บท 19: Roads

It was a bright, sunny day devoid of any cool breeze. The cracked and parched earth stretched out toward the horizon. Faint buzzes of cicadas could be heard in the distance, adding to the atmosphere. A carriage trodded slowly through the barren landscape, accompanied by a sizeable entourage of soldier guards. Their armor gleamed under the harsh sunlight, and the clinking of their weapons gave an eerie harmony.

Inside the carriage, Harsha sat, peering out at the unforgiving terrain. Despite the harsh conditions, his mind was focused on the task ahead.

"Damn! It's so hot. There is no breeze either," Harsha complained, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he surveyed the dry landscape around him.

Prashant nodded in agreement, also feeling the heat. "It's pretty hot during this time of the year, Your Highness," he said, taking a deep breath and squinting at the horizon.

"The Matanga Hill," Prashant continued, pointing to a distant elevation, "would provide us with a good vantage point of the capital. From there, we can get a clear view of the surrounding terrain and better plan the roads, Your Highness."

Harsha followed Prashant's gaze, the silhouette of Matanga Hill barely visible through the shimmering heat waves rising from the ground. The hill stood as a solitary guardian over the landscape, promising a reprieve from the flat, featureless plains.

"From up here, we can see the natural contours of the land," Prashant said, joining Harsha at the edge.

Harsha nodded. "This is exactly what we needed."

They spent the next few hours making detailed observations, marking important points on their maps, and discussing the best routes for the roads.

"What is the method used for road building in the Empire right now?" Harsha asked, his eyes scanning the uneven terrain below them.

Prashant responded pointing at the roads in the Capital from the peak, "As you can see from the paved roads of the capital, we use a similar method for the roads in most areas. It's similar to Yavana's method of road construction, Your Highness."

Harsha frowned. "Is that why the roads are so bad in most areas? Those roads are too expensive and labour intensive which makes it pretty hard to scale them for large distances."

Prashant sighed, nodding. "Yes, Your Highness. The method is labour-intensive and expensive. But we don't have any other method of making good roads,"

"We should create a new method," Harsha said with a determined look. "I have a plan in mind."

Prashant, intrigued, leaned in slightly. "What do you propose, Your Highness?"

Despite his extensive experience in the field, Prashant had long struggled to find a method that could effectively improve the empire's roads. His efforts had repeatedly fallen short, and he had been sceptical when the task was assigned to the youngest prince. However, observing Harsha's dedication and innovative approach firsthand had begun to change his perspective.

Prashant saw in Harsha a talented individual, genuinely interested in solutions rather than merely going through the motions like many other nobles.

"I need to test the method, so make some arrangements and report back to me at the palace quickly," Harsha ordered as he began walking back down the hill.

"What arrangements, Your Highness?" Prashant asked, eager to follow through.

"Stone, soil, and clay. Arrange them in a suitable place to test the road method and report back when it's ready. I expect it to be done quickly," Harsha replied, gesturing to the large stones beside him.

"Understood, Your Highness. I will arrange everything as quickly as possible," Prashant's face lit up with a smile, excitement welling inside him at the prospect of witnessing a potential revolution in the empire's road network.

As they descended the hill and surveyed other terrains near the capital, Prashant noted down the necessary items eagerly.

Halfway back to the palace, Prashant excused himself, "Your Highness, I will go ahead and start making the arrangements."

Harsha nodded, "Go ahead. Keep me informed of your progress."

Prashant swiftly departed, his heart pounding with anticipation. He would ensure that everything was prepared for Harsha's experiment. The possibility of contributing to a significant advancement in the empire's infrastructure filled him with a sense of purpose.

A few hours passed, and the intense heat had subsided, leaving an orange hue in the sky. Harsha sat in his study, absorbed in his work, when Prashant entered with a determined smile and a slight bow of respect.

"Your Highness, we have prepared the materials in the nearby field," Prashant reported.

"So fast? Hmm, I expected you to arrange it by tomorrow. Let's go see," Harsha replied, rising from his seat. He gestured for Prashant to guide him to the location.

As they walked through the palace grounds, the evening breeze provided a relief from the earlier heat. The palace walls glowed in the setting sun, casting long shadows on the path.

They arrived at the field where the materials had been arranged. Piles of stone, soil, and clay were neatly organized, and ready for the experiment. Harsha surveyed the setup, nodding in approval.

"Your Highness. I have also arranged for some workers to assist us," Prashant added, motioning to a group of men standing by, ready to follow Harsha's instructions.

"Oh! Great work!" Harsha responded, pleased with Prashant's efficiency.

He shifted his gaze to the group of men standing nervously, "Now Listen very carefully about the method!"

He began to elaborate on the method of how to create the foundation of the road by flattening the ground and ensuring it was even before starting the construction of the road. The foundation ensures its Load-bearing capacity as the earth can naturally bear loads.

The next step is to break big stones that are found almost anywhere in the Deccan plateau into Palm sized rocks to lay the foundation and then use crushed stones to fill the gaps to ensure better load dispersion, They must water it and flatten it again to ensure its load-bearing capacity and then use even smaller Stones and fill them with crushed stones and flatten them again.

Lastly, the surface has to be covered with a mixture of soil and clay and be flattened once again, Then just let it set and the Road is done without much need for different resources like stone tiles, etc. Water should be sprinkled around the road to ensure the road's inner cavities get filled and ensure it stays the way it does.

A worker who had been intently following Harsha's instructions spoke out almost involuntarily, "What about drainage?"

"For that, we'll raise the middle of the road to allow water to flow into parallel drains constructed alongside it," Harsha explained.

The workers quickly set to work, flattening the ground and breaking the stones as instructed. They dug parallel drains for the road. They efficiently laid the stones and completed the work of a small strip of the road within an hour and a half.

Finishing the work by topping the road with a mixture of soil and clay, Harsha stepped back to inspect the progress. "Good work," he praised the workers, turning to Prashant. "Make sure they are paid well for their efforts."

He knew efficiency deserves reward, and money is always a good motivator to keep them efficient.

Prashant nodded. "Understood, Your Highness."

"We'll let it set overnight. Tomorrow, we will conduct load and drainage tests. If the results are satisfactory, we'll proceed with this method," Harsha instructed.

"Also, ensure you document every detail of the process meticulously. This information needs to be circulated to the overseers during road construction to guarantee proper implementation."

"Understood, Your Highness," Prashant replied, already making notes to ensure no detail was missed.

The next day, the sun rose, casting a golden hue over the newly constructed road. The workers and Prashant were already gathered, eagerly anticipating the results of their efforts. Harsha arrived, his expression calm yet focused, ready to oversee the tests.

A series of carts pulled by oxen, each filled with heavy stones, were lined up at the edge of the road. The plan was to drive them across the newly constructed surface to assess how well they handled the weight and to ensure they didn't crumble under the load.

"Let's begin," Harsha commanded, signalling the first cart to move forward.

The first cart, creaking under the heavy load, rolled onto the road. The workers held their breath, watching intently.

The cart moved slowly but steadily, the wheels sinking slightly into the soil and clay mixture but not causing any visible damage. The road held firm.

One by one, each cart made its way across the road, and the workers' confidence grew with each successful passage. The road held up remarkably well, demonstrating its strength.

"Now, let's test the drainage," Harsha said, moving to the side of the road where a makeshift water source had been prepared.

Water was poured onto the road's surface. The workers watched as the water pooled momentarily before following the slight camber designed to direct it toward the parallel drains. The water flowed smoothly into the drainage channels, preventing any pooling or erosion on the road itself.

Prashant, noting the successful drainage, smiled with satisfaction. "It works perfectly, Your Highness," he said.

Harsha smirked, pleased with the results. "Excellent. Send the results to the Emperor and get approval. We will begin implementing this across the Empire."

"Yes, Your Highness," The rugged Prashant scurried off smiling with the documented results and method used to make the road to seek approval from the Emperor.