Empress He said: "It's not that I'm pessimistic, but you should sometimes think about it with your brain, think about it, how many times have you challenged Tang Zhangwei's authority?" ”

Tang Zhaozong said: "I can't remember clearly. ”

Queen He said: "You also know that you can't remember clearly, but Tang Zhangwei must remember it clearly, once he settles accounts with you, are you ready?" ”

Tang Zhaozong said: "I'm not ready. ”

Empress He said: "That's okay, I just need to think of a way, and I can handle this matter in my own way." If you don't handle it well, then once Tang Zhangwei does it to you, we will be miserable. ”

Tang Zhaozong said: "It's not so serious! ”

Empress He said, "Look at what you eat?" ”

Tang Zhaozong said: "We eat tribute rice that Tang Zhangwei transported from Yingzhou. ”

Empress He said: "Look at it, the rice we eat is all tribute from Tang Zhangwei, what do we use to fight with Tang Zhangwei?" ”

And only dare to open low and narrow small windows, it is difficult for light to shine in. The builders of Tom's time understood that as long as the walls were not deflected vertically, the building would be solid and solid.

There was one more thought in his head, one thing that he was so buried deep in the dusty corner that he simply didn't want to admit to himself. Agnes died without a priest, and she was buried in an unsacrificial land. He was tempted to return to her grave and ask a priest to pray for her, and perhaps erect another small tombstone; But he feared that if he somehow drew attention to her grave, the whole story of the abandoned baby would be revealed. Leaving a baby behind to die is murder after all. As the days passed, he became more and more worried about Agnes's soul, whether there was a good place to settle down. He did not dare to ask the priest about it because he did not want to give details. But he consoled himself with the thought that if he repaired a cathedral, God would favor him; He didn't know if he could ask Agnes to take that favor for him. If he could dedicate the work of building the cathedral to Agnes, he would feel that her soul was safe, and he would be able to rest in peace.

Tom arrived at the vice-dean's quarters, a small stone bungalow, and the door was open even though it was still cold. He hesitated for a moment, and then said to himself: "Calm down, you are a competent and knowledgeable connoisseur, a craftsman who is well versed in all aspects of modern architecture, and is the one whom his vice-president happily trusts."

He walked in. There was only one room inside, with a large bed with elaborate curtains at one end and a small altar with a cross and a candlestick at the other. Vice President Philip stood in front of a window, frowning worriedly, reading a piece of parchment. He looked up and smiled at Tom. "What are you holding?"

"The blueprint, Father," said Tom, keeping his voice low and assured, "is for a new cathedral." Can I show you? ”

Philip looked surprised and interested. "Please."

There was a large bench in the corner, and Tom moved it to the light in front of the window, and put his plaster plate on it. Philip looked at the picture. Tom observed Philip's face and could see that Philip had never seen a diorama, floor plan, or section of a building. The vice dean's face was puzzled.

Tom began to explain. He pointed to the diorama: "You stand in the center of the nave, looking at the wall," he said, "and this is the column with the arcades." Connected by arches. Through the archway, you can see the windows of the corridor. Above the arcade is the parapet, and above is the high side windows. ”

Philip understood, his expression brightened, and he learned quickly. He looked at the floor plan, and Tom could see that he didn't understand it this time.

"As we walked around the site, we had to mark where the walls would be built, where the posts would be grounded, and where the doors and buttresses would be, and we would have to have a plan that would tell us where to nail the posts and pull the ropes," Tom said. ”

Philip's face showed a look of understanding again, and Tom thought that it was not bad for Philip to not understand the picture, which gave him the opportunity to show his expertise and self-confidence. Finally, Philip looked at the cross-sectional view again. Tom explained: "This is the nave, and in the middle, there is a wooden ceiling. Behind the nave is the tower. This is the corridor, on either side of the nave. Further beyond the corridor is a buttress. ”

"It looks grandiose," Philip said. Tom could see that the profile had moved him; Revealing the interior of the church is like pushing the west end open like a sliding door in a cupboard so you can see what's inside.

Philip looked at the floor plan again. "Is there only six compartments in the nave?"

"Yes, there are four more for the altar."

"Isn't it too small?"

"Do you have any money to build a bigger one?"

"I can't afford it," said Philip, "and I don't think you know how much it will cost." ”

"I know all about the cost," Tom said. He saw Philip's face surprised, and Philip didn't know that Tom could do the math. He spent a great deal of time calculating the cost of his design, all the way down to the last penny. However, he only gave Philip an approximate figure. "No more than three thousand pounds of silver penny, very little."

Philip laughed dryly. "I've spent a few weeks working out the annual income of the monastery." He waved the piece of parchment that Tom was looking at worriedly when he entered, "Here's the answer." Three hundred pounds a year. And we spent every penny. ”

Tom wasn't surprised. Apparently, the monastery had been mismanaged over the years, and he was confident that Philip would improve its finances. "You will find money, priest," he said, "with God's help," he added reverently.

Philip's attention returned to the picture, looking a little unconfident. "How long will it take?"

"It depends on how many men you hire," said Tom, "and if you hire thirty builders, and enough strong men, apprentices, carpenters, and blacksmiths to help them, it may take fifteen years." One year to lay the foundation, four years to build the altar, four years to build the road, and six years to build the nave. ”

Philip looked impressed again. "I wish all the stewards of our monastery had your ability to think ahead and calculate," he said. He studied the blueprints thoughtfully, "So I'm going to need two hundred pounds a year." That doesn't sound bad if you estimate that. He pondered again. Tom was thrilled, and Philip began to think that this was a viable solution, not just an abstract design. "Maybe I'll be able to get more money — can we build faster?"

"That depends on one thing," Tom replied cautiously. He didn't want Philip to be too optimistic, that would lead to disappointment

(End of chapter)