At this time, Zhao Xian had already received the news that the emperor's entire family and some senior officials in the court were on their way to Shuixian Village.
They are expected to arrive in about ten days. The town of Narcissus must be prepared to welcome these distinguished guests.
The palace by the lake has long been built, and the decorations, flowers, and trees inside were planted at the beginning of the palace's construction and are now thriving.
It is anticipated that the old emperor will stay in Shuixian Town for some time after arriving, making it especially important to protect the safety of the old emperor and his family.
Zhao Xian was not worried about this. At this time, Shuixian Town was the county seat of Zhengyang County. The county government not only had a large number of yamen runners, but also a dedicated patrol team. More importantly, there were 100,000 troops stationed here, making the entire county seat like an iron barrel.
As the magistrate of Zhengyang County, Wang Zhibo has been extremely busy lately. Since the county seat was moved to Shuixian Town, large-scale construction and industrial development in the new county seat have never stopped.
It had been a year and a half since Ouyang Nan last returned to Shuixian Town. At that time, Wang Zhibo had considered it for a long time and wrote a letter for Ouyang Nan to take to the emperor when he returned to the capital.
After receiving Wang Zhibo's letter, Li Guang carefully studied it and greatly appreciated Wang Zhibo's construction ideas. He then replied to Wang Zhibo, encouraging him to go ahead and do it boldly, assuring him that the court would give him strong support.
In the following period, Wang Zhibo followed his own ideas, intensified the construction of the new county town, and worked hard to develop the industrial economy.
The rapid expansion of the new county town brought a large influx of migrants who quickly settled down, leading to a rapid increase in the county town's population.
Wang Zhibo knew that to make Shuixian Town a unique and important town in the Great Northern Dynasty, two conditions were necessary: well-developed infrastructure and a large population base.
Based on the current development status, Wang Zhibo is confident that he can build Shuixian Town into an important town of the Northern Dynasty.
By this time, Li Guang's caravan had traveled more than halfway. The old emperor had been riding in the carriage for half a day and was ready to get off and walk around.
Li Guang nodded and ordered the carriage to stop. He accompanied the old emperor on the official road, while the carriage followed slowly behind.
The temperature was a bit high this season, but it didn't feel hot. As the old emperor walked along the official road, a refreshing breeze blew by, and he felt relaxed and happy.
Li Guang accompanied the old emperor on his journey. Although the pace was not fast, the old emperor's steps were steady, showing no signs of having suffered a stroke.
When some members of the royal family and senior officials saw the Emperor Emeritus get out of his car and walk, they also got out and followed behind.
Although sitting in the carriage is very comfortable, the air is definitely not as good as outside. Getting out of the carriage to walk around, breathe in the fresh air, enjoy the surrounding scenery, and stretch your muscles is a great choice.
The old emperor walked for more than an hour on the official road and was clearly a little tired, so he stopped walking and got into his carriage.
The old emperor sat for a while, drank some tea, then lay down on the bed to rest and soon fell asleep.
A few days later, Li Guang calculated the distance and estimated that the caravan would arrive at Shuixian Town in two more days.
Li Guang immediately handed the convoy over to a general who was accompanying him, instructing him to protect the convoy and its entourage. He then returned to Shuixian Town to make arrangements, and two days later, he would go out of the town to welcome the retired emperor.
After arranging things, Li Guang bid farewell to the old emperor and returned to Shuixian Town, promising to meet again in two days.
Li Guang mounted the Di Nu horse, squeezed his legs together, and the Di Nu horse galloped forward, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
At this moment, Wang Zhibo and Zhao Xian were on the official road far from the town entrance. Just now, a scout reported that the Emperor Emeritus's convoy was not far from Shuixian Town. In two more days, the convoy would arrive at Shuixian Town.
At this time, not only the emperor and the retired emperor came to Shuixian Village, but also many members of the royal family. Many old ministers who had followed the retired emperor for many years also came, making it a powerful lineup.
As the two were discussing how to welcome these distinguished guests, they saw a warhorse galloping towards them along the official road in the distance.
The crisp sound of horses' hooves approached from afar; Zhao Xian was all too familiar with that sound.
"The Emperor has arrived."
Zhao Xian was overjoyed. Wang Zhibo looked in the direction of the sound and saw the warhorse arrive in front of them in an instant.
The man on horseback was Li Guang. He was not wearing a dragon robe, and judging from his attire, no one knew that he was the emperor.
When Li Guang rode over, he saw Zhao Xian and Wang Zhibo standing in front of him. He was overjoyed and quickly dismounted when his horse came to their side.
When Zhao Xian and Wang Zhibo saw Li Guang, they stepped forward and prepared to kneel down, but Li Guang stopped them.
Li Guang strode up to Zhao Xian, disregarding any semblance of decorum between ruler and subject, and embraced him tightly, excitedly exclaiming:
"Brother Zhao, it's been so long! I've missed you so much!"
Wang Zhibo was dumbfounded when he saw this. Was this still the emperor?
Zhao Xian also felt that Li Guang's behavior was somewhat inappropriate, but he understood Li Guang's feelings at this time.
"Your Majesty, we have finally been waiting for your return. This is not the place to talk. Let's go back to the Marquis's residence first."
Li Guang looked around. Although it was still more than ten miles away from Shuixian Town, there were buildings on both sides of the road. In a few years, this place would be part of the new county town.
It was only then that Li Guang noticed the scene around him. Wang Zhibo was a man of great talent and wisdom with a broad vision. His goal was to make Shuixian Town a unique and important town.
There were many construction projects underway on both sides, and a large number of craftsmen were still busy at work. The actions of these few people had already attracted the attention of onlookers.
Li Guang is now the emperor, and can no longer act as he did in the past. It is important to know that the emperor's travels must be kept strictly confidential.
Zhao Xian is right. This is not the place to talk. We should leave as soon as possible and go back first.
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