Chapter 1046: Chapter 989: Joan of Arc Castle in 1454 (Part 2)

The wheelchair rolled over the cobblestone pier road, with the wolf ears fluttering, attracting the attention of many passersby.

They didn’t know the identity of the wolf woman, but they knew that the one pushing the wheelchair was Saint’s Grandson Horn.

So who was this wolf woman?

Had an angel descended?

Walking through the ground littered with vegetable leaves and eggshells, Horn pushed Hilov along the canal.

Of course, there were many guards following in the vicinity and in the water, accompanying the two slowly forward.

Hilov stopped at the bridgehead: "Is this where the Long Bridge Battle took place?"

"Yes." Horn looked over; the original wooden suspension bridge had been dismantled because both sides of the canal required a large number of people to pass, so the bridge surface was widened.

This caused the original drawbridge cables to no longer lift the deck, obstructing the passage of ships.

Therefore, after the transformation by several master stonemasons and scholars, the original bridge pier was equipped with towers, and granite counterweights and a spring crane were added to the back of the suspension bridge.

At the same time, two pedestrian overpasses were added at a higher point between the two towers, above the highest point when the suspension bridge is raised.

Thus, when the suspension bridge is raised, pedestrians on both sides can pass by climbing the stairs to the third floor on the tower and crossing the river on the pedestrian overpass on the third floor.

The drawbridge is raised or lowered according to the daily pedestrian and ship traffic, facilitating both land transport and not obstructing shipping.

It’s considered a youthful version of the Tower Bridge in this otherworldly context.

It has to be said that these scholars who fled from Leia and Falan to the ry Court Barracks are indeed capable.

Most importantly, they all have a foundation in mathematics and philosophy.

Hilov taught natural theology, various engineering mechanics, and analytical mechanics, plus kinematics, and they learned several times faster than ordinary students, grasping concepts quickly.

"Is there really such a large volume of people and vehicles on both sides of the canal?"

"Yes, of course." Horn pushed Hilov, gesturing into the distance as they walked.

The original industries of Joan of Arc Castle, mainly medicine, dyes, high-end woodworking, and sculpture.

But within eight years, Joan of Arc Castle also completed its industrial transformation.

It abandoned industries such as medicine and dyes, transferring them to Celestial Maiden City, Rapids City, and the ry Court Barracks.

What remained for Joan of Arc Castle were sugar workshops, ink workshops, movable type printing workshops, papermaking workshops, clothing workshops, etc.

In the foreseeable future, they also planned to move the clothing workshops to Xia Lvcheng, receiving the bleaching workshops from Shangruifo County.

As an exchange, the local monastery head also discussed with the Shangruifo County monastery head, transferring part of the high-end woodworking to Shangruifo County.

Besides this flourishing secondary industry, Langsande County is also a major grain-producing county in the south, with output second only to Hotam County.

There’s no choice for Hotam County, situated in the Narran River Delta area, crisscrossed by rivers, naturally gifted.

Langsande County’s agricultural output surpasses Kasha County, mainly because it was the earliest to implement the Hundred Households District system and new farming tools.

Even though Horn vigorously promoted new farming tools and hydraulic machinery to replace manpower, it still took time to become widespread.

Among them, Langsande County is the most widespread, and also has the fertile South Yibe Plain.

Originally, it was a battlefield between the Empire and Black Snake Bay, very chaotic, no one dared to cultivate there.

But after Black Snake Bay came under the Holy Alliance, large numbers of immigrants, especially displaced people, were sent to the area for land reclamation.

Especially many prisoners of war even brought their families over from their hometowns.

This led to extremely low agricultural product prices in Joan of Arc Castle, with farmer representatives frequently causing trouble, protesting about the industrial sewage issues in Joan of Arc Castle.

In a previous central assembly, the citizen representatives of Joan of Arc Castle and the farmer representatives had a fight in front of Horn over this issue.

Even some mischief-makers sketched the famous scene at that moment.

Sitting at the top with a kind smile and a sun disc behind him was Horn; in the middle, numerous cardinals and the Saintess held their heads helplessly; below them, other representatives watched the spectacle with glee.

The mischief-maker’s name was Leonardo, and his painting sold for a very high price at auction.

Leonardo immediately invested the money into the flying machine research.

After learning the energy conservation law in natural theology, Leonardo’s dreams of a perpetual motion machine were shattered, leading him to depression for half a year.

Just last summer, he came back with renewed vigor and set his sights on flying; his latest product is Novia’s ornithopter.

"But you still haven’t answered why the traffic volume is so high!"

Seeing Horn sidetracked, Hilov quickly pulled the topic back.

Only then did Horn explain: "Don’t forget, besides the first and second industries, there’s the tertiary industry; commerce is the foundation of Langsande County’s prosperity!"

Yes, commerce.

The three counties controlled by Black Snake Bay, together, are as large as two Thousand River Valleys, and the first stop for all exported goods is Joan of Arc Castle.

As for the midpoint of the wool processing belt around Shangruifo County, it’s also Joan of Arc Castle.

Wool, fabrics, furs, timber, smoked meat, and oils from the north gather at Joan of Arc Castle. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Spices, slimes, sugar, magical beast meat, and fruits from the south also gather at Joan of Arc Castle.

Don’t forget, various agricultural and industrial products produced in Joan of Arc Castle itself must also gather there.

If the ry Court Barracks is the political center of the Holy Alliance, then as a twin city, Joan of Arc Castle is the economic center of the Holy Alliance.

"So as you can see, the areas along the canal that were originally residential areas for the common people, what about now?"

Hilov looked around, surprised to find:

The craftsmen’s district recorded in the books on the northern side of the river was occupied by commercial offices, news agencies, and warehouses, while on the southern side, the dilapidated residential areas were replaced with row houses.

As for the original civic district, it had become much quieter.

Groups of merchants moved back and forth across the bridge and canal with various goods, while numerous tax collectors with stamps marked barrels and crates with tax labels.

"Are all these merchants from outside? Where did the locals go?" Hilov looked around but saw few local residents.

"They all moved to the industrial district."

Walking downstream from the civic street, they came to the outskirts, where there was a horse-drawn train station.

Taking the train, it was about half an hour to the industrial district, where the printing and papermaking workshops were moved inside.

"Those who moved away from the residential areas for the common people either went back to farming in the countryside, coming back to the city to work during the off-season, or moved to the industrial district," Horn explained with a smile.

The accompanying secret chancellor Edwin added: "The locals call the industrial district the new district, and Joan of Arc Castle is called the old district.

Due to poor drainage and various infrastructure in Joan of Arc Castle, with its low and old houses, some places would not even see sunlight for a year.

That’s why residents and immigrants prefer living in the new district, and only those working in news agencies, printing houses, and chambers of commerce would live in the civic street."

"Does the industrial district still have houses available?"

"Of course," Horn proudly smiled, "it comes with facilities; besides, can’t they build timber-framed houses?"

With the expansion of sugar refineries and papermaking workshops, a batch of apartments for workers was newly built on the edge of the old industrial district.

Some were timber-framed houses, some were brick houses, and some state-operated workshops with better benefits even had three-story mortar buildings.

Along one side of the apartment buildings was a row of two-story wooden shops, lined up.

A glance revealed blacksmith shops, barber shops, furniture stores, grain and oil shops, butcher shops, all bustling with activity...

Separated from these apartments was another expanse of continuous papermaking and sugar refining workshops, followed by more apartment facilities.

The designer of this new district had quite a mind, not only designing sewers but also creating small parks for daily water use and storm drainage.

"What’s the name of this designer?" Horn was also interested while listening to Edwin’s introduction.

"Mr. Le Knott, a stonemason scholar from Leia, who came to the Holy Alliance due to the war."

"And who is the main designer of this Joan of Arc Castle Tower Bridge?" Hilov followed up.

"Mr. Alberti, also a stonemason scholar from Leia, who was expelled from the stonemason scholars’ association for not adhering to fixed designs in bridge construction."

Horn and Hilov exchanged a glance and asked in unison: "And the planner of Joan of Arc Castle?"

Edwin smiled wryly: "Also from Leia, the Woods father and son, scholars from the River Island Royal University."

Hilov raised her eyes to Horn: "You’ve really plucked the cream of the Leia Kingdom!"