The literary giants of the late Ming Dynasty began by copying books

Chapter 60 Huang Fengxiang

"This manuscript is laid out like this. The missing parts of the stereotyped lines are filled in with line drawings. Anyway, it is for free publicity and does not need to be sold. The key is to be quick."

In the carving workshop, Wang Wenlong carefully read a promotional text about the famine-saving melon and vegetable fairy, and then nodded to confirm that it could be used.

This is also the difficulty of large-scale wax paper printing. Most of the text can be typed with movable type, but pictures still need to be drawn stroke by stroke. This work is too detailed and greatly affects the production speed.

When engraving a picture on a regular wax plate, you must first make a lead master plate with a negative image engraved on it, and then transfer the graffiti on the master plate to the wax plate. The production of the lead master plate requires the use of etching technology. Wang Wenlong couldn't figure it out for a while.

When the local method started, Wang Wenlong simply asked the carving craftsman to find a thin wooden board and carve the pattern to be painted on it. Then he used the carved wooden board as the master. When making the wax board, he directly used a stylus to draw on the hollowed out part. , although the speed is not as fast as printing directly from the template, it is much faster than drawing one stroke at a time.

It's just that the printing quality after the local method is launched is far inferior to that of hand engraving.

The printing quality of the fairy pictures on the leaflet Wang Wenlong got was extremely poor. The originally detailed descriptions of the clothes, treasure bags, auspicious clouds, and fruits scattered in the bags were all a blur. The facial features were all blurred together, and only a dark human shape could be barely discerned.

The printing quality of this thing was so poor that Deng Zhimo couldn't even use it, but he didn't care if it couldn't compare to Wang Wenlong.

Why are free things printed so beautifully?As long as the content can be conveyed.

When Deng Zhimo saw that Wang Wenlong had reviewed and approved the manuscript, he quickly took the arranged wax plates to print.

Wang Wenlong inspected the engraver's workshop. The workshop was filled with the sound of clanging wooden boards. Although wax plates were used for printing, the lettering still needed to be repaired. More than a dozen engraving craftsmen were busy at work.

After telling Wang Jingui to bring the production line for repairing fonts, Wang Wenlong hurriedly walked out of the workshop.

"Wenlong, the sliding pole is here."

As soon as Wang Jingui's son Wang Pingbao came out of the workshop, he ran over holding a sliding rod.

Wang Pingbao is 32 years old this year. He and Wang Jingui learned lettering since they were young. They went to Nanjing to help people in the past two years and just returned to Fujian this month. Wang Jingui also brought him with him when he came to Quanzhou this time and recommended it to Wang Wenlong who wanted to mix up his background.

Wang Wenlong was reluctant at first, so Wang Pingbao came to help him as an engraver, but he had nothing serious to offer him, and the salary he offered was not as much as what he could earn by working on his own.

But Wang Jingui and Wang Pingbao didn't think so. They both felt that Wang Wenlong would definitely become prosperous in the future, and Wang Pingbao and Wang Pingbao would only be with him for a while. It would be beneficial to wait for Wang Wenlong to become prosperous in the future.

The two of them are not short of money. Even if they work to make money, it will only make their lives easier. Their children and grandchildren are still craftsmen. If they help Wang Wenlong early, they may have a chance to succeed in the future.

After hearing what the two men insisted on saying, Wang Wenlong saw that Wang Pingbao was also a man who was handy with his hands and feet, so he agreed to let him be by his side to help him.

It's just that the two are related, and Wang Pingbao is Wang Wenlong's cousin, so Wang Wenlong insists on not allowing Wang Pingbao to call him master. Under his insistence, Wang Pingbao can only call him by his first name.

But that's it. Wang Pingbao resolutely did his duty as a long shifter. He insisted on walking with Wang Wenlong when he was sitting on the slider. When eating, he would not sit at the same table with Wang Wenlong. He would hold a bowl and stand to the side to eat.

In particular, Wang Jingui and other craftsmen leaders ate at the same table with Wang Wenlong. Wang Wenlong felt uncomfortable, but Wang Jingui, who was eating at the same table, did not take it seriously:
"With this money, he will naturally do this job."

The father and son had firm beliefs, and Wang Wenlong had no choice but to obey.

Wang Wenlong got on the sliding pole and hurried to Fahua Temple.

Fahua Nunnery is located in the northwest outside Quanzhou City, next to the Quanzhou Army and Horses Division, directly opposite the Yingchun Gate, in the Guanxiang area outside the city gate.

In this era, the city gate was a necessary place for merchants from all over the world to pass through. The flow of people was already dense, but after entering the city gate, goods were taxed. Setting up a stall to sell goods outside the city gate attracted a lot of people and did not pay the city tax. Therefore, this Guanxiang in every city is a lively place.Fahua Temple is not a large temple, but the place it occupies is considered a geomantic treasure, and it is very convenient for believers to come and go.

The invitations for the famine relief dojo that Fahua Temple held today had been distributed everywhere two days ago.

These days, the population of scholars are almost sages, and their respect for Buddhism and Taoism has also been engraved in their bones. If a famous Taoist like Li Ding comes to invite, most local people will give him some respect. What's more, Xu Xueju, the right-hand minister, will also come today, and local businessmen and landlords Naturally, every opportunity comes to curry favor.

"Jianyang, let me introduce a few people to you." As soon as Wang Wenlong entered the Taoist temple, he was greeted by Xu Xueju, and he introduced several famous local gentry with him. Quanzhou is the land of Haidong vassal, with flourishing culture and education, and Xu Xueju can be admitted in the venue. Most of the people with Dharma Eyes are people with some fame.

"This is Huang Shangshu."

When Wang Wenlong heard this, he quickly dressed up and said, "I have met Mr. Huang."

Huang Fengxiang is over 60 years old, wearing coarse clothes, and his body smells like he hasn't showered all year round, but no one dares to look down on him.

He was No. 2 in the palace examination in the second year of Longqing. There were many people in Quanzhou in the Ming Dynasty who passed the Jinshi examination, but Huang Fengxiang was the first to get into the top three of the first class, that is, to pass the Jinshi.

Later, he served as Wanli's Jingyan Lecturer in the early years of Wanli. Wanli was only ten years old when he came to the throne. Jingyan Lecturer really had to teach children to read. Huang Fengxiang said that his relationship with Wanli was not bad.

He drew a clear line with Zhang Juzheng early on. After Zhang Juzheng's fall, Huang Fengxiang was not implicated in any way, and was reused by Wanli and sent to manage the Nanjing Imperial College.

In the 17th year of Wanli's reign, he returned to the capital again and took up the post of lecturer of Jingyan.

At this time, Wanli was already in ruins. Huang Fengxiang wrote letters to the emperor every day to persuade the emperor. At first, Wanli still tolerated his old feelings, but until the fight for the country began, Huang Fengxiang wrote again, finally touching Wanli's objections. First, he imposed a fine, then Then Huang Fengxiang was transferred from the Sutra Banquet ranks and sent to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Rites in Nanjing.

Huang Fengxiang was disheartened and resigned and returned to his hometown.

Now Huang Fengxiang has been back to his hometown for six years and is unkempt. Wanli tried to revive him several times, but Huang Fengxiang refused.

Xu Xueju introduced to Huang Fengxiang: "The flyers for today's Dharma conference were printed so quickly because of Jianyang's suggestions."

Huang Fengxiang looked at Wang Wenlong and asked, "Did you write that "The Scholars"?"

After returning home, his main job now is reading and writing, leaving behind a lot of writing. He has read all the books on the market, including classics and history, novels and miscellaneous works. He has also read "The Scholars".

Wang Wenlong smiled and said: "It's just my humble work."

Huang Fengxiang frowned when he heard this: "If you are too modest, you will be annoying. What kind of clumsy work? What you said is not entirely true."

Wang Wenlong was stunned for a moment, thinking that he had offended him, but then he heard Huang Fengxiang start praising his "The Scholars".

After Wang Wenlong observed his words for a while, he was able to confirm that Huang Fengxiang really had no objection to him, and finally roughly understood his character.

This old man passed the Imperial Examination at the age of 20 and became an Imperial Master at the age of 35. For the next twenty years, his workplace was either the Hanlin Academy or the Imperial College.

He has always been a scholar all his life, and has never interacted with others much, so he has a straightforward temper. He actually never feels that he will offend anyone.

With such a stubborn old man, no wonder Wanli couldn't do anything to him.

(End of this chapter)