"What a pity!" Wei Su could hear Li Chang's rejection.
"Libraries consume a lot of money and should be promoted mainly by the imperial court."
The director admitted that this library opened in Nanjing and could make money from wealthy students. If you move to another county, where can you find someone to spend money to enjoy?
"How can the imperial court be rich?" Wei Su knew that the Ming Dynasty did not have enough money now, even if the Xia army in Sichuan won some of the money.
"The Chief!" "Hello, the Chief!" "The Chief is here!"
After the headmaster and Wei Su said a few words, the students greeted each other one after another.
"Hello everyone! Studying is just studying, don't tire yourself out. Taking the imperial examination is to contribute to the country. Even if you don't pass the exam for a while, you can still contribute to the country in other ways."
The head of the district comforted the candidates in advance. Hanhan said that none of them would pass the exam this year and there would be 260 poor scholars. When the time came, he would ask them if they were willing to work.
The students smiled and nodded in agreement. It didn't matter whether they really wanted to contribute to the country or not.
Anyway, as long as you live and pay taxes, you are contributing.
"Bachelor Wei, please rest in peace and cultivate yourself. Your Highness the Prince's studies are not urgent. If you have any inconveniences in your life, please let us know." The head of the school said to Wei Su again that he was leaving and came over to have a look.
"Thank you for your kindness." Wei Su thanked him.
The village chief and Hanhan turned around and went to the lunch box restaurant. Wei Su was reviewing the situation, wondering what the village chief of Xiaqiu Village had said and whether it had any other meaning.
It seems that Zhu Lichang knows that this year's imperial examination will not be easy to pass. In addition, he has a close relationship with the palace. Otherwise, how could he talk to the prince about schoolwork?
Based on Wei Su's analysis, he still didn't know who saved his life, nor did he know that the prince now went to Xiaqiu Village to get three meals a day.
…
"Weisu seems to be a pretty good guy, but why do so many people hate him? Alas!" The village chief and Hanhan went to the room behind the box lunch shop to talk.
"If you are not an official, you will not hate him. If you are not praised by the Holy Spirit, there will be no problem. The officials are not targeting him, but all the officials who stayed from the Yuan Dynasty.
There are only so many official positions and only so much power. Everyone wants to have the final say and join forces to get rid of the officials of the previous dynasty.
Liu Ji and Liu Bowen, who retired last year, are one of them. Even when he is alive, there are people who are uneasy. Such people can unite the officials of the previous dynasty. "
Zhu Wentian knew very well what was going on in the court. Everyone was dividing the cake and kicking others away, so there would be more cake left.
"Alas! Wei Su actually wants to open a library in all parts of the Ming Dynasty. Aren't we going to die?" The director felt bored and changed the topic.
“Actually, opening libraries in state capitals makes money. Free reading and borrowing of books are auxiliary, and they are called social functions.
What really makes money is not selling rich people’s rooms or good pens, inks, paper and inkstones, but our printing workshops.
If we already have books, we will put them out for everyone to read. If we don’t have books, we will have to buy the books we compiled ourselves.
For example, I designed a set of questions for the imperial examination, and then gave several answers and sold them to scholars to study.
Starting from the Tongsheng Examination, to the Scholars and Juren Examinations, they all write examination questions and answers, and even the poorest people will buy them. "
Zhu Wentian introduces how to make money and sell test papers. Do you want to do well in the exam? Others have the test papers to read. Do you want to buy them?
"Isn't it okay to borrow it from each other? Oh! No, there is a certain number of people who can pass the exam. Buy it with your own money and lend it to others. At least I can't do it."
The director himself denies the issues he raises. For example, the existing Four Books and Five Classics books must be borrowed from each other if they have a particularly good relationship.
Including Xiaqiu Village borrowing large animals from outside, either people will come to help with the work, or they will be given money or grain. It is impossible to use them for free.
And this is not competition. There is no such thing as if your village is doing well, my village will not be doing well.
The students have to compete with each other for that position. Maybe they look at the competing people and laugh and talk in front of them, wishing that the other person would die immediately.
"Hanhan, are the test questions and answers you mentioned easy to compile?" The village director was tempted, so that Xiaqiu Village could open libraries everywhere.
People from Xiaqiu Village have a place to stay wherever they go. The Ming Dynasty is so big, why not go and see it?
"It doesn't have much technical content. I could make up a lot of it if I wanted to, but that's not possible for the time being. Starting from this year, the imperial examination will be suspended. The Holy Spirit requires that local people recommend good people to be officials."
"Yes, once the imperial examination is suspended, who will buy the books for the imperial examination? In this case, our copper movable type seems to have been made in vain."
"We can sell reference books. Wei Su is good at bringing people together to compile books. He will live another ten or eight years and compile a dictionary, like Shuowen Jiezi and Erya.
This dictionary will become the best-selling reference book in the future, and I will create another dictionary. Anyway, make one up if necessary. "
"Does it cost a lot to sell?"
"It is a book that promotes the overall cultural foundation of Ming society. The more it sells, the more people learn. There is a difference between literate and illiterate people."
"That's right, we can't just think about making money. We're not short of money, so we just need Hanhanyou."
"Reference books are commonly used. The paper should be strong, the cover should be thick, and the copper movable type should be added with pinyin, gestures, and punctuation. I will write a page in the afternoon as a demonstration."
"Thank you for your hard work, Hanhan."
"If you want to make money, let's print storybooks. Ah! Lao Shi died. His student Luo Guanzhong is here, in...Hangzhou?"
When Zhu Wentian talked about printing storybooks, he remembered important people. Unfortunately, he didn't have the ability to save Shi Naian. The year before last, the village was developing.
Then Luo Guanzhong is no problem. He is now in his forties, but historically he lived for more than seventy years.
"Who is Luo Guanzhong?" The manager was curious when Hanhan mentioned his name again.
"Zhang Shicheng's men used to fight against our present Majesty, but later they gave up and ran away, and they did not dare to serve as officials under our Majesty.
He worked hard to write a book. In the past, his family was a silk seller, and they had a lot of money. He didn't know how to run it himself. Bookseller.
But those books of his! It is not favored by booksellers, and has always been... We want it anyway, what is so good about Hangzhou? You should come to Nanjing. "
Zhu Wentian briefly introduced Luo Guanzhong's affairs and planned to send someone to find him. Where should I write a book instead of writing?
What a great library. It has floor heating or firewalls in the winter. Tea, plum soup, and mung bean water are provided in the summer. Food is free. It is responsible for publishing.
There is no need to worry about Lao Zhu causing trouble. If he wants to find you, it will be fine just hiding in Hangzhou?
"Get him to print storybooks? Is this profitable?" Li Changyiting is not a reference book, so at least the capital must be preserved.
"We don't even take the imperial examination anymore. It just so happens that the students are bored and reading story books! The more literate people there are, the better our books will sell.
Then it involves another industry, storyteller. In ancient times, it was called speaking, and before that, it was called storytelling.
It doesn’t matter what the name is, this industry can promote things among the people in a very down-to-earth manner.
After telling the story, many people listened, and then let him talk about farming and other aspects, wouldn't the people learn it? "
Zhu Wentian not only wanted to print books, but also promote it.
(End of chapter)
