After resting overnight at the Marquis's residence, Li Guang went to the Imperial Palace the next morning to meet the Emperor.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the Emperor sat upright before his desk. Li Guang quickly stepped forward, knelt down, and kowtowed to the Emperor.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty."

"Qing'er, please rise quickly, there's no need for such formalities."

After the emperor finished speaking, he bowed slightly and was about to stand up.

He leaned forward and twisted his body, but he couldn't stand up. It seemed that the emperor's health was failing.

Li Guang quickly stepped forward, helped the emperor up, and said:

"Father, slow down, don't hurt your health."

The emperor was a little embarrassed and had no choice but to sit up again.

Only then did Li Guang take a closer look at the emperor. After not seeing him for many days, the emperor seemed to have aged considerably.

The imperial court rectified official corruption and implemented a number of policies to benefit the people, and the Great Northern Dynasty presented a thriving scene.

In recent years, the emperor's style of governance has undergone a dramatic change, becoming remarkably decisive and efficient.

The Emperor works very hard, managing countless affairs every day and rarely has time to rest.

Looking at the emperor's aged face, Li Guang spoke with tears in his eyes.

"Father, you have worked hard. Please take good care of your health."

The Emperor sighed and said, "I am getting old and nearing my end; the will of Heaven is hard to defy."

Back then, when the late Emperor passed away, he was not yet fifty years old. Now I am over sixty, and Heaven has already been very kind to me.

Indeed, it has been a full ten years since Li Guang left the capital to seek refuge.

Ten years is neither a long nor a short time. In those ten years, a series of major events occurred in the Great Northern Dynasty, which had rarely happened before.

"Qing'er, is there something important that you need to do upon returning to the capital this time?" the Emperor asked.

"Your Majesty, I have returned to the capital for two reasons. First, to visit Your Majesty and Mother. Second, I wish to undertake a great undertaking, and I humbly request Your Majesty's support."

The Emperor nodded. Li Guang had accomplished many great things over the years and made significant contributions to the development of the Northern Dynasty. This time, he was undertaking a major undertaking, which must be of great importance.

"What important matter is Qing'er planning? Tell me," the emperor said.

"Currently, Zhengyang County has relocated its county seat to Shuixian Town, and the development of the new county seat is booming, providing a very good model for the development of other areas in the Great Northern Chao."

The potential for development in the new county town is immeasurable. Several years ago, Shuixian Town built a canal connecting it to the outside world, which has played a significant role in the rapid development of Shuixian Town.

Your subject intends to spend three years building an official road from Narcissus Town to the capital. This road will connect more than ten important towns along the way, and once the road is completed, these towns will experience rapid development.

Moreover, the newly built official road from Shuixian Town to the capital is several hundred li shorter than the original road, greatly reducing travel time.

Li Guang's words shocked the emperor. Building an official road was no small matter; the manpower and resources required would be enormous.

"From Narcissus Town to the capital, it's over a thousand miles long. Has Qing'er calculated how much manpower and financial resources it will take?"

"The Marquis of Zhengyang and I have already calculated that it will take 200,000 laborers and 20 million taels of silver to build this official road within three years."

The emperor was taken aback. Twenty million taels of silver was no small sum; the entire annual fiscal revenue of the Northern Dynasty was only about that much.

The Great Northern Dynasty currently has too many expenses and cannot possibly have enough silver to build such a massive project.

Li Guang discerned the emperor's thoughts and spoke up:

"Father, there is no need to worry. The twenty million taels of silver will be raised by me and Marquis Zhengyang. The court will not need to bear the burden. There are 100,000 troops in Shuixian Town who can participate in road construction, and there is also a shortage of 100,000 laborers. I need Father's help to solve this problem."

Upon hearing this, the emperor breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they didn't ask the court for money, things would be easier to handle, and the labor issue wouldn't be difficult to resolve.

"Qing'er, the labor problem is not difficult to solve. However, the construction of the official road will present many challenges. Road surveying, opening up mountain roads, and building bridges over rivers all require professional craftsmen to solve."

"I will discuss this matter at tomorrow's morning court session. The Ministry of Works will take the lead in implementing it, and a result will be achieved within three days."

"Thank you, Father Emperor," Li Guang said excitedly.

Li Guang's generosity in building over a thousand miles of official roads, without requiring the court to pay for them, was a tremendous blessing for the Northern Dynasty.

The Emperor, pleased, slowly stood up and said:

"Qing'er, accompany me for a walk in the Imperial Garden."

"As you command."

Li Guang rose, helped the emperor, and left the Hall of Mental Cultivation for the Imperial Garden.

The imperial garden in the palace was not very large, but it was beautiful, lush, and full of blooming flowers. Seeing this, the emperor was in a great mood.

"Qing'er, many court officials have already visited Narcissus Village, and they have praised its beautiful scenery, saying it is a paradise on earth."

Now that Shuixian Village is the county seat of Zhengyang County, are those beautiful sights still there?

"Of course it's still there. This relocation of the county seat has paid great attention to environmental protection, and the beautiful scenery has been preserved. At the same time, some new attractions have been developed, making it even more beautiful than before," Li Guang said.

"It seems I need to make a trip to Narcissus Village to see the scenery there, the farm where Qing'er lived, and Xiao Hei and Yu Hong."

But my health is not up to the strain of travel, so it seems I will never be able to go in this lifetime.

"Father, there is no need to worry. As long as you take good care of your health, once the official road is repaired and the road is wide and smooth, the carriage should not feel any bumps when traveling on the official road."

"But this official road will take three years to complete, and I'm afraid I won't live to see that day," the Emperor sighed.

"Father, please don't say that. As long as you take care of yourself and don't overwork yourself, you will recover soon."

In addition, the construction of the official road could be completed in just two years, provided there were enough laborers.

"When Qing'er returns this time, she will build a palace for Father Emperor, so that Father Emperor can frequently come to Narcissus Village for recuperation, and Father Emperor's health will improve."

"Very well, as Qing'er says. From now on, I will focus on recuperating my health. Two years later, I will go to Narcissus Village."

Thus, Li Guang spent his mornings in the palace with the emperor and his afternoons in the harem with Consort Yao, only returning to his residence after dinner.

The next morning at court, the emperor presented a memorial to the court officials, requesting their discussion of Li Guang's proposal to build an official road.

Building an official road over a thousand miles long was an enormous undertaking, requiring the combined efforts of the entire nation and taking many years to complete.

This matter was of great importance, and none of the officials dared to speak, especially the Minister of Revenue, Lord Ji, who remained completely silent.

He knew that for such a massive project, the national treasury simply didn't have that much surplus. Even with frugal living, it would take at least five years to raise that much money.

Although life has been a bit better these past few years, the Great Northern Dynasty is so big that there are too many places where money is needed.