Chapter 1531: Temple Troubles

Every outsider entering Tianshui City, and even bumpkins from the Shanjin Plains, would be left dumbfounded and filled with admiration upon seeing the ornamental columns.

Once basic needs are met, outward appearance becomes crucial, both for individuals and for the nation.

"How long until this set of ornamental columns is completed?"

"Master You said there are no issues with manpower, and communication for the expansion project is very smooth," replied King Yao, waving his hand, "but materials are a bit scarce. Tell He Xiao to pause construction on the Secluded Lake Villa and use the golden-veined stone from there for the ornamental columns."

The ornamental columns are meant to create an immediate, striking impression for newcomers entering the city. In contrast, an official residence hidden by Secluded Lake and difficult for ordinary people to access would not have the same impact.

To ensure the new city's residential plots sell well, reallocating materials from the Secluded Lake Villa is the most logical step right now.

"They have already been carved and decorated, and are about to be used for your temporary palace."

King Yao paused, then said, "Hmm? Then let You Rongzhi find another solution."

Just then, another palace guard rushed in to report an urgent matter:

The Xilin Temple has collapsed again!

Xilin Temple, the largest in the Lower Forest District of old Tianshui City and the second-largest goddess temple in Tianshui City by area, covers a vast expanse. Its exceptionally magnificent buildings are densely arranged, capable of accommodating thousands of worshippers for gatherings.

Lush greenery sways along its outer walls, and just beyond, the lake water is clear and rippling, creating an extremely beautiful scene.

Xilin Temple serves as the spiritual abode for countless devotees. When it was completed 120 years ago, it was exceptionally grand, and the open ground in front of it could even host the largest and most bustling temple fair in the Lower Forest District.

However, it is quite old. Although its stone structures still appear splendid, merely hinting at the passage of time, groundwater erosion has caused the temple's ground to subside. The Yao Kingdom has considered numerous solutions, but has only been able to delay the problem, not truly remedy it.

Recently, central Yao Kingdom has experienced continuous heavy rainfall. King Yao, conserving national resources, only dispersed the dark clouds above Mount Lou, while other parts of the capital continued to receive frequent rain. Xilin Temple could not withstand this. A few days prior, its pagoda had collapsed, killing several passersby and temple attendants.

The pagoda had not yet been rebuilt when other temple buildings collapsed again.

This time, the collapsed section was a side wing of the main hall.

On either side of the originally magnificent main hall, the eaves extended like graceful wings, resembling a golden roc in flight, both grand and exquisite.

With one side now collapsed, it resembled a broken wing. Worshippers would immediately notice it upon entering, an excessively unsightly sight.

"If it collapsed, then repair it. Allocate funds from the national treasury," King Yao ordered casually, rubbing his temples, clearly tired from a day of governing. "Xilin Temple must be repaired as quickly as possible; there must be no delay."

The pagoda was simply too tall, its stone body too heavy, and its foundation too soft; after collapsing, it truly could not be re-erected. This had been confirmed after multi-party discussions, and even Chief Minister Liang had conceded. However, other buildings could be repaired as soon as they collapsed.

With substantial funds recently deposited into the national treasury, King Yao's confidence had noticeably grown.

"The qualified repair teams are not in the city," Qiu Long whispered, "They've all been summoned for the capital's eastern expansion project."

Repairing a temple is not a task just any makeshift team is qualified to undertake. It involves various regulations, specific requirements, and taboos, no less complex than repairing a royal palace. Only teams with excellent qualifications and extensive experience in temple repair can handle such a job.

However, all these teams are currently engaged in the capital's eastern expansion project!

Skilled artisans are most in demand there, and since the Yao court is executing this project with the full might of the nation, all available good craftsmen have naturally been summoned.

Residents of Tianshui City already found it difficult to hire craftsmen for home renovations, as the eastern expansion project paid very well. While the Yao court naturally didn't concern itself with such minor inconveniences, the disrepair of the temple presented a significant problem.

Upon hearing this, King Yao dismissed it as a minor issue: "Then tell You Rongzhi and He Xiao to assign some craftsmen to repair the temple."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

And so, the matter was settled.

You Rongzhi attached great importance to King Yao's instructions and immediately dispatched the best team of craftsmen to Xilin Temple.

The needs of the gods had to be met without delay—a principle passed down through generations in the Yao Kingdom.

However, after carefully surveying the site for over a dozen hours, this experienced professional team delivered a grim answer:

Repairs were possible; a few pillars could barely prop it up. But—

The underlying issue of unstable foundations and loose soil had worsened significantly. Even if the side hall were rebuilt and reinforced, it likely wouldn't last much longer.

Chief Attendant Xiao of Xilin Temple couldn't help but ask, "How long is 'not long'?"

After a discussion among themselves, the craftsmen, through their foreman, replied, "At shortest, a little over twenty days; at longest, no more than fifty days. Moreover, there's a constant risk of further collapse during this period. And... the next collapse might affect a larger area, no longer confined to just the side hall."

Chief Attendant Xiao, puzzled, said, "In January this year, we even had the Xiangzhuan Water Spirit inspect the foundation, and it said the main hall would hold up for another three to five years without issue!"

"Look, the floor tiles in your main hall have already sunken, and the main stone pillars are also leaning," the foreman explained. While this degree of tilt was imperceptible to ordinary people, to experienced craftsmen, it was as obvious as a tick on a bald man's head. "This situation is like building a house on sand; when a great flood comes... it will be entirely up to fate."

"Can't we use divine formations to help?" Chief Attendant Xiao asked angrily.

"There are some shape-stabilizing formations available," the foreman replied, "but once used, they must be applied every day without interruption. I'm afraid this is not a long-term solution."

So, did this mean Xilin Temple was doomed to collapse?

Chief Attendant Xiao was unwilling to accept this. Xilin Temple had two thousand five hundred attendants and temple guards; if the temple was gone, where would all these people be accommodated?

After much thought, he decided to invite the Xiangzhuan Water Spirit again to assess the current underground situation.

The Xiangzhuan River outside the city and Xiangzhuan Lake within are interconnected bodies of water, and Tianshui City had also hired water spirits to manage the creatures in these two areas.

Naturally, the water spirits were powerless against the natural seepage of lake water, which was an objective consequence of the terrain.

The name "Xiangzhuan" (Incense Seal) came from the beautiful scenery along the river and lake, which prompted the construction of several temples there. Inside these temples, incense seals were frequently burned, and their fragrance could be detected a hundred paces away, thus lending the area its name.

However, unexpectedly, as Tianshui City's waterlogging worsened, buildings situated by the water's edge became a critical vulnerability.

On the day the water spirit entered the lake, it caused a small sensation in the Lower Forest District. Commoners flocked to the lakeside, eager to witness what they called the "River God emerging from the water."

As the capital of the Yao Kingdom, Tianshui City did not appoint officials for mountains and marshes, but it did have several water spirits. However, these spirits typically remained submerged year-round, rarely showing themselves.

A sudden splashing sound erupted from the calm lake. From a distance, it appeared to be rain, but upon closer inspection, it was a massive fish surge!

Countless small fish leaped frantically onto the lake surface, as if trying to escape something beneath the water.

Soon after, someone by the lake shouted, "The Water Spirit! The Xiangzhuan Water Spirit is here!"

Everyone rushed to the shore to peer into the water.

Deep beneath the water, a massive dark red shadow seemed to glide slowly along the lakebed near the shore, its body appearing to have blotchy spots.