Chaos of the Three Kingdoms Summons

Chapter 2677 Canal Project, Preliminary Progress

At cockcrow, the night ends and dawn breaks, the morning light about to appear but not yet.

At this time, a thin layer of mist still lingered over Jinming Pond, giving the atmosphere a slightly chilly feel.

Inside the palace, the candles, having burned all night, were now reduced to ashes, lying forlornly in the shadows.

The imperial bed was hidden within layers of palace curtains, and on the bed lay a beautiful body.

Being an emperor is truly a test of one's character. Besides the supreme power, there are countless other temptations.

Female beauty is only a small part of it, but it is also the most representative aspect.

After all, once one becomes emperor, aside from a small number of women, such as the wives of his ministers, all the beautiful women in the world are at his disposal, and he can enjoy them at will.

Even for some incompetent rulers, the wives of their subjects were not a problem.

Judging from his own experience, Li Xiang could sometimes understand why there were so many lustful and incompetent rulers.

Using this to test cadres, how many cadres can withstand such a test?

Lady Fei, the Flower Bud, awoke from her sleep, opening her hazy eyes. But the bedside was empty, and her body felt weak and sore; she had been thoroughly exhausted the night before.

Thinking of last night's passionate encounter, a blush rose to her cheeks, and her red lips involuntarily curved into a smile.

However, that little bit of happiness she felt as a woman quickly dissipated, and with a soft sigh, a hint of sadness appeared in her beautiful eyes.

She was originally Zhao Kuangyin's concubine, but less than two years later, the Central Plains War began, and she fell into the hands of the Jin army, and then entered the Jin palace in a confused state.

Now, without realizing it, ten years have passed.

Over the years, Lady Fei had no one to rely on in the palace, so she neither competed nor fought for anything, living a quiet and unassuming life, indulging in poetry, literature, music, and dance, as if she were detached from worldly affairs.

The emperor only visited her frequently during the period when he first entered the palace; after that, he only came once every one or two months.

She was quite lucky. Although the emperor did not visit her often, she had become pregnant three times in the past ten years. Although one of her sons died shortly after birth, she still had a son and a daughter.

Having a child in the palace finally gave her someone to rely on. Moreover, since her child was still young, he posed no immediate threat to the other princes. Now, she felt quite at ease in the palace.

Compared to those beauties and palace maids who were favored by the emperor and then forgotten in the blink of an eye, Lady Huarui was considered lucky.

Although she held little status with the emperor and received little favor, at least she was able to conceive.

However, the palace gates were as deep as the sea, and loneliness was inevitable. Because of her extensive reading and her talent, Lady Huarui still harbored a slight illusion about love...

However, the emperor clearly could not satisfy her in this respect; she was merely one of many beauties in the Great Jin imperial palace.

It was quite rare for the emperor to think of her even once every month or two.

The palace has no shortage of beautiful women!

Perhaps, in a few more years, when she is older, she might be completely forgotten by the emperor, and who knows how long she will have to endure before she can receive Li Xiang's favor again. She has seen and experienced this situation many times before.

However, the resentment in her heart was quickly hidden. She was now a mature woman, and she knew she had to make the most of this rare moment of favor to please the emperor. After all, during the few days the emperor had spent at his residence in Shilin Garden, he had only chosen her to serve him.

This would be a rare opportunity for any woman in the harem.

In the harem today, those who entered the palace early and may have had some affection for the emperor are gradually getting older. The emperor may occasionally visit them, but he rarely stays there overnight anymore, and even the empress is no exception.

Apart from the first few who entered the palace, the rest had no special relationship with the emperor, and none of them were known to have received his favor for long.

The early morning hours are when one is most disheveled, and for a woman, not tidying herself up makes it even more embarrassing.

At the service of her maids, it took Lady Huarui some time to wash and dress herself. She did not wear heavy makeup, but simply dressed cleanly.

When Lady Huarui lifted the curtain and stepped out, she had already regained her usual charm. Her plain-colored, light silk dress not only accentuated her stunning figure but also added an ethereal quality to her appearance.

At this time, the sky was just beginning to brighten, and although we were indoors, we could still feel the dim morning light outside.

Under the light of a palace lantern, Li Xiang sat cross-legged at his desk, reviewing official documents.

In recent years, the lifestyles of ordinary people have been subtly changing, as evidenced by their use of tables and chairs, such as the "Grand Master's Chair" and the "Eight Immortals Table," as well as the invention of the abacus.

After improvements were made to sugar and salt production methods, refined salt, brown sugar, and white sugar—originally luxuries for the nobility—could also flow into the lower classes.

Agricultural tools, textile machines, and other equipment were improved, as were methods for making pottery and porcelain.

Among the talents summoned from later generations, some could carry warship blueprints, and naturally, they could also carry other blueprints.

In recent years, the establishment of official schools on a large scale has even begun at the county level. After the advent of papermaking and printing, education has been further decentralized.

……

In just about twenty years, people's lifestyles have undergone tremendous changes.

Of course, although tables and chairs have become more common, Li Xiang still prefers to use long tables most of the time, perhaps because he is used to kneeling.

For example, right now, if you're tired, you can just lie down and rest without having to move around, which is quite convenient.

"Your Majesty, I have had breakfast prepared. Would you like to enjoy it?" Lady Huarui took the initiative to sit down beside Li Xiang, her delicate body gently pressing against his, and spoke softly.

Today, Li Xiang seemed to be in a good mood. The canal construction was progressing smoothly, although it would be a long and arduous project. He might not even live to see it fully completed.

To be honest, his canal project was even more massive in scale than Yang Guang's. Yang Guang's canal only connected Luoyang and Yuhang.

However, his canal, from Luoyang to Yuhang, is not the end. It also needs to connect with the Yangtze River, then use the Poyang and Gan Rivers to enter Lingnan, and finally connect with the Pearl River system, reaching Panyu.

However, the project was eventually fully launched. Even if he could not complete it in his generation, his next generation could successfully start this great project and benefit future generations.

Therefore, Li Xiang smiled slightly and glanced at the obedient beauty. Her pitiful and charming appearance made him think that if his schedule for the day hadn't already been arranged, he would have stolen half a day to linger in bed with her and experience what it meant for a monarch to neglect his morning court duties.

"I'm feeling very hungry, have someone bring it out!" Li Xiang ordered.

Since the three-year pandemic, Li Xiang has kept his diet very simple, with breakfast consisting of just plain white porridge and side dishes.