The Source of Ink Fragrance in a Border City: Woodblock Printing

"This must be Scholar Qiu. I am Meng Bufan, the sixth child in my family, known as Meng Sixth. Greetings, Scholar Qiu."

As soon as the young master recognized Qiu Yan, he strode over. When he reached a few feet in front of the horse, he stopped, raised his arms, composed himself, and respectfully bowed. No one could find a single flaw in his posture; one could immediately sense the deep respect he held for Qiu Yan.

It was a younger person's respect for an elder, similar to a disciple meeting a teacher.

"Young Master Meng, you're too kind." Qiu Yan dismounted, cupped his hands in return, and Yan Yongjie followed closely behind.

Upon hearing this, Meng Bufan laughed and said, "You are a great sage, Xiuzhuan, so please do not address me in such a way. My courtesy name Yuqi, Xiuzhuan, please just call me by my courtesy name." After saying this, his gaze fell on Yan Yongjie, and he praised, "What a fine man from Yan! Just by looking at him, I can tell he is extraordinary. May I ask how I should address him?"

"My name is Yan Yongjie, an unknown man, not worth mentioning," Yan Yongjie replied with a fist and palm salute. Although he had some reputation in Yan, he did not believe that anyone in Three Jin would know him.

"So it's the Northern Lands Blade King!" Unexpectedly, Meng Bufan was filled with respect. "I've long heard of the Sword King's chivalrous act of single-handedly storming the bandit stronghold back then. To meet you today is truly an honor."

Yan Yongjie was somewhat surprised. "I didn't expect that Young Master Meng would have heard of my nickname. I am truly ashamed; Yan am far from deserving of such a reputation for chivalry."

"You're too kind, Master Yan," Meng Bufan shook his head, then added, "I've been so busy talking that I've left you two standing here. Actually, I've come on behalf of my father to welcome Scholar Qiu. Please come into the city." He then looked at Yan Yongjie and smiled, "If my Personal Knowing that Master Yan had also come, he would surely be pleased."

As they spoke, Meng Bufan's gaze shifted to the carriage behind them. A gust of wind lifted the curtain slightly, revealing several figures.

"It seems the journey has been rather turbulent. I hope you will listen when we host a welcome dinner for you two tonight." With that, he took two steps back and gestured for them to enter.

Next, the Meng Clan family led the way, taking Qiu Yan and the others into the city.

The Meng Clan is the foremost Aristocratic Clan in Dai Prefecture, with a long and distinguished history. They have survived through several dynasties and risen from a humble surname to a prominent clan, a truly legendary feat. They enjoy extraordinary prestige among the people and merchants Inner City. When the Meng Residence is conducting business, others will give way to them. Therefore, there was no hindrance when they entered the city, and even the soldiers guarding the city gates were all smiling obsequiously.

"Having power and influence makes all the difference." Looking around, Yan Yongjie couldn't help but sigh. He had seen similar scenes many times in his life, but he had always just watched from the sidelines. This time, however, he was experiencing it firsthand, and even being the one being treated with respect. However, he also understood that he was merely benefiting from the situation. "It seems that the Meng Clan really values Brother Qiu."

As he pondered this, he turned to look at Qiu Yan, whose face remained completely expressionless, clearly familiar with this kind of situation.

"It seems I've missed out on a lot over the years," Yan Yongjie thought to himself, shaking his head.

Upon entering the city, one discovers the unparalleled prosperity of Dai Prefecture's commerce, far exceeding expectations. Even Qiu Yan couldn't help but wander around, while Meng Bufan acted as a guide, introducing each shop and pavilion along the way with remarkable familiarity, able to recount the origins and details of each establishment. (As Pingnan spoke, he suddenly asked, "I've heard that you've compiled a local gazetteer and map describing the frontier landscape. I wonder how Dai Prefecture compares to those places, and whether it can be distinguished as superior or inferior?")

"Each has its own strengths," Qiu Yan replied. "However, just a cursory glance at Dai Prefecture reveals a thriving commercial atmosphere, with a dazzling array of goods everywhere. It's hard to see such a scene elsewhere."

Speaking of which, Qiu Yan has seen quite a few border cities. For example, his hometown, Qingchang County, is located on the edge of the Southern Border, Yuanning Prefecture can also be considered a frontier. As for Wuxin City, where the Wuxin Commandery is stationed, it is a node on the way from the Central Plains to the Five Marshes.

In addition, during this period of leading troops in the Northern Frontier, I also gained a lot of knowledge about the Northern Lands border regions, such as Dingchang City, which I saw quite a bit of, but they were all different from this Daizhou City.

Those cities, more or less, all had a strong military atmosphere. Although there were merchants coming and going, their main function was defense and border protection. But Dai Prefecture was not under Military School control. The city had shops lining the streets and workshops everywhere. Merchants gathered here, revealing a strong commercial atmosphere.

"The shops here really have everything." As he looked around, even Yan Yongjie began to see something interesting.

"Of course," Meng Bufan laughed. "It's not just these things; under the advocacy of my Meng Clan, quite a bit of effort has been put into the education of the sages in this city."

"The teachings of the sages?" Yan Yongjie asked in confusion. Although he was a chivalrous figure in the martial arts world and not very proficient in Confucianism, he knew about the traditional social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. While it was true that merchants could make a lot of money and that was common knowledge, strictly speaking, in the eyes of the Aristocratic Clan families, it was considered uncivilized. Even if they did it, it was done in secret.

This Daizhou City is clearly dominated by merchants, and should have absolutely no connection to the teachings of the sage.

Noticing their expression, Meng Bufan smiled slightly, a hint of smugness in his eyes, and pointed to a street corner. "Look, this is one of the sources of the propagation of the sage's teachings."

The place he was pointing to was a rather large pavilion with a sign in front that read "Mingquan". As you got closer, you could smell the aroma of ink.

"This is... Book-Printing Hall?" Looking at the appearance and smelling the air, Yan Yongjie knew where it came from.

The so-called Book-Printing Hall, as its name suggests, is a place for printing books. In fact, it is a woodblock printing bureau that prints books on a large scale by carving woodblocks.

The name also has a historical background.

Before the advent of Woodblock Printing, the techniques were not centralized but were scattered across various industries, mainly manifested in three aspects: engraving, stamping, and printing.

Inscribing characters on various objects has been a way of transmitting civilization since ancient times, from the earliest tortoise shells to later bronzes and bamboo slips, becoming increasingly sophisticated.

The history of seals is equally long, from imperial seals and official seals to small seals that highlight personal status, and even talismans used in Daoism traditions. Whether it is Human Path or Divine Ability, seals have been constantly enriched and developed, which is actually the most primitive form of woodblock printing.

Printing is the process of applying ink to inscribed wooden or stone slabs. This process is further divided into two types: printing and rubbing, each with its own merits.

The invention and discovery of any technology cannot be a flash of Spiritual Light. Even those favored by Fortune cannot create something out of thin air that can change the course of Human Path. Without exception, it requires a long period of preparation and accumulation. Those who only know how to innovate overnight and ignore the down-to-earth learning and reference are either ignorant or have ulterior motives.

Only when the right opportunity arises can accumulated knowledge and experience be fully realized and the brilliance of Human Path be revealed.

This opportunity sometimes even comes from beyond the stars, from other Continents.

Engraving, stamping, and printing—these three techniques cannot be called Printing Technique, but without them, Printing Technique would be nothing more than a mirage.

Qiu Yan had gleaned a clue from the historical Spring and Autumn Brush, realizing that the invention of Printing Technique had actually triggered a great upheaval in Human Path, concealing bloodshed and violence. If it weren't for the later rise of powerful Aristocratic Clans and their alliance with the Daoist Sects, this upheaval would likely have destroyed many things.

Even so, with the advancement of technology, some things are irreversible, the most obvious being the rise of those from humble backgrounds.

The fate of impoverished scholars, who previously had difficulty acquiring knowledge due to the rarity of books, gradually began to change. Their social class grew stronger, and in conjunction with the Imperial Examinations system, a powerful force was brewing in the imperial court, though it had not yet spread.

Of course, this is also subject to the inherent defects of Woodblock Printing. Although convenient, each book requires a separate printing plate, which is a heavy workload and has high requirements for technology and supervision. For those massive and important classics, it can even take several years to complete the printing plate.

In addition, some Aristocratic Clan families deliberately controlled public opinion, emphasizing the value of handwritten originals and belittling the status of woodblock printing, which, to a certain extent, allowed them to maintain their monopoly on knowledge and learning.

However, this monopoly had a loophole: the academies of various schools of thought.

Even powerful clans wouldn't dare to be too presumptuous with academies that have inherited the teachings of Sages. Most of the time, they would choose to win them over and cooperate with them. So this time, as soon as Qiu Yan showed the Qi Manifestation of Grandmaster, a powerful Aristocratic Clan extended an olive branch to him.

"There are many such Book-Printing Hall in the city, and more than half of them were funded by my Meng Clan, all for the purpose of promoting the teachings of the Sages in the frontier regions," Meng Bufan said as they walked, observing Qiu Yan's expression. "Among these printing houses, there are many precious printing blocks, many of which took more than ten years to carve..."

"In that case, you truly have good intentions. No wonder you said it was for the sake of Human Path education, Young Master Meng." Yan Yongjie couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration upon hearing this.

"No," Meng Bufan shook his head. "My ancestor once said that the Hu people are cruel because they are uneducated. Taking advantage of the terrain, we can often trade books and goods with Hu people, subtly educating them. Unfortunately, progress is slow, and ultimately no one is in charge. If a great sage could establish an academy in this city, it would surely be much more effective..."

As they talked, the group arrived at a large red-lacquered gate with the words "Meng Residence" written on the plaque above it.

The accompanying carriage had changed course halfway there, and only Qiu Yan and his group were led here.

With a creak, the door slowly opened, and a dignified-looking middle-aged man strode forward to greet them.

"I have met Scholar Qiu..."

ps:

Thanks to "lobo", "Let You Fly", and "The One Who Died" for your monthly votes!

Thank you to "Wan Xia Xia La", "Anonymous Nameless", and "fiywithhire" for their generous donations!