The enormous royal city suddenly fell silent.
Zhao Zhou, 1,000 high-level craftsmen, and another 2,000 Captain-Level Soldiers had suspended construction of the royal city and gone to build an official road leading beyond the great mountains.
With towering mountains and precipitous cliffs blocking the way, even with a legendary-grade master craftsman like Zhao Zhou, 1,000 high-level craftsmen, and 2,000 Captain-Level Soldiers capable of carrying ten thousand jin with both hands, this was still an incomparably arduous task.
Fortunately, the route and direction of the official road could be adjusted as needed. Old Zhao Zhou and Zhang Liang had gone back and forth more than a dozen times before finally settling on a route that was easiest to build, relatively easy to maintain, and not overly affected by geological disasters.
This new official road would no longer run westward for five hundred li according to the original plan. Instead, it would go north and then west, winding through several bends for a total length of 1,200 li—two and a half times the original distance.
Yet this route ensured that the official road would remain level. It would not need to cross mountains or ridges, nor would it have any massive slopes or perilous stretches. The greatest incline or decline along the entire route would not exceed twenty degrees, and the road would be wide enough for twelve horsemen to ride abreast.
Furthermore, the roadbed would be constructed entirely from stone blocks half a meter on each side, laid down piece by piece. This would ensure both flatness and sufficient sturdiness. As long as it did not encounter overly severe natural disasters, this official road could even endure for a thousand years without decaying.
However, a road like this would cost a fortune. There was no need to mention the materials. Old