I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 496: For the Ming Dynasty, I paid this money!

Zhu Yijun waved his hand, signaling Qi Yan to help Cai Maochun up.

"Cai Qing, sit down and talk."

"According to the order!"

"The first two years of the Taichang Temple were all spent on exploration. How to spread the gospel and how to occupy each position were all figured out step by step by Mr. Zhuo Wu and you, from scratch.

I am very pleased to have come this far and achieved the results I have today. However, this battle is very difficult, Cai Qing, you must be fully prepared! "

Cai Maochun was very excited.

Your Majesty, I am ready. Please give me the heavy responsibility.

"Cai Qing, tell us how the Taichang Temple occupied the ideological position. Speak freely."

Cai Maochun paused for a moment and then said, "Your Majesty, I have reviewed the work of the Taichang Temple over the past two years and have summarized several experiences. The first is to combine education with entertainment.

It is meaningless to preach blindly. We should adopt various forms, such as slogans, songs, dramas, chapters, and vernacular novels. As long as the people like it, we will prescribe the right remedy one by one, and put loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, righteousness, and trustworthiness into them, so that the people can be subtly influenced while having fun. "

"Good!" Zhu Yijun praised, "The key lies in subtle influence. Hua Qiu, continue."

"Your Majesty, the second point I have summarized is to take precautions before things happen.

Your Majesty is wise and pointed out that the purpose of the Taichang Temple's missionary work is to occupy the ideological position and win the hearts of the people. As Your Majesty said, if we don't occupy this position, it will be occupied by the enemy.

People's thoughts are invisible and intangible. Sometimes, without people knowing it, they can be taken advantage of by scoundrels who sneak in, quietly infiltrate, and secretly occupy a corner of their position.

Once we discover them, it may take more effort to drive them out.

Therefore, I suggest that we should take precautions before it happens.”

“How can we prevent it from happening?”

"Your Majesty, those scoundrels often slander the new learning as heresy. These people themselves are not upright, but they claim to be noble and upright, arrogantly denouncing this and criticizing that.

Who gave them the power? It was nothing more than the study of the classics handed down from generation to generation. They regarded the classics of the sages as the standard, but they held the right to interpret the classics. This is their foundation.

I feel that their foundation must be broken.”

Zhu Yijun's eyes flashed, and he continued to ask: "How do you think Hua Qiu can break it?"

"Your Majesty, I think the most urgent task is to enlighten the people, so that more people among the people can read and understand the imperial edicts and orders, and no longer be deceived and instigated by those with ulterior motives."

"Any more?"

Zhu Yijun's follow-up question made Cai Maochun hesitate.

Facing the young emperor's sharp gaze, Cai Maochun felt that his little thoughts were exposed.

If some words are spoken out, they may cause a hurricane in Shilin and ruin one's reputation.

But if she didn't say it, the good impression she had painstakingly left in the emperor's mind would immediately disappear, and she would also be committing the crime of deceiving the emperor.

Cai Maochun was torn between his conscience and his conscience. After more than ten breaths, he spoke under Zhu Yijun's gaze, "Your Majesty, I feel that the teachings of the sages are not the teachings of one person or one family. What is public opinion and what is righteousness cannot be decided by one person or one family. The court should summon scholars from all sides to discuss and deliberate before a conclusion can be made."

First, we must break the status of certain schools and factions of Confucianism, then break the integration of learning and politics in Confucianism, and finally break the ruling status of Confucianism.

Cai Maochun's words were rather subtle, but already very bold, and for Zhu Yijun, that was enough.

Why do Confucians like to say things like "Law is nothing but human feelings" and reject ruling the country by law and insist on ruling the country by morality? It is because they hold the highest right to interpret morality.

If we want to break their monopoly, we must find another way and govern the country by law, because the highest power of interpretation of the law lies in our own hands.

Zhu Yijun did not respond to Cai Maochun's words and continued the conversation.

After chatting for half an hour, Zhu Yijun remembered something and asked, "I heard from the Yongding County Prince, the Junior Supervisor of the Imperial Observatory, that the Taichang Temple still uses woodblock printing for printing books?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the more than 600 book printers that the Imperial Household Department handed over to the Imperial Household Department, as well as the more than 1,000 book printers that were subsequently recruited, are all mainly engaged in engraving."

"I remember that it was written in Mengxi Bitan that movable type printing had been invented in the early Song Dynasty. The Junior Supervisor of the Imperial Observatory, Prince Yongding of Rongfan, loved to repeat the experiments in Mengxi Bitan.

He copied the movable type printing described in the book and found that the clay was easily damaged and would cause problems after printing twice. So he improved the method, cast movable type with copper tin, and improved the ink, which was ten times more durable than woodblock printing.

After taking the position of Junior Director of the Imperial Observatory, he worked with craftsmen from the Institute of Machinery to produce lead-tin movable type and a screw drive system. He also improved the ink, which could be printed evenly and firmly on paper at a low price.

I named it Yongding Printing Press.

The printing speed is a hundred times faster than that of woodblock printing. The Imperial Astronomical Observatory has already built three machines for printing the almanac.

If we want to occupy the ideological front and enlighten the people, we must make the price of books cheaper. Yongding printing press can greatly simplify the tediousness of printing and make books cheaper.

If you want to do your work well, you must first sharpen your tools. Why don't you use them in the Taichang Temple?"

Cai Maochun quickly replied: "Reporting to the emperor, the Taichang Temple received the report from the Imperial Observatory. Li Zhengqing was very happy and took me to the Imperial Observatory to see the actual operation. It was indeed very fast, and the printed paper seemed to fly out.

When we discussed it, we all felt that it would be a great tool to benefit the country and the people and spread knowledge.

We immediately ordered one with the funds from the Taichang Temple and had it shipped back to the Taichang Temple Printing House. But after using it for about ten days, we discovered something extremely embarrassing.

"What's embarrassing?"

"Your Majesty, before this, the woodblock carvers did not need to know how to read. They only needed to treat the words as pictures and carve them according to the pattern. However, the most important part of the Yongding printing press is to find movable type for typesetting, so you must know how to read.

The craftsmen were illiterate and could not find movable type for typesetting. Those who could read were proud of their status and were unwilling to do this job, thinking it was a disgrace to their status. The printing house paid a lot of money to hire people who could read to do typesetting, but they could never stay in the job for long. This job not only required literacy, but also required long-term training to improve skills and speed up typesetting. However, with the constant turnover of personnel, they could not stay in the job for long.

The printing house had no other choice but to urgently train fifty young craftsmen in the academy, with a focus on teaching them to read and write.

Therefore, it will take some time before the Yongding printing press can be used on a large scale.”

Zhu Yijun didn't expect this to be the reason.

It’s true that the literacy rate is low now and not many people can read.

Especially for typesetters, they basically need to be familiar with 3,000 commonly used Chinese characters. Being able to recognize 3,000 characters is already a high-end talent, and you will be welcomed wherever you go. Why can't you earn more than a typesetter?

"Raise the wages!" Zhu Yijun made a prompt decision. "Someone in the Western Yi also invented a movable type printing press, which they used to print their books of sages' doctrines. They suddenly became very rich, and then attracted countless people to learn this printing technique and improve this printing press.

We don’t mind letting the typesetter earn more than the county magistrate. Any new thing that comes out can either help us save a lot of money or help us make a lot of money. We should drive it by profit.”

Hearing this, Cai Maochun hesitated to speak. Zhu Yijun smiled and asked, "If it weren't for the sages' classics and eight-part essays that allowed you to become officials, would you have spent decades pursuing this career?"

Cai Maochun smiled, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, may you be wise and enlightened!"

Wang Lin was listening to the steward's report in the study room in the mansion.

"Master, I have found four private printing houses, and they are offering eighty taels of silver per edition, for a package of one hundred copies."

Wang Lin's eyes almost popped out of his head. "So expensive!"

Books are a luxury these days, so printing books is of course expensive.

“Master,” the steward said with a look of grievance, “Private copies are all so expensive.

The Taichang Temple is now cracking down on private copies more and more strictly, offering a large reward. Police patrol bureaus and Jinyiwei Zhenfusi personnel in various places are patrolling like hounds, and will come to your door as soon as they smell the slightest scent. Business is becoming increasingly difficult.

Not only are private editions getting more and more expensive, but strangers generally won’t work with you, and you can’t find a way even if you have the money.”

"What? You don't even want to make money?"

Wang Lin was very surprised that there were still people who didn't even love huge amounts of money these days.

"Master, no matter how much money you make, you still have to live to spend it. If you are caught with a private edition, everyone from the engraver to the bookseller will be thrown into jail. For minor offenses, your earnings will be confiscated and you will be fined a large sum of money. For serious offenses, you will be exiled thousands of miles away and have a narrow escape from death.

Master, if you take the money to find a private printing house, he won’t know whether you really want to print a book or are a spy for the government.

Wang Lin stroked his beard and said, "That makes sense."

Seeing that he had frightened Wang Lin, the steward became even more arrogant, "Master, in order to find a private seller, I used a lot of connections, and invited Zuifenglou several times, all of which I paid for out of my own pocket.

I wore out several pairs of shoes and had to resort to many favors before I finally found a way and found a reliable private edition bookseller who gave me a realistic price.

Master, do you want to print it? If you want to print it, hurry up. They have a big job recently. A few story books were sent from the south, saying that they were about the affair in the residence of Xu Shilang of the Ministry of War. They are selling very well. The bookseller bought the books and is going to print a copy to grab the business from the north. "

"Well, the master will reimburse you for the negotiation expenses." Wang Lin laughed, feeling hesitant.

I had finally begged a sum of money from a local noble family, and I thought that while I was upholding justice, I wouldn't have to worry about the rest of my life.

I never thought that it would cost so much silver to carve a few copies of a book. When I calculated it, I had to pay half of the silver I collected from begging for each copy of this private book.

Heartache!
I should have known that I shouldn't have invited such a famous scholar.

Although this time we are waving the banner of justice and don't have to pay any fees, their identities are there. How can you have the nerve to put their works of calligraphy into one volume?

They had to be separated, one book per person, one sticker per person. One book and one sticker was one set, and one set cost eighty taels of silver.

If we invite some up-and-coming writers to combine their articles into one volume and one post, they will not dare to have any objections. How much money can be saved by combining three or four people into one edition!
Alas, it's my fault for being too eager and anxious to support the government.

Forget it, you can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a lamb! If you don't spend a lot of money and print more copies of the book, you won't be able to create enough momentum.

If this matter is accomplished, the reward for me will be more than just a few thousand taels of silver.

Wang Lin gritted his teeth and stamped his feet, saying fiercely: "For justice, for the country, I will risk it all! Carve a total of 73 editions. In addition to the minimum of 100 copies for each edition, 500 more copies will be printed. 1,000 more copies will be printed for the poster."

The manager did some calculations in his mind and was overjoyed. He thought he had made a fortune this time.

His face was heavy with grief, as if the money was not paid by Wang Lin but by him. "Master, including the money for the additional printing, the total is nine thousand two hundred and sixty-three taels of silver."

Wang Lin's hands were shaking as he stroked his beard, but he forced himself to stay calm, as if to comfort himself, "It's okay, it's okay, we are all doing this for the common people and for the Ming Dynasty.

Well, do you accept drafts from Wells Fargo and Commerce Bank?"

"Yes! These private book dealers love to receive these bank drafts, but the silver must be converted into silver dollars according to the latest exchange rate of Wells Fargo Bank."

"Well, money is a small matter. This book must be printed well, and no mistakes or blurs can be made. These books reveal the truth that the so-called New Deal is a disaster for the country and the people. The development of industry and commerce and the establishment of banks are just means for the treacherous to exploit and make money!

These are important tools for exposing evil, enlightening the people, and winning their hearts. Do not make mistakes or errors in printing them!"

The steward patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, sir. The booksellers I found are all top-notch and reputable in the private edition book industry. If there are mistakes or blurs in the printing, they will guarantee to reprint it.

Master, what do you mean by giving money? They are waiting for the money to ask the engraving master to start working."

"Well, calculate the exchange rate and convert it into silver dollars, and I'll ask the accountant to issue you a draft."

"It's the master!"

(End of this chapter)