It's April of the fourth year of Renshou, and it's mid-spring in Guanzhong, where the orioles are flying, the grass is long and green, and patches of green crops are covering this vast and fertile wilderness. Just when everyone in the world is focusing on farming,

A piece of movable type printing related to scholars spread from Daxing City, causing a sensation in the country, and quickly spread to the Central Plains like it had wings.

The principle of movable type printing is actually very simple. One point makes it transparent. The printing technology used today is commonly known as block printing. This type of block printing uses a carving knife to carve protruding reverse characters on pieces of wood, and then ink is printed on the paper.

If you want to print another new book, you have to carve the wooden board from scratch. If you make a mistake, you have to carve it again, and the labor cost can be imagined. And movable type printing is to divide a piece of wood carving into hundreds of independent wooden characters.

, stone characters, pottery characters, lead characters, iron characters, when needed, these single characters are combined into modules to print books. After printing, they can be separated for next use. There is no need to waste time, effort, and money to print again and again.

With the engraving template, even if one of the fonts is broken during the printing process, you only need to replenish a single one. This not only saves time, but also saves money. As long as it is placed according to the radical checking method, it is very convenient to pick up the characters.

As the so-called laymen watch the excitement, to ordinary people, movable type printing is just what others say. They don't know how much change this thing will bring to their own children and grandchildren, nor the impact it will have on the world.

But experts can see the clue. In fact, since Cai Lun made paper, there have been countless varieties of paper with different advantages and disadvantages. The most expensive paper is rice paper, followed by hard yellow paper, then rough bamboo paper, and thin straw paper.

, bamboo paper

Washi paper has shortcomings such as poor color and water permeability, but it is cheap to make and sell at a low price. Although it is not good for writing, it is no problem if you use mud and oil for printing. The main reason why these two types of paper are not used for printing is because

Labor costs are expensive

Carving boards also have a service life, and people are reluctant to use them on bamboo paper and straw paper, which are not easy to preserve. But now that movable type has come out, there is naturally no expensive cost of carving boards. If you use bamboo paper and straw paper to print books with movable type,

,Book

The price of books will definitely fall further. This means that not only poor families, but also ordinary people can afford books. A family of five in the Sui Dynasty had no problem at all in sending a student to a free official school.

So don't look at this "small" improvement, but when it comes to far-reaching influence, it is more powerful than Yang Ji's defeat of Bujia Khan's hundreds of thousands of troops. Because of this incident, it had an impact on tens of millions of people in the Sui Dynasty.

All have a huge impact.

At the same time, it also means that as this technology spreads all over the world, knowledge and culture are no longer the exclusive domain of aristocratic families. It means that ordinary people also have the opportunity to become unattainable scholars in their eyes. Some people are still confused about this news, but

Many shrewd businessmen sensed the opportunity and began to purchase cheap bamboo paper and straw paper in large quantities to make calligraphy models, hoping to print books as soon as possible and make a fortune from it.

"It's hard to imagine that printing can be done like this." In the palace, Yang Jian took several seals and printed them on a piece of paper, then mixed them up and printed them again in random order, and said to Yang Guang with a wry smile:

"This is probably the case with movable type printing. Although the initial project of making movable type is larger, a type template can be used repeatedly. Once the printing craftsmen are familiar with the sequence of the type templates, the printing speed will be increased a hundred or a thousand times compared to the past. However, we work every day

I used a seal, but I just didn’t expect it.”

Yang Jian was born in a noble family and had the status of an emperor. Naturally, he knew the benefits of movable type printing to the world, the court, and the emperor, but it was a devastating blow to the noble families.

"Yes!" Yang Guang said excitedly: "This method has been known to the whole city, and the aristocratic families can't stop it even if they want. There may not be any great Confucian scholars in a short time, but the number of literate common people has increased sharply.

When these people grow up, the court's dependence on the aristocratic families will surely decrease. Hey, I don't know who came up with this method. If I know who it is, I will definitely reward him heavily. Even a hundred thousand taels is too low.

.”

"This person may have realized that he could not afford the bounty and was worried that he would become a second disaster, so he chose to make it public instead of asking for the reward in a big way."

In fact, Yang Jian not only knew that movable type printing was invented by Yang Ji, but also knew that he had made new paper with quality comparable to Xuanzhang and price comparable to bamboo paper, but he was not prepared to say it. It was only because these two things touched him

The interest group was so huge that even if the aristocratic family's monopoly on knowledge could be broken, if people knew that it was Yang Jizhi's handiwork, the emperor might not be able to survive, so Yang Jian didn't even tell Yang Guang for Yang Ji's sake.

Upon hearing this, Yang Guang nodded silently and asked, "But I don't know how Aye plans to deal with this matter?"

Yang Jian said slowly: "The aristocratic family dominated the officialdom of the Sui Dynasty. Although various factions fought endlessly for their interests, the movable type printing technology has touched the overall interests of the aristocratic family. If it is promoted along the trend, all the aristocratic families in the world will jump out to oppose it and alienate us.

"

Yang Guang frowned and said, "You can't just do nothing, right?"

"The front cannot be promoted, but we can promote it in a commercial way." Yang Jian said: "In the name of printing secretaries to save books, let the craftsmen make more fonts. After printing the book collection, send trustworthy people with some copies and

Printing and selling typefaces in various places can, on the one hand, bypass the officialdom, and on the other hand, it can also add some wealth to the royal family."

"This move can really shake the foundation of the family!" Yang Guang exclaimed: "Aye's move..."

poison!

Yang Guang didn't say that word in the end, but the meaning was very obvious. Yang Jian's move was not just to shake the foundation of the family, but more importantly, he never appeared in front of the stage, but as the driving force behind the scenes, he put these things in place.

Promoted all over the world.

On the surface, it seemed a bit cowardly, but this move completely pitted the merchants against the aristocratic families, allowing the merchants to bear the backlash of the aristocratic families, while Yang Jian gained substantial benefits from it.

The most important thing is that when movable type printing first appeared, all the aristocratic families would print books and sell them for money, even though they knew that it could not be banned, in an attempt to make a fortune. Besides, everyone is like this, and it will only make the promotion of cheap books more difficult.

quick.

It would be better if the aristocratic families asked to ban business, punish businessmen, and impose heavy taxes on businessmen!

Just because the aristocratic families are originally the largest businessmen in the world, if their taxes can be collected, they will only be higher than the land rent.

............

In the residence of Duke Gao Jiong of Qi, Gao Jiong, dressed in sapphire blue uniform, was sitting in the pavilion in the garden, opposite his visiting friend Yu Wenbi.

In the past, Gao Jiong stood with Yang Yong on the side of Yi Chu, but was eventually dismissed by Yang Jian on the grounds of pursuing "shameful diplomacy" and was left with only the title of Duke of Qi. However, Yu Wenbi was rising in the court. Now,

Gao Jiong was appointed as the governor of Liangzhou, but Yu Wenbi was pulled by He Ruobi to support him, and was beaten to the end, even if he was not given a meritorious position. It can be said that life is unpredictable.

There is a wooden table in the pavilion. There are several exquisite pastries and dishes on the table. The small stove under the wooden table is warming a pot of wine. The maids and servants have been driven away far away. Gao Yan watches the time.

Throw the shredded ginger in the saucer into the pot, and then cover the wine pot again.

"What does Gao Gong think of this movable type printing technology?" The two were close friends, so Yu Wenbi got straight to the point and didn't go around any detours.

Gao Qiao raised his eyelids and said calmly: "This is a good thing that is beneficial to the world! I don't have any opinion."

This is Gao Jiong's true words. Although he comes from the Gao family in Bohai, he has always attached great importance to talents from poor families and safeguarding imperial power. In his heart, the interests of the Sui Dynasty are above all else. Because he knows the troubles of the family, he

The methods of "Dasuo Maogyue" and "Loss of Registration Forms" were introduced, but these two methods

This method of censusing the population certainly greatly increased the Sui Dynasty's finances, but the increase in a large number of household registrations was inevitably accompanied by a decrease in the number of tenants who protected the aristocratic families, thus weakening the interests of the aristocratic families. Therefore, during Gao Jiong's reign, ministers slandered him

, the remarks attacking him have never stopped.

Yu Wenbi opened his mouth and said bitterly: "This technique may be beneficial to the world, to poor scholars and common people, but it is of no benefit to aristocratic families. Didn't Gao Gong think about this?"

"Of course I know! But if the sons of aristocratic families have no worries about food and clothing, and have excellent living and learning conditions, if they can't compete with the poor and poor people who are worried about life and the children of the common people, then what benefit does such a person have to the country? Even if he becomes an official, what will happen?

Can you survive in a cruel political struggle? Moreover, this technique is already known to the whole world. Even if I am against it, what is the use? Apart from confronting the poor men of the world and the children of the common people, there is no benefit at all."

At that time, Jixia Academy claimed to attract talents from all over the world, but King Yan Zhao's golden platform paid homage to the generals and recruited countless poor men. In the end, it was so overwhelming that the powerful Qi State was almost destroyed.

Nowadays, although this movable type printing technology is not a golden platform to worship generals, it is regarded by poor scholars and people all over the world as the hope of changing their destiny. This technology is more ruthless than a golden platform or thousands of gold to buy horse bones.

Anyone who underestimates the opposition of the poor people and dares to become an enemy of the poor people and the common people will die without a complete body.

Gao Jong glanced at Yu Wenbi and softened his tone: "Mr. Yuwen, you and I have known each other for many years. Could you please listen to me?"

Yu Wenbi came here today to seek solutions. When he heard Gao Jiong's article, he quickly said: "Please teach me, Mr. Gao."

Gao Jiong filled a bowl of warm rice wine for each of them and said: "This matter is beneficial to the country. The saint will not allow anyone to destroy it. As for us subjects, it doesn't matter if we fight for it ourselves, but how can we

What about fighting against the imperial power? Besides, didn't Yuwen Gong realize that the situation was different?"

Yu Wenbi asked in astonishment: "I wonder what Mr. Gao means by this?"

"From ancient times to the present, education and officialdom have always been in the hands of the aristocratic families. The poor scholars and the common people are just ants that support the aristocratic families. The aristocratic families will live if they want them to live, and die if they want them to die. Is there any room for resistance?"

Gao Jiong sighed:

"But it's different now. Movable type printing will inevitably make cheap bamboo paper books and straw paper books spread all over the world. What will be the result of everyone in the world being able to read books? It is that everyone can read and know how to govern the country.

, once Xiucai Ke and Ming Jing Ke

Following this trend, the examination will be expanded to the entire world, which will infinitely lower the threshold for poor people to enter the officialdom. Although aristocratic families rule the world, which family will be born into an aristocratic family? When poor people enter the officialdom and go through hardships, and continue to manage it from generation to generation, it will naturally accelerate

Countless aristocratic families are born. When there are too many aristocratic families, then the aristocratic families will become less valuable. But this is an irreversible trend. In the face of this general trend, those who obey will prosper and those who go against will perish! The Gao family is like this, and the Yuwen family is like this.

In this way, the royal family is no exception."

After carefully considering Gao Jiong's words, Yu Wenbi frowned and asked uncertainly: "Does Duke Gao mean for me to draw a clear line between myself and the major forces?"

"I suggest that you leave and educate the children of the clan with peace of mind. In the future, the official positions in the Great Sui Dynasty will definitely be filled by capable people, and the advantages of the aristocratic families will become less and less, until they are negligible. If the children themselves have nothing

He is so powerful that no one can help him."

Gao Jiong is far-sighted and well aware of the power structure. Sooner or later, there will be a complete reshuffle due to the movable type printing. If the family wants to continue to be at the top, they must accept this general trend and use their own advantages to make arrangements in advance. Which family dares to compete with Jiucheng
Chapter completed!