The Duke of Shu Han began guarding Jingzhou in place of Guan Yu.

Chapter 172 Taking the Whole World to Lie Down

Mi Zhu had previously participated in the policy discussions for selecting officials and had even read his son's policy essay.

After a little thought, let's take stock:
“In ancient times, people used silk to write, which was called paper.”

"Although silk is lighter and more convenient than bamboo slips, it is also rare and expensive, and neither of them is convenient for people."

"Later, some people started making paper from cheap materials such as tree bark, hemp fibers, old rags, and fishing nets, such as the 'Cai Hou Paper' from more than a hundred years ago. Since then, paper has no longer been rare and expensive."

Mi Zhu paused slightly, then continued:
"Although paper is lightweight and inexpensive, it is easily damaged, fragile, and does not keep well."

“Documents such as official documents, classics, account books, and laws that need to be preserved for a long time are still written on wood, bamboo, or even silk.”

"Paper has always been considered unsuitable for refined tastes and was despised by scholars. Let alone used for copying scriptures and laws."

At this point, Mi Zhu finally raised a question:

"Even if I, your father, could produce durable new paper, I fear it would be difficult for scholars to praise it within three to five years of its widespread adoption."

"Even if it is praised, it is ultimately just a convenient thing at hand. Can it really win the hearts of scholars all over the world?"

This question was also the source of Miwei's previous confusion.

As a time traveler, he had naturally long considered the idea of ​​"technological domination" such as papermaking and printing.

Although limited by their past life experiences, most of these were just thoughts.

Improving papermaking techniques, on the other hand, is something that can at least be tried.

but.

Just like the double stirrups he discussed with Ma Chao last year.

The emergence of something new.

It will not necessarily be rapidly promoted and popularized just because it has better performance.

The key to determining the speed of popularization.

It is a human need.

This may also involve some more complex dimensions of demand.

For example, some vested interests, in order to maintain their monopoly on knowledge, may subconsciously reject other perspectives on interpreting classics.

This is how the debate between the Old Text and New Text schools of thought during the Han Dynasty came about.

In this historical context, it would be impossible to put on a grand show by trying to imitate the "Neo-Confucianism" and "School of Mind" of later generations.

The result will most likely be a large stool.

In fact, the rise of Neo-Confucianism in the Song and Ming dynasties was itself due to its catering to the needs of a specific era.

Even without Cheng Yi, Zhu Xi, Lu Xun, and Wang Yangming, there would still be Zhao Mengfu, Qian Zhongshu, Sun Quan, and Li Hongzhang.

For example, in order to ensure food security for the people and enhance military potential, Liu Bei took the initiative to prohibit the private brewing of wine.

If Mi Wei hadn't known what was good for him and had insisted on getting involved in distillation technology...

Then his maximum potential in this lifetime is only more than two thousand shi (a unit of grain).

This is the power of demand.

Now let's get back to the present.

They improved papermaking techniques and replaced bamboo slips with paper books.

Of course, we can't just focus on the advantages in terms of technology.

We need to go back to the demand itself.

The most direct need is the topic that has been hotly debated in the Shu Han court recently.

Improve the system for selecting officials to attract scholars from all over the country to serve.

In this respect, Miwei did not consider himself superior to the clever people of his time.

At most, it can be slightly improved by utilizing the knowledge of later generations.

Generally speaking, it was necessary to cede some benefits to the aristocratic class in exchange for their support.

At the very least, they cannot completely side with Cao Pi.

Beyond this, there is the question of how to balance the power struggles between the central government and local authorities, and between the inner court and the outer court in terms of personnel appointments.

Or to put it more bluntly.

How to strengthen Liu Bei's authority to avoid the emergence of monsters similar to the "Eastern Jin Dynasty aristocratic families" in the future.

This aspect can be further divided into two levels.

One of them was what he said to Liu Bei in his strategy discussion: to prevent the court from losing its power over personnel appointments and becoming a puppet of the aristocratic families.

Another reason might be the selfishness or public-spiritedness of a time traveler.

After all, he clearly knew there were better things, so how could he tolerate falling behind?

Moreover, history has long proven that this kind of backwardness does more harm than good.

Putting aside personal motives.

From the perspective of maintaining the authority of the imperial court, it also means that Mi Wei was able to obtain the support of the imperial court.

To put it bluntly, it refers to the core leadership of the Shu Han dynasty, headed by Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang.

This is the source of his confidence.

But not enough.

He also had to confront the most powerful group of the era: the scholars who held the power to disseminate knowledge.

Miwei never overestimated himself.

So his solution was to lie flat.

But this time, he wasn't the only one lying down.

Instead, he wanted to drag all the scholars in the world down with him.

Specifically, this occurred after the successful improvement of papermaking techniques.

Vigorously promote paper books, so that more scholars become accustomed to the convenience of new paper, and even develop a dependence on it.

If successful, driven by the Nash people's need for convenience and their immense political power, this trend will be unstoppable.

In other words, Mi Wei aims to accelerate the historical process of paper books replacing bamboo slips as the primary medium for writing. He is confident in this regard as well.

Firstly, the course of history has already proven everything.

Secondly, human nature is to prefer ease and avoid hard work.

If you can sit, never stand.

If you can lie down, never sit still.

Even someone as diligent and conscientious as Prime Minister Zhuge Liang.

Wouldn't you like to replace the paper documents with lighter paper memorials, reducing paperwork and improving the efficiency of the Secretariat?

This is also a way to enhance national strength!

Of course, the above is only the first step in Miwei's goal.

The next step is the second step.

But at this point, he no longer needs to take the initiative to push it forward.

Once paper books have largely replaced bamboo and wooden slips, the former's convenience will inevitably produce a "side effect."

Knowledge that was originally only available to a few will inevitably be shared with a wider range of people.

This sinks.

This includes both the "poor families" within the aristocratic clans.

This also includes the wealthy and powerful who don't even qualify for the status of a poor family.

This group also has a natural need for knowledge and progress.

This need could not be met in the past.

One aspect is that the gentry, especially the noble families, intentionally monopolized knowledge.

However, the inconvenience of the knowledge carrier itself is also a stubborn obstacle.

Miwei looked back on the past.

Why did Guan Linghui, as Guan Yu's daughter, need someone to copy military strategy for her to study? (Chapter 115)
Even Liu Shan, the crown prince, needed Prime Minister Zhuge Liang to copy and annotate his books if he wanted to study. (Chapter 120)
Even earlier, back when they were still in Jiangling.

Why was Guan Xing unusually excited and agitated when I unintentionally "shaked hands and made peace" with him, acting like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world before? (Chapter 6)
This is because "books" in the era of bamboo and wooden slips were hard to obtain and difficult to promote.

Even among the sons of aristocratic families, most people might not be able to read more than a few complete books in their entire lives.

Not to mention those groups that don't even qualify as aristocratic families.

Therefore, the emergence of paper books is like the double-sided stirrup, and like the Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming dynasties.

They are all products of a time that called for change.

Its emergence was inevitable.

The timing of its appearance is accidental.

And now, Miwei has become an accident within this inevitability.

On a seemingly ordinary day.

Suddenly press the accelerator button.

Then lead the whole world.

Let's "lie down" and enter the new era together.

of course.

There's no need to tell my father all about the calculations involved.

Mi Wei simply gave a general overview of his thoughts.

Then he began to try to recall the knowledge of various improvements to papermaking techniques from his previous life.

Finally, I vaguely remember a type of paper called "yellow hemp paper" invented in the Jin Dynasty.

It combines the advantages of being inexpensive, lightweight, and durable.

It was widely used until the Tang and Song dynasties.

This should be the most suitable target in the short term.

……

What Mi Wei didn't know was that Mi Zhu had listened to his line of thought.

He also gained his own insights.
Mi Zhu knew Liu Bei earlier and knew that the latter had studied under Lu Zhi in his early years.

Lu Zhi studied under Ma Rong, a master of classical Chinese studies.

In other words, Liu Bei naturally came from the background of the classical Chinese school of thought, regardless of how many years he had actually studied.

Although Liu Bei never explicitly participated in the debate between the ancient and modern schools of thought, he had scholars from both factions under his command at the same time.

However, he chose Yin Mo as Liu Shan's crown prince servant.

This can be seen from his instruction of Liu Shan in the *Zuo Zhuan* (Commentary of Zuo). (Chapter 11)
Because the Zuo Zhuan is one of the ancient text classics!

As is well known, the New Text Classics were a powerful tool for aristocratic families in the Han Dynasty to monopolize knowledge and status.

The rise of the Old Text School of Confucianism was accompanied by its competition with the latter for prestige.

They compete for both academic knowledge and power.

Based on this, Liu Bei, who rose from humble beginnings, naturally harbored suspicions towards powerful clans that embodied the modern text of the classics.

Although Mi Zhu was a scholar from Xuzhou, he made his fortune through commerce.

They certainly couldn't be considered a family with a long tradition of classical studies.

perhaps.

This is precisely the fundamental reason why Liu Bei chose him to take charge of this matter.

In short.

Both father and son gained something.

In the days that followed, skilled craftsmen were recruited, ideas were pooled, and efforts were made to improve papermaking techniques.

(End of this chapter)