White-robed Minister

Chapter 239 0237 [A Unique Way for Transmigrators to Cultivate Their Reputation]

How to build a reputation?

How to spread political ideas and gather like-minded people?

Becoming an official is certainly one path, but it's far too slow to achieve the desired results.

publication!

Xu Lai's neck was a little sore, so he took his son down and handed him to Chen Xiaoyi to hold. He walked over to Shen Kuo and asked the old Shen, who was watching the fireworks, "Cunzhong, isn't there a craftsman in Hangzhou named Bi Sheng?"

Shen Kuo exclaimed in surprise, "Xingzhi also knows Bi Sheng?"

Xu Lai laughed and said, "You said it."

"Did I say that?" Shen Kuo didn't remember talking to Bi Sheng, but he wasn't sure if he really hadn't.

Xu Lai said seriously, "We talked about this before when you were researching hot air balloons. Do you know the details of Bi Sheng's movable type printing technology?"

Shen Kuo studied at the Hangzhou State Academy and was a classmate of Lin Yi.

When they were in school, Bi Sheng had already been dead for twenty or thirty years, but his movable type printing technology was still in use.

Shen Kuo said, "Bi Sheng was a woodblock engraver in a bookstore in Hangzhou. When I was studying at the Hangzhou Prefectural School, his movable type printing technique was still used in bookstores. However, the printing quality was extremely poor, with frequent omissions, reversed characters, misspellings, and unclear characters. Because of its low price, some people were willing to buy it, but it could not be used to print serious books."

"What other flaws are there?" Xu Lai asked.

Shen Kuo recounted with great familiarity: "Clay type is easily damaged and prone to deformation and cracking during firing. If one wants to print for a long time, the money spent on making clay type is actually less than that spent on carving woodblocks. Later, Bi Sheng also tried movable wooden type."

"Does that mean wooden movable type won't work either?" Xu Lai pressed.

Shen Kuo nodded and said, "Even if the wood is from the same tree, the grain of different types of wood will vary. When wet, they will expand unevenly, resulting in different heights on the printing plate. Wooden movable type is also prone to sticking to the mounting medium, making it difficult to disassemble."

Shen Kuo further stated, "Regardless of the type, it requires literate craftsmen. Moreover, the inconsistent size and strokes of movable type greatly affect its aesthetic appeal."

Xu Lai asked, "Is it possible to use lead type?"

Shen Kuo said, "Inspired by Bi Sheng, booksellers in Hangzhou not only tried lead type, but also movable copper type."

However, the printing results were extremely poor because neither lead nor copper holds ink.

Xu Lai thought for a moment, then continued to ask, "Is the ink used for printing books the same as the ink we use for writing?"

Shen Kuo was truly a walking encyclopedia, able to answer any question. He explained, "The ink used for printing must be mixed with glue and wine, and aged for three or four years before it can be used."

"So, the ink used for printing books is still considered watercolor ink?" Xu Lai confirmed.

Shen Kuo corrected him, saying, "It's soot ink, not water ink."

It's actually just ink made from tobacco ash (charcoal black)!

Xu Lai, as a modern person, although he did not know how to make ink, knew that printing used ink.

As the name suggests, it involves mixing in oil.

Only ink made by mixing with oil can be effectively used in metal type printing.

Many oils can be used to make ink. For example, during the European Renaissance, the ink used in movable type printing, which was popular in Europe, contained linseed oil.

Xu Lai said, "Water can be wiped clean easily. Oil, however, is extremely difficult to wash off. If oil were mixed with tobacco ash, wouldn't the resulting ink be more likely to adhere to lead type?"

Shen Kuo had lost all interest in the lanterns and fireworks, completely absorbed in Xu Lai's description. After thinking for a long time, he shook his head and said, "Daydreaming is useless; we can give it a try."

Xu Lai continued, "Clay type is easily damaged, wooden type is easily deformed, and copper type is too expensive. I think lead type is the most suitable."

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Shen Kuo said, "Lead is too soft and needs to be mixed with other materials. The best lead alloy is easy to smelt and produce, and is also strong and wear-resistant. But it cannot be too hard, so that it is easy for craftsmen to carve characters."

Xu Lai laughed and said, "You are in charge of developing lead type and ink, and I will be in charge of standardizing the font."

"The Ordnance Bureau was only officially established two months ago, and I am currently extremely busy with official duties," Shen Kuo said.

The military-related functions of the Bureau of Armor and Weapons had been separated from the Three Departments, and the imperial court established the Bureau of Armor and Weapons to replace it. Shen Kuo was the first person in charge of the Bureau of Armor and Weapons.

Xu Lai said, "Two months is enough time for you to set up the framework. Besides, with the foundation of the armory, and the Ordnance Bureau not starting from scratch, you only need to make adjustments. You don't need to handle the movable type and oil yourself. Just give the general ideas and let the craftsmen experiment."

Developing lead alloys and inks is indeed a good fit for the Ordnance Supervision Bureau.

The workshops under the Military Equipment Bureau in the capital city had more than ten departments, including gunpowder workshop, metalwork workshop, woodwork, kiln workshop, oil workshop, and large furnace workshop.

They even dabbled in petroleum; the main raw material for "fierce fire oil" was petroleum. The name "petroleum" was personally given by Shen Kuo when he was in charge of the Military Equipment Bureau.

"Alright," Shen Kuo agreed, then boasted in a low voice, "I'm continuing to improve the muskets, cannons, and the Divine Crossbow. I shortened the construction time of the Divine Crossbow by more than half in just two months, lowered its cost, and made it shoot farther than before!"

"Awesome."

"what?"

"It's nothing."

"I'm still working on the earthquake mines."

"What kind of thunder?"

"It's basically a clay pot, filled with gunpowder, lit, and exploded with a force that can shake the heavens and the earth. Hence the name 'earth-shaking mine.'"

I started making it when I was in Weizhou, back then it was stored in wooden barrels. Now I plan to change it to earthenware pots, and add iron filings and other materials. It can be used to defend fortified villages and cities.

Xu Lai looked at Shen Kuo with great satisfaction; this fellow was truly a national treasure.

Even at midnight, the lantern market was still bustling with activity.

But the two little ones couldn't hold on any longer and slept soundly in their parents' arms.

Xu Wei, the eldest son, was particularly excited while watching the lanterns due to his age. One second he was gesturing wildly, and the next he was fast asleep, as if a power button had been pressed.

Xu Lai said goodbye to his friends and strolled back home with his family, pondering movable type printing all the way.

First, we need to develop the Song typeface, as it is the most suitable font for printing.

Secondly, punctuation marks were added. Woodblock printing required readers to mark sentences themselves, while advanced editions used different font sizes to distinguish between the classic texts and commentaries.

To reduce the cost of movable type, Xu Lai didn't bother with too many font sizes, opting for a uniform font and size. Therefore, punctuation was necessary, but it didn't need to be overly complex; colons, commas, and periods were sufficient.

Third, in order to facilitate the production and typesetting of movable type, it is also necessary to know the frequency of use of different Chinese characters.

This could involve hiring a group of literate people, selecting books such as Confucian classics, Buddhist scriptures, Taoist scriptures, medical books, water conservancy, and law, and having them manually count the frequency of use of different Chinese characters.

All Chinese characters are divided into the following levels: commonly used characters, urgently needed characters, suitable characters, and rarely used characters.

The more frequently a Chinese character is used, the more movable type is produced. These are usually stored according to rhyme and grade. The more experienced the typesetter, the higher their efficiency.

Back home, Xu Lai went straight to his study.

He fetched paper and pen, and asked Chen Xiaoyi to grind the ink. He then said to Wang Hou, "Chudao, go and hire twenty literate people tomorrow."

"A scholar?" Wang Hou asked.

Xu Lai shook his head: "It's enough that you can read. Calculate how many times each character is used in the books in my study. In a few days, I'll go buy some other books. I might also have to send you to temples and monasteries to count the number of Buddhist and Taoist scriptures there."

Wang Hou was completely confused, not knowing what Xu Lai was trying to do.

Xu Lai smiled and asked, "Do you know about movable type printing?"

Wang Hou replied, "I overheard you and Mr. Shen discussing this matter while watching the lanterns today. However, I only understood a little of what you said."

Xu Lai explained, "Shen Cunzhong and I plan to improve movable type printing. If this method succeeds, the price of books may drop by half."

Wang Hou exclaimed in surprise, "If this is true, all scholars in the world will benefit! Children from commoner families who couldn't afford to study before will be able to study now. Scholars from ordinary families will no longer need to copy some classic texts; they can simply buy them with their own money."

Xu Lai laughed and said, "It's not just that. A set of woodblocks for Confucian classics, Buddhist classics, and Taoist classics can be used repeatedly for decades. But collections of literary works, especially those by unknown writers, may not have many buyers. If you carve a collection of literary works into woodblocks and print it once or twice, it's not very useful."

"If movable type printing is successfully improved, even if someone writes a bunch of doggerel, it can be printed into a book using movable type, and the cost will not be as high as that of woodblock printing. Once this method is successful, I wonder how many scholars will be willing to publish their own collections of writings at their own expense."

"In the past, poetry gatherings relied on hand-copying for their collections, but in the future, movable type printing will be used. Once this method is implemented, many poetry societies and lyric societies will likely emerge throughout the country."

"There are also various agricultural and river books, which used to be handwritten because they didn't sell much, and woodblock printing was too expensive. In the future, movable type printing can be used."

Imagining that scene, Wang Hou couldn't help but exclaim excitedly, "Education and culture will surely flourish as a result. It's truly a fortunate thing that students can participate!"

Young people like to do big things. They'd be willing to pay anyone, even if it meant losing money themselves.

Wang Hou was extremely excited at this moment because he was able to participate in this major cultural and educational event.

Xu Lai wrote down a method for statistical analysis of Chinese character frequencies and instructed Wang Hou to follow it. Wang Hou carefully put the document away, afraid of losing it.

Xu Lai recalled using Song typeface, randomly opening a book and copying it down.

"What kind of font is this?" Wang Hou asked curiously.

Xu Lai thought for a moment, then said shamelessly, "You may call it Xu Style if you wish. This typeface is specifically designed for printing."

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In fact, Song typeface offers more advantages for woodblock printing.

Its carving speed is far faster than any other font, and it can improve the yield rate of carved characters and extend the service life of the carving plate. The horizontal strokes of Song typeface are very thin, carved along the wood grain. The vertical strokes are perpendicular to the wood grain, so the strokes are thicker to prevent cracking at the carving point.

If the Song typeface had been invented, the cost of woodblock printing could have been reduced.

Of course, this typeface also has many advantages for metal movable type printing.

In Xu Lai's vision, the initial lead movable type required engraving. After overcoming various difficulties, lead movable type could be mass-produced directly, and the type molds could be reused repeatedly, greatly reducing the manufacturing cost of metal movable type.

Wang Hou watched Xu Lai write for a while, but soon lost interest because Song typeface lacked calligraphic beauty.

"You should go and rest first," Xu said.

Wang Hou and Chen Xiaoyi took their leave together, closing the study door behind them.

Xu Lai wrote for a while, then took out another piece of paper, protectively copied a poem, and went to the bathroom to shower and think.

He wanted to start a magazine to spread his ideas.

Articles in this magazine cannot be too explicit. Even if one opposes the new law, one cannot discuss it directly, and especially cannot fabricate stories.

We need to be more tactful and seek the truth.

To facilitate dissemination, it would be best to publish other kinds of things, such as poems, opera scripts, short stories, etc.

However, it cannot be completely popularized or vulgarized, after all, this is essentially a political magazine. It can discuss Confucian classics and attract more scholars and intellectuals to contribute articles for debate.

Xu Lai's essays from his student days, "A Preliminary Discussion of the Analects" and "A Preliminary Discussion of Mencius," could be excerpted and turned into academic articles. He would also acknowledge his own limited knowledge and invite Confucian scholars from across the land to contribute and discuss them.

In an era when even dry and boring official gazettes were being copied for a fee, Xu Lai's magazine was bound to become a huge hit.

Moreover, due to the imperfect postal system, it could trigger a nationwide scramble among readers.

For example, if a scholar in a remote county obtains an outdated magazine, hundreds of people will likely come to copy it.

Or perhaps a large group of scholars would be arguing about a particular article in a magazine. If there were people engaging in a war of words within the magazine, it would be even more interesting, as the scholars would certainly be divided into two factions, each supporting a particular author.

In just two or three years, Xu Lai's reputation in the literati will soar to the heavens.

What should we name the magazine?

While Xu Lai was taking a bath, he settled on a few names, got dressed, returned to his study, picked up the poem whose ink had dried, and went to Pianpian's room.

Pianpian was already asleep. She thought that Xu Lai hadn't arrived yet because he had gone to Yu'er or Dingxiang's place.

Pianpian was only awakened when Xu came to light the oil lamp.

"You scared me! I thought a thief had come," Pianpian said with a laugh. She was quite happy; she had been in a good mood watching the lanterns today, and Xu Lai's presence in her room to sleep made her even happier.

Xu Lai handed over the lyrics: "I just wrote them."

Pianpian sat up, curiously taking the book to read: "From 'Green Jade Table - Lantern Festival': The east wind releases a thousand trees of flowers at night—"

After reading it several times, Pianpian felt a little jealous: "Which woman did my husband encounter, laughing and whispering sweet nothings in the lantern market? Why did you search for her a thousand times in the crowd—"

Xu Lai blurted out, "It must be my Pianpian. I was chatting with Su Zizhan and looking for you everywhere. You called me to watch the fireworks, and I turned around abruptly and found you in the dim light. That's when this poem came to mind."

"I don't believe it. This poem is clearly about a man who meets a strange woman in the lantern market, falls in love at first sight, and searches everywhere for her." Pianpian's lips were already curled up, and she couldn't suppress it no matter what she did.

Xu Lai asked, "Then how can I prove it?"

She folded some paper and put it under her pillow, then turned her back to Xu Lai and pretended to be asleep.

Xu Lai burrowed into the covers and reached out to tickle her, making Pianpian laugh. After laughing, she asked, "Is it really written for me?"

"Who else could you write to besides you?" Xu Lai kept coaxing him.

She turned gracefully and pressed herself against him, her breath sweet as orchids, and said, "My lord, I want—"