Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 275, Section 274: Woodblock Printing
The 24th year of King Heng of Qin.

October 10th.

Grand court assembly at Zhangtai Palace.

The first royal decree of the Great Dynasty was issued by Zhou Ju on behalf of the emperor:

[Royal Edict: In the third month of spring in the twenty-fourth year, the Queen, accompanied by her, will ascend Mount Tai. We respectfully inform Heaven of the Fengshan ceremony to be performed. The Chancellor and the Grand Censor are hereby ordered…]

Meanwhile, inside Ganquan Palace, Qin Shi looked at the six-foot-long sheet of pristine white paper in his hand, a smile playing on his lips.

"The steward has done a good job. All the craftsmen and servants will be richly rewarded."

Her smile was genuine and relaxed, and the joy in her expression was completely undisguised.

The Minister of the Imperial Household brought various paper items, and he was worried that if he did not present them before New Year's Day, the Queen might be unhappy.

But to my utter surprise, I received such a reward.

Although only those lower-level craftsmen were mentioned, great prizes have never been promised in a few words.

The Minister of the Imperial Household was also overjoyed, and at this moment he humbly said, "Your subject has not presented this item earlier..."

However, he spoke slowly, but the queen said nothing more.

He cautiously peeked up and saw that the other person was already flipping through the papers, his face suddenly radiating a bright and energetic spirit, as if he were about to embark on a great undertaking.

At this moment, Qin Shi finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Summon the chief and junior officials of Ganquan Palace, as well as all other officials, to come to the palace this afternoon."

He then instructed: "Spread out paper and grind ink, and do not disturb them unless necessary."

Everyone at Ganquan Palace should master methods that can improve work efficiency, such as tables, data charts, pie charts, bar charts, and even mind maps, as soon as possible.

Using this palace as an example, the experiment was carried out slowly.

If it truly works without hindrance, then the Six Palaces should be promoted—

"Summon Qin Ba Zi, Chief Secretary Dan, and Junior Secretary Fei Qing again."

"Minister of the Imperial Household Department, dispatch two more groups of craftsmen. The woodblock printing and movable type printing that were mentioned before can now be officially put into use."

"This kind of soft paper that cannot be written on should be carefully studied by the craftsmen to find a way to reduce costs without turning into ash when wet."

"Is there any cheaper and easier-to-make paper that can be written on..."

Before the Minister of the Imperial Household could even feel excited, he was already overwhelmed by a barrage of questions and instructions.

Fortunately, the Imperial Household Department had delayed for a long time, and only after the Queen provided a ready answer did they finally present the paper. Naturally, there were quite a few cases that had been completed.

Although there are still some stumbles, I can now answer all the questions.

Qin Shi's eyes shone brightly.

Paper, one of the Four Great Inventions that is more conducive to the dissemination of culture, promotes academic development and artistic progress, and can break the monopoly of knowledge, is now in her hands.

The upcoming examination at Ganquan Palace will be the first step in promoting paper-based interviews.

All discerning people in the world who hear of this item should flock to Xianyang.

And this non-writing soft paper, though of questionable quality, is exceptionally suitable for making toilet paper.

It doesn't matter if ordinary people can't afford it.

If we can't afford it this year, does that mean we still can't afford it in three to five years? Hygiene is also an important factor in reducing immune diseases.

The Red Maiden watched in astonishment as the Queen, seemingly having taken a magic pill, abruptly changed from her usual unhurried manner, issuing a series of orders...

Unconsciously, she and Wu Zi exchanged a glance, both equally excited:
"promise!"

……

Xianyang Palace is currently bustling with activity. The six palaces still require renovation and construction, while Zhangtai Palace is warmly decorated during the New Year's Day holiday.

The craftsmen in the Imperial Household Department had worked tirelessly on the paper, and now that they had received a generous reward, they were overjoyed.

Then came the Queen's suggestion to carefully experiment with woodblock printing and movable type printing on cloth and sheepskin—

The Queen's method was exceptionally detailed, and aside from the slightly time-consuming process of carving the characters into the woodblocks, there were no other difficulties. However, the engravings on the sheepskin tended to be blurry.

The same applies to cloth.

There was no further news after that, and the craftsmen assumed their efforts were in vain, as they were slow to receive any appreciation.

Little did I know that this was meant to be used with that paper?

At the command of the Minister of the Imperial Household, without any waiting, the ready-made woodblocks were inked and printed firmly onto the paper.

The movable type was quickly assembled, and an article was engraved!
After resting for a while, peel off the paper.

Few of the craftsmen were literate, while the Minister of the Imperial Household stared blankly at the long, six-foot-long scroll in his hands—

Mozi said: The ancient sage kings, wishing to pass on their teachings to future generations, therefore wrote them down on bamboo and silk, and engraved them on metal and stone, to pass them on to their descendants, so that their descendants would follow their example...

Fearing that future generations would not know it, they wrote it down on bamboo and silk to pass it on to posterity. Fearing that it would decay and be lost to insects, and that future generations would not remember it, they carved it onto plates and bowls, and engraved it on metal and stone, to preserve it…

Whether it was woodblock printing or movable type, there were strange symbols personally instructed by the Queen to separate chapters and sentences.

Now, printed on snow-white paper, black words on white paper, the sound is so clear and resonant, it's as if metal or stone is striking your ears!

The young master of the imperial household trembled all over.

He didn't know what he was afraid of, or what was causing him to tremble.

But at this moment I know—

The profound words of those great figures passed down to posterity, whether on bamboo slips or carved in stone, were easily discarded or damaged due to their weight.

But now, the article that would normally require two bamboo slips to write can be covered by a single thin sheet of paper.

Coupled with the method of punctuation given by the Queen, if it were to spread, even commoners who know a few characters could guess and decipher its meaning.

At this moment.

Under the steaming fire of the furnace at the woodblock printing site.

He shuddered violently, cold sweat pouring down his back.

The vague thought in my mind grew larger and clearer with each passing inch:
From now on, the imperial court will probably no longer be dominated by nobles and powerful figures!
Your Majesty!

He frantically gathered the papers in his hands: "Quickly, go and report! I want to see the King! I demand to see the King!"

……

Today, during the grand court assembly at Zhangtai Palace, the Minister of the Imperial Household paced back and forth outside the hall, his heavy clothes soaked with cold sweat. However, by the time he was able to meet the King, it was already nearly noon.

"Why do you urgently request an audience?"

After working continuously for several hours, even Ji Heng couldn't help but close his eyes. The maid beside him quietly came forward and carefully massaged his forehead.

The other person carried a faint orchid fragrance, which seemed slightly heavy in the warm and cozy Zhangtai Palace.

He frowned, then raised his hand, and the other person silently retreated.

Ji Heng opened his eyes and looked at the Minister of the Imperial Household, who was bowing and respectfully presenting the papers with both hands below him. He listened to his reply with surprise.

"The Queen ordered me to carve the text, three to five hundred words in an instant! The paper is as light as a feather, so fine it's hard to find, and the Queen herself instructed me on punctuation and sentence breaks..."

"Your Majesty!"

He bowed tremblingly and presented the paper forward again: "Your Majesty, this thing could shake the very foundation of the nation!"

The Zhangtai Palace was silent.

Zhou Ju lowered his eyes, his mind racing with a thousand thoughts, while Ji Heng sat upright on the high platform, his voice calm and unwavering, devoid of joy or sorrow:
"Does Your Excellency mean that the Queen of Qin is undermining my Great Qin?"

　That passage comes from the book "Mozi". Woodblock printing and movable type printing each have their advantages; movable type is not necessarily the best.

　　Paper is considered one of the Four Great Inventions precisely because of its unique and significant meaning.

　　(End of this chapter)