After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 710 - 700 Progress

The news about movable type printing that Zhao Hanzhang cared about spread to book offices everywhere. Not long after, the Luoyang Book Office brought good news: after relentless research efforts, they finally developed copper movable type. Currently, 286 copper movable type characters have been successfully cast, with each character cast nine times, making it barely possible to piece together a book.

Zhao Hanzhang was overjoyed and immediately instructed to accelerate the casting process.

Soon after, good news also came from the Yu State Book Office. Through continuous research, they had mastered relatively stable porcelain movable type and sent a set over.

Hu Jin did not disappoint Zhao Hanzhang. He tried several materials; wooden movable type proved unstable, and even if characters were made, they’d crack after few uses due to excessive wear;

Clay movable type was difficult to manage temperature-wise and tended to break during casting, making it hard to shape;

He also tried iron and copper movable type, but the former was ineffective and the latter was expensive. In the end, he returned to focusing on clay movable type.

To this end, he squatted in the Glass Workshop to learn, and it was ultimately Fu Tinghan’s temperature instrument that played a crucial role. After a year of experiments, a suitable type of clay and temperature range were finally found.

Thanks should also go to the porcelain workshop not far from the Glass Workshop — that’s Zhao Hu’s workshop. He reconfigured the clay used for firing porcelain, and with the help of a porcelain master, crafted a set of molds. As long as the temperature was controlled, the success rate for firing molds ranged from sixty to seventy percent.

Engraving positive molds on clay is much easier than carving on copper. Once placed in molds to be fired into porcelain, a kiln can hold as many as three hundred characters. Even a sixty percent success rate would yield over a hundred characters, making it much more convenient than carving.

Now Xiping has begun using movable type for printing books, but unfortunately, this type of work isn’t something ordinary craftsmen can do; literate individuals are required for typesetting.

At the book office, two-thirds of the craftsmen who do engraving work are illiterate.

Therefore, Hu Jin sent the molds over with a request for Zhao Hanzhang: he wants the craftsman at the book office to audit classes at the school. It’s okay if they can’t write; at least they should recognize characters so they can typeset the books correctly.

Zhao Hanzhang immediately agreed and personally wrote a letter back to Xiping and Chen County, instructing craftsmen at other book offices to attend school as well. She said, "Craftsmen can take turns attending, or if they have no time during the day, they can go at night. Don’t be stingy with lamp oil; the book office should allocate funds to support the craftsmen’s education."

To that end, Zhao Hanzhang, together with Fu Tinghan, wrote to schools everywhere, asking them to start a class dedicated to teaching craftsmen literacy.

The craftsmen at the book office aren’t like other artisans. Though illiterate, because they work with engraving all the time, they’re familiar with positive and negative molds of characters and therefore learn to recognize them faster than other artisans.

Zhao Hanzhang thought since the book office’s craftsmen are starting literacy classes, why not involve all artisans? Night schools should be initiated.

In Luoyang, Fu Tinghan would handle it, but as for Yu State, although it falls under his jurisdiction too, being too far away, Zhao Hanzhang entrusted the matter to Zhao Ming.

Zhao Ming glanced at the letter and put it aside, handing it over to his officials to execute, while he frowned over a letter Zhao Hanzhang had sent a couple days prior.

It was a letter about amending the tax reform law, not a notification but a solicitation of opinions.

Zhao Ming couldn’t decide, so he delayed responding to her.

Yu Shiming knocked and came in, upon seeing Zhao Ming still studying that letter, he approached, took the wine jug in front of Zhao Ming, poured himself a glass, and said, "Can’t the Prefectural Governor decide yet?"

Zhao Ming pressed down the letter, "This law was just promulgated early this year, and this year is the first time taxes are collected according to it. If amended now, won’t it seem fickle?"

"When this law was issued, high-ranking officials and aristocrats in Yu State and Luoyang all had complaints, privately cursing Hanzhang a lot. Amending it now might embolden them more, making it tougher to manage them in the future." 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Yu Shiming replied, "But didn’t you oppose it when the law was newly released?"

"I did oppose, yet since the Governor already promulgated it, as Prefectural Governor, I must abide by it," Even now, Zhao Ming disagrees with the law, but disagreeing doesn’t necessarily mean it should be amended immediately.

He believes the consequences of amending the law now would be more severe than those from enforcing it.

Moreover, the amended law doesn’t align with his views either; he doesn’t agree with either version.

Zhao Ming read the letter again, finally pressed it down, gritting his teeth and said, "I’ll set out for Luoyang tomorrow; I must discuss this with the Governor in person."

Yu Shiming’s eyes lit up upon hearing this and immediately said, "I’ll come with you."

"If I go, you’ll manage Chen County; what’s the point of coming?"

"I want to see what Luoyang is like; as for Chen County, it can be entrusted to Chen Si Niang, she’s capable now. You’ve already set policies, just follow procedure."

"Having precedents is good, but what if there’s none?" Zhao Ming said, "Although Chen Si Niang is meticulous, she lacks quick wits. Now that Zhao Ju has gone to Jingzhou to suppress bandits, Chen County must have a steady person in town, and you are well-suited."

Yu Shiming is Zhao Ming’s friend. After settling in Chen County, he sought out help twice by asking someone from the thatched cottage to assist him as an aide. When Zhao Hanzhang returned last time and noticed him, she wanted to lure him to Luoyang.

But Zhao Hanzhang neither likes drinking nor does it coincide with frugality. Although Yu Shiming was tempted to go to Luoyang, he ultimately chose to stay in Chen County.

Here, despite often being mocked by Zhao Ming, he lives comfortably with good food and drink.

Seeing Yu Shiming’s discontent, Zhao Ming said, "I’ll only be gone a few days, I’ll return soon."

If he can’t go to Luoyang, why would Zhao Ming’s return matter to him?

No, it does matter. Yu Shiming said, "You could stay longer."

Without the tiger’s presence, he could live freely for a while; how can a few days suffice? A dozen days or even twenty would be better.

Zhao Ming glanced at him, collected the letter, "Carry out everything according to the law, Shiming, though I’m a tolerant person, Governor Zhao isn’t. She prefers everything in accordance with the law; if something goes wrong, my influence won’t work."

"Your opening statement is utterly false. Go inquire outside, when has Zhao Zinian ever been associated with tolerance?"

Zhao Ming ignored him, beginning to write out work arrangements for the upcoming days.

Watching him write, Yu Shiming asked after a while, "What do you intend to say to Governor Zhao? Actually, this law could reduce discontent among high-ranking officials and aristocrats. Apart from the downside of seeming fickle, I really can’t think of any other drawbacks."

Zhao Ming’s pen paused, then he said, "If you wish to favor the high-ranking officials and aristocrats, why not go all out? Just revert to the old system and nullify the new tax reform law issued earlier this year."