Chapter 558 – Divine Armor

See everyone is busy, Zhang Anshi has nothing to do, but will be minded to put away, quietly stay in their own duty room, drafted a charter.

An intact and robust postal system can be a godsend.

In fact, the most valuable thing in this world is always the message.

In an agrarian era where people were slow to receive information and were cut off from each other in small and large villages and estates, the vast majority of people were muddled, and on the surface there seemed to be a wonderful idyllic scene of sunrise and sunset.

But in reality, it’s not too much to say that it’s the walking dead.

Progress in society actually often begins with an explosion of information.

Each explosion of information, the impetus brought to the world, is by no means some smelting iron workshops, or a few railroads can be compared, although the workshops and iron is also the foundation of this information explosion.

Because once people can get information cheaply, it means that even people at the ends of the earth can get information thousands of kilometers away from their distant friends, or from borrowed diaries, or from the mouths of other people who read newspapers.

Then the message, which had been slowly gaining popularity only among a small class of scholars, began to flow among a hundred times a thousand people.

What a terrible thing this is, that this one message is, in essence, the equivalent of planting a seed in the hearts and minds of thousands of people.

The people of the world will no longer just muddle through thinking about where they are going to forage for food tomorrow and whether it is time to mend the clothes in their homes.

Why don’t men bring the Wu Hook and collect the fifty states in the Guanshan Mountains? Such poems, or such aspirations, are no longer exclusive to the scholarly class.

People will unconsciously harbor thoughts of how great it would be if one day I could go to sea too.

Or, really want to go to the capital to see the capital, see the market of Qixia, see the Forbidden City from afar, or go to Qixia Temple to see the pagoda.

This implanted dream or ambition, of course, will eventually be extinguished, after all, a small candle emits a small light and flame, in the wilderness can not last.

But once those thoughts come, it’s the beginning of change for millions of people.

Zhang Anshi wants to expand the printing workshop of the Residence Newspaper, the sales volume can no longer be limited to 100,000 copies, but a million copies.

The intention is to drive the industry of printing faster, take advantage of scale, and continue to reduce costs.

In addition, he also wanted to promote charcoal brushes, the use of brushes is too expensive, the paper required is also amazing, for the scholar class, naturally, can be wielded, but the ordinary people, really can not accept such costs.

Fine charcoal pencils save paper and are more convenient.

Of course, Zhang Anshi also intended to ask someone to specially formulate a set of inexpensive enlightenment books, which would print out some simple and commonly used words through the form of drawings, and then send them to the newsstands for sale.

The thirst for knowledge in this age, even among the most ordinary people, is immense.

Because the cost of receiving knowledge is too high, far beyond the ability of ordinary people to receive.

Because of this, so how to do the easiest way to improve literacy, there are still newsstands in this world of stagecoaches and many articles to be written.

The Great Ming has its own countless people, thousands and thousands of children, in Zhu Di’s words, called the river and mountains of ten thousand miles, the people of hundreds of millions of trillion.

However, if even more people cannot be literate or have a skill, the number of people is just a number.

Turn them into a real person to draw strength.

Time passed without a sound, and soon, more than a month passed.

These days, Zhang Anshi lived a very fulfilling life, burying his head in his duty room to write every day, and occasionally sending piles of manuscripts to the Postal Department, which, in turn, responded according to His Highness, the King of Song’s conception.

Some of the ones that really can’t be done, simply state the hard way.

Some of them can be done, and naturally, they are happy to state their position.

Others, for a moment, were greatly inspired and even more eager.

Every time Zhang Anshi let someone send the manuscript, Hu Mu are extremely careful treatment, the first will be the manuscript called for transcription of dozens of copies sent, while he himself, but the original manuscript carefully collected down.

Slowly, its own clerical staff found out the strange, can not help but curiosity, “Ambassador …… original manuscript or sealed?”

Humu only nodded.

The civil servant could not help but say, “The student does not know what the ambassador …… has in mind.”

Hu Mu, however, could not help but laugh and said, “Have you not read these things yourself? The many thoughts in them, how many of my generation can think of them? Such whimsical thoughts, really teach people to marvel, unimaginable. I am a reader, since childhood read Confucius and Mencius, reading more than twenty years, but also know one thing, such a fantastic idea, if it can still be realized, then a thousand years later, this is a saint general characters, you think carefully, Confucius and Mencius can be left behind manuscripts?”

As the clerk listened, he couldn’t help but have his jaw dropped and was busy shaking his head.

Hu Mu then said: “That’s because, when they were alive, not a saint, Kong saint in the time, although there are three thousand disciples, traveling around the world, but almost did not meet the courtesy, almost can be said to be depressed, his life left to the canonical books, mostly for the disciples with the memories of the book down. Today is different, today …… I will leave all these manuscripts, properly collected, one day, after ten thousand generations can also teach people to know.”

Of course, this is nothing more than idle talk.

And at that moment, in the Pingtan stage.

When Xia Xuan arrived at Pingtan after many days of trekking and dusty journey, he realized that it was nothing more than a post station in Fuqing County under Fuzhou Prefecture.

Fuqing County is coastal and mountainous, therefore, the county has set up three post stations, in addition to the county town, there is also a mountainous township, which is the Pingtan Post.

Xia Xuan did not delay, arrived here, immediately came to the post station, there are nine people in total in the post station, the post minister is an arithmetic academy student origin, there is also a watchman and in charge of the food affairs of the post station, is an old postman, is the original post station to stay down.

Other than that, the remaining seven are mostly from all over the world.

Under the Pingtan stage, there were two townships, and three people were in charge of one township, so among these three people, there was another chief official, and another official was in charge of the newspaper kiosk.

Of course, at this time, the newsstand work is more free, all the books and diary transportation, are another county people are responsible for, he only need to guard the newsstand.

But it’s not for nothing that he’s doing such a lightweight job, as he’s also in charge of some clerical and accounting duties. To put it bluntly, people do a little bit of everything.

As for the post master, in addition to supervising the work of the postmen on weekdays, he was also responsible for the horse affairs of the station, and, of course, that old postman and the clerical staff of the newspaper kiosk would share some of them.

But even though the people are small, I’ve heard it said that there will be some expansion of the staff next.

Because the Pingtan stage is about to repair and build some buildings, to repair is the guest room, the guest room was originally responsible for transporting the official family, but now to change.

Whether or not you are the official family, or to catch the examination of the students, to come to pay for accommodation, the past does not accept the hospitality of the passing merchants and travelers, is now willing to accept, to give lodging and meals can be paid.

This post minister is very friendly and talkative, may also be the post station has not accepted new people for a long time, so the moment he came, he began to gush to Xia Xuan draw a big cake: “That Pingtan hotel, after repair, will be opened, the business will not be bad, not to be honest, this is our postal department’s main business, you can not underestimate this, once upon a time, this post accommodation, is a free post to the official family and readers, all the sustenance is responsible for, but now to collect money is different. Officials and scholars, all sustenance, are the post is responsible for, but now to collect money …… is not the same.”

Xia Xuan couldn’t help but say, “But I see that there are quite a few inns in the county as well.”

“This is different.” The post master said: “In the future, here, the main hospitality is the merchants and travelers, you think about it, live in the inn are what kind of people, that can be a foreigner! This foreigner to the place, life is not familiar with the place, and the world, there will be a place of peace, people to a foreign land, it is inevitable that the heart is uneasy, other inns, may not dare to live, but our stage hotel is different, we are under the postal department, the whole world, if the people are outlaws, we will not be an outlaw! And all the hotels of the Postal Service, whether Pingtan, or Beiping, are clearly marked price, not more than a cent, not less than a penny, you say …… can not be lively in the future?”

Xia Xuan had traveled, but he had traveled to and from some large cities, and it really didn’t matter which inn he stayed at.

But now, thinking carefully about the words of the postman, and thinking about this journey, mostly deserted mountains, it’s really like this.

He is a young man, the heart is very big, but those merchants, but most of them carry gold and silver, or bet on the goods, naturally will be incredibly careful.

This postal minister looked at Xia Xuan’s expression, and knew that his words had been recognized. He smiled and said with his hands behind his back, “You do a good job, and in the future, when this hotel is repaired, you will be in charge of this hotel, and then the Postal Department will recruit a few more people, and I will teach a few people to give you a hand.”

While he was talking at this end, there happened to be a long-time official hovering outside the door, and as soon as he heard this, he rushed straight in, exclaiming furiously, “Liu Yixing, you didn’t say this at first, when you said I was doing a good job, you taught me to manage.”

Stage minister suddenly, face green a piece of red a piece, so embarrassed, so perfunctory: “cough …… first let the new Xia familiarize with the business, now Tannan side is more short of manpower, Deng Da, you are responsible for Tannan long official, tomorrow you take him familiar with familiarize.”

…………

The next day, Xia Xuan set off.

He followed Deng Da, a longtime official, and learned that Deng Da was also from Jiangxi, so he couldn’t help but get close.

But Winston Xia had some regrets, because he knew, by and large, that what he was going to do, after all, was just running errands.

The letters and some parcels, which had been combed out early in the morning, were humped by mules and horses, and, having roughly plotted the route over which the letters and parcels were to be delivered, they started out.

“Deng Changli, but have you read a book?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not sure about one thing.” Xia Xuan couldn’t help but wonder, “Since Chief Deng is a scholar, how come Chief Deng was assigned to be in charge of running errands, could it be that Chief Deng has offended the post master?”

Deng Da laughed, a side holding the horse, this time the two to a stream, in this place, not everywhere there is a road, Deng Da to hold the mule and horse, wade through the stream, the mule and horse refused to, Deng Da will slap it a few times, the mule and horse this is honest, wailed, obediently and leisurely underwater.

After the creek, Deng Da only laughed: “These postmen of ours, each with such a high salary, are recruited by people who can write and calculate, do you really think that to send this letter, only run errands so simple?”

Xia Xuan frowned and shook his head, he actually really regretted it.

It wasn’t that he regretted his intentions; he had been a child, and had never known what fear was.

The only thing I regret is that …… I shouldn t be reckless and run to this kind of remote place to hang out.

After walking for a while, Deng Da actually took out a map, carefully distinguishing the location of the map, and among the map, it was also densely marked with many marks, and even various numbers.

After looking at it carefully, he said, “Go north and go to Qianhe Village first.”

Under the blazing sun, the two of them walked forward at a fast pace and finally arrived at Qianhe Village.

As soon as they saw a stagecoach coming, a surprising number of people in the village cheered up.

Most of them are dressed in rags, but a lot of people gather here, those who have family members outside, inevitably with hope, and those who do not have correspondence with people, perhaps this small village is really lack of good, even if a few outsiders, people can not help but to come to look at the lively.

Immediately, Dundar sent two letters.

But those who got the letter rejoiced, and the crowd did not disperse.

Rather, everyone remained gathered, as for Deng Da, but he seemed to be familiar with all of them, greeting them with each other, and was actually able to directly name many of them.

That first to open the epistle was an old crone, who, with a slight tremor, delivered it to Dunda.

Deng Da then casually took the epistle and began to read it to this old crone, “My mother Jin An, my son is outside, still good, Fuzhou city …….”

After reading, people still refused to disperse, and seemed to start talking about this in the city of Fuzhou, and for a while, there was a lot of chaos.

After Deng Da finished reading another letter, he got up and said, “It’s getting late, I have to go to Aoqian later. Right, in this village, is there anyone who has not registered with our postal code? If you don’t register, it will be inconvenient to deliver letters in the future. If anyone subscribes to the Di Di newspaper, let them know.”

An old man laughed: “All hung up, all hung up, although our place is remote, there are not many young people outside, but hung up, is not one more thought? Who knows if we will have a distant relative outside.”

The crowd laughed loosely.

There are also people said: “My daughter married to Putian County, but I do not know, she knows do not know the post station does not know, I do not know if she is willing to repair a letter to, hey, this is two years did not come home to save the family ……”

Said the crowd with another sigh.

Deng Da then said, “Don t worry, Putian County also has a stagecoach, perhaps …… she has not yet thought of what to write.”

That old crone then pulled Deng Da said, “Mr. Deng, need to trouble you to my son back a letter …… I bought stamps early ……”

Dundar then pushed up his sleeves, drew a charcoal pencil and paper from his mailbag, and then said, “You tell me, I’ll write …….”

In the end …… it was under the embrace of many people that Deng Da and Xia Xuan Fang resumed their journey.

Xia Xuan had been watching silently since he arrived in this village, and as he left, his head was bowed in thought.

However, he could not help but have many more questions, so he asked Deng Da, “Long official, just to send these two letters ……”

Deng Da seems to understand his meaning at once, laughed: “You do not know it, once upon a time, this village, but for several years in a row, a letter are not, but now, a day actually have two ……”

Xia Xuan’s mind didn’t turn a corner for a moment, so he froze and said, “What the elder official means is ……”

At this time, Deng Da, the smile on his face was very gentle, although his face was red from the hot sun that came out early, but he could not see a trace of impatience.

He said, “If there was none before, there may not be none afterward; everyone knows the convenience of it, and naturally, there will be.”

He looked at Xia Xuan felt new and marveled face, said, “Do you know the village in front, is a fishing village, well …… is a boat-dwelling people, boat-dwelling people can know?”

Winston Xia shook his head in bewilderment.

Deng Da then continued to smile and said, “Actually, they are what are often called untouchables. Almost all of their people live on ships, and on weekdays, even the government never cares about them. Even when they are on shore and have a dispute with someone, the officials almost favor the other side.”

Xia Xuan frowned, “Fish all your life?”

“Exactly.” Deng Da said, “In other villages, even if there is not a single scholar now, for a hundred years, there are still a few readers. But in that place, but for thousands of years, there has not been a scholar. But you know do not know …… just in this place, there are actually people subscribe to the Di Di newspaper.”

Winston Xia exclaimed, “Ah …… they know how to read and write?”

Deng Da said: “For them, literacy this kind of thing, and we are not the same as these readers, we need to have a teacher, have to have pen, ink and paper to literacy. But they, some people on the beach to take a tree branch paddling, have questions, they caught the passers-by to ask for advice, can barely recognize a few words, understand a few commonly used words, and then read the Di Di newspaper, ambiguously see, slowly also understand everything.”

Xia Xuan was even more amazed and couldn’t help but say, “A passerby can read and write?”

Deng Da just about rolled his eyes at him, and said without a trace of humor, “This passing person is actually me.”

Winston Xia: “……”

After walking some more, in fact, it was only three o’clock in the morning, but Xia Xuan was already on the verge of falling apart. He was puffing and puffing, and his legs were starting to limp a bit.

Dunda simply let him sit on the mule and horse.

He recited under his breath: “Just came here, in fact, I am the same as you, but this kind of thing, do some days, also do not feel hard. On the contrary, this place, and people familiar with, every time I go to each village, always see someone happy, but also can not help but heart satisfaction. See some people, encountered me such a ‘showman’, even willing to come to seek advice, but also to teach people to marvel.”

After a pause, he glanced at Xia Xuan who was listening to him carefully, and said with a bit of emotion, “I used to think that the people were stupid because they refused to read, but now I think the other way around, it’s because they can’t read that they’re stupid. In the future, you will slowly understand.”