Chapter 297: Both benefit from cooperation

Chapter 297: Both benefit from cooperation

  Chapter 297 Cooperation benefits both

  With the status of the crown prince, it is too easy to earn some pocket money. Even if you want to make a lot of money, there are many ways. But it is not so easy to make a lot of money without being criticized.

  After all, these days, there are actually only a few profitable businesses, and almost all of them have already been operated by someone. Behind any profitable business, there are actually wealthy families standing behind them.

  Even if the emperor wanted to intervene rashly, these people would immediately shout to compete with the people for profit.

   Chengqian has a capital of more than 200,000 guan, so it is definitely not a small business to earn some pocket money. The capital of more than 200,000 guan is already a lot, and there are not many suitable businesses.

Before, Qin Lang wanted to bring Kaiyuan Bank over for Chengqian, or at least the money minting supervisor. Based on his knowledge, if he runs banking and financial business, or develops coin minting business, it will definitely be very profitable, and it is still a unique business. Woolen cloth.

  But Li Shimin is also very smart. He knew that this business would make money, so even the prince refused to give it to him.

When Qin Lang was in the transshipment department before, he made selfless dedication, improved coinage technology, and changed the ratio of various components of copper coins to make the minted money turn around. Plus minus the transportation costs, etc., now it costs 500 yuan to cast 1000 coins. Around 100, 100% profit.

  It's a pity, Li Shimin is a traitor.

   "Your Highness, what we want to do in the East Palace is also to make clean and kind money that can benefit the world."

   "Is there such money?"

   "Of course!" Qin Lang said.

   "Actually, I have two good ideas here. One is to print books, and the other is to run newspapers."

   "Printing books and running newspapers?" Chengqian was puzzled.

The number of scholars in the Tang Dynasty was small, and the key reason was that the cost of reading was too high. At this time, there were no books bound by wires, either albums like memorials or scrolls like pictures, and none of them The exceptions are manuscripts.

  In this era, there was no printing technology, neither engraving nor movable type.

  In addition, paper, ink, and pens are all extremely expensive. A volume of a book is about 10,000 words, and the cost of asking someone to copy the book is a thousand dollars per volume. So buying books in this era is often a set of several or dozens of books.

  The price of books is too expensive. The key reason is that the raw materials such as paper, pen and ink are expensive, and the second is the cost of copying books.

Paper-making and ink-making are the two most important things. Although paper-making workshops and ink-making workshops are everywhere nowadays, they are all controlled by aristocratic families. No, low yield.

  How many people copied books in the era when scholars were precious? The price of the book is naturally high.

  Qin Lang originally discovered this situation earlier, and also participated in this industry, even carried out technological reforms, and introduced engraving and printing.

   But after a little investigation, it was found that those who controlled the paper-making and ink-making industry were all the elites of the gentry, and no one could get their hands on any of them. If he really wanted to get involved, they would probably attack in groups.

"Your Highness, if we improve paper-making and ink-making technology, and develop engraving printing technology, the price of paper and ink will drop sharply, and more scholars will be able to use good paper and ink, and even many common people will be able to read and use books at an affordable price." Not to mention pen and ink, once engraving and printing are developed, the price of books will drop sharply, and more people will be able to read books, and the books of sages and sages can educate more people.”

   "Then what is the meaning of running a newspaper?"

   "Your Highness, have you seen the handwritten tabloid horse newspaper of the Chang'an Polo League?"

   "I've seen it, it's very rough, it has the results of the polo game, and every issue will introduce the situation of the two teams in the game, and even some polo-related knowledge."

   "The residence report, His Highness should also know."

   "I know, the imperial court regularly transcribes through the post station, and distributes some important news and edicts in the court to the officials of the prefectures and counties!"

  Qin Lang nodded.

"After the engraving and printing technology comes out, we can run a newspaper, which gathers the important news of current affairs disclosed by the court, and some anecdotes, even poems and songs, interpretations of sage classics, etc., and it will be published every five or ten days. .”

   "Sell money?"

"certainly."

   "Will anyone buy it?"

   "We can do it cheaper."

   "Wouldn't it be a loss?"

   "We can still attract business and sell advertisements."

From Qin Lang's point of view, if the periodicals are published every five or ten days, or every half a month, then this newspaper can be widely distributed. Chang'an, Taiyuan, Yangzhou, Luoyang, Youzhou, Jingzhou, Shuzhong and other places are not even a problem. As long as the manuscript is assembled in Chang'an, then the manuscript can be delivered to the major cities by Kuaima, and then the major cities will be engraved and printed.

  Either drafts were collected directly in Chang'an, engraved, and then quickly sent to various places, or directly shipped to various places. After all, it usually takes three or four days, or four or five days, to reach those big cities from Chang'an.

   "This will be troublesome, right?" Cheng Qian said.

Trouble will of course be troublesome, but what Qin Lang likes is not that this newspaper can make money, but that this newspaper will inevitably have a huge influence once it is published. As long as it is done well, it can control public opinion, at least it has a strong influence oriented.

  If the prince has a newspaper with a wide influence, then the prince will naturally have a strong voice, which is of course extremely important to Chengqian's status.

However, the premise of running a newspaper is the research and development of engraving and printing, and the improvement of paper-making and ink-making technology, especially the mastery of related industries. Otherwise, at the current price of paper and ink, the cost of this newspaper will be extremely high, and the newspaper will be sold at a loss. That means that few people can afford it, and influence is out of the question.

   Among them, ink making is particularly important, because writing ink is not the same as printing ink. Printing ink is useless now and needs to be studied.

  Now the best ink-making technology in Datang is in the hands of Taiyuan Wang.

  The best paper in Datang is now Yizhou hemp paper.

  The more famous paper in Guanzhong is leather paper, which uses mulberry bark and other bark as the main raw material. In the south of the Yangtze River, rattan paper is more famous, and the most famous one is Shanxi rattan paper.

  But no matter what kind of paper, the process is complicated, the output is low cost, and the price is expensive.

Qin Lang wants to make paper and use bamboo to make paper. Bamboo is also available in the north, and the quantity is not too much, but in the south, it is everywhere, full of mountains and valleys. Compared with hemp, rattan, mulberry and other paper raw materials, it is both plentiful and cheaper. It is extremely renewable and sustainable. If bamboo is used to make paper, it can also drive the current backward economy in the south.

  Especially bamboo paper is the most suitable for printing.

Another advantage of choosing bamboo paper is that no one has yet used bamboo to make paper, or it has not been widely used. , also monopolized raw materials, but also monopolized related industrial workers.

  It is very difficult to get involved.

  Since it is difficult, then simply enter the research of bamboo paper, avoid these so-called monopoly giants, and create a brand new paper.

  Qin Lang is going to pull the upstarts from Shandong into this business together. Led by Donggong, everyone joins a group to enter the paper and ink industry, breaking the monopoly of those gentry.

  The reason for attracting these people is because the name of the East Palace alone may not be able to shock these noble families. These monopolized interests have been monopolized by them for generations, and they are absolutely unwilling to be meddled.

  In the scorching sun of June, wheat was harvested, millet was harvested, and rice was harvested.

  The common people didn't care about the joy of the harvest, and started busy with autumn sowing again.

  The land of the Qin family was not short of fertilizer, and many of them were not short of water, so Qin Lang began to plant soybeans, and some fields were planted with wheat and millet in rotation, and a lot of fields were also arranged to grow rapeseed and radishes.

  Basically, one season of wheat, millet and rice, and one season of soybean **** radish are planted, which can better restore soil fertility.

  For the Qin family, there are so many farms, and they also need soybeans, rapeseed and radishes as feed, and next year, they can also press oil.

   In the fields, there are busy people everywhere.

  Chongxian Hall has already resumed school, and Chengqian has also ended the days of herding sheep.

  Qin Lang often visited the homes of the students in the Chongxian Hall recently. In fact, he mainly talked with the uncles of the Shandong Group about making paper, ink, engraving, printing books, and publishing newspapers.

  He had already made a very grand plan, and he wanted to bring the upstarts from Shandong into the car.

  Everyone claims the shares, contributes money and effort together, and then develops the technology. After the technology is developed, everyone shares it.

   "How much? Just tell me."

   After hearing Qin Lang's plan, Cheng Yaojin waved his hands readily.

   "Actually, money is not the key." Qin Lang said with a smile, "The East Palace is actually not short of money, and now it has hundreds of thousands in the account. The prince just likes crowds and excitement."

  Cheng Yaojin couldn't hear the meaning behind these words.

"Sanlang, you are a bachelor of the Prince's Shaoshi Chongxian Hall, and I am the General Youwuwei and the Prince Zuowei, so we are also officials of the East Palace. The affairs of the East Palace are naturally our affairs, and I have nothing to do with it." They want to make money, but they just like to be lively." Old Cheng laughed.

"Okay, according to the rules, it will be counted as a share of the Cheng family. When the technology comes out in the future, the Cheng family can use our technology to invest in building bamboo paper manufacturing workshops in Jiangnan, or build ink kiln workshops in other places. Paper Ink East Palace bought it."

Lao Cheng patted Mao Zhixiu's chest and said, "I've long seen those so-called famous and famous families, all of whom are poor and poor. They look at people with their nostrils all day long. Uncle Cheng is very happy to stab them twice. Ask for money. Important people, just speak up, I fully support."

   "Could it be that Uncle Cheng got angry with the Cui family?"

Old Cheng gets angry when he mentions this. He and Widow Cui are now an open matter in Chang'an. They originally agreed to welcome Mrs. Cui to the door after Mrs. Sun's death, but the problem is that Mrs. Sun is always hanging on now, and Mrs. Cui Shi was getting impatient.

  The Cui family is now proposing that old Cheng learn from Zhang Liang, divorce his wife, and marry Cui's family.

  Although Lao Cheng said that he wanted to curry favor with the Qinghe Cui family and was willing to marry the widow Cui to pass the family, so as to raise the lintel of his family background, but his first wife was ill and forced to divorce her, so he couldn't do it.

  Qinghe Cui said very arrogantly, waiting for another three months at most, after three months, Lao Cheng has not divorced Sun, or Sun is not dead, their Cui family will betroth Widow Cui to someone else.

"Uncle Cheng, in fact, I think this marriage, Qinghe Cui is not so awesome on the surface, they actually want to marry, you are now a new rich man, and it will be beneficial for both parties. So you don't have to worry, Uncle Cheng, they also want to get married. Just yelling loudly, why don't I ask Chu Mo to go to Cui's house to make a fuss and call it dirty? Maybe the Cui family will be honest!"

  Old Cheng smiled and said, "It's not appropriate to ask Chu Mo to make a fuss. In the future, Cui's family will be married, so it's not easy to get along with. Why don't you go and take the old man's place?"

  Qin Lang could only smile when he saw how he looked like a chicken thief.

   "Well, who told us that the relationship between our two families is iron-like, then I will go for Chumo."

   "Don't go too far." Old Cheng hurriedly said again.

  Seeing his appearance, Qin Lang said helplessly, "Uncle Cheng, what are you afraid of? Even if Widow Cui is really gone, wouldn't there be another suitable one among the five surnames and seven sects?"

   "I like Widow Cui very much!" Lao Cheng said in embarrassment with a flushed face.

   "Okay, let me take my time!"

  (end of this chapter)