Xiang Yan and the third prince inspected the workshop for a while, and Liu Yan came with the owner of the workshop.

The owner's surname was Ma, so the workshop was named Ma-style paper industry.

"Second master, I have been in this industry for nearly a few decades, and I have been helping in the family workshop since I was six years old, if there is anything you two want to know, just ask."

This Ma boss is very enthusiastic and good at talking, and took the initiative to talk to Xiang Yan and the others.

How did paper come about?

In ancient China, the working people of the higher grade silkworm cocoons drew silk and weaved silk.

The remaining evil cocoons and bad cocoons are made of silk cotton by bleaching method.

After the bleaching is completed, there will be some residues left on the mat.

When the number of bleaching increases, the residue on the mat accumulates into a layer of fiber flakes.

This layer of fiber sheet is removed and dried so that it can be used for writing.

And this is the prototype of paper, that is, the earliest paper that appeared in the world.

In summary, paper is an ensemble of plant fibers.

"Boss Ma," Xiang Yan asked, "I just turned around and saw that the workers in the workshop seemed to be using bark and bamboo as raw materials?" ”

This question surprised Boss Ma:

"Shouldn't we use tree bark and bamboo as raw materials for papermaking, but can we use other materials?"

Boss Ma's answer, in turn, made Xiang Yan fall into an accident.

Xiang Yan remembered that in the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cai Lun improved papermaking during his tenure as Shang Fangling in Luoyang, Beijing.

Historically, it has been used to make paper from tree bark, hemp, rags, and old fishing nets.

Why is there such a single ingredient in this workshop?

Then Xiang Yan took Boss Ma to look around the workshop and asked many questions.

Then according to Boss Ma's answer, a reality was speculated:

The current level of papermaking in Da Zhou seems to be relatively backward.

Even the papermaking process, processes, tools, and many other things are still relatively old.

Looking at Xiang Yan, he seemed to have a bad face.

Boss Ma asked with a little apprehension:

"What? My workshop, isn't Childe very much valued? ”

Xiang Yan shook his head: "Not really." ”

"That, Boss Ma, as far as you know, is the entire paper industry in Da Zhou doing the same thing as you do?"

Boss Ma said proudly:

"That's natural, our workshops in the capital are all ahead of other peers of the same era, and even basically the benchmark of the industry, otherwise how can we open the industry to a place like the capital!"

Xiang Yan nodded.

That is to say, the problem of single raw materials and the obsolescence of the industry cannot be solved by changing workshops.

However, Xiang Yan is doing this kind of improvement, and he is not afraid of this.

"That's okay, Boss Ma, you can go back and take care of your business, you can go to Liu Yan for the affairs of this workshop, and everything will be done according to what you have agreed." You can sign how you talked about it before, and I have no problem here, so I don't have to ask. ”

"Okay, okay," Boss Ma smiled happily, "The two masters continue to watch, and I will retire first." ”

After Boss Ma left, the third prince asked:

"What's wrong? Why did you buy this workshop even though you didn't look satisfied? ”

"We have a lot of time, so we don't have to rush at this time."

Xiang Yan shook his head.

"I'm not dissatisfied with this workshop, but with the entire paper industry in Da Zhou."

"I bought this workshop just to have an experimental site when I made improvements later."

"The experimental site is always wanted, and I don't care where it is, just come according to what Liu Yan agreed for convenience, there is not much difference."

After saying this, Xiang Yan asked the third prince Zhao Rui again:

"It's almost obvious here, I also asked Liu Yan to find a few other venues in advance, Your Highness, do you want to go and see it together?"

Zhao Rui nodded: "This is the work that my father focuses on, and I naturally want to watch it." ”

"That's fine." Xiang Yan turned to Liu Yan and instructed, "Then take us to other venues, take a walk more, and see if all the factories in the capital are as Boss Ma said." ”

After Liu Yan got off, he went out to prepare the carriage.

And the third prince also instructed the subordinates around him to prepare their own carriages.

"Huh? Do you want to read it? ”

Xiang Yuyue heard the two of them decide, and immediately complained, "This is too boring." ”

"No, see for yourself, I won't accompany you, I'm going back first."

Xiang Yan thought about it, for Xiang Yuyue, a girl, the workshop is indeed boring, and most women with engineering knowledge are not cold.

So it would be torture to let her go with her, so I agreed to let her go home first.

"But how do you go back? Do you want to walk back? ”

"Hmm...... Let me think about it, I remember that you can drive the carriage yourself, so let Liu Yan give you the carriage, and you can drive back by yourself. ”

"Liu Yan and I crowded with His Royal Highness the Third Prince, and took his carriage together to see other workshops."

Zhao Rui agreed:

"That's fine, it's not that I'm boasting, my car is big, and it can seat many people, even if there are ten more people, it's no problem, just add Xiang Yan and the words of the big brother is more than enough."

And so it was decided.

Xiang Yuyue drove away alone.

Under Liu Yan's guidance, Xiang Yan and the third prince Zhao Rui then looked at several papermaking workshops in the capital.

Indeed, as Boss Ma said, the practices of each workshop are very different.

The other workshops are not only not more advanced than Boss Ma's, but even smaller or less laborers than Boss Ma's.

Even some operating procedures are not standardized.

Look at it in such a circle.

On the contrary, it was the first to see Boss Ma, this workshop is the best.

But it's also a matter of course.

Yan handed over this matter to Liu Yan to do, and Liu Yan naturally had to shop around and choose the best of them to talk about Xiang Yan.

The selection of Boss Ma's workshop also reflects Liu Yan's work ability and correct work attitude.

Liu Yan took Xiang Yan and the third prince to watch it for a day.

It was not until dusk that the two decided to end today's inspection trip.

"It's not too late, let's go have dinner together, I'll please."

Xiang Yan proposed.

The third prince was originally a busy man, and if he didn't have something to do, he generally couldn't make an appointment.

What's more, now that the work is over, there is no reason to continue spending time together.

But now that it was getting late, and he had been working hard all day, he also planned to take a break, so he agreed to Xiang Yan's invitation.

"Then it's still Yuxiang Building."

Xiang Yan said.

"The good things last time were all eaten by my second aunt, and I didn't even taste them."

"Today is just the right time to make up for the regret of the last time."

Zhao Rui smiled and said:

"I saw that Miss Xiang was very happy to eat last time, why don't you call her this time?"

Xiang Yan spread his hands:

"Call her again, then we won't have anything to eat."

"Besides, you don't know her temper, with her character, it's absolutely impossible to let yourself go hungry at this time."

"I think she's definitely had dinner by herself."