Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

Another ten minutes passed, and Fang Zheng staggered out of the outhouse.

He was incredibly weak, leaning against the wall, his legs trembling slightly.

In this world without toilets, squatting for a long time was nothing short of torture.

Li Yuanzhao immediately rushed to support him, his expression conflicted as he said, "Why did you eat that swill? Just stay here and rest for a day, I'll go out and take a look myself."

"What swill! That's Western food!" Fang Zheng pursed his lips: "I'm fine, get me some salt water, and we'll set off after a little rest."

"Right... Xie Xian, go and notify Lai Gou'er to install toilets in the Holy City! Leave no pit un-toileted!"

Xie Xian responded and left with Zhou Tie.

"Lao Fang, you still have the mind to think about this?"

Fang Zheng steadied himself, grabbed Li Yuanzhao's sleeve, and said weakly, "Your Majesty, promise me one thing."

"I promise, go ahead."

"After we defeat the Prince of Wu, order all Western countries to build toilets."

Li Yuanzhao's brow twitched incessantly.

Lao Fang really has an obsession with toilets! But his request isn't too difficult.

"Rest for a while first, we'll talk about it when you're feeling better."

.....

Half an hour later, everyone was ready.

Li Yuanzhao and the weakened Fang Zheng were at the front, with Lai Gou'er acting as interpreter.

Huo Pu, who had contributed significantly to the construction of the Holy City over the years, also came along, making him a perfect companion.

However, there was another person beside him, with a very unfamiliar face.

Fang Zheng raised his chin towards Lai Gou'er, signaling him to introduce the new foreigner.

Lai Gou'er understood and introduced, "Your Majesty, Lord Marquis, this man is called Blake, and he is an important partner of Huo Pu. Their business has been growing bigger and bigger in the past two years. The sand, stone, and wood used in the construction of many buildings in our Great Jing in the Holy City, and even the current construction teams, are all provided by him. After you inspect the buildings in the city later, if there's anything you're not satisfied with, I can order him to rectify it."

"This time, he also learned of Your Majesty's arrival in the city and immediately asked Huo Pu for an opportunity to admire Your Majesty's heavenly countenance."

Li Yuanzhao nodded and said casually, "Very well, anyone who cooperates with our Great Jing is a talent. Let him accompany us."

Lai Gou'er turned to translate to Huo Pu and Blake.

Upon hearing this, Blake's face broke into a smile, and he trotted to Emperor Jing and solemnly performed a salute, saying an auspicious greeting.

Fang Zheng said, "Gou'er, have you arranged the itinerary for His Majesty's visit today? Bring the map and show it to His Majesty."

Lai Gou'er came forward with the map, unfolded it, and pointed to the locations on it, explaining, "Your Majesty, the locations marked with triangles are where our Great Jing is carrying out construction projects, and most of them have already been completed."

"The closest location to the Temple Mount is some schools built by Great Jing, followed by the Peach Garden Medical Center. After visiting the medical center, you can directly go along the street to the residential area built in the former slum. This is the quickest route."

"As for the other locations, I'm afraid Your Majesty's energy is limited, so I've already planned them for the next two days."

Li Yuanzhao said, "Alright, let's follow the route you've arranged, let's go!"

......

Inside the Experimental Elementary School, Fang Zheng and his party had arrived.

Classes were still in session in many classrooms, and Fang Zheng and others didn't want to disturb them, so they toured the corridor.

Through the doors, they could clearly hear a group of people reciting the 'zhi hu zhe ye' in a foreign accent.

The general content was similar to things like the Three Character Classic and the Standards for Being a Good Student and Child.

Lai Gou'er introduced, "Your Majesty, since this school began operating, it has produced a group of children with excellent academic performance and intelligence. They have a deep understanding of the Great Jing culture, and their yearning for Great Jing far exceeds that of ordinary people."

"Now, some of these graduating students have already joined the army, while others have transferred to the medical centers opened by Great Jing to study."

"We offer these students very generous bonuses and benefits. Now, the people of the Holy City are proud that their children can enter the Great Jing school and learn the words of the sages."

"The students all remember the kindness of Great Jing towards them, and they all say they owe Your Majesty a debt of gratitude."

Fang Zheng said with satisfaction, "Not bad, it seems that these foreigners, even after being educated, understand what it means to be grateful. Step up the propaganda efforts and strive to make even those who haven't been born yet owe us a debt of gratitude."

"Oh, Lao Fang, that's enough." After Li Yuanzhao finished speaking, he turned to Lai Gou'er and said, "On the way here, I heard Lao Fang talk about some things about the school. I heard that when the school was first built, it was specially allowed to teach theology. Although Pope Solje is friendly to Great Jing, theology, in my opinion, really obscures people's minds. Haven't these students been affected?"

Lai Gou'er shook his head and said, "There is naturally some influence, but the proportion of the church's knowledge in the entrance and graduation exams is not high, so most people are still enthusiastic about the culture of Great Jing. Although many clerics have expressed dissatisfaction with this, I have suppressed this part of the dissenting voices."

"How did you suppress it?"

"It's very simple, clerics and their family members who object are not allowed to enter Great Jing's medical centers for treatment when they are sick."

Li Yuanzhao asked in confusion, "Is it really that simple? The West has its own medicine, isn't seeing a doctor the same everywhere?"

Lai Gou'er explained, "Your Majesty, the miraculous effects of penicillin have already been widely spread in the city, as well as the miraculous theories and techniques. Many terminally ill patients have been saved, so that countless people flock to it."

"In contrast, Western medicine is extremely crude, only knowing how to cut veins and bleed, which is extremely risky. When I first proposed this plan, many clerics were still stubborn and said they could see Western doctors for treatment, but once their own interests were damaged, they still obediently chose to shut up."

"There is now a common saying in the Holy City... Western medicine lets you die in confusion, Jing medicine lets you live in clarity."

Li Yuanzhao clapped his hands and laughed: "Hahaha, wonderful! This plan is wonderful. In the future, if any more religious zealots are stubborn, let them only see Western doctors. Let's go, let's continue to look down below."

......

At a construction site in the slum.

The workers were sweating profusely as they worked.

This construction site is a new residential area being built by the people of Great Jing, and it has been under construction for more than a year.

In general, the basic structure of many buildings has been completed, and even only the capping remains.

The construction site was full of piles of sand, stones, and bricks.

Some workers were pushing carts carrying sand, some were mixing cement, and some were carrying bricks.

Under the glaring sunlight, the workers worked in an orderly manner, without the noisy mechanical sounds of construction sites in later generations.

With the sound of a whistle, there was a brief pause on the construction site.

Then, many workers spontaneously put down their work and walked towards a shed.

It was time for lunch.

After a long period of heavy physical labor, and still under the hot sun, many people were already hungry and thirsty.

Soon, a long line formed outside the shed to get food.

Hundreds of workers gathered in front of the first shed, the line stretching far out.

......