Promotion and fortune in Song Dynasty

After sending off the few people who were leaving for the post, the courtyard suddenly became empty, which made Lu Ci, who was used to the human voice, feel a little lonely.

Why is it that the friend has already taken the lead and set off, but his dispatch has not yet come down?

If you think that he is too young and intend to let him stand in the election and travel to study in the imperial court, then you will not confer the title to the official at all in the first place.

The more Lu Ci thought about it, the more weird he felt about it.

After careful consideration, he decided to wait patiently for another two months.

If there is still no appointment at that time, go to the Ministry of Officials to ask about the situation.

The immediate priority is to save some money first.

... Lu Ci, the new champion of the Sanyuan Jidi, has hired many servants during his stay in the bustling Bianjing for several months, and traveled around the mountains and rivers, eating and drinking everywhere. In addition, I handed over a large amount of money to thank you, and bought a good horse as a gift when I sent my friend to the post... This item can only be paid in and out, and the money is spent like running water. It turned out to be a rich surplus. Finally running out.

When Mrs. Li came to visit him, he brought some dividends from his business in Mizhou, as well as the savings that Lu's mother had saved when she ran the shop, so that he could be well-off again.

But when I think about staying in Beijing for a long time, in addition to food, clothing, housing and transportation, there are also fixed expenses such as going out to enjoy food and hiring servants...

Just a rough calculation aroused Lu Ci's long-lost sense of crisis.

After all, the salary of an official may not be counted on for three to five years: the monthly salary of the eighth rank is less than twenty, because he has no assignments at present, so he can't even get this little money.

But the income is far away in Mizhou, the amount is uncertain, and if there is an emergency, it will not be able to quench the thirst.

What's more, if one lives on one's laurels, there is always the risk of sitting on the mountain and emptying the mountain - the consumption levels of the two places are very different. Even if he only wants to maintain the current quality of life without further improvement, sooner or later he will not be able to pay for it in the long run.

When he first came to the Song Dynasty, Lu Ci, who also lived a poor life with Lu's mother, immediately decided that it is better to increase income than to reduce expenditure.

Anyway, the dispatch hasn't come down yet, so I just took advantage of this time to try to make some money in Bianjing.

The more prosperous the city, the more business opportunities there are.

Although he was unfamiliar with the place, Lu Ci never worried that he would not find a chance to make money.

In his eyes, the only thing that can be called an obstacle is that the current popularity of the three-yuan title in Beijing has not passed, but every time he goes out, he will attract many people to watch.

In this way, ordinary small businesses may not be possible.

However, Lu Ci really didn't intend to do such tasks as instructing other people to make soap dumplings, and arranging for people to sell soap dumplings.

Not only is it cumbersome to implement, the technical content is low, the profit is relatively meager, and it is not decent to spread it.

If Yushitai turns up the case in the future and impeaches someone to compete with the people, it will be a lot of trouble.

While thinking about it, Lu Ci entered the room, flipped through the books carefully arranged by his servants a few times, and suddenly his eyes lit up.

It's really hard to find a place to break through the iron shoes, and it takes no effort to get it.

Why bother to run here and there, and work hard, isn't there something ready-made in front of you?

Scholars, whether they teach or sell books, are regarded as the most respectable means of earning a living in accordance with the Confucian profession.

There is no need to worry about the lack of market - entrusting the imperial court to emphasize literature and suppress martial arts, to select scholars regardless of their background, and to greatly relax the reference conditions. Scholars are a very large group.

What's more, when students go to school, it sounds good to say that they are seeking knowledge, self-cultivation and family, but to put it bluntly, it is to prepare for the scientific examination and hope to become a scholar.

The more Lu Ci thought about it, the more feasible it became.

When he was preparing for the imperial examination in recent years, he was often surprised by the lack and fragmentation of auxiliary bibliographies. In the end, for the convenience of study time, he had to collect the materials by himself, sort out a pile, and bind them together into a volume.

When sorting out the information, Lu Ci knew the content by heart unconsciously.

Compared with other scholars who can only reread the classics that must be memorized when taking the exam, and practice poetry and prose alone, the few friends around Lu Ci have benefited more or less.

Yi Shu didn't have much contact with Lu Ci in private before he applied for the exam. Zhong Yuan went fishing for three days and posted on the net for two days. Leaving these two people aside, just looking at the performance of Liu Qi and Zhu Shuo who were most influenced by him, it can be seen that the effect is good.

Of course, it can't be all attributed to the few tutorial books he compiled, but judging from the performance of Liu and Zhu who are full of praise for this, there must be some effect.

In the city of Bianjing, where scholars gather, what could be more popular than reference books that have always been scarce, and who can have a more famous reputation than him who has won three yuan in succession?

His fame, which he regarded as a burden before, has become a solid living advertisement.

After Lu Ci made up his mind, he acted quickly.

In the pile of books he compiled, he roughly classified them according to the degree of depth and the type of lecture topics, and then selected a few books, and went to Jixiantang Bookstore, one of the best in Bianjing.

As soon as Lu Ci stepped into the door of the bookstore full of guests, he was immediately recognized by the staff and most of the guests. While being surprised, they couldn't help but stare at him.

The clerk was the first to come back to his senses, trotted up to greet him, and asked cautiously, "May I ask what General Lu needs as a supervisor?"

Lu Ci just ignored the gazes of others, and asked softly, "Can I borrow a word with your boss?"

If it was someone else, the guy would have to hesitate for a while, but this person is Lu Ci who has become famous recently!

He immediately complied. After leading Lu Ci to the elegant room to wait, he trotted upstairs and told the boss.

Sure enough, his self-assertion, not only did not provoke blame, he even got a few words of praise.

The potbellied Boss Yuan ran downstairs in three steps at a time, and went straight into the elegant room.

He walked so fast that he hadn't seen it in a hundred years, and everyone was stunned when he saw him, and he didn't come back to his senses for a long time.

Faced with Boss Yuan who was smiling all over his face, Lu Ci raised the corners of his lips slightly.

After a few words of politeness between the two, Lu Ci stopped wasting time and cut straight to the point: "When I was preparing for the scientific examination, I worked hard for several years and spent a lot of time. I compiled several reference books. I wonder if Mr. Yuan is interested?"

"Thanks to General Lu, who can be regarded as a supervisor, so why not?" Boss Yuan replied without hesitation: "As for the specific price, please let me have a look."

Lu Ci generously put all the books on the table and let him read them.

Boss Yuan also counted playground houses, but he failed repeatedly, so he inherited his father's business and opened the study.

Unexpectedly, he was mediocre in studies, but quite talented and lucky in business. After more than ten years, he has become extremely prosperous. Coupled with the fact that he married a wife and had children, he has no regrets.

At first, he only planned to flip through a few pages at random, as long as the content was not too outrageous, he was willing to take it, only the price was slightly lowered.

Even if it's just to establish a little friendship with this man who is destined to have a bright future, it is definitely not a loss.

Besides, Lu Ci Sanyuan Jidi's name is here, the tribute examination has just ended, the enthusiasm has not subsided, and most of the people who went to the examination are still staying in Beijing, and his bookstore is still very famous...

With a multi-pronged approach, there is no need to worry about poor sales.

But after carefully reading a few pages, Boss Yuan's expression suddenly changed, and the speed of turning pages also slowed down a lot.

Based on the fact that he has taken the solution test several times, plus the appreciation level of running a bookstore for many years, he can certainly see how valuable and rare this reference book that thoroughly analyzes the theory is.

Seeing that Boss Yuan was engrossed in it, Lu Ci didn't rush him. He casually picked up a book of short stories from the bookshelf to read, sipped tea leisurely, and thought it was time to pass the time.

By the time Boss Yuan finished reading the top book "A Detailed Explanation of Strategies Part [-]", an entire hour had passed.

"..." Boss Yuan looked straight at Lu Ci, as enthusiastically as if he was looking at a glowing golden Buddha statue: "Please be sure to sell the engraving to my family!"

Lu Ci smiled and said, "It's easy to say."

The two haggled for a while about the printing of these six books and the specific dividends. In the end, Boss Yuan reluctantly gave up [-]%, and based on the profit of each book sold, Lu Ci made a decision. up.

Boss Yuan was afraid that the night would be long and dreamy, so he immediately put the six books in a locked drawer, and then hurriedly invited someone for his study to make a contract.

In this way, Lu Ci could no longer resell the engraving rights to other bookstores at will, but let Jixiantang sell them exclusively and rigidly.

After negotiating this deal, Boss Yuan was in a good mood, and he even took Lu Ci into their book printing workshop, and asked the craftsman to bring out the best paper and engraving blocks for printing that he was most proud of. , let Lu Ci take a look.

Although printing is very prosperous at this time, most bookstores still use local materials, and mostly use mulberry bark, mulberry bark, and bamboo of uneven quality to make paper.

Among them, the craftsmanship is slightly inferior, and the unmashed bark or bamboo tendons can be clearly seen on the back of the paper.

In contrast, the paper used by the well-known Jixiantang in Bianjing is all the best mulberry bark, the pulp is extremely finely pounded, smooth to the touch, and bright in color.

When Boss Yuan was bragging about the new style of calligraphy adopted in the store—the butterfly suit, Lu Ci stared fixedly at the whole bulky engraving block, stunned: "...Why do you still use engraving blocks for printing? "

Movable type printing, which saves materials and is more convenient to use, has not yet appeared?

Boss Yuan thought that Lu Ci thought the wood used for the engraving model was not good, so he hurriedly said, "The general will be the supervisor, but I don't know, this is already the best wood on the market."

Lu Ci couldn't remember exactly when movable type printing was invented. After hearing the words, he came back to his senses, smiled, and said in a personable manner: "Mr. Yuan, let's talk about a business again."

……

When Lu Ci really left Jixian Hall, another hour had passed.

Compared with when he came, he had six fewer books in his hand, but a few more papers in his arms.

Li Shi made two contracts, but the book payment stipulated in the first contract will not be distributed until the end of the month when the first batch of movable type carvings are produced and the finished products are put on the market.

The thousand pens in his arms at this time are the buyout money he got when he provided the movable type printing method and the improved butterfly packaging technology to Boss Yuan together.

Once this technology is widely used, Jixiantang will be able to save more than [-] yuan in excess costs every year?

The reason why they only gave so much was that both parties knew one thing well - even if Lu Ci kept the contract and Boss Yuan tried his best to keep it a secret, movable type printing would leak out sooner or later and be widely used by the world.

At that time, the advantage of Jixian Hall will also disappear.

Although Boss Yuan felt sorry, he also knew that this was the general trend; and Lu Ci didn't have the idea of ​​cherishing himself, he just felt that it was quite satisfactory.

—Knowledge is indeed wealth.

Lu Ci couldn't help sighing.

Just as Lu Ci, who was carrying a huge sum of money, was about to look for a real estate, and when he actually settled down in Bianliang, he was caught off guard by a long-overdue dispatch edict.

The imperial edict: "Taking Lu Ci, the prime minister as the general supervisor, as the principle of Jixian school, participate in the compilation and survey of books, and take office on May 28."

The author has something to say: Notes:

1. Before the restructuring of Shenzong Yuanfeng, the staff of the library was divided into three levels.The first class is Xiuzhuan of Jixian Academy, Xiuzhuan of Shiguan, Zhilongtu Pavilion, Zhizhao Wenguan, Zhishiguan, Zhijixianyuan, and Zhimi Pavilion, that is, Xiuzhuan, Zhiguan, Pavilion, and courtyard level; The second class is the first level of Jixian and Mige collation; the third class is the first level of museum collation and history review.The first class is the specific person in charge of each library and cabinet, directly managing the affairs of the library and cabinet; the second class is responsible for book compilation and survey; the third class is responsible for orthography, inspection and other matters.The promotion of library staff is generally carried out on a grade-by-grade basis.

2. The name of the bookstore Jixiantang comes from "A Picture of Rising the River during the Qingming Festival"...

3. Butterfly outfit:

This binding method is as follows: each printed leaf is folded face-to-face with the printed side as the standard, forming a form with the center of the plate inside and all sides facing outward; when the book is opened, the leaf is divided into two sides, shaped like a butterfly. It spreads its wings, so it is called this.The advantage of this kind of binding is: "The installation is folded upside down, and the four sides are facing outward, so that insects and rats cannot damage it."

However, the leaves of the butterfly book are all single-layered. When you turn a page, the first thing you see is the blank on the back, not the text;So in the late Song Dynasty, backpacks appeared again.The characteristic of this kind of binding is to fold the non-character side of the book leaves face to face, with the center of the plate facing outward, and the left and right sides of the book leaves outside the frame facing the back of the book; Staple it, then fold it in half with a piece of thicker paper, and glue it to the back of the book.After binding, when the book is opened, it is the front text of the hinge, instead of two single pages spread out like butterfly wings. ("Cultural History of the Song Dynasty")