"His Majesty only wants to make the Empress happy."
The prime minister's profound words spread like wildfire throughout the court and the country.
Thus, that most "boring" imperial edict in history was imbued with an extreme romanticism. The civil and military officials, initially bewildered and confused, gradually transformed into a complex and subtle... acquiescence.
Since it was the emperor who spent a fortune to make the empress smile, what could his ministers do besides cooperate?
Oppose it? Try to reason with an emperor who is immersed in love and holds the power of the world? Don't be ridiculous, the moss in front of Imperial Censor Liu's house is almost three feet thick.
Thus, with the strong impetus of imperial power and the tacit approval of the officials, a renovation plan for the capital city called "Chang'an Lane" was launched at an unprecedented speed.
...
Yong'anfang, the capital city.
"Make way! Make way! This is official business!"
Early in the morning, Wang Er, a waiter working at the teahouse, was awakened by a commotion outside. He grumbled as he opened the window, peeked out, and was immediately jolted awake by the sight before him.
The already crowded streets were now completely blocked. But the people blocking the road weren't ordinary citizens; instead, it was a group of artisans dressed in the official robes of the Ministry of Works and a large number of laborers. Pushing wheelbarrows and carrying shovels and hoes, under the direction of an official, they were actually... digging the ground?
"Hey! Sir, what are you doing?" Wang Er couldn't help but shout at the top of his lungs, "Why are you digging up this perfectly good road? How are we supposed to do business here?"
His shout drew the attention of shop owners and early-rising residents, who all poked their heads out and began to discuss the matter.
Upon hearing this, the official from the Ministry of Works was not angry at all. Instead, he explained loudly, "By order of His Majesty and the Empress! In order to improve the appearance of the capital and solve the problem of sewage overflow, we are laying underground sewage pipes! During the construction period, there may be inconvenience. We hope that all of you will be understanding! After the project is completed, we will give everyone a clean and tidy capital!"
Underground sewage pipes?
This new term left everyone completely bewildered. But they heard the phrase "solving the problem of overflowing sewage" very clearly.
Who among the common people living in the capital has not suffered from overflowing sewage? Especially in the summer, the sight of swarms of mosquitoes and flies and the stench was a nightmare. The government had tried to find solutions, but these were merely temporary fixes; the sewage would soon return to its original state.
Now, judging from the official's words, he wants to solve the problem at its root?
The people were skeptical, but since it was the emperor and empress's decree, they dared not say anything more and could only close their doors and windows and watch the craftsmen busily working in the streets.
And this scene is not limited to Yong'anfang.
In the days that followed, the entire capital city seemed to have turned into a giant construction site.
Countless artisans and laborers were organized and, under the supervision of officials from the Ministry of Works and... female officials, began a city-wide "great cleanup".
The people were surprised to find that this transformation was far more than just digging a few ditches.
The long-standing problems of overflowing sewage and littered garbage are being solved by newly built sewage pipes and a new fixed garbage collection system. Every morning, a dedicated team pushes garbage trucks, collecting garbage from house to house and transporting it to designated locations outside the city for processing. The streets are no longer filled with those stinking piles of garbage.
Some main roads that were originally narrow, crowded, and mixed with pedestrians and vehicles have been redesigned. The roads have been widened, and even dedicated pedestrian and carriage lanes have been marked out on both sides with lime. Although people are not used to it yet, the overall traffic efficiency of the streets has indeed been greatly improved.
A newly opened road separates the commercial and residential areas in the south of the city. Shops in the commercial area are encouraged to expand along the street, while in the depths of the residential area, the illegally constructed shantytowns that were demolished have not been rebuilt with new houses, but have been covered with turf and planted with trees, turning into "public green spaces" that they have never heard of before.
The entire capital city seemed to be transformed overnight by an invisible hand.
The people don't know what "urban planning" is, nor do they understand what "functional zoning" is.
All they knew was that the road beneath their feet had become clean.
The stinking ditch in front of my house is gone.
The streets have become wider.
The air seemed much fresher.
Life is truly getting more and more comfortable.
Initially, the people viewed this large-scale "clean-up" with a spectator's mentality. But when these changes truly happened around them and improved their lives, that mentality gradually turned into heartfelt support and gratitude.
"Oh my, Aunt Zhang, your front door is so clean! I remember there was a huge garbage dump here just the other day!"
"That's right! Now someone comes to collect it every day, who would still litter on the ground! I heard that this idea was conceived by our Empress!"
"Really? I only heard that His Majesty wanted to install sewers in the capital. So it was the Empress's idea?"
"Of course it's true! Didn't you see? The lady-in-waiting from Kunning Palace who follows the Minister of Works around every day, pointing and gesturing with a blueprint! My nephew, who works at the Ministry of Works, said that the entire renovation of the capital is under the Empress's jurisdiction! That incredible blueprint, called 'Chang'an Lane,' was also drawn by the Empress herself!"
"My goodness! Our Empress is truly amazing! I'd only ever heard of her devising divine strategies to save lives from disasters, but I never imagined she'd even concern herself with the most trivial matters in our daily lives!"
"Indeed! Everyone says she's a goddess descended from heaven to assist His Majesty, and I think it's absolutely true! Such an empress is truly a blessing for our Great Liang!"
For a time, the legend of the "Goddess Queen" spread everywhere, from the streets and alleys to the teahouses and taverns.
People praised the "citywide cleanup" and attributed all the benefits to the Empress, who lived deep within the palace but cared deeply for the people.
Her popularity among the people reached an unprecedented peak.
Gradually, a strange sight appeared.
Outside the towering walls of Kunning Palace, on that open space that was once only patrolled by guards, people began to spontaneously come.
They come here for no other reason than to silently offer their prayers in the direction of Kunning Palace, or to place a bouquet of flowers picked from their own courtyard.
They had no fancy words, only the simplest thoughts—they wanted to pray for the good queen who had brought them blessings.
At first, it was just one or two people.
Later, it grew to a dozen, then dozens.
In the end, the number of people coming to pray outside Kunning Palace every day was so great that it formed a unique scene. They dared not make a sound, but expressed their most sincere gratitude from afar in the most devout way.
This bottom-up torrent of public opinion was more powerful than any imperial edict; it silently, yet with unwavering determination, solidified the empress's supreme position.
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