In February, the Gonghuo Basin is full of flowers and full of spring.
The vast fields of wheat and beans on both sides of the Jicang River are booming. They are growing vigorously every day under the warm sunshine and spring rain.
Although the expedition mobilized more than 300 of the most elite hunter teams from each tribe, the construction of the royal city did not fall behind, and instead entered an even more intense construction stage.
A large number of buildings in the core area have been gradually completed with rammed earth construction and are ready to begin roofing beams and roof tiles.
A group of carpenters, masons and masons are working inside every day, repairing doors, walls, pillars and installing door and window frames.
Building beams and tiles was a big event. Xu Chen personally went back to the Ba tribe, brought many people including the little witch sisters and mother Ba Amu to the Huo Basin, and summoned all the tribes in the Gonghuo Basin to hold a grand sacrificial celebration.
After that, choose a sunny day to officially start beaming.
Hundreds of strong men and women used thick ropes to hoist huge, straight logs that were at least waist-thick to the roof.
A few days later, the roof beams were installed, and the entire building complex in the core area of the royal city suddenly became more imposing. The rows of high and low houses were stacked on top of each other, making it look extremely majestic.
Because these houses must be covered with terracotta tiles, purlins must be installed on the roofs first, instead of randomly tying up wooden sticks and then covering them with thatch like before.
The terracotta tiles are relatively heavy and require very high bearing capacity of the purlins. Therefore, not only are the purlins handled very strictly, but they also need to be fixed very firmly. Therefore, just tying them with ropes is no longer enough, so Xu Chen used a large number of copper nails.
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Copper nails are made of bronze with a relatively high lead content. They are about the thickness of a little finger and are very hard. Although they are relatively brittle, they can be easily nailed into wood.
This work has been prepared since the Witch Lords Conference planned the royal city the year before last.
However, copper is too precious, so it cannot be used too much. It can only be used in key fixed positions. The remaining places still need to be fixed with wooden nails, bamboo nails or even hemp ropes.
Anyway, the palace and the temple, which are the core main buildings of the royal city, have adopted new technologies and new methods. However, under the current primitive conditions, Xu Chen can only piece it together and try his best to make it as strong and stable as possible.
After two days of busy instruction, a group of craftsmen learned how to install purlins, and Xu Chen led another group of people to start laying tiles on the house with purlins installed.
At present, there are four brick and tile kilns near the Gonghuo tribe, two for bricks and two for tiles.
Ceramic tiles are mainly used for interior decoration, and the demand is very high. According to Xu Chen's idea, in the future, the interiors of major buildings such as palaces, temples, and government halls will be paved with ceramic tiles.
The use of terracotta tiles will become even greater in the future. In total, more than ten houses of all sizes in royal palaces will need to be tiled, so the demand is also very high.
The clay bricks and tiles have been prepared for more than a year, and now they have piled up in the brick factory. Hundreds of people are moving like ants every day, carrying clay bricks and pottery bowls on their backs from the other side of the river in an endless stream.
And after the terracotta tiles were covered, this neat and visually impactful roof, which was layered like fish scales, immediately amazed everyone. Hundreds of men, women, and children gathered near the palace every day to watch and watch excitedly.
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The chiefs of many tribes also became active and began to think that it would be best to cover the houses of their tribes with terracotta tiles, so that they would look strong and impressive.
Even the mother and grandmother drooled after watching it every day. When eating and resting, she wildly suggested that Xu Chen help build the tribe's houses with terracotta tiles.
Xu Chen didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said that he could only talk about this matter slowly.
The Ba ethnic compound was the first man-made building he built after crossing over. The mud bricks were not made of special brick molds, but simply made of stone and ceramic plates. Therefore, the mud bricks looked square and square when they were laid out.
The size and thickness of each piece are slightly different, so the built house is naturally a little crooked and crumbling. In addition, Xu Chen did not plan to build terracotta tiles at the beginning, because there was not even a metal knife or ax at that time, and all he cut were only thighs.
Small trees as thick as calves were used as beams, and they were all crooked and shapeless, so they could only be covered with thatch.
According to Xu Chen's idea, he would persist for a few years and then build a more spacious brick house when the time was right.
Therefore, although the compound can accommodate people, it is barely enough. It was just that it was quite amazing when it came out at that time, and even bluffed the Gonghuo tribe's great shaman when he saw Gong kowtow in the snow for a long time when he saw it for the first time.
Later, most of the houses that other tribes learned to build were like this. They were even worse than the Ba people's compound. Their shapes were even more twisted and weird, and they were worse than many pig pens in rural areas that Xu Chen had seen in later generations.
Now a few years have passed, and with the introduction of bronze knives, axes and various carpentry tools, house construction has slowly begun to undergo huge changes.
However, each tribe has only lived in brick houses for only two or three years, so the situation remains the same.
Only the three new settlements completed by the Ba people last year adopted better construction plans. The mud bricks of the unified brick mold are regular in shape and size, and the walls are very straight and neat. In addition, a large number of rough wood were cut down to be used as beams.
and beams and overhangs, so it looks more spacious and sturdy.
If it is covered with tiles, these three new courtyards will definitely be fine. Just remove the thatch from the roofs, re-pave the purlins and cover them with terracotta tiles.
But the compound is definitely not good and must be demolished and rebuilt.
Moreover, building houses with rammed earth is now obviously more convenient and stronger than adobe bricks, and adobe brick houses certainly cannot keep up with the times.
If it is to be built, all new technologies must be used.
Therefore, even if Xu Chen promised his mother and grandmother to go back and cover the courtyard with clay tiles, it would not be a small project.
Seeing that Xu Chen seemed to be answering perfunctorily, Mother Ba, Grandma and a group of Ba people who came with them were very sad.
They felt that Xu Chen had changed. Since he planned to move to Gonghuo Basin, he no longer cared about the Ba people. He must have planned to abandon the Ba people. Therefore, before the palace was built, a group of people thought that they were going to prepare for the death of the Ba people.
On the grounds of Mother's Day, I clamored to go back full of sorrow.
Xu Chen originally wanted to have all the palace buildings completed by the end of February, so he didn't think much about it and arranged for someone to send his mother and others back by boat first.
"Your Majesty the Witch King, Mother is so sad!"
Watching the big ship slowly leave along the Jicang River at the ferry pier, Xu Chen waved goodbye reluctantly. When walking back, the little witch said softly with a somewhat sad expression.
"Why, aren't you very happy these days?" Xu Chen said in surprise.
"They talk about you at home every day. They are naturally happy to see you. They also want to cover the yard with clay tiles, but you don't agree!" the little witch explained gently.
Xu Chen was stunned for a moment and shook his head dumbfounded and said: "It's not that I don't agree, it's that the courtyard can't be built with terracotta tiles. Only the three newly built courtyards last year can be built. When Momba said it yesterday, I was still thinking about it.
Shouldn’t the compound be demolished and rebuilt?”
The little witch was also stunned for a moment, and even said with some excitement: "No, my mother will be even more sad."
It would indeed be a pity if the tiles cannot be built, but if the whole compound is demolished, it may be even more difficult for everyone to accept.
The Ba Clan Compound is like a totem and has the same high status in everyone's hearts as the Temple of the Mother.
It is no longer just a place to live, but a resting place for souls, a symbol of the power and wealth of the Ba people, and the pride of all the Ba people.
Because the entire Ba tribe has undergone earth-shaking changes since that compound, and in a few years it has developed into a holy place in the hearts of all tribes.
Although the compound is a bit dilapidated and low, and even often leaks from rain, the feelings of all the Ba people about it have penetrated deep into their blood and souls.
Mother wanted to build a tile, and she also wanted to live in the compound for a longer period of time.
For these old people, they are deeply in love with everything in the compound, every brick, every grass, every inch of land in front of and behind the house. Over the years, they can find the place with their eyes closed.
If the compound is to be demolished for the sake of building tiles, Muba and others may be really sad.
Of course, Xu Chen didn't think about it further, he simply explained the reason why the courtyard couldn't be tiled.
After hearing this, the little witch finally understood and said with shame, "I thought wrong too. I will explain it carefully to everyone when I go back."
"What are you thinking wrong?" Xu Chen was a little confused. Seeing that the little witch was becoming more and more mature and even beginning to have a hint of the charming face of a mature woman, Xu Chen was a little confused.
"I, I thought His Majesty the Witch King didn't want to go back to live, so he didn't want to build..."
The little witch's voice was so low that only she could hear it.
Xu Chen understood immediately and said with a wry smile: "It seems that I have neglected everyone. I have been too busy in the past year or so, especially after the construction of the royal city started. I couldn't leave. Later, Long led people to escort Pi Wu
After going back, I have been worried about the Tage tribe and the Youqing tribe. The Five Ghost tribe is at war with the Moteng tribe again. There has been no news for more than ten days since Lei led his people there. The palace has to hurry up before the rainy season comes.
Come on, I've been very busy recently, and I have indeed ignored the feelings of Mother and you. This is my fault. After I finish this matter, I will definitely explain it to Mother and Mother in person!"
The little witch was extremely ashamed. She squatted down in front of Xu Chen and said: "It's not His Majesty the Witch King's fault. It's my fault. I shouldn't think wildly. I should enlighten Mother and the others. We all know that you are very busy."
, but because I often can’t see you and am always worried, everyone will think too much about it.”
"Don't tell me what's right or wrong. In a few days, you can go back and help explain what's going on in the compound. I believe Muba and the others can understand. I have to build the palace first, and I have to wait until Long and the others come back before I can go back!"
Xu Chen helped the little witch up with both hands. The two looked at each other for a long time. The little witch's cheeks were red with shame and she slowly lowered her head and hummed.
Xu Chen smiled and touched the little witch's forehead, then turned around with his hands behind his back and looked at the palace and temple buildings standing on the river beach and said: "After the temple is repaired, you will also move here. After the new witch college starts, just
I'm afraid that you will be busier than me in the future, and then Momba and the others will blame you for neglecting them!"
The little witch's eyes suddenly brightened. She walked to Xu Chen's side and looked up at the majestic buildings. She said with great excitement on her little face: "I have been looking forward to it for a long time. Being able to accompany His Majesty the Witch King is my greatest blessing."
happiness!"
Xu Chen's heart stirred slightly, and he turned around. The two looked at each other for a long time, and both saw clear reflections in each other's eyes, but neither of them spoke, just like a lonely love affair that could not be forgotten.
I don’t know since when, the two of them were alone occasionally, and there would always be such communication without words. It seemed that from the eyes, they could understand the untouchable tenderness in the deepest parts of each other’s hearts.
But they both understood that the two of them could not go any further and could only accompany each other in silence.
"Let's go, I'll take you into the temple to see it!"
After a long silence, Xu Chen nodded with a smile, and the two of them walked towards the temple under construction one after another. This chapter has been completed!