Outside Wenhanxuan in Dongshi City, a poor man bought "The Doctrine of the Mean", "Mencius", "Idiom Stories", and a knife of paper. When he showed it to his friends, everyone looked incredulous.
The paper on which "The Doctrine of the Mean", "Mencius" and "Idiom Stories" are printed is actually not the bamboo paper books sold yesterday, but a kind of white, delicate and soft paper. The paper he bought is also as white as jade and as thin. Like cicada wings.
This is actually a combination of bamboo paper and hard yellow paper technology. Bamboo paper is made of young bamboo. Due to poor technology, there are still tiny moso bamboo chips in the gaps of the paper, and the texture is light and brittle, making writing difficult. Paper bleeding and other problems, so the sales of this kind of paper are not very good. Although the imperial ink has solved the paper bleeding problem, the light and brittle texture is still a big problem.
The surface of the hard yellow paper is shiny and moist, has good toughness and strong transparency, but the surface layer is obviously coated with wax. As soon as it is folded, the wax will fall off and wrinkle, and the paper surface will no longer be neat.
Yang Jian arranged for Yang Ji to get the papermakers together, and the papermakers who made the two types of paper learned from each other's strengths, and a chemical reaction occurred. The new paper almost has the toughness and moisturizing properties of rice paper, smooth but not slippery, white and dense, pure texture, and foldable texture. It is non-destructive and has strong ink moisturizing properties. Although it is slightly inferior to rice paper in every aspect, its cost is far lower than rice paper by a thousand times.
In addition, the process of rice paper is complicated and takes a year to make, while new paper can be made in half a month at most as long as the materials are available and the fermentation temperature is sufficient. Therefore, there is no comparison between the two sides.
If the new paper is sold in large quantities on the market, it will definitely become popular all over the world and can replace rice paper, hard yellow paper, and bamboo paper in a short time.
"This paper is actually whiter than rice paper..." Wei Zheng stepped forward and touched it, took out a piece, pulled it, and said in amazement: "Not only is it whiter and softer, but it is also tougher! How much does a knife cost?"
Han Shi, who bought books and paper, said excitedly: "One knife only costs five strings of money!"
The surroundings suddenly became silent, and then exploded with a "boom"!
"What?"
"How much?"
"How much did you say?"
"A piece of paper only costs five skewers? Doesn't it mean that one piece of paper only costs five taels?"
"Compared to rice paper, this kind of fine paper is worth paying more for. It's not an exaggeration to sell ten strings for one knife, but it only costs five strings?"
"..."
Wei Zheng tried folding it a few times, opened it and pulled it, but it was still tenacious. He looked at the jade-white paper and was shocked.
Everyone knows that reading can not only gain knowledge, but also become an official... However, not everyone can afford to read books.
Very low-priced papyrus and bamboo paper books are gradually being sold on the market, and they are often sold out as soon as they come on the market. Unfortunately, the quantity is still too small. The reason is that the price of paper remains high, which prevents the cost of printing books from being reduced. .
If Wen Hanxuan has been keeping the price of this kind of paper so cheap and selling it in large quantities, then the cost of printing books will inevitably decrease step by step. Wouldn't everyone be able to afford reading?
Even if merchants, slaves and other lower-class people cannot be officials, who would object to not reading enough?
However, the price of such good paper is only one dollar for five skewers or five dollars for a piece. If someone resells it, it can easily be sold for more than twenty dollars a piece, which is a huge profit.
Wen Hanxuan is stupid, but he still doesn't understand the value of this kind of paper?
Obviously not.
"Brother Han, do you know who the proprietor of Wenhanxuan is?" Wei Zheng couldn't help but grab a friend from the capital and asked loudly.
"The owner is Prince Wei's Mansion."
"That's it!" Wei Zheng was in awe. He knew that Yang Ji maintained the smooth flow of movable type printing, ink, and books. For this reason, he did not hesitate to argue with Guanlong nobles and Shandong nobles in the court. It was also because of him , the saint did not issue a ban on books.
Such a big man who is dedicated to the people and the welfare of poor people is really admirable.
Wang Tong was also sharing and watching with his friends. His eyes flickered, and it was obvious that he was not in a calm mood.
Not peaceful indeed.
For the sake of their own interests, the Shandong nobles who once loyal to the Northern Qi chose the Northern Zhou Dynasty when the Northern Qi was about to be defeated. Later, they also chose to be loyal to the Sui Dynasty for their own interests. But the premise of their loyalty is that the court cannot do anything detrimental to the interests of the Shandong nobles, and they must be raised to the level of the Guanlong nobles. However, although Yang Jian gradually weakened the power of the Guanlong nobles, he would not fight for a group of literati. The nobles of Guanlong and Guanlong broke up with the military power.
Although today's actions have impacted the interests of the world's aristocratic families, the first ones to bear the brunt are undoubtedly the Shandong gentry and the southern gentry. In comparison, the Guanlong nobles who are based in the army have not suffered much damage. If things continue like this, what will happen in the future, and where should the gentry go? Where is the way out?
Wang Tong couldn't answer.
He only knows that being mediocre will become an irreversible trend. If the nobles themselves do not make progress, they will definitely "die in peace and happiness." But the problem is that the nobles are now born in peace and happiness, who wants to live in sorrow? Therefore, Wang Tong's father Wang Long, Cui Zhongfang, Zheng Shanyuan, Zhang Jin and others asked Yang Jian to issue a ban on books for the sake of the family's interests, regardless of the interests of all people in the world.
"You old man, why don't you get out of my way?" The high-quality and cheap books and papers caused a commotion in the crowd, and some eager people began to act unruly. The old man smelled of sweat and roared.
"Impossible. I have been waiting here for two days. Why should I give up my seat to you every day? It's not like I don't pay." The old man's face turned red, but he refused to give up his seat.
"You..." the scholar looked the old man up and down, and said disdainfully: "You are just a dying old man from a good family. Do you want to learn the sage's learning and arty elegance? If the book of the sage falls into your hands, it will be like a pearl covered in dust. , are you embarrassed to argue with us?"
The surrounding family members couldn't help laughing when they heard this.
"I don't steal or rob, I..." The old man has lived his whole life honestly and rarely fights with others. When he met these noble family members, his momentum was already a bit weaker. Now he was surrounded by so many noble families. Zi laughed and laughed, and his words became stumbling.
"What the father-in-law said is absolutely true!" Wei Zheng saw the old man's embarrassed look and said loudly and righteously: "People may have high or low backgrounds, but how can there be any difference in the desire to learn, high or low, or age? We are both great. Sui people, why are you only allowed to buy books? Why do you want me to let you?"
Wei Zheng's words immediately resonated with everyone.
"That's right, Wen Hanxuan opened the business, and it's not just for you. Why should others let you buy it first? Aren't you the people who pass down poems and books and respect the old and love the young? Could it be possible that they were all eaten by dogs? ?”
"Everyone maintains their own identity, does it mean that without this identity, you are nothing?"
"These boys in green clothes know that these people from aristocratic families don't want us to buy books or study, so they ordered these dogs to come here to rob them. Hey, I used to think that these people were gentle and elegant, but now it seems that they are simply shameless."
"I've been waiting for two days, and I still want to give up my seat to you. Could it be that the teachings of sages teach you to use your power to overwhelm others?"
"The teachings of sages cannot teach these things. It is these people who have misinterpreted the meaning of sages."
"I don't think they have any education. Otherwise, why would they use their status to oppress others? If you ask me, these talents really insult the teachings of the sages."
"..."
This is the herd effect of human beings. In the past, Hanshi was intimidated by his status as a son of aristocratic family, and he had developed the habit of swallowing his anger in order to study. Hanshi would not easily provoke the son of aristocratic family, and he would not dare to speak out against their natural and public behavior of jumping in line. , but under the scorching sun, someone set a precedent and ignited everyone's long-simmering anger.
At this time, the chatter box was opened, and all kinds of unpleasant words came out. There were not only poor people here, but also traders and foot soldiers, peasant soldiers, craftsmen and merchants. The knowledge may not be as good as that of the noble family members and poor people, but when it comes to swearing, it is not as good as the upper class people. of. What's even more uncomfortable is that they don't talk to the family members, but talk to each other loudly.
For a moment, the faces of the aristocratic family headed by Wang Tong turned red. They are used to being separated from these people and have advantages everywhere. In their view, these inferior people take them for granted. But now when I put it on the table, I realized that it didn't make sense at all.
Wei Zheng saw that the aristocratic son had calmed down and helped the old man, who was trembling due to emotion, to go directly to the front.
"What do you want to do?" The scholar who was about to buy a book looked at Wei Zheng angrily. Today's events are basically related to this guy.
The family members were very unhappy with him.
"This old man has been waiting here for two days. May I ask when did you come?" Wei Zheng said coldly: "Does your family still have any virtues of respecting the elderly and caring for the young?"
"This..." The noble family member was speechless. Although they all had a natural sense of superiority, Wei Zheng's reasoning had been pushed aside. There was no way to refute, and he could only give in very unhappily. However, after giving in, what happened next made Wang Tong and others look even more ugly.
"What are you doing? If you want to buy books, go to the queue at the back. A certain family came first!" A tall and thick-set man waved a boy in Tsing Yi aside. Although the children of the aristocratic family gave in, ordinary people still did not dare to provoke them, but Facing these young men in Tsing Yi who rely on others' power and are not even "people", I'm not polite.
When Wei Zheng saw this, he left with his companions amidst the old man's gratitude.
Looking at the backs of Wei Zheng and several Hanshi, Wang Tong frowned and said nothing. The circle of aristocratic families and Hanshi was big or small. If Wei Zheng was a famous celebrity, he would definitely have an impression, but this person The name has never been heard before.
"Nobody!" A nobleman next to Wang Tong said disdainfully as he looked in the direction Wei Zheng was leaving.
"Nobody?" Wang Tong shook his head and said calmly: "This person has sharp words and an arrogant demeanor. So what if he is a nobody? Before, weren't Liu Zhuo and Liu Xuan nobody? But what about now? ?”
Family members are accustomed to using reputation to judge a person's ability, but Wang Tong doesn't think so. Reputation may be important, but it is by no means the key to measuring a person's talent. Before Liu Zhuo and Liu Xuan became famous all over the world, who knew they were talented classics masters? Who knew they had the most talented people in the world?
Even if the "great Confucians" who came from aristocratic families tried every means to suppress the "Second Lius" and discredited them, as soon as their annotations of "The Doctrine of the Mean" and "Mencius" and their "Idiom Stories" were published today, wouldn't the children of aristocratic families flock to them? Aren't you rushing to buy it?
What does this mean?
This shows that although the nobles of the aristocratic family refuse to admit it, in their hearts they actually recognize the talent and learning of "Er Liu" and their annotations and justice of the sages' classics.
When everyone heard this, they were speechless.
. . . . . . . .
"Xuancheng, we came from Hebei to study in Guanzhong, why do you have to embarrass yourself with the family members?" Wei Zheng and others left the crowd, his companion Ling Jing said with a bitter smile: "That Wang Tong is a rare genius, regarded by the Wang family I'm afraid the Wang family won't let you have an easy time if you make things difficult for him like this."
"So what?" Wei Zheng shook his head, looked at the Daxing Palace in the distance, and said: "As people of the Sui Dynasty, since we encounter injustice, we should help. Besides, even if we don't interfere with this kind of thing, wouldn't it be possible? Won’t it explode?”
Ling Jing smiled bitterly and said: "Since you also know that it will break out sooner or later, why bother provoking those aristocratic families? If you are not careful, you may be involved in the vortex of the struggle between the imperial power and the aristocratic families. Is it possible that you want to stay in Chang'an?"
Wei Zheng shrugged his shoulders: "If I haven't completed my studies, what's the use of staying here?"
Ling Jing rolled his eyes: "Xuan Cheng should say it clearly if he has something to say, and don't pretend to be cryptic."
"It's not that I'm pretending to be mysterious. It's just that I can't figure out what the saint thinks." Wei Zheng pondered for a moment and analyzed: "But in my opinion, the root of the dispute between the saint and the gentry is the movable type printing technology, ink, cheap books. The purpose is to cover up the Three Studies in Liangzhou in order to reduce the pressure on King Wei. Once books spread all over the world and reading is no longer the exclusive right of aristocratic families, it will be the day to restart the Three Studies all over the world. At that time, there will be resistance It must be countless times less than it is now. It’s just that our status is humble and our talents are mediocre, so we can’t do much now. For now, we should learn our unfinished studies well first.”
"Has Xuancheng made any decision?" Ling Jing asked with a frown.
Daxing City was the last stop of their study tour, but looking at Wei Zheng's attitude, it seemed that he had made some new decisions.
Wei Zheng glanced at everyone and said: "To be honest, I am going to study at Liangzhou University. There are two Mr. Liu sitting there, who will definitely make many mysteries clear. If King Wei is willing to persist to the end, in Liangzhou What’s wrong with being a staff member?”
When Ling Jing and others heard this, they fell silent.
They were all victims of the struggle between the Northern Zhou Dynasty and the Northern Qi Dynasty. After the fall of the Northern Qi Dynasty, their ancestors and fathers who served as officials in the Northern Qi Dynasty were suppressed by the Guanlong nobles for decades. The family was reduced to the status of a local power, and its influence could not extend beyond a single county. However, they were brilliant. No more, but everyone knows the strength of the family members.
Although Wei Zheng, Ling Jing and others had good feelings, and although they all admired and appreciated Yang Ji, they knew that Yang Ji's situation was too dangerous, so they would not even consider becoming Yang Ji before Yang Guang ascended the throne and the academic affairs became clear. Yang gathered his staff.
Just because Yang Ji's persistence has benefited all people and made great achievements in the future, but he is now the enemy of all the famous families in the world. If he loses Yang Jian's support and if Yang Guang, who inherits Guo Zuo, bans books, then Yang Ji, who advocates the circulation of books, will surely He is in a very dangerous situation. Even if his staff is not implicated, they may not have any official career in this life.
However, although they all thought so in their hearts, this involved the struggle between imperial power and aristocratic families, and the trust between the emperor and the prince, and no one dared to say it openly.
Ling Jing pondered for a moment, then changed the subject and said, "Xuan Cheng just said that after books are spread all over the world, he will restart the three studies all over the world. I agree with this. But I don't know what the next step is?"
"Change the system of recruiting talents!" Wei Zheng said decisively: "The four schools, county school, state school, and Taixue cultivated talents for the Sui Dynasty. However, the appointment and removal of officials were still firmly controlled by ministers from aristocratic families. Saints If you want to completely dismantle the foundation of the aristocratic family, and if you want to turn the talents you cultivated into the strength of the Sui Dynasty, you must give poor people a smooth path to officialdom."
"If this is really the case, then the world will really change." Although Ling Jing admired Yang Ji who represented the imperial power and admired Yang Ji's actions in Liangzhou, he could not be called a mere prince because of the backlash from the same family. , even the Sui Dynasty may not be able to afford it. But if the Sui royal family headed by the emperor did what Wei Zheng said, it would be like changing the world.
The "change of heaven and earth" here does not mean the change of dynasties, but the old rules and the existing power of the aristocratic families have been completely broken. It is absolutely impossible for the aristocratic families that will develop in the future to be as powerful as they are now.
It was only at this moment that Ling Jing understood why the family members were fiercely opposed to the circulation of books. Apparently those people also saw what Wei Zheng said. Although Yang Jian and Yang Guang might not do so, it did not mean that the family members did not have a sense of crisis.
"Yes, this 'heaven' should have changed a long time ago!" Wei Zheng looked at the sky and said sternly: "The weather, the right location, the people, and the hearts of the people are all on the side of the saint. If the aristocratic family only has the means in front of them, the saint You’ll win for sure!”
Ling Jing and others remained silent. They were all scholars from Hebei Province and had more or less connections with Zhaojun Li, Qinghe Cui, Boling Cui, Bohai Gao, and Fan Yanglu. Wei Zheng was the auditor of Zhaojun Li's clan study, and Ling Jing is an auditor of the Bohai Gao Clan Academy, and so are the others. Speaking of it, everyone is a peripheral member of the gentry clan.
After a long silence, Ling Jing asked, "Has Xuan Cheng known this for a long time?"
Wei Zheng didn't say anything, but he didn't deny it either. In Ling Jing's view, he naturally acquiesced. He immediately shook his head and said with a bitter smile: "What does Xuancheng mean?"
"Jingzhi doesn't want to give it a try in the great world war?" Wei Zheng didn't think much of others, but he understood Ling Jing just as Ling Jing understood him.
"It's not that I don't want to, but why is the future so dangerous?" Ling Jing knew that the Shandong nobles did not have military power and could not restrain Yang Jian financially, so he could only propose banning books for reasons that were not justified; but the Guanlong nobles, who had military power and strong financial resources, Their interests in this regard are consistent with those of the Shandong gentry. Are they sitting idly by?
Wei Zheng said: "There are a lot of talents in the Sui Dynasty, and it's not like there are no saints available. If we don't work hard, how can we have a future?"
"I can't tell you anything." Ling Jing shook his head.
"This is the fact." Wei Zheng took a deep look at everyone, and finally fixed his gaze on Ling Jing, and said seriously: "It is our generation's luck to be able to encounter such an eternal event that changes the world. If we don't participate, it will be If we maintain the rotten old rules, even if our name will remain in history, it will be just a person seeking fame and reputation, and we don’t want that kind of reputation.”
Wei Zheng smiled calmly and walked forward. Ling Jing and others stared blankly at the direction Wei Zheng left, silent for a long time.
After Wei Zheng had gone a long way, Ling Jing came back to his senses, chased after him and asked, "Xuancheng, are you planning to go to Liangzhou?"
"To be precise, it should be said that we are going to Prince Wei's Mansion." Wei Zheng looked at Ling Jing with a smile and asked, "Do you dare to go?"
Ling Jing gritted his teeth and said, "Why are you so afraid? Am I, Ling Jing, still afraid of you?"
Wei Zheng said calmly: "Then let's go!"
"Let's go." Ling Jing made his decision, but he no longer had any worries. After walking a few steps, he seemed to have thought of something and asked, "King Wei got married yesterday, should we prepare some congratulations?"
"We are what you want." Wei Zheng pointed to his nose and said, "We are two living people, better than any congratulatory gift."
Ling Jing smiled bitterly and said, "I'm just afraid that the kid will be difficult to deal with."
Wei Zheng was about to speak when he heard a girl's voice coming from beside him: "You two distinguished men, do you need any recommendations?"
The two of them walked away and saw three young girls standing next to them. One of them was about fifteen or sixteen years old. She was slim, beautiful and refined. At a glance, there was a faint scholarly fragrance coming to her face. Standing there, she looked like a girl. A fresh, timeless, white and pretty lotus flower, and the other two girls are obviously her maids.
"..." Wei Zheng and Ling Jing glanced at each other and couldn't help but look at each other. They were talking animatedly and had no idea where these three girls came from. I wonder how many words they heard?
The two of them looked around at the same time, only to find that more than a dozen people were following them either openly or covertly, and their eyes were filled with malicious intent.
Something bad happened!
The two of them were shocked.
Wei Zheng quickly changed his mind, raised his hands to the young girl and said, "We are in Xingzhou Julu Wei Zheng, may I ask where the young lady is from?"
The girl's face turned red and she returned the courtesy: "My little lady is Wen Xi Pei Shuying. I overheard the remarks of two eminent men. Please forgive me."
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter!" Wei Zheng saw that the people around him were big and thick, so he deliberately raised his voice loudly: "I wonder what kind of lady Pei Ju, the minister of the Ministry of Personnel, is?"
"That's my father!" Pei Shuying's face turned red and she said crisply: "I am close friends with Wei and Princess Wei. I can introduce him to you."
"Thank you, Madam Pei." Wei Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at the people who were blatantly following them, and asked, "Is this Madam's entourage?"
"No!" Pei Shuying took a look, and her bright eyes suddenly widened with a look of disbelief.
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