A week later, Roland officially launched the construction of the steel bridge.
"Are you suggesting I erect two land blocks mid-river to anchor the bridge piers?" Lotus gazed at the surging current, her voice trembling with surprise. "You mean building a permanent structure instead of a floating bridge?" "Exactly," Roland unfolded the paper scroll. "The river's force demands substantial bulk, and this design minimizes impact." "This... resembles a boat," Lotus murmured, her eyes returning to the blueprint.
"Exactly, to be precise, spindle-shaped," he nodded. "It's positioned parallel to the current, minimizing frontal impact. But here's the catch—the Chishui River runs nearly ten meters deep. Can you lift the riverbed?" "That's no challenge, Your Highness," Lian replied decisively. "Leave it to me." As a precaution, the Witch was transported by the Township, its broad concrete hull gliding effortlessly through the water. Lightning remained helmsman, while Wendy powered the sails.
However, over the past week, the latter would slightly avert her gaze whenever she saw Prince, appearing somewhat uneasy. It wasn't until today that Roland finally noticed her lifting her head to meet his eyes as usual, and when they passed each other on the ship, he even heard her whisper a soft' thank you.'
"This credit is due to me," the nightingale whispered in the mist, laughing softly in his ear.
The small town ship swiftly departed the dock, gliding toward the river's broad center. Carter had already secured hemp ropes along both banks, with two red cloth straps tied to them marking the planned locations for bridge piers. As the concrete vessel reached the first marker, Lian stood at the ship's edge, beginning to channel her powers.
Suddenly, the river surface began to bubble violently, with water surging upward to form a 'bund.' Soon after, the turbulent currents churned up fragments of rocks, grass roots, and silt, gradually turning the water murky.
"That's how it works," Roland mused. "Her power could reshape not just solid ground but even water, and lifting the surface was easier than loosening loose gravel. Though the rising river water immediately spilled out, the riverbed had already begun to rise gradually."
Before long, a clump of grayish-blue mud surfaced, soft and foul-smelling, making everyone instinctively cover their noses.
However, in Roland's view, these materials served as excellent fertilizers. For centuries, the remains of fish and other aquatic organisms, aquatic plants, and human excrement had gradually accumulated in the soil. Had it not been for logistical constraints, he would have preferred to utilize this soil for agricultural purposes. Regrettably, the current practice involves manual removal and direct disposal into the river.
He cleared one layer and raised it slightly, finally revealing the solid yellowish-brown soil beneath. The process was repeated until both plots were fully shaped.
Roland estimated the process would take at least a week, but simply lifting the land above water meant it could be used immediately. Without protection, the flowing river would continuously carry away the sediment, and even the spindle-shaped land wouldn't last more than a decade.
He called Karl Vanbert over, took out a charcoal pencil, and explained while drawing how to solidify the ground next.
"Are you suggesting we dig trenches along the land's edges and pour concrete into them?" the current Minister of Construction asked, gesturing at the blueprints.
No wonder he was such a standout member of the Royal Stone Masons 'Guild, Roland thought with satisfaction. He'd only needed to give a few simple reminders, and the man had instantly grasped his intentions.
"Exactly. Each section should be no longer than five meters, with a depth of about one meter. After filling it with cement, let the Witch lower the groove one meter deeper. Repeat this process to create a cement wall that penetrates straight into the riverbed." This plan was devised by Roland after observing Lian's abilities. Since she could control the ground to descend vertically, she could likely bring the structures built on the surface down underground as well.
"Your idea is truly ingenious," Karl's eyes sparkled. "This way, even if the river washes away the outer soil, it'll be contained by the tightly packed walls." Roland nodded. "The key is to control the total sinking height—too little and the base won't seal properly, too much and it'll waste cement and delay the project. You're in charge of this." "Yes, Your Highness," he replied. "Including the excavated silt and soft soil, I estimate the total height should be around twelve meters." "Also, after building the cement walls around, don't cover the central land with cement. I'll plant flowers and grass there later," Prince added.
"Plant... flowers?" Karl was stunned.
After all, these walls cannot be completely watertight, and if constructed in sections, they will inevitably have evenly spaced gaps. The simplest way to further stabilize the soil is to plant grass—vegetation can balance soil moisture and reduce soil erosion. In particular, the super-long root systems of modified weeds can firmly consolidate the soil into a solid mass.
Roland briefly explained the soil-retaining function of plants before turning to the busy workers along the riverbank. "How's the approach bridge construction progressing?" he asked. "We're laying the concrete and gravel pavement," Karl replied without hesitation. "It should be completed this week." As planned, the approach bridges on both sides of the river were constructed with rubble and cement, similar to the Western Border Wall. Once the positioning and surveying were completed, the construction itself posed no significant challenges. The bridge deck slopes seven meters above ground level, connecting to the city streets via a long, curved ramp. Combined with the height difference between the river embankment and the water surface, the iron bridge is expected to achieve a clear height of ten to twelve meters over the Chishui River upon completion, which should be sufficient for inland waterway navigation.
The main bridge has only completed one span and is currently being tested on the shore. Given the relatively small span and minimal load, even Roland, who has no expertise in bridge engineering, is not concerned about its reliability. In the era before eight-wheeled trucks could overload, a 30-centimeter-high I-beam was sufficient to ensure stability. Even if crowded with people, the steel beam would not be crushed. Moreover, Anna handled everything from processing to assembly and welding herself, making the likelihood of substandard work extremely low.
Similarly, its installation is remarkably simple. Once all three spans of the main bridge are prefabricated, the Beehive system can effortlessly lift the lightweight structure into position, and Lightning can then hoist it into place.
When the steel bridge, which could accommodate two horse-drawn carriages side by side, stood over the Chishui River, the north and south banks were finally truly connected as a single entity.
"Even the greatest stonemasons would find it hard to envision such a magnificent bridge," Karl marveled as he gazed at the shimmering expanse of the lake. "Your Highness, does this steel bridge have a name?" Roland pondered. "Let's call it the Red Water Bridge."