"Your Majesty, Handan is just ahead."

Meng Tian stood beside the carriage and reported softly. Ying Zheng lifted the curtain and looked towards the familiar city in the distance. Twenty years ago, he had been a hostage here. Now, returning to this place, his feelings were completely different.

"Stop the car," he suddenly said. "I need to get out and take a walk."

The accompanying civil and military officials exchanged bewildered glances. Ying Zheng had remained in the carriage the entire journey; why was he getting off upon arriving in Handan?

Ying Zheng slowly walked towards the city gate, his steps were very slow, as if he was recalling something.

"This city gate..." He stroked the weathered city wall, "Back when I entered through here, I was just a greenhorn. Who could have imagined..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly noticed several craters on the wall, blasted by gunpowder. These were marks left from the siege a few months earlier.

"Your Majesty," Meng Tian said quickly, noticing his troubled expression, "Should we go into the city first? The new magistrate of Handan has been preparing there for some time."

"No rush," Ying Zheng waved his hand, "Let me take another look."

He continued walking along the city wall, stopping every few steps to examine it closely.

Suddenly, he saw several craftsmen repairing the city wall with new cement.

"This is......"

"Your Majesty," an official hurried forward, "these are craftsmen sent by the Grand Commandant. He said that since we are going to unify the system, we should start with the city defenses. These city walls damaged by gunpowder must be repaired with new materials."

"Oh?" Ying Zheng's interest was piqued. "That wicked fellow, he's certainly thoughtful. How's the cultivation going?"

"It's mostly finished," the official replied. "The new materials are indeed excellent; the walls are even stronger than before. And..."

He pointed into the distance, "Look over there, the craftsmen are building a new warehouse. They're using the Grand Commandant's new materials, which I hear are fireproof and moisture-proof."

Ying Zheng nodded, quite satisfied with his wicked husband's arrangements. He continued walking forward, occasionally seeing various construction scenes. Some were building roads, others were constructing houses, all bustling with activity.

Once inside the city gate, the streets were already crowded with people.

When they heard that the King of Qin was coming, they all vied to catch a glimpse of the demeanor of the ruler of the world.

"This street..." Ying Zheng paused, "is still the same as always."

"Your Majesty," Meng Tian reminded him, "Is this the market you used to frequent?"

"Yes!" Ying Zheng's eyes lit up. "Is that noodle shop still there?"

"Your Majesty, that shop..." the official hesitated, "was damaged by gunpowder during the recent battle, but the owner is already rebuilding it."

"Lead the way!" Ying Zheng ordered. "I want to go and see."

When they arrived at the noodle shop, they saw that half of the storefront had been repaired. The shop owner was directing the craftsmen at the door. When he saw Ying Zheng's grand procession, he was so frightened that he knelt down on the ground.

"Get up," Ying Zheng personally helped the old shopkeeper to his feet. "Do you still remember me?"

The shop owner looked up cautiously, then exclaimed in surprise, "It's...it's you? The young man who used to come here for noodles all the time?"

"Exactly!" Ying Zheng laughed heartily, "It's been over a decade, does your noodles still taste the same?"

"Well..." the shop owner hesitated, "the shop is currently under reconstruction and hasn't opened yet..."

"It's alright." Ying Zheng looked around. "I'll come back and try it once your shop is repaired. By the way, do you have enough money to repair the shop?"

"That's enough...that's enough." The shopkeeper nodded repeatedly. "The Qin government provided subsidies and even sent people to help with the repairs. These new bricks and stones are much sturdier than the old ones!"

Ying Zheng nodded in satisfaction. He had specifically instructed that the people should be treated well during the post-war reconstruction. It seemed that the local officials had carried out his orders well.

Continuing on, we arrived at the former site of the Handan Royal Palace. This was his residence back then, and it has now been converted into the Prefectural Governor's Mansion.

"I was here back then..." He walked into the courtyard, looking at the familiar buildings, and was filled with emotion.

Meng Tian and the others stood quietly at the back, not daring to disturb him. They all knew that this place held too many memories for Ying Zheng.

"That's all in the past." Ying Zheng suddenly turned around, his tone firm. "From this day forward, this place will be Handan, the capital of my Great Qin! Send word to the Ministry of Works; I intend to redesign this city!"

"Plan?" Meng Tian asked, puzzled.

"Excellent!" Ying Zheng paced back and forth. "Now that the world is unified, there must be unified standards. City defenses, government offices, and roads must all be rebuilt according to the Qin system. Especially these important cities, which require careful planning."

"Your Majesty is wise!" the crowd echoed in unison.

"Oh, right," Ying Zheng suddenly remembered something, "how are the houses damaged by gunpowder being repaired?"

"Your Majesty, the work is more than halfway done," an official replied. "Thanks to the Grand Commandant's new materials, otherwise, relying solely on rammed earth, it would have taken who knows how long to complete."

"I trust the wicked man to handle things," Ying Zheng nodded. "Come, take me to see the reconstruction progress."

The group arrived at a newly built neighborhood in the city. Rows of houses stood neatly arranged, and the streets were wide and smooth, presenting a completely new look.

"Are these all built with new materials?" Ying Zheng asked, pointing to the houses.

"Yes," the official explained, "The Grand Commandant said that if we're going to rebuild, we should rebuild it even better. These houses are not only sturdy, but they're also fireproof. The people all say they're great..."

As they were talking, an old man by the roadside suddenly bowed deeply to Ying Zheng: "This humble subject thanks Your Majesty!"

Why is that?

"Your Majesty," the old man said excitedly, "my house was burned down during the war, but thanks to the imperial court's help in rebuilding it. This new house is so much better than the old one!"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!