Father can be an enemy to the country

"Outside the city?" Li Heng drawled. He wished he could build the palace outside the city, but isn't this too outrageous? "This is against the rules!"

"Why is it against the rules? Find out for me, which rule prohibits the palace from being built outside the city?" Zhu Zhen asked.

"There is indeed no rule that says that the palace cannot be built outside the city, but...how can the palace be built outside the city?" Li Heng said dumbfounded: "According to Zhou rites, outside the city is where barbarians live, how can the king live there? What about outside the city?"

"It's simple. Build another city wall and encircle the palace. Wouldn't that solve the problem?" Lao Liu smiled and said, "How about it? I must be smart."

"Your Highness, do you mean to expand the city? That is not something that a lower official dares to discuss." Li Heng waved his hands hurriedly and said: "At the beginning, Wei Guan only opened Qiu Yi in the city, but he was labeled as 'the river that opened the country's defeat' , this Suzhou is too sensitive in the eyes of the emperor..."

"I understand, don't you just dare not mention it?" Zhu Zhen understood clearly and said, "You can safely and boldly choose a site for me and plan a big new city. All matters concerning the imperial court will be left to me." Give it to me, the king."

"According to the order." Li Heng responded hurriedly and softly. Being able to avoid taking responsibility and not disturbing the people was certainly what he wanted.

Li Heng resigned, and Xiaobangzi came in again and reported, "Grandpa, there are many people here again, kneeling outside with them."

"Kneel down, just kneel down, and ask them to step aside and not block the road." Zhu Zhen had a cold face and went to take a nap with his hands behind his back.

When he woke up, it was completely dark. Then they had dinner happily with Teacher Luo. Luo Guanzhong couldn't help but remind him: "Your Highness, they are still kneeling outside."

"I hate this the most. Why, I have to forgive you just because you're kneeling down? That's fine, go ahead and do as much evil as you like. Anyway, there's nothing that kneeling can't solve." His Highness King Chu ate an extra bowl of rice angrily.

"It's the twelfth lunar month of winter. If you really kneel down all night, you will die." Luo Guanzhong advised: "No, it's not their crime that will lead to death."

"Are you from Shandong? You said that in reverse." Lao Liu rolled his eyes angrily, and after a while he said: "In another hour... not in advance... you go out and tell them to stay away, I Wang hates being coerced the most..."

~~

Exactly an hour later, it was already midnight, the weather was freezing cold, and all the people from the Returning Home Sect who had been kneeling for a long time were almost frozen into popsicles.

But they still gritted their teeth and persisted, no one dared to say anything back.

At this time, the closed door slowly opened, and the guard let out a gentleman carrying a lantern, it was Luo Guanzhong.

Luo Guanzhong asked the guards to open the gate again and came to the crowd.

"Luo, Mr. Luo, is His Highness willing to see us?" Shen Rong asked tremblingly with his lips turning purple from the cold and his teeth chattering.

Luo Guanzhong shook his head and sighed: "His Royal Highness said that it is useless for you to do this. He hates being coerced."

"I, we are not coercing His Highness, we are just expressing repentance." Gu Yuanchen turned around with difficulty as he spoke, and said to the group of returnees behind him: "A group of smart-alecks have betrayed His Highness's trust in vain. Death is irredeemable!"

"We were really wrong. We shouldn't be clever..." Everyone trembled and said, "I don't dare to do it anymore. Please give me a chance, Your Highness."

"If you want to express repentance to His Highness, you cannot just kneel down," Luo Guanzhong tightened his cotton robe and said, "Some people value attitude, but Your Highness only values ​​results. So you should go back and perform well in the future. Winning back His Highness's trust is the correct way to express repentance."

"Mr. Luo." Gu Yuanchen looked at Luo Guanzhong eagerly and asked pitifully: "Will Your Highness give us a chance?"

"What do you think?" Luo Guanzhong shook his head and chuckled: "You are so concerned that you are confused. Your Highness has a broad mind. Even those behind bars who have committed crimes are willing to forgive, not to mention that you just made mistakes?"

"Ah, thank you sir for your advice!" Shen Rong understood immediately. Your Highness has worked so hard to achieve a situation where two tigers are fighting against each other. How can you allow one family to regain dominance?

He hurriedly gave a deep gift and said, "We will remember your great kindness and virtue."

"You thanked the wrong person. I'm just someone's tool." Luo Guanzhong shook his head, but he didn't appreciate it.

"Thank you for your tolerance, Your Highness. We will never be confused again, otherwise we will be destroyed by heaven and earth and go to the eighteenth level of hell!" Shen Rong and Gu Yuanchen hurriedly led everyone to the palace and swore loudly. After four bows, they helped each other to get up and stumbled. gone.

Luo Guanzhong looked at their embarrassed figures and couldn't help but let out a long sigh. In fact, he knew that these people's crimes were not that serious, and the reason why His Highness wanted to deal with them severely was just because he needed to suppress their arrogance.

Otherwise, this group of people will always consider themselves His Highness's cronies, and even if the behind bars faction is released, they will still be crushed to death by them. The two factions are balanced and no one can overwhelm the other. This is the most harmonious situation in His Highness' eyes.

That's why His Highness promoted the Behind bars faction and suppressed the Homecoming faction... Even if they didn't make this mistake, Your Highness would find other reasons to deal with them. Of course, they won't be convinced like they are now...

‘Thief Cao, you are so cunning and deceitful! ’ Teacher Luo sighed secretly at the end, turned around and entered the palace gate.

~~

The end of the year is getting closer and closer, but the sound of looms in Suzhou City still has no intention of stopping. Both the hometown return faction and the behind-the-scenes faction have given workers double wages so that they can work overtime and speed up production. Pull the output up!

Those contestants from behind bars at the bottom of the rankings even sold their belongings and frantically purchased factories, looms, and hired workers, eager to spend every last penny they had. As a result, in this year, which is supposed to be the quietest month, a new round of investment boom has set off!

Li Heng also seized the time and selected three alternative locations for His Highness. After Zhu Zhen's on-site inspection, he basically determined that the palace would be built in the west of the city and north of Qili Shantang Street. The terrain here is higher, so there is no risk of moisture. Most of the land is hilly, and there is no worry of disturbing the people.

Moreover, it is adjacent to the canal, and the Shantang River connects the city and the canal. It has always been a place with prosperous commerce and bustling shops. However, in the troubled times at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the Ming army besieged Suzhou City for ten months, and the buildings inside and outside the city were almost reduced to white ground. Ten years have passed, and the city has been left to recover, but Shantang Street has not had time to recover.

"The palace is built here, and Shantang Street will regain its glory soon." Zhu Zhen stood on the bell tower of Hanshan Temple and pointed to Jiangshan Road: "Then extending the north and south city walls of Suzhou westward to the canal will expand the area of ​​Suzhou City. times, leaving enough room for future development.”

"Your Highness is really far-sighted and cares about the people," Li Heng praised sincerely, "This is the first time that a prince links his palace to the prosperity of the city!"

"Hey, this king is also doing it for himself. I will suffer both the glory and the loss." Zhu Zhen resisted the urge to write a poem and asked with a laugh: "Tomorrow is the New Year. The results of the quantitative evaluation are out, right?"

"We stayed up all night last night and finally got out." Li Heng signaled, and Magistrate Xue quickly presented it.

Zhu Zhen glanced through it quickly, signed it, returned the form to Li Heng, and said, "Okay, let them go home for the New Year."

"You should also pack up and celebrate the New Year early. Everyone has worked hard this year." He smiled at Li Heng again and said, "I am also going back to Beijing to celebrate the New Year."

"I'll be waiting to see off His Highness." Li Heng and others hurriedly bowed deeply and watched His Highness board the boat parked outside Hanshan Temple.

His boat was parked outside Hanshan Temple.

【End of this volume】