Chapter One Hundred Thirty: Printing and Papermaking

"As for this final School of Literature, the position of Dean shall naturally be held by my teacher, Cai Yong. Furthermore, the curriculum at our Youzhou Academy will certainly not be limited to Confucianism; astronomy, geography, poetry and prose, mathematics, military strategy, and agriculture—everything that should be included, must be included. Does anyone have any objections?"

"We follow our lord's command," everyone shouted in unison. After all, they would naturally not oppose a project as beneficial to the nation and the people as this academy. As for the issue of having so many subjects, after Liu Yao's explanation, they had no intention of objecting, as each discipline served its own purpose and was indispensable.

"Reporting to my lord, while funding for the academy is not an issue, the matter of instructors is..." Ju Shou said with some hesitation. After all, there were truly not many scholars in Youzhou.

"You need not worry about this, Gongyu," Liu Yao said, then turned to look at Cai Yong. "This matter will require your trouble, Teacher."

"Yao'er, rest assured. I shall write to invite my friends and students to come to Youzhou to attend the opening of our Youzhou Academy," Cai Yong promised. He had been looking forward to this day for a long time.

"Then many thanks, Teacher."

Liu Yao then turned to Ju Shou. "Gongyu, you may begin looking for a prominent location immediately. We must see the three colleges of our Youzhou Academy completed within three months. Also, spread the news of our Youzhou Academy throughout the Han territories." Three months would be enough time for Cai Yong's friends to arrive in Youzhou. Moreover, relying solely on Cai Yong's influence would not be enough, but when combined with Liu Yao's current reputation, it should suffice.

"Understood," Ju Shou replied. Three months was more than enough time.

Seeing this, Liu Yao said with a confident and mysterious air, "When the day of the academy's opening arrives, I will present a grand gift. By then, the reputation of our Youzhou Academy will surely surpass that of the Yingchuan Academy and the academies of Jingzhou."

Watching Liu Yao, the others felt their hearts surge with excitement. They believed his words implicitly, for Liu Yao had already created far too many miracles.

"If there is nothing else, we shall adjourn. Return to your respective duties. Elder Mo and Deheng, please stay behind; I have matters to discuss with you." Liu Yao waved his hand casually.

"Understood." The group dispersed, as they all held high positions and had much work to attend to. Of course, one person remained shamelessly—Guo Jia, the second idler of Youzhou. As for the first idler, it was undoubtedly Liu Yao himself. Liu Yao did not say anything about this, as Guo Jia was quite tight-lipped and would not leak these secrets, ensuring there would be no spoilers before the grand reveal.

"Elder Mo, Deheng, Fengxiao, come and look at this." Liu Yao pulled the blueprints for papermaking and movable type printing from his sleeve.

The three examined the blueprints with curiosity.

"My lord... this... this is truly as the drawings describe!" Guo Jia said, looking utterly shocked and stammering.

Liu Yao nodded and smiled. "Indeed. Paper made by this method is not only easy to write on but also inexpensive. This allows us to produce books. Such books will completely eliminate the bulkiness of the old bamboo slips. And this movable type printing can produce such books in large quantities. With these two treasures, our Youzhou Academy cannot fail to become famous."

"My lord, this paper will surely be favored by the great noble clans; we will be able to make a fortune," Guo Jia said with a wicked grin.

Liu Yao chuckled as well. That was his original intent. Aside from what was used in Youzhou, the paper and books would naturally be sold at high prices. How could the noble clans pass up such treasures? They were overflowing with wealth, and if Liu Yao did not rake them over the coals, he would be doing himself a disservice.

"My lord is truly a divine man. This method is an invention that will be passed down for a thousand years. Even my ancestral master would not compare to you, my lord," Mo Tian exclaimed in endless praise. His perspective differed from that of Guo Jia and Liu Yao; he was focused on the miraculous nature of the paper.

Liu Yao thought to himself, "These are two of the Four Great Inventions of ancient China; how could they not be passed down for a thousand years?"

"I wonder if Elder Mo and Deheng are confident in being able to produce these?" Liu Yao asked.

Mo Tian replied with a bitter smile, "My lord, you have written everything so clearly on these blueprints; if I still could not make them, I would truly be unworthy of the ancestors of the Mo school." Ma Jun nodded at his side, agreeing with Mo Tian's sentiment.

Liu Yao was struck speechless. The blueprints exchanged from the ancient texts had one benefit: they were incredibly detailed. The materials and proportions required for the paper, and the clay proportions and firing methods for the movable type, were all recorded down to the smallest detail. It was no wonder Mo Tian reacted this way.

"Then I leave it all to you, Elder Mo. I hope that before the Youzhou Academy is established, we can print a good number of books," Liu Yao said.

"We will not fail your trust, my lord," Mo Tian and Ma Jun said firmly, cupping their hands in salute. With that, they left the General's Mansion to begin their preparations.

"My lord, when the books are ready, could you send me one first?" Guo Jia asked with a cheeky smile. He was incredibly curious about these things. The idea that content which previously required dozens of bamboo scrolls could be contained within a small book was truly miraculous. He had loved reading since childhood; otherwise, he would not have relied on the Five Minerals Powder to keep his spirits up for study.

Liu Yao looked at Guo Jia with amusement. "The first copy isn't for you; it naturally goes to my teacher, Cai Yong. As for the second one..." Liu Yao paused intentionally, wanting to tease him.

Sure enough, Guo Jia's heart tightened at Liu Yao's words.

Liu Yao then said with a serious tone, "As long as you diligently follow Elder Hua to look after your health over the next few months—and bring Zhicai along as well—I might consider it."

"Many thanks, my lord. I will certainly obey your command," Guo Jia said with a playful grin, though he was deeply touched by Liu Yao's concern.

"You..." Liu Yao watched Guo Jia with a smile, then turned and walked back into the inner hall, leaving Guo Jia alone to his thoughts.

Two months passed quickly. Under Liu Yao's full support, the three colleges of Youzhou had been erected on a large plot of land in the north of Ji County. Not far from these colleges stood the military barracks, showing the importance Liu Yao placed on the Youzhou Academy.

The Research Institute and the Medical College, because they were not as highly prioritized, did not open with the School of Literature but had been officially established half a month earlier. Following Liu Yao's announcement, many craftsmen and physicians had come to Youzhou to join them. Many local Youzhou youths with an interest in these fields also joined. In a short time, the Medical College and the Research Institute had already reached a considerable scale, as Liu Yao offered high salaries and provided free tuition for apprentices.

The Medical College now had over three hundred physicians of varying expertise and more than five hundred apprentices studying medicine, and the scale was still expanding. Once these individuals matured, the mortality rate in Youzhou would surely decrease significantly.