Chapter Eighty-Five: "Mistaken Carriage"

The popularity of "The Investiture of the Three Kingdoms" came as a surprise to Zhu Yingtai. She was long accustomed to the debates surrounding "A Branch of Peach Blossom" and "Green Robes and Bamboo Rafts," but this new work—where had it sprung from? A flicker of irritation rose within her.

Muttering to herself in words only she could hear, she grumbled, "My 'Green Robes and Bamboo Rafts' was dismissed so casually? And by an obscure novel, of all things. What a strange affair. Has some great talent from Qingshan Publishing returned to the scene? To think they'd choose such a vulgar pen name as 'Long Ao Tian'—really unbearable!"

She had thought herself beyond caring for fame, yet now felt the urge to compete. The loneliness of a master—being the top novelist in Zhang County, indeed in all of Yangzhou, under the name Peach Blossom—that was her usual lot, always outshining others. Who could best her? Only the finest writers from other counties might compare, but within Yangzhou, she was the undisputed number one.

Despite her curiosity, she felt an even stronger defiance. She refused to believe her "Green Robes and Bamboo Rafts" could not surpass "The Investiture of the Three Kingdoms." Clearly, the second volume would require even more meticulous revision: sharper conflicts, deeper tensions, and enticing plotlines brought forward to captivate readers.

She resolved to use the second volume to completely overshadow it.

As for the possibility that "The Investiture of the Three Kingdoms" was written by Liu Ping, the thought never crossed her mind. She had never heard of the ceremonial officer writing any novels; a sudden impulse to pen a story could hardly result in such brilliance. It was simply too absurd, so she assumed it was published by Qingshan.

"I must find time to disguise myself and visit Qingshan Publishing again," Zhu Yingtai thought privately.

Just then, Liu Ping turned and noticed her mumbling, uncertain what she was saying. He sensed her curiosity about "The Investiture of the Three Kingdoms," and a hint of pride welled up within him as he casually offered, "Jie Zhi, I have a copy of 'The Investiture of the Three Kingdoms.' Would you like to read it?"

She did want to read it, but with the upcoming adjustments to her plot, she needed all her focus—there was no leisure to read someone else's novel. If it were a similar genre, she might have borrowed ideas, but this was entirely different. If she became influenced and lost her own creative state, it would be disastrous.

So Zhu Yingtai shook her head firmly, "No need, I won't read that novel."

Liu Ping, who had been quietly pleased and on the verge of showing off, could only force a bitter smile as his pride faded. He shrugged, "Alright, if you don't want to, that's fine."

He thought to himself, Zhu Yingtai probably really has no interest in novels anymore; no wonder she had once advised him against writing them.

He never imagined that the famous "A Branch of Peach Blossom" was Zhu Yingtai's own work. Nor did he realize her advice stemmed from a deep understanding of the hardships of novel-writing—the immense dedication required, the laborious craft—and she wished to spare a talented person like Liu Ping from that struggle.

About ten days prior, Zhu Yingtai had sat by her bedside, weighed down with thoughts, muttering, "I didn't expect such trouble... though perhaps it's for the best." It was because, after disguising herself and visiting Qingshan Publishing, she had inadvertently caused Liu Ping to leave in anger. She was torn between relief and regret, caught in a web of conflicting feelings.

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Although Liu Ping was clever, he had not discerned any of this. Naturally, he didn't know that Zhu Yingtai had since resolved to approach novel-writing with renewed seriousness. No longer would she rely on others' ideas and suggestions, refining stories only with her dazzling style and skill. She began to think independently, determined to craft a brilliant novel, setting Liu Ping as her imagined rival, and embarking on a silent battle.

As days passed, the second printing of "The Investiture of the Three Kingdoms," ten thousand copies, finally went on sale.

Unlike its first release, which had no promotion at all, this time the launch was accompanied by substantial investment in publicity. The novel was already extraordinary and hardly needed advertising to become a sensation, but with this new push, its fame soared, setting the world abuzz.

Recently, in Zhang County, discussions about "The Investiture of the Three Kingdoms" multiplied, propelling it to the second spot among popular new books and ninth among all bestsellers in unofficial private rankings.

Such momentum arose from just five thousand copies sold; it was easy to imagine how high it would climb with the second printing. When the release day came, three thousand copies sold out immediately in Zhang County, sparking a storm in other county cities as well.

Within two days, all ten thousand copies were gone!

With thirty thousand books flooding the Zhang County market, an even greater surge began. Derivative products—comedies, storytelling performances, clay figurines, shadow puppets—sprouted like mushrooms overnight.

"The Investiture of the Three Kingdoms," with an unrivaled momentum, shot up to the second hottest book in Zhang County. Though "Green Robes and Bamboo Rafts" remained firmly at number one, the gap was no longer as unbridgeable as at the beginning.

Meanwhile, in all counties, the first volume of "Green Robes and Bamboo Rafts"—five hundred thousand copies at initial sale, plus seven hundred thousand from rush printing, totaling one point two million—also sold out.

Youshu Publishing issued a command: another printing for "The Investiture of the Three Kingdoms," this time a million copies, accompanied by a comprehensive promotional campaign to expand its reach to other counties.

When Liu Ping heard the news, he was thrilled. A million-copy sales threshold was rarely reached even by the hottest novels, yet his work had achieved it. If all were sold, he would net over twenty thousand taels of silver after taxes!

And that was just the first volume, barely fifty thousand words. Liu Ping had every reason to believe this was not the limit. "A Branch of Peach Blossom" had a single-volume peak sales of three hundred ten thousand copies; why couldn’t his own work surpass it?

Soon, a million copies of "The Investiture of the Three Kingdoms" hit the market, but faced fierce competition from the second volume of "Green Robes and Bamboo Rafts," selling sluggishly at just over ten thousand copies per day.

Liu Ping was disappointed, suspecting Peach Blossom was acting deliberately.

Luckily, despite the setback, as the second volume of "Green Robes and Bamboo Rafts" approached fifty thousand copies sold in its first print run, sales for "The Investiture of the Three Kingdoms" finally boomed. In just five days, thirty thousand copies were gone.

Then, the second printing of "Green Robes and Bamboo Rafts" volume two—a million copies—was due for production.

---

Liu Ping seized the opportunity. He was not one to let a grudge go unavenged. The second volume of "The Investiture of the Three Kingdoms" was nearly finished, ready to launch and challenge the reprint sales.

But he had not anticipated that the third volume of "Green Robes and Bamboo Rafts" was also nearly complete.

In a shared dormitory, two people worked on their novels in their respective studies. The room had originally been a single study, but half had been converted into Zhu Yingtai's private bath, resulting in two separate workspaces.

Both cleverly avoided mentioning this arrangement, so neither realized their rival was right before them.

That night, Liu Ping finally finished his manuscript. Glancing at the adjacent study, he saw Zhu Yingtai still reading by candlelight and laughed, "So diligent! While I'm writing novels, it feels almost like I'm neglecting my proper duties..."

Fortunately, with the second volume of "The Investiture of the Three Kingdoms" complete, he was truly exhausted and needed several months of rest.

As he prepared to store his manuscript, he noticed a special book bag for manuscripts on Zhu Yingtai's bedside table. He smiled knowingly—had she prepared it for him? Sternly advising him not to waste his talent on novels, yet gently providing this?

He walked over and placed his manuscript in the bag, too tired to use magical power to store it in a treasure pouch, so he left it nearby and went to bed.

Not long after, Zhu Yingtai emerged, the third volume of "Green Robes and Bamboo Rafts" finally finished. She was utterly worn out, her mind hazy. Seeing Liu Ping asleep, she tiptoed over, tossed her manuscript and book bag to the side, and collapsed into bed.

Half-asleep, Zhu Yingtai mused, I am Peach Blossom. Should I tell Liu Ping? She felt a twinge of indecision, thinking it best to leave it for now.

Early next morning, before the light had fully dawned, Zhu Yingtai awoke, earlier than Liu Ping. Today was their agreed deadline for submitting manuscripts; editors were likely already waiting at her rented residence. With time pressing, she quickly washed and grabbed the manuscripts from her desk before heading out.

Careless as ever, she failed to notice the manuscript was not where she had left it the night before.

Soon after, Liu Ping also woke. Coincidentally, this was his submission day as well.

After washing, he approached the manuscripts and paused—why had their position changed? And why was Zhu Yingtai nowhere to be seen? Had she gone through his manuscript?

Puzzled, but with classes looming and time short, he hurriedly grabbed his manuscript and left.