In Chen's study, Shen Kuo talked about his research results:
"After experiments by Xiaguan and Wang Dashan, they found that wooden movable type is indeed stronger and more durable than clay movable type. Moreover, it is more convenient to obtain materials, the cost is not high, and it is simple and quick to manufacture. It can carry forward movable type printing. But the disadvantage is that the wood texture is not dense and dense.
It is uniform, difficult to carve, easily deformed after being exposed to water, and is sticky with chemicals and difficult to separate."
"In the past few months, Xiaguan has experimented with more than a hundred types of wood, and finally selected Tangli wood to carve movable type. Because this kind of wood has a fine texture, is tough and hard, is easy to carve, and does not leak water, so it can be preserved for a long time.
For a long time, it is considered an ideal material."
As he spoke, he took out a few wooden strips from the bag he carried with him and gave them to Chen Ke and Zhou Dingkun. He said: "This is Tangli wood. After being naturally dried in the sun and rain, it will not be easily deformed when exposed to water. It can be used for making things."
The characters are molded. First they are cut into strips, and then made into small character molds, and then you can write and engrave on them."
Chen Ke took it in his hand and played with it, but couldn't see any clues, so he smiled and said: "Do you think this kind of wooden movable type printing can be much faster than engraving?"
"Forgive me for speaking frankly, I'm afraid it won't be much faster." Shen Kuo shook his head and said: "Although movable type is several times more convenient than engraving, but only using movable type for typesetting is probably not very useful. A huge book can be typeset on one side.
, printing on one side takes a long time, and the movable type will not be used, which is inconvenient. After the printing is completed, it is sold out and reprinted, and it needs to be rearranged, which is inconvenient. Engraving does not have these two disadvantages, and movable type may not win.
It’s about engraving. I think Bi Sheng’s clay movable type has not been able to flourish. This may be due to these two shortcomings.”
"That's the truth." Chen Ke nodded. He had been too superstitious about the so-called 'four great inventions' before. He looked at Shen Kuo with a smile and said, "But Brother Cunzhong must have a way."
"There is no good strategy for lowering officials," Shen Kuo said, "It's just a compromise."
"Compromise?" Chen Ke smiled and said, "How to say it?"
"It is to combine movable type and engraving." Shen Kuo said: "The inconvenience of engraving is mainly that engraving is time-consuming and laborious, and the rest can be overcome." He paused and said, "So the official wondered whether it could be changed to be completely different from direct printing.
The same movable type plate is then copied into an engraving plate. In this way, although it requires one more process, it can overcome the biggest inconvenience of both movable type and engraving."
"Good idea." Chen Ke nodded and said, "Brother Cunzhong, this idea is very good. I just don't know how it will actually work?"
"Xiaguan tried rubbing it with clay and then casting it into a lead plate. The effect was satisfactory." Shen Kuo said with the rigor of a scientist: "But in this way, the clay plate will be broken and can only be used once.
It cannot be saved. And once the lead plate is damaged, it cannot be cast again. If you want to reprint, you need to retype it, but it is still not perfect. I want to find a way to cast the lead plate repeatedly without breaking, but I don’t have a clue yet.
.”
"That's good." Chen Ke was already satisfied: "The clay tablets are fragile. Let's make a few more after typesetting. It won't take much time."
"That takes up more space than engravings." Shen Kuo said with a wry smile.
"How can it be as satisfactory as expected?" Chen Ke waved his hand and said: "You continue to study, and Zhou Yuanwai will use this method to print it first. When there is a new method, we will update the technology."
"That's fine." Shen Kuo sensed Chen Ke's urgency and added: "Xiaguan also figured out a typesetting frame. Based on the thirty books he saw every day, he divided the characters into fifteen categories according to the frequency of use.
Then summarize these fifteen types of characters and divide them into three categories: common characters, spare characters and rare characters, and place them on a tripod. The tripod is divided into three parts: left, middle and right. There are twenty-four plates in the center of the front.
These twenty-four disks are further divided into eight disks on each of the upper, middle and lower floors. The eight middle disks contain commonly used characters, and the eight upper and lower disks are equipped with characters. There are sixty-four disks on both sides. They contain rare characters. Various types.
The movable types are all arranged according to the 'Radical Detection Method' in the "Dictionary" of Your Majesty. When typesetting, the type picker stands in the middle and picks up the words, which is quite convenient and can greatly improve the speed of movable type typesetting."
"As expected of Brother Cunzhong." Chen Ke raised his hands in approval and said, "Your method has far exceeded my expectations... Shen Kuo promised to wait until the printing workshop was on track before leaving Beijing, so Chen Ke arranged for him to live at home.
Exit. Shen Kuo hesitated for a moment, and then hesitantly said: "I'd better stay in the post house. Your Excellency is newly married, so I can't disturb you."
Although Chen Ke said, "It's not a problem," Shen Kuo still insisted on staying in the post house. Chen Ke had no choice but to let him go.
"This person doesn't seem to want to get too close to adults." After Shen Kuo left, Zhou Dingkun said a little unhappy.
"Normally, at this time, any more rational guy would keep a distance from me," Chen Ke said with a nonchalant smile: "It's just that I am the only one in the world who can appreciate him and give him a platform to display his talents, so he
You can’t draw a clear line with me yet.” He looked at Zhou Dingkun and said, “What do you think of his inventions and innovations?”
"This Master Shen is indeed a rare genius." Zhou Dingkun said: "The ingenuity of his invention is amazing," he paused and said, "But even if we rely on this technology to dominate the publishing industry in Bianjing
, what does it matter?" Zhou Dingkun is only interested in large-scale overseas trade and financial business, and the small profits in the publishing industry really cannot catch his eye.
"You can't just settle small accounts in everything." Chen Ke shook his head and said: "This matter is related to the ages, and we must do it well regardless of the cost."
"Okay." After all, Zhou Dingkun is just an accounting clerk. What he will do depends on the boss's instructions: "I will buy a printing workshop tomorrow and let Mr. Shen work on it."
"One is not enough, at least ten." Chen Ke shook his head and said. What he envisioned was a large printing factory with hundreds of people, with a type workshop, a typesetting workshop, a proofreader, a printing workshop, and a binding workshop.
In the workshop, there is a reasonable division of labor and assembly line operations. This is the only way to improve production efficiency.
"Sir, do you really plan to unify the publishing industry in Bianjing?" Zhou Dingkun said with a bitter smile: "Now the plan to reduce expenditures has been ruined again."
"Time waits for no one, Lao Zhou." Chen Ke stood up and told his true meaning to his confidants: "If you want to succeed, you need opportunities, but opportunities are fleeting. If you can't grasp them, think about the situation again.
It’s difficult.”
"Your Excellency, do you want to print the "Shangshu Apocrypha Examination"?" Zhou Dingkun said suddenly.
"Yes." Chen Ke nodded and said: "This matter of identifying falsification cannot be deeply rooted in people's hearts just by talking about it in sutra banquets. We still have to print the textual research into a book and let the scholars around the world review it. As long as I can withstand the scrutiny, then
The "Book of Documents" that I criticized is naturally untenable."
"This, traditional engraving and printing is completely capable." Zhou Dingkun said.
"I want to strike while the iron is hot, and I will publish a long series of articles in the future," Chen Ke shook his head and said: "In the future, we will have to run newspapers and magazines, and engraving will be too slow."
"Sir..." Seeing that Chen Ke was not acting on a whim, but seemed to be working hard, Zhou Dingkun asked puzzledly: "Why did you change to be a scholar?" In his opinion, Chen Ke's character should be like pomp and circumstance.
Are you out of tune with academics?
"Let me ask you," Chen Ke did not answer directly, but asked: "Once you gave Leye people a thousand years of exile, why did they not dissipate, but became more united?"
"Because we have a rabbi and a Bible." Zhou Dingkun said solemnly.
"Yes." Chen Ke nodded and said: "The teachings of Judaism interpret the worldview, values and outlook on life of Yishi Leye people. A nation that grew up under this kind of education will naturally develop self-confidence, pride and cohesion. Naturally,
Will not be defeated by suffering."
"Your Excellency, your knowledge is indeed extraordinary." Zhou Dingkun heard this and said with great admiration: "I have never thought of this truth when I grow up. I'm afraid this is the purpose of Moses creating Judaism." He opened his eyes wide and said: "Your Excellency, you want to
Establish a religion?”
"I have such an idea," Chen Ke, who was not afraid of the wind, said with a flash of his tongue: "After the decline of Confucianism in the Han Dynasty, Buddhist and Taoist thoughts became rampant and did great harm to China. Therefore, this dynasty re-emphasized Confucianism and respected Confucianism in order to unite people's hearts.
To bring order out of chaos. However, Confucius and Mencius are too far away from us after all, and the Han Confucian approach has long been proven to be unworkable. So I, the Song Confucian, have always wanted to focus on the classics and establish an ideological system suitable for the Song Dynasty. Now
It’s a time when various schools are contending and there is no leader, why can’t I compete?”
"I secretly believe that their methods are not very good, and they cannot shoulder the important task of reshaping the people of the Song Dynasty. Therefore, although I hate being a scholar, I have the duty to revive the decline of the Chinese people!"
"My lord, you didn't tell me earlier." Zhou Dingkun said with admiration: "This subordinate will give full support even if he tries to sell iron."
"How can it be possible to sell iron at the same time?" Chen Ke shook his head and said: "The publishing market in the Song Dynasty was actually very large. But because the cost of engraving and printing was too high, many people who wanted to publish were discouraged. Once we reduce the cost, we will definitely
There is endless business." He said with a smile and said: "Moreover, we can also publish some legendary novels that the common people like to read, such as talented men and beautiful women, and romances of the Sui and Tang Dynasties. I am sure to make a lot of money."
"Sir, you don't have to worry about this." Zhou Dingkun said: "Tomorrow I will go to Bianjing to inspect the publishing industry and select ten companies to acquire as soon as possible."
"It's better to entrust them to print the book "Shangshu Apocrypha" with engravings." Chen Ke was worried that if it was delayed for too long, the heat would dissipate.
"My subordinates also mean the same thing." Zhou Dingkun nodded and said...divided...I insisted on finishing it, but it was painful to death. Please encourage me...!~!
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