Chapter 1042
Since the demolition, cleaning, and reconstruction of roads in the southern part of Rome's old city, the rest of the residential construction had been handed over to the real estate merchants from the Royal Chamber of Commerce. The construction officials only needed to supervise and inspect the construction, so the manpower in the construction office of Rome was free.
However, the most important part of the construction work in the entire city of Rome was the temple. According to the request of the Asistes, the new temple in Rome should be roughly the same size as the main temple in Turií. The key point was that it was not one, but two — the Temple of Hades and the Temple of Diana — and it was approved by the King of Devers. However, to build such a temple required a lot of manpower and material resources. Diónia, which was at war, could not afford it. Therefore, after the discussion between Pasion, the construction official, and the Asistes, they decided to build the stone bridge across the Tiber River first. However, it was not the Bridge of Rome, but the bridge connecting the island in the middle of the river.
Since Diónia occupied Rome and established a new alliance with the surrounding forces, the whole of Latin and Etruria had been restored to peace and tranquility. With the strong promotion of the Asistes, Rome gradually opened up trade with the rich Etrurian Alliance in the north.
There were two ways of communication between Rome and the Etrurian city-states in the north. One was by water, where the Port of Ostia was being built, and the other was by land. However, the Bridge of Rome was not built for trade. It was not wide, and it was made of wood. It was no longer suitable for the needs of the development of Rome.
Therefore, the Asistes set their sights on the two bridges on the island in the middle of the river that had been destroyed during the war. This could be considered a kind of compensation from the kingdom to the natives of Rome. For this reason, the Asistes suggested to the construction official, Pasion, that it would be best to build a stone bridge at the beginning of the new year to show the people of Rome the new atmosphere after joining the kingdom.
Pasion promised the Asistes. After accepting the task, he led his men to survey the terrain, choose the location for the bridge, and design the blueprint. The labor force was sufficient, and the materials were basically ready-made (there were a lot of regularly shaped stones left in the burned and demolished temples in Rome, and it did not take long to pour them with cement). In addition, the construction department had built many stone bridges in the kingdom over the years, so they were very experienced. Pasion, the construction official, thought that building such a small bridge should be in the bag. However, he did not expect that something would go wrong at the critical moment.
"So … what did the engineers say? Can it be repaired quickly?! " Cloto Catax asked anxiously. Although he had been learning about construction, he was still a newbie. Tomorrow, the governor, the Asistes, would bring the officials from the City Hall to congratulate the completion of the stone bridge. After a long period of teaching by the Devers, Cloto knew that this stone bridge was not just a simple project. At the same time, it was also given a deeper political meaning. So, he was also anxious.
"We have to tamp the bridge foundation and reinforce the piers. They estimate that it will take about seven or eight days …" Pasion hesitated for a moment, then said earnestly, "I'm going to explain this to the Asistes now. I hope … you can come with me!"
Although Cloto Catax was now Pasion's subordinate, he was also the Prince of Diónia. Pasion usually treated him very politely, but now that he had a favor to ask, his attitude was even more humble.
"Okay!" Cloto Catax did not hesitate.
The two rushed to the Castellan's mansion in Rome and were soon received by the Asistes.
After listening to Pasion's explanation, the Asistes's face darkened. "I thought you came to see me so late to tell me that the construction department is ready for tomorrow's celebration! I didn't expect that there would be such a big mistake!"
The Asistes scolded angrily, "Why didn't you find out before?! You only told me at the last moment! Tomorrow, not only the officials from the City Hall, but also many people from Rome will be going to the Piazza del Mars to celebrate. How are we going to clean up this mess?! "
Pasion's face turned pale. His lips trembled, but he did not dare to say anything. He could only look at Cloto Catax pitifully.
In the past, the Asistes had always given Cloto Catax the impression that he was gentle and kind. But this time, this important minister of the kingdom showed him his majestic side. Cloto Catax bit the bullet and said, "Your Excellency —"
The Asistes immediately interrupted him, "Cloto Catax, don't say anything. You just came to the construction department not long ago. This has nothing to do with you."
Hearing this, Cloto Catax knew that the Asistes was trying to keep him out of this mess. But because of this, he put aside his worries and spoke frankly, "Your Excellency, as a low-level construction officer in the construction department of Rome, I have been following Sir Pasion for the past two months. I am responsible for supervising the construction of this stone bridge. If something happens to him, of course, I am also responsible!"
The Asistes looked at the sincere and guilty Cloto Catax, then turned to look at the uneasy Pasion. He was silent for a moment.
But this silence made the two visitors feel a little uneasy.
After a while, the Asistes said, "The officials in the City Hall are fine. We can postpone the celebration for a few days, and they will be very cooperative. But the people in Rome and the surrounding towns came here excitedly, but they were asked to go back without seeing anything … How angry will they be at the City Hall?!"
At this point, Asistes could not help but emphasize his tone. Ever since he became the governor of Rome, he had worked hard to build up the trust and authority of the City Hall among the Roman people. How could he not be angry when he thought about how this incident could destroy the trust and authority he had built up among the Roman people?
"S … Your Excellency …" Pasion saw that the Asistes's tone was a little relaxed, so he immediately said nervously, "The ordinary people can't see the tilt of the piers. They will see a complete stone bridge. But we will block both ends of the stone bridge and tell them, 'For the sake of beauty, the stone pillars on the railings need to be engraved, so they are temporarily not allowed to pass …'"
"It seems that you have prepared for this. Should I send you more engravers?!" The Asistes sneered and said in a low voice, "Thousands of people came from afar and gathered at the Tiber River just to see the stone bridge. Aren't you afraid that they will be angry and cause a riot?!"
Pasion was shocked and did not dare to answer.
After all, Cloto Catax was young and quick-witted. He suggested, "Your Excellency, we Turís are used to creating a lively and joyful atmosphere in the New Year. Since the people will gather at the Tiber River next to the Square de Mars tomorrow, why don't we take the opportunity to hold a competition? It will not only achieve the purpose of celebrating, but also divert the people's attention."
"A competition …" The Asistes was moved. He thought for a while and shook his head, "Time is too tight. There is no time to prepare …"
"How about fishing? Within a certain period of time, we'll see who can catch the most fish, then we'll rank them and give them rewards … … "Klotokatax immediately said. The reason why he could give the suggestion so quickly was that in the past, in the early spring, Davus would bring his family to the Crati River at the foot of the King's Hill to have a family fishing competition. The atmosphere was very warm and happy, which made Klotokatax miss it very much. Although it was not yet early spring, the temperature was slowly getting warmer. The surface of the Tiber River was not frozen, so fishing was not a problem.
The Asistes was a little moved by Cloto Catax. After all, the preparation for a fishing competition was relatively simple. All they had to do was sit by the river with a fishing rod. It was easy to operate.
The Asistes looked at Pasion again and asked in a low voice, "Are you sure that you can completely repair the stone bridge in seven days?!"
"Sir, I swear in the name of Hades, I promise that the stone bridge will be completely repaired in seven days, so that it can be used normally and without any problems!"
"Because of this mistake, I will first record it in your grade assessment file. If you still fail to build the bridge in seven days, your official position will come to an end!" The Asistes warned coldly.
Pasion nodded repeatedly. Although a demerit in the grade assessment would affect his promotion, he had at least passed the test with the strict Asistes. He knew that it was mostly because of Cloto Catax, so he nodded at the Prince of Diónia to show his gratitude.
"Go back and get ready. I still have to discuss with Cloto Catax about tomorrow's fishing competition." The Asistes raised his hand to chase him away. Pasion did not dare to stay any longer. He hurriedly said goodbye and left.
Only the two of them were left in the living room. The Asistes's expression had also returned to normal. He sighed kindly and said, "Your Highness, you should not have come tonight. Pasion dragged you here because he wanted to use your kindness to help him …"
"Uncle Asistes." Klotokatax said seriously, "I know Lord Pasion's intention, but he is indeed very hardworking. Ever since he took on the heavy responsibility of building the stone bridge, he has been busy from morning to night. I haven't seen him slack off for a single moment. Moreover, he has taken good care of me and taught me a lot … Whether for public or private reasons, I can't let Lord Pasion's future be hindered because of this one mistake, because he has indeed devoted himself to his work and wants to build this stone bridge well!"
"No wonder the people call you a kind prince. Your Highness, you are still as compassionate as ever!" The Asistes praised and smiled, "Ten days ago, His Majesty wrote me a letter asking about your performance in Rome. I complained to him, saying, 'You don't pay attention to your image as a Prince of Diónia. The palace guards have complained many times that you refused their protection. You work with the Roman and Latin citizens recruited from the construction office every day, learning their Latin language. Sometimes, when you are busy, you even buy food for them at your own expense …'
Then His Majesty wrote back to me. Can you guess what he said in the letter? "
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