Montenegro left Yangwu County with everyone, and made a detour to inspect the construction of the road, and a large road that could run three carriages in parallel at the same time set off from Taocheng to the west, but was stopped by a river that was not big or small! After much discussion, the engineers decided to go north, go around the old road to the narrow part of the river, build a wooden bridge to cross the river, and then return to the south and the official road to the west. In this way, the road is 30 miles away, and the construction period is at least more than a month long. Montenegro looked at the map, listened to the report of the county worker Cao, and led everyone to the scene by the river.

At this time, it was the rainy season, and the river was surging, and the river was twenty feet long. "How did you cross the river here?" Montenegro asked.

"In the past, when it rained here, people built stone piers, put wooden beams on them, and nailed wooden planks to the carriages to cross the river, but in the rainy season, the bridge would be washed away by the water, and the only way to cross the water was to the south." Gong Cao said.

Montenegro looked carefully at the shore and said, "Let's build a bridge here, build a big stone bridge, a big stone bridge that will not collapse for a thousand years!" ”

"Stone bridge? How big a stone is this? No one could lift such a large rock. Gong Cao said.

"I have my own way! Get a few experienced old masons, and find twenty more bricks. Montenegro commanded, and when he saw a river temple not far away, he said, "Clean up the river temple and use this temple as a shogunate for the time being." ”

"General, don't, blasphemy will be punished!" Gong Cao persuaded.

"Have you seen the river god?" Montenegro asked.

"Nope! I'm not a wizard, how can I meet the river god? Gong Cao replied.

"After building this stone bridge, the river god wants to recognize me as the boss, and it depends on whether I am in a good mood!" Montenegro said disdainfully.

After a while, a few engineers came with a few old masonry! Twenty one-foot-long stone bricks were also brought in. Montenegro saw that there was a three-and-a-half-foot-wide drainage ditch on the side of the road, and the bottom and sides of the ditch were made of stone bricks, which was very strong. Montenegro said to these craftsmen and craftsmen: "If any of you can build a strong bridge without piers over this ditch with these twenty stone bricks of one foot long, I will reward him with a hundred gold." ”

Everyone looked at it, and everyone shook their heads to indicate that there was no way, and looked at Montenegro suspiciously. A pound of old craftsmen said: "Since ancient times, bridges have been built with long stone strips, or long logs on the piers, to use such small bricks to build a bridge longer than this stone brick, unheard of, unless the county keeper is a god, no one can do it." ”

Montenegro laughed: "Since ancient times, all gods, first of all, people, have been worshiped as gods if they do what others think they can't do!" Today your creation has come! I, the God, will teach you now how to build a great bridge with small bricks. After speaking, Montenegro took off his robe, took it personally, let the craftsmen assist, and used stone bricks to build a solitary shape on the canal one by one, when the solitary shape on both sides was docked into a semi-arc on the top of the canal, Montenegro let everyone go, and a simplest stone arch bridge was molded across the canal, and the engineers and stonemasons present were stunned.

"Is this a stone bridge strong?" One engineer questioned.

"You guys stand up one by one and see how many people you can hold!" Montenegro said.

The engineer who had just spoken immediately stood up cautiously, and the simple bridge was very stable.

"Stand up one by one and see how many you can hold!" Montenegro said.

One by one, the craftsmen and stonemasons stood on the stone bridge, until the fifth, when the stone bridge collapsed.

Everyone huddled into a heap with a bang. After standing up, they are praising the magic of this small bridge.

"Everyone be quiet, let's find the cause of the collapse of the bridge first!" Montenegro on one side said.

The crowd immediately fell silent and began to observe carefully. After a while, the engineers first discovered the key to the problem and said, "The foundation stones on both sides of the bridge and the canal are loose!" ”

"Very well, you guys think about it, how can we improve to make the bridge more stable?" Montenegro asked again.

"Strengthen the cornerstone foundation of both sides of the strait!"

"By polishing the stone directly to the top and narrow at the bottom, it can be built into a tighter arc, and the stone arch bridge will be more stable."

The engineers put forward a lot of suggestions for improvement, and they were all eager to try!

Montenegro said: "The round-arched stone bridge can direct the gravity of the stone bridge to the stone foundation at both ends. As long as we strengthen the shore foundations at both ends and improve the shape of the stones, we can build a strong large stone arch bridge over the river, connecting the east and west roads forever and benefiting countless people. How many places in the world need to build such bridges? What a great thing that would be! Today I taught you the theory, as long as you can build this bridge, everyone will be promoted to the knighthood, and there will be a big reward! ”

"No! We will do our best. The crowd agreed.

"Today, we will first build a stone arch bridge on the two-zhang wide dry ditch in front of us, accumulate experience, and then build this 20-zhang wide bridge." Montenegro commanded.

Everyone immediately went to arrange it!

Montenegro took Gong Cao to inspect the nearby construction site. The people were busy digging roads, picking up soil, and building walls. On a May afternoon, the weather is already very hot, and every other short section there is a bucket of herbal tea for the people to drink. Since ancient times, people have served to build roads and canals, bringing their own food and working on a voluntary basis. It was not until the twelfth year of King Qin that the grain and rice of Qin were sufficient, and the grain was changed to be provided by the government. Therefore, the people of Tao County are very supportive of the construction of Chi Road and water conservancy, and they are in full swing to work. The people were also organized into Shi and Tun, and a small official was set up in the second tun to be responsible. The 30,000 people were thus arranged in an orderly manner. Tao County is now rich in wealth, and pays the people wages, Montenegro can't be the master, which will affect the work of other counties, but there is no problem in improving the food treatment of the people!

Thinking of this, Montenegro said to Gong Cao: "How is the food of the people? ”

"Three meals a day, all dry meals, full of food. One or two meats each at noon! Gong Cao replied.

"Starting tomorrow, all the people must have enough meat in their three meals a day. I hope that when these 30,000 Ding Zhuang go back, they will all be strong and strong, not thin. Go ahead and arrange it now! ”

In this era, the common people used to call the rich meat eaters. Ordinary people can eat meat once a day, and they are willing to do anything! If Montenegro makes them eat meat, they will definitely be rushing to serve in the coming year.

The next morning, the people were awakened by the strong smell of meat! At breakfast, everyone was given a large spoonful of fragrant stewed meat, more than in three days. After eating, everyone shouted too hidden, stretched out their tongues, and licked all the oil flowers at the bottom of the bowl! At noon, before the work was finished, the air was filled with a strong smell of mutton. Smelling the aroma, everyone's stomach is rumbling again. Finally, we got a meal, and everyone got a big spoonful of mutton. People shouted and hidden, and they all ate their bellies. For dinner, many people were so full that they had to take a dip in the river to eat their food! There are many people who eat too much meat, and their stomachs smell oily, and they begin to have diarrhea and sleepiness when they work. After another two days, the people began to humble the meat in the bowl, and those who couldn't finish eating were given two pieces of rice with a large amount of food, and those who liked fat and those who liked thin exchanged them. The overall amount of food has started to decrease, and people are no longer as active as they used to be when eating! After another two days, the small meal began to ask the man who divided the dishes to make less meat. Every time you smell the meat, your stomach won't grumble!

After dinner, Ding Zhuang began to chatter! A young man said: "When I go home, I tell my second son that I eat meat here every day, and I have no appetite for meat when I eat it, do you think the second son will believe it?" ”

"Believe you, a ghost! If I didn't eat it every day, I wouldn't believe it! Repair the road and eat better than the New Year, tell it and tell it to the people in the village, and the only two remaining teeth of the three masters will definitely laugh off. The other, a little bigger, said.

"I used to wrestle and always lose to the three babies, if I eat like this, I will definitely be stronger than the three babies when I go back, and when the time comes, he will definitely not be my opponent!" The young man said again.

……

In the evening, several engineers submitted their design drawings to Montenegro for review. One of the drawings called the stone arch design aroused the interest of Montenegro, not only indicating the height and span of the bridge, but also the number of each arch stone, the proportion of the width at the top and the narrowness at the bottom, which makes it clear at a glance! Montenegro hurriedly summoned the engineer.

The stone arch is tall, but it gives the impression of being a thick and fine person, and the whole body is meticulously cared for. When he saw Montenegro, he hurriedly saluted.

"I looked at the drawings drawn by Zhu, which were very detailed and professional! What did you do before? Montenegro asked.

"My lord, my ancestors have been working for several generations, I learned to draw with my father when I was a child, and I saw that the design principle of the stone bridge is a little close to the city gate hole. I drew a drawing based on the principle of the city gate cave. Stone arch explained.

"Good! The principle of the stone bridge is to be close to the city gate cave. The first bridge will be built as you designed. You have to do everything in every detail, and you have to bow down to everything. Write down your experiences every day! The bridge is built, not only will it give you a book, let you go down in history, but also give you a knight! Montenegro encouraged.

Hearing this, Shi Gong said very happily: "Thank you, my lord, Shi Gong promises to complete the task!" If you can't build a bridge, come and see you! ”

Montenegro nodded and said, "The bridge-building personnel are at your disposal!" After the small bridge is built, you are the first bridge chief engineer in the Great Qin Kingdom! ”

"No!" The stone arch has gone!

When Montenegro returned to Taocheng with his men, it was already dark. As soon as she returned to the backyard, the princess threw herself into Montenegro's arms like a swallow, smelling the familiar fragrance, and a fire immediately burned in Montenegro's heart, eager to carry her to the bed and rectify the Fa on the spot!

"You see I just got home, sweaty and dusty! Let them prepare bath water for me first, and then make a few dishes, and we will have a drink together as a family. Montenegro said.

"As soon as you enter the door, Autumn knows how to arrange it! I don't have to open my mouth at all! I have a lot of students now! Yesterday I went to the Grand Theater to play a song, but it was very popular! The princess said.

"All over the world, you are good-looking, and your kite playing skills are not as good as you! The kite is better than you, but the longer ones are not as good as yours. You play the kite so well and it sounds good, it must be the most popular! Montenegro complimented.

When the princess heard this, she laughed heartlessly! As long as she has the slightest idea, she wants to share it with her husband! The husband is already everything to her.

If the current Montenegro is everything for the princess, everything in the spring is the daughter, especially infatuated with her milky fragrance and plump body, and she always shares everything about her daughter with her man: "The daughter will climb, she will sit on the ground and rub around, and she has weighed a few pounds recently, and the summer clothes prepared before are ......"

Autumn has always played the role of the steward of the county guard's mansion, and she usually arranges all the big and small things in the mansion. She said to Montenegro: "The palace maids in the palace have been abducted a lot by the guards! There are also a few palace maids who can't look down on them, no matter how attentive the guards are, they just don't give people a chance! Dong is pregnant, and she manages the meatloaf to death! Every night, it was the meatloaf that washed her feet and wiped her body. ”

Since Meng Hao and Meatloaf married Xia and Dong, Montenegro ordered that single guards above the rank of eldest doctor could freely chase the palace maids in the county guard's mansion. If you catch up, you can get married and live, and if you can't catch up, you can only stare dryly! Montenegro also asked people to build a large row of small suites in the front hall and back room in the mansion for the married guards and palace maids to live.

On the second day after returning home, Montenegro was learning about the latest government affairs from Xiao He and Song Lei. The doorman took Chen Ping and his wife to the study, and Montenegro hurriedly got up with Xiao He and Song Lei to greet him. Give a brief introduction to both parties, and let Mrs. Chen go to meet the princess. The four of them sat down in the study, Chen Ping had never seen this kind of chair more than a foot high, and it looked a little awkward to sit on it.

"I thought that Brother Chen would come in a month at the earliest, but I didn't think that it would only be six days, and you would come! Are there too many people who have come to recognize relatives these days, and you are tired of coming in advance! Montenegro asked.

"Those who know Chen Ping, the general also!" Chen Ping sighed and said, "In the past, when I was poor, no one came to the door, but now, those who can't beat the eight poles have come to confess their relatives, and there is no end, so I have to hide here with the general!" ”

"I'll arrange a small courtyard for you to live in the mansion with peace of mind, and if someone comes to recognize your relatives, you have to enter the county guard's mansion. You and Xiao He will be neighbors first, and then move out if you have a high title in the future! Montenegro said, pouring Chen Ping a cup of tea.

"Thank you, General!" Chen Ping thanked him.

"In the future, you will be my military advisor, this study is your office, and you are responsible for helping me deal with some military affairs!" Montenegro said.

"The general is not in a hurry, give Chen Ping two months to learn Qin characters and Qin State decrees! Two months later, he was able to take up the post of military advisor. Chen Ping said, his tone was very confident.

Xiao He saw that Chen Ping was young and came to Montenegro to appoint him as an important military advisor, but he intended to test him and asked him a lot about military and political affairs, Chen Ping answered fluently, with unique opinions, and secretly admired Chen Ping's talent in his heart, and even more admired Montenegro's insight into people.

Half a month later, Gongcao sent someone to report that the small stone arch bridge had been built! Montenegro was overjoyed and immediately took a few of his men to the scene. When I arrived at the site, I saw that a brand new stone bridge had been built, and the craftsmen were installing stone railings. As soon as Montenegro got off the horse, he didn't have time to say hello to the engineers on the spot, so he carefully observed the stone bridge before and after, left and right, which was not only very solid and practical, but also very beautiful, and connected with the road as a whole. A black face smiled with satisfaction.

This speed, even if it is used in later generations with modern construction machinery, is difficult to achieve. Montenegro asked Shi Gong suspiciously: "I originally thought that it would be repaired in sixty days, which is already very good!" How did you manage to build it in 15 days? ”

Shi Gong replied: "Actually, it is very simple, as long as the drawing design is complete, it is simple, the stonemason is divided into several parts, two are responsible for the stone foundation on both sides of the bank, and one is responsible for digging the arch stone according to the size required by the drawings." At the same time, the carpenter receives drawings and prepares the timber and planks for the wooden frame. Five days later, the foundation was half-finished and the arched timber frame began to be erected. Ten days and earth foundation was laid, 352 arch stones and 863 ashlar stones were also laid, and the wooden frame was also built, and the stone arch bridge was built. Three hundred and fifty-two stones were laid according to the requirements of the drawings! This stone bridge is sturdy! We pulled ten ox carts loaded with stones yesterday and tried it, and it was as steady as Mount Tai! ”

"Good! In this way, in the future, as long as the drawings of stone arch bridges of various spans are designed, stonemasons and carpenters can build bridges by themselves as long as they construct according to the drawings? Montenegro asked.

"The size of the material is fixed, there is no problem, the main thing is that the ground of the bridge foundation is different, and the foundation treatment of various grounds must be experienced, otherwise it will collapse, deform, and the bridge will collapse! Everything else is constructed according to the drawings, and there are no problems! Shi Gong said confidently.

Montenegro summoned all the masonry and carpenters involved in the construction of the stone bridge and encouraged: "You have created a history of bridges for a generation and promoted the development of civilization. All people will be rewarded with ten gold, and those above the craftsman will be awarded the first grade, and the stone arch will be awarded the third grade, and he will be appointed as the chief engineer of the bridge and reported to the national government. ”

When everyone heard this, they all cheered!

Black Mountain and Gao Gong came to the river and asked, "That small bridge is a dry bridge, and the water bridge to be built here is twenty zhang wide, and the construction is much more difficult, how long can you build it?" ”

Shi Gong said confidently: "I have drawn the construction drawings, after the stone foundation is built on both sides of the river, the actual length of the arch is 12 zhang, and the main difficulty is to build a wooden frame on the river surface." With the experience of the first bridge, it was possible to build it in a month without rain as long as the number of people was increased. ”

"I'll give you two months, don't keep chasing the speed of construction, the safety of the workers and the quality of the bridge are important! After repairing, you can build a pavilion in front of the river temple and build a stone bridge park, and it will be very lively here in the future! Montenegro said.