Chương 553: Official Relocation

The hall was incredibly spacious, capable of accommodating thousands of officials to court at the same time, with ample space for everyone, unlike the crowded Deyang Hall.

The floor was paved with black marble, so shiny that it reflected one's image.

The dragon throne in the very center is carved from a single piece of sandalwood and inlaid with a thousand pearls and a hundred rubies. It is extremely majestic, and sitting on it gives one the feeling of ruling the world.

"My goodness! This is so magnificent!" Cheng Yaojin exclaimed, his voice echoing throughout the hall.

"From now on, when I attend court here, I can see His Majesty's face even if I'm standing in the last row! I won't have to stand on tiptoe anymore! Before, in the Deyang Palace, I could only see the back of the heads of the people in front of me when I was in the back."

Song Yingxing said with a smile, "General Cheng, don't worry. Not only can you see clearly, but you won't get cold either. The hall has underfloor heating, and in winter, you can burn firewood for warmth. You won't feel cold even wearing just a single layer of clothing inside. It's much warmer than Deyang Hall."

As he spoke, he squatted down and tapped the ground: "Look, the ground is hollow underneath, with a special fire channel. The charcoal we burn is smokeless, so there's no smell of smoke. In the past, when Deyang Palace burned charcoal in winter, the smoke was so strong that people couldn't open their eyes and coughed uncontrollably. Now, that won't happen anymore. You can work here with peace of mind."

He led everyone to visit each palace in turn: "This is the Taiji Hall, used for grand court assemblies and important ceremonies; the Liangyi Hall next to it is where daily court assemblies and government affairs are handled. It is a little smaller than the Taiji Hall and is more cozy, suitable for daily office work."

Behind that is the Ganlu Hall, His Majesty's sleeping quarters, which includes a bathroom, a study, and a small garden; further behind is the East Palace, where the Crown Prince resides and studies, and also has a dedicated martial arts training ground and horse stables, where the Crown Prince can practice martial arts from a young age to strengthen his body.

"In addition, the Imperial City also has an Imperial Garden, stables, kitchens, storerooms, a Royal Hospital, and a Royal Academy. The Imperial Garden is planted with flowers, trees, and shrubs from all over the country, and there is also an artificial lake where you can go boating in the summer and ice skating in the winter. The lake is also filled with colorful koi carp, which are very beautiful."

Song Yingxing pointed to a red cabinet in the corner and said:

"This is a fire water tank. There's one at the entrance of each palace, and it's filled with water. In case of a fire, it can be extinguished in minutes. In the past, the Luoyang Imperial Palace often caught fire, and each time a large area would burn down. Now we don't have to worry about that anymore. This was specially requested by His Majesty, who said that safety comes first."

"Most of these designs were proposed by His Majesty," Song Yingxing said sincerely, looking at Liu Ce with eyes full of admiration.

"Your Majesty, I was merely constructing the city according to your blueprints. Without Your Majesty, there would be no such perfect Luoyang. I am nothing more than Your Majesty's hands and feet. I have no regrets in dying for being able to participate in the construction of such a city in my lifetime."

Everyone turned to look at Liu Ce, bowing respectfully: "Your Majesty is a man of extraordinary talent; we are filled with admiration!"

Liu Ce smiled and waved his hand: "It's all thanks to everyone. Without Song Yingxing and hundreds of thousands of craftsmen and laborers working day and night, without Shen Wansan's financial support, and without everyone's concerted efforts, Luoyang could not have been built so quickly. This is all our achievement. I only came up with the idea; it was you who did the actual work."

...

After visiting Luoyang, the group reluctantly returned to Luoyang.

Inside the Deyang Palace, Liu Ce looked at the assembled civil and military officials and said with a smile:

"Luoyang has passed all inspections and all facilities are operating normally. I have decided that we will officially move to Luoyang next month."

From now on, Luoyang will be known as Dongjing, the political, economic, and military center of the Han Dynasty; Luoyang will be known as Xijing, the cultural and sacrificial center, where ancestral temples, mausoleums, and universities will remain. During festivals, I will lead all officials back to Xijing to worship our ancestors, never forgetting our roots."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The courtiers shouted in unison, their voices so loud they made the hall reverberate.

"Great! We can finally move into our new home!" Cheng Yaojin was the first to jump out and shout.

"Your Majesty! Should we pick a specific auspicious day? I want to move right now! I can't wait!"

The Director of the Imperial Observatory quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I have already calculated that the third day of next month is an auspicious day according to the Chinese calendar. It is suitable for moving, moving into a new house, opening a business, and getting married. It is the best day of the year."

Entering the house at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM) is most auspicious, ensuring peace and prosperity for the household. Last night, I observed the celestial phenomena; a purple aura appeared in the east, a sign that the capital is to be moved.

"Then let's set it for the third day of next month at 5 AM!" Liu Ce decided.

"All departments should make preparations in advance and relocate in an orderly manner to avoid disrupting normal operations. Those who wish to move to Luoyang will receive a subsidy of 500 coins per household and will be given priority in the allocation of housing in their neighborhoods; those who wish to stay in Luoyang will also be properly resettled by the court. Everyone will be treated equally, without discrimination."

"Your Majesty, we obey!"

After the court session ended, the officials immediately erupted in excitement, gathering in twos and threes to discuss the relocation.

"I've already set my sights on Yongning Ward, east of Zhuque Avenue. It's close to the capital, making it convenient for attending court. I'll go get the paperwork done first thing tomorrow morning! Nobody can take it from me!"

"I want to choose Chongyi Lane next to the West Market. It's convenient for shopping, and my wife loves shopping. Last time she spent a whole day in Luoyang but didn't buy anything because there were too many people and she couldn't get in."

"I want a house with a big garden so my kids can run and play in it. My boys are always causing trouble at home; they're practically tearing the house down."

Cheng Yaojin, pulling Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong along, shouted, "Let's go! We're going to Luoyang right now to seize a house! If we're late, the good spots will be gone!"

He was about to run out when Fang Xuanling grabbed him, saying, "Old Cheng! Don't rush! The imperial court will distribute them uniformly according to rank. You can't force them! Running fast won't help; you need a high rank!"

"Huh? It's based on rank too?" Cheng Yaojin looked disappointed, as if he'd been doused with cold water.

"Then I should be able to get a pretty big house, right?"

"You are the Duke of Lu, a first-rank official, and you will be allocated a... large mansion, with a garden and stables. That's enough for you to live in," Fang Xuanling said with a smile.

Cheng Yaojin's eyes lit up, and his mouth stretched to his ears.

"Big enough! Big enough!"

Kong Rong sighed and said, "Alas, I'm still a little reluctant to leave my old house in Luoyang. There are all the books I've kept all my life there, and the old locust tree in the yard that I planted myself. That's my root. But Luoyang is really nice. From now on, I'll live in both places, in Luoyang in the spring and in Luoyang in the autumn. Watching the leaves turn yellow is quite nice too."

Yang Biao nodded and said, "Yes, Luoyang is our root, we can't forget it."

...

On the third day of the fourth lunar month, before dawn, Luoyang was already in an uproar.

The massive moving procession started from all the city gates of Luoyang and stretched all the way to Luojing, a line that stretched for more than twenty miles and seemed to have no end in sight.

Horse-drawn carriages, oxcarts, and rickshaws, carrying furniture, luggage, books, and grain, came and went in an endless stream, the sounds of wheels, hooves, and shouts blending together.