Increase the efficiency of transcribing laws and decrees by more than ten times!
When Zhao Tuo said these words, even the First Emperor, who had always believed in him, couldn't help but twitch his eyelids.
Other ministers and ministers were even more stunned.
Increase efficiency more than ten times?
Mr. Zhao, is this too exaggerated?
The ministers were suspicious, but after what happened just now, no one was stupid enough to object on the spot. They just stared silently at this young man who was so composed in the palace.
After a brief moment of doubt, the First Emperor's eyes were full of expectation.
He believed in Zhao Tuo.
This son-in-law has brought him so many incredible things.
He nodded and said: "Since the young master said that there is such a good thing, he can take it and show it to all the ministers."
After a while, the attendant took the object Zhao Tuo mentioned from the palace gate, which was a wooden board covered with words and specially prepared ink.
"Your Majesty, gentlemen, please take a look, this is something that can improve the efficiency of copying."
Zhao Tuo looked blank. After asking the emperor for instructions, he ordered someone to bring a table of ink and place it in the middle, and put the wooden board, ink and supporting tools on it for everyone to watch the process.
"Isn't this just a wooden board for carving on? You don't even have a pen, how can you copy it?"
Among the generals, Qiang Yu looked confused.
He was not targeting Zhao Tuo, but he was confused. With Qiang Yu's wisdom and attainments in writing, it was difficult to connect the things in front of him with improving the efficiency of copying administration.
Zhao Tuo fixed the withered plate and replied: "Qiang You doesn't need to worry, there is no need for a pen on this matter."
"No need for a pen? How can this improve copying efficiency?"
Qiangxu's eyes were wide open, a little unbelievable.
Apart from him, Li Si, Wang Wan, Wei Zhuang and other ministers were thoughtful.
Even the First Emperor on the imperial couch raised his eyebrows slightly, as if he had guessed something.
With the appearance of this engraving board, coupled with the matching ink and paper, the idea has come out.
"General Qiang, just look at it."
Zhao Tuo raised his head and smiled at Qiang Yu.
General Qiang has a pure mind, and he is a wonderful person to support. Without him, the atmosphere would be much duller.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Zhao Tuo first fixed the carved plate with inscriptions, and then brushed water on the plate twice. After the plate absorbed water and became moist, he took a special round brush and dipped it in ink, and applied it evenly on the plate.
.
Because he had done experiments before, Zhao Tuo was considered familiar with it. The amount of ink he applied on the withered plate was moderate, and there were no accidents such as ink accumulation.
Zhao Tuo raised his head and spoke loudly to the First Emperor and the ministers.
"Your Majesty, please take a look, now it's time to witness the usefulness of this thing!"
All the ministers and generals in the palace stared with bated breath. Even though many clever people had vaguely guessed the use of this object, they still stretched their necks, hoping to see that magical scene.
Even the always calm First Emperor couldn't help but stand up, staring closely at the ink-soaked withered tablets in the palace and the paper in Zhao Tuo's hand.
Zhao Tuo spread the paper on the wooden board, then took a brush and lightly brushed the back of the paper.
As the brush in his hand moved, shaped words appeared on the yellowed paper.
In just a few seconds, the entire paper was filled with words.
Zhao Tuo took off the paper and held it up to show it to the First Emperor and the ministers.
"Your Majesty, there are more than fifty words of laws engraved on this wooden board. You only need to use paper and ink on it. It can be printed on the paper in an instant without any typos or errors. Isn't this method like this?
Is it faster than having someone copy it with a pen?"
"This is what I want to dedicate to His Majesty and the Qin Dynasty. This thing is called a printing plate, and this technique is called printing. Using printing technology with paper is enough to make every decree of Your Majesty spread throughout the world without changing a word.
!”
In Zhao Tuo's clear voice.
All the ministers in the palace were already in a state of shock.
They saw that the piece of paper in Shaofu Zhao's hand was printed with neat characters, and the content on it was exactly one of the Qin Codes.
"There are really words."
Qiang Su's mouth was wide enough to fit an egg into it.
Wang Wan stared at the paper in Zhao Tuo's hand that was filled with words.
Li Si kept swallowing his saliva. He had already spoken highly of Zhao Tuo's papermaking skills, but he never expected that this boy could come up with something even more amazing.
Typography!
This is something that has never appeared in this world. It is a technology that people who have used bamboo slips for nearly a thousand years can hardly imagine.
"What a beautiful plate, what a good printing. I am very happy about the printing skills presented by Mr. Zhao."
The First Emperor was very happy. With his knowledge, he could naturally see what kind of effect this printing technique would have when combined with the cheaper bark paper.
After being happy, the First Emperor's eyes fell on Wang Wan and he spoke slightly coldly.
"Prime Minister Zuo, how do you feel about the paper and printing techniques made by Shaofu Zhao?"
Feeling the coldness in the emperor's words and the joking gazes of the ministers in the palace, Wang Wan's scalp was already numb.
He lowered his head and said: "Shaofu Zhao has already created a way to deal with the defects of paper that I thought before. With this paper and the convenience of printing, it is enough to replace slips. Bark paper and printing are really the art of strengthening a country."
That’s it.”
As he said this, Wang Wan slightly cupped his hands in the direction of Zhao Tuo, expressing his attitude.
Zhao Tuo returned the courtesy. Wang Wan was not a particularly pedantic person and now knew how to show his kindness to him.
It's just a pity that it's too late.
With the advent of bark paper and engraving printing technology, coupled with the magical effect of orpiment, what Wang Wan said before became a joke. Coupled with Zhao Tuo's previous hint, the first emperor must have had a thorn in his heart.
.
The future of this Prime Minister Zuo is probably gloomy.
The meeting has come to an end.
The First Emperor began his final summary.
"I want to unify the writing system in the world. This papermaking and printing are both great benefits, so I can put them to good use."
"I previously ordered Tingwei, Taishi Ling, and Zhongchefu Ling to imitate Zong Zhou's "Shi Zhou Pian" to organize more than 3,000 Qin seal characters, delete the complex ones and simplify them, so as to make a model of Qin characters."
"Now that we have the paper and printing technology donated by the Shaofu, after the model essays written by the three ministers are completed, we can use them to make engravings, print them on paper, and distribute them to the thirty-six counties, so that all county officials and schoolchildren can practice them. Of!"
After listening to the order given by the First Emperor, Zhao Tuo felt satisfied.
Block printing was born nearly a thousand years in advance, and bark papermaking technology was developed three hundred years in advance. These two things will definitely play an important role in the process of unifying the Qin State's books with written characters. At the same time, they will also greatly improve the entire Qin State's bureaucratic administration. System efficiency.
On the other hand, when paper becomes popular, it will also be conducive to the dissemination of classic literature, and it will certainly have a great effect on the promotion of cultural education.
"Those Confucian scholars have become conservatives who oppose new things. I wonder how they will react after knowing the role of the combination of block printing and paper?"
Thinking of this, Zhao Tuo showed a joking smile on his face.
…
Doctoral Palace.
When news of what happened in the court reached here, the entire academy was in an uproar.
“Typos can be corrected with orpiment, it’s no longer a problem!”
“Bark paper making, compared to hemp paper, has lowered the price of paper, and now it is far lower than that of bamboo slips!”
"The combination of block printing and paper is far better than manual copying. If it is used on classics..."
The eyes of many doctors were red, especially Dr. Zhuzi who had a good impression of paper before. Some even raised their arms and shouted: "We should go visit Mr. Zhao."
"Go together, go together!"
In the call, many Confucian scholars and doctors even joined in.
In the corner of the academy, Chunyu Yue and Qi Bibi looked ugly.
Chunyu Yue whispered: "I didn't expect that Zhao Tuo could really solve the defects of the paper, but I underestimated him. Now that Prime Minister Zuo refuses our visit, and Zhao Tuo prepared things in advance before the court meeting, I'm afraid there is something wrong among us." A traitor!"
Qi Bibi gave a wry smile and looked at the group of doctors who were going out, especially the doctor standing at the front.
He shook his head and said: "After what happened, I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to stay in this doctoral school any longer, so we might as well resign as doctors and go back."
"Going back?"
Chunyu Yue's face was ashen.
At the same time, in the corner of the academy, a young man wearing a Confucian crown was watching them coldly.