Chapter 490 New Papermaking Technology, Movable Type Printing!

"Feng Xiao is right. The path to officialdom is controlled by the aristocratic families. This is one of the stubborn problems of our Han Dynasty."

"But the recommendation system has been used for hundreds of years. It is very difficult to abolish it."

Jia Xu shook his head and said.

The recommendation system played an indispensable role in the longevity of the aristocratic families, because the recommendation system determined that only those from the aristocratic class were qualified to enter the government.

This also led to "all the nobles in the temple, and no good family children from the poor family", and there were always a group of people who could enter the court.

And they understood this truth, how could the aristocratic families not understand it? Therefore, if they wanted to abolish the recommendation system, they would definitely encounter great obstacles.

After all, this is one of the foundations for them to gain a foothold in the court!

Liu Xie naturally understood what Jia Xu said.

In fact, the struggle between the emperors and the aristocrats of the Han Dynasty for "controlling the way to rise" has never stopped.

In the Western Han Dynasty and the early days of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the aristocrats' control over the path to promotion was not as serious as it is today.

But after Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu established the country, in order to establish the orthodoxy of his succession, Liu Xiu began to vigorously promote the study of prophecies and divination.

What is the study of prophecies and divination?

Simply put, it is to transform Confucianism into a religion, in which God has the highest status and Confucius is the leader.

Who the position of the emperor belongs to is determined by God, that is, "the emperor's power is granted by heaven."

God first gave the imperial power to Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, and now he has chosen Liu Xiu as the new emperor, so that Liu Xiu's succession is in line with the orthodoxy.

Therefore, in addition to studying classics, students in the early Eastern Han Dynasty also had to study prophecies and divination, and prophecies and divination even became the most important selection and assessment content.

But soon the gentry found the loopholes of the study of prophecies and divination, because the disadvantage of the study of prophecies and divination is that there is no standard answer, and everyone's answer makes sense.

Therefore, when selecting through the recommendation system, if the answers given by common people and the children of the gentry are similar, then as a member of the gentry class, the assessment official can say that the children of the gentry are more correct, and even decide who is right and who is wrong based on his own likes and dislikes.

In this way, the operating space of this selection mechanism is very large, and the gentry can completely control who will be promoted.

This is naturally not acceptable, and the emperor certainly cannot sit idly by and watch this happen. So after Emperor Zhang of Han noticed this, he held a famous White Tiger Temple meeting.

This meeting directly stipulated the standard textbooks and standard answers.

The standard textbooks are Confucian classics, and the standard answers are the Three Principles and Six Disciplines. No matter whether you are a noble or a commoner, as long as your answer is the standard answer, the reviewing official cannot say that you are wrong.

Even if the reviewing official has selfish motives, he cannot openly favor anyone.

In addition, Cai Lun later invented paper, which greatly reduced the difficulty of ordinary people writing. Therefore, after Emperor Shun of Han ascended the throne, he added written tests on the basis of the recommendation system, making it more difficult for the gentry to control the promotion channel.

However, this reform did not last long, and loopholes appeared again.

This loophole is the famous "right to interpret scriptures".

In simple terms, although the country stipulates textbooks, how to understand the content of these books and how to write teaching materials for them is not up to the emperor.

So from the middle of the Eastern Han Dynasty, a large number of officials from the gentry who started out as "interpreters of scriptures", such as Ma Rong, Zheng Xuan, Lu Zhi and other great Confucian scholars, began to emerge rapidly.

In analogy with later generations, these great Confucian scholars engaged in interpreting scriptures are equivalent to teachers in training institutions.

They will annotate Confucian classics based on their own understanding, and then teach students.

The gentry quickly regained control of the assessment mechanism through this method.

The reason is simple. Although everyone is studying standard textbooks, everyone recites the same answers during the exam, and there is no way to distinguish the superiority.

But when it comes to the understanding of the content of the book, those poor children are completely useless.

Because they have never learned these things at all, these "understandings" are written by the gentry themselves, and then they take them out to make exam questions.

In this way, only their descendants and students can answer it. It was also from this period that the gentry completely controlled the promotion channel.

"It's difficult, but we can't not do it."

Liu Xie gathered his thoughts and then said: "I once mentioned to Feng Xiao a talent selection system called the 'imperial examination system'."

"Feng Xiao should have mentioned this to you, Wen He."

Jia Xu nodded and said: "I heard Feng Xiao say something. The imperial examination system is similar to the recommendation system. Your Majesty's idea is to reopen the imperial examination."

"This move is quite similar to the Hongdu School of Emperor Xiaoling."

Although Emperor Ling was stupid, he had extremely high political skills. You can say he is bad, but you can't say he is bad.

Hongdu School is the solution that Emperor Ling came up with to solve the increasingly serious problem of the aristocratic family controlling the promotion channel.

This method can be said to be extremely clever.

First of all, the standard textbooks of Confucianism cannot be changed. This is something determined by the ancestors. If it is changed, it is equivalent to slapping the ancestors in the face and saying that Emperor Zhang did something wrong. This is not acceptable.

Secondly, the right to interpret the scriptures could not be changed, because those great scholars who interpreted the scriptures had profound attainments in the field of scripture interpretation. Even if he rewrote a standard answer for interpreting the scriptures, it would be impossible to surpass all the great scholars and convince all the students.

So he adopted a new method, that is, to open the exams himself, formulate the textbooks and answers.

Emperor Ling himself was a master of poetry and prose. He wrote the "Huang Xi Pian" with as many as 50 chapters and extremely high level of poetry and prose.

Then relying on this "Huang Xi Pian", Emperor Ling officially founded the Hongdu School and began to recruit students.

There are two conditions for enrollment. One is that the emperor must personally order the recruitment, and the other is that he must be able to write Han Fu.

After these people entered school, their only study was to write new Han Fu by referring to "Huang Xi Pian".

After that, Emperor Ling expanded the enrollment again on this basis and recruited many talents who studied painting, calligraphy and other fields.

After these people graduated, Emperor Ling directly ordered them to be promoted to ministers and ministers, and placed in various important positions.

This is one of the reasons why the world criticized him for being stupid.

But in fact, Emperor Ling's actions were not wrong, because those who can study literature, calligraphy and painting have good families.

These people have received orthodox education, but they are not high-level nobles, that is, they are from poor families at the bottom.

Emperor Ling promoted them directly, which was equivalent to bypassing the inspection system and having his own path to select talents.

It is a pity that within a few years of the establishment of Hongdu School, uprisings broke out in various places, and Hongdu School fell completely.

But in essence, there are certain similarities between Hongdu Menxue and the imperial examination system. They both open subjects and set examinations, which is a new selection system.

The difference between the two is that Hongdu Menxue is a selection mechanism that exists outside the imperial examination system, while Liu Xie wants to replace the imperial examination system with the imperial examination system.

"Yes, the imperial examination system was expanded by me based on the late emperor's Hongdu sect. I plan to re-establish the examination system."

"And the selection is not only open to nobles and poor families, but also to all common people."

Liu Xie said with bright eyes.

But after hearing this, Guo Jia and Jia Xu looked at each other. They looked at each other, and finally Guo Jia said: "Your Majesty, the imperial examination is for ordinary people... Isn't there something wrong with this?"

"I don't mean anything else. It's just that ordinary people live in poverty. It's not easy to have enough to eat. How can they afford to study?"

"Although His Majesty's idea is good, it may be impossible to implement it."

You can only think about reading after eating.

All Guo Jia wants is to give those children from poor families a fair chance of promotion, but ordinary people... can't even be called poor families.

It is impossible to ask ordinary people who face the loess and back to the sky to save money so that their children can study.

If there are more people in the family studying, there will be fewer people working on the land. Moreover, paper books are not cheap, and reading is not a matter of a year or two.

Ordinary people simply cannot afford it.

Liu Xie said with a smile: "So all reforms must be carried out at the same time, so that the people can have enough to eat and can afford to read."

"I will talk to you about having enough food later. Now I will talk to you about how to make the people afford to study."

"Come, take a look at this first."

Check out the 16-9 book bar and see the correct version!

Liu Xie pointed to a few pieces of paper lying next to him.

Guo Jia and Jia Xu reached out and took it, but as soon as the paper was in their hands, a look of surprise flashed across Jia Xu's face.

"Is this...paper?"

He had long noticed the pile of snow-white things placed next to the emperor. He originally thought it was white silk, but he didn't expect it to be paper!

The paper in his hand was completely different from ordinary paper. Not only was it as white as snow, but it also felt very delicate to the touch.

He had never seen such fine paper!

Guo Jia also noticed that these papers were unusual, but what caught his eye more was the content written on them.

"Improved papermaking?"

"Movable type printing?"

Guo Jia read out these words softly, and then looked at the emperor, his eyes full of doubts.

He guessed what the improved papermaking technology was.

It's probably the papers in my hands.

But what is movable type?

Sensing the question in Guo Jia's eyes, Liu Xie did not answer directly, but asked: "Fengxiao, Wenhe, how much do you think this piece of paper is worth?"

Jia Xu held the paper and looked at it repeatedly before his eyes. After pondering for a moment, he said: "This paper is as white as snow. The quality is the best Chengchen has never seen before. It is not an exaggeration to say it is worth thousands of gold."

"Wrong."

After hearing this, Liu Xie shook his head, then picked up a piece of paper and said, "The cost of this kind of paper is much lower than the current cost of paper."

"I don't know if you still remember that I was awarded the "Tiangong Kaiwu" by Emperor Gaozu in my dream, which recorded the new papermaking technology."

"These papers were made by the craftsmen of the Metallurgical Manufacturing Bureau using the new papermaking technology. They are not only low-cost but also of high quality."

"This matter has been carried out secretly and I have not publicized it to the outside world."

Liu Xie said frankly that shortly after he returned to Chang'an after relieving the siege of Chang'an last time, he began to let the craftsmen of the Smelting Bureau study new papermaking technology.

These papers were made by the craftsmen of the Smelting Bureau.

"And what is movable type printing?"

Guo Jia asked, pointing to the square characters written on the paper.

Liu Xie didn't say much. He took out a few small copper pieces from his sleeves and threw them to Guo Jia.

Guo Jia took it and took a look and found that one side of these copper blocks was clearly engraved with characters, but the characters were reversed.

"This is movable type."

Liu Xie explained to them with a smile: "Currently, books are generally preserved in the form of bamboo slips, but bamboo slips are heavy and difficult to carry and read."

“Although there are paper books, you still need to copy them yourself.”

"The so-called movable type printing is to arrange the copper blocks with characters engraved in this way into articles, and then brush ink on the copper blocks and print them on paper."

"Just like stamping with a seal."

Liu Xie picked up a few copper blocks, arranged them, dipped some ink on the inkstone, and pressed hard on the paper.

Three large square characters "printing" appeared on the paper.

"In this way, articles and books can be printed quickly and in large quantities without having to copy them by hand."

"Coupled with cheap paper, the price of books will naturally drop, and reading will no longer be out of reach for ordinary people."

"If you still can't afford it, it's okay. I will establish libraries in various places so that people can read for free."

Liu Xie talked freely and put forward his ideas one by one.

Guo Jia and Jia Xu were stunned after listening!

Papermaking, movable type printing!

The impact of these two things is more amazing than the three reforms that the emperor had mentioned before.

Because this is really in front of them!

Cheap paper and the technology to print books in large quantities, these two things combined can directly break the monopoly of the aristocratic families on reading!

As the emperor just said, reading will no longer be exclusive to the gentry, and even ordinary people can afford to read books!

Once more people read, they will naturally want to move up, and then they can take advantage of the situation to reform the imperial examination.

Following the will of the people is the biggest conspiracy!

No one can stop the magnificent trend!

Guo Jia was the first to recover from the shock, and then he said excitedly: "Your Majesty, you, you are really a god!"

There is no doubt that these two methods of the emperor directly hit the seven inches of the aristocratic families and shattered their greatest superiority!

The key is that these two measures are still good things that benefit the country and the people, and even the aristocratic class will have many people support them.

It should be noted that there are poor people in the aristocratic class!

For them, books are also expensive things, so they are naturally happy to see books become cheaper!

"Great! So great!"

Jia Xu couldn't help nodding his head, looking at the white paper in his hand, he just couldn't let it go.

"I thought Your Majesty would rely on force to carry out reforms directly, but I didn't expect Your Majesty to choose such a wonderful method. I really admire you!"

Using force to reform the imperial examination will inevitably cause bloodshed, but this method will not cause bloodshed at all, nor will it affect the stability of the country.

It just takes some time.

But what is time?

The emperor is only 22 years old now, he is in his prime, there is plenty of time to wait!