With Cao Mengde's meticulous planning and preparation, the first issue of the Great Wei Royal Daily was quickly published. As sales began in Kaifeng, when people learned that they could buy a newspaper for just one cent, the news quickly spread among the public, and they flocked to the newspaper vendors to buy it first.
After all, a piece of white paper costs more than a penny, let alone such a large piece of newspaper with printed words. Many people, even if they cannot read, will buy a piece and take it home, then show it to their children and let their children try to learn the words on the newspaper.
Many students who could read carefully read the newspaper and were deeply moved. The previously circulating news about His Majesty's impending educational reforms was clearly confirmed in the Royal Daily.
In the past, the people only heard a general idea, but now the newspapers explain the emperor's policies in detail in black and white, so that every citizen can understand them clearly. This transparency has greatly enhanced their trust in the court.
At this time, you can see many people in Kaifeng City holding newspapers in their hands, and many people are surrounding scholars and asking them to explain the contents of the newspapers to them.
Even more popular are teahouses, because there are usually scholars in teahouses, so many people come to the teahouse and pay for a cup of tea to the owner, then sit down and listen carefully to the storyteller explaining the contents of the newspaper, while they also learn from the words on the newspaper.
You know, learning knowledge is an extremely luxurious thing in this world. Ordinary people rarely have the opportunity to touch books. But now that newspapers are so cheap, those who are eager to learn are like a long-awaited rain. They have seized this rare opportunity and used various methods to study.
Teahouses were bustling with people, and the seeds of knowledge were quietly taking root among the people. The newspapers not only conveyed the new policies but also ignited the people's passion for knowledge, bringing Kaifeng an unprecedented cultural vitality.
After the court officials saw the news in the newspaper that Qin Hui was demoted to the position of prime minister, except for a few Wei court ministers who tried to guess the inside story, most Wei officials were not clear about the reason for Qin Hui's demotion.
However, since this newspaper was personally directed by His Majesty and printed and sold by the current Prime Minister Cao Mengde, they had to believe the authenticity of the newspaper. Moreover, no one in the Wei State dared to carry out false propaganda in the name of His Majesty in the imperial city of Kaifeng, so the officials believed the contents of the newspaper without a doubt.
As for the advertising space, Cao Mengde's promotion at the Royal Elegant Villa attracted the attention of numerous merchants. He then sold the space through auction. The first spot fetched a staggering one million taels of silver, enough to cover the printing costs of the Royal Daily and even some money left over. This was undoubtedly a huge success.
From any perspective, the Royal Daily of Wei caused a huge sensation in the Wei Kingdom. Many merchants even bought large quantities of newspapers and brought them to other cities to sell for profit, which further demonstrated the influence and commercial value of the Royal Daily.
At the same time, in the palace, after arranging the tasks, Chu Fan enjoyed himself in the palace with women such as Mu Xi, and did not show the diligence and responsibility that an emperor should have. This was in sharp contrast to the vigorous newspaper publishing outside.
When Chu Fan woke up the next day, he found himself hugging the woman tightly in his arms. Just as he was about to do something naughty, the system's notification sound suddenly broke the silence: "A new month has arrived. Host, would you like to sign in?"
Chu Fan didn't stop what he was doing because of the system's prompt. He quickly responded in his mind: "Sign in."
The system prompt sounded again, with a hint of joy in the voice: "Successful sign-in, reward: a complete set of steam locomotive technical drawings and operating manuals."
Chu Fan stopped what he was doing and began to carefully study the details of steam locomotive technology in his mind. The blueprints detailed the structure and working principles of the steam engine, even listing the method of laying the railway. The operating manual was also detailed and easy to understand.
However, Chu Fan frowned as he carefully read the manufacturing method, because he realized that rubber was an essential material for making a steam locomotive. However, he had never heard of the existence of such a material in Wei State, which made him fall into deep thought.
So he decided to call the Minister of Works Tang Hongwen into the palace and ask whether anyone in the Ministry of Works knew about the existence of rubber and whether the Ministry of Works could make a steam locomotive.
At noon, Chu Fan summoned Tang Hongwen to the palace. When Tang Hongwen saw the steam locomotive blueprint Chu Fan had produced, he examined it carefully. However, Tang Hongwen's expression gradually grew heavy. After a moment's contemplation, he slowly said to Chu Fan, "Your Majesty, regarding the steam locomotive on this blueprint, I'm not entirely sure whether the Ministry of Industry is capable of manufacturing it."
Tang Hongwen struggled to read the blueprints alone, let alone build such a massive machine. Although the blueprints' description of the steam locomotive had impressed him, the Ministry of Industry didn't dare to casually promise His Majesty that it could be built.
After hearing what Tang Hongwen said, Chu Fan frowned and said in a deep voice, "I believe that Minister Tang can also see that if Wei can manufacture a steam locomotive, it will bring about huge changes to Wei's economic development and military transportation."
As the Minister of Industry, Tang Hongwen naturally saw the enormous benefits of this. However, when it came to building a steam locomotive, a machine as tall as a house, Tang Hongwen truly lacked the confidence to actually produce it. He knew it wasn't just a technical issue, but also a challenge of materials and craftsmanship.
Chu Fan also noticed Tang Hongwen's hesitation and understood it. Even if Tang Hongwen was a skilled craftsman, he wouldn't be able to create such a complex machine without understanding the basic principles of steam power and the application of certain materials. However, if the steam locomotive could be successfully manufactured, the national strength of Wei would be greatly enhanced, and travel for the people would be more convenient. This would undoubtedly be a huge improvement.
Chu Fan said, "Lord Tang, you can take these drawings and technical data back to the Ministry of Industry. You can apply directly to the Royal Government Affairs Office for any materials you need. The Ministry of Industry can find trustworthy craftsmen to join us in discussing any problems we encounter. I only hope that the Ministry of Industry can manufacture this steam locomotive as soon as possible."
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