Although Ying Zhan said it succinctly, the First Emperor understood the significance of this piece of paper to the world just from these few words!
This thing called Xuan paper was made from common plants such as bamboo, bamboo, and castor-oil. The cost of raw materials was not high, and it was even better than silk when used for writing. The cost was more than a hundred times cheaper than silk. If it could be used for official business in the imperial court and even spread to the world, it would cause a revolution in the way of writing and the cost!
This change was greatly beneficial to Great Qin's rule over the world!
The First Emperor was a man of great talent and bold vision. Otherwise, he would not have the courage and wisdom to write the same text, use the same carriage, and unify the weights and measures.
As such, he keenly realized that if this paper could be spread across the world, it would be incredibly beneficial to Great Qin!
First, it would reduce the cost of Great Qin's education and break the monopoly of the Six Nations 'nobles and the Hundred Schools of Thought on culture and knowledge. This would allow Great Qin's decrees and education to be transmitted to the people of the Six Nations' old territories through more convenient and thin paper.
This way, the six countries 'remnants who viewed Great Qin as their enemy would no longer be able to influence or control the residents of the various regions, and they would no longer be able to make the residents view Great Qin as their enemy.
Books made from paper were cheaper than bamboo slips, and they could lower the difficulty for ordinary people to obtain knowledge, increasing the source of scholars in Great Qin.
Once Great Qin's scholars and talents could come from the commoners, they would not have to accommodate the old nobles of the six dynasties and the Hundred Schools of Thought who pretended to be aloof!
For example, the First Emperor did not like the Confucians, but Great Qin had just unified and needed talents. The Confucians had many talents.
Thus, the First Emperor had to rely heavily on the Confucians in the court.
Even the First Emperor's eldest son, Fusu, had a close relationship with the Confucians.
The First Emperor was dissatisfied, but he didn't show it. Even if he didn't like the Confucians, he had no choice but to use them.
There was an idiom in the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, which was called the Five Carts of Learning. The Five Carts here referred to people who were knowledgeable. There were so many books on bamboo slips that they could fill up five carts.
Among them, there were many scholarly disciples who boasted of their knowledge.
Ordinary people couldn't even take out a single ox cart, let alone five ox carts and five whole carts of bamboo slips.
This also meant that knowledge was the business of the nobles and gentry.
Ordinary people sometimes did not even have enough to eat. Where would they have the spare money and energy to study?
After all, people like Su Qin and Zhang Yi who could overcome difficulties and obtain knowledge despite being poor were few and far between.
However, once paper was popularized, it could greatly reduce the learning cost of the common people, allowing more people like Su Qin and Zhang Yi to emerge from the common people and the lower-class scholars!
This way, the commoners at the bottom would have a chance to rise and become even more loyal to Great Qin. The old nobles of the six countries would not be able to monopolize knowledge and control the hearts of the commoners.
With this, Great Qin's foundation would become even more stable and would be able to lay a solid foundation for its future!
As such, although this piece of paper looked light and soft, it was an important weapon that could strengthen Great Qin's rule!
A small piece of paper was no weaker than an army!
"Who made this paper? How many do you have here? Do you know how to make it?”
The excited First Emperor asked Ying Zhan.
Ying Zhan pointed at himself and said," I made this paper. I just started making it, so I don't have a lot of it."
However, as the craftsmanship spreads in the future, there will be more and more. If Marquis Tong Wu needs it, I can give you some.”
Hearing this, Ying Zheng became even more excited. In the depths of his eyes, he looked at Ying Zhan with a deep sense of adoration and admiration, as well as incomparable pride.
Because this paper was made by his eldest son, who had been wandering among the people!
What kind of intelligence was it to be able to create such a wonderful and wonderful thing?
One had to know that since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the Hundred Schools of Philosophy had been active for hundreds of years. Even the Gongshu family and the Mohist family, who were the best at inventions, had not been able to invent such a strange object!
More importantly, he could tell from Ying Zhan's words that Ying Zhan had the ambition to promote this item and its production process. He didn't want to monopolize this paper that contained great benefits!
Not only did he have extraordinary intelligence, but he also had incomparably great boldness!
Most importantly, Ying Zhan was not the eldest son of Great Qin, but a small pavilion chief.
Without knowing his true identity, he already had the heart to promote his skills and benefit the world. This showed his magnanimity!
It wasn't like the Hundred Schools of Philosophy, which treasured their own knowledge and only passed it on to their own children and powerful people, monopolizing knowledge and skills.
How could this not make First Emperor Ying Zheng feel gratified and proud?
My son is not only intelligent but also broad-minded, ten times or a hundred times more than those philosophers!
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