The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 176 We are without a master, but today we will surely have an emperor!
In early winter, the cold wind howled, and dust flew everywhere outside Kaifeng.

Since the emperor issued the edict to expand the capital, the city and its surroundings have been bustling with activity day and night.

Tens of thousands of laborers surged forward like ants, their shouts of tamping earth, the screech of timber being dragged, and the shouts of the overseers mingling together, making one's eardrums vibrate.

The newly built city wall is taking shape. The earthen foundation is more than ten feet wide. The laborers, shirtless, work in pairs, carrying huge rams and pounding them down with each command, making their feet tremble slightly.

Throughout the outer city, newly opened streets stretched out in all directions like a spider web.

The master craftsmen, holding ropes and chalk, drew straight lines on the compacted road surface, while laborers followed behind, carrying marker stakes on their shoulders and in their hands, burying them into the two sides.

Further away, several newly built wooden-framed high-rises have been erected with beams and pillars. Craftsmen climb on bamboo frames, the sound of axes and chisels clanging, and the fragrance of wood shavings mixed with the smell of tung oil wafts through the air.

On the banks of the Kaifeng River, a group of soldiers are escorting a cargo ship fully loaded with stones to the shore.

These stone slabs, transported from Zhengzhou, each require four strong men to move; they will be used as the foundation stones for the city gate.

Although bricks were invented by the ancients during the Warring States period, the technique of covering walls with bricks gradually matured during the Sui and Tang dynasties.

However, the cost of firing bricks in a kiln is not low. It is acceptable for small-scale applications, but if it is used to build a city wall that stretches for dozens of miles, the amount of firewood and charcoal consumed would be astronomical.

Therefore, the expansion and construction of the Tokyo city walls this time still followed the traditional segmented rammed earth construction method.

This involves stacking several wooden planks together to serve as a template, placing them on the side of the wall to be rammed to form a "groove" of appropriate width.

Then the soil is filled into the trench, and people use tamping tools to tamp it down one by one. After one slab is tamped down, it is removed and the next slab is tamped down, and so on.

However, in order to ensure the overall defensive capability of the city wall, important locations would be reinforced with stone blocks as the base, and then layered with broken bricks or stone slabs, and then carefully built to enhance its sturdiness.

In addition, longitudinal and transverse wooden components were added to enhance stability. The length and diameter of each wooden component were strictly regulated, and facilities such as guard gates, barbicans, and ramparts also followed this method.

Regarding ancient engineering and construction, Li Yi was quite knowledgeable—in fact, it wouldn't be accurate to say he knew nothing at all, as he also had a certain understanding of the social customs and technological developments of specific periods in ancient times.

But what you learn from books is never enough; you must put it into practice to truly understand. Moreover, Li Yi only has a superficial understanding, so it's absolutely impossible for him to actually carry out the arrangements.

Fortunately, Li Yi was willing to observe and learn more, and occasionally followed Han Tong around, and actually figured out some of the tricks of the trade.

Ancient engineering techniques have developed to a fairly high level, but due to the low cultural level of ancient craftsmen, building experience and construction techniques were often passed down and recorded through oral instruction.

In addition, due to the devastation of the Five Dynasties period, a large number of craft specifications had been lost, and all aspects of the expansion of the city of Bianjing relied mainly on the personal experience of master craftsmen.

Moreover, there were no professional construction drawings available for reference at that time.

However, Han Tong, who was in charge of the project, was able to arrange all matters in an orderly manner, which shows that he was quite capable in this regard.

Anyway, if it were Li Yi doing this, he wouldn't know where to even begin to sort things out. In that respect, he really admires Han Tong.

The willows along the Bian River have not yet shed their leaves; their slender branches sway gently in the wind, creating a picturesque scene with the shimmering ripples on the river's surface.

Having received instructions from Han Tong, Li Yi personally led his entourage to the dock to supervise the unloading of the transported stone slabs.

A makeshift wooden slide had already been erected along the riverbank, and hundreds of shirtless laborers were chanting as they dragged stones from the canal boats ashore.

“Commander Li, please take a look.” The accompanying official from the Ministry of Works pointed to the stones and said, “These stone blocks were all transported from the Guancheng Quarry. Each one was chiseled to the dimensions required by the Han Du Inspector, with a length error of no more than half an inch.”

Li Yi squatted down, his fingertips tracing the fine chisel marks on the stone, and couldn't help but marvel at it inwardly—in an era without machine assistance, relying on generations of experience and craftsmanship, artisans could achieve such precision with just their hands.

Li Yi looked at the large ships on the Bian River and suddenly asked, "How many processes are involved in the entire process of mining and transporting these stones?"

The official in charge of construction explained, “There aren’t many steps involved, but it takes a long time. It takes half a month to quarry the stone, another half month to roughly carve it into shape, and another half month to transport it by land and water… These stones are the first batch to arrive in Kaifeng. At least four or five more batches will be needed to barely meet the needs of building the city.”

Upon hearing this, Li Yi said nothing more and quietly watched the bustling scene along the Bian River.

But his thoughts soon turned to something else—yesterday, Fu Erniang went to the palace to visit Guo Zongxun and received a reply from Empress Fu from the eunuch Qu Tai.

In the letter, Fu said that her condition was no longer a problem and that she was recuperating in Yingzhou. She told her sister not to worry and to just relax and wait to give birth in Tokyo.

The report sent back to Kaifeng a few days ago mentioned the Empress's health condition briefly, but only a few civil and military officials who remained in Tokyo knew about it.

Meanwhile, the emperor spent seven or eight days with the empress in Yingzhou and had already set off to return to the front lines, so the progress of the war was not affected.

In addition to letters, Fu also sent a verbal message to Li Yi through Qu Tai.

The message was simple, yet intriguing, as Fu only said eight words: "Perform the task well, and you will win the Emperor's favor."

Li Yi pondered for a moment and vaguely understood Fu's meaning. It was nothing more than wanting him to calm his mind and not be so preoccupied with achieving merit on the battlefield that he neglected the tasks assigned by the emperor.

In fact, when the emperor summoned Fu Erniang before his personal expedition, Fu expressed a similar sentiment.

Li Yi didn't understand why the Empress would have someone deliver a message again to emphasize this point.
He naturally couldn't guess Fu's changing thoughts, but Li Yi knew what to do without Fu emphasizing it.

Just then, a sudden commotion broke Li Yi's train of thought.

A stone slab lost its balance during transport, and before the laborers could react, it was about to fall onto the crowd.

Li Yi immediately rushed over, grabbed a crowbar from the ground, braced it against the rock, and shouted, "Hold on!"

The surrounding laborers then came to their senses and hurriedly re-secured the stone slabs.

“I…I…”

A young laborer, about fourteen or fifteen years old, was so frightened that he fell to his knees with a thud. His thin body trembled like a leaf, and he couldn't utter a complete sentence. He just kept kowtowing.

Like a chain reaction, the surrounding laborers immediately knelt down, bowing their heads to the ground and not daring to utter a word.

Although no one knew who the burly young general in front of them was, he was accompanied by a large group of fierce-looking guards.

Even the usually aloof and powerful government officials acted servilely in his presence, indicating that he must be an extraordinary figure.

At the same time, the soldiers in charge of supervising the work were so frightened that they knelt down and begged for forgiveness. Unlike the laborers, they were well aware of Li Yi's identity.

"Commander Li is incredibly brave..." The accompanying Ministry of Works official hurriedly stepped forward, wiping away cold sweat with trepidation.

"Enough, get up, all of you!"

Li Yi frowned slightly, casually tossing aside the crowbar, his gaze lingering on the young laborer. He noticed the man was thin, his ribs clearly visible, and his face pale and sallow, clearly malnourished.

Just now, the boy and his companion were carrying the thick rope together, and because of the effort, he lost his balance and almost caused an accident.

Li Yi's gaze swept over the boy's bleeding shoulder, then fell on his calloused hands, and he asked, "How old are you this year?"

The boy shakily got up from the ground, not daring to lift his head, and whispered, "I...I'm fifteen..."

The cold wind ruffled the boy's disheveled hair, revealing fresh bloodstains on his forehead—the result of his earlier, forceful kowtow.

Li Yi turned to the Ministry of Works official beside him: "His Majesty is considerate of the people's plight. When conscripting laborers this time, he specifically instructed that each household should only send one able-bodied man. Why should those who are only half-able-bodied also have to work?"

"This..." The official from the Ministry of Works was momentarily at a loss for words. But it was understandable, since this was not his responsibility, and naturally he couldn't give Li Yi an answer.

Fortunately, someone could answer the question. A supervising soldier cautiously replied, "Er Gou's father died a couple of years ago. He is the eldest son in the family, and his younger brother and sister are still young, so they had to call him to do manual labor."

Li Yi remained silent for a moment after hearing this before shaking his head and saying, "According to the regulations of the imperial court, those under the age of sixteen are considered half-adults and do not have to perform the corvée labor of full-adults. We'll find him an easier job later."

After saying that, he waved his hand, signaling everyone to continue working.

Since ancient times, there have been laws and regulations governing the conscription of laborers. However, in practice, officials often do whatever is convenient to complete their tasks, which has led to many irregularities.

But there are many injustices in this world, and Li Yi certainly wouldn't be so idle as to meddle in everything. However, since he had encountered it, it was just a matter of saying a few words.

"Commander Li is compassionate, which fills us with admiration," a Ministry of Works official said with a light compliment. Li Yi smiled and turned to leave, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw the young laborer kneeling and kowtowing several times in his direction.

As dusk fell, the sound of the wooden clapper signaling the end of the workday rang out.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the construction site, casting long shadows of the laborers' weary figures.

They squatted by the wall, holding rough earthenware bowls. The thin porridge reflected the sunset. Hard flatbreads were broken into small pieces and soaked in the porridge, only able to be swallowed after absorbing the broth.

Even so, everyone still devoured the food, as if it were a rare delicacy.

Li Yi stood not far away, quietly watching this scene. That's just how the world is—to have a bite to eat is already a blessing from heaven.

When the Ministry of Works official saw Li Yi stop, he quickly stepped forward and said, "Although these laborers are suffering, it is much better than in previous years. The court has allocated grain, and they are guaranteed two full meals a day."

Li Yi said calmly, "Both the late emperor and the current emperor were wise and virtuous rulers who had the desire to govern the world and improve people's lives. Compared with the war and displacement of the previous dynasties, our Great Zhou will surely usher in a prosperous and peaceful era."

The entourage naturally agreed, and it was expected that Li Yi's words would soon spread throughout the capital.

It must be said that people are often hypocritical. Having held a high position for just over a year, Li Yi has already learned how to "be an official".

Those below him fawned over him, while he fawned over the emperor. No wonder Shi Yanchao, who was usually quite a scoundrel, would shower the emperor with compliments whenever the emperor was mentioned.

Is Shi Yanchao a reckless brute?

No, he was actually a very intelligent man. And indeed, the emperor favored him greatly; even though he was disliked by his colleagues, his promotions remained unaffected.

Of course, the prerequisite is that you have real skills, are capable, and are also sensible and obedient, only then will the emperor truly feel at ease letting you go. As for those minor shortcomings, those in power are quite tolerant.

……

As dusk settled, the streets and alleys of Tokyo were enveloped in the chill of early winter.

When Li Yi and his personal guards reached the vicinity of the Longjin River, they suddenly heard a commotion ahead.

A crowd had gathered in the middle of the street, and in the torchlight, Li Yi spotted an old acquaintance—

Song Rengong's thin figure was particularly conspicuous. He sat upright on a stool with a cold face. In front of him, a military officer was pressed down on a bench. Two yamen runners raised their fire-and-water sticks, and the sticks made a dull "crack" sound as they rose and fell.

"Judge Song." Li Yi spurred his horse forward, the hooves making a crisp sound on the stone slabs.

His gaze fell on Song Rengong, who was dressed in a blue official robe, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. "I heard that you have been promoted to the position of Right Judge of the Prefectural Office. This is truly a cause for celebration."

Song Rengong was startled upon hearing this. He looked up and saw that it was Li Yi. He quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Commander Li, you flatter me."

He never expected that such a trivial matter as his recent promotion would catch the eye of this emperor's relative by marriage, a highly influential general in the Imperial Guard, making him feel rather flattered.

Li Yi smiled slightly, then dismounted, his black cloak fluttering in the cold wind.

His gaze swept over the military academy student who was being held down on the bench. He was a strong, muscular man in his thirties with large, tiger-like eyes, a round forehead, and a broad jaw. His mouth was stuffed with a wad of burlap, and the veins on his forehead were bulging, but he didn't utter a sound.

Li Yi raised an eyebrow and asked in confusion, "What crime has this person committed to deserve such a public beating?"

Song Rengong sighed helplessly, "This man is the Left Army Inspector of Kaifeng Prefecture. The Prince's Palace ordered him to be in charge of relocating the graves of the people along the East River outside the city. However, more than ten days have passed and there has been no progress, which has delayed the progress of the project."

“The official in charge of the Prince’s residence reprimanded him a few times in public, but he dared to complain behind his back. Someone reported this to the official in charge of the Prince’s residence. The official in charge of the Prince’s residence was furious and ordered his subordinates to have him tied up in the street and punished with caning as a warning to others.”

The affairs of the Prince's Mansion... isn't that referring to Wang Pu?
After hearing Song Rengong's explanation, Li Yi couldn't help but silently mourn for the military academy student.

Although there has been a trend of valuing military over civil officials since the Five Dynasties period, it is still important to consider the status of the civil official being interviewed.

As a trusted close advisor of Emperor Shizong Chai Rong, Wang Pu also served as the deputy governor and concurrently handled the affairs of Kaifeng Prefecture. Even Li Yi had to give him face.

This military academy student has actually angered Wang Pu. Given Wang Pu's style of doing things, he might beat this guy to death in the street.

However, in this expansion of Tokyo City, Han Tong was mainly responsible for the construction work. The planning of the city and its surrounding areas fell under Wang Pu's purview, with the relocation work being the primary task.

Wang Pu's methods were even more ruthless than Han Tong's, forcing the people to relocate their kiln workshops, grass markets, and cemeteries to a place several miles outside the city.

The daily habits that people have developed have been severely affected as a result, and the lack of a compensation plan has led to widespread public opposition.

Being in charge of mediating disputes among civilians is certainly not a good job. If it stirs up any trouble, it could be a real problem. So, it's not entirely fair to blame the military academy for its incompetence.

As for grumbling behind someone's back... that's a big deal or a small deal, it all depends on how the superior takes it.

If one encounters a lenient superior, one can simply laugh it off; but if one encounters a serious one, it becomes the crime of "discussing state affairs," which can result in caning at best and exile at worst.

Just then, the military officer who had been beaten suddenly spat out the burlap in his mouth, glared, and shouted: "This humble general is not convinced! There are more than 700 graves along the river in East Street, and every family is demanding an explanation. This humble general has been going door to door to persuade them, without even having time to drink water... Do you expect this humble general to hold a knife to the necks of the people and force them to comply?"

Upon hearing this, Song Rengong raised his hand to signal the constables to stop, and coldly snorted, "So it seems the Prince's Mansion has wronged you in the matter?"

The military officer, sticking out his neck, said, "This humble general dares not! It's just that before Luocheng was built, the ancestral graves of the surrounding people were located here. The imperial court has a grand plan to build a city, and we should naturally comply with the plan to relocate the graves outside the city. However, we should also give the people some time. How can we rush to force them?"

Li Yi's gaze shifted between the two. The bloodstains on the military academy's back were shocking, but the stubbornness in his eyes remained undiminished.

He didn't want to meddle in other people's business, lest he offend Wang Pu. But seeing that this military academy student was also a man of integrity, and that his words were reasonable and well-founded, he couldn't help but feel a sense of appreciation for his talent.

Otherwise, if the fighting continues like this, they will definitely be beaten to death in the end.

Li Yi hesitated for a moment before speaking up: "The matter of relocating the grave is indeed troublesome. Although this person has made a mistake, it is not a capital offense. In this freezing weather, beating him again might kill him... It would be better to temporarily record this beating and give him a chance to make amends."

"This..." Song Rengong hesitated and sighed, "This humble official dares not disobey the orders of Commander Li, but this time I am only following orders. If I release the person, this humble official will have difficulty explaining to the Prince's Palace."

Knowing that he was in a difficult position, Li Yi chuckled and said, "Please rest assured, Magistrate Song, I will explain the situation to the Prince later, and you will not be implicated."

Seeing that things had come to this point, Song Rengong was quite sensible and immediately cupped his hands and said, "Since Governor Li is acting as guarantor, I will naturally comply."

After saying that, he gestured to the constables to untie the military officer, and at the same time reminded him, "This is Commander Li of the Palace Guard, who is also in charge of patrolling the capital. Why don't you quickly thank Commander Li?"

Upon hearing this, the military officer's eyes lit up slightly, and he endured the pain as he knelt on one knee: "This humble general, Luo Yanhuan, thanks Commander Li for saving my life!"

Li Yi nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the bloodstains on Luo Yanhuan's body: "He's got some nerve, being able to take this beating."

After Song Rengong led the yamen runners to take their leave, Li Yi signaled to his personal guards to help Luo Yanhuan get medical treatment.

Before leaving, Luo Yanhuan suddenly clasped his hands in a salute and said earnestly, "Today, Commander Li condescended to plead for me. I will remember this kindness forever. If there is ever any need for my help in the future, I will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Although his voice was hoarse, every word he uttered was powerful and clear.

Most men in the army are straightforward. Although it was just a matter of Li Yi's words, it saved his life, and Luo Yanhuan was naturally extremely grateful.

Li Yi shook his head slightly and said, "I saved you because I value your talent, not because I want anything in return. Go back and take good care of yourself. In the future, you can serve the emperor and the court loyally. Then my efforts to save you will not have been in vain."

"I will obey your orders!"

As dusk fell, Luo Yanhuan's figure, supported by several guards, gradually disappeared into the distance.

Just as Li Yi was about to leave, he suddenly stopped. He felt that the name Luo Yanhuan sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had heard it before.

He subconsciously stroked the fish bag, pondered for a moment, and then his eyes suddenly lit up—

Luo Yanhuan, the man who threatened the prime minister with a knife during the Chenqiao Mutiny and shouted, "We have no master, but today we will surely have the emperor"?
The sound of the evening drum came from the distant bell tower, startling a flock of birds into flight.

As Li Yi mounted his horse, he suddenly chuckled softly... If this Luo Yanhuan is the same Luo Yanhuan, who knows whose throat this swift blade will be pointed at someday in the future.

(End of this chapter)