In Chapter 2, in a single sentence, it was he who oversaw the construction of Chang'an City…
Five million!
Lu Xiaoqi's pupils contracted sharply, and her heart began to pound, but the excitement lasted only a short while before she quickly regained her composure. It wasn't that she was too greedy, but to open this ancient town, throwing in five million would probably only result in a small profit. Moreover, this was a reward she would receive after completing the mission, which wouldn't solve her immediate financial crisis at all.
She looked down again—
[Weekly Task: Select three NPC characters and properly place them.]
[Limited Time Offer: Seven Days]
[Task Reward: 10,000 RMB in cash.]
[You will receive one chance to draw a card for every two completed weekly tasks.]
Complete ten weekly tasks to unlock the basic maintenance features for the ancient town.
Lu Xiaoqi's eyes lit up; the task and reward were quite good. After all, five million was out of reach, while this ten thousand was readily available, enough for her to temporarily settle three people. Once the ancient town opened, things would be even easier.
She decided to be gentler with her complaints about the system from now on. After all, it's not like it's completely stingy...
After reviewing the task list, Lu Xiaoqi opened the system card pool. In the card slot, there was already a card radiating a purple-gold light. The patterns on the back of the card were ancient and simple, clearly indicating its extraordinary nature. Turning it over, a line of dark gold seal script first appeared on the card:
[The ingenious construction of the imperial city laments the people's suffering—Yuwen Kai.]
[Character Attribute: SSR]
[Abilities: (Grayed out and not displayed)]
[Degree of freedom: High]
Then, the words transformed into specks of light and dissipated into the air. The image of an old man appeared on the card. He looked very refined, his temples were white, but he still stood tall and dignified. However, his brows were always unconsciously furrowed deeply, forming deep lines, making him appear stern, yet also carrying an unyielding sorrow.
The NPCs are actually historical figures!
Yuwen Kai?
Lu Xiaoqi quickly searched her mind, and soon a surge of joy welled up inside her.
This is a perfect start! Has she finally escaped her unlucky streak and entered the lucky one?!
She had previously made history popular science videos and knew about Yuwen Kai. He was neither a literary figure whose poems were passed down through the ages, nor a military general with unparalleled achievements; many people had never heard of him.
but!
He oversaw the construction of Chang'an City.
This simple sentence is enough to summarize his achievements; he is undoubtedly a master architect!
Chang'an was first built during the Han Dynasty, but by the Sui Dynasty, it was already overburdened. Not only were the palaces and residences dilapidated, but the drainage and other infrastructure were also in serious trouble. In the second year of the Kaihuang era, Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, appointed Yuwen Kai as deputy supervisor to build a new city.
Although he was called the deputy supervisor, everyone knew that the top supervisor was just a figurehead; the real work was done by the deputy supervisors!
The imperial city built by Yuwen Kai was initially called Daxing City, and it was more than twice the size of Chang'an City during the Han Dynasty. Later, after the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, it was renamed Chang'an City, where the prosperous Tang Dynasty was founded, officially marking the beginning of the magnificent feudal dynastic history of the "Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties" that is most familiar to modern people!
Unfortunately, the ancient city of Chang'an was abandoned in the subsequent wars, and now only some ruins remain for later generations to imagine its former glory.
Lu Xiaoqi felt like she had found an oasis when she was thirsty, or a pillow when she was sleepy. He was a master of city construction; restoring such a small ancient town like hers would be a piece of cake.
However... she asked the system, "Are these all real people? What if they don't follow orders?"
Yuwen Kai rose to the position of Minister of Works in history, truly reaching the pinnacle of officialdom.
She was a little uneasy.
System: "Some are simply projections of a historical event, while others are real people who have traveled through time, but all are normal life forms. Players need not worry; all card characters have signed contracts with this system. Any violation will result in liability for breach of contract. In the most serious cases, they will be directly deported."
Lu Xiaoqi felt relieved: "So I can just treat them as hired employees?"
However, my hometown is somewhat different from others.
"That's the theory," the system said. "Players will have to figure out the specific ways to interact on their own."
After the explanation, Lu Xiaoqi roughly understood that the cards that the system could draw were divided into three categories: SSR, SR, and R cards. SSR cards were the rarest and most powerful, followed by SR cards, and R cards were the most common.
Their contract with the system is for three years, during which they must serve Lu Xiaoqi's ancient town. If they are dissatisfied with their life in the town after three years, they are free to leave and live their own lives.
But SSR is different.
System: "SSR characters are mostly historical figures whose names are recorded in history books. They are generated by capturing historical projections using special technology. They had obsessions in life, and players can only stabilize their life forms by fulfilling their wishes; otherwise, they will dissipate after three years."
Lu Xiaoqi frowned, feeling a lot of pressure.
The system continued, "Correspondingly, if you can fulfill their wishes, they will gain a special ability to help players better revive and manage the ancient town."
Lu Xiaoqi realized: "That's why Yuwen Kai's ability is grayed out."
Because it is still in a sealed state.
Just as the two sides were communicating, the system reminded her: "The character has been successfully deployed. Players can view the specific coordinates on the holographic map."
Lu Xiaoqi looked closely and sure enough, she saw a newly appeared little figure in a corner of the ancient town model. Above the little figure's head was a line of black characters, which, upon closer inspection, were the three characters "Yuwen Kai".
Lu Xiaoqi clicked her tongue in amazement; it really felt like checking NPCs on a map while playing a game.
After thinking for a moment, she decided against drawing the other two NPCs for now, to avoid being overwhelmed. She'd rather wait until she'd settled Yuwen Kai before considering it. Having made up her mind, Lu Xiaoqi retrieved the drone and quickly headed towards Yuwen Kai's location.
At this moment, Yuwen Kai, who had just arrived in this world, stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the roof of a building beside him, his brows furrowed, seemingly lost in thought. Hearing footsteps, he turned his gaze to Lu Xiaoqi, who was running towards him.
He wore a crimson round-necked robe, his hair was tied up, and he wore a turban; his temples were already completely white. He was a Xianbei, with a deep-set face, but his refined demeanor made him appear less foreign and more distinguished. However, his eyebrows were always furrowed, making him look serious and somewhat sorrowful.
Lu Xiaoqi coughed lightly, quickly stopped, and gave a polite bow: "Teacher Yuwen... Teacher Yuwen."
The titles "Lord Yuwen" and "Master Yuwen" sound too formal and awkward in modern times. Let's just call him "Teacher" instead, which is more fitting.
"I am Yuwen Kai." Yuwen Kai nodded.
He looked at the somewhat boisterous young girl in front of him with some curiosity. He felt that Lu Xiaoqi's clothes and temperament were completely different from the young women he had ever met, which made him feel a little uncomfortable. However, seeing her bright smile and sparkling eyes reminded him of his granddaughter at home, and he felt a little lost for a moment.
Yuwen Kai did not arrive here entirely in a daze.
The system had informed him that this was China a thousand years in the future, and that he had gained this extraordinary opportunity because of his achievements in his professional field. Therefore, their communication was quite smooth.
After exchanging a few words, Lu Xiaoqi tentatively asked, "Teacher Yuwen, did the system tell you what your mission is here?"
Yuwen Kai nodded and said calmly, "The system only tells me to assist Lady Lu in rebuilding the ancient town. Moreover, Lady Lu can grant me one wish, and only after that wish is fulfilled can I continue to live in this world. Therefore, I will follow Lady Lu's instructions."
Although this Miss Lu did not appear to be of noble birth or from a prominent family, her connection to the system clearly indicated she was no ordinary person. Therefore, Yuwen Kai treated Lu Xiaoqi with great courtesy.
He then comforted Lu Xiaoqi, saying, "It's already a rare and wonderful encounter. Let things take their course; there's no need to force anything."
Lu Xiaoqi breathed a sigh of relief and smiled broadly: "Don't worry, Teacher Yuwen, I will do my best!"
She checked with Yuwen Kai again and found that the system was quite reliable this time; Yuwen Kai now had an identity and was carrying identification. This was precisely the problem that had been troubling her most. In this information age, everything is connected to the internet, and unregistered individuals can be exposed in an instant.
“In that case, shall we go back first?” she suggested, glancing around. “Things in this town can’t be rushed.”
She went back to organize the data taken by the drone today and to figure out her next steps.
Yuwen Kai naturally had no objections. He looked around, but in the end, he couldn't help but furrow his brows even more: "Who built this house? It's so rough and perfunctory, the layout is messy, it's a complete mess!"
His dissatisfaction was palpable in his words.
Lu Xiaoqi suddenly recalled historical records stating that Yuwen Kai was extremely strict with the craftsmen when building Chang'an, even personally climbing onto the rooftops to examine the patterns on every tile. Given his discerning eye, the architecture and details of this ancient town probably wouldn't meet his standards.
She chuckled awkwardly, "It was just... built randomly, we can change it later. By the way, Teacher Yuwen, you can just call me Xiaolu or Xiaoqi."
Just now, Yuwen Kai asked her what her birth order was in her family. When he found out that she was the eldest child in her family, he called her "Aunt Lu". Lu Xiaoqi was drinking water at the time, which almost made her spit it out and cough for a long time.
Yuwen Kai was not stubborn and readily agreed: "In that case, I will call you Young Friend Lu."
Lu Xiaoqi: "That works too."
The two left the town one after the other.
The driver saw Lu Xiaoqi go out alone and then come out with two people, and the one who came out was dressed in ancient costume. She almost thought that something had followed Lu Xiaoqi and was so frightened that she jumped.
Lu Xiaoqi came up with the explanation she had prepared beforehand, saying that she had met a film crew shooting a short drama at the other end of the town, and this was one of the actors. He had urgent business to attend to in the city and asked her for a ride.
The driver was easygoing and didn't think much of it.
"Teacher Yuwen, please sit with me in the back."
The female driver was surprised: "Oh, this is your Chinese teacher? Did you change careers later?"
Lu Xiaoqi: "...Yes! That's why I said I'd give him a ride, haha."
On the other side, Yuwen Kai got into the car with Lu Xiaoqi. On the surface, he seemed calm, but in reality, his heart was in turmoil!
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