The city of Tianshui was bustling with activity, a constant clatter of machinery.
Lin Mo, the King of Shu of the Great Xia Dynasty, is about to set off.
The new blueprint for the main city of Tianshui has been completed. The layout of the city is basically based on the urban layout and construction knowledge that Lin Mo learned on Earth, and was designed together with Yao Guangxiao.
First, there's the city layout of Tianshui City. Lin Mo copied the ancient Chang'an, emphasizing meticulousness, with the interior arranged neatly in a north-south direction.
The city is surrounded by a rectangular wall, stretching thirteen kilometers from east to west and twelve kilometers from north to south. Its architectural features emphasize symmetry, with wide streets, orderly neighborhoods, and a unified architectural style.
Meanwhile, Tianshui City was designed based on the ideal of harmony between man and nature, and was divided into the Governor's Office, the Official District, and the Outer City, which were arranged in parallel from north to south.
The Prince's Palace symbolizes the North Star (Polaris), which is the center of the universe; the official residences and government offices symbolize the Purple Palace Enclosure surrounding the North Star; the outer city wall symbolizes the stars that arch northward.
The outer city wall is where the vast majority of Tianshui City's residents live. According to Lin Mo's design, there are a total of eight north-south main streets and fourteen east-west main streets.
The central street was named after the most famous Zhuque Avenue in ancient Chang'an, and the crisscrossing roads divided the outer city into 108 neighborhoods and two markets on the east and west sides.
Once the plan was complete, Lin Mo instructed his men to build a temporary residential area, while he himself rushed back to Xichuan City.
Because Ran Min sent a letter via express courier, Li Hu "walked right into the trap."
When Lin Mo returned to Xichuan City, it was a cold, windy morning.
This time, Lin Mo only brought fifty cavalrymen with him. Their bright armor gleamed with a dazzling light, and their jagged spears pierced the sky, gleaming with a cold, sharp glint.
A strong wind swept through, crackling and flapping their flags, causing countless banners to swirl in the air.
As per Lin Mo's orders, his return to Xichuan City was not announced, so the people were unaware of it and did not come to greet him.
"Your Highness, remember this: that woman sent Li Hu here to provoke you," Yao Guangxiao said. "You must remain calm. If she wants to play, I'll play along. We won't panic!"
Along the way, Yao Guangxiao kept explaining the reasons to Lin Mo.
"Alright, that's enough. I know what I'm doing."
When Lin Mo returned to the Prince's Mansion and entered the main hall, it was already packed with people.
Li Hu stood alone in the middle, with every eye focused on him.
"Lin Mo!" Upon seeing Lin Mo arrive, Li Hu addressed him by his given name without even using a respectful title.
Seeing this, Xu Chu walked towards Li Hu, his boots clanging on the stone floor.
With a "smack," Xu Chu slapped Li Hu across the face.
"You bastard, call me Your Highness!" Xu Chu roared.
The slap was quite forceful, knocking Li Hu to the ground.
He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and laughed, "Your Highness, is this your way of treating guests?"
Lin Mo didn't indulge him either. "Xu Chu, General Li is just complaining that the beating wasn't even. He's unhappy because he got slapped on the right cheek but not the left!"
Hearing Lin Mo say that, Xu Chu still wants to be polite to you?
He went up and slapped her across the face with a backhand, the slaps making a loud thud.
"You..." Li Hu was completely stunned by the beating.
"What, how do you think I should treat you?" Lin Mo asked. "Arrange some beauties from Shu for you? Serve you with fine wine and meat? Tell me, what are you doing in my Xichuan City?"
Li Hu forced himself to stand up, then straightened his appearance and replied, "I have come to deliver a message on the Emperor's orders."
The subordinate handed the letter to Lin Mo, but the King of Shu of Great Xia didn't even look at it. He tore the paper in half, then tore it into four pieces, scattering the fragments all over the ground.
"That's His Majesty's own letter!" Li Hu exclaimed in horror.
"You say so, so it is?" Lin Mo said. "How could a traitor who colludes with the Dos scum, betrays Great Xia, and intends to rebel possibly have His Majesty's personal letter in his possession?"
"King of Shu, what do you mean by that?" Li Hu said angrily. "How dare you tear up His Majesty's personal letter and falsely accuse the dignified General Huwei of the Great Xia of treason?"
"Innocent?" Lin Mo sneered. "Come on, seize him and throw him in the death row!"
"You...you dare!" Li Hu was still putting on a last act of defiance.
At this moment, Yao Guangxiao dissuaded him, "Your Highness, you mustn't!"
Li Hu was sent by Wei Maozhen after all, and at this moment he was still a first-rank official of the Great Xia Dynasty, the Tiger General.
Lin Mo also knew that this was the Empress's dirty trick.
If Lin Mo were to directly harm Li Hu after sending him to Shu, the Empress would have leverage over him.
The King of Shu murdered a high-ranking official without cause; what is this if not treason?
As for the contents of the letter, Lin Mo could guess what it was without even looking at it.
All you want, Lin Mo, is to "purge the court of corrupt officials," right? I'm sending you my men; let's see if you dare to kill them.
Let's use a reverse psychology tactic on Lin Mo.
"Since you, woman, are so eager to see me 'purge the court of corrupt officials,' then I'll give you a complete purge, eliminating all the ministers who are loyal to you! The entire Great Xia court will be reshuffled!"
Thinking of this, Lin Mo waved his hand and ordered them to leave.
Li Hu raised the corners of his mouth and smiled slightly. As the Empress's former right-hand man, he naturally knew what the Empress was thinking. Lin Mo's intention to harm him was exactly what Wei Maozhen wanted to see.
So Li Hu immediately shouted, "Guards, come on!"
Xu Chu would not give Li Hu a chance to act recklessly. With a swift and decisive slash, Li Hu's guard, who was closest to him, had his axe cleaved into his chest.
The man collapsed limply, a blood-soaked axe emerging from his ribs, piercing through his leather vest and armor.
Before his body even touched the ground, he was already dead.
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