Chapter 431 Inspired

The craftsman, Wang, patted the blueprints and said with certainty, "While mortise and tenon joints are certainly sturdy, the western part of the city is mostly clay. If the foundation isn't first reinforced with bluestone slabs, won't it sink when the earth dragon comes? That's why the 'stone slab foundation method' passed down from our ancestors is the most reliable!"

“Master Wang is too old-fashioned!” Craftsman Li waved his hand anxiously, flicking the ink line in his hand with a “swish” sound. “Bluestone slabs are too heavy, not only is it time-consuming to transport, but the gaps at the joints are also large. It’s not as dense as rammed earth mixed with lime! I used this method to build a windproof granary in a neighboring county before, and it was very stable!”

"You two have missed a crucial point!" Craftsman Zhang leaned over and pointed to the design of the roof beams. "No matter how solid the foundation is, without 'triangular bracing' on the beam frame, the ground support will break with the slightest sway! I think we should add diagonal timbers on both sides of the main beam to distribute the impact force!"

"Pah! You forgot, there's a river next to Linxi City!"

"So what? Don't you believe me?"

The three argued fiercely, spitting as they tore at the blueprints, neither willing to give in. The apprentices nearby shrank back, not daring to even breathe.

Xie Yunyang and Xie Yunli stood aside, listening to their arguments. They exchanged a glance but didn't say anything for a moment.

Xie Yunli frowned, stepped forward and pressed down on the torn and deformed blueprints: "Tsk, stop arguing, you won't come to a decision even if you argue until dark. If you keep arguing, I'll drag you all to feed the horses."

The group, who had just been arguing fiercely, immediately fell silent.

Xie Yun stepped forward at the opportune moment, and the two of them played good cop and bad cop: "Each master has their own reasons and their own strengths. Why don't you masters discuss it again and we can talk about it again tomorrow?"

The craftsmen glanced at Xie Yunli, who had a stern face. Xie Yunli was tall and strong, and his stern expression was quite intimidating. They were afraid that he would throw them into the horse feed, so they quickly agreed.

Yes, yes, yes.

"We'll come again tomorrow, we'll come again tomorrow."

With peace and quiet finally restored, the two sighed, both feeling a bit of a headache.

"These are all the most skilled craftsmen in Xixiang County, but after a whole day, they haven't even finished a basic design."

“Well, each of you masters has your own strengths, and it’s inevitable that there will be some clashes,” Xie Yun suggested. “I just heard that Sheng Sheng took Shi Tou and Yan Hu to play by the river on the outskirts of Sunset Forest. I think it’s about time to call her back for dinner. Why don’t you come with me, brother, and take a walk by the river to clear your mind? You’ve been so stressed out about Linxi City these past few days, you need a change of pace.”

After a moment's thought, Xie Yunli agreed: "Okay, let's go."

The two arrived at the riverbank where Shengsheng was and found Shitou and Yanhu playing happily nearby.

When Zijuan saw them coming, she quickly bowed to them. The two nodded in response, but there was no sign of them.

Where is Sheng Sheng?

"Your Highness, the princess is playing over there."

The two looked in the direction Zijuan was pointing and saw Shengsheng squatting on the bank, gently poking at the branches floating on the water with her fingertips, her eyes sparkling as she stared at a few beavers not far away.

Several beavers were carrying thick branches to the bank, stacking branches and stones layer by layer, and carefully filling the gaps with moist mud. The dam they built was so tight that water could only seep slowly through the gaps.

Upon seeing this, Sheng Sheng clapped earnestly for the beavers and exclaimed, "Wow, you guys are amazing!"

Several beavers seemed happy to be praised, making whimpering sounds as if in response.

Xie Yun stared at the small dam built by the beavers for a long time, lost in thought.

Xie Yunli, however, paid no attention, preoccupied with calling Shengsheng back for dinner.

"Little sister, it's time to go back for dinner."

Xie Yunli lifted his foot and walked towards Shengsheng.

The little beaver darted away as soon as it saw the person approaching.

Upon hearing this, Sheng Sheng turned around, and after recognizing who it was, stood up: "Hey, brothers!"

Xie Yunli straightened the slightly wrinkled hem of her skirt and asked her like a kind old man, "What did you do today? Did you have fun?"

"I'm so happy!" Sheng Sheng told him about the interesting things that happened today, and then pointed to the little beaver by the river, saying, "Sheng Sheng was just watching them build a dam, look, eldest brother!"

Sheng Sheng tugged at Xie Yunli's sleeve, her voice tinged with excitement, "When they pile up the branches, the thicker ones are at the bottom and the thinner ones at the top, and they even left small openings for drainage, so it's both stable and doesn't accumulate water. The little beaver said that this is a unique trick of their beaver clan, and no one else knows it."

Xie Yunli was somewhat surprised, and the focus suddenly shifted: "Oh, this little beaver runs away when it sees me, but it's quite friendly to you."

He chuckled softly.

Xie Yunyang walked over in deep thought, without saying a word. Seeing this, Sheng Sheng asked, "Brother Crown Prince, what are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking, could we use the same method for building our houses? First, lay a layer of rough timber, then fill it with gravel and compact it, and finally use rammed earth to fill the gaps?" Xie Yunyang stared at the dam left by the little beaver and slowly spoke, "Look at the curvature of this dam. It follows the direction of the water flow and can disperse the impact. When we build houses, we can also make the edges of the foundation slightly curved. When the earth rips, the force of the vibration can also be dispersed along the curve, making it more resistant to damage than a square foundation."

Xie Yun-yang became more and more excited as he spoke, seemingly unaware that they had been surrounded and argued with by three craftsmen all day. Hearing this, he was somewhat bewildered.

"Eldest brother, what is the Crown Prince saying?"

Xie Yunli gave her a brief explanation, and Sheng Sheng finally understood.

"So that's how it is. It seems that the little beavers accidentally gave the Crown Prince some inspiration?"

Xie Yunli ruffled her hair and laughed, "It wasn't a fluke. You're quick-witted and can understand the little beaver's tricks, which gave your Crown Prince brother such a good inspiration."

"No, no, Sheng Sheng didn't do anything."

Even so, Sheng Sheng, still relying on the two's doting affection, proudly raised her chin and smiled with a slightly smug pout.

Sheng Sheng leaned closer to Xie Yunyang and said, "Brother Crown Prince, let's go back now and tell the craftsmen! If we combine the little beaver's method with your idea, they'll definitely be inspired!"

Xie Yunyang's excitement hadn't faded yet, and he nodded, saying, "Let's go, let's go now! We can take advantage of the fact that our thoughts are clear and explain things to them in detail."

After saying that, Xie Yun turned and left, not even paying attention to the two people behind him.

Sheng Sheng clicked her tongue in amazement: "It's rare to see this side of the Crown Prince. It seems that when he's not restrained, he's full of energy for everything he does."

Xie Yunli agreed wholeheartedly, and recalling Xie Yunyang's earlier statement about stepping down from the position of Crown Prince, he joked, "If you don't become the Crown Prince, your remaining brothers each have their own qualities and strengths, but only my second brother is the most worry-free in every aspect and is the most suitable to be the heir apparent. The heir apparent is not among the princes, so when you stop being the Crown Prince, I'll have to call him my second brother."