My Years as a Copyist in Taiwan

Li Ao was hurling insults, of course, in the *Qianqiu Review*. This month, Brother Taibao has already published two supplements, both dedicated to criticizing Zhao Wen.

Last week, and the week before last, I felt I hadn't scolded Zhao Wen enough!

It's one thing to lack integrity, and let's not even rush to talk about your servility, but just based on historical facts, Mr. Snail is simply cheating people out of their money. You're a big liar! You're willing to distort historical facts just to cheat people out of their money!

Treating a royal forbidden area like a marketplace vegetable garden, tell me, how big of a heart do you have to come up with such a childish plot?

What kind of place is the Imperial Hunting Grounds? It's a forbidden area for the emperor, teeming with weapons and scouts, so dense that even a flying insect couldn't slip through unnoticed. And you, a mere commoner girl, dare to barge in and deliver a token as you please? Are the imperial guards blind?

Not to mention the stories of recognizing a princess, causing trouble in the Imperial Garden, and storming the Imperial Clan Court, which portray court intrigue as a street squabble. That would only fool three-year-olds and naive young ladies. Anyone with a basic understanding of history and a common sense would find it laughable.

They constantly spout phrases like "until the mountains crumble and the heavens and earth unite," acting as if they're about to die or live, and even when they speak a normal sentence, they have to be convoluted and pretentious.

I previously criticized Phoenix TV for "snotty, tearful literature." I thought Zhao Wen's writing was clear-headed, but when "Princess Pearl" came out, it was sour and tasteless, just like all of Phoenix TV's cheesy romance novels.

Tell me, are you a lackey of Phoenix?

However, Zhao Wen, your narrative pacing is truly impressive. You weave one hook after another, and your ability to trick people into watching is unmatched in Taiwan...

Well, what sins did Phoenix commit to deserve being dragged into this mess and whipped again...?

Editor Gao felt it was time to call Zhao Wen, otherwise who knew what kind of nonsense the Cultural Revolution would spew next week.

In 1982, Formosa Telecom had very strict controls on international long-distance calls. Ordinary private landlines had no right to make direct calls overseas. Only cultural companies like Snail Literature, which had long-term cooperation with Japanese publishers and held complete commercial contracts, were allowed to have their 002 international direct dialing privileges granted.

Furthermore, after making the call, you must write down the entire content of your conversation; otherwise, if you are randomly checked and cannot provide a clear answer, you will face a huge fine.

After painstakingly dialing more than ten digits of a number, Zhao Wen only said one sentence after the call connected:

"Uncle Gao, that letter can be sent out now. Please ask Editor Lou to publish it in their 'United Daily News,' and make sure it's a large article..."

Four days after the airing of the eighth episode of "My Fair Princess," the front page of the United Daily News supplement featured a huge headline:

Humbly accepting instruction, reflecting on the creation of "Princess Pearl"

Zhao Wen (Mr. Snail)

—My humble work, "Princess Pearl," was recently broadcast, and thanks to the love of audiences across Taiwan, it achieved great success in ratings. Under such fame, I feel uneasy: the wider the audience of my work, the heavier my responsibility to the world and people's hearts becomes.

Having read Mr. Li Ao's lengthy critique, I can attest to the drama's frivolous plot and shallow historical knowledge, with every word hitting the nail on the head. Amidst widespread acclaim, only Mr. Li poured cold water on the criticism, frankly pointing out its flaws. I sincerely admire his integrity in addressing the issues objectively.

"My Fair Princess" is indeed an overly entertaining and deliberately pandering popular work. In order to cater to market viewing preferences, I amplified the romantic entanglements and compromised the integrity for the sake of viewership. This was a failure of my creative principles, and I hereby sincerely apologize to all readers and viewers in Taiwan!

I admit that the trend of fictionalizing stories is prevalent on the island, especially in the works of Aunt Phoenix, where romantic love overshadows the seriousness of the world. I was influenced by this trend and unconsciously followed this approach, only caring about catering to the market while ignoring the value orientation of the works. I feel deeply ashamed when I think about it.

Many thanks to Mr. Li Ao for his timely warning, which saved me from the illusion of fame. The overwhelming popularity was a stroke of luck, and the scathing criticism was a blessing in disguise. In the future, when I write, I will always respect history and live up to the expectations of the people!

Zhao Wenjin's Notes

October 22, 1982

......

When my brother Deng saw the apology letter in the United Daily News, he was stunned. He immediately ran to Taipei Telecom and made a long-distance call: "Wen, you don't know what prices the TV stations are offering for the next round of negotiations... Now that you've issued this apology letter, I'm afraid you'll lose your position..."

"Brother Deng, don't worry, the ratings won't drop. I've got it under control! Not only will they not drop, they'll actually rise! Let's let the dust settle a little longer..."

Zhao Wen certainly has a good grasp of the situation. In his previous life, Guo Jingming's "Tiny Times" was criticized by the People's Daily for "reducing the era, narrowing the scope, and diminishing the thinking. It cannot be unconditionally indulged..."

It was also criticized by Xiao Ying, an aesthetics professor at Tsinghua University, who used the most incisive words to attack "Tiny Times" as "tainting the public's values"...

Then, Zhou Liming's comment that Xiao Si's values ​​were "extremely distorted and morbid" caused him to break down and engage in a shouting match.

As it turned out, this utterly clichéd drama not only didn't flop, but became a huge hit, spawning sequels like "Morbid 2, Morbid 3..."

This "Princess Pearl" is far superior to Guo Jingming's. If Li Ao criticizes it like this, wouldn't it be out of control?

Besides, who is Li Ao? He only criticizes officials, literary giants, and social celebrities. He wouldn't even give a second glance to obscure writers or flop dramas, let alone bother to criticize them.

The fact that Li Ao specifically named and criticized him is itself a testament to his status!

However, Phoenix was dumbfounded when she saw Zhao Wen's shameless open letter.

Damn it, you wrote "Princess Pearl," and you earned the money. And now, in the end, you just throw the blame on me, and suddenly you're all clean, you think you're a good person, so virtuous, and I'm the rotten one, right?

In the president's office of Golden Crown Publishing House, Phoenix sat in the president's seat, strings of small pearls falling down her face, rolling down the beautiful lines on her cheeks and wetting her handkerchief.

Having lived most of her life and struggled in the literary world for so many years, she had never suffered such a loss in silence. The more she thought about it, the more her chest tightened, and she simply burst into tears.

Hearing the commotion, the president quickly pushed open the door and came in. Seeing his soulmate in this state, his heart clenched. He quickly poured a cup of warm tea and handed it to her, his voice full of heartache: "Oh dear Phoenix, don't cry yourself sick. Here, have some hot water."

Phoenix took the teacup, sniffed, and said in a thick nasal voice, "Look at the nonsense he wrote! An apology letter, and he's putting all the blame on me! What 'influenced by this trend,' what 'especially Phoenix's works'—he made a fortune, then turned around and stood on his moral high ground to play the saint, throwing all the dirty water on me?"

As she spoke, she grew increasingly angry, her eyes reddening further: "He writes melodramatic farces to earn NT dollars, and now he's got a reputation for repentance, while I'm the one who corrupted the world? Is there any logic to this?"

The editor nodded repeatedly: "Indeed, it's really underhanded, so cunning! He's gained a self-reflective persona, but then he puts you in a very difficult position. He's really outsmarting us! But don't get angry with him, it's not worth it. Who are we? The Queen of Romance Novels of Taiwan! Our readers know that. One novel from us will be enough to restore our reputation!"

90% of people in Taiwan's entertainment industry unanimously predicted that once Zhao Wen's apology letter was released, public opinion on "My Fair Princess" would completely turn around, ratings would inevitably collapse, and reputation would inevitably plummet!

Competitors' authors chuckled to themselves overnight, while film critics from all walks of life wrote articles titled "The Snail Realizes Its Way Back, the Popularity of Huanzhu Ends."

The whole of Taiwan is waiting to see Zhao Wen's career crash and burn.

The night the apology letter was released, the ninth episode of "My Fair Princess" premiered. Those waiting to see the show fail thought that one more person's appearance wouldn't affect the overall situation of Mr. Snail's downfall...