diymy Chapter 185 This item is related to the foundation of the nation; its benefits lie in autumn!
Chapter 185 This item is related to the foundation of the nation; its benefits lie in autumn!
You should know that even the finest silks!
You must be careful when you put pen to paper, otherwise the ink will bleed!
And this thing can make the ink so concentrated and clear?
Zhang Fan picked up the top card and held it high so that everyone could see it clearly.
"This substance, I call paper!"
"It's made from hemp, tree bark, rags, old fishing nets... all common and readily available materials!"
"The cost is far lower than that of bamboo slips or silk!"
"Its texture is light and thin; one pound of this paper can be written on more material than a hundred pounds of bamboo slips!"
"It is easy to write on, the ink is clear, it is easy to circulate, and it is convenient to store!"
With each word Zhang Fan spoke, the expressions of the officials grew more shocked.
After he finished speaking!
The entire Qilin Hall had fallen into a deathly silence.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at the "paper" in Zhang Fan's hand, their minds blank.
Low cost?
Lightweight and thin?
Is it easy to write?
These words combined together!
Everyone present knew perfectly well what it meant!
The "knowledge monopoly" that maintains class status will be completely shattered in front of this thin piece of paper!
If even the poorest people in Guizhou can afford writing materials!
That...that would be terrible!
"No...impossible!"
Chunyu Yue was the first to recover from the shock.
He pointed at Zhang Fan, his voice trembling.
"This must be your sorcery! An illusion!"
"How could such a divine object exist in this world!"
"witchcraft?"
Zhang Fan sneered and handed the paper in his hand to the eunuch beside him.
"Take this and let the gentlemen read it!"
"Let them touch it themselves and see for themselves whether it's sorcery or a real object!"
soon.
The stacks of hemp paper were distributed to each official.
The moment the paper touched my fingertips, all the doubts vanished.
They could clearly feel the texture of the paper.
I can smell that faint scent of grass and trees!
This is not an illusion; it is something that truly exists!
An official, his hands trembling, took a small calligraphy brush from his sleeve and tentatively wrote a single character on a piece of paper.
Ink falls, characters are formed.
The strokes are clear, the ink is rich, and there is no unnecessary sloppiness.
"Wow...that's awesome..."
The official stared at the words on the paper, his pen falling to the ground without him even noticing.
"A divine object! This is a divine object!"
"It's...it really is like that..."
"It's over..."
Exclamations of praise, gasps of horror, and cries of despair rose and fell among the officials.
Some of the senior officials held the paper, their hands trembling violently.
They went to great lengths to try and undermine the imperial examination system by monopolizing bamboo slips!
But who would have thought that Zhang Fan would flip the table so easily!
Cut off the fuel supply at the root!
How can we play like this?
Li Si held the hemp paper in his hands, first in shock, then his eyes burst with wild joy!
As the prime minister, he knew better than anyone the terrifying power contained behind this thin piece of paper!
With it, government orders can be transmitted to every corner of the empire more quickly!
With it, countless classic texts can be copied and disseminated in large quantities!
With it, the biggest obstacle to the imperial examination system will no longer exist!
On the high platform.
Ying Zheng had already stood up with a start!
He stepped down from the dragon throne, took a piece of paper from the eunuch's hand, and gently stroked the paper with his fingertips, feeling the unprecedented texture.
His eyes also burned with shock and fervor!
"Good...good paper!"
Ying Zheng continued speaking,
"Zhang Fan! You have once again rendered an unparalleled service to the Great Qin!"
He raised the paper high in his hand, looked around at the distraught officials below, and announced loudly:
"The qualifications for the imperial examinations are no longer a problem!"
Then, he turned his gaze back to Zhang Fan and asked in a deep voice:
"This item was produced by your Institute of Natural Sciences!"
"What do you think should be done?"
Everyone's heart was in their throat.
Zhang Fan stepped forward, bowed deeply to Ying Zheng, and spoke in a strong and resonant voice.
"Your Majesty! This item concerns the very foundation of the nation and will benefit future generations!"
"I believe that the art of papermaking should be firmly controlled by the imperial court and established as a state-run enterprise!"
"The paper produced under the supervision of the Imperial Household Department is used, with a small portion allocated to official decrees and documents for the court!"
"And the imperial examinations!"
"The rest can be openly priced and sold to the world!"
He paused, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
"In this way, not only were the expenses for the imperial examinations resolved!"
"The proceeds from their sale can continuously replenish the national treasury and increase fiscal revenue!"
"This is a method that kills two birds with one stone!"
After Zhang Fan finished speaking his last words, the Qilin Hall fell into dead silence once again.
But this time, the silence was more profound than ever before.
What did he... say?
Should it be established as a government-run enterprise?
The proceeds from the sale will fill the national treasury.
For a moment, all the officials' minds were in a whirl, completely unable to think!
They stared blankly at Zhang Fan, their eyes looking at him as if he were a monster who did not belong to this world.
crazy!
This Zhang Fan must be insane!
Shao Fu Zong Yu was deathly pale and his lips were trembling.
His mind went completely blank!
He knew better than anyone what a mountain of gold lay behind that thin piece of paper!
Replace bamboo slips!
What a huge market this is!
How many counties and prefectures across the land need clerks?
How many students need classical texts?
How many merchants need to keep accounts?
If this item were in the hands of any family...
No leaks!
In less than ten years, this family's wealth will be enough to easily surpass that of all the royal families of the previous six dynasties!
To become someone whose wealth rivals that of a nation on this land!
What wealth and power this is!
According to their way of thinking!
What Zhang Fan should do at this moment is kneel before His Majesty and request that the art of papermaking be bestowed upon him as a personal reward.
Even if it's a 30/70 or 20/80 split with His Majesty.
That's a fortune that could drive anyone crazy!
But he...
He didn't want a single penny!
He actually picked up this mountain of gold with his own hands and presented it to His Majesty and to the Great Qin!
Why?!
Why is that?
In the ranks of officials, countless faces changed from white to red, then from red to green, their expressions shifting.
They just can't understand it!
They can't understand!
What were they fighting for throughout their lives?
Isn't it all for the glory of the family and the wealth of future generations?
But this person in front of me casually tossed away a fortune that could benefit generations to come.
Li Si watched Zhang Fan's retreating figure, his mind filled with countless thoughts.
For the first time, he felt that he couldn't understand this person at all.
As a powerful minister who rose from the bottom, Li Si understood human greed better than anyone else.
But Zhang Fan seems to be the opposite of human nature!
Do not!
There's definitely something wrong!
Li Si suddenly woke up, a look of horror flashing in his eyes.
He wasn't unaware of greed; what he coveted was far greater than money and wealth!
What he wanted was His Majesty's absolute trust!
It holds an unshakeable position!