Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 196: Border Capital, the King is in front and the People are behind!
“Is this Yanjing?”

Yuwen Liqian whispered softly, with a gleam of disbelief in her eyes.

Grand, magnificent!
The huge city before him exceeded all his previous imaginations. Even the capital of faraway Korea seemed inferior to it at this moment.

There are as many as six main city gates on the south side, and there are many caravans coming and going. Each caravan has to queue up patiently before they can pass through slowly, which shows how large the cargo throughput is.

Four broad official roads ran side by side, each of which was divided into twelve lanes. There was an endless stream of carriages and horses, and the sounds of horse hooves and wheels intertwined into a bustling and prosperous scene.

There were different kinds of horses pulling carriages, and there were also knights riding alone on horses, which was quite common.

The maid next to Yuwen Liqian slowly opened her mouth, her surprise evident in her words.

She originally thought that the ancient capital of Korea, after the meticulous expansion by four dynasties of kings, was already a rare majestic city in the world. However, she never imagined that the Yanjing before her was even more magnificent.

"There really are ten horses pulling the cart!"

The maid's eyes were closely following a gorgeous carriage that just passed by.

There are two fine horses leading the way in front, three in the middle moving steadily, and five stallions pulling together at the back, with an extraordinary momentum that shows the status of its owner.

There is nothing new on the road, as expected there are many wealthy people in the north.

The maid was a little surprised when she saw it for the first time. In such a fierce battle, her own carriage seemed a bit shabby and inconspicuous.

South Gate of Yanjing!
The envoys from the four countries also had to wait in order and gather in front of the door.

In view of the incident in Jiakang City, South Korea had no objection and readily obeyed the order.

The two countries of Qianyuan and Daqing also did not shirk their responsibilities.

Only the talented scholar from Da Chu looked displeased.

"Yandi's actions are impolite!"

"We, the envoys from the four countries, have come from afar, so we should treat them with great courtesy and open the city gates to show our hospitality."

The convoy was like a long dragon and moved slowly.

The convoy entering the city was not in a hurry and was rather orderly.

There were quite a few people at the south gate, and waiters from the city’s restaurants were walking around the convoy with hot lunch boxes.

Qianyuan's Wulongzi simply stepped out of the carriage. His eyes did not remain on the busy caravan. Instead, he had some doubts about the city structure of Yanjing.

Although the wall of Yanjing is wide, it is built low and is not as majestic as Wangshenzhou.

As an important gateway to the north wind, such a big city should have high walls and deep moats, especially in the border area, the defense should be strengthened.

Wulong looked around and saw many smaller city buildings scattered around Yanjing. They were arranged in an orderly manner and formed the outer defense line of Yanjing.

At the south gate, there are mostly merchant caravans and a constant flow of people, creating a prosperous scene.

He noticed that the terrain around Yanjing was flat and open, with few highlands serving as natural barriers. Only about ten miles outside the south gate was there a stretch of hills and mountains.

He nodded. If they wanted to capture this big city, the best strategy would be to break through the south gate and use this as an opportunity to quickly occupy the hills and forests as a stronghold.

You can attack or defend!
In this way, we can not only control the southern gate of Yanjing, but also take advantage of the hilly terrain to provide strong support for subsequent operations.

It seems that the military defense of Yanjing is average.

Yuwen Liqian walked lightly down from the carriage. Her outstanding appearance instantly attracted the attention of everyone in the surrounding caravan.

They all looked at her sideways and secretly admired that there was such a beauty in the world. Even in Yan, a place rich in beauties, Yuwen Liqian's natural nobility was enough to make people's hearts beat.

There was another exclamation from the crowd!
Because behind this beautiful face there is an even more beautiful face.

Xie Lingxuan followed and also got off the carriage.

There was a hint of surprise and nostalgia in her beautiful eyes. She grew up in the north when she was a child and fled south to seek refuge, so she naturally had memories of this land.

Unexpectedly, only thirty years had passed and things were completely different from what she remembered.

Xie Lingxuan's cousin Su Yue beside her also had an incredible look on her face. She had heard people from the south of the Yangtze River often say that the north of Yan was bitterly cold, but what she saw and heard along the way was completely different from what she had heard.

Rich, leisurely, and happy!
Especially this capital city which is much larger than Kyoto.

After Yuwen Liqian, Wulong and others communicated on the island in the river, they developed a tacit understanding and walked together spontaneously.

The envoys from the Great Chu just looked from afar and did not come over, which made them seem very unique.

Yuwen Liqian seemed to know that the Prince of Qianyuan was a man who could not sit still.

"My Lord, is there anything strange over there?"

Wu Long pointed to the hills in the distance and asked, "Is that a good place?"

Yuwen Liqian was a little confused.

There are autumn chrysanthemums planted on the hills in the distance, and now they are in full bloom.

It's quite pleasing to see the golden ground all over.

In the north, there are only cold-resistant flowers, such as peonies and azaleas, which are rare in the south.

"Your Majesty, do you also understand the fun of flowers?"

This prince also understands this kind of elegance, but he doesn't look like it.

Wu Long shook his head and said, "If you give me 30,000 troops and two battalions of archers to garrison here, I can easily intercept the passing caravans. I can also use this hill as a base to dig trenches and set traps. I can attack or defend. Even if I dismount and fight on foot, I will still have an advantage."

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Liqian smiled helplessly. It turned out that this was the "good place" in the eyes of this prince.

Du Hui also came over and couldn't help laughing after hearing this.

The princess and the general, it's hard to explain!
The members of several surrounding caravans kept looking at the members of the four countries' delegations.

The dragon robe that Wulong was wearing became the focus of everyone's attention. Many people speculated that the identities of these outsiders must be extraordinary.

Wulong himself did not care about these gazes. His attention was completely attracted by the city walls of Yanjing.

He looked around with a frown on his face, deeply confused about the layout of the capital.

"Why are the walls of Yanjing so low and so close to the border?"

Wulong is well aware that the selection of a country's capital requires comprehensive consideration of many factors.

The first is water conservancy, which is indispensable for a big city. Apart from transportation, the next step is life.

The capital of Daqing is known as "Eight Rivers Surrounding the Capital".

The north is the birthplace of several major rivers in the world, and it is not only convenient for flowing south to Daqing, Han, Chu and other countries.

Water conservancy will naturally not be rejected.

The second is national strategic security, economy, and population strategy, which are key factors that must be considered when selecting a location for the capital.

From a security perspective, most capitals are located in places surrounded by mountains or water, which are easy to defend and difficult to attack.

The capital of South Korea is surrounded by moats sixty feet wide in the east, west and south directions.

To the north, it is adjacent to the famous natural barrier - Taiping River.

The geographical layout of Yanjing is indeed strange. It is located on an endless plain, lacks dangerous terrain, and is close to the border, allowing the north wind to easily penetrate.

What is even more puzzling is that the city wall is built quite low, which can almost be said to be an "undefended" state when the army is well-equipped and has heavy siege equipment such as catapults. Wu Long frowned and thought, it doesn't make sense.

The location of a country's capital will take into account a central location so that it can better radiate the entire country and promote economic exchanges and population distribution.

However, Yanjing does not seem to have such an advantage.

Wulong would naturally not be so foolish as to think that Yandi was just a random location.

Both Lu Chen and the group of staff in Prince Yan's Mansion are extraordinary people.

Sudden!
A thought flashed through Wulong’s mind – “Feng Shui”.

The location and layout of a capital city are often closely related to feng shui, as it is believed that good feng shui can bring prosperity to the country.

Although Wulong has some experience in this field, he still cannot understand it.

then!
Wulong turned to Xie Chunan who was beside him, who was an expert in this area.

He asked eagerly:
"Thank you, sir. Please take a look at Yanjing. Is it really a place with excellent Feng Shui?"

Hearing this, Xie Chunan stroked his beard and curled up a faint smile. When he got out of the car, he had already taken in the surrounding terrain.

"That might disappoint the prince!"

"This place is definitely not a good choice for Feng Shui. The essence of Feng Shui is to have green mountains behind you and clear water in front of you, or to have yin and yang in harmony, complementing each other."

Xie Chunan slowly told the story that he was born in Guiguzi, was proficient in Qimen Dunjia, Yin Yang and Eight Diagrams, and was even good at observing qi.

"Thinking back to the Jiakang City we passed by, it faces south and sits in the north, with Kan and Li facing each other. The dragon vein originates from the northwest mountains, and the water follows the dragon, forming a situation of following the water. The left and right waters interweave, the Mingtang is wide, the Wuqu River flows leisurely into the sea, and there are boats dotted in between. It is both a near sand and a court table. Water represents wealth, and the left and right sands are of appropriate heights. Jiakang City will surely be prosperous."

Upon hearing this, Wulong nodded in agreement. The prosperous scene of Jiakang City indeed proved that what Xie Chunan said was true.

Xie Chunan changed the subject and continued:
"And the Wangshenzhou we passed by is also a leader in Feng Shui. It is located in the south of the Nine Mountains and the north of the Zhishui River. Both the mountains and the water are sunny, and it has been known as the 'Double Ninth Festival' since ancient times."

"Once, a wise man looked up at the sky and looked down at the geography, and suggested building a palace in the north to echo the Purple Palace in the sky. The water control was compared to the Milky Way, and the horizontal bridge symbolized the Magpie Bridge. The palaces echoed the constellations, and the passages crisscrossed around them. Chongyang Palace stood in the center, just like the stars surrounding the moon, protecting the imperial capital, and it was magnificent."

Wulong listened with great interest. The knowledge about Feng Shui and astronomy made him feel novel and excited.

He recalled the scene when Qianyuan established the capital, which also gathered many Yin-Yang masters and the Imperial College.

Finally, it was decided to call it "Chengqian", which was said to be where the dragon veins converge.

Although Empress Wu Ying had a strong influence in the country, she still encountered considerable obstacles when pushing forward the major decision to move the capital.

The Qianyuan Empire, like Beifeng, originated from the northern nomadic people.

The south, on the other hand, is where people from other ethnic groups who integrated here a hundred years ago live together. As time goes by, there is no obvious distinction between these ethnic groups anymore.

The old nobles of the north still live in the North Wind, considering themselves sons of the steppe and descendants of the Holy Mountain.

Add on!
It is more in their interest to locate the capital in the north, because this will allow them to cultivate a large number of local forces and consolidate their position.

When the empress proposed to move the capital, these nobles stood up to oppose it.

The reason why the empress wanted to move the capital was also because of these nobles.

The talents recommended by the state or selected through the imperial examinations were marginalized by the local bureaucratic groups in the north of Qianyuan. Officials in the court and the public were not given important positions at all. The struggle between the new and old parties caused the country to fall into internal friction.

Moving the capital was also a form of suppression of the aristocracy.

Faced with this dilemma, Empress Wu Ying wanted to take tough measures.

Qianyuan's cabinet scholars reminded that the current period is a critical one for reform and that excessive use of force should not be used to avoid causing greater turmoil.

It is not advisable to use strong medicine to treat illness!
Gongsun Pingxi suggested that the empress take a group of Qianyuan nobles on a trip south, with all expenses borne by the court.

As expected, the nobles, greedy for pleasure, responded one after another and marched south in a mighty procession to thank the empress for her gift.

While traveling in the south, Empress Wu Ying announced on the spot the decision to move the capital.

At this time, the nobles who had already moved south were in a foreign place and had enjoyed preferential treatment from the court. Faced with the sudden decision to move the capital, although they were unwilling, they had no choice but to agree to the move.

Could it be that this King of Yan is also like this?
The Prince of Yan's Mansion was not as peaceful as imagined, and undercurrents had already been surging underneath.

Among the major forces and groups, moving the capital is not in their interests, leading to the current situation.

Wu Long shook his head, thinking it was unlikely!
The Lu family army was created by Lu Chen.

Most officials from various places were appointed later.

The previous gentry and landlords in the north all fled or had their homes ransacked when the north wind blew south.

Unlike the other four countries, they all have domestic aristocratic forces.

Yan was like a country rebuilt from ruins.

New system, new official system.

Wulong thought of this and looked at the city of Yanjing which was like a giant beast.

Wulong couldn't help but sigh that Yanjing had been able to rise from an inconspicuous place to a great power in just twenty years. This was undoubtedly a greater threat to His Majesty than the other three countries.

After hearing this, Du Hui explained:
"Your Highness, I don't know. This place is located in Yanjing. It was decided by the King of Yan in Zhongnan Mountain himself."

Wulong said in disbelief:
"The decision of Yanjing as the capital was actually initiated by the King of Yan?"

He didn't believe that Lu Chen was so foolish as to make such an unreliable decision.

Du Hui nodded and said, "When the capital was decided, the memorials submitted to Zhongnan Mountain mostly favored several cities in the south with a long history and profound cultural heritage, but the King of Yan did not choose any of them."

"The King of Yan picked up his pen and drew a circle in the north. This circle is where we are standing now."

"In just ten years, a huge city was built on the ruins of the former capital of Daqing."

Yuwen Liqian was also a little confused.

"Why did King Yan choose this place?"

When Du Hui mentioned this, his expression changed and a smile appeared on his face.

"Along with the decision to establish the capital, some of the words the King of Yan said at the time were also circulated."

Xie Lingxuan has paid more attention to the north and Mount Zhongnan in recent years.

Of course I know that sentence, and it still makes me excited when I hear it now.

Yuwen Liqian had never heard of this. When he was studying in Da Chu, he rarely heard of Yandi. He smiled and said:
"Sir, just tell me now!"

Du Hui slowly said:
"Purge the vast lands and bring order to the eight wastelands, and pacify the four directions."

"The king is in front, the people are behind. If the king neglects the people, the kings, princes, generals and ministers will die for the country!"

After more than 20 years of war, the north was repeatedly invaded, and it was common to see monarchs fleeing south and court officials abandoning the city. However, the King of Yan was in power and resolutely established the capital on the border.

Moreover, the city walls are not built with high walls.

"A wall of earth and wood is not as good as a Great Wall built with the hearts of the people."

After hearing this, Wulong felt that this Taoist King of Yan had the ambition to swallow up the world and embrace the four seas.

PS: I made a map of Kunxu Realm, which is posted below for everyone to see.

(End of this chapter)