Chapter 1519: Offering Advice

Dining with the monarch was considered the highest honor for the people of Yaoguo.

As soon as He Lingchuan sat down, the old palace attendant, Qiu Long, personally set a gold plate and silver chopsticks for him, and then brought him a basket of rolled pancakes.

The snow-white pancake wraps were not fried in oil; they were as thin as paper and covered in gold leaf.

The King of Yao casually pointed at the rolled pancakes and said, "These are golden pancakes, they are edible."

The herb-roasted beef short ribs were tender and juicy, cut vertically to reveal a beautiful pink interior. The King of Yao wrapped the beef ribs in a golden pancake, added two sprigs of ice grass, dipped it in a rich sauce, and heartily chewed.

He Lingchuan followed suit, and indeed, the taste was rich and unforgettable.

As for the gold leaf, it had no taste at all; it merely served to convey a sense of prestige.

The King of Yao had a good appetite, with half the table covered in meat dishes. As he ate, he asked, "You know why I summoned you to the palace, don't you?"

Was he getting straight to the point? He Lingchuan took only a small bite, then took a white napkin to wipe his hands clean. He replied seriously, "Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

The King of Yao inviting him to dinner did not mean he could gorge himself without regard for anyone else.

"This young man doesn't give me any opening," the King of Yao chuckled. "Regarding the expansion of Tianshui City, I'd like to hear your solution."

The flood season hadn't even ended, and Tianshui City was again experiencing internal flooding, this time even submerging two temples. The King of Yao had just received news that the base of a pagoda had been eroded and collapsed with a rumble, killing five pedestrians below and two attendants inside the tower.

These temples were regularly renovated, but unfortunately, continuous groundwater erosion had created subsidence layers.

Cities, like people, grow old, and with age, problems emerge endlessly, many of them chronic and impossible to eradicate. The King of Yao felt exhausted dealing with these issues and was once again considering building a new city.

Of course, He Lingchuan wasn't surprised by the King of Yao's direct approach. The monarch believed that He Xiao had already made a fortune in Yaoguo and had severely offended Qingyang, so he would now have to rely solely on the King of Yao's influence for his safety.

Therefore, shouldn't He Xiao be obsequious and fulfill every request of the King of Yao?

The King of Yao glanced at him, spat out a bone, and said, "Also, I haven't decided whether to expand eastward or westward. There are valid reasons for both directions."

He wanted He Lingchuan to explain the reasoning to him and convince him.

This statement implicitly assumed that the capital's expansion was inevitable; the King of Yao simply hadn't decided on the next phase of the plan.

He Lingchuan understood his urgency; after all, so many ministers had submitted their pledges of allegiance. They had paid their money and offended Qingyang, so the King of Yao needed to properly reward these loyal subjects.

Otherwise, how could there be a next time?

But he also had a major concern: expanding Tianshui City would require vast sums of money. The national treasury was already depleted, and extracting more funds would create an even bigger deficit.

So he had to ask He Lingchuan for a solution—one that would allow him to build a new city without depleting the national treasury, and preferably even generate some profit.

He Lingchuan was already prepared and offered his suggestion: "I've been supervising work at Youhu Lake these past few days, and I've noticed that the area behind the south bank, from Shuangyue Valley to Yunsong Town, is vast and scenic. Yunsong Town is also the closest town to Youhu Lake, less than four li away."

"All provisions for Youhu Lake are transported from Yunsong Town, indicating abundant resources in the vicinity." Originally, Yunsong Town was the residential area, while Youhu Lake was merely a scenic spot. "The terrain from Youhu Lake to Yunsong Town is mostly flat, open, crisscrossed by rivers, and has a few unobtrusive small hills."

The King of Yao, of course, knew this. "The water from Youhu Lake also flows to Yunsong Town, so what?"

"Your Majesty, expanding Tianshui City in this direction has excellent foundations," He Lingchuan said. "It's better than expanding westward."

The King of Yao stroked his beard. "You said that while the capital expands eastward, the national treasury will not only avoid depletion but will actually be replenished. How is that possible?"

He Lingchuan knew this was the answer the King most desired. "There's a precondition for this: the people of Tianshui City must be willing, even eager, to move to the new city."

The King of Yao frowned. "The people of Tianshui City are relatively traditional. As residents of a capital city nearly two hundred years old, they've seen it all and are quite set in their ways."

"The prime locations on Youhu Lake's south bank are all developed, yet there are still so many nobles and officials who covet properties around Youhu Lake but cannot acquire them," He Lingchuan said. "Don't you see? They are practically clamoring for them."

"The villas at Youhu Lake Villa are limited in number and have special significance, which makes them easy to sell. But officials won't actually live there," the King of Yao said, rolling another pancake. "City residents are accustomed to living in Tianshui City; why would they be willing to move to the suburbs?"

Tianshui City was the capital, and nobles resided there. No matter how well Youhu Lake Villa was built, it was merely a retreat—a place where dignitaries occasionally went to relax and recuperate.

He Lingchuan smiled. "Times are different now. The nobles who bought properties at Youhu Lake Villa, especially those who secured the first two rows, will definitely move in. Even if they don't reside there themselves, their families will relocate."

Since officials like Prince Qing, Bai Tan, and You Rongzhi had spent a fortune on these villas to show their loyalty, they would need to express it fully by genuinely confronting Qingyang across the water.

If they just left empty houses there, dark and deserted, how would that be a confrontation? It needed to be bustling with people and brightly lit, so Qingyang would truly feel the noise and inconvenience.

"That area is scenic and tranquil, perfect for relaxation, yet it's only a few li from Tianshui City. If Qingyang, the regent, can live at Youhu Lake despite his busy schedule, why can't they?"

The King of Yao gave an noncommittal reply. "Go on."

"Youhu Lake itself is royal territory. I recall you have a temporary palace there, don't you?"

"Yes," replied the King. "But that palace was last renovated over twenty years ago; it's a bit old now. I only stay there for a few days occasionally during spring and summer."

"Then, with Your Majesty's temporary palace at Youhu Lake, along with the regent, other royals, and prominent ministers and generals from the entire court residing there," He Lingchuan said earnestly, "forgive my presumption, but in the future, that place will be teeming with nobility. How could it not be considered a second center of Tianshui City?"

The King of Yao opened his mouth but then hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. "Nonsense! How could that remote place be a second center of Tianshui City?"

However, He Xiao was at least right about one thing: wherever the monarch and high-ranking officials worked and lived, that place was bound to prosper.

"Coincidentally, Youhu Lake Villa has been a popular topic of discussion recently, generating significant buzz. If we seize this opportunity to launch the eastward expansion plan, it will become widely known within days, saving us a lot of trouble." Propaganda is painstaking and arduous, but since Youhu Lake Villa is already trending, wouldn't it be great to capitalize on its existing popularity?

The King of Yao pondered in silence.

"The Youhu Lake area is bound to become extremely popular in the future. Although properties there are already sold out, buyer demand remains very strong. So, as a second-best option, acquiring residences around the outskirts of Youhu Lake, specifically in Yunsong Town, would also be excellent," He Lingchuan said, compliments flowing freely from his lips. "Everyone would be eager to live near you."