Jinling.

Confucian.

A white-bearded old man in his sixties, wearing a three-duke robe, was sitting solemnly on the main hall.

The imperial envoy Kong Hanyou, the fifteenth grandson of Confucius, and the great Confucian generation of the Great Chu Dynasty.

As one of the three princes who supervise the hundred officials in the world, Kong Hanyou's power has reached its peak, and he naturally has no more thoughts about adding officials to the knighthood.

However, as a descendant of Confucius, he devoted great efforts to the prosperity of Confucianism in Great Chu. Almost every means were tried to promote Confucianism and become the state religion personally canonized by the Great Chu Emperor.

However, today's saint Xiang Yanran, although he is interested in Confucianism, has only been able to support the prosperity of Confucianism.

This made him, the imperial historian, at a loss.

Recently, in Jinling City, a new paper called "Duhou Paper" suddenly flourished miraculously among many gate valves, eunuchs, and noble ladies, and many Confucian scholars and scholars flocked to it.

Kong Hanyou accidentally heard about this from the mouth of the disciples of Confucius, and immediately keenly noticed that this paper was likely to contain a huge change.

But until he saw it with his own eyes, he still couldn't determine how useful the faint paper was.

He sent two of his most proud disciples, Dong Xianliang and Chao Fangzheng, to investigate the faint paper.

At this time, two young people in their thirties had returned.

Dong Xianliang is gentle and modest, and there is a lot of black mud on his shoes, and he doesn't know where he came back.

Chao Fangzheng is dressed in brocade clothes, his expression is flamboyant, and his clothes are spotless.

"Teacher! The faint paper you wanted, the disciple has already taken it. ”

Dong Xianliang stepped forward respectfully, bowed, and presented ten pieces of faint paper with both hands.

Kong Hanyou nodded slightly and took the ten pieces of faint paper.

As a generation of Confucianism, he is very familiar with hemp paper and often uses it.

He used to look forward to and be optimistic about the prospects of hemp paper.

The benefit of "lightness" alone is much better than bulky bamboo slips. A roll of paper books can replace hundreds of thousand-pound bamboo slips of an ox cart.

It is obvious how much difference there is between a scholar who takes a paper book to study and an ox cart who travels to study.

However, the disadvantages of hemp paper are also very obvious - it is expensive, rough and shoddy, and it is not suitable for making books, resulting in the birth of hemp paper, not many people buy it at all.

Hemp paper is difficult to do.

Better and cheaper paper is needed in order to "replace simplicity with paper and open up a prosperous era of cultural transportation." ”

And the dim paper in front of him, "white as powder snow, light and thin as cicada wings", just this appearance, can be called a generation of paper in the holy product.

Kong Hanyou looked at it carefully, and his eyes showed a strange light.

Subsequently, he wrote it himself.

Whether it is a large character or a small word of mosquitoes and flies, after half a ring, there is no sign of ink infiltrating and spreading around, and the quality is surprisingly good.

"Good paper, good paper! It is as clean as powder snow and fragrant. No wonder the Confucian scholars and scholars in Jinling City will flock to it! ”

Kong Hanyou's eyes were unbearably excited, "This paper, if it can replace bamboo slips, it will be the first major achievement of Qianqiu." The long-awaited thousand-year-old prosperity of the Confucian family is finally coming!

It is recorded in "Huainanzi Benjing Training", "In the past, Cangjie wrote books, and the sky rained, and the ghosts cried at night. What a feat! Now the faint paper was born, second only to Cangjie's ability to make words!

If this paper can be widely popularized in my Dachu, my Confucian saints will definitely spread the world, so that the people, women and children will know.

Little Dusk Marquis, he has made immortal achievements!

I will go to the book early tomorrow, commend the little dusk marquis, and order to replace Jane with paper, all over the world! ”

The more Kong Hanyou spoke, the more excited he became.

On this day, he waited too long, and finally waited for a ray of light to appear.

He can't wait to see the day when the "prosperous era of cultural movement" arrives.

The arrival of the prosperous era of cultural movement is the day when Confucianism is in full swing.

Confucius should lead the world of Confucianism, and jointly promote Confucianism, so that Confucianism can be carried forward thoroughly.

"Teacher, you look down on the little faint marquis!"

Chao Fangzheng gave up his hand, poured a basin of cold water, and said: "Although this paper is good, but the price of Pingwangfu is as high as 20 copper coins, which is almost a one-day ration for a family of five.

The family background of the Confucian scholars cannot afford it at all.

Bamboo is much cheaper, and a volume is only a copper coin.

One piece of paper can buy twenty rolls of bamboo slips. Although bamboo slips are bulky and inconvenient, it is much better than spending a family's daily rations to buy a piece of paper.

The disciple thought that when it became popular for a while, the freshness would pass, and the faint paper would slowly fall silent. ”

"Twenty copper coins?"

When Kong Hanyou heard this price, he was stunned and couldn't help but fall silent.

The price is fully double that of hemp paper... Except for the children of the aristocracy, not many people really can afford it.

But most of the Confucian students in the world are from small wealth. Spending such a large price to buy paper is difficult for some strong people.

Not many people buy it, and no matter how convenient this paper is, it can't replace the bamboo slips in the world.

Kong Hanyou looked at the other disciple, "Xianliang, what do you think of the faint paper?" ”

"Disciple..."

Dong Xianliang arched his hand and said indifferently: "... No view. ”

Kong Hanyou couldn't help but be disappointed, and the excitement that had just risen in his heart disappeared.

Hope is dashed again.

Could it be that in this prosperous era of literary fortune, he can't see any hope in his lifetime?!

However, the disciple squatted outside the gate of Xiao Duhou's paper-making workshop and observed for two days. Help Xiao Duhou, slightly calculate the cost of papermaking... It was quite surprising to the disciples. ”

Dong Xianliang said unhurriedly.

"Oh, let's hear it."

Kong Hanyou was surprised.

"The master craftsman of the workshop, Sun, and his disciples learned from his neighbors that his income was about one tael of silver per day. The rest of the paper-making workers are about 30 copper coins per day, and the total daily wage is about one tael of silver.

The raw materials for papermaking are bark, bamboo, etc., which are very cheap, and dozens of catties of bark are a penny of copper coins... Almost negligible, less than one or two.

The charcoal money, cattle power money, etc., is about two or three taels of silver a day... I don't think so. The wood from which the bark has been peeled is used directly for charcoal fire.

The workshop produces about 10,000 pieces of paper every day, all of which are transported to the Pingwang Mansion and sold to the powerful families of Jinling City at a price of 20 yuan.

The daily expenditure of this papermaking workshop is at most five taels, but the daily income from selling paper is two hundred taels of silver... The profit is forty times greater! ”

Dong Xianliang was amazed and said convincingly.

Such a terrifying profit is unimaginable.

When he calculated, he always thought that he had miscalculated and undercounted zero. But no matter how you calculate it, it's still the same result.

In addition to the initial construction of a paper workshop, which cost nearly a few thousand taels of silver. This workshop has never spent much money again.

Totally a golden hen that constantly lays golden eggs every day.

"The cost is five taels of silver, and the income is two hundred taels of silver? ... This, how is this possible. ”

Chao Fangzheng listened, and his face was also full of astonishment.

Investigating the matter of the faint paper, the two of them acted separately.

He didn't go to the workshop, he just went to the Pingwang Mansion these days, and inquired about the various styles of the faint marquis paper and the little dusk marquis, which disgusted him.

He didn't expect that Dong Xianliang would actually go to the paper workshop and ask about the workers' salaries and the purchase price of the bark.

"This means..."

Chao Fangzheng's face changed.

It means that Xiao Duhou, a big gentleman, is frantically eating the blood of gate valves, eunuchs, and noblewomen, and is doing a profitable business.

Those Confucian scholars knew that they would definitely be excited to write to the emperor and force Xiao Duhou to sacrifice papermaking or reduce the price of paper.

However, this paper workshop... It is an estate under the name of the county lord Li Yu of the Ping Prince's Mansion, which will definitely provoke the wrath of the Ping King.

There may not really be anyone who dares to force Xiao Duhou.

"The real cost of this faint paper, half a copper plate is enough to make a piece of paper, not even a penny. But the price of bamboo slips is one article and one volume.

Even if the price of the paper is reduced to one penny, he can eat half of the high profits and make a lot of money. ... But he, he actually offered twenty wen... This is a money grab!

Alas, this Da Chu is only a little faint marquis, and he has the courage to do such a thing. ”

Dong Xianliang sighed.

Kong Hanyou fell silent again.

The cost of dusk paper is surprisingly cheap, cheaper than bamboo slips.

So is there still a problem with replacing simplicity with paper?

A 100-page book is only a hundred copper coins. Confucian scholars and scholars all over the world will discard bamboo slips as soon as possible and use extremely light paper to copy books.

Students travel thousands of miles to study, and they no longer have to worry about not being able to carry books.

The premise of all this is... Xiao Duhou was willing to lower the price of paper. His backstage is too hard to push him.

No matter.

Tomorrow morning, he will write to His Majesty to commend the paper-making achievements of Xiao Duhou, and try to promote the Dumhou paper to the entire county, county, and feudal country of Dachu.

Let the people in the world use faint paper as soon as possible.

Kong Hanyou has made up his mind.

"The papermaking of the little dusk marquis is a miracle in the world. Although he is a gentleman, his paper-making miracles are enough to offset countless stubborn things earlier. I will report this matter to Your Majesty tomorrow morning.

You don't have to worry about it anymore... As for the cost of the faint paper, it is not to enter the ears of the fourth person. so as not to offend King Ping and the Marquis of Xiaodu. ”

Kong Hanyou said, "By the way, Laba's palace trial is almost here." The two of you have been studying and learning in the Confucian Mansion for the past few days. Come out as soon as possible, assist the king, and help the world! ”

"Yes!"

"Remember, disciples, you must go all out!"

Dong Xianliang and Chao Fangzheng immediately surrendered together.

In my heart, I am extremely grateful to my teacher.

Kong Hanyou, as a royal envoy, has a recommended quota every year. In addition, there is still a place in the Confucian Mansion.

The Kong family is a great family of Great Chu, and many Kong children in the mansion are waiting for the opportunity to be recommended.

But Kong Hanyou still gave these two places to these two proud disciples.

This is the great righteousness of the teacher.