Chapter 261 The Emperor's Massive Infrastructure Development Missions! ...
What can be done with a batch of seamless steel pipes that cannot be processed and cannot be used to make industrial products?
His cousin had just returned from fighting in the war, which inevitably made Qi Chengming think about military matters.
His existing iron smelting technology is inadequate, preventing him from building good cannons. The only technologies he keeps hidden are gunpowder and explosives. Now that he has ascended the throne, the only open research and development he can do is focus on handguns.
However, seamless steel pipes require no welding, making them the perfect option for cannon barrels! Add fertilizer and sugar inside, and all he needs to do is have the lab workers painstakingly build a bottom plug, place the barrel on the gun mount, and then stuff it with projectiles like scrap iron or stones…
He happened to have chemical fertilizers, and he also already had the method for refining white sugar.
That power... tsk tsk.
Wow, this is on a completely different level from ancient siege cannons; this is a dimensional reduction attack!
Who doesn't dream of expanding their territory?
Qi Chengming was already thoroughly fed up with the constant incursions from the small countries on the border. However, the cost of waging war was too high, and Dingguo couldn't withstand a prolonged and larger war. Now, he dared to dream—when the time was right in the future, he estimated that he could truly restore the glory of the unified land of the previous dynasty!
You have to understand... a hundred steel pipes aren't disposable. As long as the later-made plugs and gun carriages can hold up, these cannons can last as long as they can!
Qi Chengming grew increasingly excited as he thought about it, and suddenly understood why someone had named the cannon "Shenwei" (Divine Might). He sat up abruptly, returned to the side hall, and asked Gantang to grind ink for him, then began to write furiously.
The new cannon... let's call it Dongfeng (East Wind).
These are all he can do to commemorate the modern era.
Why bother sleeping?
Let's get up and have some fun!
"Sigh." Xiao Chengzi shook his head helplessly, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a mosquito. He exchanged a glance with Xiao Dezi, who rolled his eyes at the door.
Can we blame them for being nagging and worrying all the time?
...No matter how earnestly you plead, His Majesty only dozed off for a short while. Did he even have the time it takes to drink a cup of tea?
After writing a detailed plan with great effort, Qi Chengming's excitement subsided slightly. He laid the papers flat on the table, seemingly waiting for the ink to dry, but in reality, his eyes were glazed over as he continued to stare at the erratic task list—
As mentioned earlier, since he became emperor, the infrastructure system has undergone a major overhaul. Tasks that had been stalled for a long time have increased dramatically according to his wishes, seemingly without end, causing both pain and pleasure.
Qi Chengming glanced around casually, and even the task area had to be categorized. At the top was [Daily Tasks]:
[Emperor's Daily Task: Posthumously confer the title of Empress Dowager (Incomplete)]
Require:
The former empress was deposed.
After avenging his mother, he posthumously honored her as the only Empress Dowager.
[Emperor's Daily Task: Successfully confer titles upon female officials (Incomplete)]
Require:
At least three people must be granted titles.
It must gain at least 50/50 approval from the imperial court.
Opposition should not exceed 50%...
[Emperor's Daily Task: A New Official's First Three Actions]
[Emperor's Daily Task: Honoring the Wet Nurse]
...
Below that is the [Infrastructure Tasks] section.
[Infrastructure Task: Luoyang City Sewers (Incomplete)]
Require:
The old sewer system in Luoyang was renovated, and a new sewer system was built based on the model of Liuzhou.
Branch Task 1: Investigate the old blueprints, plan accordingly, and provide new feasible blueprints. (Incomplete)
Branch Task Two: Establish an infrastructure team and appoint a leader. (Incomplete)
Branch Task 3, Reconstruction Completed. (Incomplete)
[Infrastructure Task: Planning Luoyang Urban Area]
[Infrastructure Task: Sanitation of Luoyang City]
[Infrastructure Task: Deploying Seismic Instruments]
[Infrastructure Task: Construct the Prince Dun's Mansion and the Prince Ning's Mansion]
"..." Qi Chengming was in a very good mood.
After ascending the throne, everything was in need of rebuilding. What he liked most about the infrastructure system was that it helped him sort things out. Whenever he had something he wanted to do, it would materialize it into a task, and there would be rewards for completing it.
However, with the Lunar New Year approaching, it's the busiest month yet, and with the change of emperor, I have to put these tasks aside for now. Well, let's take it slow. Here's a small plan—to finish all these daily tasks before the Lunar New Year palace banquet. It's not a good time to start construction now; we can deal with infrastructure projects after the New Year.
...
The Third Princess's Residence.
The figure lying on the bed was listless, with its head turned inward, wrapped in a pea-green silk quilt, and the room was filled with the bitter smell of medicinal soup.
Wang Shi sat on the edge of the bed, holding a bowl of medicine to nourish the fetus without lifting a finger, and coaxed her, "Don't think about it now, it's time to drink your medicine. Our son is waiting."
If the imperial physician hadn't arrived quickly that day, the Third Princess might not have been able to save her unborn child due to the shock, which terrified Wang Shi. These past few days, the Third Princess has been bedridden, constantly taking medicine. The imperial physician subtly hinted that while the princess's pregnancy was temporarily stable, her deep-seated anxieties were ultimately not a good sign.
But how could Wang Shi not understand what was troubling her? The Empress had committed a grave error, and His Majesty would certainly punish her. And there was nothing he could change that.
How could Wang Shi not be worried?
"The child..." The Third Princess reacted at the mention of the child in her womb, turning her pale, delicate face from behind the bed curtains. She sat up slightly, her eyes tenderly stroking her lower abdomen, and without even flinching, she drank the medicine with her husband's help.
Wang Shi carefully observed her expression and gently advised, "Wan'er, we need to cheer up. Do you know how Prince Ning is doing these days?"
The couple was in complete chaos after that day, neglecting everything else in order to protect their child. Their only concern was occasionally inquiring about the progress of the deposed empress—something the Third Princess insisted on even while bedridden.
When her younger brother was mentioned, the Third Princess's eyes lit up. She was drawn to his attention and tugged at Wang Shi's sleeve, shaking it gently twice: "Quick, go and find out! He's stubborn and impulsive, don't let him do something foolish in front of His Majesty again."
If Wang Shi didn't have all the information, how could he dare to provoke the princess? He held his wife in his arms to comfort her: "His Majesty wants Prince Ning to work in the Six Ministries after the New Year. He's been keeping him in the palace to study during this time. I heard that he's gotten along very well with the grandson of the Prince of Dun."
Even though she had been frowning for days, the Third Princess's worries disappeared when she heard this, and she couldn't help but laugh and cry: "...He's such a grown man."
How come he's playing with the imperial grandson?
Wang Shi chuckled a few times, and seeing that the Third Princess's mood had improved considerably, he stroked her black hair and said gently, "Don't worry, Prince Ning and I have already agreed that when... Her Highness arrives, both our mansions can take care of her. In the end, the new emperor is just, and it's already a blessing that we haven't been punished."
In the second half of his sentence, Wang Shi couldn't help but say something in support of the new emperor.
"..." The Third Princess's smile faded, and she helplessly acquiesced.
Deposing the Empress was more humiliating than killing her mother. But considering what her mother had done… the Third Princess was speechless. The Prince Consort was right; the Empress's fate was probably sealed. It was fortunate that the two of them, as her children, hadn't been implicated. Her younger brother, originally the Empress's legitimate son, was truly spared now that his mother had lost her status…
Thinking of this, the Third Princess grasped Wang Shi's hand and instructed him, "Prince Consort, this dynasty does not prohibit prince consorts from interfering in politics. From now on, you should do your job well in the Hanlin Academy. With the new emperor lacking manpower, it is the time for us family members to show our abilities."
Wang Shi readily agreed. He had also noticed the strange atmosphere between the new emperor and everyone else in the court recently, which made him afraid to ask other people who had had extraordinary encounters for clarification. Perhaps it would be faster to curry favor with the new emperor as the consort of the Third Princess.
Who would have thought this day would come?
Wang Shi looked at his pregnant wife. Initially, he had only intended to please the Third Princess, but after spending so much time together, he realized that the princess wasn't spoiled at all; she was intelligent, gentle, and considerate. Wang Shi's heart had long been captivated by her.
He suddenly smiled, his heart filled with the enthusiasm to serve the emperor and the country.
...
at the same time.
News of the various changes following the new emperor's ascension to the throne spread rapidly from the capital to all parts of Dingguo.
No other reason than that the Chinese New Year is just around the corner.
Officials from other regions rely on this time of year to submit their greetings to the palace, hoping the emperor will become familiar with their names. This year, the timing of the two emperors' succession to the throne is particularly delicate; if the news isn't relayed promptly, whoever submits the greeting will still be sending a greeting to the retired emperor…
Um.
The new ruler naturally understands, but how he will perceive the officials is another matter. Who isn't afraid of this? Who dares to try it?
The junior officials at the post station were constantly changing horses and handing over duties, all of them running themselves ragged. For those remote, out-of-the-way areas, they could only rely on carrier pigeons for delivery. After much persuasion, they managed to complete the task before the usual time for officials from other regions to submit their memorials of greeting.
Liuzhou.
"Su Lai, what did you say?" Prefect Mu, who had just returned from a whirlwind trip to instruct farmers on planting a crop of winter radishes and red-rooted grass, was surprised to hear his servant's report and almost doubted his ears.
"My lord, you heard me right. Lord Lu is in the government office, urgently requesting your presence!" He was always quick to urge her, and his face was flushed.
"Prince Rui, you've already ascended the throne?" Prefect Mu hadn't recovered from his shock yet, forgetting to wash the mud and dirt off his hands, before turning and rushing out.
Prefect Lu had paced around the government office countless times, practically wearing down the floor, before finally seeing him. His face lit up with a wide grin: "Have you heard? Our Prince has successfully ascended the throne! Our days are numbered!"
"That's too fast!" Prefect Mu couldn't help but turn around with his hands behind his back.
None of them were mentally prepared.
Prince Rui was made crown prince upon his return to the capital, but... how long has he been crown prince? Everyone thought there would be more to come. After all, the emperor still has a legitimate son, and there are also young princes who have just come of age. Their emperor is not like the late emperor and Taizong who decided on a crown prince early on; it has been so long before he finally did.
Who knows—
He's already on the throne?!
Prefect Mu felt a little dizzy, and the thought of his elderly father in the capital who never relayed anything to him gave him an even bigger headache.
Lu Yu grinned so hard his teeth were showing, rubbing his hands together happily, completely losing his composure as a prefect: "It is a bit fast, but it's good that it's fast!"
He hadn't expected the new emperor to ascend the throne earlier than in his previous life. But—with the new emperor's ascension, the entire Jiangnan faction panicked! The retired emperor had been using the people of Jiangnan as a source of revenue, competing with the Hedong faction. But their new emperor himself was exceptionally good at making money; what if the people of Jiangnan lost this support in the new dynasty?
As an old man who had stayed by the new emperor's side from the very beginning, Lu Yu was a minister in the emperor's pre-imperial residence and thus gained importance.
A letter came from one of their Jiangnan faction leaders... From today onwards, they will fully support Lu Yu!
The future is bright.
Lu Yu was experiencing both pain and pleasure.
...In the future, should he return to the capital and rise through the ranks, or should he stay in Liuzhou and guard this familiar land for the new emperor?
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The author's note: Once you become emperor, you should first straighten out the court, then you can free up your time to undertake large-scale infrastructure projects!
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