The prince does not fight for the heir

Chapter 22 The Printing Workshop
Seeing that the young Yoon Zuo hadn't learned how to deal with an official like Yang Qian, Fu Xuechen had an idea and hurriedly made a rescue: "Master Yang, did the Holy Will ever forbid His Highness to observe and study the manufacturing process of other items?"

"Not really." Yang Qian still frowned, but shook his head honestly.

Fu Xuechen smiled: "If there is no prohibition in the law, it can be said that everything is allowed. The Holy One has the constitution of heaven in his mouth, so the reason is the same! Besides, His Highness also has his own ideas about the manufacture of firearms, which needs to be verified, so the Holy Highness ordered the Ministry of Industry to give it to His Highness." Convenience, how do you know that there is no relevant skill in the printing workshop that can help His Highness verify the design of new firearms?"

Yang Qian widened his squinted eyes, and looked hard at the handsome but eloquent companion next to the sixth prince. He knew that this kid was absurd, and his words were preposterous, but he couldn't refute them. Can't get out of breath.

Yun Zuo had long thought that his companion was extremely intelligent and eloquent, and seeing this again, he immediately appreciated it, avoiding Yang Qian's sight, and quietly gave her a thumbs up with a smile.

Feeling that Fu Xuechen was messing around and unable to communicate, Yang Qian turned his attention to Yunzuo: "Dare to ask what your highness thinks, what skills do you think in the printing workshop can be used in the manufacture of firearms? The old minister is not talented, and he is not familiar with all kinds of manufacturing skills. They all know a thing or two, so it was originally for His Highness to refer to the details."

Yoon Zuo is not stupid. With Fu Xuechen as an example, he learned it immediately: "Thank you, Mr. Yang for your kindness! It's just a little bit of experience. Before my idea is verified, I don't dare to play tricks in front of the experienced Mr. Yang." Let’s talk about it after Director Yang takes us to see the printing workshop! If my idea is verified to be feasible, it’s not too late to speak up and ask Director Yang for advice.”

The implication is that if the idea of ​​not knowing whether it exists or not is not feasible, then of course he doesn't need to say it.

Yang Qian was sullen again, so he had to agree to take the two bastards to see the printing workshop first.

The printing workshop under the Ministry of Industry is in the city, close to the east of the city, but the distance is not close. If you walk, it takes about two quarters of an hour to walk from the Yamen of the Ministry of Industry to the printing workshop. Arrive at the destination in a quarter of an hour.

It was also on the road that Fu Xuechen had a lot of conversations with Yang Qian about the workshops of the Ministry of Industry. Only then did Fu Xuechen discover that the entire Central Plains China in the previous dynasty had fallen under the iron cavalry of the northern nomads, and the entire civilization inheritance was almost broken.

However, the previous dynasty did not pay much attention to the various items and equipment manufacturing techniques of the Central Plains people. As a result, the newly established Ministry of Industry of the Great Rong Empire had almost no decent large-scale workshops in the capital, and even these small and medium-sized workshops were scattered everywhere. The West is a stick, and management is a bit difficult.

Fu Xuechen was very emotional: "It is better to choose a place and gather the same type of workshops together. It is okay to say that some small workshops, such as firearms, require the division of labor and cooperation of various workshops. Then it was integrated!"

When Yang Qian heard this, he glanced at her a few more times in surprise, this kid is a bastard, it's not easy to say such an opinion!Obviously she has never seen a firearms workshop.

Judging from her age and background, it is unlikely that she was sent by her family to see various workshops at such a young age, and the firearms workshop that only exists in the Ministry of Industry is even less likely to be visited by this little doll. Then where did she get it? These emotions are too confusing.

Fortunately, it didn't take long to arrive at the printing workshop.

Fu Xuechen got off his horse at the gate of the workshop, raised his head, and looked at the huge workshop in front of him with wide eyes, his face was full of astonishment.

In her expectation, the printing workshop occupied at most a courtyard, seven or eight of them, at most a dozen craftsmen were busy, but what did she see? !

The size and area of ​​the workshop in front of me is almost as large as that of an ordinary middle school in later generations. It has many houses, including public houses with craftsmen's minds, and artisan workshops connected together, as well as warehouses guarded by guards. It is a library used to store various books.

According to Yang Qian, the entire printing workshop has a total of [-] people working in various roles, which is the largest medium-sized workshop.

Stepping into it, you can see craftsmen of different ages moving things in a hurry, or burying their heads in work. When they saw Yang Qian bringing people over, they all looked around curiously, but craftsmen enjoy the right to ignore external affairs during their work. Without the call of the official in charge, they would not take the initiative to gather to welcome Yun Zuo and others, and Yang Qian had no intention of letting them all come to greet the prince.

Fu Xuechen has read a lot about the miserable status and situation of ancient craftsmen in various literary works of later generations, but everything in front of her has subverted her existing impression. The craftsmen are not all pale, nor are they numb and decadent. A bit tired, but generally speaking, they are quite energetic, and they are serious and focused in doing things, occasionally joking and scolding each other a few words...they feel no different from ordinary factories and workers in later generations.

I don't know if this is because the Darong Empire has just been founded, the system has not yet been established or collapsed, and the craftsmen have not yet been discriminated against and treated lowly, or it is because of the difference in time and space and the difference in cultural development.

What Fu Xuechen is curious about is why there are so many craftsmen in a printing workshop.

When she heard Yang Qian mention that this workshop is also responsible for printing books for the Hanlin Academy's Shijianquanshu and other great works of the dynasty, and now has more than 500 million square meters of old and new engraving blocks, her jaw dropped. Shocked!
Engraving!So many engravings!Storage alone is a big problem!No wonder there are so many houses and craftsmen in the printing workshop!

"That...Master Yang, is there no movable type in the workshop?" Fu Xuechen almost thought that movable type printing had not been invented in this time and space.

Yang Qian's answer was somewhat beyond her expectation: "You mean movable type? Naturally, there are all kinds of movable type, such as wooden movable type, pottery movable type, copper movable type, lead movable type, all of these."

"Then why make so many engravings?" Fu Xuechen asked without understanding.

Yang Qian smiled: "Although movable type is flexible, it is difficult to unify the typeface, and the typesetting is not easy. There will also be problems such as uneven lines and different gap sizes, and it is easier to wear and lose. It is much more troublesome to maintain than engraving. Therefore, most of the classics handed down from generation to generation use engraving blocks instead of movable type."

Ah, this... Fu Xuechen was thinking about the scriptures in his arms, and asked tentatively: "How long will it take to engrave a book with more than 3000 characters?"

Yang Qian looked at her: "For an ordinary craftsman, it will take more than a month!"

so long?In other words, one edition can only be carved in one day, with a hundred characters?Fu Xuechen was a little dumbfounded, isn't this too slow?

(End of this chapter)