Chapter 356: Scholars all over the world should pay their respects to Lord Chang'an!
Ying Chengxiao smiled and said: "I call this thing hemp paper."
"I and other craftsmen have studied more than 7,000 production methods."
< br>“As of today, a total of more than two thousand methods have been verified, and what your colleagues hold in your hands is the best product obtained after the verification of more than two thousand methods.”
“But this article There are still more than 5,000 production methods being verified, and I am constantly making adjustments based on the verification results. ”
"I believe that this will not be the final look of hemp paper."
"Within this year, I will be able to make better hemp paper that is easier to write on!"
>In Ying Chengyu's opinion, the hemp paper he is taking out now is just usable.
But not to mention the analogy with the paper commonly used in later generations, it is somewhat different from the paper money burned during the Qingming Festival.
However, Ying Chengyu was not discouraged.
The paper currently obtained by Ying Chengyu has only undergone a short period of retting, and most of it comes from the whims of Cao Mao and Qi Ai. It is a phased product used to boost the confidence of the craftsmen and help them grow.
When the retting of the pulp in the pools managed by Ying Chengyu himself is completed, that’s when the paper will truly shock the world!
Ying Xi said with emotion: "In just a few months, Lord Chang'an has developed a new writing object."
"What a great talent!"
"I wonder if Mr. Chang'an can tell me a little bit about how much you want to ask for this thing if you want to sell it?"
Ying Chengyu looked helpless: "Everyone should know that this thing does not exist in the world. It was my inspiration that happened to make the craftsmen try in every possible way."
"In order to study this thing, I dug a pond. It has more than 5,700 square meters, 392 workshops, and employs more than 28,500 civilians. "
"As for the various materials used, it is as big as a mountain!"
“So far, I have spent nearly tens of millions of dollars on this thing.”
“Because I was unable to collect so much money at one time, I even borrowed it from my relatives. Nearly five million dollars!”
Hearing this number, Yang Hu and others couldn't help but secretly smacked their lips.
Nearly ten million dollars!
Looking around the Qin Dynasty, only a handful of powerful people at the top can get it.
At the same time, the way everyone looked at Ying Chengyu also changed slightly.
Be able to spend nearly ten million dollars to study a conjecture.
I'm afraid only Ying Chengyu has such financial resources and courage in the whole world!
Ying Chengyu's voice became solemn: "So if you want to sell it, I will need at least this amount for a piece of cloth the size of a market!"
As he spoke, Ying Chengyu stretched out his arms. He gave a slap and said seriously: "It must not be lower than this amount!"
"Otherwise I may suffer losses!"
Ying Xi nodded in agreement: "If it's five hundred dollars a horse, , quite fair.”
"I think the dignitaries from various countries will be willing to buy some. Chang'an Jun will not lose money after investing so much money and manpower!"
The price of a piece of silk paper today is about 800 yuan.
Although the paper made by Ying Chengyu has a better ability to hold ink than silk.
However, hemp paper is rough to the touch, has poor toughness, cannot go near water, and cannot be worn on the body, so it cannot be a substitute for silk.
But if the price of linen paper can be as low as 500 yuan, there will definitely be people who are willing to spend money to buy it because of its lightness.
The vast price space above bamboo slips and silk is the survival range of hemp paper.
Hearing this, Ying Chengyu couldn't hold back his pretense of seriousness, and laughed and said: "Why do you need to sell it for five hundred yuan?"
"I intend to sell it at five yuan per horse! "
But Ying Xi said matter-of-factly: "Mr. Chang'an made a mistake."
Ying Chengxuan said seriously: "I was not wrong. The price of a piece of hemp paper is five yuan. Money!”
"And what I am talking about is not the semi-finished paper that I took out today."
"It is the hemp paper that I finally decided to sell after completing all attempts!"
< br>The ministers looked at the hemp paper in Ying Xi's hand, then looked up at Ying Chengyu's determined gaze, and their eyes slowly widened.
What did we hear?
We are afraid we are not dreaming!
Ying Xi asked in disbelief: "Mr. Chang'an, how could you have said it right?"
"Even if this hemp paper is far different from the silk, it shouldn't be sold for just five yuan. Let’s go!”
A piece of market cloth that is eight feet long, two feet and five inches wide, and meets the standard costs eleven cents!
Today, a piece of hemp paper of the same size only costs five yuan?
Ying Xi has only one idea.
Chang'anjun is crazy!
If Chang'an Jun was not crazy, how could he sell paper cheaper than cloth!
Ying Chengyu asked back: "How much does Weiyang Jun think this thing should be sold for?"
Ying Xi said firmly: "It should be sold for five hundred yuan, or at least three hundred yuan. It’s worth a hundred dollars!”
“It’s worth it!”
Ying Chengyu shook his head repeatedly: "Absolutely not!"
"If a piece of hemp paper costs three hundred yuan, how many people in our Da Qin can afford hemp paper!"
During the Southern Song Dynasty, A large sheet (16 sheets of A4 paper) of printing paper that is better than the hemp paper made by Ying Chengyu sells for 0.18 Wen, while the large green and white paper commonly used by officials only costs 7.3 Wen.
If you use corn prices to convert irresponsibly, a piece of green and white paper the size of market cloth only costs 0.82 yuan, and a piece of burlap paper only costs 0.2 yuan!
That’s it, many grassroots officials are still complaining about the expensive paper.
In the end, Ying Xi raised the price to three to five hundred yuan with one stroke? !
Ying Xi said matter-of-factly: "Anyone with a high rank should be able to afford it."
Ying Chengxuan asked back: "How many people with a high rank?"
"Not a high-ranking person." How much does a noble person have?”
“How much hemp paper can a noble person use?”
"How much hemp paper can a non-high-ranking person use?"
Ying Chengyu is not a philanthropist. But the crude and rough hemp paper was destined to be practical.
There are very few people in the world today who can use three to five hundred dollars a piece of hemp paper as daily consumables.
A price of three to five hundred yuan can indeed increase profits, but it will make sales very small, causing total profits to plummet.
If you want to really make big money, you have to lower the price!
At least to the extent that the courts of various countries can afford it!
Compared with letters from powerful people, official documents and documents from various countries are the real major paper consumers, and they are the target customers selected by Ying Chengxuan!
In fact, even the price of five cents per horse is just a high price that Ying Chengyu left for Ying Zheng to bargain with.
Ying Chengxuan said firmly: "I can indeed set the price of hemp paper at three hundred yuan, or even five hundred yuan."
"But if you set the price of hemp paper at five yuan, I will make more profits!"
"Hemp paper, a consumable item used for writing, should have small profits but quick turnover."
Ying Xi asked incomprehensibly: "Small profits but quick turnover?"
"If the selling price is only five yuan a horse, can Chang'an Jun still make a profit!"
Ying Chengyu smiled: "I have indeed invested a lot in this hemp paper."
"Of course, my biggest investment is in researching this thing, not in subsequent production."
"It sells for five yuan a piece, but I still make a profit!"
Ying Xi became more and more surprised: "Dare I ask Lord Chang'an, how low is the cost of this thing?!"
Ying Chengyu shook his head and said solemnly: "This is the secret of Chang'an Lord's Mansion, it's inconvenient Leaked! "
After saying this, Ying Chengyu glanced at Ying Zheng.
Ying Zheng immediately reprimanded in a deep voice: "All the ministers here are the pillars of the Qin Dynasty. They will not practice the way of merchants, let alone steal your skills." I, Da Qin, are very important.”
“If you don’t reveal the specific craftsmanship, why should you tell me how much it costs?”
Hearing this, he was silent. Xiong Qi, who was moving towards the pond, had no choice but to stop.
Ying Chengyu also looked helpless and bowed his hands: "Since Brother Wang has asked, I should tell you everything I know."
"After deducting the expenses required for research, the cost of each piece of hemp paper is about half a penny."
What Ying Chengyu did not say is that this was because the craftsmen were not skilled in their craftsmanship in the early stages of manufacturing. Such tools are not available yet, so the cost is high.
According to Ying Chengxuan's estimate, there is no need to form large-scale production, but only to form an assembly line operation like Daqin Guanfang, and the cost of each piece of hemp paper can be reduced by at least half!
However, even if Ying Chengyu did not reveal the possibility that the cost would continue to decrease, Han Cang and other courtiers were stunned:
"A piece of hemp paper only costs half a cent?! That's what he said Come on, a piece of hemp paper can indeed be sold for only five yuan!”
"With the dignity of Lord Chang'an, you will not deceive us. I think this hemp paper is indeed as what Lord Chang'an said, it is extremely cheap."
"But it is used for writing. ! How can it be so cheap!"
"So, even if Changan Jun sells the hemp paper for five yuan, how can anyone in the world make such a huge profit? Marquis Wenxin is good at business, but looking at it today, Marquis Wenxin is far behind Chang'an Lord!"
Amidst the noise, a trembling scolding suddenly came: "My colleagues! How can we only value the way of merchants?”
“This thing is of great benefit to the world!”
Looking at the "Qin Code" held in Ying Xi's hand, Yao Jia said excitedly: "The "Qin Code" has nearly a million words in its entirety."
"If it is written in bamboo abbreviations and carried by chariots and horses, One cart can only carry one set of "Qin Code". "But what about now? The entire "Qin Code" is written in this thin volume!"
" There is no need to use carriages and horses for transportation, and even weak people can travel around the world with three or five copies of "Qin Code". br>
"It will be so easy to circulate books all over the world!"
Yao Jia walked slowly towards Ying Xi and took the hemp paper book from Ying Xi's hand.
When he really touched the hemp paper, Yao Jia's hands holding the book were trembling, and tears were already flowing out.
“More importantly, this thing is cheap!”
“While it can carry many words and is easy to transport like a piece of silk, it costs a lot of money to write a volume of classics. Cheaper than bamboo slips ”
"Do you colleagues know what this means?"
"This means that children of the common people can also have books to read!"
Looking at the courtiers of the Qin Dynasty, almost no one can feel the same way as Yao Jia .
Yao Jia, whose father was just a city gatekeeper, paid an unknown price and endured unimaginable suffering in order to study!
The most expensive items are bamboo slips and books.
Although the hemp paper developed by Ying Chengyu seems to have only reduced the cost of writing materials.
But nowadays, various schools of thought are arguing, and each school has no knowledge of its own school. Although the added value of books exists, it is much lower than it was hundreds of years later.
So the reduction in the price of writing materials will inevitably lead to a reduction in the price of books.
This is a huge benefit to students all over the world.
Yao Jia only regretted that Ying Chengyu was not born twenty years earlier.
If there had been such cheap hemp paper in the world twenty years ago, Yao Jia might not have had to work part-time as a thief, nor would he need to be known as a thief of Liang or a minister of Zhao all his life to complete his studies. , walking proudly among the world!
Yao Jia felt sorry for himself for his past.
I am also happy for the countless ordinary people students like him who come from ordinary backgrounds in the future.
Holding the book in his hand, Yao Jia Lao bowed deeply to Ying Chengyu with tears streaming down his face:
“Everyone in the world who is studying should pay homage to Lord Chang’an!”
The paper prices used in this chapter are taken from the Southern Song Dynasty, when paper technology was relatively mature. The source of the data is "Xu Shi Shuo" written by Kuben Kong Pingzhong, Minister of Yuanzhou in the 28th year of Shaoxing (1158).
Common people refer to civilians who have no official title but have land and houses. Therefore, if the common people can afford paper, it does not mean that everyone in the world can afford paper.
(End of this chapter)