Master Kong Zhongni

Chapter 68
The summer solstice is approaching, and the weather is getting warmer.

The sun rises earlier in summer than at other times, and students arrive at the academy earlier than in winter.

In the era without electric lights, using oil lamps for lighting was a rare luxury experience. Most people worked from sunrise to sunset, so they cherished the arrival of daylight.

The Master said: The dead are like husbands, never giving up day and night.

For scholars, this sense of urgency for the day is especially strong.

The sun shines all over the earth, bringing people a happy mood.

When Zaiyu and Zigong arrived at the school, many students had already taken out the bamboo slips and began to read aloud and review what they had learned before.

The master sat on the apricot altar, closed his eyes, played the piano, and thought about what to teach next.

Zaiyu and Zigong came to sit down on the seats reserved for them by Yan Hui, but before they could sit still, they heard the Master calling their names.

"You are here?"

The two of them trembled in fright, and they responded in unison: "What's the matter with you calling us?"

Confucius opened his eyes, picked up a stack of ink-stained paper on the desk, and said, "I've run out of the paper you gave me earlier, so I want to buy some more from you."

Zaiyu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and replied: "Master, you have run out, just tell me. Next time in class, Zigong and I will bring you some more."

Confucius shook his head when he heard the words: "No way. If a gentleman has no merit, he will not be rewarded. You made paper, and I did not participate in it. How can I take your things for no reason?
Before you gave me paper, it can still be explained by the relationship between master and apprentice.But if you send it again, it is wrong. "

Zigong argued, "Master, this piece of paper is worthless."

As soon as he said this, before Confucius could answer, Zilu on the side responded instead.

"When the Master accompanied the first Jun Zhaogong in exile in the Qi State, the Marquis of Qi once wanted to give the land of Linqiu to the Master, but the Master refused to accept it. Could it be that the Master will accept your paper?"

After hearing this, Zaiyu had an idea and said: "Master, since you said that you will not be rewarded if you have no merit. Then if you have merit, can you accept it?"

Confucius smiled and asked, "Yu, do you need my help?"

Zai Yu first popularized the concepts of newspaper and movable type printing to his master, and then said with an embarrassed smile.

"Newspapers are mainly used to report various major events in the Lu state, so that the people of the country can understand the inside and outside, and play a supervisory role in the implementation of the country's major policies.

But if there are only some court affairs, I am afraid it is not enough to fill the page, so I also want to ask you to write, and open a column in the newspaper for your use. "

"Oh?" Confucius became interested when he heard it: "What is a column?"

"The column is a column for you to write. You can promote theories on it, and you can also publish some recent insights on Taoism, and even record some anecdotes that happened in life.

If you really have nothing to publish, I heard that you are not re-editing "Poetry", "Book", "Ritual" and "Le" recently?You can also extract some fragments from it and we will publish it on your behalf.

In this way, you also have credit, and we pay you some paper and money from selling newspapers, which is also a matter of course. "

After Confucius heard this, he couldn't help clapping his hands and laughing loudly: "Good, good, good!"

For Confucius, getting some money through newspapers is secondary, and the most exciting part is to promote theories through the platform of newspapers.

But despite being happy, Confucius couldn't help asking: "However, newspapers need paper to be published. These papers shouldn't be cheap, right? Can people from poor families afford them?"

Zi Gong heard this, and replied with a smile: "Please rest assured about this. The price of paper is not as high as you imagined, and ordinary Chinese can afford it.

And I discussed with Ziwo before that if I meet people who are really poor but want to buy newspapers, let them exchange them with bark, rags, and reeds, which are used in papermaking.

In this way, everyone can afford newspapers. "

Confucius nodded in relief, but in a moment he had some doubts: "However, if you do this, if everyone exchanges materials for newspapers, will you still be able to make a profit?"

Zi Gong replied with a smile: "Don't worry about that. We didn't intend to make a profit from the newspaper. The purpose of making a newspaper is to benefit the people, so as long as we can keep neither winning nor losing."

Zaiyu and Zigong discussed before that most of the profits of papermaking come from improved paper, Ji's stable and large orders, and the subsequent publication of books.

The role of newspapers is mainly to promote education and expand the voice of public opinion.

Therefore, they did not intend to adopt a high pricing strategy for newspapers, but planned to take the civilian route and strive to make newspapers accessible to every household in Qufu.

And even if many people exchanged bark, reeds and other things for newspapers, it would still be a surefire profit for Zaiyu.

Because this not only saves them a lot of labor costs for collection and purchase, but also helps them hoard a lot of raw materials.

On the land of the Central Plains, the paper industry is still in its infancy, and all the countries in Xia are a blue ocean.

If there is a large overflow of raw materials, they will speed up the pace of printing books, and when the inventory reaches a certain amount, they can organize caravans to dump abroad.

The amount of content that paper books can carry is not comparable to that of bamboo slips.

At that time, even if the nobles of Zhuxia are reluctant to buy with old-fashioned ideas, ordinary people will definitely actively buy this highly cost-effective product.

When the strength has accumulated to a certain level, Zaiyu also plans to promote the newspaper to other countries, and even the teachings of the master will also be spread in other countries.

Zaiyu thought to himself: "I still don't believe it. If I give my master so much traffic, can't I still be the first in the spring and autumn?"

Thinking of this, Zaiyu changed his mind.

Maybe, I can also give it a try next time?
He thought of the voluminous collection of books in the library, and his heart jumped for a moment.

In the same era, the Master had the "Spring and Autumn", Sun Wu had the "Sun Tzu's Art of War", and Sima Rangju had the "Sima Law", and these people have been immortalized forever.

There's no reason why I can't have a copy of Zaizi!

Jae Yu was thinking about how to become an Internet celebrity when he suddenly heard his master calling him.

"Yu! You have worked tirelessly to benefit the common people, so how can I accept your extra rewards? Well, from now on, you only need to provide me with some paper. As for money, there is no need to mention it."

Zai Yu replied with a smile: "The matter of the remuneration can be discussed later. But I still have an unfeeling request. I don't know if you can agree to it, Master."

Confucius nodded and said, "Go ahead."

Zai Yu took out a pen and paper from his small cloth bag and placed it in front of Confucius' desk.

"Students are poor in talent and morals, so I hope you can name the newspaper."

"okay."

Confucius picked up the pen, pondered for a while, and then seemed to think of something, he picked up the pen and wrote it.

The students came forward to have a look.

On the paper, there are two big and powerful characters - Ren Bao!
Many students praised: "Master, this name is good! Repaying with benevolence is the way."

Among the praises, only Zaiyu breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, when I saw those two words just now, my heart almost stopped.

I thought the master wrote good news!

　Looking forward to reader votes, such sweet mourning.

　　——Excerpt from "Zaiyu's Diary"

　　
　
(End of this chapter)