The Rise of the Printing Press
After several trips back and forth, Madam Cui finally managed to secure the deal for Grand Princess Shangde.
Thus, Wang Printing House became Grand Princess Shangde's property.
Thirty percent of the profits from this printing press went to Grand Princess Shangde, and the remaining thirty percent went to Wang Shixing. The profit seemed small and not very significant to Xiao Lingyan and Zhao Ruxi. However, their intention was not to make the workshop profitable, but to promote the printing press to the public.
Sure enough, Grand Princess Shangde was quite tempted after seeing the convenience and high profits of the printing press.
She called Wang Shixing over and asked him, "Manager Wang, where did you get this printing press? I'd like to buy a few more to expand the workshop."
"It was a merchant from the south who came to Jiangnan to sell it. At the time, this machine cost me four thousand taels of silver. I originally wanted to open a printing shop in Jiangnan, but I never expected..." Wang Shixing sighed and didn't finish his sentence.
"Manager Wang, there's no need to be sad. A seal shop in the capital is just as good," Grand Princess Shangde comforted him.
"It was my fault for being impolite," Wang Shixing said, standing up and bowing. "Your Highness could send someone to Jiangnan to inquire. Because this machine is so expensive, when they went to various printing shops to promote it, everyone was afraid of being ripped off, so not many people bought it. However, there were still some discerning buyers. Since the ink used in the machine cannot be made at home, it has to be bought from the person who sold it; perhaps they still have contact with them there."
He thought for a moment and wrote down the names of two workshops, "These are the two workshops that bought the machines back then. Princess, you can have someone go and inquire about them."
"Good."
Grand Princess Shangde immediately sent people to Jiangnan.
Less than two weeks later, the people they sent returned, bringing back several machines.
Grand Princess Shangde was overjoyed and asked, "How did you acquire this?"
"The owner of a workshop that Manager Wang gave us also bought a machine back then. He found it useful and bought two more. He also frequently buys ink and has connections with suppliers. We contacted them through him and bought these three machines. If Your Highness feels it's not enough, I can go and buy more."
"Where did this machine come from? Have you inquired about it?" Grand Princess Shangde asked.
"This is an imported item, just like the clock auctioned at the Fifth Prince's auction some time ago. It was all brought from the Western Ocean. However, the type mold was cast by missionaries here. The type mold can be sold separately, but I was worried that the original type mold might be worn out, so I bought a separate set for two thousand five hundred taels of silver."
Grand Princess Shangde had personally inspected the printing press and knew that it was a wooden base with movable type molds arranged on the base. Ink was applied to the molds using a wool pad, paper was placed on top, and a lever was cranked to push the printing plate to print the characters.
These typefaces are all made of metal, making them resistant to wear. Combined with the lever mechanism of the machine, it's both labor-saving and produces clear prints, completely different from the operation of ordinary printing workshops. Grand Princess Shangde believed it was an imported product.
Have you bought the ink?
"We bought fifty barrels," the subordinate reported. "The supplier said that even if business is good, it will last for six months. These fifty barrels of ink cost five hundred taels of silver."
Grand Princess Shangde was finally relieved.
Compared to the use of water-based inks in clay and woodblock printing, metal movable type is poorly suited to water-based inks. These machines require specialized inks for printing.
This ink was made by Zhao Ruxi, who had flax seeds boiled, then mixed with a small amount of turpentine and carbon black, and left to stand for several months.
Since others couldn't figure out the formula and couldn't make it themselves, they could only buy ink from vendors.
However, printing requires little ink and the profit margin is high, so the cost of ten ounces of ink per barrel is not much.
Grand Princess Shangde was very satisfied with the flexibility of her subordinates and praised them, saying, "Well done, there will be a reward."
The Wang family's courtyard was too cramped, so Grand Princess Shangde naturally didn't like it. Beining was her fief, and she had many properties Beining. She took out a courtyard, still hung up the Wang Printing House sign, arranged all the machines inside, bought some servants, and the workshop opened for business.
The paper used for printing was made by Xiao Lingyan and was sold in several large stationery stores. However, this paper was not very absorbent and did not suit the writing habits of the ancients, so it did not sell well at first.
Fortunately, after Zhao Ruxi made his charcoal pencils, they gradually became popular in the capital because of their ease of use. After Zhao Ruxi taught Zhaoming how to make them, he organized some people on the estate to make charcoal pencils and sell them to stationery shops. Although the profit was not high, every little bit helps, and it provided some income for the women and children on the estate.
The rise of charcoal pencils slightly boosted the sales of paper produced by Xiao Lingyan, preventing it from being directly removed from the shelves of stationery stores.
Now that Wang Printing House's four printing presses are up and running, they plan to print a batch of the Four Books and Five Classics for the market, which will increase the demand for paper.
They naturally wouldn't go to a stationery store to buy paper; instead, they contacted a paper mill directly and purchased this paper in large quantities.
Even the shopkeeper didn't know that his boss was the Fifth Prince; he only thought he was a relative of some powerful figure.
Seeing someone come to buy this paper, he said with great emotion, "When we first started making this paper, I said it wouldn't work and wouldn't sell, but the owner insisted on making it. I never expected it to sell so well now. The owner truly has a discerning eye."
When Wang Printing House's printed Four Books and Five Classics entered the market, it was like a drop of water falling into a hot oil pan, causing a huge sensation.
First, it's cheaper than regular books. Second, the paper is sturdy and not easily damaged; the print is also extremely clear, and the print won't smudge even when wet. The quality is excellent.
Wang Printing House offered booksellers a relatively large profit margin. Therefore, when someone came to buy the Four Books and Five Classics, the bookstore owner and clerk would prioritize recommending books from Wang Printing House. If the bookstore needed to print storybooks or other books, they would also go to Wang Printing House first.
Business was booming, and Grand Princess Shangde sent people to buy several more printing presses and inks to further expand the workshop.
In less than three months, the seal shops around Beijing were greatly impacted by Wang Printing House.
Upon inquiry, everyone learned that the seal shop belonged to Grand Princess Shangde. Thus began another round of open and covert struggles, with various attempts to sabotage the operation.
However, Grand Princess Shangde was not afraid of any of this, because the Emperor was standing behind her.
Her 30/70 profit split with Wang Shixing only applied to the first machine. For the machines she bought herself later, she only gave Wang Shixing half the profits.
She also knew that the printing shops around the capital were controlled by powerful families, and it wouldn't be easy to gain a foothold. Zhao Ruxi's safe business gave her an idea, so she also went to find Xiao Ge Xiao Ge and gave him 30% of the profits.
With the Emperor protecting her, Wang Printing House naturally had nothing to fear from open or covert attacks. Because of the large profit margin, her business flourished.
The powerful families in the capital were not to be trifled with. When they sent people to infiltrate Wang's shop to sabotage it, they found out the secrets of Wang Printing House. They quickly sent people to Jiangnan to buy machines and ink, improved their own printing workshops, and tried to take back the market share that Grand Princess Shangde had taken over by lowering prices.
As a result, Zhao Ruxi and Xiao Lingyan's printing presses and paper sold like hotcakes, and the price of books throughout the Great Jin also dropped.