In fact, Zhao Hongrun’s real purpose in his heart is naturally not as simple as building a ruler. What he really wants to do is actually precise weights and measures.

You should know that weights and measures are constant standards for all fine and active things. Without accurate weights and measures, the blueprint in Zhao Hongrun's heart could not be realized at all.

It is undeniable that both the Ministry of Works and the Bureau of Metallurgical Engineering have necessary tools such as rulers, but unfortunately, although that ruler is called rulers, it is far from meeting the requirements recognized by Zhao Hongrun.

The next day, Zhao Hongrun arrived at the Metallurgical Bureau early in the morning. Moreover, he asked Wang Fu to invite the craftsmen with the most experience in the bureau and ask these masters to help build 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 Metal Construction Bureau had already spread throughout the Metal Construction Bureau, which made the craftsmen in the Metal Construction Bureau more happy, and their recognition of Zhao Hongrun was even more a little bit.

However, this also made Zhao Hongrun prepare to build the first standard ruler in his mind in an open space, and the craftsmen from his craftsmen stood around him. The craftsmen all looked at him with wide eyes and curiosity, wanting to see what His Highness Su, who gave them craftsmen generous treatment, wanted to do.

Are these people... okay to do it?

To be honest, Zhao Hongrun doesn't like being watched by others when doing things, which makes him feel weird.

Perhaps seeing His Highness Su frowned, beside him, Wang Fu, the head of the Metallurgical Bureau, explained carefully: "Your Highness, the people from the Construction Department are demolishing the sheds and building brick houses as directed by His Highness, so... If Your Highness is not happy, the lower-ranking official will ask them to withdraw."

I'm really idle and have nothing to do...

Hearing this, Zhao Hongrun couldn't help but feel silent.

However, after looking at the curious and looking at the craftsmen, Zhao Hongrun shook his head and stopped Wang Fu, because he felt that perhaps this was a good opportunity for all the craftsmen in the Art and Construction Bureau to participate in creating rulers and cultivate their sense of belonging.

Seeing this, he stepped forward and walked a few steps. He smiled and said to the craftsmen around him, "You are probably wondering, wondering what I want to do. It's actually very simple. I just want to build a ruler."

After hearing this, the craftsmen couldn't help but look at each other and talk.

Firstly, they had a ruler in the Mechanism Bureau earlier, and secondly, in fact, people in the Mechanism Bureau do not use rulers to measure the length of objects. They are more accustomed to using ropes made of hemp and their own body structure to measure length.

Even ordinary people do not have so-called rulers in their homes because they do not need them at all. They are enough to deal with the daily needs of measuring length by virtue of their own body structure.

You should know that since ancient times, there has been a measurement standard that can be used to know the ruler when cloth hand is used, cloth finger is used to know the inch when cloth finger is used, and elbow is used to find out.

The so-called cloth hand knows the ruler, which refers to the distance between the wrist and the fingertips of the middle finger after the palm is stretched. It is almost one foot from ancient times.

Note: There is also a saying of "slide", that is, the right hand makes a hand-knocking movement, and the distance between the thumb and the fingertips 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 "short", which is slightly shorter than "square".

The phrase "Feng finger" knows the inch" is the thumb, that is, the distance between the widest part of the thumb is almost one inch.

Note: There is another saying, which is the width of the second knuckle of the middle finger.

And when elbows are stretched, it is much more obvious. Xun means that the distance between an adult man from one hand to the wrist of the other hand is about eight feet after stretching his arms flat on both sides.

Therefore, even if the ancients did not have to use a ruler, they could measure the approximate length of an object.

For example, if you measure the length of a house, craftsmen will first use a long rope to measure it and then mark it on the other end.

Next, pinch one end of the rope with your left hand, gently hold the rope with your right hand, then stretch your arms and raise them flat on both sides of your body. At this time, the distance from the left wrist to the right wrist is equivalent to one search, about eight feet away.

Then, use your left hand to pinch the rope at the right hand position again, repeat the process again, measure the second search until the end, less than one search distance, and then measure it with your palm.

So, multiplying the number of times a search by eight feet, plus the length measured with the palm of your hand, you can measure the approximate length of the house.

I believe any craftsman knows this skill.

But unfortunately, this does not meet Zhao Hongrun's requirements because what he requires is accuracy.

"Your Highness, the hemp rope is rubbed."

The Langguan Chen Dang handed Zhao Hongrun a few hemp ropes about the thickness of a little finger.

"Um."

Zhao Hongrun reached out and took the hemp rope.

Regarding the first accurate ruler, Zhao Hongrun once repeatedly thought about what terms should be used as the basic unit. In fact, he was more accustomed to using rice and centimeters, but unfortunately, with the current conditions of the Great Wei Dynasty, he could not create the precise rulers he remembered.

He could only follow the old methods passed down by the ancients, and at most they would do more precisely, so that they would be easily accepted by the Wei people.

"Everyone stands in a row." Zhao Hongrun ordered.

The onlookers looked at each other, not understanding why Zhao Hongrun asked them to stand in a row, but they did not resist at all. Who made Zhao Hongrun double their monthly salary after taking over the Metallurgical Bureau?

Normal adult height…Usually adult height…

Zhao Hongrun walked by the crowd, selecting suitable experimental subjects while walking.

Excluding the highest one, the shortest one, and the remaining men over 20 years old, Zhao Hongrun asked the clan guards to use the hemp rope to measure the average height.

In the end, Zhao Hongrun determined the hemp rope that represented the average height of the personnel in the Metallurgical Bureau as one-shot, that is, eight feet.

Then, Zhao Hongrun straightened the hemp rope and folded it in half to obtain a four-foot distance.

Repeat this process and get a distance of two feet.

Repeat this process again and finally achieve a length of one foot.

At this point, Zhao Hongrun got the first accurate unit of length, ruler!

At the same time, those experienced old craftsmen immediately compared the length of the hemp rope and used a planer to draw a wooden ruler of the same length on a wooden board.

By dividing this wooden ruler that represents the ruler, you will get a distance of half a foot. Then divide the half foot into an average of five equal parts, Zhao Hongrun got the second precise length unit, inch.

Immediately afterwards, we made ten wooden rulers with one foot length. Then we spliced ​​these ten rulers together to form a long ruler.

Then, the craftsmen used a longer piece of wood to re-draw this long ruler that represents a meter.

At this time, Zhao Hongrun also got the third precise unit. twelve!

The rest of the things are easy to deal with, nothing more than converting them to the old unit, one zhang is ten feet, and one zhang is ten inches.

On the basis of inch, Zhao Hongrun continued to subdivided the segments, using the same method to divide a foot into ten equal parts, and obtain the fourth unit of length, divided.

Note: It is about two millimeters.

In fact, the division unit can be subdivided, that is, silk, ten silk is equal to one cent. However, Zhao Hongrun felt that they could not use such a fine ruler for division at present, so he gave up.

Holding the one-foot wooden ruler with both hands, Zhao Hongrun looked at the craftsmen around him and shouted: "Maybe you are still wondering why I made this ruler and mobilized many people. So now, I tell you that the ruler I have built together today is not just a ruler, it represents a new length standard!"

After hearing this, the craftsmen around looked at each other, and a craftsman said carefully: "His Royal Highness Su, the ruler he made based on this is different in length from the ruler of the Ministry of Works. This..."

Zhao Hongrun raised his hand to interrupt the craftsman and said in an unquestionable tone: "Didn't I say that? Today, the new ruler of my Mechanical and Construction Bureau is the standard for measuring the general length!... The six departments and twenty-four departments of the court must comply with the weights and measures of the Mechanical and Construction Bureau, otherwise, the Mechanical and Construction Bureau has the right to refuse to build any instruments!"

This...isn't this...

After hearing this, the craftsmen breathed a little tightly for some reason.

As if seeing through the thoughts of the civil servants and craftsmen of the surrounding smelting bureau, Zhao Hongrun said loudly: "That's right, I want to build my smelting bureau into a standard for all things in our Great Wei Dynasty!... My smelting bureau will abandon the old weights and measures and introduce the most accurate new weights and measures regulations. In the future, everything created by my smelting bureau will take the new weights and measures regulations of the smelting bureau as the only standard!"

Speaking of this, he looked around at everyone and shouted loudly again: "My Mechanism Bureau will create the standard for the artifacts of our Great Wei. The other six ministries and twenty-three departments of the court will also regard the Mechanism Bureau as the only standard! ... From today on, we will be the incarnation of norms, standards, and authority!"

"Whoa whoa!!"

The craftsmen around were shouting in uncontrollably.

On that day, the new ruler made by Zhao Hongrun was quickly obtained by the eunuchs and presented to Emperor Wei's dragon case.

"Su... ruler?"

Emperor Wei played with the short ruler with exquisite workmanship and looked at the short ruler neatly divided in black ink and divided into units with interest.

"Yes, Su Ruler, that's what the people from the Metallurgical Bureau call this new ruler." The eunuch Tong Xian said in a low voice.

"This is really interesting..." Emperor Wei played with it for a while, murmured: "The first step for that bad guy was, I didn't expect that it was to be diligent in weights and measures. It seems that he has a big goal... What does the Ministry of Works say? I remember that the Ministry of Works has a complete set of weights and measures."

Tong Xian lowered his head and said respectfully: "The Ministry of Works has followed up and announced that it will abolish the original old ruler and use the Su Ruins of the Metallurgical Bureau. In addition, any future construction matters will be based on the Su Ruins as the standard."

"The Ministry of Works is very fast..." Emperor Wei was stunned for a moment, then nodded and relieved, "Well, but it's not surprising that the bad guy is equivalent to the backstage of the Ministry of Works. The status of the Ministry of Works has increased, and the status of the Ministry of Works will naturally rise... Cao Zhi, don't look at the old man, he is very terrified!"

Hearing this, the eunuch Tong Xian whispered: "I think that Your Highness Su seems to have taken too much... Su Ruler doesn't matter. The problem is that Su Jin will appear in the next few days."

"What are you worried about?" Emperor Wei smiled and said in an elusive tone: "Have you seen that boy say that? The Mechanism Bureau will become the only standard in our Great Wei Dynasty, including weights and measures!"

“…yes.” (To be continued.)
Chapter completed!