In fact, the real purpose in Zhao Hongrun's heart is naturally not as simple as making a ruler. What he really wants to do is to measure accurately.
You must know that weights and measures are the constant standards for all precision work. Without precise weights and measures, Zhao Hongrun's blueprint cannot be realized at all.
It is undeniable that both the Ministry of Industry and the Metallurgical Bureau have necessary tools like rulers, but unfortunately, although that kind of ruler is called a ruler, it is far from meeting the requirements recognized by Zhao Hongrun.
The next day, Zhao Hongrun came to the Smelting Bureau early in the morning, and he asked Wang Fu to invite the most experienced craftsmen in the bureau, and asked these masters to help create the first and most standard ruler in his mind.
At this time, Zhao Hongrun's order to double the monthly salary of the craftsmen in the Smelting Bureau had already spread throughout the entire Smelting Bureau. This made the craftsmen in the Smelting Bureau extremely happy and recognized Zhao Hongrun even more.
Just increased by a few points.
However, this also meant that when Zhao Hongrun was preparing to build his first standard ruler in an open space, he was surrounded by craftsmen from his smelting bureau. The craftsmen all looked at him curiously with their eyes wide open.
I want to see what His Highness Prince Su, who gave their craftsmen such generous treatment, wants to do.
These people...have nothing to do?
To be honest, Zhao Hongrun doesn't like being watched when he is doing things, it makes him feel weird.
Perhaps seeing His Royal Highness Prince Su frowning, beside him, Wang Fu, the Chief of the Metallurgical Bureau, carefully explained: "Your Highness, the people from the Construction Department are demolishing those work sheds and building brick houses according to His Highness's instructions.
So...if His Highness is not happy, I will tell them to disperse."
I really have nothing to do...
Hearing this, Zhao Hongrun couldn't help but be speechless.
However, after taking a look at the craftsmen who were looking curiously, Zhao Hongrun shook his head and stopped Wang Fu, because he felt that maybe this was a good opportunity for all the craftsmen in the Smelting Bureau to participate in making the ruler and cultivate their sense of belonging.
Seeing this, he took a few steps forward. He smiled and said to the craftsmen around him: "I'm afraid you are wondering about what I want to do. In fact, it's very simple. I just want to build a
It’s just a ruler.”
After hearing this, the craftsmen couldn't help but look at each other and started talking among themselves.
Firstly, their Metallurgical Bureau had rulers early on. Secondly, in fact, people in the Metallurgical Bureau did not use rulers to measure the length of objects. They were more accustomed to using ropes made of hemp and their own body structures.
to measure the length.
Even ordinary people don't have so-called rulers in their homes, because they don't need them at all. They rely on their own body structure to cope with the need to measure lengths in daily life.
You should know that since ancient times, there has been a measurement standard that tells you how to measure when you are using a hand to measure a piece of paper, how to measure an inch when you are using a piece of paper to measure it.
The so-called cloth hand knows the ruler, which refers to the distance from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger after the palm is stretched. It is almost one foot in ancient times.
Note: There is also a term for "holding", that is, when the right hand makes a handjob action, the distance from the thumb to the tip of the middle finger is almost one foot. By the way, women's hands are generally smaller, so,
When a woman makes this gesture, the unit of length is called "咫", which is slightly shorter than "Chi".
As for the phrase "cloth refers to knowing an inch," cloth refers to the thumb, that is, the distance between the widest part of the thumb is almost one inch.
Note: There is another saying that it is the width of the second knuckle of the middle finger.
And Shuzhizhixun. This is much clearer. Xun, that is, after an adult man stretches his arms and raises them flat on both sides, the distance from the wrist of one hand to the wrist of the other hand is almost eight feet.
about.
Therefore, the ancients could measure the approximate length of an object even without using a ruler.
For example, when measuring the length of a house, craftsmen would first use a long rope to measure it, and then mark the other end.
Next, hold one end of the rope with your left hand, gently hold the rope with your right hand, and then stretch your arms and raise them flat on both sides of the body. At this time, the distance from the left wrist to the right wrist is equivalent to one
Xun, it's about eight feet.
Then, use your left hand to pinch the rope in your right hand again, repeat this process again, measure the second fathom, until the end, less than one fathom, and then measure again with the palm of your hand.
Therefore, by multiplying the number of fathoms by eight feet and adding the final length measured with the palm of your hand, you can measure the approximate length of the house.
I believe any craftsman knows this technique.
But unfortunately, this does not meet Zhao Hongrun's requirements, because he requires accuracy.
"Your Highness, the hemp rope is ready."
Lang Guan Chen Dan handed Zhao Hongrun a few pieces of hemp rope about the thickness of his little finger.
"Hmm."
Zhao Hongrun reached out and took the hemp rope.
Regarding making the first accurate ruler, Zhao Hongrun thought repeatedly about what term should be used as the basic unit. In fact, he was more accustomed to using meters and centimeters, but unfortunately, with the current conditions of the Wei Dynasty, he could not make it at all.
Show those precise rulers in his mind.
He could only use the old methods passed down by the ancients, and at most make them more precise, so that they would be easily accepted by the people of Wei.
"Everyone stand in a row." Zhao Hongrun ordered.
The craftsmen who were watching looked at each other in confusion, not understanding why Zhao Hongrun asked them to stand in a row, but they did not resist at all. Who asked Zhao Hongrun to double their monthly salary after taking over the smelting bureau?
Normal adult height…Usual adult height…
Zhao Hongrun walked through the crowd, selecting suitable experimental subjects as he walked.
After excluding the tallest one, the shortest one, and the remaining men over twenty years old, Zhao Hongrun asked the clan guards to use those hemp ropes to measure the average height.
As for the final piece of hemp rope that represented the average height of the people in the smelting bureau, Zhao Hongrun determined it to be one fathom, or eight feet.
Then, Zhao Hongrun straightened the hemp rope and folded it in half to obtain a distance of four feet.
Repeat this process to get a distance of two feet.
Repeat this process again, and finally get the length of one foot.
At this point, Zhao Hongrun got the first accurate unit of length, feet!
At the same time, the experienced craftsmen immediately compared the length of the hemp rope and used a planer to plan out a wooden ruler of the same length on a wooden board.
Divide the wooden ruler in half to get the distance of half a foot. Then divide the half foot into five equal parts, and Zhao Hongrun gets the second precise unit of length, the inch.
Immediately afterwards, ten wooden rulers with a length of one foot were planed. These ten rulers were then spliced together to form a long ruler.
Then, the craftsmen used a longer piece of wood to plan the ruler again, which represented feet.
At this time, Zhao Hongrun also got the third precise unit. Zhang!
The rest is easy, just use the old unit conversion, one foot is ten feet, one foot is ten inches.
On the basis of inches, Zhao Hongrun continued to subdivide, using the same method to divide a foot into ten equal parts, and obtained the fourth unit of length, minutes.
Note: It is approximately equal to about two millimeters.
In fact, the unit of points can be subdivided, that is, silk, and ten silks are equal to one point. However, Zhao Hongrun felt that at present, their smelting bureau did not need such a fine ruler, so he gave up.
Holding the one-foot wooden ruler with both hands, Zhao Hongrun looked at the craftsmen around him and shouted loudly: "Perhaps you are still wondering why I made this ruler and mobilized many people, so now, I
Let me tell you, the ruler we have worked together to create today is more than just a ruler, it represents a new length standard!"
Upon hearing this, the surrounding craftsmen looked at each other, or one craftsman said cautiously: "Your Highness, Prince Su, the length of the ruler made by His Highness is different from the ruler of the Ministry of Works. This..."
Zhao Hongrun raised his hand to interrupt the craftsman's words, and said in a tone that left no room for doubt: "Didn't I, the King, say so? This new ruler from our Smelting Bureau today is the standard for measuring all lengths! ... The Sixth Department of the Imperial Court
All twenty-four departments must abide by the weights and measures standards of our Metallurgical Bureau, otherwise, our Metallurgical Bureau has the right to refuse to build any tools!"
This...isn't this...
When the craftsmen heard this, their breathing became tight for some unknown reason.
As if he had read through the thoughts of the civil servants and craftsmen of the Smelting Bureau around him, Zhao Hongrun said loudly: "Yes, I want to make our Smelting Bureau the standard for everything in our Wei Dynasty! ... I, the Smelting Bureau, will set the standard for everything in our Wei Dynasty! ...
Abandon the original old weights and measures, introduce the most accurate new weights and measures rules, and anything built by our Metallurgical Bureau in the future will be based on the new weights and measures rules of our Metallurgical Bureau!"
Having said this, he looked around at the crowd and shouted again: "We, the Smelting Bureau, will build all the utensils of the Wei Dynasty to the standard. The other six departments and twenty-three divisions of the imperial court will also regard our Smelting Bureau as the only one."
Standard!... From today on, we are the embodiment of norms, standards and authority!"
"Whoa whoa!!"
The craftsmen onlookers shouted in unison as if they were out of control.
On the same day, the new ruler made by Zhao Hongrun was quickly obtained by the eunuchs and presented to Emperor Wei's Dragon Case.
"Su...chi?"
Emperor Wei played with the exquisitely crafted short ruler and looked at it with great interest. The inches and units were neatly divided into strips of black ink.
"Yes, Su Chi, that's what the people from the Metallurgical Bureau call this new ruler." Tong Xian, the great eunuch, said in a low voice.
"This is really interesting..." Wei Tianzi played with it for a while, half-smiling, and murmured: "Unexpectedly, the bad boy's first step was to measure precision. It seems that his plan is not small...
...What did the Ministry of Industry say? I remember that the Ministry of Industry has a complete set of weights and measures."
Tong Xian lowered his head and said respectfully: "The Ministry of Industry has followed up and announced that it will abolish the original old ruler and choose the Su ruler of the Metallurgical and Manufacturing Bureau. Moreover, any future construction will also be based on Su's new rules."
standard."
"The Ministry of Industry's actions are so fast..." Wei Tianzi was stunned, then nodded in relief and said: "Well, it's not surprising. Now that bad guy is also equivalent to the backstage of the Ministry of Industry. The status of the Metallurgical Bureau has been improved.
The status of the Ministry of Industry has naturally increased...that old man Cao Zhi, despite his dim eyesight, is very evil!"
After hearing this, the great eunuch Tong Xian whispered: "I think that His Highness King Su's step seems to be too big... Su Chi doesn't matter, the problem is that Su Jin may appear in the next few days."
"What are you worried about?" Emperor Wei smiled and said in an elusive tone: "Didn't you see that boy said that the Smelting Bureau will become the only standard for my Wei Dynasty, including weights and measures!"