After Zhao Jun came out of the Privy Council, he looked at the time and saw that it was only 12 noon.
His current daily schedule is to get up at 3:30 in the morning, go to the morning meeting at 4 o'clock, and then go to the Constitutional Yuan to work until 11 o'clock.
Then I go to teach the children at about two o'clock in the afternoon, and go to the back garden until five o'clock, and then go to the back garden to talk with the emperor and prime ministers at seven or eight o'clock, go home and use the computer to do some work statistics, and go to bed before nine o'clock.
I sleep about six or seven hours a day, and have two or three hours of rest at noon. Fortunately, I am young and energetic now, so I don't feel tired, otherwise I am afraid I will collapse from exhaustion.
No wonder it was said in ancient times that being a prime minister was tiring. His current power was even greater than that of a prime minister. He often felt dizzy after reading official documents from various places every day.
In comparison, Zhao Zhen was much more relaxed.
Go to morning class in the morning, then read my notes, listen to lectures in the afternoon, or stroll around in the back garden.
However, he doesn't have nothing to do every day. In addition to reading his papers and dealing with government affairs, Zhao Zhen also has to attend classes.
Historically, Lu Yijian and Wang Zeng were both his imperial teachers.
The other bachelors from Tianzhang Pavilion and Longtuge Pavilion also had to give him lessons, all of which were about Confucian knowledge.
Therefore, in history, teachers who became emperors were promoted very quickly. The most typical ones were several teachers of Zhu Yunwen in the Ming Dynasty. As soon as Zhu Yunwen came to the throne, he directly participated in state affairs, plotted to reduce the vassal, and then became cool.
But now that Zhao Jun has arrived, after Zhao Zhen has gone to court in the morning, he will read his notes in Chongzheng Hall in the morning, and in the afternoon he will go to the back garden to listen to Zhao Jun's lectures, or do other things. Before seven o'clock in the evening, he will listen to Zhao Jun's talk. A full day is also quite fulfilling for all kinds of things.
At this time, there were still two hours before the afternoon class. Zhao Jun could take a lunch break, but he remembered the article he wrote yesterday and set off for the outer city. Since time was tight, he had someone prepare a carriage to go over.
In about half an hour, he arrived at the entrance of Qiaobeifang Printing Factory in Xiaohengqiao. At this time, the printing shop was in full swing, with workers coming and going doing work.
All the way into the printing shop, under the camphor tree in the yard outside, Zhao Jun saw Meng Chengqi sitting on a stone stool and giggling.
Zhao Jun bought the entire printing shop, which logically has nothing to do with Meng Chengqi.
But he liked the words Zhao Jun gave him so much that he volunteered to help in the printing shop. At this moment, he was still holding Zhao Jun's manuscript in his hand and was intoxicated with it. He would slap the table and say from time to time: "Good words, good words!"
"If Mr. Meng likes it, just take it back and look at it slowly. Why do you have to come to the printing shop every day to help me keep an eye on it?"
Zhao Jun came over and said with a smile.
Meng Chengqi raised his head and saw him, stood up quickly and said, "Master Zhao is here."
"Um."
Zhao Jun nodded and said, "Come over and see how the printing is going?"
Meng Chengqi then said: "Master Zhao is so wealthy that he has brick shops all over the city bake movable type. Now we have bought more than 10,000 movable types. It is not difficult to print this newspaper. The difficult thing is, are you sure you want to use bamboo paper?" ?”
"Um."
Zhao Jun said: "Line paper and vellum paper each have their own advantages and disadvantages. For printing, vellum paper is better, and Korean paper is the best. Unfortunately, hemp paper is a bit rough and vellum paper is too expensive, so bamboo paper is the best."
Meng Chengqi shook his head and said, "But bamboo paper is still very expensive."
"This is because the papermaking process of bamboo paper has not yet been promoted. It will be much better when it is promoted in the future."
Zhao Jun said.
Paper has been around since the Warring States Period. Cai Lun of the Eastern Han Dynasty improved the papermaking technology and used hemp as raw material to create hemp paper.
However, the surface of hemp paper is rough, sticks together when wet, and breaks easily, making it unsuitable for printing industries such as newspapers. As for the newsprint specially used for newspapers in later generations, it is made of chemical materials, which is definitely not possible at the current industrial level.
The leather paper is better, with a smooth surface and toughness, and it is not so easy to break when exposed to water. But the cost is very high, because leather paper is mostly made of bark and is expensive.
For example, Goryeo paper was introduced from the Song Dynasty. It uses the bark of a unique mulberry tree in Korea. This paper is as white as jade and has the same luster, resembling a silkworm cocoon. It is mostly used as book cover paper and is a very rare and good paper.
Unfortunately, the cost is still too high for making newspapers.
Because newspapers want to be open to the general public, they must keep costs down and sell them at low prices to attract people to watch them. Otherwise, they are no different from imperial newspapers.
So after much selection, I chose the new bamboo paper that appeared in Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas during the Song Dynasty. This paper is called Lianshi paper. It was invented in the post-Han period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. It has a white color, a smooth surface, a slightly astringent back, and no sticks or hair particles to stick to it. Attached, it is an excellent material for making books.
But this thing was not widely popularized until the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Therefore, although the cost of making bamboo paper is relatively low, because it is mainly popular in Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas and is rarely introduced to the north, the cost is still higher than that of hemp paper.
After hearing Zhao Jun's words, Meng Chengqi had no choice but to say: "The initial investment is still too high. Can anyone really buy this thing?"
"As long as the news is what the market wants to see, people will buy it."
Zhao Jun smiled.
"Master Zhao is really generous."
Meng Chengqi gave a thumbs up and said: "It costs several thousand yen just to buy the printing shop. We also have to spend a lot of money to make movable type and buy bamboo paper. The cost of each copy is probably more than 30 yen."
"It can't be calculated that way."
Zhao Jun shook his head and said: "The printing shop is a fixed investment. The real cost is paper, ink and printing investment. This bamboo paper costs 5 cents per piece and costs about 10 cents. If I sell it, I plan to sell it for 12 cents. It is a bit expensive. Some, but the slightly richer people can afford it, and only they are literate."
There is a record of the case of Su Shunqin selling waste paper in the Song Dynasty. At that time, the three provinces paper was worth 20 cents each, the new tube paper was worth 10 cents each, and the bamboo paper was worth 5 cents each. But that is the best quality official paper, and the low-quality large paper used by ordinary people only costs 0.115 cents each.
The Lianshi paper used in newspapers was called Takeshita paper at the time, also known as bamboo paper, and the cost was indeed relatively high. However, the audience of the newspaper itself was not dock coolies, but those who had the leisure to drink tea in teahouses.
These people are commonly known as the well-off families of the Song Dynasty. They are not particularly wealthy, but their annual family income is more than 100 yuan. Only these people are literate, and they like to read poems and poems, are keen on current affairs news, and chat with others in the market.
The emergence of newspapers will obviously enrich their daily lives, and these people have the most contact with the bottom. They are the majority group in Bianliang. They often receive new knowledge, which can easily be spread to the people at the bottom through them, thereby conducting public opinion and politics. , military guidance.
Therefore, newspapers did not appear in ancient times, mainly because the audience was limited and the cost was high. Zhao Jun's initial investment was basically tens of thousands of yuan. If the newspaper could not become an instant hit and become popular in Bianliang, with a cost of nearly 10 yuan per page, he would probably lose money.
The two people reached the backyard as they spoke.
The backyard is busy.
Typesetting is currently underway. Workers are arranging movable types of different sizes, intending to print them into a large four-character poster about two feet wide (63CM) and three feet long (95CM).
Zhao Jun came over and took a look. He designed the first version of the newspaper himself.
The cover is naturally the biggest news in Bianliang recently - Kaifeng Mansion and the Imperial City Division launched a heavy blow against the evil forces.
Yesterday, he sent someone to send over the article he had written. It has been typed today. In addition to the news about Wuyou Cave and Guifan Tower, it also contains news about other underworld groups recently destroyed by the government.
The content is to introduce how these people harm the people. There are many living examples in it, and then it encourages the people to report it.
The back is divided into four sections, including a poetry section, a gossip section, an advertising section, and an advertising section. However, the advertising section and sections are currently blank. It says that we are sincerely recruiting advertisers and welcome submissions.
Newspapers themselves need to be timely, but how can there be so much news every day?
Therefore, Zhao Jun plans to publish an issue first to see the market effect, and then invite some people like Ouyang Xiu and Fan Zhongyan to write articles in the newspaper. Tentatively, one issue will be published every seven days, and the other six days will be used to collect news and publicize it widely.
"Yeah, well done."
Zhao Jun saw that the typesetting effect was very good, nodded with satisfaction and said: "When the first version is printed, send it to me for a look. Once it is confirmed that there is no need to modify it, it will be officially published."
Meng Chengqi smiled and said: "Although this printing shop is no longer mine, for this poem, I promise to run it beautifully for Mr. Zhao."
"I can rest assured that my boss will do his job."
Zhao Jun also laughed.
Meng Chengqi joked: "Now I am not the boss, the young master is the boss. By the way, where the young master lives, I guess the first edition will be printed tomorrow, and I will send it to the young master then."
"Just send it to the Imperial City Division."
Zhao Jun said casually.
"Imperial City Secretary?"
Meng Chengqi thought he heard wrongly and asked in surprise: "Is it the Imperial City Secretary of Donghua Gate?"
Now Huangcheng Division has opened two branches in the north and south of the city, one in North Town Fusi and one in South Town Fusi, so he asked this.
Zhao Jun nodded and said, "Yes."
"Forehead"
Meng Chengqi was a little panicked and said tremblingly: "This Donghua Gate is the gate of the palace. How can I, a commoner, get in?"
"It's okay. When the time comes, just say that I asked you to send it here."
Zhao Jun smiled and said: "By the way, Mr. Meng, how do you think about what I told you last time? I met Li today. He is not in good health. I asked him to go home to recuperate for a while without going to hospital." It’s worth it. When the time comes, you can go directly to Prime Minister Li’s residence to talk to him, and just say it’s me who said it.”
Meng Chengqi became even more panicked. He lowered his head unconsciously and asked tentatively: "I wonder what Mr. Zhao does?"
"oh."
Zhao Jun thought for a while and said: "Last time I just told you that my name is Zhao Hanlong, but I forgot to tell you that my name is Zhao Jun, with the courtesy name Hanlong. I am currently the President of the Constitutional Yuan and the Imperial City Secretary."
Meng Chengqi: "."
"alright."
Seeing that the printing shop was doing well, Zhao Jun patted Meng Cheng on the shoulder and said, "I have something else to do in the afternoon, so I'll leave the printing shop to you."
Meng Chengqi forced a smile, his attitude was clearly respectful, and he lowered his eyebrows and said, "Yes, yes."
"Then I'll leave first."
Zhao Jun turned around and left, leaving Meng Chengqi standing dumbly in the courtyard.
This big guy.
I really didn't lie to him.
If you say you plan to reform the food system, you must reform it.
I have something to do in the afternoon, so I won't come back until after 8 o'clock.
(End of chapter)
