☆ Chapter 256 Your analysis makes a lot of sense
Twenty years ago, when Li Tian served as the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, Lingnan had been semi-civilized. Unfortunately, a natural disaster followed by a man-made one caused the Baiyue people, who had finally become willing to accept education, to retreat back to their own safe zone, where they ate, drank, fought, and struggled. In the past twenty years, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi has changed one after another, and none of them have been able to hold the position for more than a year.
Even prefects and governors were few and far between. Those who knew the truth attributed it to infighting in the court, while those who didn't know the inside story assumed it was the fault of the Baiyue people. In addition, the region suffered from frequent floods, both large and small, making it a difficult job for anyone to serve as an official in Lingnan. Gradually, no one wanted to come to Lingnan anymore, and only officials who had been demoted had no choice but to come here.
When they arrive, they only lament the passing of spring and the coming of autumn, sighing at their unfulfilled talents, cursing those who framed them to a terrible end, or trying every means to return to the center of power. As for what happens in Lingnan, what happens to the various tribes of Baiyue, or what happens to the ordinary people, no one cares.
Lingnan gradually became a true wilderness, and the Baiyue people also became true southern barbarians.
As scholars, Li Changyi couldn't possibly be unaware of the situation in Lingnan. Moreover, he had been in Lingnan for three or four months, so he was naturally well aware of the situation there. Furthermore, although he was the Prince of Anding, his fiefdom was not in Lingnan. Building a royal city in a place that was not his own fiefdom without the court's consent and declaring himself king was a mild statement. To put it bluntly, he was plotting a rebellion.
Under these circumstances, Li Changyi still chose to build the city. Zhao Yunjing didn't ask what he was thinking.
He nodded: "Although Lingnan is constantly plagued by floods, the climate here is mild and the poor soil is easy to change. Overall, it is a relatively suitable place to live and retire."
"so?"
"Forty years from now, if the Great Liang has unified the seven kingdoms, I will surely return to Lingnan with Ajiao to enjoy our old age in peace."
"Then I shall welcome Lord Zhao."
Zhao Yunjing cupped his hands in greeting and then pulled Zhou Mujiao aside: "What do you think of the Prince's plan to build a royal city in Lingnan?"
“I think it’s a good idea. It’s better to have one’s own son guarding the border than to hand it over to outsiders. Even if he has the intention to rebel, he must first strengthen himself. Lingnan has nothing but a bunch of barbarians who are not yet fully civilized. Even if he has that intention, it will be ten years later. In ten years, who knows what the situation of the court will be like?”
"Do you think the Great Liang Dynasty can't unify the seven kingdoms?"
"If His Majesty wants to unify the seven kingdoms, then he can't avoid Lingnan. Lingnan is inhabited by the Baiyue people, who are skilled at using underhanded methods. If Li Changyi wants to become emperor, he must defend this border well. If he doesn't, his royal city will be the first to be taken over by another country."
Zhao Yunjing took her hand and sat down: "Your analysis makes a lot of sense."
“The royal family of Great Liang is surnamed Li, so he is the true prince of Great Liang. If he were to change his surname, he would be even less than the son of a county magistrate. This royal city is built perfectly, capable of blocking the Baiyue people’s dream of conquering the Central Plains. Li Changyi doesn’t have that deep affection for the emperor and Great Liang, but what he has already secured will not be easily taken away.”
Zhou Mujiao thought of the developed waterways of Lingnan, the tea transported abroad via the ancient tea-boat route, and the porcelain transported from Lingnan to the West via this waterway. She took a deep breath. "Lingnan has a mild climate, rivers and lakes, and further out there is the sea. It can develop a navy and open up new sea routes to trade with more distant countries. Li Changyi is a smart man. If he seizes the opportunity, Lingnan will become the richest place in the entire Daliang."
"To transform Lingnan into a land of plenty, it will take at least five years. Lingnan has too many mountains, and in many places there are no large plots of farmland; crops are grown in the cracks between rocks. Of course, some people may suggest moving the people to flat areas, but these people have lived there for generations, and it would be unreasonable to suddenly ask them to move out. The imperial court cannot force people to move out. In addition, some mountains are suitable for farmland, but it will take a considerable amount of time to transform them into suitable farmland."
Five years is simply impossible; it will take at least fifteen years. But a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Once you start taking action, no matter how long it takes, it will gradually shorten.
Zhou Mujiao loved Lingnan. She was originally from Lingnan, and even across time, standing on this land gave her a feeling of coming home. If possible, she would like to settle here in the future. However, now that Li Changyi has built a city here, with her and Zhao Yunjing's influence, the court would never release her. Even if they did, she would not be able to truly feel at ease. In Lingnan, she would be surrounded by spies, and the thought of that kind of life made her uncomfortable.
But looking across the entire Daliang, there wasn't a place she particularly wanted to live.
Zhao Yunjing had been with her for so many years and heard her talk about Lingnan countless times. He didn't ask too many questions, but he knew how deep her feelings for Lingnan were. At this moment, he nodded and said, "No matter how long it takes, Ajiao, you will stay with me."
Even though he was helping her fulfill her wish, he thoughtfully asked her to accompany him. This man really hits her sweet spot in every way. How could she not love him?
Zhou Mujiao hooked her arm around his neck and kissed him, then whispered in his ear, "In two more years, when Daliang will no longer have to worry about food supplies, we'll... have two children."
Zhao Yunjing blushed, his body stiffened, and he was deeply moved: "Ajiao, I'm not marrying you so that you can have children with me. I really want to take care of you for the rest of my life."
"I'm not marrying you with the intention of having children with you. Let me take back what I said for now. We'll see how things go. If the time is right, we'll let things take their natural course, okay?"
Yes, of course it's good, it's incredibly good. How could it not be good to have such a beautiful woman by your side?
It was too inappropriate to be affectionate in broad daylight, so Zhao Yunjing took out a letter: "The grand competition next year will begin on the sixth day of the month. Ning Xian said he is well prepared, and it's not impossible for the Zhao family to have two champions."
"In the next three years, it will be the turn of Chu Jiu and Xiao Wu to take the exam. Xiao Wu is not aiming for the top scholar title. He proposed that the court should set up a martial arts competition, with the top scholar in the civil service becoming an official and the top scholar in the martial arts joining the army and going to the battlefield. I think his proposal is good. I am preparing to write a memorial to the emperor and ask Lord Su to follow up on the progress, hoping that a martial arts competition will be added to the civil service examination in three years."
Xiao Wu's dream of becoming a general was thwarted by his young age, forcing him to suppress it again and again. When he learned that Feng Wei had become the garrison commander of the Northwest, he was so angry that he wrote five or six letters to Feng Wei. Feng Wei did not reveal the specifics of what he wrote, but he wrote to Zhao Yun Jing that Xiao Wu was really funny and could be used to confuse people on the battlefield. He also said that he hoped Xiao Wu would come to the Northwest camp to challenge them in a few years, and whoever won would become the general.
Zhou Mujiao covered her mouth and chuckled. Zhao Yunjing held her tenderly for a while longer before picking up his pen to write a letter to the Emperor, reporting on the situation in Lingnan—naturally including the important matter of Li Changyi building the royal city.
Soon after, the letter arrived in the capital. The emperor read the letter and summoned the crown prince and the sixteenth prince.
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