After two wars, one in the east and one in the west, the 19th year of Jian'an was almost coming to an end.
After defeating Xia Houyuan in August, Zhang Xi led his army back to the county to govern Yufu and began to organize the autumn harvest and grain collection.
Although Xia Houyuan fought a battle with Zhang Xi in the northwest of Badong County, it did not affect the production of other counties, so the grain output of Badong County this year was not greatly affected.
The most important thing is that the Shen brothers from Dongsan County did not go south to take advantage of the fire, and the salt springs in Baoyuan Mountain were not affected much and continued to produce salt.
Salt was a hard currency in ancient times, so Zhang Xi's political performance in Badong County was pretty good in his first year of governance.
Near the end of the year, Zhuge Liang sent someone over to commend and affirm Zhang Xi's work.
Zhuge Liang was really busy, busy sorting out various things inside and outside Chengdu. He not only had to arrange for the resumption of agricultural production and the construction of water conservancy projects, but also had to fight wits and courage with the wealthy families in Chengdu and suppress their various unreasonable demands.
Therefore, it was impossible for Zhuge Liang to spare time to inspect each county one by one to inspect their achievements. He could only send people to express his affirmation and give rewards.
For a member of his own family like Zhang Xi, Zhuge Liang would not be too solemn. After all, if his family members have any demands, they can just say it directly. There is no need to make it too formal.
Therefore, Zhuge Liang just sent a secretary to deliver documents to Zhang Xi and distribute rewards.
Zhang Xi didn't care what Zhuge Liang did, but he had some objections to the person Zhuge Liang sent.
The person who came was called Yang Yi, whose courtesy name was Wei Gong.
Yes, that's Yang Yi, who is talented but not moral.
Yang Yi was from Xiangyang and originally worked for Cao Cao.
But Yang Yi felt that Cao Cao was not a good boss, so he changed jobs directly and went to Nanjun to join Guan Yu.
Guan Yu talked with Yang Yi and felt that this person was indeed capable, so he recommended it to Liu Bei and let Liu Bei choose to appoint him.
After talking with Yang Yi, Liu Bei also felt that this man was talented, especially in the field of internal affairs. He spoke clearly, clearly and logically, so he asked him to follow Zhuge Liang to help him and accumulate experience so that he could be assigned a position in the future. promotion.
Zhuge Liang gave Yang Yi a try and felt that this person was indeed very capable, and his logistical planning could help him share a lot of errands.
So, Zhuge Liang wanted to promote Yang Yi. It was almost the end of the year, so he asked Yang Yi to go to Zhang Xi to present the year-end bonus and documents.
Zhuge Liang's original intention was to let Yang Yi show his face and show off his talents in front of Zhang Xi and other members of his family, so that everyone could have a good impression of each other after being promoted in the future.
Essentially, it was for the sake of Yang Yi's future.
But Zhang Xi didn't like Yang Yi, so he didn't give Yang Yi a good look.
I guess Wei Yan has a bad temper, low emotional intelligence, and doesn't know how to get along with others. Zhang Xi doesn't like him either.
But Yang Yi thinks too highly of himself. Although he is talented, he doesn't know how much he has. Moreover, he becomes rampant when he succeeds and resents when he fails. He is not as good as Wei Yan.
Wei Yan was fighting for power with Yang Yi. When he failed, he didn't say to go to Wei. Instead, he ran back to Chengdu and tried to vindicate Liu Chan. Even Chen Shou thought that Wei Yan had no intention of rebelling.
But Yang Yi was fine, because Zhuge Liang's designated successor was Jiang Wan and not him, so he made arrogant remarks to Fei Yi, saying that if he had known that things were like this, he should have led his army to surrender to Wei when Zhuge Liang died.
Zhuge Liang really didn't know how to look at people in his life. Not only did he misuse Ma Su, but he also tolerated Yang Yi.
Therefore, as soon as Zhang Xi knew that the person who came to deliver documents was named Yang Yi, he immediately ignored him and threw him to the post office to do whatever he was supposed to do.
Yang Yi was also confused for a while. Could it be that she had offended Commander Zhang when she didn't know it? !
But now, the status gap between Yang Yi and Zhang Xi is too big. Yang Yi doesn't dare to show his teeth to Zhang Xi, so he can only endure his anger and wait until Zhang Xi's official reply letter is written and sent to him. Go back to Chengdu.
Of course, after returning to Chengdu, Yang Yi became petty. When Zhuge Liang read the reply letter, she complained secretly in front of Zhuge Liang, saying that when she went to Badong County this time, Zhang Xi not only refused to give him face, but also neglected his job every day. He hid in the backyard of the prefect's mansion and played with his wife and concubines, completely ignoring government affairs.
Yang Yi knew very well that neither Liu Bei nor Zhuge Liang had nearly zero tolerance for ignoring government affairs.
But this time, Yang Yi miscalculated, and Zhuge Liang didn't hear what Yang Yi said at all.
Zhuge Liang was currently staring at Zhang Xi's reply letter in a daze.
Because, Zhang Xi's reply was not silk, but a piece of paper.
A piece of paper that is still a little yellowed, but can already write clearly, and is still smooth and soft.
What Yang Yi said didn't matter at all. This piece of paper was the biggest problem.
Zhuge Liang stared at the paper in front of him, then carefully checked the words on the paper and what Zhang Xi proposed on the paper. After thinking about it again and again, Zhuge Liang left Yang Yi behind and went straight to Liu Bei's mansion.
This Zhang Yuanchang really can't take a break and causes trouble whenever he takes a break.
And it’s a big deal every time.
This piece of paper is a big problem.
Zhuge Liang must find Liu Bei and explain the matter clearly. If it is not properly arranged, the consequences may be very bad.
Zhuge Liang hurriedly went to find Liu Bei, and Zhang Xi also found the chief clerk Yang Tai, saying that he had something good for Yang Tai to appreciate.
Yang Taixin said that the Lord Sheriff had got some good treasure, and he was discussing the fish scale album with him in the name of reward. But no matter which one it was, Yang Tai had to go when Shangguan invited him.
Then Yang Tai saw the paper.
There was a thick stack of paper placed on the desk in Zhang Xi's study.
It's not that Yang Tai has never seen paper before, but the problem is, Yang Tai has never seen so much paper. Paper is super expensive these days. A stack of paper is enough to buy a small yard.
Could it be that the Sheriff wants to show off his wealth to a member of a family like me? !
No way, the county guard is not unscrupulous
Yang Tai did not understand Zhang Xi's intention at first, and Zhang Xi did not say it clearly, but invited Yang Tai to try writing on paper.
If someone appreciates your writing and asks you to write an inscription, this person is still your superior. Would a smart person like Yang Tai refuse? !
Of course I happily agreed.
But when Yang Tai picked up the ink stick and grinded it, he discovered that this ink stick was not simple.
This is pine smoke ink.
Songyan ink is a type of ink that has just been released recently. It is famous for its clear and consistent writing. It is now a high-end ink.
The Sheriff's family is so rich, how can they still afford Songyanmo? !
Then, Yang Tai discovered that the paper seemed a little different.
It is not the palace paper that is hard to find on the market, nor is it the Zuo Bo paper that has become famous in recent years but is hard to find, but a new paper that is slightly yellowed.
Now Yang Tai could no longer write the word Yang Tai. He quickly raised his head, looked at Zhang Xi, and asked, "May I ask the county governor, where does this paper come from?!"
Zhang Xi smiled and said, "Ji Ru, don't ask anymore, try this paper and this ink first, you can write smoothly."
Yang Tai is not stupid, really, he is very smart.
As soon as Zhang Xi said "try", Yang Tai knew that these papers and pine smoke ink were all new.
If it's an old one, I definitely can't say try it.
But if it's new
"The county governor knows how to make paper and ink?!" Yang Tai was shocked and asked quickly.
Yang Tai is a child of an aristocratic family and a scholar. He has a natural sensitivity to things like paper, ink, pen and inkstone.
It’s not that there’s no paper these days, it’s just that good paper is hard to come by and more expensive, so it hasn’t been popularized.
If the Sheriff's paper can be used for writing, and it only lasts for a stack, it probably won't cost much. This will be a major event in the literary world.
Of course, first of all, the paper must be able to write.
Yang Tai calmed down her mind, stopped her hand from shaking, and then worked hard to write a word on the paper.
Well, the ink is full, the writing is smooth and there is no sluggish feeling, the paper is also very absorbent, and there is no loosening phenomenon. This paper can be used.
It's just a bit yellow, not white enough, which affects the senses.
But that's enough.
Yang Tai put down his pen, turned around, bowed to Zhang Xi, and said, "On behalf of all the scholars in the world, I would like to thank the county governor for his kindness in making paper."
Although this is not the first time that paper has appeared, most of the credit for paper must be attributed to Cai Lun, but Cai Lun was a eunuch.
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, aristocratic families and scholars had a bad impression of eunuchs.
So, if someone can make better paper, then the aristocratic family would really not hesitate to promote this person to replace Cai Lun.
Yang Tai's mentality was actually the same, so he bowed to Zhang Xi.
Zhang Xi didn't understand what was going on here, and was still wondering why Yang Tai was so serious. Then Yang Tai continued to ask questions.
"How much does it cost to make this paper?!"
Zhang Xi thought for a moment and replied, "One piece is worth just a few bucks."
It is just some bamboo and grass stems. The biggest cost is the labor cost and the cost of laboratory research. If the production is spread over a large area, the cost can be reduced.
But now Zhang Xi also knows a little bit about the concept and has not directly leaked the raw material content.
Yang Tai didn't ask further questions. After all, he wouldn't tell anyone about this kind of technology. Knowing the cost was already an unexpected surprise.
Of course, Yang Tai was even more surprised by the low cost of this paper.
Let's put it this way, even if Zhang Xi sells it at ten times the price, even the poorest people can afford it, which is good news for scholars all over the world.
But Yang Tai is Yang Tai after all. His mind is no longer thinking about whether it is the gospel. What he is thinking about now is how to use this paper to benefit his family.
Therefore, Yang Tai saluted Zhang Xi again, and then asked, "I wonder if the county governor is willing to sell this skill. Tai is willing to pay thousands of gold to buy it, and I hope the county governor will not be stingy."
Thousand gold coins, that is, one thousand five-baht coins, just regular money.
Of course, Yang Tai would not just spend a lot of money to acquire papermaking technology. This is just a rhetoric. Specific conditions can be negotiated in private. On the surface, all scholars want to save face.
Zhang Xi waved his hand and said, "It's not that Xi is stingy, but this thing is actually of great use. Ji Ru, I want to use this thing to replace silk and draw an album of fish scales. In this way, it is not only light to carry, but also can be recorded at any time. , wouldn’t it be convenient to bind it into a book?!”
Yang Tai was stunned and looked at Zhang Xi stupidly, seriously? !
Such cheap and easy-to-use paper should be used for copying classics. Why are you thinking about your fish scale album? !
Of course, it's not impossible to do this. The key point is that it always feels like putting the cart before the horse.
Yang Tai thought for a long time and then reluctantly said to Zhang Xi, "The fish scale atlas is not urgent. Sheriff, please also ask the county guard to give Tai some papers. With this alone, Tai is sure to convince the big family in Badong County. Fully cooperate with the county governor in drawing a fish scale atlas."
Um? !
Can such a good thing happen? !
Zhang Xi didn't know what kind of medicine Yang Tai was selling in the gourd, but since he said so, Zhang Xi waved his hand and asked Yang Tai to take away all the papers on the table.
Yang Tai did not hesitate, stuffed all the papers into his arms, and then hurriedly said goodbye to Zhang Xi.
After leaving the prefect's mansion, Yang Tai ran straight home to discuss important matters with his elders.
The era of the Yang family's rise has arrived.
(End of chapter)
