Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 305 Zhang Fei Improves Printing Technique?
Actually, Jia Xu was the happiest person after Xu Shu arrived.

Originally, Jia Xu was the one who 'voluntarily' worked overtime every day.

After Xu Shu took over the task of selecting officials through examinations, Jia Xu resumed his leisurely life of studying from dawn till dusk.

Several people with connections also participated in the examination at the same time—Tian Yu, Chen Feng, and Jia Xu's eldest son, Jia Mu.

The three were born in the same year, all twenty years old (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning). Tian Yu had already reached adulthood, and his courtesy name was Guorang.

In fact, Tian Yu and Chen Feng were already Liu Bei's advisors, so they didn't need to come for the exam.

However, the inertia of thinking is still very strong these days. Tian Yu's mother hoped that Tian Yu could obtain a proper official career through the imperial examination system.

This is also the view of most people—being promoted due to close relationships is easily seen as a stroke of luck. Tian Yu served under Liu Bei at the age of fifteen, which easily aroused criticism.

But in reality, which of those scholars who were recommended for the position of filial piety and incorruptibility was not based on close relationships?

Of course, Liu Bei strongly supported doing so, because it would demonstrate the authority of the policy examination and make people regard it as the "legitimate path" to obtaining an official position.

Therefore, Liu Bei promoted it extensively.

It not only publicized Tian Yu, who passed the examination, but also Chen Feng and Jia Mu, who failed.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with Tian Yu passing; he's certainly capable.

After passing the strategy test, Liu Bei directly petitioned Liu Xie to promote Tian Yu to the rank of Colonel of Archers and have him establish the Archers Battalion.

This is a real military position with real power, and also a position within the Imperial Guard.

The previous Colonel of Archers was Ma Ridi, who has now been transferred to the position of Grand Master of Ceremonies. Naturally, the vacant military post should be given to one of his own.

Chen Feng and Jia Mu were actually arranged specifically to highlight the authority of the examination.

Chen Feng failed because he didn't need to take the exam in the first place. He was a retainer of Liu Bei, and he recorded Liu Bei's family history. He only registered to comply with Liu Bei's policies.

Of course, he wouldn't have passed the exams on military strategy or political affairs anyway. He wasn't the kind of genius who could learn everything, but he was reliable and determined. Perhaps he could become a censor or a royal seal-bearer in the future.

—Even Liu Bei's disciples failed the test, which of course demonstrates that the policy test was indeed fair and just, only considering actual ability.

Jia Mu failed the exam, not because he lacked the ability, but because Jia Xu wouldn't allow it...

Jia Mu's interviewer was Jia Xu himself.

It is common knowledge that fathers are very strict when it comes to evaluating their sons.

Jia Xu's standard for Jia Mu was basically equivalent to that for evaluating the Three Dukes.

In other words, Jia Mu was being tested based on Jia Xu's own abilities, so of course he wouldn't pass...

Actually, Jia Xu wasn't afraid of gossip; he was worried that Jia Mu, being young and impetuous, would cause trouble.

The fact that the sons and nephews of two powerful figures failed the imperial examination, while two young men from impoverished families were entrusted with important responsibilities, greatly boosted the enthusiasm of those from humble backgrounds and gave the imperial examination system a reputation for being "fair and just" among the people.

……

At present, military reports from all sides have not yet been sent back. Liu Bei knows that the emergence of rebels claiming to be the emperor in three directions is just the beginning, so his own troops have not yet moved, waiting for the mastermind behind the scenes to emerge.

Liu Bei initially thought the mastermind might cause trouble in Linzi, but several days passed without any movement.

So Liu Bei took some time to assign Chen Feng, Jia Mu, and others a small task.

Printing books.

These days, books are precious and scarce. If we want more people to participate in the exams and have reliable insights, we need to make all kinds of books more accessible.

Especially since we just 'borrowed' so many rare books from the Hundred Schools of Thought from the Cai family, we definitely have to spread them around.

Knowledge must be disseminated and widely known to prevent it from being lost.

Moreover, the more people who can read books, the more talented people will emerge.

Printing certainly requires printing technology, but Liu Bei didn't actually need to reinvent it, because it already existed.

Of course, what exists now is rubbing.

The first large-scale rubbing in human history was triggered by Liu Hong's work on the Xiping Stone Classics.

In order to quickly copy scriptures, scholars would lay paper on the stone tablet, then brush ink on the paper to obtain a rubbing of the text with black background and white characters.

This kind of rubbing is actually the earliest form of woodblock printing. However, this large-scale rubbing event only occurred ten years ago, and few people realize that the significance of rubbing actually far exceeds the Xiping Stone Classics themselves.

Jia Xu had personally witnessed the grand spectacle of rubbing the stone classics, and he himself had even made some. However, even someone as intelligent as Jia Xu was blinded by a single leaf, since scholars would always place more importance on the meaning of the classics.

Of course, rubbing requires paper, but papermaking itself does not need to be invented again.

Hemp paper already existed in the Western Han Dynasty, but it was quite expensive to produce at that time, even more expensive than hemp cloth.

Eighty years ago, the famous eunuch Cai Lun invented the "Cai Hou Paper" process, which uses tree bark mixed with hemp. This greatly reduced costs and was already widely used throughout the country during the reign of Emperor Huan. The scholars who made rubbings of the Xiping Stone Classics used Cai Hou Paper.

Although this bark paper is relatively rough, easily damaged, and not suitable for handwriting, it is nonetheless a low-cost paper that can be mass-produced quickly.

Moreover, bamboo and wood pulp paper already existed at this time, which was the result of improvements made by artisans in Sichuan based on Cai Lun's work.

The overall papermaking process is not much different, except that the crushing and soaking process of bamboo and wood pulp is more refined. This technology has been widely adopted south of the Yellow River. The sieving process has been improved to a very fine silk screen, resulting in paper with good flatness and toughness.

Qingzhou also has paper-making workshops, and quite a few of them.

The papermaking workshops were actually left over from the rampant cults in Qingzhou back then. In those days, various shrines and temples were the biggest consumers of paper. Talismans and sacrificial paper were very popular in Qingzhou, so there was no shortage of paper. The workshops could start up again at any time to produce paper in large quantities.

Liu Bei put Jia Mu in charge of papermaking.

Zhang Fei's art academy would be responsible for carving woodblocks for various books.

Chen Feng was a meticulous person and was in charge of printing books using woodblock printing.

This production line was decided so hastily. It wasn't a new invention; Liu Bei was just combining things that already existed. If he were to apply for a patent, it would only be considered a utility model...

As for how they should improve during the process, that's up to their subordinates.

He was a hands-off manager... mainly because Liu Bei didn't really know much technology; he only respected technical personnel and was willing to spend money on them.

Zhang Fei never expected that this amateur art academy would actually land him a job that would be remembered for generations to come...

Although Zhang Fei himself disliked reading and his knowledge of classical texts was terrible, this did not prevent him from engaging in sculpting.

Out of interest and habit, Zhang Fei added some illustrations to the woodblock print...

Having finally gotten a chance to shine, of course I had to show off my artistic flair.

For example, Zhang Fei enthusiastically added a full thirty-two illustrations to the book "Secret Play: Eight Arts of the Bedchamber" that Liu Bei had taken away... There were more pictures than words, making it look like a comic strip.

The reason Zhang Fei engraved the "Art of the Bedchamber" first was because he thought Liu Bei liked it—after all, out of more than ten thousand volumes of books, Liu Bei only took this one…

However, because Zhang Fei made too many typos, Chen Feng, after careful proofreading, decided to ask Zhang Fei to be lenient and let the students of the academy do the hard work of carving the characters.

So Zhang Fei focused solely on illustration, and even developed a completely new style of woodblock printing that combined intaglio and relief printing—combining the two techniques, and even using grid lines in some areas to create light and shadow effects during printing…

The printed positive side is no longer black with white lines, but a pure white comic strip.

This is a true print, and a realist one at that.

This was a huge breakthrough in the history of printing...

But Zhang Fei was completely unaware that he had made a new invention in printing, and was only immersed in artistic creation that combined yin and yang.

Chen Feng, however, astutely discovered the advantages of combining yin and yang woodblock printing, and thus true woodblock printing was hastily developed, becoming a high-end technology capable of printing paintings.

Sometimes, those things that seem particularly cultured are actually done unintentionally by people who don't seem very cultured.

Therefore, technological innovation and similar things must be based on life... Interest leads to passion, and passion leads to innovation and development.

The first batch of printed books was naturally sent to Liu Bei.

However, due to Liu Bei's busy military affairs, the books were taken over by the collator Cai Zhaoji.

Cai Yan was always very meticulous when it came to books, because books in those days were different from modern novels. Classics could not have any typos; if even one word was wrong, the meaning would be completely changed.

Cai Yan proofread it so carefully that she only realized at the very end that the illustration seemed rather unusual...

But Zhang Fei's paintings are now truly of a high standard, and can be described as having their own unique style, both lively and realistic.

It not only continues the traditional virtue of small branches bearing abundant fruit, but also makes many adjustments to the descriptions that are closer to real life, based on Zhang Fei's own actual observations.

Cai Yan admired the manuscript with a critical attitude until evening, her face flushed, her heart pounding, and her whole body burning with heat. Then she encountered Liu Bei, who had rushed back to check the first batch of manuscripts.

(End of this chapter)