Chapter 13: The Golden Pen

He Xi has a habit that can't be said to be good or bad. It was probably when I was in school. Computers and mobile phones are forbidden. The school does not allow you to bring it. There is no signal. I don't even have a calling card. So, what he wants to see. Whether it's videos or materials. It's all downloaded to it first.

Although after going to university, there is no need for it. But this habit is preserved. So, in the notebook he used for a few years, there was too much mess. TV, movies, eBooks, and more. Even he rummaged through it today. And found a lot of things, which he himself did not think of.

For example, I don't know what year it was hot in Tokyo. He had forgotten about it.

Now his laptop and all kinds of disorganized data in his mobile phone have become his biggest golden finger. Of course, some of the features of the laptop and the phone itself are artifacts in this era.

For the two pamphlets that Zhu Yuanzhang asked him to write. He Xi drew up an outline based on his impression. Then from these disorganized materials, he picked up some knowledge points that he had forgotten. Actually, it's not too difficult to write.

However, He Xi is now facing two difficulties.

The first difficulty is the textual reason. Although it is said that the Chinese language is in the same lineage, the vernacular Chinese is different from the classical Chinese. However, in the ancient literary movement, classical Chinese and the ancient vernacular parted ways. It's okay to talk. If it falls on the text, it needs to be specially carved in the writing and making words. This is not an abridgement of a few hundred words. Rather, tens of thousands of words or more.

This difficulty can be overcome.

But on the other hand, He Xi didn't know what to do.

That's calligraphy.

The two pamphlets add up to only 100,000 or 200,000 words. It's not too difficult to deal with it with a computer. But writing it down with a brush is a big project. And the brush writing is not something that can be practiced for a while.

Not to mention, Zhu Yuanzhang has something to say about these things. It is impossible to put a fake hand on someone. You can only write it down yourself.

"What should I do?" He Xi touched the metal shell of his laptop. This metallic touch, which was very common in later generations. In this era, it is a special enjoyment. After all, this kind of shell treatment process, in this era, is simply Zenith technology.

He Xi thought about it, and suddenly had a thought in his heart. secretly said in his heart: "This method may be possible." ”

He Xi said that he would do it, and he immediately found Xu Zheng and said, "I want to ask the palace to make a pen." ”

Xu Zhengbi said respectfully: "Please also ask Secretary He to show me." ”

He Xi was stunned, but he only has one official position now, and that is secretary Lang. Among other people's names, it is natural to call Secretary He Lang. This lang is generally omitted. It's like calling someone a certain Hanlin, instead of a certain Hanlin bachelor or a certain Hanlin editor.

It's just that although the name is the same, the ancient and modern meanings are definitely different.

He Xi said: "I am not a brush, but a hard pen. with a hard pen of ink. It's a metal pen that needs to be done with fine work. ”

Xu Zheng didn't know what to do. I don't know what kind of hard pen He Xi's hard pen is. However, at the order of the emperor, no matter what kind of request was made. Xu Zheng will agree, let alone a pen.

Xu Zheng said: "The old slave doesn't know what kind of pen Secretary He wants. Otherwise, Secretary He deigned to go to the silver bureau to instruct the craftsman. Otherwise, the little ones below don't know what pen Secretary He wants. ”

He Xi said: "It's okay." ”

It's been a few days since I came to Daming. He Xi has never been out of the Qianqing Palace.

has been living in the side hall of the Qianqing Palace. Don't say that you have seen the Ming Dynasty, but you haven't even finished reading the Ming court.

And now He Xi didn't think about leaving the palace. However, it seems that walking around the palace is not bad.

So Xu Zheng immediately asked a little eunuch Xu Bao'er to take He Xi out of the Qianqing Palace. Walk in the middle of the court and look at the red walls around you. It has the flavor of the Forbidden City. It's just that the Ming Dynasty has just been founded, and although the palace has begun to be built during the period when Zhu Yuanzhang was called King Wu. But after the renovation is really completed, it is also the beginning of Hongwu. It's only been a little more than a decade. Moreover, at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Nanjing Forbidden City was mainly grand, but there were not many in the details.

He Xi walked out of the Imperial City of Nanjing from the Xihua Gate and entered the palace city, in the southwest corner of the palace city, a large area is the territory of the twelve eunuchs in the palace. And the silver bureau is in it.

Xu Bao'er is Xu Zheng's righteous son, and Bao'er is a certain house. are all common names in this era. For example, Mu Ying, whose nickname is Zhou She.

Xu Baoer is a celebrity next to Xu Zheng, and the top and bottom of the silver bureau dare not slack off. The eunuch in charge of the Silver Crafts Bureau has already lined up the master craftsmen below, all waiting below.

He Xi used an eyebrow pencil to draw a pattern. "That's it," he said. There is a metal nib underneath, and there is a thin tube here. Let the ink run down it. There is a pen tongue here so that the ink does not flow fast. There is a pen barrel and cap on the outside. That's pretty much it. ”

What He Xi wants to make is a fountain pen.

A lot of people use quills. He Xi also tried it. Not at all, too fine. The experience was very poor. In He Xi's opinion, it is not as good as a brush. He Xi thought about it and felt that the fountain pen didn't seem to have any high-tech. So I want the craftsman to try it.

It's just that He Xi didn't learn to draw. So the drawing is messy.

The craftsman below took a look.

An old craftsman said; "Ho, my lord. This thing we have never seen or heard of, so we can only try to build it. Can it be done? ”

He Xi said: "It's okay, it's just a whim." If it can be made, it will be good. But it cannot be made, and it will not blame you. However, this is not a lot of work. ”

The old craftsman said: "This is estimated to be detailed, not much. ”

He Xi said: "Okay, I'll wait here." ”

Xu Bao'er said: "Don't be stunned. Go ahead and get to work. Make one for each of you. Present it and take a look. ”

"Yes." The craftsmen immediately went down.

He Xi drank tea for a while in the yamen of the Silver Crop Bureau. Some couldn't wait, so under the leadership of Xu Bao'er, they entered the shed behind the silver bureau. As soon as I entered, I felt a wave of heat coming towards me. I saw only a row of craftsmen. It's all working.

The source of heat comes from the furnace next to each craftsman. These stoves are not big. The temperature is very high, and it can at least soften the metal. Only these metals softened. to start building. There is also a small table next to it, which is supposed to be a workbench. There are a lot of delicate tools on it.

He Xi could see that these craftsmen had already typed out the prototype of the nib.

He Xi took a closer look and couldn't help but be amazed. These craftsmen are extremely skillful. In his opinion, under the extremely simple process, He Xi's requirements were also achieved.

Soon a pen arrived in He Xi's hand.

This pen is an iron nib with a cork tongue. Use fish gelatin to make a pencil bag. Although the barrel and cap of the pen have not yet been made, the whole fountain pen exudes a simple temperament. He Xi held the pen in his hand and skillfully absorbed ink. Then write.

After just a few words, there was a large cloud of ink on the pen.

He Xi said: "No. Then he changed to another one.

As a result, another pen, one stroke, is like a knife, and the words below are drawn out with a big hole.

He Xi shook his head and said, "No." ”

However, in a moment, these great craftsmen's pens were tested. There are all kinds of problems.

He Xi said: "You have seen the question just now. Is there a way to deal with it. ”

Several craftsmen whispered, and an old craftsman was recommended to speak, and the old craftsman said: "It is not difficult to say that the pen that the adults want." There are only two difficulties. The first difficulty, this one, requires a thin tube in the middle for ink guidance. It's just that the ink is thick, and the thin tube is too thin, and it will inevitably clog after a long time. ”

He Xi listened, and there was no way for a while.

Today's ink is completely different from the ink of later generations. Nowadays, ink is used for brushes. Thicker, better. But it's different for fountain pens, which use the capillary principle. Therefore, the thinner the tube in the middle, the better. In today's era, even if the ink is diluted, it is inevitable that the ink will accumulate ink. Clogged pipes.

Xu Bao'er said: "You can go on to talk about another difficulty. ”

The old craftsman nodded hurriedly and said, "Another difficulty is this tip. This tip is too sharp if it is iron. Paper can't stand it. If you want to use it. I'm afraid I'll have to use other materials. ”

Xu Bao'er said: "What material? ”

The old craftsman said, "Gold is the best." ”

Gold is more than just a symbol of wealth. It is also a metal raw material. Actually, the reason why you can't use iron is that you can't use it. On the one hand, iron is prone to rust. Over time, there will be problems. On the other hand, there is the issue of metal treatment. The nib is a little bit and the processing process is different.

Gold is different, and gold itself is very wear-resistant. And the melting point is low. Easy to process. In particular, this is the silver bureau. He is best at gold and silver processing. For such delicate things, it is easier to work with gold and silver than with iron.

It is difficult to build a fountain pen not as a pen, but as a gold and silver handicraft, but not to solve it.

When He Xi heard the use of gold, he was immediately a little uncomfortable, this is gold. Even if it's just a gold pen. I'm afraid it's going to be more than a dozen grams. Calculated by the price of gold in the afterlife. At least one or two thousand yuan. This is far beyond the scope of He Xi's consumption. Not to mention, this processing technology.

He Xi sighed and said, "Forget it, I'll think of other ways." ”

Xu Bao'er said: "Lord He, why do you say this. Please also sit down. I'll be right here right away. Then he said to the craftsmen, "You have all heard what Lord He meant. I don't care, you have one difficulty, two difficulties, or a thousand difficulties, ten thousand difficulties. What do you need. I don't discount it at all. However, Lord Ho is waiting here. This must be made today. Otherwise, don't blame the miscellaneous family for embarrassing you. ”

"Do you hear that?"

The craftsmen immediately said, "I hear you." I heard it. ”

Xu Baoer said: "If you hear it, you will go to work immediately." Whatever is required, all will be approved. ”