"Paper? What's that?"
Ying Zheng sensed something unusual.
Han Cheng did not explain further." Your Majesty, come with me."”
The three of them immediately quickened their pace.
He strolled back to the Grand Tutor's residence and went straight to the back garden.
There were also two lush old locust trees in the garden.
Ying Zheng and Meng Yi did not understand why Han Cheng had brought them here.
However, they knew that Han Cheng was definitely going to do something.
Han Cheng planned to make paper.
In history, paper originated from the Western Han Dynasty.
It was invented according to the method of treating secondary silkworms.
It was only after Cai Lun of the Eastern Han Dynasty improved the art of making paper that it was slowly popularized and used for writing.
The raw materials for making paper were tree bark and bamboo.
The cost was low and the raw materials were easy to find.
If this technology could be popularized, it would undoubtedly greatly reduce the learning costs of the poor.
It could also create books to facilitate the spread of knowledge.
It would break the monopoly of knowledge held by the Hundred Schools of Philosophy and the prestigious families.
There was no bamboo in the Imperial Advisor's residence, so Han Cheng prepared to use locust tree bark.
After cutting off some branches, Han Cheng peeled off the bark from the trunk.
Then, he peeled off the outer layer of old bark, leaving only the inner layer of plant fibers.
Then, Han Cheng soaked the plant fibers in a water tank.
He used the Void Engine to create some chemical dissolving agents and poured them in.
Not long after, bubbles began to bubble inside.
This meant that the plant fibers had been unglued and had turned into broomsticks.
If it was made according to the rules, then these fibers would have to be soaked for about ten days.
Han Cheng had mastered the Void Engine, so he naturally did not have to wait that long.
After scooping up the ingredients, Han Cheng rushed to the kitchen.
"State Preceptor, w-what invention are you making?”
Meng Yi finally couldn't help but ask when he saw them in the kitchen.
This was too strange.
Could it be that the state preceptor wanted to cook the tree bark to eat?
"I'm making paper."
"Paper making?"
"Yes, paper making."
Both Ying Zheng and Meng Yi were confused.
They had no concept of paper.
Han Cheng didn't understand the connection between making paper and promoting knowledge. He didn't want to waste his breath, so he let them wait and see.
He would find out eventually anyway.
Han Cheng instructed the chef to chop up the plant fibers and pound them repeatedly.
Of course, Chef couldn't understand what he was doing. However, since the master had spoken, how could the servants disobey?
He immediately obeyed.
After spending some effort, he hammered the plant fibers into lumps of cotton wool.
At this point, the paper-making step was more than half completed.
Han Cheng patiently placed the cotton-like plant fibers back into the tank and stirred them with water to form a thick pulp.
He then ordered the servants to bring over a bamboo mat and began to scoop out the pulp. Han Cheng rolled up his sleeves and fished in the vat twice before the bamboo mat was covered with a thin layer of wet paper.
"After drying. It's done."
A faint smile appeared on Han Cheng's lips. He placed the wet paper on the bluestone floor tiles in the courtyard to dry.
Ying Zheng and Meng Yi had been watching the whole process in confusion.
Only now did he vaguely understand what this paper was.
" Imperial Advisor," Ying Zheng thought for a moment, then asked in puzzlement," Could it be that after this thing is dried, it can be written on?"”
"Your Majesty is smart."
Han Cheng nodded and revealed a look of approval.
"This kind of paper is cheap. The cost of printing a book of the Analects of Confucius is only about 20 yuan. Compared to silk and bamboo scrolls, which cost tens of thousands of dollars, it was hundreds of times cheaper. And it was easy to make. He could write and make books. His Majesty should understand what this meant to the descendants of the Humble Class.”
Ying Zheng's expression gradually changed.
"Other than paper making, there is also movable type printing. I plan to give it to His Majesty as well.”
" In this way, the cost of producing books will be low, the printing will be fast and convenient, and the era of gold and silver will soon pass.”
Han Cheng said calmly.
To him, changing this era was very easy.
Ying Zheng, on the other hand, looked very excited. After holding it in for a long time, he finally said,"
"Imperial Preceptor is truly my lucky star, the lucky star of Great Qin!”
......
Movable-type printing and paper-making were the four great inventions.
They were also the crystallization of the wisdom of the ancient people.
To Han Cheng, this thing was already obsolete.
However, to the current Great Qin, this was incredibly high-tech!
Han Cheng saved himself the trouble and used the Void Engine to create a set of movable type printing tools.
This thing didn't need to demonstrate the manufacturing process like paper making.
Because just by looking at the appearance, one could roughly know how this thing was made.
The first step was to carve a block of wood with a raised character and a reversed character.
The second was to make square or rectangular plates.
The printing process was also quite simple.
Put the type into the case and smear ink on it.
He covered the white paper with it and swept it with a brush a few times to ensure that the ink was in complete contact with the paper.
After Han Cheng demonstrated to Ying Zheng and Meng Yi using dried paper and the newly created movable type printing tool, both of them became even more excited.
This was because the benefits of these two items were too great!
It could break the monopoly of the Hundred Schools of Philosophy and the prestigious families on knowledge.
They could also spread knowledge to the Humble Class and nurture talents for the Imperial Court!
It could also solve the problem of daily writing, and there was no need to use expensive silk books. It could be said to be killing three birds with one stone! The benefits were endless!
Ying Zheng regretted not meeting such a technique earlier. He had the same feeling towards Han Cheng.
Ying Zheng couldn't hold back his excitement and ordered the man beside him,"
"Meng Yi, quickly go to the Shao Mansion and find Tang Beisheng. The two techniques taught by the state preceptor! I must learn it immediately!"
The Shao Mansion was an organization of the royal family.
The first was to levy taxes on mountains, seas, ponds and marshes for the use of the court.
Second, he was responsible for all the food, clothing, entertainment, and hunting in the palace.
Third, he was responsible for forging all kinds of strange tools.
His chief officer is one of the nine ministers of the court, with a salary of 2,000 stones.
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