Chapter 290: Buy enough raw materials in one month!
"Cough cough..."

Ying Heng coughed twice, attracting everyone's attention. They turned to look at Ying Heng, their faces full of surprise. The First Emperor asked on behalf of everyone:
"Heng'er, will this cement concrete house return to its liquid state over time? Will it become fragile and loose again?"

Ying Heng shook his head: "No."

The First Emperor's eyes sparkled as he looked at the pit in front of him. He seemed to have thought of something and asked again:
"But if we use this substance to stop the flood, Heng'er, you know that even if I try my best, it will seem insignificant in the face of a natural disaster like the flood."

"Even if the concrete can withstand the impact of water without being damaged, the solid ground beneath their feet cannot resist!"

Ying Heng responded calmly: "Who said we need to use them to resist? They only need to raise the height of the river bank at key river channels and guide the flow of the river."

"Besides, why not pour the ground into such a concrete structure at the sharp bend of the river?"

When the time comes, they will merge with the earth. No matter how turbulent the water is, can it wash away the solid earth?"

Everyone gasped when they heard this!
If this substance can really be used to build high dams on both sides of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River without limit, it is difficult to predict how the harm of the floods will evolve.

Then, Liu Bowen quickly raised the next key question:
"Sir, how much does this thing cost? Can you provide sufficient supply in the short term?"

Liu Bowen's question hit the nail on the head. They had already seen the strength of concrete, and the next thing to consider was the quantity and reserves of the material.

After all, it takes only one month to reinforce the embankments on both sides of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River by one layer, which is a more arduous project than building the Great Wall!
Even if all the power of the entire Qin State was used, without sufficient materials, it would be like a skilled cook without rice, just like a eunuch breaking into a widow's house late at night, with a lot of enthusiasm but no idea what to do.

Ying Heng did not directly answer Liu Bowen's question, but threw out a question for everyone to think about...

"You have witnessed the power of this reinforced concrete."

"Its strength is unparalleled. We were just unable to refine real steel bars because of time constraints. I used iron bars as a substitute, but in terms of strength, it is still far behind steel bars."

Everyone stared at Ying Heng, waiting for what he would say next.

"Do you think that this substance, which can quickly harden the mixture into an indestructible substance, is limited to reinforcing riverbanks?"

Ying Heng's words were like a flash of lightning, illuminating everyone's minds.

boom!
Various ideas came flooding in, and countless possibilities instantly emerged in the minds of several prime ministers and ministers.

However, at this critical moment, they could only stare wide-eyed and remain speechless.

Ying Heng did not give them too much time to think and immediately continued:
"Let me imagine it for you."

"Have you ever thought about what it would be like if all the wooden houses we live in were turned into solid concrete houses like this?"

"What if all the roads we travel on were replaced with this kind of flat and hard surface?"

"Have you ever thought about what will happen to our Qin if bridges, fortifications, and even any place that needs a strong structure are all made of this concrete material?!"

Everyone gasped and their faces changed drastically as they were shocked by the future picture that Ying Heng described.

"If all this comes true, doesn't it mean that every resident of my Great Qin can live in such a safe house?"

"The whole city of Xianyang will be full of concrete buildings. People will no longer have to worry about strong winds and rainstorms, or rats and insects. Then, people will have safe homes."

Meng Yi responded.

However, the third young master shook his head slightly:

“The pattern is too small.”

“The field of vision is too narrow.”

"The future Xianyang City will not be just rows of concrete houses."

Everyone was confused.

Ying Heng continued to explain:

"By then, our Xianyang City will be filled with countless skyscrapers!"

"With your current knowledge, you cannot imagine the strength of this reinforced concrete structure." "Three floors is the limit for a wooden loft today."

"but!"

"I want to tell you that in the future, someone will push the construction technology to the extreme, and the high-rise buildings built with this material will be hundreds of stories high!"

"At that time, people living on the rooftop could reach out and touch the clouds in the sky!"

“There was a poem that was just right for that moment.”

"The tower is a hundred feet high, and I can pick the stars with my hands. I dare not speak loudly, for fear of startling you!"

boom! ! !
When everyone heard Ying Heng's description, their brains buzzed. They had never dared to imagine such a future.

My Great Qin, is there such a possibility!

Ying Heng then painted a magnificent picture of the future of the Qin Empire.

The expressway that runs through the north and south is like a giant dragon lying across the sky, allowing high-speed trains from Xianyang to reach the coast of the East China Sea within a day.

The giant mechanical bird made of steel soars into the sky, carrying people's dreams;
The huge ship breaks through the waves and sails freely on the boundless blue waves of Wangyang;
An ordinary person holding a spear can compete with a master-level fighter and hit the target from a hundred paces away.

Every time an innovation was mentioned, surprise and yearning flickered in the eyes of the First Emperor and his ministers. Even though there were some concepts they did not understand, no one dared to question them at this moment.

Because the reinforced concrete before their eyes was proof of the miraculous new material.

The First Emperor once again raised the question Liu Bowen had asked:
"Heng'er, how much does it cost to build this reinforced concrete? Is our Great Qin able to undertake the huge project of building dams on two major rivers?"

At this time, Ying Heng responded with a smile:

"Look, everyone, these are the main ingredients of concrete: sand, gravel, debris, water, and the all-important bag of cement."

"The raw material of cement is limestone, which is more abundant in volcanic areas. If limestone is in short supply, shells, which are abundant in coastal areas, can also be used as a substitute, but the production process is a little more complicated."

"Father, my Great Qin is vast, is it possible that we cannot find these stones?"

"Within a month, even if we have to collect all the limestone from all over the Qin Empire, we will build solid dams for these two rivers!"

When the First Emperor heard this, his eyes sparkled:
"Such a miraculous material is actually made from ordinary things on earth!"

"Heng'er, you have made another great contribution to the Qin Dynasty!"

"What are you waiting for? Immediately issue an order for all Qin people to collect limestone!"

Ying Heng shook his head gently:
"Father, you can't do this."

"This time, we can't just order the people to work for us, because that would make them tired and hungry."

“This time, we’re going to buy it from the people.”

The First Emperor was startled: "Buy?"

"What do you buy it with?"

Ying Heng smiled: "Exchange it for salt, exchange it for cloth."

"In the future, I will propose issuing a nationally accepted paper currency to replace the heavy gold, silver and copper coins. From now on, everything will be traded with money!"

"I have already announced that each bag of limestone can be exchanged for one ounce of salt at the government office. This transaction is valid for one month only."

"After a month, it takes five bags of limestone to get one ounce of salt."

"Father, do you think that we will lack raw materials if this happens?"

(End of this chapter)