Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 182 0177 [The gardener can also be a marquis]

Zhu Guoxiang was also watching when the first book page printed with movable type was released.

Instead of cheering and celebrating, the father and son set up the hourglass and watched the time for the ink to dry.

Ju Ming also experimented with the ink formula, mainly testing its ink repellency.

Then it was discovered that there was no need to experiment at all.

The tung oil, sesame oil or animal fat in traditional ink can be directly replaced with linseed oil.

In addition, some turpentine must be added.

蓖麻油的碘价是80—88，芝麻油的碘价是103—108，桐油碘价是157—170。

The iodine value of linseed oil can reach more than 175.It has excellent drying performance, can thicken rapidly in the air, and can also form elastic oily buns on metal surfaces.

As for turpentine, its function is to allow the ink to evaporate evenly, prevent ink from skinning, and improve the leveling of the ink.

The reason why it takes several months to make ink is to let it evaporate the excess water and make the various substances bond more tightly. When Zhu Ming did the experiment, he directly baked and heated it, mainly to test the ink retention, don’t worry about it. Other properties of the ink.

Zhu Guoxiang touched it with his fingers, but the ink was not completely dry: "Converted to the scale of the hourglass, it has been 5 minutes, and it is estimated to be completely dry in 8 to [-] minutes. If you want to speed up, you can also add a desiccant."

"Take it easy in the future, this is already usable." Zhu Ming said.

Zhu Guoxiang also said: "The ink placed naturally has a better effect than rapid baking, and the printed ink is more uniform."

Huang Ai was standing by the side, listening to the conversation between the father and son, seeming to understand it, but not seeming to understand it. Does "five and six minutes" refer to time?

Huang Ai suddenly made a suggestion: "Do you want to try using dark ink again?"

"You can try it." Zhu Ming nodded.

Zhu Guoxiang asked: "What is Shenmo?"

Zhu Ming said: "Most of the ink sticks for writing brush characters and the ink for printing books are made of pine smoke ink. The Guozijian library also uses a kind of dark ink, which was invented by Shen Kuo using petroleum fume. Songmo is better."

"Oil?" Zhu Guoxiang was a little surprised.

Zhu Ming smiled and said, "It's the oil in your understanding."

Zhu Guoxiang sighed: "Shen Kuo is very powerful."

Shen Kuo has always wanted to improve movable type printing, and even the whole set of methods left by Bi Sheng also fell into the hands of Shen Kuo's brothers and nephews, and it was slowly spread through the Shen brothers.

Movable type printing has a very big problem.

After long-term use, wooden movable type is not only easy to deform, but also wears out quickly.

If metal movable type is used, ink retention is not good.Whether it is beautiful or not is second to none. If there are too many strokes, it will be difficult to recognize, and it looks like a black lump.There are also times when it is printed and lacks strokes.Readers open the book and need to guess at some places.

Five hundred copies of "The Analects of Confucius" were printed in one day and bound into books by craftsmen.

Zhu Ming said to Huang Ai: "Tomorrow, I will go to the palace with me to meet the saint, and bring these hundreds of books with me."

Huang Ai was taken aback for a moment, then exulted: "Thank you Zhukusi!"

Huang Ai belongs to the technical officer and also writes as a trick officer.

Astronomical officials, medical officials, painters, musicians, calligraphers, and those who build ordnance are all classified as technical officers.

Their salaries are extremely low, and it is not easy to support their families. They have to rely on rewards or corruption to live.Moreover, promotion is also very difficult. Civilian officers are promoted every three years, military officers are promoted every five years, and technical officers are promoted every ten years. They often only get promoted to honor ranks, not to ranks and dispatches.

After Zhu Ming learned of Huang Ai's salary, he turned a blind eye to his corruption.

As long as you don't get too greedy, Ju Ming can accept, even acquiesce and condone.The family can't support themselves, so why talk about work?
Huang Ai bowed his knees and sent Zhu's father and son out of the house.

Of course he doesn't belong to any faction. The technical officer is too lowly, and he is not qualified to cling to the traitorous party.

The Guozijian library is indeed rich in oil and water, but the previous directors were all officials of the Beijing Dynasty.All the money in the small treasury was taken away by the officials of the Beijing court, Huang Ai could only take some kickbacks in private, and these kickbacks had to be shared with other officials.

Huang Ai's salary plus gray income is only [-] to [-] per month, barely reaching the level of a well-off life in Tokyo.

"He's a nice guy," Zhu Ming said, sitting in the carriage. "Although he takes various kickbacks, he completes the work with quality and quantity, and he knows how to distribute dirty money to his subordinates. The engraving worker I recruited from abroad didn't deduct a penny from his wages." .”

Zhu Guoxiang couldn't help complaining: "It's really a bad time. If you are not greedy, you are a good official."

Zhu Ming said: "Movable type printing has improved, but unfortunately I don't know how to improve papermaking. I've had enough of scraping my butt with toilet scrapers, and I miss toilet paper very much. If this continues, hemorrhoids will come out sooner or later."

Zhu Guoxiang said: "Paper is also affordable. I heard that many dignitaries use straw paper."

"Even Cai Jing, he only dared to wipe his ass with paper secretly," Zhu Ming said with emotion, "If Xianggong Cai dares to publicly say that he wipes his ass with paper, I respect him as a man."

Papermaking developed a wave in the Song Dynasty, and developed another wave in the middle of the Ming Dynasty.

Disregarding commodity prices to talk about paper prices is hooliganism, but purchasing power can be used to convert.

The wages of low-level employees in the Ming Dynasty were all used to buy paper of the same quality, which was eight times that of the Song Dynasty and thirty times that of the Tang Dynasty.

Precisely because the price of paper in the Ming Dynasty was cheap, it was possible to wipe our butts with paper, so a large number of novels came out.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "Papermaking technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, and chemical means must have been used. When we go to visit, maybe we can add acid-base agents to improve it."

"Let's talk about it," Zhu Ming asked, "What's wrong with your polyploid breed?"

Zhu Guoxiang said: "I don't know yet, I have to take my time."

In the past few months, Zhu Guoxiang has not been idle, and asked for a piece of land from Song Huizong.

Breeding improved varieties mainly through hybridization and chemical mutagenesis, the experimental objects are vegetables and flowers and trees.

Vegetables have a short growth period and can see results quickly.

As for the flowers and trees, they are completely catering to the emperor, such as polyploid peony or something.

But peonies generally take five years from sowing to flowering.The time is too long, Zhu Guoxiang is afraid that the emperor will not be able to wait, so he is currently focusing on polyploid peony.

Ju Ming suddenly thought of something: "Can the seeds of polyploid plants reproduce normally?"

Zhu Guoxiang said: "Odd polyploids cannot reproduce, but even polyploids are possible. Especially allopolyploids, such as traditional wheat, are naturally formed allohexaploid plants. Artificially induced polyploid plants, Many genetic traits are unstable and need to be screened from generation to generation."

The carriage passed by a neighbor's house, brothers and sisters Zheng Hong and Zheng Yuanyi were waving goodbye.

"Erlang, come up!" Zhu Ming waved.

Fatty Zheng immediately paid the taxi fare, and took his younger sister to board Zhu's carriage.

Zhu Ming asked, "Who were those two just now?"

Zheng Hong said: "The new neighbor, surnamed Hu, bought the house next door."

"It's expensive, right?" Zhu Ming said.

"It's much smaller than your house, but it also costs [-] guan," Zheng Hong said gossipingly, "This family, three Jinshi, one yin official, all serve as officials in the capital. What is it about Hu Su, the founding marquis of Anding County?" The descendants of his family also have female relatives, and they got along very well with the young mother, and we went to see a show together today."

Founding Marquis is a title, not a founding honor.

The title system in the Song Dynasty was as chaotic as the official system, and it was impossible to write a thesis, so it was necessary to write a special book.

It is difficult for princes to be hereditary, let alone dukes and marquises.

For example, Hu Su's grandson, Hu Yixiu, failed to inherit the title, but Enyin became the general supervisor.

Hu Yixiu's brother and nephew had passed the three Jinshi examinations, and all of them were transferred back to the capital this year to take up positions.So the four uncles and nephews together pooled their money to buy a mansion and became neighbors with Zhu's father and son.

Zheng Yuanyi said: "The younger sister of the Hu family is very talented and learned. She hit it off with my slave and made an appointment to go to Xiangguo Temple at the end of the month."

"It's good to have playmates, but I'm afraid you will be bored at home all day." Ju Ming laughed.

Fatty Zheng couldn't think of leaving anymore, Lai didn't want to leave in Tokyo, anyway, he could eat and drink at Zhu's house.

As for Zheng Yuanyi, she is still young, and Zhu Ming plans to have sex after a while.In ancient times, there were no contraceptive measures. In case of a big belly, girls are prone to dystocia.

All the way back home, Zheng Yuanyi chattered non-stop, and Fatty Zheng also added fuel and details about today's fun.

Zheng Hong said: "This Hu family is really rich. Over the past few decades, there have been nearly ten Jinshi. The family is still doing business in Changzhou. I heard that I live in Dalang's house. They rush to pay for the treats. I am ashamed to eat for nothing. Drink for nothing."

Zhu Guoxiang warned: "If someone treats you again, you can eat, drink, and drink. It is absolutely forbidden to accept gifts, let alone agree to help with errands."

Zheng Hong smiled: "Don't worry, Mr. Zhu, I'm not such a fool. In ten and a half months, I should go back to Yangzhou. Although Tokyo is good, it is not as good as home."

Zhu Guoxiang praised: "Erlang is as wise as he is stupid, and he is a trustworthy person."

"Zhu Xianggong is absurd, but I'm just a little clever." Zheng Hong said happily.

The next day.

The father and son first took a carriage to the Guozijian library, took Huang Ai and five hundred copies of "The Analects of Confucius", and went to the palace together to meet Song Huizong.

This year's battle is bigger.

The outer city wall is being demolished and rebuilt. Mingtang, Genyue, Tianzhang Pavilion... many palaces and palaces are under construction at the same time, and countless building materials arrive in Tokyo every month.

It is those homeless people who find jobs because of this, and work on construction sites.Although I can't make a lot of money, I can barely eat enough.

Song Huizong took the third elixir and was currently meditating.

The father and son could only wait slowly until noon, when they were finally allowed to go to the saint.

Song Huizong's face was full of red, and he seemed a little excited. He smiled and said to Zhu Guoxiang: "Although the ganoderma offered by Mr. is less than ten thousand years old, and most of the spiritual energy has dissipated, it is a god after all. The elixir is a hundred times stronger than usual."

Zhu Guoxiang said: "I don't know the way of elixir, I just congratulate the officials."

Zhu Ming observed secretly, suspecting that the fool had taken some kind of stimulant.

Song Huizong asked: "How is your movable type printing?"

"I'm about to invite the officials to take a look." Zhu Ming turned his head and gave Huang Ai a wink.

Huang Ai immediately stepped forward, followed by several eunuchs carrying boxes.

Song Huizong opened a copy of "The Analects of Confucius", and he could see the function of periods and commas without Zhu Ming's explanation.He was surprised and said: "This font is really novel. Although it looks ordinary, it is quite beautiful when it is printed on the book."

Zhu Ming said: "This kind of font is suitable for printing, and it is clear and clear without ink smearing. I named it 'Mingzi'."

"Very good," Song Huizong nodded approvingly, "printed with movable type?"

Zhu Ming said: "All are printed with movable type, which is a hundred times more convenient than engraving. Today's movable type is still cast first and then engraved. If the government gives more money, they can make copper molds and cast the movable type directly without additional engraving." , it can be used with a little polishing.”

Song Huizong said: "It's better to engrave characters. The matter of using copper molds to cast movable type will not be discussed until there is a surplus of copper materials in the future."

Today's Song Dynasty is facing a money shortage. Song Huizong also used copper to cast Jiuding. The lack of copper materials caused many coin casting supervisors to stop working.

Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty inquired in detail about the movable type printing process and the improvement work made by Ju Ming, and then he said happily: "I am rich in the Song Dynasty, the people are happy, and the education is flourishing. This movable type printing technique is rewarded by heaven, and it will surely lead to a prosperous age of culture and education. !"

"The official family obeys the destiny, and the Song Dynasty will prosper for thousands of years!" The eunuchs next to him flattered one after another.

Song Huizong laughed loudly: "I promise you that if you know the state, you will not break your promise. Bring me the Kanyu map!"

The eunuch hurriedly went to get the geomancy map, and bowed to hold it in front of the emperor.

Song Huizong drew a circle on the map: "Don't go too far, except for Gyeonggi, the rest of the state army is up to you."

Zhu Ming originally planned to go to the frontier for training, but the emperor drew a circle with Kaifeng Mansion as the center.After thinking about it carefully, Zhu Ming pointed to the north: "I'm going to Xiangzhou."

"Yes," Song Huizong said again, "Chang Chaoyi on the first day of next month, I will call all the officials. You choose a lot of movable type, and then bring ink and paper, and let them open their eyes on the spot."

Song Huizong wanted to show the destiny, straightened the city walls, built Mingtang, cast Jiuding, and rebuilt etiquette, all in order to show the destiny.

Movable type printing, Italian culture and education, also belong to the destiny.

Not only must the officials be called to watch, but also Dasheng's lyricists will be asked to compose music and lyrics for this purpose.

Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty was still unsatisfied, and said: "This kind of movable type is called Dasheng movable type. This kind of ink is called Dasheng ink. Ming style characters can not be changed."

Sheng, bright, prosperous.

The meaning of Dasheng is similar to that of Fengheng Yuda.

Song Huizong thought of something, and immediately became happier: "The hibiscus grafted by Mr. Bloomed yesterday. Come with me to enjoy the flowers."

Dean Zhu's current status has become half of the Queen's gardener.

Hibiscus flowers cannot survive the winter in the north, and poems in the Tang Dynasty often mentioned that Song Huizong always wanted to plant hibiscus in the palace.

The ones that were planted before had not had time to bloom, and they froze to death in the cold winter.

Song Huizong also thought about grafting, but whether it was cuttings or grafting, the survival rate of Fusang was very low.

It was our dean Zhu who took the initiative and lived directly in the palace for a month, taking care of him carefully every day, and finally supported the grafted hibiscus.

The Hunjun took everyone to enjoy the flowers, even Huang Ai followed.

Appreciating and admiring, Song Huizong sighed again: "I am alive today, but I will freeze to death in winter."

Zhu Guoxiang said: "You can try it, maybe you can let Fusang survive the winter."

Song Huizong didn't doubt Zhu Guoxiang's skills, and immediately took Zhu Guoxiang's hand and said very affectionately: "If it succeeds, I will give you the title of Marquis!"

Marquis?

Zhu Ming was dumbfounded when he heard it, and then thinking about Song Huizong conferring a strange stone as Marquis, it seems that it is nothing to confer Marquis to Dean Zhu.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "I don't want to be a marquis. If Fusang can survive the winter, please allow me to go back to my hometown to visit my family."

"Just bring them to Tokyo." Song Huizong said.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "The little girl is still young, and she can't bear to run around."

Song Huizong nodded and said: "Well, as long as the Fusang can survive the winter, the husband can return to his hometown for a year. It's not that the husband is not allowed to leave, but that there is no shortage here. There are many exotic flowers and trees that need to be taken care of by the husband."

(End of this chapter)