While Liang Xiao successfully took down the paper mill, he also sent people to collect ink materials.

The Great Zhou Dynasty did not have the printing of life characters, but the ink used by the Great Zhou people to write has been added with various materials such as tung oil, sesame oil, and grease oil to make the writing clearer and brighter.

According to Liang Xiao's speculation, engraving printing may have been secretly developed by those families, quietly used, and reduced costs, and the huge profits brought by it are unimaginable.

In the early stage of development, movable type printing did not replace block printing, and both had their own advantages and disadvantages.

But Liang Xiao's own newspaper had to rely on movable type printing, not block printing with fixed typography!

Liang Xiao's move to buy materials everywhere was also keenly noticed by the major families.

How could it be that the materials themselves came from the suppliers of the paper mill and the Dingguo Marquis's Mansion.

As the founding prime minister, Zhuge Hui proposed to increase afforestation as early as the beginning of the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty to supply paper.

The development of the paper industry has also indirectly led to the development of ink, which has given Liang Xiao a lot of convenience.

Liang Xiao sat at home, took a box of ink from the table, painted it on a copper plate with a few words on it, and then pressed it on the paper.

Duan Yunsleeve sat on the side, his face full of anticipation.

In the past few days, in her dreams, she can't wait for Liang Xiao to open a newspaper office immediately and perform the magical "movable type printing".

The copper plate left vague words on the paper, which were marked with disconnects.

Liang Xiao tried to take a variety of wooden boards such as jujube wood and pear wood, and also concocted them in the same way, dipped them in ink, and printed them on paper, leaving only blurry handwriting.

This was repeated several times, Liang Xiao also tried different printing methods and coating methods, and tried several inks at different prices, without exception, all of them failed.

"Can't you print it?" Duan Yunsleeve looked anxious.

Liang Xiao has tried all kinds of ink, but none of them can be printed.

Jiang Fuxue, who was sitting next to Duan Yun's sleeve, couldn't help but look depressed.

Does this mean that his newspaper can't be opened?

Liang Xiao's cheerful laughter sounded in the room: "This is a good thing!" ”

"Is that still a good thing? The newspaper is in ......vain," Duan Yunsleeve said in frustration.

If movable type printing can successfully support the newspaper and prove that the six policies of governing the country are effective, it will greatly strengthen her sister's determination to support Liang Xiao.

He could still laugh!

Liang Xiao said: "This shows one thing, those families who have mastered the book industry and the paper industry have definitely not secretly invented movable type printing and engraving printing. That is, they are still copying by hand! ”

Duan Yunsleeve breathed a sigh of relief, but quickly muttered again: "But in this case, even if you invent it, it's useless!" ”

Liang Xiao smiled: "What if I prepare an ink that can be used for printing?" ”

Duan Yun's beautiful eyes lit up: "Do you know how this ink is made?" ”

"Of course I know, it's not that hard!" Liang Xiao grinned.

"I said it earlier, I was shocked, it made people worry and hated it~"

Duan Yunsleeve couldn't help but pinch Liang Xiao's arm, and Jiang Fuxue on the side was dumbfounded.

Is this really the legendary noble princess?

But when she thought of herself, Jiang Fuxue was also relieved: this princess did not hesitate to pretend to be a city eunuch for her brother, and it seems that there is also an unknown side?

Confirming that engraving printing was not invented by the family, Liang Xiao also began to make bold arrangements to do it with confidence.

The workers responsible for the preparation of inks are the first group of female dependents of the workers' families, this group of people is extremely loyal, and the interests of the whole family are tied to him as a boss, naturally they are also doing their best, under the guardianship of Xuanwei, carefully blending ink, to earn extra money for the family.

Mixing ink is not a heavy job, these female workers can still get one or two silver per month, and they have already blossomed, but they are worried that they will not do well and will be dismissed and replaced by Liang Xiao.

On the same day, the empress issued an edict to officially promote the "stamp duty" nationwide, and the tax rate was 2/1000 of the contract transaction amount.

When the news spread, the whole capital was shocked!

"There is such a perfect plan!"

Xing Feng was the first to praise and send someone to inform the Great Chu Emperor.

Da Chu and Da Zhou are of the same origin, and the two sides are still in the stage of friendship.

Stamp duty is a national policy, Da Zhou can be used, and Da Chu has no reason why it can't be used.

"Liang Xiao has just emerged, and this empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty has promoted this wonderful national policy, maybe it has something to do with him, I should visit him at a later date!" Xing Feng finally made up his mind and picked a time.

After Gongsun Wuji and Zhuo Mingfeng learned about the stamp duty, their eyes burned.

Bashu, as the nominal territory of the Great Zhou, can of course promote this kind of policy justifiably!

According to their estimates, the Gongsun family, who seized Bashu, should be able to make a profit of at least 300,000 taels of silver through stamp duty every year!

Zhuo Mingfeng frowned and said, "Have you found it, such a whimsical idea reminds me of Liang Xiao's sugar...... Perhaps stamp duty is also a secret suggestion by this person. Even if it wasn't for him to offer advice, since he could get Prime Minister Zhuge to praise him, the empress wanted to support him, and she would definitely take the credit of stamp duty on him in the future, as a stepping stone for his officialdom, and it was enough for him to make a name for himself. ”

"You're right! It is reasonable for a businessman to come up with a reasonable and money-making policy of stamp duty. The sense of crisis in Gongsun Wuji's heart became heavier and heavier, but he also had to sigh at Zhuo Mingfeng's foresight.

If he really let him come to the capital to do things by himself, maybe he would have screwed up all kinds of opportunities by now.

Judging from the current situation, even if it is the next policy, it is the best strategy he can choose at present.

According to Zhuo Mingfeng's concept, even if the Gongsun family does not cooperate with him, the Dingguo Marquis Mansion, a loyal courtier's family, will definitely intervene.

Since the stamp duty is attached to the interests of the court and the people, Duanmujie and others have no reason to stop it, so they can only kneel in the main hall and call Shengming.

But they were angry in their hearts.

Beihu doesn't need this kind of national policy!

Only when Beihu grows stronger, can these families have the confidence to compromise the imperial power.

A strong and prosperous Great Zhou is not in their interests at all, what they need is a Great Zhou that looks up to people, and even asks the empress to compromise, select a husband and sister-in-law from the family, and sit in the country together!

Obviously, the advent of stamp duty has hindered the achievement of their goals to a certain extent, and they cannot risk the world's condemnation to oppose such a comprehensive policy.

"As soon as His Majesty's stamp duty edict came out, the people really applauded, and the people were happy to spend a little money to find a guarantee from the government!"

Liang Xiao learned that the rate of stamp duty was 2/1,000, and he did not object.

The Great Zhou was still in the ancient stage, and the cost and efficiency of the official management contract were obviously not as good as in modern times, so there was no problem in charging a little more.

Two thousandths is a good boundary, within the acceptable range of the people.

The next day, the empress summoned Liang Xiao again.