bookrandom Chapter 94, Japanese Prints (2 volumes)
Chapter 94, Japanese Prints (2 volumes)
Cui Shiwen's face flushed red with anger, but he dared not lash out at Bai Mufeng.
He glanced at Qin Xuan with a venomous look, then sat back down angrily, but he already harbored murderous intent towards Qin Xuan.
But at this moment, everyone's attention was focused on Bai Mufeng.
What kind of book could possibly make a close disciple of the Confucian sage publicly rebuke a member of the royal family of Goryeo?
"how is this possible?"
"how come?"
At this moment, Bai Mufeng was filled with astonishment, and he kept glancing back and forth between the book in his hand and Qin Xuan.
Finally, with trembling hands, he approached the scholar who had remained silent until now and respectfully said, "Teacher, please take a look."
The Confucian sage calmly accepted it, but as soon as he turned to the first page, his hand involuntarily paused.
He then quickly flipped through the pages, his shock visibly intense.
That usually calm and collected face now showed an overwhelming sense of shock.
This scene aroused the curiosity of the scholars below, who began to discuss it amongst themselves.
"Did you see that? Not only was the great Confucian scholar Bai taken aback, but even the Confucian sage himself seemed to have lost his composure!"
"I'm so curious about what's in this book!"
"To surprise the Confucian sage so much, it seems that Beining Bookstore really has something to rely on!"
"..."
Just then, the Confucian sage suddenly spoke up: "Beining Bookstore, is what you just said true?"
Good heavens! The Confucian sage himself has intervened.
At this moment, everyone's curiosity was piqued to its peak.
Qin Xuan bowed respectfully and said, "This student would not dare to lie."
How much did it cost?
The Confucian sage asked again.
"Eighty coins."
Qin Xuan said.
"Clap!"
The book in the Confucian sage's hand fell to the ground. Disregarding his status, he asked urgently, his face flushed, "How many?"
"Eighty coins, or even less if the book sells well."
Movable type printing is an assembly line operation, so naturally, the larger the base number, the lower the cost will be.
"May God bless the Great Age! May God bless us scholars!"
The Confucian sage sighed deeply, his whole body trembling slightly, deeply moved.
"Sage Confucius, what is so remarkable about this book that has excited you so much?"
A senior scholar, whose seniority was slightly higher, finally couldn't help but ask.
The Confucian sage composed himself and laughed heartily, "Mu Fei, distribute these books to them so they can read them in turn."
Bai Mufeng nodded excitedly, then called over several pageboys and distributed a stack of books. Cui Shiwen, Gulna, and Pan Ruoan each received a book.
"This book is nothing more than..."
Cui Shiwen glanced at it casually, about to make a sarcastic remark, but his pupils suddenly dilated.
As the head of the bookstore, he immediately noticed that the printing font on the book in his hand was somewhat different from what he expected.
"Why are these characters so clear? Every stroke, whether horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, looks as if it were written by hand with a fine brush. How is that possible?"
Due to technological limitations, printing in Korea often resulted in unclear layouts, especially for complex fonts where many strokes could not be clearly represented.
But the book being printed in front of me is simply unbelievable.
At the same time, Gulna was also horrified, and felt bitter in his heart: "As expected, as long as the King of Chu makes a move, it will definitely be a fatal blow."
"Even the Daqi Longyun Bookstore couldn't produce such clear printed pages!"
"See for yourself!"
Pan Ruoan, unable to hide his shock, handed the book to Guo Shanxi.
Guo Shanxi spent most of his time in the bookstore, so his eye for talent was naturally sharp.
He was stunned after just a quick glance.
"The font size, strokes, layout, spacing, and overall length are simply impeccable!"
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, then his gaze sharpened, and he exclaimed in disbelief, "This handwriting... Chancellor Pan, this handwriting..."
"You noticed it too? It should be a unique font created by Beining City, which has already formed its own style and is grand and magnificent."
Pan Ruoan sighed with slight disappointment and said, "Can Longyun Bookstore really publish a book like this?"
Guo Shanxi shook his head blankly. Although unwilling to admit the truth, he still honestly said:
"The printing of this book is perfect from every angle, especially the paper, which is exactly the same as Beining paper."
When Beining paper was mentioned, Guo Shanxi suddenly realized something.
Pan Ruoan also realized this, and stood up abruptly. He looked at Qin Xuan with a complicated expression and said in a dry voice, "Jin Xuan is Qin Xuan. He is actually King Qin Xuan of Chu!"
Reflecting on their conversations over the past two days, Pan Ruoan felt that Qin Xuan was a rare genius, and even vaguely regarded him as her confidant.
"Why the King of Chu!?"
Pan Ruoan sat back down, feeling conflicted and troubled.
"My goodness, look! The printing of this book is so beautiful and clear, it's something I've never seen or heard of before!"
"No wonder the Confucian sage was so excited, so this is the reason."
"That's not all. Don't forget what that person just said. Beining City can produce two thousand copies a day with this kind of printing effect."
"Efficiency is only one aspect; the key is the price. Eighty coins—isn't that practically free?"
"We must have Beining City print 'Confucianism' so that everyone can afford to read it."
"..."
As the books were circulated and read, more and more people saw the effects of movable type printing.
Exclamations of amazement rose and fell; everyone who saw the printing effect was speechless with astonishment.
"Impossible! Such a perfect print, if it only costs eighty coins, wouldn't all of us bookstores become a joke? He must be lying."
Cui Shiwen stood up again and scolded them. These words also hit the nail on the head for Gurna and Guo Shanxi, because they had never seen such a cheap and perfect print in the world.
"Faced with the sage of Confucianism, who would dare to lie? Faced with a masterpiece like 'Confucianism,' who would dare to boast? Faced with countless scholars throughout the land, who would dare to deceive?"
Qin Xuan retorted loudly, his tone arrogant.
These three questions were the best answer, and the scholars below nodded in agreement.
Everyone knows that "Confucianism" is meant to be printed and sold, and no one would dare to defy public opinion and deceive people.
Cui Shiwen couldn't refute it for a moment, but still felt that it was Qin Xuan's conspiracy.
The discussion at the scene continued. Bai Mufeng glanced nervously at the Confucian sage, only to find that the elderly man remained calm and composed.
He didn't ask any further questions about the printing, but instead asked in a strong voice, "Since you are all willing to suffer losses for the sake of scholars, I will only ask you one last question: Why do we study?"
Why read books? That is, what is the purpose of reading?
Seeing that there was still a chance, Cui Shiwen immediately said without hesitation: "To pave the way for all scholars in the world, so that all scholars can rise to high positions, repay the emperor's kindness, and be filial to their parents, without regretting a life of mediocrity."
"Where is the Jurchen national advisor?"
The Confucian sage nodded slightly, then looked at Gulna.
Gurna quickly bowed, pondered for a moment, and said, "Serve the country with utmost loyalty and open up a new world for our Jurchen people."
As the Grand Preceptor, Gulna's greatest desire was to expand the Jurchen territory and free the Jurchen people from the predicament of nomadic life.
A hint of approval flashed in the Confucian sage's eyes. Gourna's words were not as eloquent as Cui Shiwen's, but this was not a contest of rhetoric; sincerity was the key.
"Having seen the Confucian sages, we who study should learn, understand, and perceive the principles, and dispel the ignorance of the world."
This was Pan Ruoan's answer, which was very much in line with his status as the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.
Finally, the Confucian sage turned his gaze to Qin Xuan: "And you, King Qin Xuan of Chu?"
These words caused an uproar, leaving countless people speechless and the scene in complete disarray.