This small village is built against the mountain, yet it is connected to various parts of Linchuan on three sides. It is a hub in terms of terrain, with convenient transportation. Yun Lie intends to build this place into the location of Linchuan Prefecture.
The moment her feet touched the ground, Luo Cuiwei raised her eyes and couldn't help but smile.
"This is truly... a towering building must be built from the ground up."
Yun Lie pouted helplessly and muttered, "I told you not to come along, but you wouldn't listen."
Seeing Luo Cuiwei's disgusted expression, he couldn't help but explain again, "Didn't I tell you about my plans on the way here?"
He had been planning to make Linchuan his fiefdom for many years, and now he only needed to proceed step by step.
“I know, a settlement can be formed in a year, and a county can be formed in three years,” Luo Cuiwei waved her hand. “You can handle those important matters yourself. Right now, I just want to build a house for myself.”
This wasn't an idea she came up with after seeing the current situation; she had already thought about the accommodation issue and made arrangements before leaving Beijing.
Yun Lie resisted the urge to scratch his head, feeling incredibly guilty. "What do you need me to do?"
Before leaving the capital, he was busy preparing for many things after taking up his fief, such as military and political affairs, the establishment of prefectures and counties, and the recruitment of talents. He was so busy that he forgot about where his own family should live.
"You go about your business, don't worry about such trivial matters, I've already arranged everything," Luo Cuiwei said as she lifted her skirt, "When Gao Zhan comes over in a few days, I'll..."
Yun Lie paused, suddenly remembering that he had sent an invitation to Luo Cuiwei for the flower-viewing banquet at the Duke of He's mansion.
Luo Cuiwei turned her head to look at him in confusion, "What's wrong?"
Yun Lie shook his head, dispelling the gloom in his heart, and forced a smile. "I didn't mean anything by it, I'm just curious to ask what he's doing here?"
“Oh, he showed me some house plans he drew, and I thought they were very good, so I asked him if he would be willing to help us build a house,” Luo Cuiwei then realized that she had been too busy to tell Yun Lie about it. “He agreed.”
Gao Zhan, the young master of the Duke of He's mansion, is a peculiar man. He dislikes reading and martial arts, and his only loves in life are drinking and garden building.
Yun Lie pursed his lips, lowered his head, and followed Luo Cuiwei, taking her hand and leading her into the village.
Seeing that he seemed troubled and preoccupied, Luo Cuiwei quickly explained, "I meant to say that you must have a lot of things to do. I can handle such a small matter as building a house. I didn't discuss it with you..."
“I’m not angry with you,” Yun Lie said, shaking her hand. “He came to check the terrain, drew a map, and then left, right?”
Hearing that he wasn't angry at her for acting on her own initiative, Luo Cuiwei felt relieved and smiled, "It's hard to say. After all, he's unwilling to retire, and it's unlikely he'll achieve much in the capital. Perhaps he wants to try his luck in Linchuan... Why is your face so dark?"
Yun Lie's smile froze, and he clenched his teeth.
"Upon hearing the news of an old friend's arrival, my heart was filled with joy."
----2018/3/22 1:30:46|52654088----
54. Chapter Fifty-Four
The village is really small; if you stand at the entrance and look up, you can almost see all the houses in the village.
Fortunately, neither Luo Cuiwei nor Yun Lie were delicate people. This time, they only brought two servants from the Zhaowang Mansion to take care of their luggage. If they had followed the usual rules of a royal mansion and brought enough servants, this small village would not have been able to accommodate so many people.
Although Yun Lie made a mistake in his busy schedule and forgot to arrange his own temporary residence in advance, he had sent someone to tell him in mid-July that he would be bringing Luo Cuiwei to Linchuan. Xiong Xiaoyi received the news and discussed it with his strategist Song Jiuyuan. Then they vacated the small courtyard at the far east end of the village.
The simple courtyard house, after renovation and some embellishment, is now bright, tidy, and clean.
Luo Cuiwei was a woman who knew when to advance and retreat and was sensible. She had no complaints about this temporary place of residence under expediency. After Yun Lie arranged for people to settle all the luggage they had brought, she leisurely began to adapt to her new life in Linchuan.
Although the fiefdom granted to Prince Zhao's residence was nominally "Linchuan and five surrounding cities," the northwest region had been harassed by the Northern Di people for many years. To be honest, the only city that could truly be called a "city" within "Linchuan and five surrounding cities" was Linchuan City, which was located within the defense zone.
To thoroughly ascertain the true population size within the fiefdom, Yun Lie went out before dawn for the next five days and returned only in the evening.
With nothing to do for the time being, Luo Cuiwei rested in the courtyard for five days, completely recovering from the fatigue of the journey.
On this day, Xiong Xiaoyi happened to return from his rotation in the defense zone for rest. He led a group of comrades who had also returned for rest and insisted on having a feast to welcome the couple back.
The small village had only about twenty households, all of whom were the families of soldiers from Linchuan Army; Xiong Xiaoyi's arrangement brought in everyone from the entire village.
The welcoming banquet followed military custom, with a long, continuous feast set up in the village's threshing ground. People drank from large bowls and ate large chunks of meat. Although simple and rough, it was lively and vivid.
It was late August, dusk. The summer heat had subsided in the small village nestled against the mountain, and the sky was clear and blue.
Looking at Yun Lie, who seemed so different from the one in the capital, Luo Cuiwei's eyes sparkled with a gentle smile.
At this moment, Yun Lie, accompanied by Xiong Xiaoyi and Song Jiuyuan, was drinking with people one by one from the very end of the long table. Although he didn't seem to be smiling, he exuded a free and unrestrained spirit.
That was a rare sight of him in the capital, like a dragon returning to the sea, or a tiger returning to the forest.
This place holds ten years of his life from adolescence to youth; it contains the landscapes he fought and defended; and it is home to his comrades who shared life and death with him and were of one mind with him.
Luo Cui smiled and stared blankly at her husband, her heart filled with complete certainty.
Linchuan, once destitute, will surely transform into a bustling metropolis.
Because Yun Lie, the ruler of this land, is a true king.
It was not King Zhao Yunlie, but King Linchuan, Yunlie.
****
"Your Highness..."
Luo Cuiwei turned her head at the sound and saw a pretty young girl with a slightly tipsy, silly smile on her face, carrying a wine jar in one hand as she approached. She returned the smile with a smile.
Seeing that the little girl seemed a bit unsteady on her feet, Luo Cuiwei gave up the bench she was sitting on and said, "Sit down and let's talk."
These past few days, Luo Cuiwei has mostly been resting in the courtyard, only going out for a stroll with Yun Lie after dinner. She hasn't had much interaction with the villagers yet, so it's hard to determine the girl's identity.