"Husband, can you really make this instrument?" On the way back home, Princess Changle asked.
Meton nodded and said, "It's not difficult. You should have seen the prototype of this instrument."
Princess Changle was confused and said, "I have seen it?"
Meton nodded and said, "That's the pressure well! It must be a pressure well shrunk to the size of a palm! "
"Pressure well!" Princess Changle could not help but be pensive. Naturally, she had seen the well seal before. This was Moton's famous work. Not only did it solve the problem of drinking water for countless commoners, it also gave the commoners the ability to protect themselves in the face of droughts. The reason why the Great Tang had been able to have such a bountiful harvest these past few years was largely due to the well seal's contribution.
Meton explained, "The so-called syringe is just the reverse application of the pressure well. The pressure well pumps the water out of the ground, while the syringe will use the pressure to inject the medicine that has been sucked in."
"It's that simple?" Princess Changle said incredulously.
Meton said with a wry smile, "Of course it's not that simple. If you really want to inject the medicine into the body, you need to make a needle, a hollow needle!"
The whole syringe was not difficult, but a hollow needle was a problem that would be difficult for hundreds of years. It was the time to really test the skills of the Mo Family.
…
"A hollow needle!"
In the Mo Family, Old Zhang came in a hurry. When he heard Meton's request, he couldn't help but be stunned. It was not difficult to make a needle, even the most common craftsman could do it. But a hollow needle was difficult for the most skilled craftsman of the Mo Family.
"Young master, do you want to make some kind of hidden weapon?" Old Zhang asked carefully.
Meton was so angry that he laughed and said, "What hidden weapon? This is a medical instrument made for the School of Medicine. It is specially made for the treatment of Empress Zhangsun. Yes, I don't care what method you use. You must make this needle in the shortest time, even if you use the power of the whole Mo Family. " Meton said solemnly. Now, there was only one step left to treat Empress Zhangsun. No matter what, he could not be stuck at this step.
Old Zhang looks solemn. Since this needle is related to Empress Zhangsun's condition, and Empress Zhangsun is the mother of Princess Changle, who is the mistress of the Mo family, this needle must be made without any mistakes.
"I, Old Zhang, will do my best." Old Zhang solemnly promised.
After receiving the task, Old Zhang immediately rushed back to the Mo Family Village. When he announced that Meton's task was to make a hollow needle, all the craftsmen of the Mo Family were in an uproar.
"How is this possible? The needle itself is already an extremely small object, how can it be made hollow? " The needle was made of steel. The owner of the steelmaking workshop was Zhang Mu, the second son of Old Zhang. Zhang Mu shook his head and denied it.
"Since it's Young Master's request, of course it can be done. Young Master has never missed a chance!" Old Zhang said resolutely.
"How about using the method of casting Buddha?" Zhang Mu had an idea and suggested. The Mo family had once taken over the business of casting Buddha from the Buddhist school. The Buddhists were fond of grandiose achievements. The bigger the Buddha statue, the better. Naturally, it was impossible to cast all of them with real materials and hollow.
"As long as I rotate the needle while casting, it will form a hollow." Zhang Mu was very familiar with the technique of making hollow needles.
Old Zhang's heart skipped a beat. He nodded and said, "This method can also be tried."
"Since it's to treat Empress Zhangsun, we naturally have to use the best steel of the Mo family!" Zhang Mu said proudly. Led by Zhang Mu, the craftsmen of the Mo family came to the workshop that specialized in producing steel cables for the Wei River Bridge. Everyone nodded. This workshop indeed had the best steel of the Mo Family Village.
Meton led everyone to the front of the shining steelmaking furnace. Looking at the dark red molten iron rolling, he said loudly, "Everyone, let's get started!"
Those who could be summoned by Old Zhang were all skilled craftsmen of the Mo family. Under the leadership of Zhang Mu, the craftsmen divided the work and worked together to create the needle-shaped mold in the shortest time.
Old Zhang personally poured the hot and flowing molten iron into the small opening of the mold, but he found that they were too naive. Such a small opening was full of air and could not be poured in at all. Even if they forced some in, such a thin steel wire would soon cool down and take shape. No matter how hard they rotated, they could not make it hollow.
The first attempt of the craftsmen of the Mo family failed in the end. The hollow casting method could not be used in places where the needle hole was small.
"Why don't we try the drilling method?" Tie Ping frowned and said. Tie Ping was also a rising star among the craftsmen of the Mo family. He usually presided over the four-wheeled carriage workshop and used the drilling method most often.
Old Zhang hesitated and said, "It's common to drill holes in soft wood, but if we can change the size of the steel needle, I'm afraid it will be difficult!"
"But there's no harm in giving it a try!" Tie Ping said confidently.
The result was obvious. Tie Ping also failed. Not to mention whether such a thin steel needle could be made of such a hard brick, it was easy to break the steel needle. There was no way to operate it at all. In the end, Tie Ping only drilled out a steel pipe as thick as a little finger to report.
Old Zhang said hatefully, "Young Master made the hollow needle to save the Empress, not to murder her. With such a thick steel pipe, do you want to make a hole in the Empress' phoenix body?"
Tie Ping immediately fled and spread his hands helplessly. This was already the most advanced level of the drilling method.
"Now, there is only one way, and that is the reeling method!" a craftsman of the Mo family said carefully.
"The reeling method!" Old Zhang's heart skipped a beat. He was very familiar with the reeling method. He only needed to thin the iron sheet and then beat it continuously to slowly curl it until it formed a circle. In the past, when craftsmanship was backward, the reeling method was usually used to make circular objects.
"How can you use the reeling method on such a small needle?" Tie Ping said somewhat indignantly. He didn't believe that the most backward reeling method could solve the problem that he couldn't solve with his drilling method.
Zhang Mu said cautiously, "Now in Chang 'an City, the Gongshu family is the best at using the reeling method. The chimney of the Gongshu furnace was made by the reeling method."
Old Zhang raised his eyebrows and said, "Nonsense. That craftsman doesn't know how to use the reeling method. Back then, the Old Man was best at making reels. He didn't need to ask the Gongshu family for help."
Although the relationship between the Gongshu family and the Mo family had eased, they were still competing with each other secretly. Old Zhang didn't want to be outdone by the Gongshu family.
Old Zhang didn't want to be outdone. He picked up the hammer and copied the old method and began to use the reeling method to make a cylinder the size of a needle tip.
It had to be said that Old Zhang's skills were extraordinary. With his superb skills, a cylinder the size of a needle was quickly formed.
"Master, you're awesome!" The craftsmen of the Mo family all complimented him.
Old Zhang couldn't help but show a trace of pride. However, when he assembled the hollow cylinder and the injection equipment that had been built long ago, he found an embarrassing problem when he experimented with it. The hollow steel needle made by the reeling method was very weak and could be easily bent. Moreover, there was another more serious problem, which was that the hollow needle made by the reeling method was very poor in airtightness and could easily leak. Once it was used, the medicine in the syringe couldn't be injected into the body at all. Perhaps all the medicine would leak out.
"I'd better ask the Gongshu family for help!" Although Old Zhang was unwilling to bow to the Gongshu family, this was related to Empress Zhangsun's condition. The sooner he succeeded, the sooner there would be hope.
The Gongshu family!
The Gongshu family had been living a good life recently. Once winter came, it was the season for Gongshu furnaces to sell. The Gongshu family had received a lot of orders. In addition, the construction of the Mo family's bank made the Gongshu family's reputation soar. Countless aristocratic families came to the Gongshu family to build a bank. In addition, Gongshu Hao's new lock not only received a large number of orders for four-wheeled carriages, but also became popular among the people.
With these three pillars, the Gongshu family was doing very well in Chang 'an City. It could be said that they really had a firm foothold.
"The Mo family is asking for help!" When the Gongshu family received the request, they couldn't help but feel surprised.
Although the Gongshu family was doing very well, they were still far behind the Mo family, which was at its peak. Naturally, the Gongshu family was very surprised that the Mo family asked for help from the Gongshu family.
"Hahaha, I didn't expect the Mo family to have such a day!" Gongshu Lun laughed heartily.
Although Gongshu Hong was surprised, he didn't get carried away. Instead, he said seriously, "Don't be careless. It's not easy to make an object that even the Mo family's village couldn't make."
Gongshu Hao nodded seriously. Only those who really knew the Mo family knew how powerful the Mo family's craftsmanship was and how profound their skills were.
"A hollow needle!"
When the three of them saw the Mo family's request, they couldn't help but be stunned.
"Are you sure the Mo family is not deliberately making things difficult for us?" Gongshu Lun frowned and asked.
Gongshu Hong shook his head and said, "I heard that the Mo family and the School of Medicine jointly launched the Green Dragon Project to cure Empress Zhangsun's condition. I think this hollow needle is the key to it."
Now that Empress Zhangsun's condition was no secret in Chang 'an City, the Gongshu family naturally knew about it.
Gongshu Lun's heart was moved, and he said, "What a waste of effort. The Mohists tried their best to exclude the Buddhists in order to please the Empress, but in the end, they were stuck at this step. If my Gongshu Family could do it, wouldn't we be overshadowing the Mohists?"
"I'm afraid this so-called hollow needle is not so easy to make. Otherwise, the Mo family wouldn't be so difficult," Gongshu Hao said seriously.
"Whether it works or not, we'll know once we try it!" Gongshu Hong said loudly.
This was related to Empress Zhangsun's condition. If he could make a contribution, not only would he be better than the Mo family, but he would also be able to please the Emperor. This was a rare opportunity for the Gongshu family.
Then, Gongshu Hong personally made the hollow needle with the Gongshu family's most exquisite roller method.
It had to be said that the Gongshu family was really something. Under Gongshu Hong's superb craftsmanship, the hollow needle made by him was indeed much harder than Old Zhang's in terms of steel. However, the problem of leakage was still not solved.
In Mo Hospital, the patients with Qi disease stopped testing medicine, and the hollow needle of the Gongshu family failed. Slowly, rumors of the failure of the Green Dragon Plan of the Mo family began to spread in Chang 'an City.
In Huichang Temple, Abbot Huichang snorted and said, "If not for Mo Jiazi's interference, and if the School of Buddhism prayed for the Empress, her condition might have improved!"
Bian Ji put his palms together and said, "Master is right. Life and death are predestined, and wealth and honor are in the hands of Heaven. Only Buddha can bless all living things. Mo Jiazi's futile attempt to change fate is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. He's overestimating himself."
Abbot Huichang could not help but show a hint of pride. Empress Zhangsun's condition was not a secret. It was an opportunity that the School of Buddhism had been planning for a long time. Who would have thought that Mo Jiazi would appear out of nowhere and obstruct their plan? Now, it was time for Mo Jiazi to suffer.
"Go to the Zhangsun Mansion and tell Zhangsun Chong that if Mo Jiazi delayed praying for Empress Zhangsun, the Empress's condition would be delayed, and that would be bad!" Abbot Huichang sneered.
Now that Mo Jiazi's Green Dragon Plan had failed, the Gongsun family only needed to light a fire in the imperial court to make Mo Jiazi suffer. If Empress Zhangsun's condition was delayed, even Mo Jiazi would not be able to bear the responsibility.
"You are wise, Abbot! This time, the imperial court will definitely allow the School of Buddhism to build temples to pray for the Empress. " Bian Ji showed a hint of excitement. Once this matter was completed, the reputation of the School of Buddhism in Chang 'an would definitely rise to another level.
Abbot Huichang shook his head and said, "Last time, we needed three thousand six hundred monks to pray for the Empress. Now that we have delayed for so long, I'm afraid that it won't be enough anymore!"
Bian Ji could not help but be stunned. He instantly understood what Abbot Huichang meant. Obviously, he wanted to use this opportunity to fight for more benefits for the School of Buddhism.
"I understand!" Bian Ji said, then got up and rushed to the Zhangsun Mansion.
With the Zhangsun Mansion's efforts, there were more memorials in the imperial court to impeach Meton for delaying the Empress's condition and requesting for the construction of temples to pray for Empress Zhangsun. This time, the momentum was even greater than the previous one.
"What nonsense!" Li Shimin snorted coldly. If not for the fact that the officials were also doing this for Empress Zhangsun, he would have already reprimanded them.
"Your Majesty, please calm down!" Pande quickly comforted him.
Li Shimin calmed down a little and frowned, "How is the progress of the Green Dragon Plan?"
Pande bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the drug has been developed, but the effect is not good. The only hope now is to make the hollow needles of the School of Mo."
"Hollow needles!" Although Li Shimin did not know the Art of Mo, he knew how difficult it was just by hearing the name. The needles themselves were already very small. It would be even more difficult to make hollow needles.
"School of Mo, I hope you won't disappoint me!" Li Shimin murmured. He did not order Meton to hurry. The Village of Mo was already the most advanced place in the world. If even the Village of Mo could not make hollow needles, there was no need for him to think about other places.
As the news spread bit by bit, the news of the Village of Mo being blocked by hollow needles quickly spread throughout Chang 'an. No one would have thought that the famous School of Mo would fall because of an insignificant hollow needle.
In the Village of Mo. Ever since the failure of the Gongshu Family, the pressure on Old Zhang increased exponentially. His hair turned white, but he still could not do anything about hollow needles.
Today, Old Zhang wandered around looking for inspiration to make hollow needles. Unknowingly, he came to the glass workshop in the basement of the School of Mo's R&D department.
"Quick, blow and stretch it. We must make Mo Wu's custom-made crank-neck bottle." The two Mo Jiazi brothers cooperated with each other. Soon, a large mass of red glass was pulled and coiled under the skillful cooperation of the two Mo Jiazi brothers. A slender crank-neck bottle was born.
After a series of work last night, the two of them realized that Old Zhang was staring at them intently.
"Master Zhang!" The two of them greeted respectfully.
However, Old Zhang did not seem to hear their greetings. He could not help but recall the scene of the two of them pulling the crank-neck bottle.
"Stretch it! Isn't it thinner? " Old Zhang was suddenly enlightened. With the current technology, they can indeed directly make hollow needles. However, as long as they stretch the hollow steel pipe, won't it be easy to get extremely thin hollow needles? "
At this moment, Old Zhang could not wait to rush to the steel mill and tell them all his ideas.
"How to stretch the hollow steel pipe? Won't it break when you pull it?" Zhang Mu frowned and said.
"You're really a blockhead. Of course, you can't pull it when it's solidified. You have to heat it until it turns red, just like making a glass tube, and then pull it out to form it," Old Zhang scolded.
Zhang Mu's eyes lit up. He had seen how glass was made, so he was suddenly enlightened. He immediately imitated the glass technology. Soon, a slender hollow steel pipe that had just been cooled was made.
Sparks flew from the sharp cutting machine, and soon, a qualified seamless hollow syringe appeared in front of Old Zhang.
"God rewards those who work hard. The Mo family has finally made hollow needles. This time, the Empress can be saved." Old Zhang held the hollow needle as if he had found a treasure and rushed to Chang 'an City to report the good news to Meton.
…
In the Taiji Palace.
This time, Zhangsun Chong took the lead to impeach Meton. He gnashed his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, I impeach Mo Jiazi. If Mo Jiazi hadn't made irresponsible remarks and advocated the Azure Dragon Plan, which delayed the Empress's illness, the Empress might have already recovered!"
"Chong 'er, if the Empress knew about your filial piety, she would definitely be very pleased." Li Shimin looked at Zhangsun Chong and couldn't help but say softly. No matter what Zhangsun Chong's purpose was, his starting point was to Empress Zhangsun.
"Aunt is seriously ill, and Chong 'er wishes I could take her place. These days, Chong' er has been copying Buddhist scriptures day and night, trying my best to pray for Aunt. I hope Buddha can bless Aunt and bring her back to life," Zhangsun Chong said with a loyal and filial look.
Li Shimin nodded and said, "You are very considerate!"
An imperial censor had already received Zhangsun Chong's instructions and stood out from the crowd. "Since the Mo Clan's Azure Dragon Plan has failed and Empress Zhangsun's illness still hasn't improved, we monks have entered the Dao and ask Buddha to bless Her Majesty's recovery. It is not too late to mend the pen after the sheep have been lost."
"That's right. Mo Jiazi has already delayed her recovery for so many days, and he has also refused to pray for the Buddhists. If he angers Buddha, Your Majesty, we ask that Your Majesty be generous to the monks so that nothing can go wrong."
… … …
While many officials were impeaching Meton, they also didn't forget to fight for more benefits for the Buddhists. The situation in the Imperial Court instantly swung to one side, and the trend of praying for Buddha's blessings rose.
At this moment, a voice rang out.
"Your Majesty! Merton requests an audience! "
"Mo Jiazi! He dares to come after delaying Her Majesty's recovery!" The officials were in an uproar.
"Summon him to the Imperial Court!" Li Shimin said in his heart.
Following the announcement, Mo Dun, who had been condemned in speech and in writing, suddenly appeared outside Taiji Palace. Without even looking at the officials, he strode forward and said in a powerful voice, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Mo family's Qinglong Plan has been successful. Several patients in the Mo Hospital with qi diseases similar to the Empress's have been discharged."
Suddenly, everyone fell silent. The patients with Qi disease in Mo Hospital had been discharged. Didn't that mean that the Empress's illness could be cured?
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
