When Liu Tan saw Huo Guang, he asked, "Have all the arrangements been made?"
"The arrangements have been made and we will start working on it in the spring. It will probably take about two months." Huo Guang was talking about digging the lake.
Liu Tan counted on his fingers, nodded, and asked, "How's the situation in Tongda City?"
Huo Guang said, "It's almost finished. The governor of Dunhuang asked if we should leave a street for Your Highness."
Liu Tan nearly spit out the water in his mouth, saying with a mixture of laughter and tears, "What nonsense! If there's still one street left, just give me one-third. It doesn't have to be the most prosperous area, but something close to it will be enough."
Huo Guang responded and took note. Liu Tan asked curiously, "How's the market going? Is it finished? What's it called?"
Huo Guang said, "It is said that they have just built an outline. Originally, they wanted to build the city according to their previous experience, but after seeing Tongda City, they also wanted to build something similar to Tongda City, so they are making changes recently."
Liu Tan frowned. "It's so cold, and they haven't finished yet. Are they planning to continue building the city in temperatures below -10 degrees Celsius?"
Huo Guang was helpless: "Your Majesty has demanded that it be completed before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Who dares to go back?"
Liu Tan didn't dare to have any other opinions. Since it was Liu Che's request, then... he had no choice.
Huo Guang asked cautiously, "I just heard that Your Highness seemed to want sand. What does he want to do with it?"
Liu Tan replied casually, "Nothing, I was just bored and wanted to make some colored glaze for fun."
Huo Guang: ...It's just a coincidence that he believes it!
However, he also understood Liu Tan's temper. Liu Tan would definitely not make a final statement before doing anything. If he leaked the news, it meant that he was at least 90% sure of success, if not 100%.
Oh, the grape planting incident doesn’t count. The emperor gave the order first, and Liu Tan took it over reluctantly. It’s different.
Huo Guang was a little worried, fearing that when he came again, he would see a King of the North appear in the sand pile.
As for Lu Xuan... he didn't expect Lu Xuan to be able to control Liu Tan. His indulgence of Liu Tan was even more excessive than that of the emperor and the crown prince.
Do you believe that if Liu Tan says he wants to play with sand, he will turn around and play with you?
After Liu Tan signed the documents Huo Guang brought, he said, "I will leave tomorrow to fetch my father. I'll leave this place to you."
Huo Guang glanced at him and spoke as if Liu Tan had been in charge of things. It was impossible to solve the problem, and what Liu Tan was best at was increasing their workload.
Liu Tan understood Huo Guang's look and couldn't help but touch his nose, feeling a little guilty.
After Huo Guang left, Liu Tan immediately called Bi Gao over and said, "The governor of Dunhuang has left a few shops in Tongda City. Send someone to get the land deeds and then prepare to send someone to build houses."
Bigao asked, "Your Highness, what do we sell in these shops?"
Liu Tan waved his hand: "I'm not selling anything, I'm just opening an inn!"
Bigo was stunned for a moment: "Ah? Inn?"
The concept of an inn was not particularly clear these days. Most people might never set foot on the land where they were born and raised in their entire lives, and those who traveled far and wide would stay in official inns for safety. Privately run inns were not trusted.
Therefore, most of the time, opening an inn will result in a loss of money.
But Liu Tan was different. He was the King of the North. He was a figurehead in the North. So what if it wasn't an official posthouse? Would anyone dare to cause trouble at the King of the North's posthouse?
Liu Tan nodded and said, "Yes, we're going to open an inn, and it needs to be built in two floors. The only thing we need to pay attention to is the water flow. However, this thing will not open until the spring, so there's no need to rush."
Bigao asked, "Your Highness, have you already drawn the blueprints?"
Liu Tan looked at him unkindly: "You want me to do all this?"
Bigao shrank his neck. The problem was that his prince was very picky in some aspects and had a very rich imagination. Ordinary craftsmen could not keep up with his ideas.
In addition, most of the time Liu Tan would do the preliminary preparations, and the people below would just have to put in the effort to make the things, and everyone was almost used to this approach.
Liu Tan patted him on the shoulder and said, "Alright, I'm going to offer a large reward for the blueprints this time."
Bigo was stunned for a moment: "A large reward?"
"Yes, I only have two requirements for the inn. First, it must be divided into single rooms and courtyards. Second, the single rooms must be double-story. Third, the courtyard must be equipped with a toilet. So, after you have someone draw the size of the land, have them design it. Pay attention to drainage and make sure it's done well. Also, separate the interior design from the overall design. I'll choose it after I'm done."
After listening to this, Bi Gao asked, "How much reward will Your Highness offer?"
Liu Tan pondered for a moment before saying, "A gold cake, or the equivalent in copper coins will do. Anyway, anything of equal value to a gold cake will do. Of course, we can't violate any taboos."
Bigo was immediately shocked: "Your Highness, isn't this too expensive?"
Liu Tan smiled and said, "Don't worry, I can earn this money back sooner or later."
Bi Gao had no doubt that his prince's ability to make money was still trustworthy.
While Liu Tan was laughing, Lu Xuan came over and asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Liu Tan watched him effortlessly hold the baby with a look of envy on his face: "Put it down now! It's almost impossible for it to walk if you keep holding it!"
Gungun looked at Liu Tan with confused eyes, and before he could figure out what was going on, he was ruthlessly thrown to the ground.
GunGun hugged Lu Xuan's legs and cried. Ever since it followed Liu Tan, its quality of life has improved rapidly, and its height and weight have also increased rapidly. Liu Tan hasn't hugged it for a long time - he can still hold it, but every time he holds GunGun, Liu Tan wonders if his old waist is going to break.
He is still young and cannot have any problems with such an important part as his waist, so he basically doesn't hug Rolling anymore.
Only when Lu Xuan came, Gungun could enjoy the treatment of being held in his arms.
Seeing Lu Xuan's smile, Liu Tan added, trying to hide the truth: "It will grow bigger and bigger, and there will come a time when you can't hold it anymore."
An adult can weigh up to 200 kilograms, and can usually maintain around 150 to 160 kilograms. Who can handle this big thing crying and jumping on you every day?
Lu Xuan put Gun Gun down, walked over and said, "Okay, okay, I won't hold it, I'll hold you."
Before Liu Tan could express his doubts, he was unexpectedly picked up by Lu Xuan in a princess-like hug.
He elbowed Lu Xuan in the chest in a bad mood and said, "What are you crazy about?"
Bigao on the side lowered his eyes as if he didn't exist.
Lu Xuan carried him all the way back to the room and said, "You should take a nap. Get some rest. We have to leave early tomorrow morning."
Seeing that his resistance was futile, Liu Tan simply hugged his neck and asked, "Do you really want to go with me?"
Lu Xuan put him on the bed, leaned his hands on Liu Tan's side and said, "If you don't want me to go, then I won't go."
Liu Tan looked up and admired Lu Xuan's beauty. For most people, this posture is basically a dead angle, which makes the photo look ugly. After all, due to gravity, the flesh on the face will sag, causing the facial features to be squeezed together.
However, Lu Xuan's face was not too thin and there was no trace of excess fat, and he managed to withstand such a deadly angle, which made Liu Tan once again praise his vision.
Although Lu Xuan spoke calmly, Liu Tan somehow sensed a hint of grievance in his words and said with a smile, "It's not that I don't want you to go, I'm just worried you'll be embarrassed."
After all, logically speaking, this time it is very likely that Liu Che will set the tone for the future development of the Han Dynasty and Wusun with Lu Xuan. Whether they will be enemies or friends will depend on this time.
In this process, the two will definitely discuss some issues of interest.
In Liu Tan's opinion, the more times like this happen, the less likely you are to appear too anxious.
Lu Xuan's initiative to respond to Liu Che's words seemed to be a humble attitude. He was worried that Lu Xuan made such a decision now because of his feelings, but he might regret it when his enthusiasm faded, so he wanted to remind him.
Lu Xuan knew what Liu Tan was thinking, and he felt a little helpless. He lowered his head and bit Liu Tan's upper lip as if to punish him, saying, "Don't you take anything I say to heart?"
Intellectually speaking, he and Liu Che were indeed the two sides in the game, but who in the world could really be so cold-blooded as to separate reason and emotion?
Lu Xuan thought he couldn't do it, and he had already drawn a bottom line for himself. As long as it was within this bottom line, he didn't care how much he retreated, even if it was the betrothal gift he gave to the big man.
Ahem, of course I can’t say this out loud, otherwise what if his Ah Tan gets angry and embarrassed?
Liu Tanxin said that there is so much time left in the future, who can tell clearly?
It's not that he doesn't want good things, he just hopes that even if the two of them break up in the future, it will be a peaceful breakup, not too ugly, which will later leave a trace of romantic gossip in history books.
He touched the lip that Lu Xuan had bitten and said, "You've been biting people more and more lately. What's wrong with you?"
Lu Xuan leaned close to his ear and whispered maliciously, "But don't you like me biting you?"
Liu Tan was stunned for a moment, his cheeks flushed instantly. He punched him and said, "Just go ahead and flirt. I'll have someone prepare some herbal tea for you later."
Lu Xuan was stunned for a moment: "Huh?"
Liu Tan sneered: "My father is coming."
Lu Xuan: ...
Originally, he really wanted to meet Liu Che and make his relationship with Liu Tan clear with Liu Che. Now... Liu Che's arrival means that he has to start abstaining from sex.
Originally, he had already planned how to make Liu Tan accept it little by little, and it was a done deal before the Chinese New Year. Now it seems... the plan has to be shelved.
Lu Xuan simply bit Liu Tan and said vaguely, "Then you have to indulge yourself first."
So the next day when Liu Tan was getting dressed, he was very grateful that it was winter, otherwise his summer clothes would not be able to cover the marks on his neck.
Liu Tan set out early to pick him up. When he arrived in Jincheng County, he received news that Liu Che's carriage would be arriving almost the next day.
So the next day, Liu Tan dressed as warmly as possible and rode his horse to pick up his father.
He originally thought he was wearing enough clothes, but after riding the horse for a while, he felt that his face was about to be blown stiff.
But we can’t lose momentum!
The one hundred carefully selected elite soldiers behind him have already created an aura, and as the leader, he certainly cannot lose!
At this time, Liu Che was sitting in his carriage and was not in a very good mood.
The further north you go, the colder the weather becomes. Not only is it cold, but the land is also gradually becoming desolate.
It is normal that there are no crops in the fields, but it is too much to walk so far and not see a few decent trees.
When Liu Che thought of Liu Tan’s poor living environment, he couldn’t wait to see him and take him back to Chang’an.
However, this not-so-nice mood was somewhat reduced when he stepped into Jincheng County. The reason was that the official road in Jincheng County was the cleanest and widest road he had ever traveled on.
Even the emperor's carriage would shake when the road was not smooth, making him uncomfortable.
After setting foot on this road, the entire carriage became much more stable.
Not long after, he heard someone say, "Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the King of the Northern Territory and Kunmi of Little Wusun are here to greet you."
Liu Che felt a little awkward for a moment. If Liu Tan had come by himself, he would have just taken his son into the car. However, with Lu Xuan around... he still condescended to walk out, but of course did not get off the car.
However, after he stood firm on the car and looked over, he was completely stunned - who was commanding the neat and orderly team on the opposite side, with both men and horses as if they were cast from the same mold?
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