60: Chapter 60 The Dilemma: How Should a Paper Mill Choose a Location?

"Zhang Han has already selected a group of soldiers from the army who are good at arithmetic for the Führer."

This was a task Zhao Fusu had assigned to Zhang Han.

When building the core team for the bank, he recruited from the army because these men had been imprinted with the Thought Steel Seal by Zhao Fusu. Entrusting the bank to them gave Zhao Fusu peace of mind.

A bank cannot function without arithmetic, so the soldiers had to be proficient in it.

The Qin Dynasty already had multiplication tables, which were basic mathematical tools that children had to memorize during their early education.

The multiplication tables of this period were strikingly similar to those of later generations.

In terms of multiplication tables, the Qin Dynasty was over six hundred years ahead of the West!

Even fractional operations had appeared as early as the Qin Dynasty.

"Good."

Zhao Fusu said, "Arrange a place for them first and get them settled."

Before dealing with the bank, he had to produce paper first.

Thus, he said to Zhang Han, "Select another group of people from the army with strong practical skills, preferably those with a background as craftsmen."

To prevent the papermaking technology from leaking out and to maintain a monopoly, Zhao Fusu again decided to use soldiers who had been imprinted with the Thought Steel Seal.

Once he had earned enough money and nobles wanted to enter the papermaking industry, he would then use technology as equity to collaborate with them.

As long as the nobles' paper mills sold paper, he would receive dividends!

"How many people are needed?"

Zhang Han asked.

"Start with a hundred."

Zhao Fusu said.

"Yes."

Zhang Han departed.

Zhao Fusu gave this task to Zhang Han not only because Zhang Han was the head of the Imperial Treasury—essentially the royal steward—but also because he had a very good eye for selecting people.

Zhao Fusu spread a map of Xianyang across the table.

He looked at the map of Xianyang and fell into deep thought.

Where the paper mill should be located had become a major problem for him.

A paper mill is a heavy water user, so it must be located by a river.

The problem, however, was that a paper mill was also a major source of sewage.

During the papermaking process, a large amount of wastewater is produced.

If this wastewater were discharged into the river, the organic matter within it would ferment, oxidize, and decompose, consuming the oxygen in the water and causing aquatic life like fish and shellfish to die from hypoxia.

Materials like bark, wood chips, grass clippings, decaying weeds, and pulp in the wastewater would sink to the bottom, causing the riverbed to clog and continuously producing toxic gases during the slow fermentation process. These toxic gases were not only harmful to the aquatic ecosystem but could also affect the health of nearby residents.

The Qin Dynasty didn't have tap water; the commoners of Qin all drew their water from the river.

Some even drank it raw.

If the paper mill's wastewater were discharged into the river and the commoners of Qin drank that water, it would be no different from drinking the wastewater directly.

If it didn't kill them, it would certainly cause major problems!

Therefore, the site selection for the paper mill became a significant issue.

Otherwise, a disaster would surely strike later, leading to massive problems!

How should he choose?

Zhao Fusu felt that first, he had to avoid residential areas.

Next was how to treat the sewage, removing some of the pollutants to improve the water quality.

Zhao Fusu had also seen detailed sewage treatment methods in that book on industrial papermaking.

The process generally consisted of screens, sieves, fiber recovery systems, and the regulation of water volume and quality.

After careful consideration, Zhao Fusu tapped a remote location on the map, effectively finalizing the site for the paper mill.

There was a stream flowing through here, and it was away from residential areas.

Correspondingly, it was also quite far from the city of Xianyang.

Transportation costs would be relatively high.

But to avoid causing public dissatisfaction later, which might affect the paper mill's production, Zhao Fusu still decided to choose this spot.

This place was also suitable to serve as an Industrial Zone.

A steel plant could also be built here.

Having selected the location for the paper mill, Zhao Fusu headed to the military camp under the escort of a group of soldiers.

"Führer."

Zhang Han had finished selecting the men.

"Mm."

Zhao Fusu said, "Follow me to the paper mill."

"Paper mill?"

Zhang Han was taken aback.

Then, he said with wild joy, "Führer, you're going to make paper!"

"The same paper used in your books, Führer!"

Before seeing Zhao Fusu's books, Zhang Han hadn't known what paper was.

After all, the Qin Dynasty had no paper.

The appearance of paper wouldn't happen until the Western Han Dynasty.

Cai Lun improved folk papermaking methods, using bark, hemp ends, old cloth, and fishing nets to make paper, which was called "Marquis Cai's Paper," and presented it to Emperor He of Han.

At the end of the 8th century, papermaking began to appear in Baghdad, later became popular in Damascus, and gradually spread to Europe.

In the 11th century, the famous Arab writer al-Tha'alibi wrote based on previous accounts: "Papermaking spread from Huaxia to Samarkand because among the captured Huaxia soldiers and prisoners, there were some who could make paper. Thus, factories were established to make paper, and it became famous far and wide. After the papermaking industry flourished, paper became an important export for Samarkand's foreign trade."

Thus, Huaxia's papermaking technology entered Arab territory.

Between the 12th and 13th centuries, Spain, France, Italy, and Germany successively established paper mills.

Finally, in the 16th century, paper mills spread throughout Europe.

"Correct."

Zhao Fusu nodded.

He knew why Zhang Han was so excited.

Before paper came into existence, the materials used for writing and recording in ancient Huaxia included oracle bones, bronze and stone, fine silk, and bamboo or wooden slips. Besides bronze and stone, other ancient civilizations used papyrus, palm leaves, tree bark, and parchment.

Countries in South and Southeast Asia, like India, would dry and flatten fan palm leaves as writing material; thus, the Indian Buddhist scriptures brought to Huaxia were written on leaves and then bound together, also known as "Pattra-leaf Sutras."

However, whether it was carving characters onto tortoise shells or animal bones, casting them onto bronze vessels, carving them into stone, or the Qin Dynasty's practice of writing on bamboo or wooden slips, such writing materials were extremely cumbersome.

Long texts were not only time-consuming and laborious for the recorder but also detrimental to the dissemination and exchange of information.

In Europe, before paper, transcribing a single Bible required 300 sheets of parchment. At that time, silk was also used as writing material; while silk was lighter than other materials, it was also extremely expensive, and ordinary people could not afford it.

Zhao Fusu knew that once this paper was released, it would be a best-seller in both the East and the West.

Zhao Fusu's eyes sparkled.

Once the Silk Road was opened in the future and trade was established with the West, he could sell paper to the West and harvest their wealth!

"Wonderful!"

Zhang Han's heart could not calm down for a long time.

"Let's set off!"

Zhao Fusu said.

"Yes."

Zhang Han followed the location Zhao Fusu had pointed out on the map and headed towards the site chosen for the paper mill.

For safety, Zhao Fusu had a full ten thousand troops protecting him on his journey.

The location he had chosen for the paper mill was too remote.

If the Remnants of the Six States were to ambush him here and he kicked the bucket, what would happen then!

His life was still the most important thing!

It must be said that Zhao Fusu was truly cautious.

Because of his caution, it was very difficult for Zhang Liang to assassinate him, forcing Zhang Liang to seek out the world's strongest assassin organization to kill Zhao Fusu.