Crowned the New Han Dynasty

Chapter 737: Silver has a price, rising steadily

As ten top-grade books were brought out, including eight classics and treatises, one "Prajna Sutra" and one "Tao Te Ching", there were many exclamations and admirations in the house. The entire dinner As a result, he fell into a state of joy and reached a climax.

The sound inside the door can be roughly heard even from a distance outside the door.

"I don't know what happened inside."

Outside the Tang Dynasty house, beside the lights on the long street, figures were copying and recording the words on the lanterns, but they were also paying attention to what was going on inside the house. Many people could see envy on their faces.

"I just heard that there was an assassination inside, and it was the Huns who did it. I thought it was going to end, but it is still going on now. This is the true demeanor of a celebrity, which is enviable."

"Isn't it? It would be nice if we could be inside."

"That's all secondary. I heard that there are hundreds of engraving books distributed. Everyone who attends the meeting can get one for free. You said such a good thing, why can't it be our turn? Those aristocratic families don't There is a shortage of classics and books. What is really lacking is actually us. As a result, those who need them cannot get them, and those who don’t need them have nowhere to put them."

……

Discussions rang in my ears. People outside could also get the news in the courtyard by relying on their own connections. With Chen Zhi's deliberate acquiescence, many participants, servants, servants, etc. in the courtyard could pass through. The news is spread through various channels, but after all, it is not seen by outsiders with their own eyes. When these news are circulated, there will inevitably be some exaggeration and deviation, and it is difficult to distinguish the truth from the false.

Listening to these discussions, Gao Bing, who was copying the words on the lantern with his head down, did not seem to be affected at all and was still immersed in copying meticulously.

However, compared with the first time, the piece of paper in Gao Bing's hand was now densely filled with tiny characters, and not only one side, but also the back was almost filled with his writing.

Because there are words on both the front and back, the writing bleeds into each other, and the entire paper is not so neat, and some places even look stained.

It's just that for Gao Bing, he can save a lot of money if he can buy one less piece of paper. Otherwise, he won't even have enough money to travel back to Goguryeo. After all, as more and more people buy paper, the number of people selling paper will increase. But instead of increasing the quantity, they kept raising the price.

The person who made the deepest impression on Gao Bing was a man named Han Sanxing. This man was obviously a paper selling tycoon in Dai County. It is said that he controlled [-]% of the hemp paper channels in the city and was a merchant selling for several wealthy families in Dai County. , in addition to him, there is also a man named Han Lishi, who is a relative of him, and controls about [-]% of the paper business. Together with a Chen family member named Chen Meiguang, the three of them together control more than [-]%. share, so under their promotion, the price of paper has nearly doubled by nearly ten times!
This price could only be scoffed at in ordinary times, but for people on the street now, it is a real necessity, and they can only admit it with pinched noses.

Based on this situation, such as Gao Bing, we can only try to write smaller words in the hope of writing more words.

I was writing here, and suddenly someone rumored: "I heard that people from those aristocratic families were very dissatisfied with the books rubbed by the eunuchs using the engraving method, and instead sought after ten high-quality, discarded engraved books. Essentials!”

"It's true or false. It's a good book, but because it's made of engravings, why don't you want it?"

"They don't want it, but we want it. We don't know how to get it..."

……

Discussions started again, but this time it affected those people's transcriptions. Many people couldn't calm down and asked repeatedly. Even Gao Bing also paid attention, but he didn't stop writing.

But the thought was running in my mind, how to get in touch with the books printed on the engravings. "Since those noble families don't like it, they probably won't think much of it. Maybe I can get in touch through some connections, but maybe I can gain something, but I don't have much money left...

Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth, made up his mind, and immediately continued to copy.

At this moment, the night was already dark.

In the courtyard, as ten carefully crafted books were taken out and circulated among the crowd, when the papers were turned over, there was even a refreshing fragrance, accompanied by a faint fragrance of ink.

When looking at the paper that can be called crystal clear, not to mention people from aristocratic families who are interested in literature, even Taoist priests and monks who have no intention of doing so can't help but exclaim.

Then came the compliments and compliments one after another.

After a while, Zhang Jingsheng asked Chen Zhi: "Master Fu, if you have such a precious thing and there are only ten copies, why don't you give it away? Even if Master Fu is willing to give it away, let's watch others take it." When I get there, I must feel uncomfortable and don’t know how to deal with it.”

"It's easy to say," Chen Zhi smiled slightly, feeling that Zhang Jingsheng was indeed very cooperative and had set the stage for him invisibly, "these ten books are all clearly priced, ten taels of silver each."

Ten taels of silver?

Many servants in the yard couldn't help but take a breath when they heard this. For them, this was really a huge sum of money. The redemption price for many people was only a fraction of this price at most.

When they think about it, spending this money to buy a book is really incomprehensible.

Unexpectedly, the people from the aristocratic families present, especially the scholars from Luoyang and Jiangzuo, after being stunned, all said happily: "It's so cheap! It's unexpected!"

Later, Naluoyang was the first to speak out: "I offer 20 taels of silver for each copy, sell them to me!"

"How can such a cheap thing be done?" Immediately, another person shouted loudly, "I'll give you 30 taels for that "Dharma Theory". I only want this one. I am a disciple of the Legalists. I hope you can give me a gift." Don’t compete with me for face?”

"How can your family just swallow this? My family has 35 taels of this "Dharma Commentary"!"

"I don't want the "Dharma Commentary", but I hope that the "Sutra" can be handed over to us. The price is... 36 taels!"

……

Before Chen Zhi could say anything more, everyone had already started to take the initiative to increase the price, which made Chen Wu and other servants dizzy. You know, in today's world, silver is not actually an equivalent currency that is generally circulated. Most of it is used by wealthy families to store it. , it is very rare to directly compare prices like this.

Here they were still surprised, but over there, the old monk Zhu Fawei consulted a monk next to him, frowned, and finally said reluctantly: "The poor monk is willing to give 40 taels of the "Buddhist Treatise"! There are many Buddhist scriptures made by the engraving method, and they are also collected together."

(End of this chapter)