"Put it into the ash pond to ferment?" When the process was officially discussed, we must talk about the early part. The craftsmen could understand how to remove the skin of bamboo in advance, but they did not understand how to put the bamboo into the pond to ferment.

"Yes, add wood ash or lime into the pond, and then put the bamboo in it for fermentation. The time is as short as three or five days and half a month, and it can be as long as two or three months or even half a year..." Liu Tao nodded, "The ultimate goal is to soften the bamboo material and facilitate the removal of bamboo hemp."

"That is, after the filming is finished, just go through the step of soaking water and remove the cut and washed parts, right?" The craftsman probably understood. If this is the case, it would save some time.

"At this step, the rest are almost the same as your previous steps, nothing more than steaming, pounding, beating, and paper making..." Liu Tao nodded. Many of the papermaking techniques in later generations were improved based on Caihou paper.

After a pause, he continued, "I just hope that before steaming, I will choose some bamboo hemp that I take out, dry and bleach, or smoke sulfur, to see if the paper made in this way can be whiter."

He remembered that he had seen the making process of bamboo paper. If it was not bleached, the bamboo paper made would be yellow. It is said that writing is not a big problem, but he is used to white paper and will feel a little uncomfortable.

"That would take more time." The craftsman also expressed his concerns.

"It doesn't matter, just select some of them. The first thing you need to do is definitely a large number of papers that can be made quickly. As for papers with higher whiteness and quality, it's nothing to do with less, and the price will naturally be higher." Liu Tao replied.

"That's fine." The craftsman understood that the prices of wooden boxes and bamboo slips must be different, and it is natural that different paper prices are different.

"The last part is the paper medicine part..." Liu Tao took out two pieces of paper and drew several crops on it. "I know that the workshop originally had paper medicine. Here are several crops that can be used as paper medicine. You can try to configure new paper medicine."

"Do you want all of it?" The craftsman was a little surprised.

"Not necessarily, try it all. This is a long-term question. Let's see which one has the best effect." Liu Tao explained. After all, paper medicine is the secret of papermaking in later generations. The texture of paper is largely related to paper medicine.

Therefore, even though the production process of rice paper has been almost spread, the paper medicine will not leak out for a day, so it is not so easy for others to want the process of rice paper.

Not to mention, the raw materials required for rice paper are geographically restricted, and it is very difficult for others to imitate them. Even if Liu Tao already knows the craftsmanship, he will probably have no choice but to restore rice paper in this era.

"It only takes at least three months for paper made according to this method, and at least two to three months before it can be made..." The craftsman said carefully, saving the hemp and washing parts, this time is considered fast.

"There is an easier way..." Liu Tao thought for a while, "directly remove the steaming part, pound it directly into pulp, add paper medicine and make paper, press it dry and remove water, make a baking cage, burn it on top, and then put the paper on it and roast it..."

The drawings of the baking cage were also taken out, which was a bit similar to a wall building. It should be based on the principle of kang. It should be ignited inside and use the heat from the walls on both sides to dry the paper.

"That is, shorten the time for drying paper. This process can further shorten the time for making paper. For more than a month, no, a batch of paper can be made in one month!" The craftsman looked at the baking cage and was deeply impressed.

"We also need to dry paper, see which one is better on both sides. We also need low-end paper, and high-end ones. Our purpose is to make paper a daily necessity for daily life, rather than a special existence for literati and elegant people." Liu Tao reminded.

There were only a lot of literati in the Han Dynasty, and how many of them could afford paper among them? Perhaps there were some gentry and local tyrants who could use it, but the demand was not high, and the price was not as cheap as bamboo slips, which was also the key to restricting the development of paper.

Just like distilled liquor, the largest merchant in Zhuo County, can only be allowed to distillate if it is an ordinary wine merchant, the price of raw materials will be discouraged.

Especially for natural disasters and man-made disasters in the past two years, it is estimated that the grain price will be further increased, and the cost of brewing grain and wine must be further increased. Fortunately, the Zhang family has accepted his suggestion and tried to buy sorghum to try to make wine.

As for distilled liquor, sorghum, as a wine-based liquor, should be the best choice. Corn is also considered, but that thing is still in the Americas, and its yield is not as high as that of later generations...

"In the workshop, there is an area specially used to develop new products of paper and try to improve the quality of paper. With new achievements and there is no problem with the review and confirmation, I will give different rewards based on different values." Liu Tao did not forget the scientific research department.

Fortunately, it does not require much technical content, but requires constant trial and exploration, which means a bit of mechanized attempt.

"The boss means that as long as we have a better way to make the quality of paper better, we will be rewarded?" This is the first time that craftsmen have heard of this system.

"It's not just professionalism, how to keep the quality of paper unchanged, but the speed of papermaking is shortened, even if it's one to two days, there are rewards. The premise is that it's popular. Only a few people can do this, and it doesn't count." Liu Tao reminded.

He paused and continued, "In order to make you believe that I am not fooling you, I will save two thousand guan in the workshop later. After deducting one thousand guan as procurement cost and research cost, one thousand guan will be used up and deposited in after use."

Money can make ghosts push the grinding, and money can make ghosts push the grinding. Liu Tao promised that the craftsmen's minds suddenly became active.

Once the workshop is available, raw materials are also started to be purchased. So the rest will naturally be determined and the finances will be held in hand. According to the agreement, Liu Tao will be sent to supervise the finances, and Zhen and Bi Lan will send people to supervise.

When he arrived here, there was nothing to do at the workshop. Liu Tao did not plan to go back by carriage, but ordered Jian Yong to go back, arrange for people to take over the finances, and bring two thousand guans there at the same time.

I took my three brothers back and walked back. I had been to Luoyang for so long, but I really didn't even have a good time.

"Brother, those two thousand guans are already our last fund..." On the way, Lu Yan couldn't remind him. Although His Majesty also rewarded some property, after those distributions were distributed, there was not much left.

Just talking about the so-called ten thousand gold, of course, it is not ten thousand taels of gold, but ten thousand five zhu coins, or ten ten thousand coins.

"How could there be output without investment?... I didn't see it. Compared with the time when we first came to the workshop, the craftsmen and helpers in the workshop now have changed, one of them is like a different person." Liu Tao replied.

In the past, it was estimated that the royal supervisors used these craftsmen as slaves and toolmen...

"But the problem is that we don't have enough funds..." Lu Yan reminded that after all, wooden boxes bought by copying books also cost money, and the prices in Luoyang are relatively expensive.
Chapter completed!