Chapter 1233: Carrying on the Past and Opening up the Future (One Hundred and Twenty-Three) Old Official

Halfway up Cuiping Mountain, civilians wearing rattan hats slid down the hillside one by one, running towards safety. Warning gongs rang loudly, every nine times as a unit. After knocking three times, no one could be seen in the huge Cuiping Mountain.

In the distance, a somewhat stooped figure stared at the rocks halfway up Cuiping Mountain. This was the last barrier blocking him. Once he was eliminated, the east-west traffic arteries of the entire territory of the Han Dynasty would be officially connected. I felt a heart The baby was beating loudly, and Guo Quan patted his chest gently.

"Get ready!" a majestic voice shouted.

"ignition!"

A little spark jumped up from the ground. If a jumping elf climbed all the way up and burned for tens of meters, the jumping elf suddenly divided into dozens of small flowers and flew upward at a faster speed.

In the distance, the observers blocked their ears. This scene had been played out countless times in their workplace, and they were already very familiar with what to do at this time. Guo Quan didn't plug his ears. He smiled and looked at the beating elves with pride.

There was a loud bang, and suddenly the earth shook. Smoke filled the cliffs. Countless rocks flew up with the smoke. One after another, dozens of thunderous explosions sounded one after another. The smoke filled the air and obscured them. With the clear sky above our heads, it was difficult to distinguish between east, west, north and south. There were rumbling sounds and the sound of boulders rolling down. Behind Guo Quan, several guards ran to Guo Quan's left and right. Keep him firmly in the middle.

This was the Minister of Industry, one of the highest-ranking officials in the Han Dynasty. The power of this explosion was far beyond their previous imagination. In the past, it was just a single explosion at most. If there were a series of explosions like today, if the old minister was accidentally injured, I'm afraid everyone would be in trouble.

The smoke gradually dissipated, and Cuiping Mountain reappeared in front of everyone. Looking into the distance, everyone suddenly burst into loud cheers. The huge rock that stretched in front of everyone no longer existed, as they looked over it. The mountainside of Cuiping Mountain was deeply sunken as if it had been cut with a knife.

"Clean up the blasting site, clean up the rubble and pumice. Move forward as a team!" There were roars one after another, and the cane hats jumped out from where they were hiding, carrying tools and advancing towards the construction site that had been bombed beyond recognition. .

Guo Quan turned around with a smile and walked towards the rows of work sheds behind him. The one in the middle was where he worked and rested. As a minister of the Ministry of Industry, he did not need to stay at the construction site all the time, but this man The minister of the Ministry of Industry, who is already too old and stooped, has been doing the same for several years. He has always insisted on staying on the front line. He knows very well that his abilities basically come from practical experience. As for Jicheng's Ministry of Works Yamen, the paperwork work was really not something he could handle, so he left those daily tasks to his deputy.

But he himself has been staying at the forefront directing the development of this east-west artery.

Two whole years. Today is the last hurdle, and I have finally passed it. Opening up Cuiping Mountain will officially connect Liaodong and Liaoxi counties. From now on, there will be a smooth road running through the mountains from the three counties of Liaodong to Liaoxi. This road will shorten the travel schedule between the two places. At least half of it. Liaodong's minerals, grains, and countless resources will be continuously transported into the Central Plains along this highway.

Guo Quan sat on the wicker chair, his thin body almost buried in it. All the bones in his body felt a little painful, especially his legs. Many times, they seemed to be a bit unruly. Gently tapping his legs, Guo Quan picked up a small box from the desk next to him. He held it in his arms like a treasure and carefully opened it. Inside was a thick stack of manuscripts.

The handwriting is not very good, or a student who has just graduated from elementary school can write better than him, but this is Guo Quan's hard work over the years. He used to be a slave and became a slave after he was over fifty. A member of the Eastern Expeditionary Army, it was also a turning point in his life. Because of his rich experience in architecture, he became the main implementer of the construction of Jishi City.

Thinking back to those days, Guo Quan was filled with emotion. The king drew a series of sketches and gave them to him. Then he followed those drawings, piece by piece, to build Jishi City from scratch, from small to large, and finally built it. , where it became the base for Han to take off. And he also became famous all over the world from where he started.

From then on, wherever there were large-scale constructions, he was everywhere. Day after day, year after year, the King of Han called him back to Jicheng many times, but he shook his head and refused. He sat in the lobby and talked with the case files every day. Dealing with people, that's not what he can do, and he can't do it. Looking at the chicken-like handwriting on each document, Guo Quan laughed. He really wanted to use this handwriting on each case file. It would be really embarrassing to sign the report. It's better now. There are more workers and civilians around me who can't read a lot of Chinese characters.

He only started to read and write after he became an official. However, after many years, his handwriting is still very ugly. You can't blame me. I really don't have much time to spend on practicing calligraphy. As long as it's that way and people recognize it, that's all. He smiled inwardly.

This box contained his hard work over the past ten years. He wrote down all his insights and experiences one by one. Over time, the box was finally filled.

Large-scale projects have given rise to countless inventions, big or small, so many that Guo Quan can no longer remember them clearly, but there are still many that he remembers vividly. The invention of gantry cranes and tower cranes solved the problems of transporting and installing large stones and steel castings. The invention of cement made hardened roads extremely simple. In order to save the cost of building bridges, steel-frame bridges came into being. Not long ago, a group of masters who specialized in building bridges actually proposed the cable-stayed bridge.

Sometimes some people proposed new methods that sounded a bit incredible, but Guo Quan always supported them and took out a part of the tight funds to let them experiment and explore. Over the years, although most of them failed, countless new inventions were born and became shining stars in the history of Han Dynasty engineering.

He couldn't remember how many people received special rewards from the King of Han for this, and he couldn't remember how many people became rich overnight because of patents obtained for new inventions. When people get old, their memory is really bad.

He gently closed the box. When the King of Han came to inspect a year ago, he read his experience. At that time, he was ashamed of his ugly handwriting, but after reading his experience, the king was amazed.

"Master Guo, finish it well. This is the classic book made by our Han Dynasty engineering. After a hundred years or a thousand years, I may be forgotten, but you will be remembered by the world because of this book."

The king's words at that time made him feel ashamed. How could it be possible? Whether it is a hundred years or a thousand years, how could the king be forgotten! If there is no king, there will be no Guo Quan, and naturally there will be no such experience.

His life is really worth it! Jishi City and Dayan City, the two major traffic arteries that cross the north, south, east and west of the Han Dynasty, are all built by his own hands. He watched them being built from scratch bit by bit, and now, they have become an indispensable part of the Han Dynasty.

I used to think that I would rot to death on Jishi Mountain, and turn into a pile of dry bones and disappear silently in the world. At that time, I would never have thought that after entering the age of 50, my life would have such a dramatic change. Now I am successful! Not only have I become the head of the most powerful country in the world, but I also have a warm family and a lovely son. The Guo family has successors.

But my wife suffered. She was almost 30 years younger than me, and I was not at home all year round. The family in Jicheng was all managed by her alone.

Thinking of his wife's beautiful face and his son's running figure, Guo Quan smiled beautifully.

Life is like this, what else can a man ask for!

I am really tired. From time to time, there are small explosions outside. That is to clear the last small obstacle. Guo Quan stretched and closed his eyes. He really needs to have a good rest. The East-West Artery is connected. He has finally completed the task assigned to him by the king. This time he can return to Jicheng with peace of mind, and then resign from the king and go home to enjoy his old age.

Slowly exhaling a long breath, Guo Quan closed his eyes.

Outside the shed, it is still busy. On the road in the distance, a group of people are coming from Liaoxi to this side. Zheng Jun is very excited. As the governor of Liaoxi County, the connection of the East-West Artery is a big deal for Liaoxi.

The intersection of the two arteries in Liaoxi County will inevitably make Liaoxi a hub for the operation of these two traffic arteries. In Zheng Jun's eyes, he seems to have seen a prosperous and thriving Liaoxi.

Now Liaoxi has lost its previous importance in the entire territory of the Han Dynasty. If it were not for the king's starting point, Zheng Jun believed that Liaoxi's status would be even lower. Liaoxi County has no remarkable industry, all of which are in Jishi County. It is not like Dayan County and Langya County, which are grain producing areas, and it is not like Tianhe County, which is the political center of the entire Han Kingdom, because Jicheng is located in Tianhe County. Liaoxi's status is really awkward now. It is neither up nor down, and it is stuck here, which makes Zheng Jun feel particularly uncomfortable.

But if the east-west traffic artery is connected, it will be very different. The two arteries will intersect in Liaoxi County, and here will usher in a revolutionary change.

Today is a big day, and he must come to congratulate Guo Quan and thank him. It was this hardworking old Minister of Industry who completed this road a whole year ahead of schedule, and also brought the day of Liaoxi's great development forward a lot. Now the land price in Liaoxi has begun to rise. (To be continued)