Chapter 319: To learn from the past

Chapter 319: To learn from the past

  Chapter 319 is the study of going to the sage

   Chang'an City set off a boom.

  Jixian Library is now the most popular store in Chang'an.

  The anthology of Taibai poems has long been sold out, and the reprints of the Three Character Classic and the Thousand Character Classic are also sold out, with a huge amount of reservations. Although there is no stock for a while, the scholars still come to check in every day. It is close to the Gongyuan, and almost all the scholars in Chang'an, especially those from other places, live in Pingkangfang, so everyone now regards this as a scholar. The place where the kids get together.

  There is also a reading room behind Jixian Library, where you can borrow books and register for borrowing books with a membership card.

  The environment is beautiful and the atmosphere is good.

  Although there are many rules, everyone likes to come.

Especially for some long drifters, the economy is relatively tight, and they don’t have the money to buy so many books. Now they have the opportunity to borrow books from Jixian Library. Forbid them to copy books.

  Even Jixian Library provides some part-time job opportunities every day, hiring them to transcribe some books, or organize some books.

  Jixian Library has specially set up a Jingzi booth outside the library gate, and sent people to collect old paper and old books.

Old paper is old paper with characters. Since ancient times, people have respected and respected paper with characters. Even if the paper is useless, they will not easily destroy it. Generally, there will be a kiosk for recycling old paper everywhere. Taiwan, these useless papers are taken there to be burned, to show respect for words and paper, and respect for the culture of the sages.

  Qin Lang sent people to build a respectful pavilion outside the museum to collect these old books and old papers.

  The common people can send all the old papers and old books, and the library will give some rewards according to the quantity and whether it is valuable.

Even if it is useless old paper, it can be replaced with one or two new sheets. If it is some valuable old books, it can be exchanged for a lot of money. If it is some precious ancient books, it can be replaced with many good ones. thing.

Someone brought several scrolls of bamboo slips before, which looked very broken, but after identification, they were found to be the slips of the Han Dynasty, and the contents recorded were also very precious. I paid ten guanqian as reward.

This time, everyone's enthusiasm was high. Many people brought some old papers and old books from home, some old books that I didn't know what they were, and even a clerk from the pharmacy got some tortoise shells with many symbols on them. He didn't recognize it either, but he felt that it should also be a character of some dynasty, so he sent it for a try.

   As a result, no one knew the library. Qin Lang happened to come to inspect and was surprised to recognize that it was oracle bone inscriptions.

  In later generations, these armor fragments excavated underground were regarded as keel bones for medicinal purposes, but they were discovered by a person of insight by accident, so there was research on oracle bone inscriptions.

  However, in ancient times, oracle bone inscriptions have always been researched and inherited. This is a specialized study, which is classified in the study of epigraphy. There are very few people who study it, and there is a lack of systematic argumentation.

  Ordinary people really don't know this thing.

  Qin Lang attached great importance to it, so he directly gave the guy a gold equivalent to a tortoise bone, and told him that this was the writing on the tortoise shell during the Shang Dynasty.

   This shocked the whole Chang'an.

Some people are surprised that a few pieces of tortoise shells can be exchanged for heavy gold, while others are surprised that Qin Lang said that those are Shang Dynasty characters. You know, the Tang Dynasty has a history of nearly two thousand years from the Shang Dynasty, even if it is more than a thousand years away from the late Shang Dynasty. years.

  Historical books have more records about the Zhou Dynasty after the Shang Dynasty. For the Shang Dynasty before the Zhou Dynasty, there are actually very few records left, and this period of history is very vague.

  The most important thing is the lack of written records left over from the Shang Dynasty.

  Qin Lang's discovery still caused a shock in the historian circle.

The Jingzi Pavilion of Jixian Library is also named Chang’an. Every day, many people bring books, some of which are purely discarded old calligraphy paper, and some people bring all kinds of old books, some of which are actually of average value. The inventory is large, but I did receive many valuable old books, and even many predecessors' notes, all of which are unique materials.

  Qin Lang pulled out a large sum of money to build a special research room, and invited many people to sort out and study these books and materials, classify them, and then transcribe them.

  Qin Lang respects and cherishes these things very much. For him, these are history and China.

Throughout the ages, many nationalities have risen and weakened, and finally died out, or even completely buried in the dust of history. The most important thing is that without this kind of cultural inheritance, they don't know who their ancestors are, and they don't know what kind of history they have had. , So there is no such glory, and the lesson will not be learned, which is sad.

  And a nation has its own culture, has its own history, disrespect, it is even more tragic.

Many well-known Confucian scholars and scholars in Chang'an received requests from Qin Lang to help them study and sort out these materials. Qin Lang gave good conditions, and many scholars in Chang'an also received requests from Qin Lang. Part-time job request, let them assist those great Confucian scholars and scholars in sorting out, transcribing, etc.

  Some things, in the eyes of some great Confucians, are just miscellaneous learning, or even heresy, but Qin Lang still thinks that these first-hand materials are of great value.

   Organize and transcribe it, which can be used for future research and reference.

   Even some of the so-called miscellaneous fallacies are actually very important research results in astronomy, calendar, geography, physics, mathematics, and even engineering, construction, animal husbandry and many other aspects.

  Even some predecessors’ notes, some of the strange notes, unofficial historical miscellaneous notes, etc., are of high literary and historian value.

  This matter requires money, a lot of money.

   He even had to continue to post money, and he might not see any return at all, but Qin Lang still insisted on doing it. He was willing to do his best to save the culture.

  Just like the oracle bone inscriptions, he also set up a special research room, invited scholars in this field, and went to various places to find and collect oracle bones as a specialized study.

  At first, Cheng Qian still found it difficult to understand, but later he gradually supported him. He still couldn't understand the meaning of doing so, but he knew that Qin Lang was not the kind of person who would do useless work.

  So with the crown prince's nominal lead, this matter will be even more influential.

  Of course, Jixian Library is still very profitable.

  In addition to the three books sold out of stock, forcing the publishing house to reprint and reprint them, Jixian Library itself also sells many other handwritten books, and stationery such as paper and ink are also important commodities.

In addition to the low cost of printing books, bamboo paper is also good for copying and so on. However, its price is very different from that of various leather paper, hemp paper, and rattan paper. Therefore, many scholars queue up to buy every day, and everyone wants to stock up. Cheap bamboo paper.

  Jixian Library even received a large purchase order from the imperial court and purchased a large number of orders from them. For this reason, the library immediately placed orders with various paper workshops and ink workshops that supplied the supplies.

   Jixian Library is very popular among scholars now, and Jixian Library has appeared many times because of the prince's share, so these scholars who have benefited from it began to praise His Highness without hesitation.

   It is also beneficial for Jixian Library to use the name of the prince. Firstly, no one dares to get confused. If anyone else came up with ink, cheap bamboo paper, woodblock printing, and such cheap books, I'm afraid the store would be burned by countless old interest groups within three days.

  Maybe they don't need to set fire to the store at all, just find a few random people, and they can get the bookstore owner involved in a case that he can't get out of.

  But for the shop opened by the prince, it is inevitable to worry about it.

   Jixian Library has been open for a long time, and it has become more and more prosperous. Nothing has happened, but Qin Lang has always sent people to be on guard.

   It has touched the interests of too many people, and some people will definitely refuse.

  When the third edition of Taibai Poetry Anthology arrived for sale again, there was finally a situation.

   "A new Tianyi Bookstore opened in Dongshi, and their family has also started selling printed books."

   Ah Huang ran to tell Qin Lang.

   "Tianyi Bookstore? Do you really sell printed books?"

   "I bought all the books."

   What Ah Huang bought was also a thread-bound book. Its binding method is the same as the printed book of Jixian Library, and even the cover is the same as the blue leather cover.

  The book is very thick, with more than forty pages, each page is filled with thirteen lines, and one line has thirty-two characters. The layout is much more compact than Qin Lang's Three Character Classic, and there are no punctuation marks.

   "The Analects!"

   This is a printed version of the Analects, in block letters.

   Look through it carefully, this is a pure Analects, without any annotations from later generations. Such an Analects has about 16,000 words.

  Lao Huang bought ten copies. Qin Lang compared them and found that they were all exactly the same. They were indeed engraved and printed, but compared to the books in Jixian Bookstore, this Analects of Confucius is still a bit rough.

They also use yellow bamboo paper, but although the ink used is ink, it is obviously not as good as the ink used by the printing bookstore. Another possibility is that they are rushing for time. Generally speaking, there are no typos or omissions, but the printing effect of the fonts is not very good, with different shades, and even some smudges.

   But it is indeed a printed Analects.

   "How much is a copy?"

   "Eight hundred dollars!"

Nearly 50 pages of the Analects of Confucius, nearly 16,000 words, if it is the original manuscript, the market price will not be less than 2,000 yuan, if the handwriting is more beautiful, and the paper is better, it may cost 4,000 to 5,000 yuan, or even more expensive .

   And now this Analects is only 800, it seems that the other party is also trying to grab the market at a low price.

   "There are a lot of people queuing up to buy it, Saburo, we also have to print the Analects, and it has to be cheaper."

  Qin Lang smiled.

  It seems that some booksellers can't do it anymore. After all, they didn't dare to do anything to the Jixian Library under the name of the crown prince, and they were unwilling, so they also started engraving and printing books.

Engraving and printing books is actually not difficult, but no one has done it before, or there was a problem with ink before, and when Jixian Library launched engraving books, it is still easy for those who are interested to imitate them as long as they do reverse research. A ready-made copycat object.

   "This is actually a good thing, it shows that the market is changing with us!"

   "But they steal our business."

   "Everyone can print this book. As long as the quality is guaranteed, it is beneficial to readers. We welcome it." Qin Lang is not afraid of this kind of open and fair competition. This is healthy competition and should be encouraged.

   What's more, in fact, Qin Lang still has a magic weapon in his hands that no one else can shake, that is, the compilation of the Nine Classics of Justice has produced some results.

  The East Palace organized a large number of famous Confucian scholars to discuss the compilation of the Nine Classics and Justice. At present, the nine groups have produced several volumes, and some have even produced more than ten volumes.

  Although it is not yet fully completed, the content of the previous volumes has been reviewed, which means that it can be published. This is the standard scripture for imperial examinations unified by the imperial court. Anyone who participates in the imperial examinations must read this book.

  So this is the biggest opportunity for the Chongxian Library Printing Bureau and Jixian Bookstore. As the Eastern Palace system, they can naturally obtain the qualification to be the first to publish.

   "My Majesty, I will take the first scriptures of the Nine Classics that have been compiled and reviewed, and take them to His Majesty for review. As long as His Majesty permits, we can officially start writing, proofreading, engraving, printing and publishing."

I dare not say that every scholar in the entire Tang Dynasty will have a copy in the future, but at least the government students at all levels of the imperial court and candidates who want to take the imperial examination must read these books. Even if only some people buy it, then this is a huge demand .

  With such a big market, why bother with other booksellers’ counterfeit woodblock printing?

  Compared to technology, compared to relationship, they can't compare to Donggong, eat meat for themselves, and give others some soup.

   Hall of Liangyi.

  Li Shimin saw the scriptures brought by Qin Lang and Chengqian.

  Nine classics of righteousness, about fifty or sixty volumes have been repaired, and the speed is good.

  Li Shimin looked through it carefully, and kept nodding his head, expressing his satisfaction.

   "I didn't expect the East Palace to be so efficient."

   "Your Majesty, these are all corporals of His Royal Highness, who have done enough logistical work for the great Confucian scholars and celebrities from all walks of life, so that they can work with peace of mind and no worries, so this efficiency is also high."

   Li Shimin laughed.

After all, the justice of the Nine Classics is just compiling, not writing, so it’s not too complicated to say that it’s really complicated. In fact, it’s just choosing one as the standard version among the various scriptures and annotations that have been circulated before, and then slightly revising it. .

   But after all, what is involved is an academic dispute, so the descendants of various academic schools will definitely have disputes. The fact that the results can be produced so quickly shows that the host is very capable.

   "Yes, these engravings can be printed and distributed."

   Li Shimin originally planned to compile a copy of the Nine Classics and Zhengyi, and each of the Hongwen Hall and the Chongxian Hall would copy a copy, one original and one copy, and then the Guozijian would also copy a copy for students to copy.

  But now, the success of Qin Lang's engraving and printing technique can allow the justice of the Nine Classics to be implemented in the world faster. In particular, the court didn't even need to pay extra.

  Not only did he not need to pay, Qin Lang even proposed that the Chongxian Library Printing Bureau would take out 10% of the book price as the publishing fee. Of course, this edition fee belongs to Donggong who organizes the compilation. But Donggong will take the money, part of it will be sent to the great Confucian scholars who are responsible for the compilation as remuneration for the manuscript, and the other part will be used to pay the descendants of the authors and commentators of the Nine Classics.

  The last part is paid to the subordinate officials and scholars who participated in the compilation, and the rest can be dedicated to the emperor's internal treasury.

   Li Shimin was a little embarrassed to hear that.

   "This edition fee is quite good. Give it to the great Confucian scholars and subordinate scribes who participated in the compilation. The rest belongs to the East Palace."

   "How do you plan to set this price?" the emperor asked.

"This time, the East Palace will fully cooperate with the imperial court's original intention of compiling the Nine Classics and promulgating the world with justice, so the price will be the lowest. It will be published by volume. A volume of 40,000 characters, less than 30 pages, we will only sell for 50 yuan. In addition, we will also Book rental services will be launched in various Jixian bookstores, renting and reading the Nine Classics is just, and one volume is only one penny a day!"

   "Good!" Li Shimin was very satisfied.

   "To establish a heart for the world, to establish a life for the people, to inherit the knowledge of the past, and to bring peace to all generations, this is what we scholars should do!"

   Li Shimin was on the spot, looking at Qin Lang in disbelief!

  (end of this chapter)