Chapter 256 Four Types of Paper
If no one in Chang'an City would understand this joke and it would be inappropriate to say it, Qiao Yan would even want to say that this was a small step for her, Qiao Yan, but a big step for history.
Although traditional cement has been used in many places in Bingzhou before, this is the first time that it has appeared in the form of a road.
During the production process, various slags and gypsum powders are pressed into an extremely fine state, and combined with compliance during paving, the hardness of this road is enough to reach that of a standard cement road.
The results of these hassles of the process will not disappoint them.
As she stepped forward, it was clear that the road would not leave any traces.
The convoy of carriages and horses following closely behind her also followed.
From carriages to chariots to soldiers in heavy armor, nothing was left out.
These people walked with some trepidation at first, but when they realized that this road was indeed different from a dirt road in terms of strength and was no longer in the state where scratches would be easily left, they all walked out with their heads held high.
Even though they knew that this was just an acceptance inspection for the road and that those watching were all their own people, it did not stop them from expressing this attitude.
Even the emperor hasn't taken this path yet!
They must be the first!
The horses driving the chariots and horseshoes accompanied her to the end of the road.
When Qiao Yan looked back, he saw that in addition to these neat queues, there were two rows of torches extending behind that were also in an orderly manner, almost bringing the southern gate of Chang'an City into the daylight under the reflection of the flames.
This long dragon of fire was also reflected in her eyes, clearly illuminating the sense of accomplishment within.
Even though she did not openly praise him, and only told the soldiers to withdraw and return to their respective teams, it did not prevent her subordinates who were also present from seeing her feelings at the moment -
The name of the city is Chang'an, and the road is also called Chang'an. This was the opening of her wine party.
This is also the surprise she wants to bring to the world!
In other words, this was the beginning of Chang'an showing its strength.
This campaign does not have to wait until the end of May to begin.
Because she wanted to let it ferment further under public opinion, she decided to hold the first show at——
tomorrow.
Yuan Yao had just stepped into the east gate of Chang'an and was planning to visit the Grand Marshal and ask him to lend them the famous doctor Hua Tuo to treat his father's leg problems as his father had said, when he heard a sudden sound of drums and music.
Because the drum music did not stop immediately after it started, Yuan Yao immediately recognized that this was the sound of the band belonging to the Grand Herald welcoming guests.
There are very few people who need to be welcomed by such drum music.
Even if the current general Liu Yan came to Chang'an, it seemed that there was no need to make such a fuss.
When was the last time you heard a sound like this?
It seems that Emperor Xiaoling was selecting the Du Liao General in the western suburbs camp and reviewing the troops at the same time.
If we go back further, then it’s all just rumors from others.
It is said that when envoys from the Qin (Roman) Empire came to pay homage to Emperor Huan of Han, they also put on such a display.
Although Yuan Yao came here with the purpose of seeking medical treatment for his father, when he heard the noise, he subconsciously ran in the direction of the sound.
After all, if he happened to encounter something special during his visit to Chang'an, he would have to see it with his own eyes so that he could report to his father after returning to Runan.
Fortunately, he reacted quickly enough. When he arrived at the south of the city, the people attracted by the noise had not yet formed a state of three layers inside and three layers outside the place where the sound came from.
And because this road starting from the South Gate runs across Chang'an from north to south, he was even able to find a seat in the first row.
When he found this place and stood still, he saw the ceremonial team still playing drums and music.
Extending towards him from the line of gorgeously dressed and trumpeted troops was a road that was completely different from anything he had seen before.
Yuan Yao had never seen what this road looked like when it was just being paved, so all he saw was the cement road after it was completely completed.
The road, which had solidified into a hard rock, was like a piece of monolithic stone that had been moved to this location. Although there was a horizontal crack every few sections, it was not difficult for Yuan Yao to see from the side that both sides of the crack were essentially still a whole.
It was a truly miraculous sight.
Who has ever seen such a road? At least he hadn't before.
Just such a "huge stone" was enough to make him feel that he had never seen anything like it before. But at this moment, he heard from a curious person who had also heard the news that the huge stone was still soft more than a month ago, and it was even possible for Qiao Yan, the initiator of this project, to leave the word "Chang'an" at the beginning of the road.
"Come to think of it, before this road was officially opened, the salaries of the guards stationed on both sides were extremely high." Someone muttered to the people around him.
As if afraid that someone would think he was lying, he quickly pointed to one of the guards who was maintaining order and said, "Look, that's my cousin. He was selected to join the army after the Grand Marshal marched into Guanzhong."
"Why can one receive a high monthly salary just for guarding the road?" someone asked immediately.
The man replied, "I heard that it is because after this road is thoroughly maintained, it can become as solid as a rock, but before that, it is easy to leave traces, so there is a previous decree. But can a decree protect people, but can it stop a bird falling from the sky or a wild dog running on the ground?"
"During this period, those who are in charge of the garrison have to keep an eye on everything running on the ground or flying in the sky, for fear that something will land from somewhere and ruin all their efforts."
"My cousin said that now it's all right. We don't have to be on guard against these things. He will go and get the dog that's always wandering around tomorrow..."
"Stew it?" someone interrupted.
"No way!" he replied, "Just grab its paw and pat it twice more on this road."
Yuan Yao couldn't help but laugh.
But he keenly heard that among the laughter around him, there was a voice mixed in with the laughter of those onlookers, which sounded more like a mocking laugh.
When he turned around, he saw a tall and strong man standing not far from him, with a look of disdain on his face.
What confirmed this point even more was that he heard the other party say in a cold voice after laughing: "How solid can a road be if you have to guard against even dogs running across it? I think this road is just a surface work. Brother, I'm afraid you are going to lose."
The old man beside him looked at him helplessly and replied, "Shuwei, isn't your patience enough for you to see it to the end?"
Yuan Yao didn't know Zhang Chang and Zhang Meng, but he had a hunch that their identities were unusual.
He wanted to go up and talk to someone, but at this moment he heard the sound of a gong, which attracted everyone's attention to the direction of the city gate, including him.
Before the lingering sound of the gong faded in the air, two young men came running towards the north, pulling a long scroll.
It was this new road that they were treading on.
On the long scroll that was unfolded by Feng Zhongzhao, the word "Chang'an" was clearly reflected in everyone's eyes.
Although they knew that since they dared to walk on this road, it would naturally bear their weight, the moment they saw this scene, they still subconsciously held their breath, fearing that this modified imperial road would be pressed with two lines of footprints, just like Qiao Yan could write words on the road with an iron rod.
But when the two young men in cotton clothes carried the scroll from one end of the cement road to the other, the onlookers clearly saw that this road, which once needed to be strictly guarded, was no longer a road that could be easily marked, but still maintained the scene they had seen before.
What they should pay attention to is not just the feet of the two young men, but also the scrolls in their hands.
That piece of paper...
Anyone who has come into contact with mulberry paper and the hemp paper that was introduced a few years ago can easily see that although this paper does not look as tough as parchment, it is much smoother than hemp paper and looks like a completely different type of paper.
The effect of ink retention on the paper is quite good in the eyes of Zhang Chang, a famous calligrapher.
He intuitively felt that the appearance of this special paper at this time was definitely not an ordinary signal.
Just as these two people disappeared from their sight, two more people ran past, holding a scroll with the word "Jian'an" written on it.
This time, the paper they held in their hands was mulberry paper.
The third round of papers almost made Zhang Chang take a step forward, just wanting to see it more clearly, but unfortunately he was stopped by the guards along the way.
Fortunately, the two people who appeared this time were not holding the scroll at the same time. Instead, they each held a paper scroll, which they displayed to both sides while unfolding. Their movement speed was also much slower than the previous two groups.
When the two men walked in front of Zhang Chang, he saw that this was another kind of paper.
The picture of Chang'an City was sketched on the paper, and the words "Guanzhong Dingding" were written in the blank space.
What attracted Zhang Chang was not the calligraphy and painting on it, but this new type of paper, which was slightly whiter in color than the previous two types of paper, as if this was only its most insignificant advantage.
He was proficient in calligraphy and painting, so he could naturally see that the paper in front of him could absorb ink much better than the previous two. It was simply made for calligraphy and painting.
If Zhang Chang hadn't known that the current situation was inappropriate, he would have wanted to snatch the paper and ask about its origin.
This is truly good news for these famous calligraphers and painters.
Who can resist such temptation? At least he can't.
And when the two people in the fourth round appeared, Zhang Chang couldn't help but widen his eyes.
This paper is not only white, but also has a strange lustrous sheen, and is much smoother than the previous three.
The ink marks left on it are in no way inferior to the former, and even appear to be flowing smoothly.
The four words "Changle Chang'an" written on the paper were written by his brother Zhang Zhi!
But Zhang Chang had never heard his brother mention such paper in the letters he sent him before.
Then it is very likely that it appeared recently.
That’s right, once this kind of paper comes out, it will surely become famous.
Zhang Chang was almost fascinated as he watched the white papers disappear into the distance. He couldn't help but feel a little regretful that those people didn't introduce the papers to him, and there was no one in the crowd who could discuss the matter with him.
On a pavilion not far from here, Ren Hong watched this scene and asked Cai Zhaoji who was also there: "Your Excellency said that these four kinds of paper are bamboo paper, paper mulberry paper, Chinese sandalwood paper and mulberry paper. If you were asked to choose, which one do you prefer?"
If Ren Hong were to choose, she would definitely like mulberry paper the most.
The fact that Qiao Yan placed it in the final position to maintain order was enough to prove its aesthetic status.
A layer of special substance on the mulberry bark will enter the paper during the papermaking process, so that although the operation in the papermaking process is complicated, the produced paper undoubtedly retains its tough and smooth characteristics. According to Qiao Yan, it can also greatly extend the storage time.
The saying that paper can last for a thousand years has extraordinary appeal to Lingtai, which is used to record astrology, climate and history.
It’s a pity that the cost is really expensive.
But what Ren Hong didn't expect was that the answer he got from Cai Zhaoji was: "Bamboo paper."
Seeing Ren Hong's surprise, Cai Zhaoji explained: "The quality of the first batch of bamboo paper is still rough. As you said, even if it is further improved in technology, it is difficult to compete with Qingtan paper or mulberry paper. In terms of quality alone, among the four types of paper, it can only be ranked last, so it is put first in the exhibition, but what does it matter?"
"Although only one round was produced, its low cost can be seen in the production process. This is a kind of paper that is more likely to be mass-produced than mulberry paper."
Cai Zhaoji did not forget the dissuasive signal sent by Qiao Yan when she associated coin minting with printing.
The road needs to be walked step by step, and the meal needs to be eaten bite by bite. Is the current reduction in paper costs a signal of this?
At least this will allow students of Leping Academy to have more paper available, and will also allow the number of Leping Monthly Newsletters to be further increased.
These are all benefits that can be seen immediately.
This alone is enough to make Cai Zhaoji make a choice.
"I heard that you intend to reduce the use of paper mulberry trees and switch to bamboo paper. As for the high-end paper sought by aristocratic families and famous calligraphers and painters, you can use qingtan paper and mulberry paper instead. These two categories are enough."
Cai Zhaoji looked at the four pieces of paper posted at the end of the cement road and smiled slightly: "The writings of historians must last forever, but I just want more people to know what we are recording."
Fortunately, they now have an additional helper.
Looking at the crowds of people watching below, the emergence of bamboo paper becomes even more precious.
Zhang Chang felt that no one could talk to him about the ink retention effects of these types of paper, but Cai Zhaoji felt that not many people could recognize the four occurrences of the text below.
It was precisely because of this that when the sound of a gong was heard from below, signaling the start of the next stage, the people who had come to watch the excitement turned their gazes directly back towards the direction of the South City Gate.
There are still a few who have not yet recovered from those four pieces of paper.
However, this new scene does indeed better fit the definition of "lively".
Just like the test of the pressure resistance of the cement road last night, what is driving onto the road now are tanks.
For ordinary people, they will hardly ever see this thing. If they really see it, they will worry whether a disaster is about to happen.
But this time it's different.
These chariots only exist as a ceremonial guard.
In order to show that the chariot was loaded heavily, the soldiers standing on it all held spears and wore heavy armor.
There was only one exception, Dian Wei, who was standing at the front and holding the Yamen commander's flag.
Of course, in such an occasion, the word on the general’s flag could not be "Qiao", but "Han".
But when the chariots led by Dian Wei passed through this new Chang'an Road, no one would forget that this was a team belonging to the Marquis of Leping.
The armor, flags, chariots, and even the people on the chariots were heavy. When the horseshoes on the horses' feet stepped on the ground, the sound seemed particularly heavy.
Even so, when such a column of chariots disappeared from one end of the road to the other, no trace was left on the road.
Everyone's eyes fell to the ground as they saw this scene, fearing that such a mistake had occurred because they did not look carefully enough.
But no means no.
The cement road would not show any signs of being unable to withstand such conditions.
While paying attention to the situation on the ground, both Yuan Yao, who had just arrived in Chang'an, and Yuan Xi, who was waiting to complete the connection with Tian Feng, saw the special device on the horse's hoof.
They suddenly realized that this was not a simple existence either.
The mountains and rivers that separated the territory controlled by Qiao Yan from other places, as well as the power of heavy crossbows such as the Jue Zhang Crossbow, made many people ignore her cavalry equipment.
But in fact, the horseshoe, like this cement road, has epoch-making significance.
However, in the situation where Qiao Yan has both Liangzhou and Bingzhou under his control, which has greatly restricted the sources of war horses from other places, her opponent should probably be more worried about whether he will cause her any trouble if he learns this thing than she is about whether her opponent will cause her any trouble.
They were worried that when she marched east or south with such a configuration, it would become their nightmare!
At this moment, this is what Yuan Xi thought.
It seems that they are lagging behind in more than just per-acre yield and weapons like bows and crossbows!
What shocked Yuan Xi even more was the heavily armored soldiers who then walked onto the cement road.
Their footsteps were so uniform that it gave the illusion that the earth was shaking, even more so than when chariots were passing by.
The cavalry following behind the heavily armored infantry were none other than the Dayuan BMW team transferred back from Bingzhou.
Even though Yuan Xi didn't know that in two years, the second generation of famous horses born from these Dayuan BMWs and Bingzhou and Liangzhou BMWs would be put into use on the battlefield, and could even be used by those generals guarding remote areas. He also clearly realized at this time -
Here, Chang'an and Jian'an are probably not just a hope.
It's also a declaration of war against all enemies!
Including his father!
He thought to himself that he must send a letter back to Yecheng to inform his father as soon as possible, along with his judgment of Tian Feng's friend or foe. Otherwise, I'm afraid a disaster is about to happen...
Even as he was thinking about this, the people walking on the cement road had changed again.
But this time it was not a well-organized army, but just one person.
A man holding a knife in his hand.
With Yuan Xi's keen eyesight, it was not difficult to judge that the knife in the opponent's hand was indeed a good knife that could cut iron like mud. There was no problem except that the blade was slightly thin. However, this might also be a sign of a famous knife.
In the silence of the crowd due to confusion, the man asked loudly: "Who is willing to come forward and take this knife to cut this road?"
Cut the road with a knife?
The crowd, who had not yet recovered from the sight of the soldiers passing through the border, looked at each other in confusion, not knowing the purpose of this.
Although they all knew that this might be a good opportunity for them to appear in front of people. But this new road paved with special materials was once an imperial road after all. What should we do if something happens to it?
He didn't know if it was Zhang Meng's illusion, but he felt that while the people around him were hesitating, the man holding the long knife intentionally or unintentionally cast his gaze on his face, and even showed a hint of provocation.
When I thought of the bet I had made with my brother, when I thought of his previous mockery of this road, and when I thought of his stupid look as he stared at the road for a long time without coming back to his senses—
Zhang Meng suddenly jumped out of the crowd and shouted, "Let me try!"
If he could leave a mark on this road with his knife, he would always have a reason to save face!
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