In the next few days, people on both sides of the Hongshui River were busy.

Jin Shiqi and Carpenter Su and others left early and returned late to build the suspension bridge; Su Moer was arranging a new home, and the temporary residence had to be carefully arranged; the mountain people gradually increased their troops and announced that they would attack Qianjiang County; Commander Bai of the Nandan Guard envoy

Busy mobilizing soldiers and horses - the remaining five thousand-household stations of Nandan Guard worked hard to gather 1,800 weak soldiers to defend the entire southern half of Liuzhou Prefecture. Only 600 people were stationed in Qianjiang County.

The military information had been sent to Liuzhou Prefecture and Guilin Prefecture a long time ago, but the superior generals only asked him to stay as vigilant as possible and be kind to the mountain people. The situation in various parts of Guangxi is not good now, and support will not be sent until four months later.

Commander Bai made the old man burst into tears, "In four months, my grave has been covered with flowers!"

The only good news: Cha Ying just got news - their ten thousand troops have arrived in Guangxi and are said to be able to reach Nandanwei by the end of the month. Those 800 elite soldiers are Commander Bai's only hope.

Commander Bai also heard about Jin Shiqi's "bribing" of Beizhai chieftain. On the surface, he supported it. But behind his back, he said that this guy was wasting his money. As soon as a war started, this guy would definitely be the first to be killed.

…

Currently, Jin Shiqi is still alive and enjoying a good life.

The mountain residents discovered a phenomenon: of the 30 craftsmen brought by "Mr. Jin", only 15 were busy with construction, while the other 15 men kept their fingers free of mud and wandered around all day long. They talked and made friends everywhere.

.Later I heard that they were the escorts hired by Mr. Jin.

These "escorts" are all outgoing and eloquent by nature. They moved boxes of wine from the boat and drank with their new friends. The mountain people who sailed the boat, as well as the leaders of the mountain people on both sides of the strait, and "

The leaders of the "Jia soldiers" became their honored guests. They sat on the river bank, drank and boasted, talked about women, boasted about the heroes of the ten villages, talked about women, boasted about past achievements, scolded the officials for their corruption, and talked about the people of the north.

The misery of talking about women...

Every hour, Feng Hu reported the newly summarized situation to Jin Shiqi.

"Okay, then pay more attention to food issues and talk less about women." Jin Shiqi warned: "Don't directly ask where the granary is, just ask how the harvest is, how much grain is harvested per acre, and whether there is enough food in the village."

Feng Hu received the military order and made arrangements.

Feng Hu's work achievements in the past few days have been fruitful, but it also made Jin Shiqi's eyes darken - the soldiers in Shizhai were more powerful than he imagined.

Among these mountain soldiers, the most powerful ones come from the "Red Hoof" village 50 miles away. The village occupies several valleys in the mountains and has large pastures, so they have cavalry. It is said that the elite "armored soldiers" in the village

"There are more than 300 people, and there are more than a thousand ordinary "barefoot soldiers".

What's even more serious is that the king of the "Red Hoof" village has a strong will to fight. The man's name is "Mengkan" - some say he is a monster born by tearing open his mother's belly, and some say he must mix sand with his food.

It is enjoyable to chew. Some people say that he is so big that he has to tie two horses together and ride them. All in all, he is a monster-level warrior. Mengkan became famous at the age of 10, and at the age of 15, he usurped the status of the leader of the cottage.

.Now that he is 20 years old, he wants to unite the military morale of the ten villages through a war, and then take the opportunity to achieve greater ambitions.

Even the two villages on the south slope and the north slope had no choice but to enter the fierce chariot this time, because no village could resist the Hongti Village. The two villages on the south slope and the north slope were responsible for providing food, and they had already gathered thousands of stones, which was enough to support them.

Two months of war.

"It's really a battle between civilization and barbarism!" Jin Shiqi stared blankly at the Hongshui River for a long time, "Now, I, Jin Shiqi's wheels have also started to turn. If you push hard, I will smash you to death with silver."

…

News about the construction of the Blue Mammoth Bridge has spread. In the past few days, there has been an endless stream of mountain people visiting...

On the construction site on the south bank, hundreds of coolies moved pebbles from the river bed and built the base of the bridge tower. Twelve thick wooden beams were buried obliquely on the foundation, pointing to the intersection in the void. The smoke from the wood smoke

The air was filled with the smell of sulfur. The dried wood was sawed, tenons were cut out, and they were hoisted and spliced ​​together with ropes. The coolies shouted slogans and pulled the cables, lifting sections of wooden beams and pointing them diagonally like spears.

Half empty.

The mountain people coming from north to south stood down and looked at the lively scene and the big thing being born... That was not a tower or a bridge, it was a totem on the river bank.

The mountain people came from different villages - the soldiers in Bloodstone Village had coal powder on their faces, the men in Jianya Village had blue and white tattoos on their bodies, the warriors in Duanjiao Village had wooden thorns stuck in their noses... The colorful and strange mountains

The people all gathered on this shore.

Some people tried to climb up the half wooden tower, but were beaten down by the soldiers; some tried to smear their blood on the wooden tower, but were beaten aside by the soldiers; some pointed to the surging Red River and told how the suspension bridge would be like.

Across the past, the mountain residents of South Slope and Beipo Village were even more festive. Half of the bridge towers were wrapped with colorful ribbons and filled with flowers. Dozens of small shrines were piled on the base, and slowly lit up.

Fireworks.

The king of Beizhai, Lan Mao, came to inspect three times a day. He also brought the masters from other villages to show off. His loud voice could be heard from a hundred steps away.

On the fourth day after the construction started, that is, June 22, the bridge tower entered the most critical assembly stage.

The bridge tower is divided into upper and lower parts. The 3-foot-high base of the lower half has been completed and is a flat-topped pyramid. The 7-foot-high upper half has also been assembled, shaped like a pyramid and resting on the base at an angle.

The overall structure is like a folding knife. Finally, the upper part must be erected to make it "rise".

The upper section of the tower is made up of 8 main beams, plus dozens of support beams, with a total weight of 40,000 kilograms. During the erection process, a balanced force is required, and it must be pulled from 4 directions above and below, totaling 2,000 kilograms.

Manpower.

When Lan Mao heard this number, he was shocked: "2,000 people? You didn't tell me earlier!"

"My plan was not comprehensive." Jin Shiqi expressed deep regret, "Actually, 500 people will do, but don't blame me if it breaks. Lao Lan, success is close at hand, you have to think of a way."

Jin Shiqi acted rogue, but he couldn't stop Lan Mao. Lan Mao had friends in every village. The mountain soldiers who were preparing to attack Qianjiang County put down their weapons to start construction.

Jin Shiqi began to divide them into teams——

"North slope, south slope, you have the most people, come to the front and pull the rope, don't use brute force."

"Bloodstone, collapsing mountains, go to the back and don't try to pull them to death. This is not a tug of war."

"Fangs, iron scales... who asked you to bring the knife?"

"Broken horns and thorny beards, put down your bows and arrows. Let's go back and settle your grievances."

"The man with the red hoof didn't come? What about the man with the copper head? Where did the man with the copper head die?"

Jin Shiqi was busy when he suddenly noticed that the land around him darkened and the setting sun was blocked. "Who is so naughty?" He turned around and saw an elephant.

There was an old guy sitting on the elephant's back, who was none other than Mo Tusi, the leader of Nanpo Village.

Chieftain Mo is so majestic. He is surrounded by more than a hundred servants, including guards, umbrella bearers, elephant bearers, fruit trays, incense sticks, and rattan chairs.

Marrying a daughter is still fun.

Chieftain Mo looked down at him with a smile. "Liaodong boy, have you ever seen an elephant?"

"..." Jin Shiqi almost choked to death. "Uncle Chieftain, please don't bother me, I'm worried!"

"Why are you upset? This bridge is impressive. You are awesome."

"What a sin I have committed!" Jin Shiqi pointed to the Hongshui River, "I just heard that you think Qianjiang County is too poor, so you want to use my suspension bridge to transport troops and food across the river to attack Liuzhou Prefecture?"...

"Who wants to attack Liuzhou?"

"The heroes of the Eight Villages you attracted, everyone is clamoring to go. Why are you putting on a show here?" Jin Shiqi said bitterly: "You want to make things worse and become king like Guizhou She Chongming, so that you can scare people."

Living in the imperial court exempts you from heavy taxes, doesn't it?"

Chief Mo's face turned pale, "It is true that some people mentioned Liuzhou, Guilin... and they also mentioned Beijing. Of course, that is all nonsense. I just want to... move to the Yangtze River."

"More than just moving across the river!" Jin Shiqi waved his hand towards the crowds in the fields, "You are letting the tiger go down the mountain, there is no way out."

Chieftain Mo said angrily: "If we don't let the tiger go, is there any way out? We are forced to have no choice! The descendants of our ancestors who rebelled suffered disaster. The court has set an annual ration of 20,000 stone grain and 200 horses. How can our ten villages afford it? Over the years, we have accumulated

We will never be able to pay a full 400,000 taels of silver!"

"But the imperial court is only looking for compound profits, and has not mobilized troops to collect debts. The imperial court's calculations are clear. To wipe out ten villages, it will need to mobilize 100,000 troops and spend millions of silver. This is a loss-making business." Jin Shiqi pointed.

North, "Once you attack the government and the city, it will bring disgrace to the court. This court is most afraid of being slapped in the face. Even if it is a loss-making business, it will continue to do so."

Chieftain Mo said sullenly, "You must be deceiving me. I know all the people and horses in the ten villages."

"It's hard to say, rebellion is like setting a fire. Once the fire breaks out, you can no longer control the fire."

At this moment, thousands of mountain people gathered by the river, waiting for that miraculous moment. There was noise and laughter everywhere. The workers formed a mighty team, preparing to pull up the upper half of the wooden structure. It was still bright at the moment,

A bright red sunset is stuck between the mountain peaks.

Jin Shiqi looked at the river dejectedly, "Now I can only delay them as much as possible, but one wooden tower is about to be completed, and the other is simple. The bridge deck is not difficult, and the bridge will be open in half a month at most."

While he was melancholy, Lan Mao ran over happily. Chief Mo shouted: "Lan Mao, come here, let me ask you..."

"Uncle, let's talk about it later." Lan Mao pulled Jin Shiqi: "Quick! Start!"

Jin Shiqi: "Lam Mao, why not wait until tomorrow."

"Just today!" Lan Mao took Jin Shiqi and ran to the construction site.

…

In the evening, more than 2,700 men from various villages gathered on the south bank of the Hongshui River, forming eight brigades, pulling cables dozens of feet long. Amid the rumbling of trumpets and drums, the cables tightened

, the 40,000-kilogram wooden tower was lifted up foot by foot. Like a giant, it gradually stood up straight.

The rainy season that lasts for half a year has passed. Against the blue sky, the heavy bridge is covered with golden glow. Amidst the friction sound of "cuckoo", the tower body and the base are slowly coming together, inch by inch.

.

On the nearby hillsides, on the river banks, beside the bamboo groves, and in villages far and near, hundreds of mountain people poured out. They covered the sunset with their hands, and stared at the final gap between the wooden tower and the base with tens of millions of eyes.

struck a chord.

There was a loud "click" sound!

The tower is inserted into the base and stands on the shore, proudly motionless!

Cheers erupted like rolling thunder on the river bank. This 10-foot-tall tower was a giant that the mountain people had never seen before. It was built by their hands in just four days. The sound of singing and gongs and drums floated around,

Mountain people and soldiers from different villages danced wildly around the giant tower.

In a few days, a second tower will be built on the other side. When the entire suspension bridge is assembled, what kind of celebrations will be held on both sides of the Hongshui River!

Lan Mao announced to everyone: "From now on, the suspension bridge will be called 'Lan Mao Bridge'!"

"That sounds great!" Jin Shiqi clapped his hands fiercely, "Brother, how did you come up with that?"

"I've been thinking about it for a long time!"

Jin Shiqi pointed at the giant tower: "Tomorrow we will pull 20 cables to fix it. All the materials have been used up. I want to go to Liuzhou..."...

"We'll talk about that tomorrow." Lan Mao pulled him, "I'll just drink today!"

At nightfall, thousands of people were having fun on the riverbank, with bonfires burning and singing going on. At Lanmao’s banquet, there were not only women and meat and wine, but also guests from several other villages. Although they were not “toasts”, they were all from different backgrounds.

An important role in the village. Each leader, Jin Shiqi, was given a large silver ingot as a meeting gift, 50 taels.

"Hello everyone, I am shopkeeper Jin from Liuzhou!" Jin Shiqi introduced himself, "I am Lan Mao's brother and also your brother."

"What you see now is just a small pontoon. In a few days we will also build windmills, waterwheels, mills, canals..."

"We will raise the water of the river...the milk of our mother river...to a height of one hundred feet to irrigate tens of thousands of acres of fertile farmland around here!"

"Right now, your rice yield per mu is only 1 and a half dan, and it will be even worse when the dry season comes in the second half of the year. But with Blue Mammy's water conservancy plan, you are guaranteed to harvest 2 dan of grain a year! Lan Ma is a wise man!"

"This is sugar cane, but it is not sugar cane. I called him a fortune seedling. As long as the water can keep up, one acre of land can yield 30 shi. I have friends from Guangdong who come to buy it. 30 shi sells for 1 tael of silver. It is a silver weighing on the spot!

"

"I still have a bridge and two big boats in the county below. Don't waste them when you kill them. I'm going to build two more bridges on the upper reaches of the Hongshui River. Which of you is interested in investing?"

When he got excited, Jin Shiqi took out a set of mechanical drawings and showed them to the leaders. It was originally just for Lan Mao to draw, and it was just in use. Guests from several villages surrounded him, one was looking at the design, and the other was biting.

Regarding sugar cane, someone drew a map on the ground for him to look at, and someone else talked to him speaking half-life Chinese and even started to bargain.

At this moment, the evening breeze was blowing, the wine was fragrant, girls were singing, mountain soldiers were howling, girls were running, and boys were chasing each other wildly. Jin Shiqi and the leaders were sitting by the bonfire, talking and laughing happily, thinking about a happy tomorrow.

"The road is a road of happiness, and the bridge is a bridge of wealth!" Jin Shiqi raised his wine glass.

But suddenly, the leaders' eyes all glowed red. "Are you drunk?" Jin Shiqi asked in shock. He turned around quickly and was immediately stunned——

A raging fire!

The flame was blooming from the base of the giant tower, rising wildly! The crowd on the river bank immediately seemed to explode, with countless figures screaming and running. The heat wave coming from the pavement was mixed with the smell of sulfur. The flame suddenly exploded

Swallowing the entire tower, it shot into the sky.

Jin Shiqi sat down on the ground, tears welling up in his eyes.
Chapter completed!