Chapter 535: New Things |
Wenyuan Bookstore's backyard was quietly silent.
No one expected that after waiting a day in strict battle formation, they by no means waited until Mid-Autumn poetry. They only waited until an obscure and dryly boring essay teaching people how to do movable type printing and improve paper-making.
Cui Qinghe looked toward Xu Bin: "Brother Xu, how much silver is a single sheet of Bamboo Paper?"
Xu Bin answered saying: "A hundred and twenty wen can buy a hundred sheets."
Cui Qinghe again asked: "If what this Morning Newspaper said lacks errors... according to this method of his, how much silver can the cost of a book be discounted down to?"
Xu Bin wrinkled his brows pondering: "If it truly is as he said, purely the silver saved down from firewood and coal, can discount it down by two fractions (20%).
[Translation note: Skipped website advertisement message]
Additionally calculating adding the saved manpower, I'm afraid it can be discounted down to six fractions (60%) of the original."
The crowd of people Looking at One Another. Merely this one single page of essay, could cause the books of the world to be discounted down four fractions of silver (40% discount)?
Cui Qinghe subconsciously said: "This sort of exclusive craft, the Baron of Wuxiang County simply borrowed the convenience of the newspaper making it public to the masses just like this? Brother Xu. We and our peers do not very much understand this business of bookstores. If you possessed this exclusive craft, how much silver could be earned every year?"
Xu Bin sighed: "Don't dare speak of more, but over ten myriad (100,000+) taels is there... How could he simply make it public to the masses?"
Qi Zhaoning sat blankly behind the desk.
She knew this world mostly had people who Cherish a Broken Broom as if it Were a Thousand Pieces of Gold. Even if a chef made their finest signature dish, the seasonings also had to be secretly mixed and blended after rising in the middle of the night, making the disciple unable to see what was mixed in. Arriving up until right before facing death, they absolutely would not teach it to the disciple.
This world had 'Masters' who brought their absolute best, unique skills into the tomb. It also had 'disciples' who upon learning the craft simply forgot favors and turned their backs on righteousness. Like people of Xu Bin's stream... seeing this page of essay from the Morning Newspaper they would also only think: why is this exclusive craft not my own?
But Qi Zhaoning at this time looking again at that sentence at the end of the essay: 'Wishing for the poor families of the world, that upon their desks there are books, and before their windows there is light'... remained silently unspeaking.
Actually in her heart she was clear. No matter how bystanders slandered and disparaged Chen Ji, Chen Ji was still that Chen Ji. Li Changge was still that Li Changge.
Her opposing Chen Ji, also merely hated that Li Changge was not her Li Changge. This, and nothing more.
If Chen Ji truly was a lump of unbearable rotten mud, why would she fondly attach to him?
But the more it was like this, the more she simply hated.
Yang Zhong seeing the atmosphere was solemn and heavy, simply pointed at the final sentence of the Morning Newspaper teasingly laughing: "This Baron of Wuxiang County's tone of breath (arrogance) is actually not small. Actually thinking that by casually bragging and talking grandly a few sentences, he can simply cause the poor families of the world to have books on their desks? He taking the body of a man yet not properly thoroughly reading classics and definitions (meaning). Now pondering these things is already falling into side doors and heterodox paths, mistakenly entering a diverging road."
Yuan Wang opened his face (smiled) saying: "Exactly. We should take this as a warning example. Do not be like the Baron of Wuxiang County normally pondering these side doors and heterodox paths. Studying and researching learning is precisely the most crucial. Taking a single craft making it public to the masses is indeed selfless, yet it can also only benefit a tiny fraction of people. But we and our peers studying learning: cultivating the body, aligning the family, governing the country, bringing peace to the world... is precisely benefiting the common people. A Difference Between Clouds and Mud."
However precisely at this time, an emaciated young man in the corner suddenly opened his mouth: "Investigate things, to attain knowledge."
Yang Zhong turned his head looking over: "Worthy younger brother what meaning?"
Everyone looked toward the corner. That young man lightly said: "'Book of Rites' says: Attaining knowledge lies in investigating things; things being investigated, only then is knowledge attained. Knowledge being attained, only then does intent become sincere; intent becoming sincere, only then does the heart become upright; heart becoming upright, only then is the body cultivated; body being cultivated, only then is the family aligned; family being aligned, only then is the country governed; country being governed, only then does the world attain peace. Investigating things to attain knowledge, is precisely the premise before 'Cultivate, Align, Govern, Peace'."
The young man deeply inhaled a breath of air: "I also possess disdain towards the matter of the Baron of Wuxiang County using Private Torture. However this Morning Newspaper investigating things and attaining knowledge to benefit poor families... is by no means mistakenly entering a diverging road, but instead is the orthodox 'Dao'."
Cui Qinghe looked toward Yang Zhong: "Brother Yang. This brother here was brought by you right. How labeled and called (how to address him)?"
Yang Zhong slightly squinted his eyes, skin smiling flesh not smiling (fake smile): "This is my Hongnong fellow townsman Huang Yunbo. Entering the capital seeking studies for many years lacking a place to set his feet. Both being fellow townsmen, I ultimately couldn't watch helplessly as he roamed and fell onto the street corners, so I let him borrow residence in that mansion of mine. Yesterday he drank some wine, speaking words somewhat not knowing light from heavy (speaking inappropriately). Various people accommodate him like the sea. Worthy younger brother, quickly offer apologies to the various people."
Huang Yunbo remained silent for a moment, standing his body up cupping his hands a bit: "Many thanks Brother Yang for the financial and material assistance of past days. This subordinate will simply move out today."
Saying so, he actually circled past the desk, leaving without even turning his head back. Wenyuan Bookstore's backyard quieted down anew.
After a long time, Cui Qinghe looked at Qi Zhaoning for a glance. Turning his head he said towards everyone sitting: "No matter what is said, now Wenyuan Bookstore's Evening News has already steadily pressed down Plum Blossom Ferry's momentum and trend. The merits of various people cannot be overshadowed. The Baron of Wuxiang County is skilled at small tricks and ploys within the marketplace. If we and our peers competed with him in these, the books of sages and worthies would also have been read in vain."
Yuan Wang smilingly said: "The Baron of Wuxiang County being able to ponder out this kind of exclusive craft is indeed incredible. But now the entire Capital City knows two newspaper establishments are fighting an arena match. All waiting to see what poetry they can bring out before Mid-Autumn. Today can be considered having been coped past by him. And tomorrow? He ultimately can't bring out a single craft giving it as a gift to the people of the world every single day right. Just look at tomorrow."
August 7th.
As the sky faintly brightened, Qi Zhaoning simply rode a horse carriage proceeding to Liulichang. Cui Qinghe and the others also waited at this place early in the morning. The crowd of people each sat in the backyard drinking tea, waiting for the Capital Morning Post.
A moment later, the youngster servant guarding outside hastily and hurriedly entered. His hands still grasping over ten stacks of Capital Morning Posts distributing them to the crowd.
Cui Qinghe at the very first instance simply flipped to the third page, wanting to see what poetry Chen Ji brought out today to fight this Mid-Autumn arena match.
But having just flipped to it, he simply froze: "This—"
Yuan Wang asked bewildered: "What object is this?"
Someone un-self-consciously read out loud: "'After pounding coal-stones into pieces, using seven fractions coal dust, three fractions yellow mud, adding water to mix and stir. Again filling it within grinding molds to manufacture Honeycomb Coal to air dry. It can delay coal-stone burning, increasing efficiency by four fractions (40%)'... They actually even published an illustration of Honeycomb Coal on the newspaper."
Cui Qinghe asked strangely: "What use does this object have?"
Xu Bin explained: "This is precisely an object for commoners to warm themselves in winter days. However this object possesses poison and the smoke is large. When commoners use it they must construct earth stoves, or otherwise ventilate it to let air through. Otherwise there are worries over their lives."
Cui Qinghe was even more strange: "Why not use firewood-charcoal?"
Xu Bin sighed: "What various Masters use is universally fine and excellent firewood-charcoal, naturally you have no need of these coal-stones. But a single piece of silver-thread charcoal in the homes of various people, is simply sufficient to buy coal-stones as tall as an earth mound. Now coal-stones are already the most crucial winter day warming method for the commoners of our dynasty's Capital City, Shanzhou, Shanzhou [mountain, guessing miscopied character for another province], Lu Province, Jizhou, and other places. Last year there were even Ministry of Revenue Officials offering memorials to the royal court to strictly manage coal-stones. What was spoken was 'Today the poor commoners of the capital, not only work to eat, in winter days exhaust their clothing, to buy coal-stones'. For commoners in winter days even selling clothing they must buy coal-stones to warm themselves."
Cui Qinghe's face revealed a bizarre expression: "How does it reach this extent?"
Wenyuan Bookstore's shop assistant carefully and meticulously said: "Master Cui. Reaching winter our Capital City has dripping water forming into ice. Every day several must freeze to death on the street corners. It's merely that the night-patrolling Five Wards Military and Police Department carries them away before the sky brightens. Various peoples cannot see it—"
Cui Qinghe followed along the essay looking downward. This third page today had illustrations and text matching. Not only writing of Honeycomb Coal, but also writing in detail how to make Honeycomb Coal smolder for even longer. If the stove only left a single tiny air hole, the Honeycomb Coal could actually burn for six shichen (12 hours).
If used to boil water to make meals, every day only requires three blocks. If used for warming oneself, every day only requires six blocks.
Today Chen Ji using voluminously sprinkling over a thousand words matching with illustrations only spoke of this single matter of Honeycomb Coal. And heavily wrote a final sentence on the page: "Wishing for the commoners of the world, that inside their stoves there is fire, and on the streets there are no frozen bones."
Yesterday poor families, today commoners. Pressing down on the crowd of people until they couldn't pant breaths of air.
Yang Zhong suddenly said: "We also cannot only listen to his one-sided words. He says it can delay by four fractions and it simply delays by four fractions? What if one-in-ten-thousand it is deceiving people. Furthermore that coal-stone mixed with yellow mud... how could it possibly burn up? If yellow mud could also burn up, wouldn't it mean this great earth could universally be used for warming oneself."
Cui Qinghe sighed: "Try trying it."
Xu Bin waved a hand to the shop assistant: "Go pull coal-stones and yellow mud over. A single try and it's simply known."
Waiting until the shop assistant pulled back the objects, the entirely of the literati scholars surrounded watching the shop assistant mix the coal-stones and yellow mud. Simply directly using his hands to rub it into honeycomb shapes. Now being August mid-summer, Honeycomb Coal was also dried quickly.
The crowd of people took coal-stones and Honeycomb Coal dividing them into two stoves for burning. Continuing until the coal-stones burned out exhaustively, the Honeycomb Coal still as before emitted hot air.
Waiting again for a very long time, only then did the Honeycomb Coal burn exhaustively.
Yang Zhong was still unwilling to reconcile: "Yesterday paper-making, today burning coal. Can he still bring out new things tomorrow?"
(End of this chapter)