were satisfied and finalized all the articles of association.

After discussing all matters, Su Yanji rose to take his leave.

Upon reaching the outside of the hall, the waiting maid Zhuya immediately stepped forward and handed over an exquisite bamboo basket.

Su Yanji took it and turned to Bilin Wang, who had presented it, and said, "Your Majesty, inside is a strange beast, a four-eared monkey. It is lively and agile. I originally planned to give it to the little princess as a gift after the auction, but I forgot because of the rush a few days ago. I heard that the little princess has been in a bad mood recently, so I gave it to her to cheer her up."

King Bilin looked down and saw a small monkey, no bigger than a palm, in the bamboo cage. Its fur was soft and golden, and it had four pointed little ears standing up on its head. It was looking out with its round black eyes, and it looked very cute.

"It's rare to see Chairman Su being so thoughtful."

King Bilin gestured for the eunuch to take it, and nodded slightly: "On behalf of Yao'er, I thank the Chairman."

Su Yanji smiled and was about to turn and leave when he suddenly stopped and asked casually, "By the way, Your Majesty, if I may ask, is the auspicious white deer now considered the guardian beast of the Bilin royal family, just like the black eagle?"

King Bilin's eyes flickered slightly, but his expression remained unchanged as he slowly nodded: "The white deer is a divinely bestowed auspicious sign, and naturally it is the guardian beast of my Bilin Kingdom."

Su Yanji gave him a deep look, asked no more questions, bowed, and turned to leave slowly with her maid.

... ... ...

A few days later, the Bilin branch of the Wanhua Chamber of Commerce was officially established on Jinhua City Main Street.

At the same time, a newspaper called "Chronicles of the Nations" was also established. The first issue was printed overnight in thousands of copies, which were delivered by caravans to various counties and towns in the Kingdom of Bilin. The copies were posted on city gates and in markets, and were also sold by general stores and restaurants.

As soon as this novelty appeared, it immediately attracted the attention of the entire city.

In the past, ordinary people learned about the outside world either by posting notices by the government, by listening to the oral accounts of merchants who traveled all over the country, or by flipping through thick ancient books.

I've never seen such a thin sheet of paper, filled with news from all over the world. It only costs a few copper coins to buy a copy. Those who can read can read it, and those who can't can listen to it being read aloud.

Suddenly, everyone on the streets and alleys was talking about it, and newspapers became the most popular topic.

"Look, it says that the border city of Luohui was occupied by bandits more than a month ago, and the court officials were killed. In the end, the auspicious beast Bailu appeared, killed the bandits, quelled the rebellion, and saved the entire city."

"Really? Something like this happened in our country? Where are the bandits so vicious?"

"This Luohui City is quite lucky. It actually attracted the appearance of the auspicious beast, the White Deer, to rescue it. I've never even seen what the White Deer looks like."

The news spread through the newspapers, and people in many towns and cities praised it highly.

Meanwhile, news of the previous royal auction also shocked the entire nation.

"My God, such a shocking event happened in the capital not long ago! Yan Lie, one of the Ten Villains, stormed the capital, caused chaos at an auction, and killed several powerful figures?"

"What? This happened in the capital? Tell me quickly!"

"Hey, don't grab it. Go buy a newspaper yourself."

"I can't read, so tell me quickly, what happened to Yan Lie, one of the ten villains?"

"Let me see... Tsk tsk, this is incredible! The auspicious white deer has also appeared in the capital, and Yan Lie was eventually killed by it!"

In teahouses and taverns, everyone was vividly recounting the story of the White Deer's battle against Yan Lie, making it more and more fantastical with each retelling.

Some say that the white deer is twelve feet tall and its antlers can split mountains.

Some say that a single cry from a white deer can make even the most wicked person kneel and beg for mercy.

In Qingle Restaurant, Yunqi Town.

The innkeeper, Zhang Feng, held a newspaper, his fingers trembling slightly with excitement. Pointing to the four characters "Auspicious Beast White Deer," he laughed loudly to his waiter, "See that? The auspicious beast White Deer! It's eaten at our restaurant before. No way! I have to find a way to put this in the newspaper. Then our restaurant will be famous throughout the entire Bilin Kingdom!"

No one knew that the reason this issue of the newspaper received such a strong response was because it was deliberately orchestrated by Su Yanji.

She used the name of the auspicious white deer in many news articles in the newspaper, and intentionally or unintentionally implied that the white deer's appearance in the capital was related to the Wan Hua Merchant Guild.

By using the name of the auspicious beast, they not only boosted newspaper sales but also cleared themselves of any previous accusations, making the people believe that the Wanhua Merchant Guild was destined to be associated with the auspicious beast and was a blessed business.

Killing two birds with one stone, this perfectly demonstrates the true nature of a businessman.

Meanwhile, inside the palace, Qi Ji was leaning against an old locust tree, dozing off in the warm afternoon sun.

Suddenly, the system's voice rang in my mind, and a light screen popped up...

Congratulations on obtaining Legendary Spirit Points! Legendary Spirit Points +5

[Current Legendary Spirit Points: 33/30]

[Special reminder: The host's legendary spirit points have met the evolution requirements...]