Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 310 I dare to give this money, you ask them if they dare to accept it!

February 10th, the second year of the Han Dynasty.

Inside the Yuntai Pavilion, Liu Bian was bent over his desk reviewing memorials.

Looking at the memorial that replaced bamboo slips with paper, Liu Bian breathed a sigh of relief, and the aversion he had towards bamboo slips quietly dissipated.

I always felt that paper was much easier and less strenuous to read than bulky bamboo slips.

In the second year of the Han Dynasty's founding, Liu Bian issued his first decree, which stipulated that, starting that year, except for documents and records that needed to be preserved for a long time, all official documents should no longer use bamboo slips as the writing medium, but should instead use paper prepared by the Imperial Household Department.

The Han Dynasty did have paper before, but the quality and cost of the paper in the past were not satisfactory.

It wasn't until Cai Lun led the Imperial Paper Mill to innovate the papermaking process, using tree bark, hemp fibers, rags, and fishing nets as raw materials, and supplementing them with wood ash for steaming, that impurities that were difficult to remove by simply beating were eliminated, thus producing the relatively inexpensive "Cai Hou Paper".

However, while Cai Hou paper was inexpensive, its quality still failed to meet the standards for official documents used by the imperial court.

Cai Hou paper is extremely prone to decomposition and brittleness if it gets slightly damp. Even if it is stored in a dry place, its lifespan is only about twenty years, given the technological level of the Han Dynasty.

Therefore, Cai Hou paper could only be used as draft paper and paper for everyday use. Of course, Liu Bian also used it as toilet paper in private.

After all, Liu Bian couldn't get used to using those small bamboo sticks for toilet paper, which involved poking and scraping, and using silk was too wasteful. Therefore, this could be considered one of Liu Bian's few instances of "extravagance".

Liu Bian originally wanted to find Zuo Bo, the inventor of "Zuo Bo paper". However, Liu Bian really didn't know Zuo Bo's background or hometown, or even whether he was old or young. But after searching all over the world, there was indeed no Zuo Bo paper.

The finest paper on the market actually came from Guzang County in Wuwei Commandery, Jia Xu's hometown. This paper, made using an improved version of Cai Hou's papermaking process, had a certain market share and was quite famous in the Han Dynasty. (Note 1)

Therefore, Liu Bian ordered the Imperial Paper Mill to recruit papermakers from all over the country and collect timber from various regions to test the production of new paper.

Initially, the papermakers had some complaints in private, but Liu Bian promised generous rewards of money, land, and houses, and even promised that those who made outstanding contributions could be ennobled!

The main theme is: "I don't understand technology, but I have money!"

Finally, after numerous experiments using a large amount of wood, a white, soft, tough, and foldable paper was born from the Shangfang Workshop.

Shangfang Ling Chai Yu stroked the pure white paper, and was slightly moved.

Papermaking is not a particularly sophisticated technology; the key lies in whether enough resources can be invested to experiment with various wood raw materials, supplemented by auxiliary materials such as wheat straw, rice straw, fishing nets, and hemp cloth, and to adjust the combination and proportions of these materials.

But sometimes a bit of luck is also needed.

For example, a papermaker in Shangfang accidentally threw the bark of a cypress tree, which was used as raw material, into a pool. However, he caught a cold and could not continue working. The bark soaked in the pool and no one paid any attention to it.

The papermakers each had three pools, and each was only responsible for their own pool. Therefore, others assumed that the papermaker was doing this intentionally, and it was not appropriate to take out the bark of the cypress tree that was soaking in the pool.

However, when he returned several days later, he found a layer of pale yellow liquid floating in the pool, which turned the paper into a light yellow layer.

However, since it was not boiled over a fire, the juice content was too low, so the paper craftsman boiled it again to extract the juice that could be used as dye.

They initially thought this was an accidental invention of a completely new fuel, but unexpectedly, in a comparative experiment on paper's resistance to insects and borers, they discovered that paper dyed with barberry wood also had the effects of preventing insects and increasing paper's flexibility, and named it "Dyeing Technique".

The degree to which paper is dyed to prevent moths is also important; if it is dyed too dark, the paper will turn yellow severely, and if it is dyed too light, it will lose its moth-proofing effect.

After countless experiments, Shangfang concluded that "the paper should be light yellow, not too dark," so that the resulting light yellow paper could balance the insect-proof effect and the visual appeal.

Such coincidences happen frequently, but few papermakers are able to notice and investigate them in depth.

Fortunately, Shangfang did not disappoint Liu Bian's expectations and produced various types of paper.

From "document paper" suitable for use as official documents and not easily affected by moisture, to "calligraphy and painting paper" suitable for scholars and calligraphers to wield their brushes, to "heirloom paper" that can be preserved for a long time and is protected from insects and pests but lacks aesthetic appeal, and to inexpensive "bamboo paper" and "straw paper" suitable for ordinary people.

Of course, different types of paper have vastly different prices.

The "document paper" was of excellent quality, so its price was extraordinary. A ream cost about 2000 coins, which meant that a single sheet of "document paper" cost 20 coins.

"Painting and calligraphy paper" was even more expensive, costing about 10000 coins per ream!
If it is "heirloom paper", then a ream costs 10 coins!

As a cultural byproduct, paper was incredibly profitable, almost as much as salt. Moreover, as long as the imperial court maintained access to the latest technology and continued to improve papermaking techniques, it would firmly occupy the market, much like tea, through constantly evolving processes.

As for the bamboo paper and straw paper produced in the area, no one can compare with the Shaofu in terms of cost.

Although Liu Bian invested over 100 million in paper alone, it wasn't because he purchased too much timber as raw material. As for auxiliary materials, they were mostly cheap items like wheat straw, rice straw, rice bran, and hemp cloth. Even though the purchase volume was large, they weren't worth much.

The main expenditures were as rewards and for the expansion of the workshops.

Ah, all the land under heaven belongs to the king.

I need a few pieces of timber on my own land, not for building a palace. I'm using the inland waterway transport fleet under the jurisdiction of the Maritime Trade Office. Do I have to pay for it?

I dare to give this money. Ask the governors of each prefecture, the prefects of each county, and the officials of the Maritime Trade Office, and see if they dare to accept it.
If merchants want to deal in paper, their timber suppliers might still be the Imperial Household Department. How can they compete with the Imperial Household Department, which produces and sells its own paper?
Please translate what a central state-owned enterprise (SOE) means!

With the issuance of this decree by the imperial court, there was almost no resistance in various regions.

Compared to when Liu Bian first took over the government in the sixth year of Guanghe, the heads of local administrations at the prefecture and county levels throughout the Han Dynasty had basically been replaced, and Emperor Liu Bian had thoroughly established his authority.

As long as it does not seriously infringe upon the interests of officials and powerful families, the opposition will be minimal.

Moreover, paper production was increasing year by year during this period, and the demand for paper was gradually rising, both officially and among the general public. It was only due to the limitations of paper quality and price that it could not replace bamboo slips as the mainstream writing medium.

Inexpensive, lightweight paper with high text utilization replaced bamboo slips with almost no resistance and was promoted in the imperial court and local government offices.

In particular, the Ministry of Agriculture faced countless ledgers every day. The annual income and expenditure accounts of a certain prefecture could easily fill an entire cart of bamboo slips.

If verification was required, one would have to search through a cartload or even more bamboo slips. Paper, however, avoided this trouble; at most, one would have to flip through a few more ledgers. Furthermore, errors could be marked by folding corners or writing on small bamboo slips as bookmarks. This made summarizing reports and submitting them to the emperor much easier and less laborious, and it received strong support and promotion from the Ministry of Agriculture and local administrative officials.

Of course, the most important thing was that all the paper was supplied free of charge by the Imperial Household Department. In addition to their salaries, all officials would receive paper allowances of different grades according to their official rank, which were given to officials at all levels in kind, without the national treasury having to pay half a coin.

Cao Song, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, naturally spared no effort in promoting paper and pushing it to replace bamboo slips as the mainstream medium for writing.

For such a benevolent act of contributing effort without seeking personal gain, the officials naturally praised the emperor for his benevolence in using imperial funds to produce paper for the court and to benefit the officials.

Since the main medium for writing has changed, the arrangement of the characters should naturally be adjusted as well.

In the past, due to the arrangement of bamboo slips, the writing was done from top to bottom, and from right to left, because of the habit of holding the end with the right hand and unrolling with the left.

But paper doesn't require this; writing from left to right also avoids getting wet ink on your hands.

Looking at the paper memorials written from left to right, Liu Bian felt much happier. The cartloads of official documents had been replaced by stacks of paper memorials, as if the burden on his shoulders had been lightened.

Just as Liu Bian was reviewing memorials, Zhao You, a palace attendant, entered to report that Yang Xu, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, had arrived.

Looking up, Liu Bian saw Yang Xu walking unsteadily, each step seemingly laborious. Slightly surprised, he quickly got up and helped him to a seat. Seeing Yang Xu's unsteady gait, Liu Bian frowned and said with concern, "If Lord Xingzu has important matters, he can simply submit a memorial or send someone to him. Why must he come in person?"

Since the beginning of winter last year, Yang Xu's health condition has deteriorated rapidly.

However, it was not due to any disease, but rather a flare-up of an old wound.

Although the Yang family of Taishan was a prominent clan and Yang Xu was a renowned scholar of his time, his martial virtues were far more prominent than his political achievements in governing the people.

After the lifting of the Party Prohibitions, he was recommended by Yang Ci, the Grand Commandant at the time, to serve as the Prefect of Lujiang Commandery. He gathered tens of thousands of young men and quickly quelled the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Lujiang Commandery within two months.

Dai Feng, the leader of the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Anfeng County, Jiujiang Prefecture, fled to Lujiang Prefecture. Yang Xu led his army to defeat the rebels, beheading more than 3,000 and capturing Dai Feng alive. He pardoned the rebels and allowed them to return to their hometown, and distributed farming tools to enable them to engage in farming.

While serving as the governor of Nanyang, he faced the rebellious Jiangxia Commandant Zhao Ci and, together with Wang Min, the governor of Jingzhou, beheaded more than 5,000 people.

If Yang Xu hadn't only had experience commanding a few thousand troops, and if Liu Bian hadn't been unaware of Yang Xu's abundant martial virtue before the Yellow Turban Rebellion, there would have been no need for Zhu Jun back then; Liu Bian would have appointed Yang Xu as the governor of Liangzhou long ago.

However, during his time leading troops, Yang Xu often wore armor and carried weapons at the front, resulting in numerous injuries on his body. These injuries were neglected by Yang Xu and did not receive timely treatment, which led to the development of acne.

On rainy days, Yang Xu suffers from unbearable pain in many pimples on his body, making it difficult for him to even sit up, let alone go out.

After winter sets in, his knee pain worsens, making it impossible for him to bend or straighten his knees. He needs to stay by the stove all day to keep warm, drink aconite wine, and have the imperial physician Hua Tuo apply moxibustion to warm and nourish his muscles and bones. Otherwise, the pain can even prevent Yang Xu from sleeping peacefully.

However, as the temperature gradually warms up, Yangxu's health should gradually improve.

However, at this moment, Yang Xu's eyes were dim and lifeless. He lowered his head, sighed heavily, and said in a hoarse and tired voice, "Your Majesty, I... wish to retire and return to my hometown."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bian's heart tightened, but he did not notice the exhaustion on Yang Xu's lowered face. He quickly grasped Yang Xu's hands and asked in surprise, "How could Lord Xingzu bear to leave me and return to his hometown? Could it be that I have done something wrong, causing Lord Xingzu to despise me?"

Liu Bian held great goodwill and trust in this honest, upright, capable, and not pedantic "Shepherd of the Sheep".

With Yang Xu assisting in the administration, the efficiency of the Secretariat improved dramatically compared to the past. Many of Liu Bian's new policies were able to be implemented smoothly only with Yang Xu's support.

Even now, upon suddenly hearing that he wanted to retire and return to his hometown, Liu Bian's first reaction was that he must have done something wrong that made Yang Xu unwilling to serve him, rather than suspecting that Yang Xu had ulterior motives.

"No, no, the nation is destined to be restored by the future emperor of the Han Dynasty. I never imagined I would have the honor of serving such an unparalleled sage emperor." Seeing Liu Bian's self-doubt, Yang Xu grew anxious. He looked up at the emperor, grasped the emperor's hand, and explained, "But I am also unfortunate, unfortunate that I was not born twenty years later. Otherwise, I would be like these young people in the cabinet, able to follow the nation from the very beginning, witness the nation save the crumbling edifice, and witness the great achievement of restoring the Han Dynasty!"

Yang Xu's gaze dimmed, tinged with deep sorrow, and his voice revealed profound regret.

"But my health... I'm afraid I can't hold on for many more years. Since the beginning of spring this year, although the pain from my acne has lessened considerably, I've also developed other ailments... Please forgive my rudeness!" Sitting on the couch, Yang Xu stretched out his left leg and laboriously lifted the hem of his lower garment to reveal his left thigh.

The exposed left thigh was noticeably swollen, which startled Liu Bian, who looked on in horror.

Yang Xu's eyes revealed sorrow. He sighed and said, "I thought that with the arrival of spring, my body would feel much better. However, I did not expect that many of my old acne lesions would become swollen. Even though the imperial physician ordered Zhang Zhongjing to apply Huangbai ointment to the swollen areas and to apply cold compresses with kudzu cloth soaked in well water, it was only a temporary relief and could not cure the root cause."

Liu Bian remained silent for a moment.

In fact, when Yang Xu first entered the court, his health was not good. Years of living in poverty and working diligently had taken a toll on his health.

With the court affairs now heavy and the entire government operating at high speed, Yang Xu's burden was increasing day by day, which only exacerbated his already strained health.

If it weren't for the government-run canteen and the medical care provided by the Imperial Medical Bureau, Yang Xu's health would probably have been even worse.

"To be honest with the country, I also have my own selfish motives."

After a long silence, perhaps seeing the emperor's sorrow and silence, Yang Xu broke the silence with a bitter smile and said, "Actually, given my physical condition, I can serve the country for another three or five years without any problem, but my second son, Yang Zhongyi, will marry Zhenji from Cai Bojie's family next year."

"Your Majesty, I wish to see Zhongyi and Zhenji marry and have children. I am worried that when I die, the funeral and mourning will delay their time to have children. I... wish to see the grandchildren that Zhongyi and Zhenji will give me."

"I wonder what a child, who carries the blood of both the Taishan and Chenliu Cai clans, will look like, what his character will be like, whether he will inherit the integrity of both I and Cai Bojie, whether he will be able to write beautiful characters... whether he will be good at studying ancient texts..."

Yang Xu tilted his head slightly, looking at the empty ceiling. His gaze seemed to pierce through the dome of the palace and into the distant void. He seemed to see something, and a wistful smile unconsciously appeared on his lips. He said to the emperor, "Your Majesty... I want to hold that child."

Liu Bian was naturally reluctant to let Yang Xu leave the court, but given Yang Xu's physical condition, what could he do even if he was extremely reluctant or forced to stay?
Standing before him now was no longer the powerful and virtuous "Hanging Fish Minister," but a grandfather who longed to see Yang Dao and Cai Zhenji's child born... and wanted to hold his future grandson.

He simply couldn't refuse such a simple and heartfelt request from an old man.

(4509 words)
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Note 1: There is no definitive conclusion on when Zuo Bo paper was invented, but Zuo Bo was born in 165. At least when the protagonist began planning to make paper after becoming regent in 183, Zuo Bo was still an eighteen-year-old boy who had not yet come of age. It is unlikely that he was famous for both calligraphy and papermaking, and could have developed such excellent Zuo Bo paper.

(End of this chapter)