Chapter 101 As long as there is a thirst for knowledge, the nation will…
Yan Jidao said, "It should be..."
Fan Chunren: "Perhaps..."
Fusu: "Is everything alright?"
Others: Hey, why do you seem more confident than those two sons of men?
But then I thought, he's the son of a high-ranking official who achieved the highest honors in three imperial examinations, and he handled the cotton promotion so well before. Perhaps he has his own way of navigating the officialdom? It's not surprising that I'm so certain.
So only one last question remains—
Is it possible for the Song Dynasty to keep up with the technology of printing a new newspaper every seven days?
"I can keep up."
This is the consensus reached by Fan Chunren and Zhang Zai.
Fan Chunren had spent a considerable amount of time at the Imperial Academy and was familiar with the productivity of the academy's printing press. Zhang Zai had just finished compiling and publishing his "Collection of Snowflakes" nationwide, and in the process, he had inevitably interacted with the printing craftsmen. Since they all nodded in approval, there was naturally no problem.
"But if it were published more frequently, every four or three days, the engraving artisans would not be able to keep up."
Fusu astutely grasped the key words.
"Engraving?"
"Yes, is there a problem?"
"No, I must have misheard." What he was actually surprised that movable type printing had not yet been widely adopted, even though it was invented at the same time as "Dream Pool Essays."
Upon further reflection, Fusu understood the crux of the matter. Using movable type for offset printing required that the craftsmen be literate. But how could literate people be content to remain merely printing craftsmen? However, once newspapers became widespread, this contradiction disappeared. In the era of universal literacy, everyone was guaranteed to be able to read.
He watched as Zeng Gong wrote the last word on the manuscript paper, then eagerly picked it up, shook it a few times in the air to speed up the drying process, and then tucked it into his pocket, impatiently writing the first issue.
Seeing that he was about to leave, Su Shi hurriedly reminded him, "Young Master Zhao, you promised us, you must write down those contents! I really want to know where the four corners of the Great Song Dynasty are."
The southernmost point of the Song Dynasty... seems to be Hainan, which happens to be the farthest place you were later exiled to. Is your curiosity a preparation for your future exile, a scouting trip in advance?
As soon as this despicable and hellish thought crossed his mind, Fusu narrowed his eyes into slits and couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Pfft."
Su Shi asked suspiciously, "What are you laughing at?"
Was what he said funny?
Fusu hurriedly replied, "It's nothing, I know, I know!"
He was indeed prepared to write something. His friends' reactions were simply an extra layer of encouragement and reassurance. Several hundred years before his second life, a technological explosion occurred during the same period as the Qing Dynasty. But regrettably, China missed out on this wave of development.
The enlightened people of that time were not incapable of seeing the world clearly. However, the foundation of technology lies in the knowledge of natural science, which was traditionally considered unorthodox or unorthodox. To incorporate it into the imperial examinations and make it a prominent field of study? The scholars who made their living from the Four Books and Five Classics would be the first to disagree.
In their eyes, those who could learn natural sciences and physics were merely top-ranking officials and their descendants. The imperial examination reform was a grave challenge to educational fairness. As a result, the forces of technological revolution in the Qing Dynasty remained like a trickle, never flowing into the vast ocean of the people. They essentially missed out on the nation's destiny and the opportune moment.
Therefore, he insisted on writing a column in the newspaper to popularize knowledge of natural physics and chemistry. He wanted to lay a good foundation for the people first, and then gradually work on it later, making it a prominent field of study by focusing on the categories of the imperial examinations. Perhaps then, he could enter the era of the great explosion of natural sciences earlier than Europe?
Fusu returned home with great determination—his home in the palace, of course, not his dormitory at the Imperial Academy.
After laying out white paper and preparing ink on the desk, Fusu pondered for a moment, then picked up his pen and wrote—
My Views on the Legends of Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi
After finishing his writing, Fusu immediately shook his head: the viewpoint wasn't written in the title, it wasn't quick and engaging enough, so he passed it off immediately.
Refuting the Fallacies of Unofficial Histories and Rectifying the Name of Marquis Wu
It's too flowery; the people of Bianjing certainly won't like it. And those familiar with the whole story of cotton promotion, knowing he was the author, will definitely laugh at him for staging a charade. He doesn't want to leave a dark mark on his record. Crossed out!
Where are the flaws in "Zhuge Liang's Ingenious Plan to Defeat Sima Yi"? You'll understand after reading these three points.
Hmm, which marketing account is here?
Fusu frowned as he looked at the headline, and had to admit that the marketing-style title was indeed well-tested—even he wanted to find out more after reading it. Moreover, it didn't directly deny the story's authenticity, but rather started from the facts, leaving room for thought and letting the readers judge for themselves whether it was true or false.
He pinched his nose, deliberately avoiding looking at the title, and continued writing at length: "First, anyone who farms regularly knows that cotton grows from the ground... Second, anyone who frequently throws objects from high places knows... Third, anyone who frequently reads the Romance of the Three Kingdoms knows..."
Soon, a popular science article debunking misinformation was completed.
Fusu pressed his advantage, adding the pronunciation, definition, and evolution of commonly used characters such as "snow," "flower," "bright," and "soldier" to the popular science literacy section.
In the poetry reading section, Fan Chunren's suggestion was adopted to include the complete version of "Qin Feng Qi Yue Wu Yi" (The Qin Feng Poem: How Can It Be Said There Are No Clothes).
The rest consist of Su Xun's "On the Six States" and a large number of other good articles, as well as the popular science section on the geography of the Song Dynasty.
The former had already been entrusted to Su Shi, as for the latter... Fusu used his mouth to breathe air into the sample, quickly drying it, and then he ran out of the study with it, rushing towards the Chuigong Hall.
Ordinary people might consult geographical records, but Fusu was different; he planned to use the official maps.
But as he approached the Chuigong Hall, Fusu suddenly became alert, his two fair ears perking up as he scanned his surroundings. Only after confirming that no ministers were nearby did he dare to emerge from under the eaves, pretending to have entered from outside the palace rather than the inner palace, before leisurely entering the Chuigong Hall.
However, when he stepped onto the steps, Fusu's ears were already bright red.
Bad news, I was just completely outsmarting thin air, it was so embarrassing!
Good news, the opponent in this battle of wits is thin air, so no matter how embarrassing it is, no one will notice.
Fusu whirled around again, his large eyes scanning every corner behind him. Yes, he was sure no one had noticed.
Inside the Chui Gong Hall, the Emperor was reviewing memorials. However, a closer look revealed that his gaze was unfocused, his writing was slow, and he seemed absent-minded, lost in thought. This was quite different from his usual diligent demeanor.
Only when the sound of footsteps rang out did a slight smile appear on his gentle and kind face.
"So you've finally come to see me? Have you decided what you'll be busy with from now on?"
Fusu: "Hmm..."
He pulled out a newspaper sample from his pocket: "I want to start a newspaper. Not the official gazette, but a newspaper that all the people of the Song Dynasty can read and enjoy."
Emperor Renzong immediately became interested: "Oh?"
In the Northern Song Dynasty, there were already popular primers for children to learn to read and write, such as the Thousand Character Classic, the Hundred Family Surnames, the Thousand Family Poems, and Elementary Learning. But a newspaper for ordinary people, not officials? This was the first time he had ever heard of such a thing.
From those few simple words, the Emperor sensed Fusu's immense ambition. He gave his son a deep look, then eagerly took the newspaper sample, turned to the first page, and was immediately struck by eye-catching marketing headlines.
Emperor Renzong: "..."
Okay, I understand why it's emphasized that it's for the general public.
He pressed his hand to his forehead, letting out muffled chuckles: "Su'er, you seem to know quite a bit about... well... common folk matters? Of course, I'm not saying you're bad at writing; after all, you passed the imperial examination with top honors in all three levels..."
Upon hearing this, Fusu was extremely frustrated: "Father, don't make things worse by explaining yourself!"
Then, in an evasive manner, he changed the subject: "I'd like to borrow the map. Where did you put it? The one with the sixteen prefectures."
Emperor Renzong's eyes were still glued to the newspaper when he casually remarked, "You probably can't reach the third drawer of the second cabinet from the right. Let Huang Duzhi get it for you."
Fusu stopped in his tracks, a sudden thought striking his mind.
The Emperor could pinpoint the exact location on the map with a single sentence. You see, the last time he sent people to find the map, they searched everywhere for a long time. Doesn't this mean that Father has been looking at the map more than once recently? And that he's been thinking about the recapture of the Sixteen Prefectures in every possible way?
Fusu knew perfectly well who was responsible for all of this.
He gripped the map tighter, sighed silently, and felt the burden on his shoulders grow heavier. He couldn't let the fire of hope be ignited only to be extinguished later.
It's important to understand that although Fusu was the mastermind behind everything, it was still the Emperor who sat on the throne. Everything that happened during his reign was part of the final judgment. In other words, the Emperor had staked his reputation, both before and after his death, on Fusu's authority.
"Ren" was originally an excellent posthumous title. However, he had sharply criticized Emperor Renzong in the Fengxian Hall, saying that he "only sought the empty reputation of peace and tranquility." It was precisely for this reason that the Emperor delegated power to him, allowing him to carry out sweeping reforms. If anything went wrong, and even Emperor Renzong's original posthumous title was lost, he would be letting his father down too much.
Meanwhile, Emperor Renzong had finished reading the entire document: "What is the meaning of leaving a blank article at the beginning and end?"
"The following is an article for Su Xun. As for the beginning, I'd like to ask Mr. Fu or my master, whoever has the time, to write a preface for me."
"Oh? Then why don't you come to me?"
Emperor Renzong asked a heart-wrenching question: "Do you think my literary talent is not good enough? Not as good as your teacher's or Prime Minister Fu's?"
Fusu: "...Of course not!"
He immediately denied it, and of course, he couldn't possibly say that he had simply forgotten about the option of having a father.
"I...I...I thought you were too busy to spare any time, so I..."
Emperor Renzong took in his son's guilty expression, a slight smile playing on his lips, but he didn't directly expose him: "I still have time to give Su'er a preface."
"Fan Zhongyan and Fu Bi were themselves brilliant writers, worthy of being passed down to posterity. But my writings may have to rely on this newspaper to be recorded in history."
Emperor Renzong, becoming increasingly interested, said, "Since that's the case, why not include the courtesy name as well? Su'er, have you decided on a name for this report?"
Logically speaking, since the newspaper was distributed in Bianjing, it would be reasonable to call it the "Bianjing Daily," or even a more prestigious name like the "Great Song Daily"—both sounding like a legitimate and impressive publication.
But after thinking for a long time, Fusu suddenly looked up and said, "I seek knowledge."
He said, "I want to call it 'Seeking Knowledge Newspaper'."
He hopes that all readers can gain knowledge from his work and cleanse their eyes of past ignorance. More importantly, as long as there is a thirst for knowledge, a nation will never fear a lack of progress.
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Author's note: On a side note, are there any of my readers who read spin-offs?
I recently had a sudden urge to start a pre-order for a two-dimensional romance novel, but the style is too different from my column (thinking).
By the way, please add "Nine Palaces" to your favorites, even if you're not interested! I'm definitely writing it this year; the outline is already done. But with only 40 favorites, I'll probably be starving once I start writing! [crying emoji] Help me… [crying emoji]
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