General Constitution of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 34
In the cold wind, the two looked at each other and smiled.

Looking at the dazzling array of books in the shop of Shidetang, Ning Jue suddenly seemed to think of something.

"Shopkeeper, all the books you sell in this shop are shipped from Jinling?"

Hearing Ning Jue's words, the shopkeeper smiled again, pulled out a stool and sat in front of Ning Jue and poured a bowl of tea.

"At first glance, you are a nobleman. It's just a few books. It takes a lot of money to travel from south to north. These are my bookstores. There are more than 30 master craftsmen in the suburbs of the city. I dare not say that Jiangnan is prosperous, but in this Jiangbei, There is absolutely no better bookstore than my Shidetang printing plate."

In fact, as early as the end of Tang Dynasty, printing technology was already mature, but the technology of papermaking was only improved after the melee in the Central Plains at the end of Yuan Dynasty. By the time of Jiajing Dynasty, 45 Wen in the south of the Yangtze River could buy two knives of paper. The area of ​​A4 paper is actually almost the same as the rice paper of later generations.

Of course, this does not mean that the production technology of the first generation has been developed to a level similar to that of later generations, and there are also factors of low market demand.

Ning Jue was drinking tea, but his eyes fell on the Shu Jishi in front of him.

"The store, if I print a manuscript, about [-] copies will be printed, how long will it take for delivery?"

The shopkeeper frowned.

Ning Jue looked like an official of the DPRK and China, and he had taken over this kind of business many times.

After all, since Hongzhi, those workshops used by the imperial court have basically become useless and can only rely on folk workshops.

"It depends on how many words you want to print and how many pages this manuscript has. If you need it urgently, you don't dare to delay the nobleman's important business."

"One page per copy, about two to three hundred words."

After Ning Jue spoke, the shopkeeper guessed what Ning Jue wanted to print.

"My lord, I don't know whether to ask this little one. Is he loyal to the manuscript you printed...?"

Ning Jue's expression didn't change at all, instead he stared firmly at the shopkeeper and said,
"Natural loyalty! And it's great loyalty, true loyalty and righteousness! I can write it for the shopkeeper to read right now!"

The shopkeeper and Ning Jue didn't notice that the scholar who had just used his elbow as a pillow had gradually regained some sanity.

Ning Jue flicked his brush, and in a short while wrote an article eloquently. After all, his predecessor was a second-class Jinshi, so Ning Jue still has some muscle memory.

In fact, when Ning Jue was about to finish writing, the store owner regretted it.

Why did I start chatting with Ning Jue in an awkward manner.

In this article, loyalty is loyalty, and righteousness is righteousness, but loyalty is not the same thing as what I understand!

"Guest officer, you...you're joking, a small shopkeeper can't stand it!"

"Huh? The store owner doesn't think it's loyal enough?"

The shopkeeper begged for mercy repeatedly, dumbfounded.

"Loyal enough, this is too loyal, it's all the fault of the little one, the little one shouldn't have opened the door at all tonight!"

"Besides, if the court blames you in the future, you'd better leave. The small shop can't run away from the temple."

It was the death of the queen, the Marquis of Anping, and the prince.

The person mentioned in Ning Jue's paper is Lu Bing, the governor of Jinyiwei, who has the lowest rank.

Let's just say that the real murderer behind this scene is not even afraid of the emperor. Isn't it easy to clean up a small bookstore? !

Ning Jue looked at the shopkeeper, shook his head and said.

"I'm not kidding, no one will track down who printed this manuscript."

"No, do you believe this yourself? How could the emperor not investigate such a stack of papers that appeared out of nowhere in the capital?"

"Because when you finished printing, I had already taken this manuscript and made an admonition outside Chengtian Gate. Everyone in the world will know that I printed this manuscript, so why should the imperial court investigate again?"

Outside Shide Hall, there was a dead silence, and the storekeeper looked at Ning Jue in disbelief.

"Are you... wanting to remonstrate to death?"

Ning Jue nodded slightly.

"Well, since I eat the fat of the people, I can't just sit back and watch the treacherous and sycophants make troubles."

The store was silent for a long time.

He is a common man who doesn't understand the twists and turns of the temple.

But the ordinary people of Ming Dynasty all know that if the power is stolen by a traitor, the common people in the world will suffer.

It is precisely for this reason that people in the world admire ministers who are critical.

"Sir, I'll take this order! It's just that you will be outside Chengtianmen at that time, and when the manuscript is printed, who should it be for?"

Ning Jue looked at the store in front of him.

From the shopkeeper's eyes, Ning Jue could clearly feel a rush of blood, but Ning Jue's heart was full of mixed feelings.

All the people in the world, regardless of whether they are at home or not, always have a firm heart. This is the kindness in the bones of human beings as the primates of all things.

Without this fisting heart, the world will be in chaos, but if this fisting heart is too strong, it will be used by others.

That's why advancing is also suffering and retreating is also suffering, sadly.

After heaving a long sigh, Ning Jue's gaze gradually shifted to the scholar who was using his elbow as a pillow just now.

"Brother, have you had enough sleep?"

The scholar lying on the table was obviously taken aback, and then burst out laughing.

"That's enough, sir, do you have something to order?"

Ning Jue looked at the scholar and said with a smile, "Brother, would you like to help me with this?"

"After Xiongtai sees me admonishing me at Chengtianmen, I will send children to distribute this manuscript in the middle of the night. I don't want everyone to know about it, but I just want it to be dispersed."

"Sir, no one even knows Xiaoke's last name, so you're not afraid that I'll report it to Jinyiwei?"

"Not afraid."

"Why?"

"Because I know that Xiongtai also wants to help me, and I depend on Xiongtai for this matter. If Xiongtai is unwilling to help me, this ingot of silver will be the tea money for the children to listen to books at that time."

After finishing speaking, Ning Jue made a deep bow to the scholar and the shopkeeper.

Then he took out a silver ingot from his pocket, patted it on the table and walked away.

Ning Jue is willing to gamble on the character of a person who is willing to tell stories to children after being drunk.

Not long after, Ning Jue was gone outside Shide Hall.

The shopkeeper glanced at the scholar.

"Zhang Shuchang, you...?"

The scholar stroked his beautiful beard, looked at the direction Ning Jue was going home and said with a smile.

"Ask me why, this is the payment for that gentleman to print the manuscript."

"Small means, you should not get involved in this matter. The younger ones know each other, so let the younger ones handle this matter."

Obviously, the store owner didn't really want to involve the scholar in this matter.

The scholar smiled wryly and shook his head.

"Shopkeeper, how did you take the children to escape the soldiers and horses patrolling the city? This matter is only for me to handle. Don't worry, it won't involve too much, but it's just icing on the cake for that gentleman."

The scholar knew why Ning Jue was able to take this matter into the plan hastily.

If you want to remonstrate to death, someone will submit it to the emperor.

It doesn't matter whether this matter is spread or not, it's just adding another firewood to the fire.

After the wind blows for a while, the scholar's alcoholism gradually dissipates, and the lamp oil at the entrance of Shide Hall gradually burns out.

The storekeeper looked at the scholar who had made up his mind, and couldn't help crying and laughing.

"You have a bright future, so why bother?"

The store owner knows that this matter may not affect the scholar or anything, but in another ten or twenty years, when the scholar becomes famous and these dolls grow up, can this matter be concealed, and whether it will become the scholar's handle? No one will know.

The scholar looked at the brightly lit square in front of him and smiled thoughtfully, "It's scary to be an official."

"Although I don't sell books, I also want everyone in the world to be able to read and write."

(End of this chapter)