Jicheng was the ancient capital of the Yan state.
Report! The King of Qin is about to arrive five li outside the city!
Upon hearing the report, Yang Duanhe immediately led a group of officials out of the city to greet them. He had been here for quite some time since being sent to eliminate the Mo Xia and assassins.
"Your Majesty!" Upon seeing Ying Zheng's carriage, Yang Duanhe and his men knelt in obeisance. "Ji City has been cleared; Your Majesty, please enter the city with peace of mind!"
"Get up." Ying Zheng alighted from the carriage. "Tell me, what have you been doing all this time?"
"Your Majesty, firstly, we eliminated the Mo Xia (a type of martial arts master) and assassins entrenched in the city, killing over 20,000 people. Secondly..."
Yang Duanhe spoke eloquently, explaining the situation of governance in detail.
Ying Zheng listened as he walked, nodding from time to time. When he arrived at the city gate, he suddenly stopped.
"This city gate..." Ying Zheng surveyed the imposing gate before him, "It seems considerably taller than before?"
"Exactly!" Yang Duanhe laughed. "This is all thanks to the Grand Commandant. He sent over some new building materials, so we took the opportunity to reinforce the city's defenses as well. Look at this city wall..."
He pointed to the newly built city wall, "It's entirely constructed with new materials, ten times stronger than before. Even if barbarians invade, they won't be able to budge it an inch!"
Ying Zheng nodded in satisfaction: "This wicked man has indeed done a thorough job. This is what a true border fortress should look like! By the way, how are things with the Xiongnu?"
"Your Majesty," Yang Duanhe replied, "since we fortified the city walls and fortified key routes, even if the nomadic tribes of the grasslands invade from the south, they will not be able to breach them." "However..."
"But what?"
"However, I believe that defense alone is not enough," Yang Duanhe said seriously. "What the barbarians fear most is a strong counterattack. Why don't we take advantage of the momentum of unification and teach them a lesson?"
"That makes sense," Ying Zheng nodded, "but now is not the time. Let me first see the situation in the city."
The group entered Ji City. The streets were crowded with people, all eager to catch a glimpse of the King of Qin. Ying Zheng stopped frequently to inquire about the people's living conditions.
"Your Majesty, this way please." Yang Duanhe led Ying Zheng to a newly built training ground. "This is a training ground we built, inspired by the design of the Grand Commandant's residence. You see, these shooting ranges are all made of new materials. Even if gunpowder explodes, we won't be afraid..."
"Hmm?" Ying Zheng raised an eyebrow. "You're researching gunpowder here too?"
"This..." Yang Duanhe was momentarily speechless. "It was the Grand Commandant who ordered us to test this new method. Mainly to deal with the barbarian cavalry."
"Oh? Tell me about it."
"That's how it is," Yang Duanhe explained. "The barbarians' greatest strength lies in mounted archery. We planned to use gunpowder, combined with the terrain, to ambush them and disrupt their cavalry formation..."
Just then, a loud bang was heard from afar.
"Don't panic!" Yang Duanhe quickly said, "That's a construction site in the north of the city. We're building a watchtower using new materials."
Ying Zheng nodded: "Looking around this city, I see scenes of construction everywhere."
"Indeed!" Yang Duanhe said proudly, "Since we got this new material, everything has become so much more convenient for us. Look at these new houses, they're all made of cement, so they're warm in winter and cool in summer. The wells in the city have also been rebuilt, so we no longer have to worry about pollution..."
As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something: "Oh, Your Majesty, you should go and see our newly built warehouse!"
Upon arriving at the warehouse area, rows of neat, white buildings came into view. Each warehouse was tall and spacious, with thick walls.
"These are all military supply depots," Yang Duanhe explained. "They're built with new materials, so they're fireproof and floodproof. The most amazing thing is this..."
He pointed to a special warehouse: "This is specifically for storing gunpowder. Look how thick these walls are; even if there's an accidental explosion inside, it won't harm the outside. We no longer need to worry about explosions that might happen at any time."
"Excellent!" Ying Zheng praised, "This is what a true border fortress should look like!"
Turning to Meng Tian, he said, "Write this down, and have all regions build in the same way. Especially the strategic border areas, which must be thoroughly fortified to ensure the eternal prosperity of our Great Qin."
"Your Majesty is wise!" Yang Duanhe seized the opportunity, "Since we are going to build up the border defenses, then what about the matter of guarding against the barbarians..."
"I know what you're thinking," Ying Zheng said with a smile, "but now is not the time. The world has just been unified, and we need to first sort out domestic affairs and the people's livelihood. By the way, how are the local people doing?"
"Well..." Yang Duanhe hesitated, "To be honest, they were very resistant to us at first. But ever since we helped rebuild their homes and built so many new houses, their attitude has changed. Now..."
As they were talking, a group of children suddenly ran past, laughing and playing. They were not afraid of Ying Zheng's entourage; instead, they looked around curiously.
"See?" Yang Duanhe laughed. "This is the best proof. Before, they were often harassed by barbarians, and the children had to hide at the slightest disturbance. Now, they're running around in the streets all day long."
"Look, this is what a peaceful and prosperous era after unification should look like!" one minister exclaimed.
Ying Zheng remained silent, simply observing the group of children. After a moment, he spoke: "Continue with the border defense. You mentioned using gunpowder against the barbarian cavalry... what's that all about?"
"Yes!" Yang Duanhe's spirits lifted. "Your Majesty, I intend to ambush them at key points, using gunpowder to cut off their retreat, then engage them head-on in battle, setting up an encirclement and driving them away. In this way..."
And so, the emperor and his minister walked and discussed. Gradually, a complete border defense system took shape during their conversation.
As night fell, Ying Zheng stood atop the newly built city tower, gazing northwards.
There are rolling mountains, vast grasslands, and barbarian tribes that are barely surviving but must be guarded against.
"Meng Tian!" he suddenly exclaimed.
"Your subject is here!"
"You said..." he pointed north, "what would it look like if a long city wall were built there using this new type of cement?"
"Your Majesty, do you mean...?"
"This matter cannot be rushed." Ying Zheng withdrew his gaze. "Let's deal with it after the internal affairs are sorted out. By the way, have someone write down all of Yang Duanhe's suggestions, and give them to the Grand Commandant for careful study after we return to Xianyang."
"By the way, don't tell the Grand Commandant about this for now, lest he threaten to attack foreign tribes again..."
Meng Tian smiled and said, "Yes!"
That night, the lights of Jicheng shone exceptionally brightly. This ancient border town was welcoming the arrival of a new era with a brand-new look.
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