Video Editor

On the eighth day of the first month of the tenth year of the prosperous reign, a grand court assembly was held.

This was the first grand court assembly of the new year, and also the first time the matter of moving the capital was formally discussed in the court.

Inside the Chongyuan Hall, civil and military officials stood in two rows, creating a somewhat subtle atmosphere.

Fine snow was falling outside the hall, landing on the white marble steps, creating a thin layer of white.

The charcoal fire inside the hall was burning brightly, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere, but those standing in the court felt a sense of unease.

Everyone knew what they were going to discuss today.

But no one spoke first; they just stood there, waiting for the one on the throne to speak first.

Su Ning sat on the dragon throne, looking at the familiar faces below the steps.

Wei Renpu stood at the head of the civil officials, his hair and beard already gray, but his back was still ramrod straight.

Behind him were Li Gu, Wang Pu, Zhao Pu, and Li Fang, as well as the ministers and vice ministers of the six ministries.

On the military officer side, Cao Bin, Pan Mei, Shi Shouxin, and Gao Huaide stood like iron towers.

Twenty years have passed.

Some of these faces had followed him for twenty years, some for more than ten years, and some for only a few years.

No matter how long they had followed him, they were still standing there, waiting for him to speak.

Su Ning's lips curled up slightly.

"The matter we are to discuss today is clear to all of you. The new city of Youzhou has been completed, and the nobles, meritorious officials, and wealthy families from various countries have already moved there. I intend to formally relocate the capital."

The hall was quiet for a moment.

Someone wanted to stand up and speak, but as soon as they moved their foot, they pulled it back.

Speak? What should I say?
The construction of the new city began ten years ago, and people started moving there five years ago. Now that people have moved in, it's only now being "discussed"?
This is no discussion, it's clearly a notification.

Besides, who doesn't know what kind of person this guy is?
When the military governorship was abolished, some people opposed it, but what was the result?
Those who opposed it are still farming in Lingnan.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The first to speak was Wei Renpu.

He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, “The new city of Youzhou is strategically located, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Backed by the Yanshan Mountains and facing the plains, it is both offensive and defensive. Moving the capital here, with the emperor guarding the nation’s gate, is truly a foundation for ten thousand generations. I second that proposal.”

Su Ning nodded: "What Minister Wei said is true. Bianliang is good, but it has no natural defenses. The Yellow River cannot stop the northern cavalry, and the city walls cannot stop the southward hooves. During the An Lushan Rebellion, how many times was Bianliang captured? During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, how many people died in this city? I do not want my descendants to live that kind of life."

His words eased the tension in the hall.

Li Gu stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, “Your Majesty’s foresight is far beyond our reach. However—Bianliang is located in the heart of the Central Plains, with convenient and extensive canal transport. After the capital is moved, the matter of canal transport…”

"I have thought about it," Su Ning said. "The grain transport in Bianliang will continue as usual. Grain and supplies from the south should be transported north. A canal should also be dug in the capital to connect the north and south. Once the canal is open, grain ships from the south can sail directly to the capital."

Li Gu nodded: "Your Majesty is wise. In this way, the capital's expenses will be worry-free."

Wang Pu stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, in the newly built capital, have the government offices, residences, and markets all been properly arranged?"

Su Ning said, "The Ministry of Works has detailed plans. The palace is in the center, government offices are on both sides, residences are on the outer perimeter, and markets are at the four gates. The streets are straight and orderly, with drainage ditches, fire lanes, and public toilets—everything is provided. I have seen the blueprints; it is much better than Bianliang."

Wang Pu smiled and said, "Then I am relieved."

Zhao Pu stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, what are the plans for Bianliang from now on?"

Su Ning said, "Bianliang should be transformed into an economic center. We should encourage the development of industry and commerce, reduce or exempt commercial taxes, and provide preferential policies. We should make Bianliang the most prosperous place in the world, where merchants gather and all industries flourish."

He paused, a hint of a smile in his voice: "I know some old ministers are reluctant to leave Bianliang. I am reluctant too. But reluctance is one thing, but we must go. If you miss Bianliang in the future, you can go back and visit. Anyway, the road is repaired, and it will only take two days to get there by fast horse."

These words were spoken lightly, making the atmosphere in the hall even more relaxed.

On the military side, Cao Bin, the Deputy Privy Councilor, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and asked, "Your Majesty, how should the defenses of the capital be arranged?"

Su Ning said, "The Beijing Military Region has 100,000 troops stationed there, under the command of Wang Yanjun. Heavy troops are stationed at Shanhaiguan, Gubeikou, and Xifengkou. Pan Mei will take over the garrison in Liaodong. Gao Huaide will be appointed as the Deputy Privy Councilor. If the Khitan dare to make a move, we will fight. If they don't, we will wear them down."

Cao Bin nodded: "Your subject understands."

Shi Shouxin smiled and asked, "Your Majesty, where is your subject?"

Su Ning laughed too: "You? You'll stay in the capital with Yang Ye and Li Chongjin to help Cao Bin train troops and prepare for the Royal Military Academy. There will be plenty of battles to fight in the future."

Shi Shouxin chuckled: "Your Majesty, I've been waiting for you to say that."

Gao Huaide stood at the back, remaining silent the entire time.

He was the most special among the military generals, after all, he was originally a confidant of the late Emperor Chai Rong.

During the years he guarded Liaodong, he subdued the Khitans.

At the same time, he understood that Suning could not keep him in Liaodong indefinitely, since the current system did not allow for the emergence of powerful ministers and regional warlords.

Su Ning looked at him: "Gao Huaide, what's the situation in Liaodong?"

Gao Huaide stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, Liaodong is very stable. Another batch of Khitans starved to death last winter, and several tribes have come to surrender this spring. If we can hold on for a few more years, the capital will collapse on its own."

Su Ning nodded: "Okay. Keep going, and then we'll make sure the handover with Pan Mei is smooth."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

On the civil officials' side, several more people stepped forward to ask questions.

Some asked about money and grain, some about household registration, some about adjustments to the official system, and some about the arrangements for the imperial examinations.

When the questioning finally stopped, no one spoke.

Su Ning scanned the room: "Is there anyone else who wants to ask?"

No one spoke.

"Then it's settled." Su Ning stood up and walked to the map.

That map had been with him since the time he was in the tutoring camp.

Over the past twenty years, the red color on it has increased and grown larger.

The Yanyun, Liaodong, Hetao, and Dali regions were painted red.

Now, the last piece has been decided.

“From this day forward, Youzhou will be the only capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty. It will be renamed ‘Capital City’.”

"Bianliang should be transformed into an economic center. We should encourage the development of industry and commerce, reduce or exempt commercial taxes, and provide preferential policies. We should make it the most prosperous place in the world."

"All government offices, the cabinet, and the six ministries shall choose a date to relocate. On the second day of the second lunar month, the day the dragon raises its head, the capital will be officially moved."

He turned around and looked at the officials in the hall. "I know that some people are reluctant to give up Bianliang. I am reluctant to give it up too. But when it comes to matters of the world, we can't just look at whether people are reluctant to give it up. We have to look at whether it's worth it."

"Bianliang is good, but it has no natural defenses. The capital is far away, but it is easy to defend and difficult to attack. When I am in the capital, the Khitans will not dare to move south. When I am in the capital, Liaodong will be secure. When I am in the capital, the world will be at peace."

"This empire belongs to me, to you, and to all the people. I do not want my descendants to live in fear and anxiety again."

"Therefore, the capital was moved."

There was a moment of silence in the hall.

Then, Wei Renpu took the lead in kneeling down: "Your Majesty is wise!"

All the civil and military officials knelt down in unison: "Your Majesty is wise!"

Su Ning looked at the kneeling figures and nodded.

"Get up! Get busy. On the second day of the second lunar month, the dragon raises its head, and I will move to the capital with you all."

The imperial decree was issued, causing shock throughout the court and the country.

But this tremor was not a tremor of opposition, but a tremor of chaos.

The Ministry of Revenue needs to calculate the accounts.

Who left, who stayed, and how were the accounts divided?

Half of the silver in the national treasury should be sent to the capital; taxes from various regions should be redistributed; and officials' salaries should be paid in both locations.

Minister of Revenue Zhang Zhao was so busy that he was constantly on the go. He would go to the yamen before dawn and not return home until it was completely dark.

The Ministry of Works wants to repair the road.

The road from the capital to Bianliang needs to be widened and reinforced.

Zhang Yongde led his men to survey the official road, noting where it should be widened, reinforced, where post stations should be set up, and where wells should be dug.

After returning to Beijing, they drew up blueprints overnight and started construction the next day.

The Ministry of Rites is to establish etiquette.

How should the relocation ceremony be conducted? How should the sacrificial rites be performed?

Officials from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices searched through ancient texts, finding the rituals for relocating the capital in various dynasties, comparing them one by one, and revising them one by one.

On the day the draft was finalized, Fan Zhi, the Minister of Rites, personally delivered it to the Emperor for his review.

The Ministry of War needs to mobilize troops.

The defenses of the capital city have been rearranged.

Cao Bin and Wang Yanjun led their men to survey the mountains and terrain around the capital again, marking on the map where camps should be set up, where troops should be stationed, where beacon towers should be built, and where trenches should be dug.

The Ministry of Personnel needs to transfer personnel.

Which officials went to the capital, and which stayed in Bianliang?

Wang Zhu, the Minister of Personnel, went through the list one by one.

The old, the sick, and those who didn't want to leave stayed in Bianliang; the young, the capable, and those who wanted to make a name for themselves went to the capital.

They were all very busy.

But the most exciting news wasn't about the relocation of the capital; it came from the Royal Academy of Sciences.

……

The Lantern Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the first month of the tenth year of the prosperous era.

The streets of Bianliang were still brightly decorated with lanterns, and people of all ages came out to admire them. Ordinary people were not affected by the relocation of the capital, after all, Bianliang would always be the center of the Central Plains.

However, now that the Great Zhou Dynasty has moved its capital to the capital city, Bianliang has become safer.

Inside the palace, Su Ning was having a meal with the Empress, eating sweet dumplings and chatting about everyday things.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside.

"Your Majesty! A messenger from the Academy of Sciences has arrived with news!"

Su Ning put down her chopsticks: "Let him in."

A young clerk rushed in, sweating profusely, and knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty! The Academy of Sciences sent me to report—it's a success! The machine is a success!"

Suning was taken aback.

Of course he knew what "that machine" was.

Steam engine.

That was something he had people start researching ten years ago.

He personally drew the blueprints, personally explained the principles, and personally specified the materials.

The cylinder, piston, flywheel, connecting rod, and everything else are explained clearly.

But this thing is too difficult.

Cast iron is too brittle and cracks when heated. Forged iron is too soft and bends under pressure.

It's too difficult to seal; air leaks everywhere.

The piston is too stiff and won't move at all.

The flywheel is too heavy to turn.

One experiment after another, one failure after another.

One year, two years, five years, ten years.

Millions of taels of silver were spent, a lot of people died, and a lot of machines broke down.

Some people advised him to give up, saying that this thing was impossible to make, that it was a pipe dream, and that it was a waste of money and resources.

Suning wants to break the mold again and bring out mature technologies and products from the spatial world, but the foundation must be solid exploration.

So the only option is to keep burning money.

Now, it's finally done.

"Take me to see this."

He put on his cloak and rushed to the Academy of Sciences overnight.

The Academy of Sciences is located west of Bianliang, covering an area of ​​300 mu.

Inside, there are workshops, laboratories, and dormitories, housing over a thousand people.

There were veteran craftsmen who had followed him since the first session of the study camp, skilled craftsmen recruited from all over the country, and intelligent young men selected from among the royal children.

Even members of the Qian family from Wu and Yue were allowed to enter the Academy of Sciences. I believe these members of the Qian family will definitely give me a pleasant surprise.

When Suning arrived, the group of people were gathered around a dark, indistinct machine, grinning foolishly.

Upon seeing the emperor arrive, they all knelt on the ground.

"Get up, all of you, get up." Su Ning walked up to the machine.

It was a lump of iron, taller than a person, with a chimney on top, a large wheel on the side, and a furnace underneath.

The fire in the stove was burning brightly, and white smoke was billowing from the chimney.

The machines were covered in oil and some parts were even hot to the touch, but the craftsmen didn't care at all; their eyes were gleaming.

"Your Majesty, look—"

The lead craftsman was an old man in his sixties surnamed Shen, who had been studying this thing with Su Ning since the first phase of the reading companion camp.

His hair was completely white, his face was covered in wrinkles, and his hands were as rough as old tree bark.

He shakily pulled a lever.

Whoosh—hiss—

The machine started moving.

That big iron pole stretched and contracted, stretched and contracted.

The big wheel creaked and spun, faster and faster.

The white smoke from the chimney grew thicker and thicker, and the machines became louder and louder.

Su Ning stared at the machine, his eyes unblinking.

What can it drive?

Old Man Shen grinned, revealing a gap in his teeth: "Your Majesty, we can only operate the smaller ones for now. However..."

He pointed to the side and said, “We’ve tried it. It’s ten times faster than an ox to pump water. It can drain the well in the time it takes to smoke a pipe.”

"It's twenty times faster than a donkey at grinding flour. It can grind a hundred pounds of flour in the time it takes to eat a meal."

"Use it to pull carts..." Old Man Shen paused, his eyes gleaming, "Your Majesty, if this thing were loaded onto a ship, it would be incredible. It could travel against the wind and with the current. Traveling a thousand miles a day would not be a dream."

Suning remained silent for a long time.

He looked at the machine, the craftsmen, and the parts, tools, and blueprints scattered all over the ground, and a feeling he couldn't quite describe welled up inside him.

Steam engine.

railway.

Sea freight.

Those things I've been thinking about for a very long time can finally begin.

He patted Old Man Shen on the shoulder.

"Okay. Very good."

He turned around and looked at the craftsmen whose faces were full of expectation.

"By imperial decree, the entire Academy of Sciences will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of silver. Foreman Shen will be granted the title of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works. All those who participated in the research and development will be rewarded."

"From today onwards, the Academy of Sciences will double its funding. We will provide the personnel and funds as needed. We will make this thing better, bigger, and stronger."

"And...I want this machine to travel all over the world."

The crowd was thrilled and knelt down to express their gratitude.

A young craftsman mustered his courage and asked, "Your Majesty, what is the name of this machine?"

Suning thought for a moment, "Steam engine. Let's call it Steam Engine."

It was almost dawn when I left the Academy of Sciences.

A few rooster crows came from afar, signaling the start of a new day.

Su Ning stood outside the door, gazing at the brightly lit courtyard, at the busy figures, and at the white smoke rising from the chimney, remaining silent for a long time.

Twenty years have passed.

He had been thinking about this day ever since he climbed out of the well.

He dreamed of recovering Yan and Yun, of unifying the world, and of bringing a better life to the people.

Now, Yan and Yun have been recovered, the world has been unified, and the lives of the people are gradually improving.

But this is just the beginning.

He turned around and boarded the imperial carriage.

"Return to the palace."

The imperial carriage traveled through the main streets of Bianliang.

People were already active on the streets; breakfast stalls were set up, and wisps of smoke rose from their chimneys; porters carrying their loads walked by, their footsteps echoing as they went to the early market; the city gates had opened, and people from outside the city were entering one after another.

As Su Ning sat in the carriage, watching the busy figures, she suddenly felt a pang of emotion.

These people don't know what a steam engine is.

All they know is that life has been better these past few years.

There's no more war, no more hunger, and we can finally live a peaceful life.

The imperial carriage entered the palace and stopped at the entrance of the sleeping quarters.

The Empress came out to greet him and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he had returned safely.

"Your Majesty, that thing... it really worked?"

Suning nodded. "It's done."

"Can a carriage really travel a thousand miles a day?"

"It's not a horse-drawn carriage! It's a train, the carrying capacity is completely different."

The Empress smiled: "That's wonderful. His Majesty has been thinking about this for so many years, and it's finally come true."

Su Ning looked at her and suddenly asked, "What do you think the future will be like?"

The Empress thought for a moment and said, "The people can eat their fill and stay warm, the children can read and write, and the elderly can enjoy their old age in peace. There is no war, no famine, and no displacement."

Suning nodded. "Yes."

Next, I will push forward with in-depth reforms, such as the land tax reform and the unified tax system for officials and gentry, as well as financial and monetary reforms and the layout of Industry 1.0. There are really many, many things to do.

...(End of this chapter)