Chapter 246: Benefiting the World
"Of course, I'm really happy that you trust me." Even though Concubine Fan was in extreme shock, she was very sure of this.
She just still couldn't believe it. How could Sang Luo know the art of papermaking?
Moreover, the papermaking technique was shown to her in a grand manner.
She looked at the paper in her hand and then at Sang Luo. Apart from that word of certainty, she really couldn't say anything. But it was undeniable that this feeling was really great. She felt happy and excited.
It is a blessing to meet a close friend.
She took the two pieces of paper and read them over and over again, suppressing the urge to ask someone to go to the front office to invite Zeng Sanlang back. "Do you want to present this prescription to His Majesty through my Sanlang?"
Sang Luo's intention was not difficult to guess, especially considering the questions she asked herself a few days ago. At the time, she just thought it was just idle chat, but now that she thought about it, Sang Luo should have noticed the problem of paper shortage in the court before, but she just couldn't speak out because the risk was too great.
Concubine Fan was born into a noble family. The more she understood the methods used by the noble families, the more she knew how difficult it was for Sang Luo to make this decision, and how much trust she had placed in her and her husband.
"Yes." Sang Luo's eyes softened with a smile when she heard Concubine Fan's affirmation. Chen Lie was right. She had actually chosen the couple Xin and Zeng, the governors, a long time ago.
Concubine Fan paced around the room with the prescription and flowchart in her hand, and then she stopped two steps away from Sang Luo and said, "Since you trust me, then listen to me. You can't give this thing openly, and you can't let anyone know that it has anything to do with you."
She looked at Sang Luo and said, "The imperial examination system, do you know how many people's interests are affected? At this critical moment, the Luo family and the Dou family have not invented paper, and I don't know how many people are happy to see it."
Among the noble families, there are those like her and Zeng Sanlang who share the same ideals as His Majesty, and there are also the old-fashioned ones who wish that the noble families would always be above the imperial power for thousands of years, and that is the mainstream. Emperors come and go, but the noble families remain. Dynasties often change, but the noble families always stand firm. Even the emperors have been replaced by the noble families. This has been the case for hundreds of years. Who would allow the imperial examination system, which can undermine the foundation of the noble families, to be smoothly implemented? If it weren't for His Majesty's great means and strong enough tactics, I'm afraid no one else would dare to mention this matter easily.
Sang Luo nodded: "I understand, so this recipe is not offered by me, but by you and Governor Zeng. You are the ones who will offer it."
When she said this, she thought of something and asked Concubine Fan, "Does this have any impact on you?"
Concubine Fan had not expected that she would do this, so she waved her hand and said, "No need to do that. I, Fan and Zeng, are not afraid of anything, but this thing is yours, and it is yours. How can we take such a great credit? If I really took it, I would not be worthy of your trust."
When she said this, she realized that they had been standing all this time. She patted her forehead, invited Sang Luo to sit down, and said, "I am very happy that you are willing to take the risk to help His Majesty. This shows your trust in us. Don't worry, I will discuss this matter with Sanlang in detail and take good care of you. I will definitely not let you take risks for this. There is only one thing, you can't let anyone know that this matter is related to you. There will be no open rewards or secret gifts for now, but His Majesty will not treat those who have made contributions unfairly. After the storm has passed, there will be a chance to compensate you in the future."
After thinking for a while, he said, "If there is anything you want, you can tell me. If His Majesty asks, Sanlang will fight for it for you when the time is right."
Sang Luo shook her head: "I don't need any reward. I first thought of this because buying paper outside is too expensive. I have scholars in my family, so I tried to figure it out myself. The things I made can't be said to be very good, but the court needs it, and I just happen to know how to make it."
Sang Luo knew in her heart that this recipe was at best a semi-finished, imperfect recipe, because she had tried to filter water by stacking several pieces of paper together, but failed.
She was not clear about this time and space. Seeing that the price of paper was so high, perhaps the craftsmanship was not very complete. But as far as her own time and space were concerned, the papermaking industry in the Song Dynasty should have been quite developed. Considering the popularity of the imperial examination at that time and the popularity of paper, Sang Luo did not believe that paper at that time would be made by drying one by one like this. There must be other ways, but she just hadn't figured it out.
"That's all?" Concubine Fan was really convinced and said, "You know that even if you don't take it out now, you can take it out after your husband or brother-in-law becomes successful. How much benefit can this thing bring to your Shen family? It can help a family rise up and benefit future generations for countless generations."
Sang Luo chuckled and nodded, "I know, but in my opinion, the country should be good first, then my family. Without a stable soil, like in the past few years, what's the use of my wealth? It's better to live a simple life in peace and prosperity. Besides, it's not simple life. The emperor has rewarded me with a lot of land and money. I can easily manage my life. My husband and uncle are also studying. I can still look forward to the future."
When she said this, she lowered her eyes and thought for a moment, then said, "If Lord Zeng can really speak, I do have an idea. If possible, I hope that with this recipe in the hands of His Majesty, the price of paper will be lower than in the hands of the noble families, so that at least more common people can afford to use paper and read books."
In fact, Sang Luo herself knew from having made paper according to this recipe that it was extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive. Even if the emperor made less money, not every commoner could afford to support a scholar. But if calculated based on the cost and even with the profit added, the price of paper could indeed be much lower than before. For a family like the Lu family, A Xu could afford it if he gritted his teeth.
As for more, Sang Luo did not ask for it. The emperor was currently in financial difficulties. If this prescription could ease the pressure on the person above a little, it would be a good deed for her.
Concubine Fan was really impressed by Sang Luo at this moment. She felt that she was an outlier among her sisters and that her heart was not in the rear house but in the outside world. However, Sang Luo saw things more clearly than her and was more willing to spend money. Perhaps it was because of her nature that she always focused on the common people.
Fan Fei Niang really liked Sang Luo. It was rare for her to meet a confidant. She smiled and said, "Okay, I will talk to Sanlang about it. If there is a chance, I will definitely tell him about it."
The matter was settled at this point. Sang Luo picked up the teacup to moisten her mouth. When she saw the water in the cup, she suddenly remembered something. She closed her eyes and put down the teacup: "I almost forgot. Do you have any writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone in your room?"
"Of course I do."
Even if the yamen was short of paper, Concubine Fan still had some with her. She didn't call the maid, but took it herself and watched Sang Luo add water and grind ink, and started to draw for her on the spot.
Sang Luo's painting skills cannot be considered good from the perspective of appreciation, but they are more practical. She is very skilled in painting and can finish a large picture and several small ones in just over a quarter of an hour.
"This is a water pestle. I have drawn a small picture of the details and the principle is written on it. The water pestle can use water power instead of manpower to complete the pounding process. It is used in papermaking and other places such as pounding rice and medicine. It can be used for anything that needs to be pounded."
In fact, there is also a water mill, but this thing is relatively much more complicated. Sang Luo had only seen pictures of it before, so she has no idea what it looks like. She can't draw it easily, so she won't mention it.
Fan Fei Niang had been watching Sang Luo when she was drawing, and now her eyes were glued to the drawing of the water mill, unable to move away. After she understood the operating principle, she felt the same emotion as Zeng Sanlang did for the second time.
"It's a pity that you are a woman."
Sang Luo smiled at Concubine Fan and said half jokingly and half seriously, "It's not such a pity. I met good officials and their wives like you and Governor Zeng who are kind and upright and care about the people. If I have anything I dare to bring out, it can also be heard by the emperor. It's not a pity if the people can use it."
As for becoming an official, Sang Luo didn't think about it. After thousands of years of feudalism, changing the status of men and women is not such a simple matter. Isn't it that even a lady like Concubine Fan, who comes from a noble family, dare not think about it?
The two talked for a while. Sang Luo reminded Concubine Fan that she could try to shorten the soaking time in the process. Three days, seven days, or ten days would be fine. She told her that she had soaked the paper for a long time because she didn't have a hidden and safe place to try it out. She said, "The most obvious difference between soaking time and soaking time is the color. You should have tried it before sending the stuff up there, right? His Majesty needs it urgently. If you just want to verify the recipe, it's fine as long as it can be made into paper. The color is not that important."
It was indeed an imperial examination. This kind of thing was no joke. Concubine Fan wrote down Sang Luo's words. When the discussion was almost over, she gave Sang Luo the recipe for plastering the wall she had mentioned before, and said, "This recipe at home will make the wall white and smooth. It's perfect for you to use when you build your new house."
Although they had only known each other for a short time and had not met often, they were both very generous. One of them even dared to hand over a recipe for papermaking and drew a water mill without hesitation. The other just copied a recipe from home. Sang Luo took the recipe, and the two looked at each other and laughed.
…
Chen Lie deliberately asked Chu Qichang about the movements of Chen Dashan and the others, and he dawdled for a while, so he found the perfect time to pick up Sang Luo.
As for Governor Zeng, it was not until he returned to the back court in the evening and Concubine Fan had dismissed the attendants that he realized how big a thing Sang Luo had done.
When he got the three blueprints, he stood up straight: "Where did you get them from?"
When he understood, he turned around the room in delight: "Lucky star, it's really a lucky star!"
Afraid that the noise would draw attention to Sang Luo, she endured it until the next day before leaving the city with Concubine Fan to inspect the spring ploughing. It was common for the governor's wife to dress up as an attendant and follow the governor to the county and the countryside, and no one thought much of it.
…
With the help of Chu Qichang, Shen Lie and Sang Luo bought a lot of blue bricks and tiles. As soon as the blue bricks were delivered back, everyone knew that the Shen family was going to start building a house.
But we have to build a house. The emperor has given us a memorial archway, and we have to offer imperial edicts. We can't have that thatched house.
Before Chen Lie and Sang Luo could even start looking for help, every family in the hundreds of people living in the mountains sent out one or two strong men to put down their work and go to Daxing Village to help.
At that time, people who built houses mostly relied on the help of neighbors. They did not have to pay workers, but they needed to be treated to good meals. Mrs. Chen knew that Sang Luo was pregnant, so she and Qin Fangniang took over the matter. Mrs. Lu, Mrs. Gan, Old Lady Xu, Wei Lingzhen, and even Feng Liuniang, who had just finished her confinement, all came.
The house was really big, but there were also a lot of people helping out, and the work started in Daxingzhuang in a bustling manner.
A few days later, the wide dirt road leading to Daxingzhuang at the intersection of the official road outside Shezhou City became bustling with banging and hammering early in the morning. Officials brought craftsmen to erect an imperial archway and imperial edict inscription for the Shen family in Daxingzhuang.
The inscription was made of large stones in the shape of an imperial edict. The contents of the imperial edict were reproduced exactly and placed at a specific location selected for the new house that was currently under construction at the Shen family. The craftsmen even had to build a pavilion to protect the inscription from wind and rain.
The memorial archway is erected outside Daxingzhuang, on the dirt road leading to Daxingzhuang next to the official road. From that location, whether at the Shezhou city gate or on the left or right official roads, the memorial archway can be seen from afar, and it is extremely eye-catching.
In an era without machinery, erecting a memorial archway, especially a large one bestowed by the emperor, was a huge project. However, there were so many people coming. The archway was well-made, and many people came to watch the fun, but they were not allowed to get close. The words on the archway were also covered with red silk. After half a morning of hard work, when the archway was completely erected, drums and music started playing. The officials in charge went to invite Sang Luo to come out. There was no telling how many people had gathered inside and outside the city to watch.
The residents and helpers of Daxingzhuang also came out in a rush. Sang Luo and Shen Ning were standing in the best position. After the firecrackers rang and the red silk was peeled off, Sang Luo raised her eyes and saw the four large and elegant characters written on the archway. Her pupils shrank when she saw clearly what was written on it, and her heart pounded in her chest, shaking against her eardrums.
Benefit all people.
It actually received such a high evaluation.
Shen Ning breathed rapidly, and his palms were sweating: "Sister-in-law, benefit all the people!"
Those who could read were stunned, while those who could not read asked anxiously, "What is written on it?"
A group of literate people answered excitedly: "Benefiting the people, it means benefiting the people!"
These are the teenage children of Daxing Village, and they are full of excitement and pride.
Wang Maolin looked at Daxing Manor, which originally belonged to his Wang family and was just a grain-producing farm in his hands. Now, the imperial memorial archway stood tall at the intersection leading to the farm. He said to Shopkeeper Xu beside him, "It will benefit all the people. The fortune of Daxing Manor will rise."
On the left and right official roads, on the left were the governor Zeng and his wife who had just returned from "going to the county and the countryside", and on the right was a newly arrived carriage. The curtain of the carriage was opened from the inside, and the people who stuck their heads out were Li Yu and Cen, who had returned from Kuaiji. The four of them looked up at the memorial archway almost at the same time on both sides of the road.
Li Yu: "Is there anyone with knowledge in the Shen family?"
Cen Nei Shi said: "That's right, the two brothers are wearing the uniforms of the provincial school students. If they can pass the provincial school examination and enter the capital, the Shen family will rise."
Holy favor.
Zeng Sanlang also looked up at the memorial archway, and thinking of the thing he had just made today, he smiled and said, "It is a blessing to all people, it is true."
The couple smiled at each other and did not step forward to greet Sang Luo. The two groups of people on the left and right official roads were heading towards Shezhou City. They met at the intersection entering the city. Zeng Sanlang raised his eyebrows and stepped forward to greet them.
After returning to the governor's mansion, it was convenient to talk, and Zeng Sanlang asked, "Lord Li, how was this mission?"
When talking about his job, Li Yu's face looked very unhappy. He waved his hands and expressed his shame without saying anything else.
Well, this is a condition that His Majesty will definitely not accept.
Zeng Sanlang smiled and said, "Don't worry, Lord Li. Maybe returning to Beijing will bring you a ray of hope."
Li Yu's eyebrows jumped: "What do you mean?"
Zeng Sanlang didn't say anything, but just clasped his hands and said that he also had something to do in Beijing. "Master Li, I will leave immediately. Do you and Guard Cen want to go with me?"
As partners for many years, Li Yu had a hunch that Zeng Ziqian was not just making a casual invitation, so he didn't bother to look closely at whether it was Daxingzhuang or Daxingzhuang: "Go!"
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