All the liege's subjects in Lion's Fort were mobilized.
The three hundred subjects living in Lions Den, along with the subjects from the four military forts, under Evelyn's command, were responsible for felling trees and constructing the massive framework for the waterwheel and the elevated water troughs.
The fires in Brin's forge in Lions Den burned day and night, crafting the iron components for connection and the crucial central bearings.
Meanwhile, beside the most turbulent section of Trident River, a bustling, enormous construction site had taken shape.
Arthur merely strolled around, relying on his vague and sparse physics knowledge, offering constructive suggestions at critical moments.
Almost every subject witnessed and deeply remembered this: it seemed no difficulty in this world could stump their liege. Whenever they encountered a problem, a word from their liege always provided an immediate solution. Undoubtedly, their liege was a noble blessed by the Seven Gods' Blacksmith.
Half a month later, a colossal structure, like a silent giant, finally stood tall on the banks of Trident River.
It was so immense that people standing beneath it appeared as small as children.
On the day the waterwheel was installed, news spread throughout the entire territory. Almost all land-owning subjects gathered by the river like spectators, forming a dense crowd that packed both banks to overflowing. Even the subjects from coal mining, rabbit raising, and Cross Town came to watch the spectacle. They stopped their work, put down all their tasks, just to witness this legendary blessing of the Seven Gods, this miracle of the Blacksmith.
People held their breath; only the sound of the rushing river remained in the air.
Arthur stood on a high vantage point, looking at the vast crowd of subjects, and announced loudly, "Remove the obstruction!!!"
A dozen strong soldiers worked together to pull the lever.
The river water struck the bottom paddles, and the enormous wheel began to turn slowly, irresistibly. The giant waterwheel let out a long, drawn-out groan, like a giant awakening.
The dense crowds on both banks were silent, everyone's hearts in their throats.
One wooden bucket after another successively submerged into the water, then was lifted out, shimmering with multicolored light in the midday sun.
Under the impact of the Trident River's flow, the wheel turned faster and faster. When the first row of wooden buckets reached its highest point, everyone looked up.
Splash! Clear river water poured down from above, like a silver waterfall, accurately flowing into the high wooden water trough.
The water flowed gurgling along the newly built irrigation canal, moving forward. The previously dug water trough line flowed into the distant, parched fields.
After a brief silence,
the entire riverbank erupted in thunderous, heartfelt cheers!
"Long live!!!"
"Long live Lord Arthur!!"
"This is a miracle of the Blacksmith!!"
"Lord Arthur is blessed by the Blacksmith!!!"
People embraced each other, jumping and cheering.
The shouts and cheers pierced the sky, carrying long-suppressed longing and inexpressible ecstasy.
People embraced and jumped. Some elderly individuals were so moved that tears streamed down their faces, and they knelt on the ground, continuously bowing towards the rotating giant wheel.
Children screamed, rushing to the irrigation canal, cupping the self-flowing river water in their hands, splashing each other, splashing it on their faces, as if receiving a sacred baptism, a blessing from the Seven Gods.
They knew that from today, the fate of this land was rewritten. All barren lands would no longer be barren. They would no longer have to spend time and effort drawing water, and they would never again fear that cursed drought.
Brin stood beside Arthur, looking at the magnificent scene, trembling slightly with excitement. He looked at the endlessly flowing canal, then suddenly turned his head to gaze at the towering Brightmoon Mountains behind him. A strange light suddenly flickered in his eyes.
He stretched out his hand, trembling, pointing at the steep, uncultivable mountain slopes, his voice distorted by emotion: "My Lord!"
"Perhaps... perhaps in the High Mountain, we can also use this method!"
His breathing became rapid. Many cultivable lands in the High Mountain were located in perilous and steep areas, without water sources flowing through them,
so they had become unusable wasteland.
"We can divert water to the mountainside! On those slopes... reclaim... reclaim farmland!"
Arthur followed Brin's gaze, smiling. Good brother, he even thought of terraced fields!
In his opinion, Brin was different from Lucien and Hakon. He had a certain level of insight, and because his work as a blacksmith required some skill, even if he didn't understand the exact principles or reasons in his mind, he could still master these principles for production.
Most importantly, Brin was also a formidable fighter. Lucien's strength lay in his willingness to lead the charge and fight to the death, disregarding his own life, so he could still be trained as a military talent. Only Hakon's position was a bit awkward now, so he appointed Hakon as the town mayor, intending to train him as a versatile talent.
Arthur turned back, looking at Brin's face, flushed with excitement, and showed genuine approval: "Brin, you are very good."
"I indeed had this idea."
The massive waterwheel at Trident River continued to emit its rhythmic creaking, tirelessly lifting river water and pouring it into the elevated aqueduct.
The subjects' cheers gradually subsided, but on their dark faces, the expressions of awe and ecstasy mixed as they looked at Arthur
lingered for a long time.
Arthur looked around and slowly spoke: "But now, we must first solve a problem."
"The land on the mountain is different from the land below."
He stretched out his hand, and a sharp-eyed soldier picked up a branch and presented it to him with both hands.
Arthur began to draw on a flat patch of ground at his feet.
"The first problem: the height of water diversion."
His voice attracted everyone's attention.
"This waterwheel at our feet can lift water at most a few zhang high, but the mountainside of Brightmoon Mountains is much higher than that. What should we do?"
Everyone exchanged glances. The excitement that had just ignited was doused with a bucket of cold water by this question.
Brin rubbed his head, feeling a bit awkward. Yes... the mountain is so high, how can the water be sent up?
Arthur continued drawing on the stone, outlining a steep diagonal line.
"The second problem: water retention."
"The mountain slopes are slanted. Even if we send the water up, how do we keep it there?"
"One heavy rain could wash all the soil we painstakingly cultivated and the precious water back into the river."
Several old farmers accompanying the liege nodded in agreement. This was a truth their ancestors had understood for generations: land on the mountain couldn't retain water or soil, and thus couldn't grow crops.
Seeing everyone deep in thought, Arthur slowly spoke, a smile in his voice, as if carrying a power to turn decay into wonder.
"To solve the first problem, we need to upgrade the waterwheel."
"I call it the High-Rotation Waterwheel!!!"
Brin's eyes instantly lit up. He knew that Lord Arthur was omnipotent! There would definitely be a solution!
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