I studied in modern times

Chapter 260 Sima Guang and Bianjing News
It’s October Yiyou (24).

Bianjing has become increasingly cold.

In the cold wind howling, several boys selling newspapers were hawking along the street.

Although they had put on thick linen, their faces were still red from the cold and their noses were running.

Fortunately, they look nutritious.

Her complexion is rosy and her hair is relatively clean.

They are no longer the dirty children running around the streets in the beginning.

"Selling newspapers... selling newspapers..."

"Today's Bianjing Newspaper..."

"King Bingchang of Xixia and the Queen Mother died within three days of each other...The emperor sent envoys to express condolences..."

The cleverer child began to tease the curiosity of passers-by with words: "Our newspaper's commentator Hu Feipan made a sharp comment on this!"

So, an old man riding a horse pulled the reins.

His followers immediately stopped.

The old man looked at the boy hawking on the roadside and was very curious. He waved to the boy.

"Sir, would you like to buy a newspaper?" The child looked at him politely.

The old man asked: "How much?"

"Five cents!" The boy said with a smile, "Sir, it's a good deal..."

"It's only five coins. You can buy the major events in the world today, and you can also know the changes in the ministers of the DPRK..."

“You can even see Hu Feipan’s accurate comments!”

Listening to the child's clear words, the old man counted five copper coins from his pocket and handed them over, and then asked: "Are you literate?"

The child replied: "I know something..."

"Why don't you go to study?" The old man became curious.

"I am studying...my younger brothers and sisters are all studying..."

"Ok?"

"After we sell out the daily tabloids, we can go to school... There is a gentleman to teach us!" This child looks like he is only eleven or twelve years old, but in front of the old man, he is neither humble nor overbearing.

This made the old man take a high look and asked, "Where are your parents?"

The child lowered his head: "My father died of illness the year before last, and my mother remarried..."

"Oh..." the old man became even more curious: "If that's the case, where does the money for your studies come from?"

"The leader of the newspaper, the gentleman you invited..." The child didn't hide it either.

"Would you be the first to invite me?" The old man felt as if he was listening to a myth.

The leaders of the Song Dynasty were famous for eating people without spitting out their bones.

How could anyone pay someone to teach these children to read?

"The leader of the meeting said that if we want to sell newspapers, we must be literate...so we ask the gentlemen to teach us how to read..."

"Oh..." The old man nodded thoughtfully. Then he remembered something and asked, "Are you literate?"

The child nodded happily: "Natural love!"

"Why?" asked the old man.

"Because if you are more literate, you can get rewards..."

"If you can read a hundred words and be able to write them, you will be given a consistent amount of money... Five hundred words will be a consistent amount of money, and a thousand words and five thousand words will be rewarded..."

After hearing this, the old man raised his hands to the boy and said, "Thank you very much!"

He took the tabloid and took a look.

Indeed, as Fan Zuyu said, the new tabloid called "Bianjing New News" published in Bianjing City is completely different from all tabloids in the past.

It’s not just several times bigger than the tabloids of the past.

Moreover, there are several different layouts arranged.

The old man remembered what the boy had just said, and he sighed: "The leader of the 'Bianjing New Newspaper' actually came up with an ingenious way to reward the boy with money for literacy..."

"He must be a great Confucian who is enthusiastic about teaching and aspiring to be a saint..."

So, he told Yuan Sui beside him: "Go and find out who the leader of this 'Bianjing New Newspaper' is and where he is from..."

"I want to pay my respects in person!"

The Song Dynasty did not establish a land system, and mergers and annexations were not allowed. Naturally, people and merchants were also not allowed to do business.

There are as many Jinshi scholars as there are merchants’ sons!
There are even several champions and prime ministers who are the sons of merchants.

For example, Feng Jing is the son of a businessman!
Naturally, there are countless businessmen who are descendants of scholar-bureaucrats from official families.

No one will despise or dislike them.

I will only envy and admire these people who can make a lot of money.

Why?
In today's world, wealthy businessmen are all relatives of the emperor!
They may not be able to marry princesses or princesses.

But for a county head of two thousand guans, these extravagant families have married countless people.

Among the heads and leaders of the major guilds in Bianjing City, which one does not kneel down to the county horse to worship their ancestors?
When merchants and merchants were in the household, they could go to school and gain fame, and when they retired, they could marry royal relatives and establish relationships with the royal family.

Who can still discriminate and criticize them?
Both the new party and the old party have a large number of businessmen.

People who are good at financial management are even more valued by the government and the public.

For example, not long ago, Jiang Zhiqi, the transfer envoy of the Jianghuai Road, was promoted to the direct bachelor of Longtuge and Chengdu Prefecture.

And Jiang Zhiqi is famous for his financial management.

Therefore, for scholar-bureaucrats, interacting with merchants was a normal interpersonal relationship.

He sent Na Yuansui to find out the name of the leader of the "Bianjing New Newspaper".

The old man took the others and rode on.

After crossing Zhouqiao, he arrived at a government house he had decided on.

And here, there are already many people waiting.

"Sima Gong..." Fan Zuyu stepped forward, held the horse for the old man, and said respectfully: "You have finally entered the capital..." The old man was Sima Guang, who had just been summoned to the capital by imperial decree from Chenzhou.

Behind Fan Zuyu, more than a dozen court officials in Bianjing City stepped forward to salute Sima Guang.

They are all ministers who have admired Sima Guang for a long time.

In later history books, they had a common name: Shuodang.

……

Just as Sima Guang was being welcomed into the official mansion by Fan Zuyu and others.

The leader of the Bianjing New Newspaper that Sima Guang wanted to find out was urging people to arrange the layout of the Bianjing New Newspaper that would be published tomorrow.

"Tong Ti, please..." A soft voice came from outside the door: "Shen Tiju just sent someone to ask, when will the saltpeter we collected be delivered?"

Tong Guan listened, looked outside the door, and saw Yan Shouqin's figure. He immediately smiled and said: "Please tell Shen Tiju that our family has received the saltpeter everyone has collected, and it can be delivered tomorrow!"

Yan Shouqin nodded and said, "This is the best!"

"Now is a critical time for the Gunpowder Department... This saltpeter is absolutely indispensable!" He warned: "If we short the supply of saltpeter and miss everyone's important event, it will be a big sin!"

"Of course our family knows!" Tong Guan said: "Please rest assured Shen Tiju, our family will go to Zuozang in person tomorrow and personally escort the saltpeter to the Gunpowder Department!"

Tong Guan has a lot of responsibilities now.

Quan Tidian Gunpowder Company, Tong Tidian Movable Type Preparation Institute, Tong Tidian, the director of Gou Bianjing Sub-Service, and the non-existent Quan Faqian, the editor-in-chief of Bianjing Newspaper, which will not be recorded in the official archives.

And to the outside world, he also has a name: Hu Feipan.

This is a name given by everyone.

Tong Guan even thought about changing his real name to Hu Feipan.

However, everyone refused.

He was only allowed to use this name in the printing place of "Bianjing News".

This is a pity for Tong Guan.

……

Surrounded by everyone, Sima Guang walked into the official mansion that he had rented a few months ago.

The servants began to get busy, while Sima Guang and others sat in the yard.

While Fan Chunren was taking someone to make tea, Sima Guang picked up the "Bianjing News" he bought for five copper coins.

Sima Guang looked at the page above, nodded slowly, and said, "This tabloid is quite interesting!"

"Not only does it cover world affairs, it is published in the imperial palace newspaper, and there are also comments..."

"Although this comment is vulgar, it is easy to understand..."

He didn't say it was okay, but when he did, others sighed.

Especially Liu Zhi and others looked sad.

This made Sima Guang curious and asked: "Old Xin...why is this happening?"

Liu Zhi cupped his hands and said: "Sima Gong doesn't know that this 'Bianjing New News' now publishes tens of thousands of copies every day..."

"Write world affairs in vulgar language..."

"Especially the so-called nonsense talk, which often stirs up public opinion and incites ignorant people..."

This is something that all the censors at the Censorship Station, regardless of whether they are old or new, are extremely troubled.

Think about it, how many people will be radiated by a tabloid that sells tens of thousands of copies every day?

It is no exaggeration to say that most of Bianjing was affected by it.

In particular, lower-class citizens, ordinary people and low-level officials are the most easily influenced and incited by it.

The leading position of public opinion is no longer the Yushitai.

It's the tabloid printers and the so-called Hu Frisbee who don't know where to hide.

Sima Guang didn't take it seriously, shook his head, and said: "It is better to defend the people than to defend the river!"

"Tabloids have existed since Renmiao. They are necessary to communicate with the inside and outside and influence the inside..."

"Xin Laoyan goes too far!"

Liu Zhi sighed: "Sima Gong, you don't know something..."

"Since the appearance of Bianjing New News, other tabloids have almost disappeared..."

"Nowadays, everyone inside and outside Bianjing is proud to have a copy of the Bianjing Newspaper..."

"If things continue like this, I don't know who controls the country's mouthpiece!"

That's what they're worried about.

It's also something they fear.

The channel for speaking out was controlled by a guy with unknown origins and no idea of ​​what he was called.

He is indeed behaving himself now.

Just use some vulgar language and talk about things that the traffickers can understand and like to hear.

But what about the future?

After listening to this, Sima Guang finally understood. He nodded slightly and then asked: "Gentlemen and scholar-bureaucrats, why does no one follow your example?"

"It's not a big deal for me to read this tabloid..."

Liu Zhi replied: "We would like to imitate...but we don't have the printing technology..."

"I heard that this 'Bianjing New Newspaper' is made of 'movable type' specially prepared by the Ordnance Bureau for the emperor..."

"The method is still a secret method in the palace...only the people from Bianjing Xinbao use it outside..."

"So many people say that behind the Bianjing New Newspaper, the surname is either Xiang or Gao... The so-called Hu Feipan is probably a servant of the Gao family and the Xiang family!"

Sima Guang listened thoughtfully, and then said: "When I enter the palace and see your majesty, I will make a speech in front of your majesty and ask your majesty to make the art of movable type public... so that everyone in the world can use it!"

Sima Guang has full confidence in this.

Because these days, he kept writing letters, and the emperor would always reply. He also asked him many things, and even adopted his Sima Guang's suggestions on some issues!
Now that he has entered the DPRK, His Majesty will readily agree to any trivial matter.

(End of this chapter)