Aztec Eternals

The wind in February comes from the plateau, and it is slightly cool and dry. It is the dry season now, but the newly built white walls of the camp are wet, as if it had rained.

At this moment, a tanned young craftsman in his twenties is standing by the white stone wall, studying it carefully. He pressed his calloused hands on the surface of the white wall, feeling the hardness and moisture of the wall. Then, he scratched the wall with his nails, leaving shallow marks.

Looking carefully, there are already a row of scratches of different shades on the long white wall. These traces seem to express some kind of natural mystery, and they are also like mysterious divine lines, elusive.

"It's so weird. It changes every day!."

The young craftsman frowned, looking at the scratches on the wall, as if he wanted to see the flowers. Beside him, there is also a huge pottery jar, which contains river water from the nearest river, and a wooden ladle floats on the water. The young craftsman thought for a while, scooped up some water, and poured it on one side of the stone wall. His hand is steady, and he tries to pour it evenly, so he pours it slowly.

In this short time, Koskaqi has already walked over vigorously with a copper stick on his shoulders. He came to the white wall, looked at it for a moment, thoughtful. Then he pulled out the stick, took a deep breath, and swung it out.

"boom!"

The copper stick hit the white wall hard, and even made a small hole. At this time, after carefully looking at the sunken surface of the small pit, it turned out that this neat white wall was not built of stones! But I don't know what method the craftsmen in the camp used to build such a fake white wall.

"Well, the depth of a knuckle is shallower than a few days ago."

Koskazi stretched out his fingers, gestured for a moment, and then nodded. There was a little smile on his face, with the same doubts as the young craftsman.

"It's really strange."

"God bless you! Boss, you are here!"

Seeing the person coming, the young craftsman bowed his head, respectfully, and performed a courtesy. The corners of Koskazi's mouth curled up, and he gave a big grin before smiling.

"Lord God bless! Tanniao, you have been here these days, looking after this stone wall, what have you found?"

The young craftsman in front of him, named Charcoal Bird, was one of Koskazi's apprentices. It's just that he never liked his apprentices calling him master, but "boss". This title, like the leader of a pack of wolves or a leader of a flock of birds, can make him feel the obedience of the other party. As a craftsman leader who was born as a commoner, what he likes most is the obedience of his subordinates.

"Boss, look at this side, and then look at this side!"

Charcoal Bird nodded, first pointed to the watered front of the white wall, then pointed to the side of the white wall that was not watered, and preached earnestly.

"The watered side is harder than the unwatered side!"

"Um?"

Holding the copper stick, Koskazi stabilized his strength, knocked on the front, and then on the back. Then, he took out his finger and gestured, and sure enough, the imprint on the front was shallower.

"It's weird! It's hardening every day, and the watered ones are harder than the unwatered ones. The things made here are different from what His Highness described? Could it be that magical cement?"

Koskaci thought about His Highness's revelation, touched his chin, and looked at Tanniao.

"Charcoal bird, how long have we been repairing this wall?"

"Boss, let me do the math. I hurried back from the mountains over Colima last year before the New Year's Day. People on the 50th and 60th brought back large bags and several thousand catties. The volcanic ash. Then, everyone, burnt quicklime together. Finally, these kinds of volcanic ash were mixed with quicklime, and stones were added to build six or seven walls.”

Charcoal Niao stretched out his finger, recalled, and broke it for a long time, finally came up with a rough number.

"It's February now, even if there is no two months. What the hell, it will be a month and a half!"

"One and a half months"

Koskazi frowned, stretched out his stick, and tapped the white wall again. He listened carefully, listened to the voice again, and whispered to himself.

"Tsk tsk. The hardness is probably like adobe bricks that have not been heated enough. Compared with stones, they are still brittle. Well, the inside is not firm enough, but it is better than the previous few days. It is strange, His Highness said that it will be fine after five or six days , as hard as a rock, and integrated into one body. It’s been two months and we haven’t recovered yet!”

"Boss, don't worry. In the first few days, this wall was as brittle as mud, just like the other walls. At that time, I thought it failed again this time. Who knows that after a few days, it turned out to be As if alive, it has been hardening, and now it even looks like a brick, and the other walls have been knocked down, right now, you can only count on this side!"

Tanniao was talking, with a smile on his face, and looked at the master eagerly. Koskaci immediately raised his brows, thought carefully for a while, and nodded.

"Okay! The volcanic ash sent by the ministries of Colima last year is useless, and I don't know where it was dug out randomly. His Highness didn't explain exactly what kind of ash you want! In the end, it's thanks to you I made a trip myself, packed big and small bags, dug up several kinds of ashes, and was so busy that I didn’t even celebrate the New Year. If this matter is successful, no matter what others say, I will put your name at the top of the list!”

"Ah! Praise the Lord God, praise the master, praise the boss, praise the old man!"

Hearing this promise, Tanniao quickly knelt down on the ground and kowtowed several times with "bang, bang". Then, he raised his head, his forehead was flushed, and he smiled broadly.

"Boss, I have never had a father since I was a child, and I have always regarded you as a father! If I can become a master craftsman, I will definitely provide for you!"

"Ha, it's not that I don't have a son! Charcoal bird, from now on, as long as you can do me a favor!"

Seeing this, Koskaci grinned, feeling quite relieved from the bottom of his heart. He stretched out his hand, patted Tanniao's shoulder heavily, and said with a smile.

"Work hard, you are still young! A master craftsman in your twenties, thanks to you for following me! If you can catch His Highness's eyes, then you might have a chance to go to the Shenwei University !"

"Ah, Shinway University? Where is that?"

Hearing this, Tanniao was a little dazed, with confusion on his dark face. He had no father since he was a child, his family was very poor, and his mother remarried. After becoming an apprentice craftsman, he will return to the master in the kiln, and has nothing to do with the family. As for what kind of university this is, I have never heard of it.

"Ha! There, it's the place where the weeds can leap and grow into corn! If you're lucky, you might even be able to touch the edge of cocoa."

Koskaci smiled and shook his head. He stretched out his hand and stroked Tanniao's head, his expression solemn.

"It's a long way to go. The most important thing right now is to really get out the cement that His Highness told you! Let me ask you, if you see the dust mixed in when repairing this wall, can you recognize it?"

"Boss, sure!"

Tanniao nodded heavily, and replied with a smile.

"It's gray and choking. It's finely divided like sand, so hard that it won't melt in water. I licked it many times to remember the ash. The surface is like obsidian slag, and it scratches my tongue. Then I can always remember the taste!"

Hearing this, Koskaci frowned and smiled with satisfaction. He was very satisfied with his apprentice's ruthlessness.

"The poor people come out and don't have such vigor, what can they use to compete with others?"

Thinking of this, Koskachi was a little worried again. His two sons were not lacking in anything else, but this kind of heart was missing. When he looked at his apprentice Tanniao again, his eyes became softer, and he reminded him sincerely.

"Carbon Bird, remember! Even if it takes longer, as long as the wall is as hard as a brick in the end, you can give His Highness a satisfactory explanation! And if His Highness is satisfied, you will be prosperous!"

"Yes, boss, I listen to you! I will water this wall sooner or later!"

Tanniao nodded again and again, and while talking, picked up the water ladle and poured water on the other side of the wall.

"Huh? Your watering method"

Seeing this, Koskaci frowned again. His Highness made it very clear that the cement will be fine in a few days, and the addition of water is only in the first few days. If there is too much water, add ash, if there is too much ash, add water, and stop when it is too hard. But this charcoal bird made it.

"Boss, don't worry! I have been trying for more than a month, and I have to keep adding water! This wall is like a living thing, it is absorbing water all the time, and it will harden after absorbing it. There may be a water hole inside. It's a monster, otherwise the soft mud will turn into hard rock!"

Charcoal Bird grinned brightly and confidently. He has touched this wall thousands of times, and it really seems to be alive, changing every day. If there's a spirit hiding in it, it'd better be a woman.

Koskazi reached out and touched both sides of the wall. He couldn't figure it out, it was really hard to add water. After a while, he waved his hand.

"Okay! You make up your own mind. It's your credit for making it. If you can't make it, don't blame me for not giving you a chance!"

"Thank you boss!"

The loud voice sounded in the camp, surrounded by the white wall, and it was a bit cheerful. The two master and apprentice touched the stones and crossed the river with their eyes closed, but they really took a step that could change the kingdom and even the world!

If Xiulot were here, seeing this white wall and studying it carefully for a while, he would probably have a kind of enlightenment. This is exactly the cement he wanted, not the Portland cement that appeared first in later generations, but the Roman cement that has been around for more than a thousand years!

Portland cement, also known as ordinary Portland cement, is the most common type of cement in rural areas in later generations, and it is also the least difficult to fire. The general manufacturing process is that limestone and clay are ground together into raw material, and then the raw material is calcined until it is partially or completely melted, which is called clinker. Finally, the clinker is added with iron powder or iron slag, and it is ground into cement.

To make cement, other steps can be solved by manpower. Only the firing process requires a high temperature of over 1500 degrees and consumes a lot of fuel! The high temperature of 1500 degrees is easy to achieve in later generations, but it is difficult in this era. If the cost of charcoal and manpower is included and multiplied by the huge demand, it is completely unbearable for the current kingdom!

The main component of Portland cement is calcium silicate. It reacts with water to produce calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) and calcium hydroxide. What really determines the hardness of cement is calcium silicate hydrate. Well, to put it simply and irresponsibly, the more calcium silicate hydrate produced, the harder and stronger the solidified cement will be.

The hardening process of Roman cement is also to form raw hydrated calcium silicate. The process of its manufacture does not need to be burned. It is mixed with quicklime + volcanic ash + water at room temperature. The main component of the volcanic ash here is silicon oxide erupted by volcanic activity. That is to say, silicon oxide + calcium hydroxide + water will eventually produce calcium silicate hydrate.

It's just that this reaction process is much gentler and slower, and it also consumes water continuously. But the ultimate strength, the resulting calcium silicate hydrate gel, tends to be higher than Portland cement. That is to say, the longer it goes, the higher its strength will be, and it is not afraid of blisters and humid environments, and it is naturally suitable for the climate of Central America!

Of course, in the real Roman cement, there is actually a corrosion-resistant tobermolite (aluminosilicate). It has a long-lasting response, providing constant strength and keeping Roman buildings strong for thousands of years. The appearance of this component is related to special volcanic ash.

There is probably no such component in the volcanic ash in the Colima Volcanic Area. Strictly speaking, the cement made with it cannot be called "Roman cement", but can only be regarded as "volcanic ash cement".

"Cement. What a divine creation! If you add the two kinds of ash together, add water, and mix it with sand and gravel, it will slowly become a hard boulder."

Koskazi narrowed his eyes and looked at the low wall in front of him. In a daze, he seemed to see a majestic temple standing in front of him, which was built by himself!

"...If this is the case, from now on, building huge temples, manors of nobles, barns of bricks and tiles, and even roads under the feet will no longer require expensive corn mortar, nor a large number of massive boulders !"

"...If this is the case, how much easier it will be to build a building! And what kind of changes will this bring to the Kingdom of the Lake?"

Koskaci looked ahead and thought for a long time. He didn't have an answer, he couldn't imagine it because he never had one. He just grinned and turned and walked towards his cabin. He wants to take out his collection of tequila, drink it with the seaside salt, and never get drunk!

"Haha, the lord god blesses you! God blesses His Highness. Bless us too!"

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