Emperor Fengjing also instructed Li De to go and learn about the situation from the farmers in the fields, and Li De hurriedly went there in response.
"Old man, we are a caravan heading to Huaixi City. We wonder what the situation is like there? Is it a good time to do business?"
The busy farmers, having seen so many high-ranking officials and nobles lately, were not intimidated by Li De. They proudly said, "It's perfect! Our Huaixi City is different from what it used to be. Many chambers of commerce have moved in. Moreover, Huaixi City has many things that can't be bought outside. It's a place blessed by immortals."
Remembering the government's previous talk about attracting investment, the old farmer went to even greater lengths to recommend the project to Li De.
Li De returned to the carriage in a daze, patted his head, and thought to himself, "This old farmer's eloquence is too good. Anyone who doesn't know better would think that Prince Duan arranged it on his own."
Li De respectfully informed the emperor of the information he had obtained, and Emperor Fengzhao stroked his beard with satisfaction.
Because of the late empress's affair, his own son was previously neglected, yet he unexpectedly managed his fiefdom so well in the most turbulent Huaixi City. According to the old farmer, Emperor Fengzhao believed that even without the descent of immortals, the area would develop within a few years.
With such a ruler who cares deeply about the people, it's impossible for them not to live a good life when there's no war.
Emperor Fengzhao's eyes were deep and unfathomable, his thoughts unreadable. Li De had served Emperor Fengzhao for decades and could somewhat guess the emperor's thoughts. His heart tightened; he knew he would have to be even more respectful to Prince Duan from now on.
The closer they got to Huaixi City, the greater the changes became. When they arrived at the city gate, even the well-traveled Emperor Fengzhao was stunned.
The city gate was built of solid rock and stood a hundred feet high. There were dozens of observation platforms on the city wall. The entire city wall was magnificent and truly impregnable.
As the carriage approached the city gate, soldiers stationed there immediately went to verify its identity. Li De, fearing to disturb the imperial procession, was about to reprimand the emperor when he saw Emperor Feng Zhao raise his hand to stop him.
He traveled incognito this time because he wanted to see the real situation in each of his fiefdoms firsthand, without revealing his identity.
The soldiers quickly located Prince Duan's carriage, and upon seeing Feng Jinghan, they immediately recognized her identity. Just as Emperor Feng Zhao thought they would be allowed to pass, the leading soldier respectfully saluted, "Please, Prince Duan, lift the curtain so we can inspect you."
Feng Jinghan didn't put on airs. He simply had the curtain opened and, after checking that everything was in order, he walked through the city gate.
Feng Jingchi was about to laugh when he saw this, but then he remembered that his father had not revealed his identity, so he shut his mouth.
The carriages and horses entered Huaixi City smoothly, and the few people who were visiting Huaixi City for the first time opened their mouths in surprise.
In their minds, Huaixi City was a desolate city with few people due to turmoil, but now it seems that this is not the case at all.
The city streets were wide, even wider than those in the capital, and all of them were made of cement, so that carriages and horses could walk on them without feeling any bumps.
Since Prince Duan handed over the cement formula, everyone has realized its value. However, due to various reasons, the cement has not yet been used in the capital. Unexpectedly, Huaixi City already has cement roads.
The middle of the road was clearly intended for carriages and horses, while pedestrians walked on both sides. Carriages lined the road one after another, many of them appearing quite luxurious.
The road was wide and it was a main thoroughfare. There were many vehicles and horses, but everything was orderly and not chaotic at all. Apart from the slow speed, there were no collisions.
There is a lot of construction going on on both sides of the road, and it looks like they are going to continue building houses, and they are using cement.
"Summon the Fifth Prince to me."
Li De quickly walked up to Prince Duan and respectfully invited him to Emperor Fengzhao's carriage.
"Father!"
Emperor Fengzhao looked at his outstanding son with great satisfaction. This was Ye'er's bloodline, how could he have treated him like this before?
"Sit down, just call him Father from outside."
Feng Jiuhan felt a little uncomfortable with the kind tone of Emperor Feng Zhao. "I wonder what brings Father here?"
"Huaixi City has changed so much, my son has done a great job. There's still some distance to the Prince Duan's residence, so please give me a tour."
Feng Jinghan breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes."
The two walked and talked, the atmosphere exceptionally harmonious. Feng Jinghan felt as if he had returned to his childhood, before his mother passed away, when his father had treated him in the same way.
He felt a little self-deprecating. What was this? A sudden pang of conscience? But he was past the age of needing a father's love; now, all he wanted was that position.
Feng Jinghan composed himself and began to carefully introduce the planning of Huaixi City.
“Cement is inexpensive. Besides road construction, I also plan to use it to build houses. These two sides are the temporary residences that will be built. If anyone comes here in the future, they will only need to pay a few coins a day to stay.”
In front of his father, the Emperor, Feng Jinghan still romanticized the refugees. In reality, since Huaixi City developed, there had always been a considerable number of refugees coming to Huaixi City.
Emperor Feng Zhao glared at Feng Jinghan, a sigh escaping his lips. The father-son bond had ultimately faded because of him. "With such low fees, isn't this fostering a habit of laziness and gluttony among them?"
"It's just the initial phase, and they'll be given some work to do. If anyone slacks off, they'll lose their housing eligibility." Next, Feng Jinghan explained in detail how the temporary housing would be used, which made Emperor Feng Zhao nod repeatedly.
The two chatted animatedly, but Feng Jingchi was sweating profusely with anxiety. In truth, he had been in a state of panic ever since entering Huaixi City. Seeing the changes in Huaixi City, Feng Jingchi was so angry that he almost ground his teeth to powder.
The changes in Huaixi City are so significant, all thanks to the guidance of the immortal. If he were the one receiving the immortal's attention, he would certainly have done even better.
Feng Jingchi forgot that even if An Ge had met him at the beginning, given his personality, not to mention whether he would have been valued by An Ge, he wouldn't have seriously learned how to govern his fiefdom, given his disdain for the common people.
Upon arriving at the Prince Duan's residence, the steward, who had been notified in advance, led everyone to greet them at the main gate.
Emperor Feng Zhao and Feng Jinghan chatted all the way, and their relationship was no longer awkward at the beginning, but rather had some of the same feel as before.
"Just stay one night, and we'll hurry to the inn tomorrow."
Everyone respectfully agreed. Since the inn wasn't far away, Feng Jinghan breathed a sigh of relief.
Since the emperor did not intend to cause a sensation, Feng Jinghan did not notify the various government offices, and he was not afraid of his father seeing the true situation under his rule.
Emperor Feng Zhao returned to his room and asked the empty air, "Has Prince Duan made any move?"
No one was seen, only a respectful voice came from the air, "Not yet."
Emperor Feng Zhao's eyes held a smile; it seemed his Han'er had enough confidence in herself to not have given prior notice. Emperor Feng Zhao was even more excited about tomorrow's itinerary.
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