After getting up in the morning, Zhu Xiong Ying washed up with the help of her maids. Looking at the bleak autumn wind outside the window, she still wrapped her cloak tighter.
Wang Chengen jogged to the outside of Longfu Palace, where the guards were already prepared. Today, the Crown Prince was going to inspect the residences of these craftsmen and to see their lives.
In fact, establishing a capital city is not something that can be done overnight; it is quite normal for it to take ten or twenty years.
For example, Yingtian Prefecture, with a current population of nearly two million, is still under construction and has been ongoing for over twenty years. And the construction of Beiping as the capital is only just beginning.
A large number of craftsmen came, and people also needed to be relocated to populate Beiping. Those forcibly relocated to Beiping included refugees from various places, wealthy families from Jiangnan, and merchants from Shanxi, etc. There is a lot of work to be done next.
Next, the construction of the palace and city walls would require sourcing precious timber and stone from all over the country. These preparations would take a considerable amount of time, and then it would be necessary to fire special bricks—golden bricks—for use in the royal buildings…
These preparations cannot be done overnight; they all require a great deal of time.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Zhu Xiong Ying will likely reside permanently in Beiping for the next five or ten years. If Beiping doesn't reach a certain size, there's no immediate possibility of relocating the capital; these are things that require time to accomplish.
Zhu Xiong Ying appeared quite calm at this time. Looking at the somewhat desolate Beiping, Zhu Xiong Ying felt that Beiping was not only somewhat desolate, but also had an overly strong aura of a military stronghold.
This was all thanks to his future father-in-law. In the first year of the Hongwu reign, Xu Da conquered Dadu (Beijing), the capital of the Yuan Dynasty. He then relocated some of the city's residents to Kaifeng, razed the Yuan palaces, and built Jingshan Hill on the site. To facilitate defense, the northern city wall was moved south, turning the once bustling Yuan capital into a relatively deserted northern border city.
Zhu Xiong Ying looked around Jingshan and smiled. The famous Jingshan is also known as Coal Hill. Of course, it's not called that now. During the Yuan Dynasty, it was called Qingshan, and it was changed to Jingshan during the Qing Dynasty. Now, because it's piled with a lot of coal, it's called Coal Hill.
The officials from the Imperial Observatory enthusiastically introduced Jingshan Mountain. Its location is right on the central axis of the city and it serves as a barrier to the north of the imperial palace. Therefore, feng shui masters call it "Zhenshan" (meaning "guardian mountain").
Zhu Xiong Ying suddenly became interested, because this place was towering and majestic, with lush trees and magnificent scenery, making it the best place in Beiping City to climb high and enjoy a panoramic view of the entire city. Therefore, the planning for this place should also make it a royal garden.
"No locust trees are allowed on Coal Hill, only evergreen pines," Zhu Xiong Ying said bluntly without much explanation. "Wang Cheng En, keep a close eye on this area. If there are any locust trees, you'll be in big trouble!"
Although he didn't understand why His Highness the Crown Prince said that, Wang Chengen replied without hesitation, "This servant obeys."
No locust trees are allowed on Coal Hill. Zhu Xiong Ying gave the order, and even though many people didn't understand why, it didn't affect their determination to carry it out. After all, it wasn't a big deal, and whether or not there were locust trees wouldn't affect the etiquette or the scenery of Coal Hill.
Zhu Xiong Ying smiled. Perhaps others didn't understand some of his thoughts, but Zhu Xiong Ying knew what he was thinking.
However, Zhu Xiong Ying also felt that if he were to succeed to the throne, it would likely not be his fourth uncle's lineage that ascended to the throne. In that case, figures like the Great War God of the Ming Dynasty, the Coal Hill Emperor, the Carpenter Emperor, or the Daoist Emperor would certainly not appear.
Looking at these craftsmen, Zhu Xiong Ying was fairly satisfied. He wouldn't expect them to be treated according to the standards of later generations, as that would be unrealistic.
After a brief look at Coal Hill, Zhu Xiong Ying didn't rest. He continued to confirm the situation regarding the imperial city. This didn't really require too much of his attention. With the imperial city of Yingtian Prefecture as a model, Zhu Xiong Ying only needed to ensure that the general direction was correct.
In a good mood, Zhu Xiong Ying has been busy for half a month. In addition to arranging some personnel matters, he is also handling some military and political affairs. He also needs to visit the border troops and the craftsmen. He simply can't stay idle.
At this time, Zhu Xiong Ying admired his grandfather even more. Not everyone was a workaholic like Zhu, and not everyone could handle such a high-intensity job.
Zhu Xiong Ying felt some pressure and realized that being a good emperor was not an easy task.
Having three palaces and six courtyards, or engaging in absurd and nonsensical practices, is not so easy. To be a wise ruler, diligence in governance seems to be the most basic requirement, which is by no means an easy task, and the pressure is considerable.
Zhu Xiong Ying's mood is generally good. Although she seems quite busy now, she feels quite at ease.
It's true that there are countless things to do, but Zhu Xiong Ying can also feel that she has made considerable progress during this period. In these tedious tasks, she has gained more experience and improved herself.
This is how Zhu Xiong Ying feels right now. He feels relatively at ease, mainly because he has made considerable progress and improvement during this period of time. He can feel that he has gained a greater understanding of his subordinates through his interactions with them.
Although he was indeed the crown prince, and he was indeed the focus of attention for some nobles, civil and military officials, Zhu Xiong Ying was also very clear that he needed more experience and the ability to "recognize people".
Zhu Xiong Ying is currently focusing on proper training and steadily taking over a series of affairs in Beiping. This is what he is doing now, which makes him feel that time is passing relatively quickly.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
