纸贵洛阳 — “Paper is expensive in Luoyang”

During the Western Jin Dynasty, there was a diligent and studious literary figure named Zuo Si. He was renowned for his ornate and elegant writing style. He first gained a reputation with his "Rhapsody on the Capital of Qi" (《齐都赋》).

Later, as an official compiler of books, he devoted ten years to meticulously crafting his magnum opus, "Rhapsody on the Three Capitals" (《三都赋》). Upon its completion, celebrated scholars of the time, including Huangfu Mi, Zhang Zai, Wei Wangguan, and Zhang Hua, greatly admired his work and even provided annotations and prefaces for it.

The "Rhapsody on the Three Capitals" became an instant sensation in Luoyang. So many people eagerly sought to read and copy it that the demand for paper soared, causing its price to rise significantly. This is where the idiom "paper is expensive in Luoyang" originated, symbolizing the widespread popularity and high value of a literary work.