The Qi Transformation Realm allowed for the free manipulation of one's spiritual energy, transforming it into the four elements of water, fire, earth, and wind. Besides being used to unleash ultimate skills against enemies, it also had its practical applications in daily life.
Transforming qi into a barrier to block out dust was one such use. As cement did not require as long to air dry as traditional blue bricks, a single Qi Transformation Realm cultivator's spiritual energy was sufficient.
As Chu Chen projected his scorching spiritual energy, it attached itself to two blue bricks. In a matter of moments, they visibly transformed from a muddy paste into a solidified bond.
Having finished, Chu Chen smiled and said, "Alright, now you try and see how much force it takes to separate them."
Princess Xinyue picked up the two blue bricks and applied a slight amount of force. The result was that they did not separate; instead, she felt a strong resistance from the two surfaces pressed tightly together, preventing them from parting.
"How magical!"
Princess Xinyue looked at the blue bricks stuck together in her hands with astonishment. Her mind immediately grasped the ingenious applications of this cement combined with blue bricks for building walls, houses, and paving roads, and how much faster construction would be.
Previously, urine and glutinous rice water were used as binders for such tasks. While they could adhere, their stability and drying speed were far inferior to cement.
Princess Xinyue played with the cement-bound blue bricks and asked, "It only takes a few hours, just the span of a day, to solidify?"
"It's fine for people to walk on at this point, but if it's to be used for walls or roads where cargo carts will travel, a single day is not enough. It requires at least one to two days."
"That's still incredibly fast! In the past, it would have taken at least a dozen people!"
Princess Xinyue gazed at the cement on the ground in amazement. She crouched down, poured cement into a wooden mold, and smoothed it with a trowel, then looked expectantly at Chu Chen.
Chu Chen smiled and waved his hand again, projecting a stream of scorching spiritual energy, directly fast-forwarding the cement through several hours of drying.
Touching the dried cement in the wooden mold, its relatively smooth surface once again shocked Princess Xinyue.
"This surface, while not as smooth as marble, if a carriage were to travel on it, I doubt there would be any bumps, right?"
"Naturally. Otherwise, why would this be used for paving roads?"
Chu Chen replied with a hint of pride.
"With this, this princess can finally bid farewell to the muddy roads outside the city! Farewell to bumpy carriage rides!"
The other princesses had not yet witnessed its wonders, but this aspect alone was enough to make her ecstatic.
The feeling of a carriage traveling on muddy roads was truly awful. Not only would the wheels get stuck, but there were also many small stones protruding from the mud.
In the past, when riding in carriages, Princess Xinyue, Chu Chen, and everyone on the Qingzhou continent who could afford a carriage had suffered greatly from the bumps.
Yet, no one had been able to solve this problem. Even when Chu Chen specially added springs to the carriages, it only made them less bumpy and jarring; the sensation was still present.
"Chu Chen! I want to use this cement in my palace first, to pave the entire Qingming Palace!"
Knowing the excellence of cement, Princess Xinyue dropped the wooden board and looked at Chu Chen eagerly.
"That won't do," Chu Chen shook his head slightly.
"Why not? It must be done!" Princess Xinyue was slightly displeased.
The steward and master, who had left at some point, were no longer present, leaving only the two of them.
"Because~ before it was produced, His Majesty heard of its wondrous uses and had already reserved the initial batch. The cement you see now is all ordered by His Majesty."
Chu Chen replied in a low voice.
"How could Mother do this! What does she need so much cement for? Her Qianqing Palace doesn't require this much cement, does it?"
Princess Xinyue was incredulous and immediately unhappy.
But soon, her eyes darted around, and she grabbed Chu Chen's arm, shaking it and acting spoiled, "Chu Chen, you're in charge of its production, so how much is produced is up to you~ How about this, you tell Mother that due to this problem or that problem, a portion is missing and will require further waiting, and then let me use that missing portion first, what do you say?"
"Hmm~ My dear Princess, you're actually instigating me to misuse His Majesty's property! This is a crime of deceiving the emperor and punishable by beheading."
Chu Chen quickly shook his head, his face filled with feigned terror. "I no longer have a golden pardon for immunity from death. Doing this would cost me my life."
Upon hearing this, Princess Xinyue flung Chu Chen's arm away and turned her head, pouting angrily.
But she quickly realized and turned back, spotting the smile in Chu Chen's eyes.
"Hmph, you dare to trick this princess! You can clearly misuse it with ease!"
Saying this, Princess Xinyue lightly punched Chu Chen's chest with her small fists.
"It's not exactly misuse. Guess what His Majesty wants so much cement for?"
Chu Chen laughed heartily and grabbed Princess Xinyue's delicate hand.
"Eh? Could it be that Mother is thinking of me with this cement?"
Prompted by his hint, Princess Xinyue guessed uncertainly.
"That's a given. How could His Majesty, who dotes on you so much, forget your share?"
Chu Chen smiled, stroking Princess Xinyue's delicate hand and watching her blush deepen. He continued, "Besides wanting to pave Qianqing Palace, just like you, His Majesty will also pave the palaces of you and four other princesses with cement."
"Moreover, His Majesty hasn't forgotten me, the Prime Minister. My Prime Minister's mansion and the Ministry of State Affairs will also receive some."
"You have a share too! Mother has changed, she doesn't dote on me exclusively anymore!"
Princess Xinyue pretended to be angry, wanting to be comforted, which almost made Chu Chen burst out laughing.
However, Chu Chen indulged her, stroking her head and face, taking a little liberty as comfort.
But Princess Xinyue, blushing, playfully hit Chu Chen, and the two ran off, chasing each other, leaving the cement factory area.
"Prime Minister Chu and His Highness the Fifth Princess have such a good relationship~"
Watching the two depart, the cement steward and the masters thought with emotion.
Xiangzhou Mountain Prefecture, Lianshan County.
Zhang Chengzhu and An Xian personally came to this place to handle matters concerning the local farms.
It wasn't just Xiangzhou Mountain Prefecture; the entire Xiangzhou farm matters required their personal attention. This was because the region was somewhat special, being mountainous and bordering the Great Qin.
"Lord Zhang, this place has so many mountains. No wonder it's called Mountain Prefecture."
While waiting for the county officials to come and pay their respects, the two chatted idly in the carriage.
"Indeed. It is precisely because of the continuous and vast, steep mountain ranges here that it has become a crucial strategic location to block the might of the Great Qin army."
Zhang Chengzhu also spoke with great emotion. His hometown was Lianshan County in Mountain Prefecture, so this official trip could be considered a triumphant return.
Just as the two were chatting, the guards outside the carriage suddenly shouted, "Who goes there? Halt immediately! Halt!"
"What happened?"