Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 521 This is a good thing!

Changan.

Chancery desk.

"Your Majesty, these are documents and maps related to the expansion of the capital."

Li Shuang led the way, while Su Chuo pointed to the documents piled up on the table and began to introduce them.

Li Shuang walked to a spot and casually flipped through the documents. The details about the capital's planning were very comprehensive.

The expansion project of Chang'an City has been put on the agenda.

The current Chang'an city was built to the standards of a major military town, but it can no longer keep up with the times.

The planned expansion of Chang'an was to be built to the standards of a national capital, with a scale comparable to that of Chang'an during the Han Dynasty.

The most important building among them was the Daming Palace, a palace built on Longshou Plain.

A capital city of this size requires a large amount of manpower and massive resources.

Li Shuang was not in a hurry to finish.

In fact, Li Shuang could accept it even if it took more than ten years to build.

The construction process is also a gradual and subtle one.

When the supplies drawn from various prefectures and counties arrived in Chang'an one after another, the people of the world knew about it, accepted it, and realized that it was time to change dynasties.

Li Shuang may not be in a hurry, but that doesn't mean others aren't.

Su Chuo, holding the document, said:

"My colleagues and I have calculated that we will recruit 200,000 laborers from various prefectures and counties outside Guanzhong every year to build the capital. It can be completed within three years."

"When adapting to the changing circumstances, there is no need to set the construction period so hastily; it can be extended to five to ten years."

After hearing this, Su Chuo knew that Li Shuang was not in a hurry, so he cupped his hands and said:

"I understand!"

Li Shuang nodded and continued walking forward, entering another government office.

This place is home to the most outstanding water conservancy and engineering talents in Guanzhong and even the whole world.

The key to a city lies in two things: its walls and its waterways.

Chang'an is surrounded by eight rivers, and how to make good use of these waterways is an important research topic.

Currently, Li Daoyuan is in charge of the government office.

In the first year of the Li Dao era, he was seventy years old. After retiring from the Censorate, he continued to contribute his remaining energy.

Over the years, we have been cultivating talent.

Like Jia Sixie, he had countless students.

Over the past decade or so, Chang'an has not only amassed top-notch soldiers and generals, but also a large number of technical talents proficient in agriculture, water conservancy, and engineering.

For Li Shuang, these are the foundations of his kingdom!
Upon seeing Li Shuang arrive, everyone stood up, cupped their hands, and said:
"Your Majesty!"

"No need to be polite!"

Li Shuang walked up to Li Daoyuan, an old man with half-white and half-black hair and beard, who looked cheerful and kind.

Nowadays, few people in Chang'an know that the old man who wrote "Commentary on the Waterways Classic" was a fierce and unyielding man in his youth, who was a peerless warrior who defeated all the bandits in Xiangzhou.

Li Daoyuan looked at Li Shuang and suddenly felt a pang of emotion.

"Your Majesty is in the prime of your life, while I am old and frail."

Li Shuang felt a little strange; why did every old man say the same thing to him?

"Your Majesty, it's noisy outside. Please come inside to talk."

Li Daoyuan led Li Shuang to his office where he wrote books, where water was still heating on the stove.

The room was filled with manuscripts of the *Commentary on the Waterways Classic*. Li Shuang looked at them and laughed:

"How could Lord Li be old and decrepit?"

Li Daoyuan came from the heyday of the Northern Wei Dynasty. He was a senior official who had been highly regarded by the Luoyang court since the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty. He was old and virtuous.

Putting aside his talent, his seniority alone is enough to make him stand out among many in the Northern Dynasty today.

After the Hebei Incident, with most of the veteran officials of the Northern Wei Dynasty having passed away, it would be difficult to find someone with more seniority than Li Daoyuan.

Although Li Daoyuan was old, he was still quite agile. He sat opposite Li Shuang, poured him a cup of tea, and then calmly asked:
"Does Your Majesty intend to change dynasties?"

Such words, if spoken by someone else, would be considered extremely treasonous.

Upon hearing this, Li Shuang simply said:
"So even Lord Li knows?" Li Daoyuan smiled and said:
"Doesn't Your Majesty want the whole world to know this?"

Li Shuang didn't stand on ceremony, took a sip of tea, and asked:
"What does Lord Li think?"

Li Daoyuan also picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly said:

"I believe that following the will of Heaven and the times is sufficient. Your Majesty's lack of haste in achieving success is truly a blessing for the people."

In fact, the moment Emperor Liang returned to Luoyang, the idea of ​​Li Shuang changing the dynasty was no longer a suspense in many people's minds, and the Liaodong War further accelerated this process.

"With Lord Li's words, I am at ease."

……

Yongxingfang.

Laiguogong Mansion.

Lou Zhaojun, accompanied by her maids, toured the entire mansion inside and out, then returned to Gao Huan's side and said:

"This mansion is small in every way, and it is inferior to the mansions in Luoyang."

Gao Huan, however, did not care.

As early as when Chang'an was first built, Gao Huan had thought of buying a mansion in Yongxingfang through Hou Jing's connections.

Although he had never been there, and the mansion had suffered wear and tear for more than ten years and would require a long time to tidy up, he was still very satisfied.

"A woman's view!"

After the incident involving the large cart, Lou Zhaojun's attitude towards Gao Huan was no longer as tough as before.

Seeing Gao Huan's reaction, Lou Zhaojun, hands on her hips, asked:

"Then tell me your brilliant idea?"

"The house is dilapidated, but it can be repaired. What's important is the location of this mansion."

"Location?"

Gao Huan's face showed satisfaction, and he said:
"There is no Yuwentai or Hou Jing next door."

Lou Zhaojun laughed in anger upon hearing this.

"So you and they are going back to Luoyang, aren't you?"

Gao Huan shook his head and became serious.

"The King of Qin has summoned back all the Pillar Generals under the Heavenly Strategy Bureau, presumably to reform the military system. From now on, we will have to stay in Chang'an."

Lou Zhaojun listened and fell silent.

In a sense, this city was unfamiliar to both Gao Huan and her.

"Then are you willing to give up Ye City?"

Gao Huan was not as reluctant as Lou Zhaojun had imagined; on the contrary, he was quite magnanimous.

"Sima Ziru and Sun Teng both stayed in Liaodong. With our brothers gone, a city is not important."

Gao Huan was well aware that the situation was no longer what it was during the Six Garrisons Rebellion.

Even now, with the opening of the Yongji Canal, Ye City remains the largest city in the north. However, the ownership of a city is insignificant in the context of the overall situation.

This is no longer the era where a strong army and fortified cities were the means to contend for supremacy.

At least, not in the Northern Dynasty.

Just then, an announcement came from outside.

Hou Jing has arrived!

"He Liuhun, this is great news!"

Gao Huan glanced at Hou Jing and said:
"What good thing could come of you coming here?"

"I don't like it when you say that. This is a really good thing."

Lou Zhaojun left the room to prepare tea and fruit. Gao Huan looked at Hou Jing with a half-smile and asked:
"What do you think!"

"Isn't Chang'an going to be expanded? They're building new neighborhoods in front of the palace. I asked the king for a house there."

"That's good."

"Don't worry, I've also secured a mansion for you. When I mentioned it to the King, he immediately agreed and even said he'd grant Yuwentai a mansion next door as well. We're neighbors, isn't that a good thing?"

"..."

(End of this chapter)