If you don’t be a leader, you don’t know how expensive it is.

For Wu Zetian, this is a very simple multiple-choice question.

At this moment, Wu Zetian asked: "Pei Sicheng, how much is the cost of such a thread-bound book?"

Pei Shaoqing asked back: "I want to be brave, may I ask the Queen, how much is the cost of such a yellow silk scroll?"

Wu Zetian really didn't know, so she asked Gao Lingsong: "Eunuch Gao, how much does this scroll cost?"

Gao Lingsong calculated with his fingers: "This scroll uses a total of six feet and three feet of silk, and it is top-notch Jiangnan silk, which is four times more expensive than ordinary silk."

"The market price of an ordinary yellow silk is 1,000 yuan."

"So the cost of Huang Ling alone is 7,000 yuan."

"In addition, the mounting cost is about 2,000 yuan."

"So the cost of this yellow silk scroll is 9,000 yuan."

Wu Zetian turned his eyes to Pei Shaoqing and asked, "Pei Sicheng?"

"Eunuch Gao, isn't it right?" Pei Shaoqing said, "You haven't calculated the copying cost yet."

"The cost of copying? How can you know this?" Gao Lingsong said in surprise, "There is no way to calculate it."

"There is a solution," Pei Shaoqing said, "In order to copy this yellow silk scroll, it took more than six hours for eight bachelors including Liu Zhangyuan to copy this one, right?"

Liu Yizhi said: "To be precise, it was six hours and seven minutes."

"That means, you have to calculate the wages of six hours and seven minutes." Pei Shaoqing said.

"This is wrong." Wu Chengsi said, "The scrolls issued by the world will not be copied by the eight Liu Zhanyuan and the others. At that time, there will naturally be secretary and Hanlin Academy's copying officials."

Pei Shaoqing said: "Then calculate the salary of the transcribe."

Speaking of this, he asked again: "How much is the monthly salary of the official?"

Liu Yizhi replied: "The officials who have been transferred from the outside are divided into nine levels, and the levels of copying officials are also high and low, but if we summarize them, the monthly salary is about one thousand coins and the salary is about twenty stones."

Pei Shaoqing nodded and said, "Twenty stones of rice, 10,000 yuan, and 830 yuan a month, which means that the average monthly income of the copying official is 1,830 yuan. Including the rewards and benefits during the holidays, the monthly income should be 3,000 yuan."

Liu Yizhi nodded and said, "This is almost the same as the legitimate salary of foreign officials."

"The gray income will not be discussed." Pei Shaoqing smiled and said, "Monthly income is 3,000 yuan, calculated based on 30 days, then the daily wage is 100 yuan."

"It took six hours and seven minutes for the eight people including Liu Zhangyuan to copy the scroll."

"Six hours and seven minutes, almost two days' time to go straight."

"The transcriptionist is definitely not so efficient, so the number of people and time have to be doubled."

"That is to say, at least sixteen copying officials are required to copy for four days."

"Each person's daily wage is 100 yuan, so the total labor cost is 6,400 yuan."

"In this way, the cost of this yellow silk scroll is already 15,400 yuan. Considering that there must be destruction and consumption, the total cost is at least 16,000 yuan, 16 jin!"

Hearing this, Wu Zetian's eyelids twitched slightly.

The cost of just one scroll is as high as 16 jin.

Ten thousand volumes, wouldn’t it cost 160,000 guan?

The current treasury costs are tight, so I really may not be able to take them out.

After all, the crown prince enthronement ceremony will be held soon, and the peace will be brought to marriage after a while. The Western Turks in the northern border of the Eastern Turks rebelled again, and they were really waiting to use money everywhere.

Liu Yizhidao: "But I don't know how valuable is the thread-bound book Pei Sichengxian's?"

"I'm afraid it's not cheap either." Wu Chengsi argued with Pei Shaoqing. "If you use paper to copy poems, you must use high-quality Shu paper."

"A top-quality Shu paper is one knife and two slays."

"It takes at least two swords of Shu paper to copy 1,024 poems."

"It also requires copying the official to copy poems on paper."

“Even if copying poems on paper is more convenient than scrolls,”

"But the cost of 5 jin of the copying fee for each book is always required."

"So the cost of each book is as high as nine cents of coins."

"This is less than half cheaper than Huang Ling's scroll."

Wu Zetian showed disappointment on his face, and the thread-bound books seemed to be less expensive, and the key level was much lower.

Pei Shaoqing turned his eyes to Wu Zetian and said solemnly: "Report to the Queen of Heaven, I have a way to reduce the cost of a thread-bound book that has copied 1,024 auspicious poems to 2,000 yuan!"

"2,000 yuan?" Wu Zetian asked, "Is this true?"

2,000 yuan per book can greatly save the cost of the court.

"Take it seriously." Pei Shaoqing said solemnly, "If the court buys 50,000 volumes, I can further reduce the cost of this book to 1,500 yuan!"

"Okay." Wu Zetiandao, "Then buy 40,000 rolls! It costs 60,000 yuan!"

Pei Shaoqing was immediately overjoyed when he heard this, and the first order of the Imperial Merchants was completed!

However, he said with a bitter look on his face: "Empress, what I am talking about is the cost price. Although I am an imperial merchant, the imperial merchant is also a merchant and needs to be profitable."

Wu Zetian said coldly: "How dare you talk to the court about profit?"

"What's the point of not daring to do this?" Pei Shaoqing said, "The emperor can't send hungry soldiers."

"It's only 60,000 guan, not even a penny more." Wu Zetian said thoughtfully, "At most other aspects can be found to provide you with supplies."

Pei Shaoqing said: "In this case, I have a request that the project of the secret library's collection from books to thread-bound books must be handed over to me."

“And its purchase price,”

"The cost price can rise by 50%.

"Yes!" Wu Zetian agreed readily.

In her opinion, although the collection of books in the Secret Pavilion is huge, with more than 100,000 volumes, not every type needs to be transcribed. Many books can be collected into one volume except for the original ones. So even if you buy them at a price of 50% above the cost price, how much money can you get?

Seeing that Wu Zetian agreed so readily, Pei Shaoqing was also secretly proud.

Wu Zetian had no idea of ​​the true value of the secret Pavilion's books. His real intention was to steal the copyright of the secret Pavilion. Not to mention anything else, just selling classics, history, and collections of scholars to Guanlong nobles and Shandong gentry would be enough for him to make a fortune.

What's more, even if it is a collection of auspicious poems worth 1,500 yuan per volume, Pei Shaoqing can make a profit, and he has calculated it long ago.

The sample book he just showed for Wu Zetian and the others was to record only one poem on one page, but it is definitely not so wasteful to print it in actual printing. When printing, not only should the front and back sides be printed, but two or even three poems must be printed on each side, and six poems can be printed on one side of the five-character quatrain.

So you can't use two swords of Shu paper at all.

Half a knife of Shu paper is more than enough.

There is also copying, which is even more in the province.

Because he didn't plan to send someone to copy, but planned to use movable type printing.

So, every 40,000 volumes is allocated, and the cost is less than the usual amount.

In addition, Pei Shaoqing is also preparing to improve papermaking and use bamboo that spreads all over the Qinling Mountains to make paper. At that time, the paper cost will be further reduced and the profit margin will be higher.

In the end, he can still sell poetry collections.
Chapter completed!