Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 326, Section 325: Cement Courtyard
Qin Shi never expected that the vernacular propaganda short drama would first captivate not the common people, but the high and mighty Ji Heng.

He was so convinced that he was the son of the Dragon God that Qin Shi couldn't help but wonder if Ji Heng had managed to finish watching the rest of the episodes despite his busy schedule after watching three episodes late that night.

Highly energetic people are truly terrifying.

But considering that even such a diligent King Qin still maintained a troupe of acrobats, it's clear that he wasn't incapable of enjoying life; he was simply too busy to appreciate pleasures.

Having said what he needed to say and laid the groundwork for what he wanted to lay, Qin Shi now retired successfully, only taking a moment from his busy schedule to say one last thing to Ji Heng:
"By the way, I've come here to congratulate His Majesty on acquiring another national treasure... However," she looked at the ministers below:
"Your servants have been loyal to the Qin state, and therefore, Your Majesty would be willing to admire this national treasure with you all?"

Ji Heng was slightly taken aback, then raised an eyebrow: "You mean that [cement]?"

The queen is good in every way, except that her name is a bit too vulgar. "One Water, One Mud" sounds rather unrefined.

But... never mind!
Why bother with these external things when you've already gained the benefits? At worst, he can just have someone come up with a nicer name for it when promoting it to the outside world.

Qin Shi nodded with a smile.

He then lowered his voice and leaned closer to the monarch: "Your Majesty, the national treasury is empty, but the homes of your ministers must be quite wealthy, right?"

The extraction and manufacture of cement still require materials and labor, and future road repairs will also cost a fortune.

If that's the case, just like the glass promotion plan, wouldn't wealthy and dignified nobles compare whose front door is the most flat, wide, and sturdy?
Ji Heng glanced at her, thinking to himself that the Queen was indeed adept at acquiring wealth. However, thinking of the empty treasury, even a unified monarch felt somewhat insecure.

Therefore, he nodded, and after the queen withdrew, he raised his voice and said:

"The Queen obtained a divine artifact from Kunlun. When laid on it, the road surface becomes smooth and flat, free from mud and water, allowing carriages to pass smoothly and easily, far surpassing the roads of today."

In fact, horse-drawn carriages travel at a considerable speed on straight roads these days.

All of this is due to Ji Heng's implementation of the "standardization of cart tracks".

There are also carriage tracks on the road.

The wheel gets stuck here and moves forward, just like a concave version of a railway track.

In order to facilitate more efficient travel and communication, the Qin state adopted the same specifications and standards for the wheels of both the carriages used for getting on and off.

In today's world, it's hard not to praise this as a revolutionary development in transportation.

But no matter what, it was still a road made of rammed earth.

Bad weather can still cause many things to be delayed.

And now...

Recalling Zhou Ju's detailed report on the cement matter, Ji Heng had even more confidence in the Queen regarding these matters.

"I wonder if any of you ministers would be interested in joining me to go and see it?"

The ministers were naturally interested.

Even if there were no such people, no one would spoil Ji Heng's mood at this moment.

The Crown Prince's previous mention of the Crown Prince had already angered the King. Although the Queen had calmed them down with a few words, if they still didn't know their place, then truly…

In short, while Qin Shi and the others were in a secluded room of Ganquan Palace, they could already see a eunuch running swiftly to report the news from afar:

"Your Majesty, the King has arrived with his ministers—"

Qin Shi's spirits lifted, and he looked at Xin again: "You've done very well. Now, before the King arrives, you should think about what kind of reward you want."

This wasn't the first time she had praised Xin's abilities, but looking at the transformed palace before her, she couldn't help but marvel once again.

When Ji Heng arrived with his ministers, he found the side hall door closed, and the Queen and her entourage standing quietly there. Upon seeing the King, she smiled and stepped aside slightly to give way: "Your Majesty, please be the first to admire the scenery behind this door."

That's just a polite way of putting it.

Such a sense of ceremony made even the high-ranking officials perk up, their eyes fixed on the vermilion gate.

"crunch-"

The guard pushed open the heavy door, the door frame making a clattering sound.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the scene before them.

Although there are no divine weapons to demonstrate the ability to cut hair in an instant, what is right in front of us seems to be easier to obtain than divine weapons!

Divine weapons are made of iron and cannot be privately possessed without the king's order. Even noble families cannot collect many of them.

but--

To have the courtyard of one's house so perfectly level, adorned with flowers aside, is another matter. Or perhaps to have the road in front of the gate so wide, so that everyone knows this is the residence of such-and-such clan...

Only things that can be displayed openly and legitimately are worthy of them!
Everyone present was quick-witted, and most of them came from noble families. When they saw something good, their first thought was to get it for themselves.

As for projects related to people's livelihood?

Ah, I'm sorry, but during the feudal period, people's livelihood was never the priority when doing anything.

……

Ji Heng was also full of praise, and with the Queen gently tugging at his sleeve, he knew exactly what was going on, so he echoed her sentiments:

"If the Qin state followed this path, wouldn't the Qin cavalry be even more capable of dominating the world?"

The ministers nodded in agreement.

That's exactly right!
Look at this flat land! The color is uniform, and the surface is regular.
Now, as I slowly follow the king up, I feel its firmness; it must be quite sturdy, right?

Some ministers even reached out and wiped their hands on the ground—

Wow! The floor was just cleaned, and not a speck of dust has gotten on it!

How come such a smooth road surface isn't in your own backyard?

Actually, cement is difficult to dry in winter, so Xin didn't ask anyone to do anything particularly complicated.

But this vast Xianyang Palace, every room was exceptionally spacious and flat. It was just that it had been abandoned before, with grass and withered branches growing in the cracks of the bluestone slabs.

He happened to be testing cement, so he mixed it all together and laid it on top.

Nowadays, the craftsmen work with utmost care, especially when working for the king, so that every part is perfectly smooth and meticulously crafted.

What appeared before everyone was a vast, exceptionally flat and clean open space.

Just as people in later generations would exclaim in admiration upon seeing a vast expanse of green grassland, nowadays we have no shortage of grasslands to see; rather, it is this kind of clean and smooth ground that is especially important.

It won't get muddy when it rains, won't get dirty when it snows in winter, and won't set off dust when it's in the sun. With no obstruction at all, the wheels must travel much faster, right?

He didn't need to explain further; everyone was already full of praise.

The wise and talented queen smiled and said:
"Such a convenient means of transportation is too limited to be used only in the Xianyang Palace. Your Majesty, if the workshops can produce some surplus materials, why not auction off the portion used for repairing the courtyards and roads during the Xianyang auction as well?"

(End of this chapter)