mtlumby2d Chapter 295 The Grand Plan Begins
Chapter 295 The Grand Plan Begins
Lichen country
Luo Lingchen was wearing a dragon robe, his posture was upright but he could not hide his fatigue. He sat alone in the royal study of Lichen Kingdom.
On the desk, a map of four countries slowly unfolded, and the flickering candlelight cast a mixture of light and dark on his deep and solemn face.
In between handling state affairs, his thoughts involuntarily drifted far away, to Shen Li, the Princess of Fuxi County of Beichen State, with whom he had a wonderful fate.
The assassination attempt many years ago was still vivid in his mind. Back then, he was seriously injured and on the verge of death, fleeing in a panic to the mountains and forests, like a trapped animal in dire straits.
Just when he was about to give up hope, the eight-year-old Shen Li appeared like a lively elf.
She is petite but walks with a firm step, and her eyes reveal a courage that does not match her age.
She bandaged his wound without hesitation. Although her movements were childish, they were full of concern and seriousness. Then she left all the food she brought with her to him. Her innocent and kind appearance and fearless courage were like a ray of light, which instantly penetrated the darkness in his heart and was deeply imprinted in his heart.
Later, Beichen Kingdom suffered a rare snowstorm. The weather was freezing cold, the people were displaced, and there were starving people everywhere. The tragedy was horrifying.
He and Shen Li met again in the disaster relief team. They tacitly worked together and devoted themselves to the difficult task of rescuing the victims.
Shen Li's small figure was busy running around in the snow and ice. Her wisdom was like the brightest star in the night sky. She came up with many clever ways to resettle the victims and distribute supplies, making the most of limited resources.
Her tenacity is as unshakable as steel. Faced with heavy workload and harsh environment, she has never complained or retreated.
Her every move, every frown and smile, all touched his heart unconsciously. Later, through communication with Shen Li, he learned that she was also a soul from another world. This special tacit understanding was like an invisible thread that tightly connected them, and made his longing for Shen Li even stronger, just like a mellow wine that continued to settle and ferment over the long river of time, becoming more and more mellow.
But at this moment, the reality of the situation was like a heavy mountain, which prevented him from indulging too much in love affairs.
He took a deep breath, forced his thoughts back, and focused his eyes again on the map of the four countries in front of him.
Suddenly, his heart was struck by lightning, and an astonishing idea flashed through his mind like lightning - the mountains, rivers, and geographical outlines of these four countries were closely connected with the territory of China in his memory of his previous life!
"Is this God's will?" Luo Lingchen murmured to himself, his voice tired and hoarse, revealing a hint of indescribable shock and confusion.
He now knew very well that although the four countries on this land were independent of each other, they shared the same roots and were connected by blood.
However, years of disputes and internal friction have severely damaged the vitality of the four countries and the people have suffered terribly.
Only after I ascended the throne did I realize that being an emperor was not easy.
Knowing the future direction of the world, he understood that overseas powers were eyeing this rich land like greedy wolves and would certainly covet it in the future.
If the four countries can put aside their past grudges and unite, they will be able to gather a powerful force, accomplish great things, restore the glory of China in the past, resist the invasion of foreign enemies, and ensure the peace of the people.
Thinking of this, he immediately straightened his back, a hint of determination and decisiveness flashed in his eyes, and he summoned his trusted adviser Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan hurried into the hall and saw the emperor's serious expression. He knew that something big must have happened.
"My dear Lin, come and take a look at this map. Have you found anything unique?" Luo Lingchen raised his chin slightly, pointed at the map of the four countries on the table, and asked in a steady and low voice.
Lin Yuan hurried forward, leaning over to examine the map carefully for a long time, his brows slightly furrowed. Finally, he shook his head and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I am too stupid to see the mystery within."
Luo Lingchen sighed softly, a hint of helplessness in his eyes, and slowly expressed the thoughts that had been brewing in his mind for a long time: "I have repeatedly observed the borders of these four countries recently and found that they are very similar to the outline of an ancient country that often appears in my dreams.
"Now, surrounded by foreign powers, they are eyeing our land covetously. If the four nations continue to fight among themselves, the internal friction will only allow outsiders to reap the benefits. I have made up my mind and wish to unite the forces of the four nations to jointly fight against foreign enemies. What do you think?"
After hearing this, Lin Yuan's face showed surprise for a moment, his mouth opened slightly as if he wanted to say something, but then closed it immediately.
He gathered himself together, pondered for a moment, and then said solemnly, "Your Majesty is wise! This is a far-sighted move. However, the four nations have long-standing grievances and complex contradictions. How easy is it to achieve unity? Moreover, the other three nations may not easily believe Your Majesty's sincerity. The difficulties are numerous..."
"I understand, so the first thing we need to do is to strengthen the strength of Lichen Country and make it the core and model of the four-nation alliance."
Luo Lingchen's gaze was as firm as a torch, and his tone was resolute, "Lord Lin, you must immediately and secretly gather the top skilled craftsmen in the country. I have some new and unique techniques to teach them. We must improve our national strength as quickly as possible.
In addition, I heard that Shen Li, the Princess of Fuxi County in Beichen Kingdom, has been in a coma for more than four years, and there are many rumors about this among the people.
You should select a few capable confidants, disguise yourself and go to Beichen Kingdom to secretly monitor every move of the Fuxi County Lord's Mansion. Any minor matters must be reported to me in detail. I want to know clearly the safety of Shen Li and all the dynamics of the people's exchanges, the flow of materials in and out, etc.
Furthermore, I have recently drawn a map of the dream world based on my dream memories, and described in detail many strange things, such as iron birds that can soar in the sky, iron cars that can run fast on the road, magic boxes that can show scenes thousands of miles away, and so on.
Find a few reliable artists and have them paint these things vividly according to my descriptions. I want to use these novelties to show the other three countries the deep roots and broad prospects of our alliance, and thus persuade them to join the alliance."
"I obey your command!" Lin Yuan knelt down and accepted the order. He secretly admired the emperor's foresight and careful arrangements. At the same time, he was also full of curiosity about the mysterious Princess Fuxi, Shen Li.
From then on, Luo Lingchen devoted himself wholeheartedly to the nation's development. Drawing on the chemistry knowledge he acquired in his previous life, he personally led his craftsmen in the research and development of explosives and cement.
When developing explosives, Luo Lingchen personally guided the craftsmen in the extraction of sulfur and saltpeter.
He stood in the workshop, his eyes focused and rigorous, watching the craftsmen work, and patiently explained, "The purity of this sulfur plays a vital role in the power of the explosive. Even the slightest impurity can affect the performance of the entire explosive, so it must go through multiple meticulous purification processes."
"Your Majesty, this proportion is really difficult to control. We have tried many times but failed." A craftsman looked embarrassed, with fine beads of sweat oozing from his forehead, and his voice was filled with a hint of anxiety and helplessness.
"Don't worry, let's try again. This time, you can increase the amount of saltpeter a little bit, and then when mixing, make sure to stir it thoroughly to ensure that every ingredient can be perfectly integrated." Luo Lingchen looked calm and encouraged in a calm but firm tone.
After countless trials and failures, a deafening roar was finally heard in the workshop, and the explosives were successfully developed!
The thick smoke filled the air, and the pungent smell made everyone present so excited that they burst into tears.
Immediately afterwards, the cement firing work was carried out in full swing.
Luo Lingchen personally selected the limestone and clay. His hands carefully stroked each piece of raw material, judging its quality based on his previous life's experience and keen sense of touch.
During the firing process, he always stayed by the kiln, watching the changes in the temperature intently and strictly controlling the temperature and time.
"The temperature for firing cement is like the way of governing a country. It must be just right. Too much is as bad as too little. If the temperature is too high, the cement will become brittle and fragile; if the temperature is too low, it will not reach the expected strength." Luo Lingchen looked at the blazing kiln and said with deep eyes and emotion.
Finally, a breakthrough was achieved in cement firing. With the successful advent of explosives and cement, Lichen Country's military and construction sectors ushered in a new turning point.
Luo Lingchen began to vigorously strengthen military defense. He directed the craftsmen to build city walls and fortresses with solid cement.
The city walls are tall and thick, with every brick and stone closely connected and indestructible; the fortresses are scattered in key positions, like majestic giants, guarding the country's borders.
At the same time, he carefully selected and formed an elite force equipped with advanced artillery, and used the successfully developed explosives for military training and tactical exercises.
The soldiers were sweating profusely on the training ground, and the shouts of killing were deafening. They operated the artillery skillfully, loading explosives, aiming at the target, and igniting and firing. Every movement was precise and powerful, demonstrating their strong combat effectiveness.
In terms of economy, Luo Lingchen actively encouraged the development of business. He personally planned and opened up new trade routes, making full use of the convenient conditions of official roads to sell the specialties of Lichen Kingdom to all parts of the country.
Exquisite silk, fragrant tea, unique handicrafts, etc. were enthusiastically sought after by merchants from other countries, earning huge wealth for the country.
At the same time, he also vigorously introduced advanced technologies and materials from other countries to promote domestic economic prosperity.
Advanced agricultural production technology has enabled crops in the fields to thrive and significantly increased food production;
The novel handicraft manufacturing technology makes Lichen’s products more exquisite and diverse, and more competitive in the market.
But Luo Lingchen knew in his heart that for the four countries to unite, it was far from enough to rely solely on their own strength. In-depth communication and exchanges with the other three countries were also needed to eliminate the misunderstandings and hatred that had accumulated between them over the years.