In Yuefu, musicians were checking the newly arrived metal pipes, checking the list to see if the "goods" sent to the site were logarithmic.

These metal pipes include copper pipes and tin-plated iron pipes. The length, inner diameter, and thickness vary, and the tones emitted after being hit are different.

Moreover, it is also used as a sound tube: organs of various sizes also require metal tubes with different inner diameters as sound tubes.

There are many metal pipes in boxes and it is impossible to check them one by one, so you can only check them in proportion, see the size, and audition.

The musicians were busy, but there was a "no-staff" who also came to help:

Wan Baochang, who was a clerk in the Ministry of Works, was proficient in music and had a lot of research on "Eight Sounds", which was far superior to many musicians, so he often came to Yuefu to help.

Wanbao often participated in the improvement of the organ, so he is now responsible for checking the metal pipes used for the organ. However, he has to check the acceptance of the sound pipes used for the clock.

He took out an iron pipe from the wooden box and observed it carefully.

Compared with copper pipes, iron pipes are prone to rust, so the iron pipes used in musical instruments are all plated with tin.

He was curious about how the iron pipe was tinned on the workshop. After looking at it, he could not see any flaws.

Moreover, what Wanbao is often curious about is that in the Hanshan workshop in Xuzhou, iron pipes with uniform sizes can be made in large quantities, including side opening iron pipes. If two are used to compare, the sizes are exactly the same.

I don't know what the production process is used.

The selected thirteen iron pipes were hung on wooden racks to form a complete row of clocks and placed in a quiet hut.

Wanbao often holds a small wooden hammer, taps one by one, and then listens to the sound.

The row clock is a new type of musical instrument and is a substitute for chimes. Now, in many occasions, it has a unique sound effect with piano, organ and other instruments.

The reason why the chimes are a substitute for chimes is not that with the chimes, the chimes will lose their place to use them.

It is because the meaning of chimes is very special, representing hierarchy and power, which are not something that ordinary people can use, and even officials with less than rank are not qualified to use this kind of instrument.

If used, it means being overruled, and the consequences are very serious.

Therefore, rowing bells instead of chimes, and walking off the platform became a common ordinary musical instrument.

Nowadays, the Yuefu clocks also use iron pipes instead of copper pipes, mainly to save money. After all, no matter how cheap copper is, it is always more expensive than iron.

Wanbao often auditioned carefully. The "delivery" official waiting beside him saw the person who was squinting his eyes and listening in a slight manner, and smiled and said, "Did Yuanwailang hear the noise?"

"No." Wanbao often opened his eyes and looked at the temporary row clock, asking: "Are these iron pipes made in the same process as the air pipes that make the organ?"

The clerk nodded: "Yes, why is Yuanwailang interested in metallurgy?"

"It's hard to imagine that so many iron pipes are not only the length, inner diameter, but also the wall thickness are exactly the same..." Wan Baochang said while thinking.

He likes to make homemade musical instruments, but it is too troublesome to make metal tubes, so he is very curious about the production process.

Wanbao often picked up an iron pipe: "To be honest, I have tried to make copper pipes. After all, copper is softer, and whether it is cast or hollowed out solid copper pipes, it can be done."

"But this iron pipe... may be short and can be made, so long..."

Wanbao often puts the iron pipe vertically, with the lower end column on his feet, and the upper end is close to his armpit: "How did such a long iron pipe be made?"

The official laughed: "Guess Yuanwailang?"

Wanbao often expressed his own guess: "You can't use a long drill bit to drill a solid iron rod into the air, right?"

"This is not impossible, but the efficiency is too slow." The official shook his head, "and he had to drill slowly. Even with hydraulic power, this long rod drill bit would have to drill out an iron pipe that was as high as the shoulder height. It took a long time and would also be a waste of the drill bit."

"A drill bit that can drill iron must be made of steel, and the cost is not cheap, so it is expensive to drill iron pipes."

Wanbao often became more and more curious when he heard this. He asked about the making of iron pipes, but he was purely curious and had no idea.

The clerk continued: "This process must be kept confidential, but just by saying a name, I am too lazy to care about it, because this process cannot be done by just knowing the name."

I deliberately showed off and turned to the topic: "Inclined rolling is an inclined rolling iron pipe. It is cheap and sufficient in quantity, and has a guaranteed size, so the cost is low and the selling price is also low."

So that's it. Wanbao often doesn't care about the specific process of "slanting rolling". He only needs a simple answer.

There was no problem with the random inspection. Wanbao often asked musicians to use seals and seals on the stock list. Seeing that the yard was filled with long wooden boxes filled with iron pipes, he asked the official again:

"Is there a lot of demand for this metal pipe now?"

"Does Yuanwailang refer to the pipe used for music?"

"Um."

"It's okay, but for Hanshan Field, the demand for iron pipes in musical instruments is nothing. In fact, the main thing is Jun... ahem..."

The official almost let it go. Wan Bao often heard the implication and did not ask. After all, he was not interested in what metal pipes (iron pipes) were used in the army.

You can't ask, either.

After a busy morning, he hurriedly spent lunch and then entered the palace to debug a new organ.

Wan Bao was always a member of the Ministry of Works, and his father was a general in the army. It is said that his son should inherit his father's business and serve in the army.

But Wanbao often likes music since childhood and is addicted to "Eight Sounds", which is really not the material for leading troops to fight.

Therefore, when working in the Ministry of Industry, I took time to "tune" various instruments in Yuefu and improved large and complex instruments such as pianos and organs.

The reason why I don’t work directly in Yuefu is because I cannot break my father’s bottom line:

Musicians and actors, according to traditional views, are all cheap households, and "Lao Wan" cannot tolerate his son's "declination".

Originally, "Lao Wan" had many old friends in the army. His son Wan Bao Changruo joined the army. He had a group of "Shi Uncle" and his peers to take care of him, and his future was bright.

As a result, "Xiao Wan" wanted to abandon martial arts and follow the civil service. Now that he is working in the Ministry of Works, it is already considered that "Lao Wan" has made a step back.

If Wanbao often goes to Yuefu to work, "Lao Wan" is afraid that he will be angry to death.

Yuefu is near the palace, so Wanbaochang only walked for a while before reaching the palace gate.

The palace is not a toilet. You can come whenever you want, go whenever you want, and you have to register when you want to enter and exit.

For example, when entering the palace, you have to go through a series of procedures, verify your identity, and obtain a permit before you can enter.

There were many people entering the palace, so Wanbao often waited in line at the registration office, sat under the awning, bored, watching the imperial guards change their defenses.

When the palace gate guards change their defenses, they must first move and resist horses to prevent people from hitting the palace gate while changing defenses.

After the defense change is completed, the soldiers who arrive on duty must also be inspected by the inspector: determine their identities and check their military preparations.

The palace guards have only three weapons, bows, spears, and knives (sometimes with shields). In addition, no additional weapons are allowed without permission to be carried in case anyone intends to be inappropriate.

Wanbao often enters the palace, debugs musical instruments, or plays pianos and organs for nobles, so he has some understanding of the imperial guard system.

Now, the weapons carried by the Imperial Army soldiers were somewhat different: some people were not holding spears, but long sticks, and swords were worn on their waists. The swords were not like swords, like long stabs.

The knife is not very round or "one" shape, but looks like a ring-shaped iron sleeve tilted on one side.

What kind of weapon combination is this?

Wanbao is often a little curious, but it is impossible to ask.

After a while, an inspector came over and checked the military equipment of the imperial guards, and asked the soldiers to pull out their swords to check: mainly to beware of someone being lazy and wearing empty scabbards and fish eyes mixed with pearls.

A knife, without a scabbard, weighs about two pounds. It has been hung around the waist for a long time and feels very uncomfortable.

The inspector came to the soldiers with strange weapons combinations and asked to "get the bayonet".

Wanbao often saw clearly that these soldiers pulled out the long thorn-shaped sword around their waists, and then placed the long stick in their hands obliquely, so that the head of the stick was in front of him.

Then put the iron sleeve of the long thorny sword to the front of the stick and turn it.

After a light "click" sound, the long stick turned into a spear, and the thorny sword turned into a spearhead.

Wanbao often understood and nodded silently: It turned out to be a combination spear...

But isn't this a slight addition?

In case of an emergency, there will be more "pull the bayonet" and "pull the bayonet" action. Isn't this an extra flaw?

It’s so good to hold a spear. If there is an emergency, it’s so convenient to fight with the spear immediately.
Chapter completed!