Chapter 914: I Am Unhappy
Fan Shangzheng took those words deeply to heart, nodding in agreement. "Precisely as it should be."
He, too, considered himself a decent person, so he saw no reason to worry. With a somewhat brazen grin, he requested, "Mr. Bai, could you make one for my clothes later?"
The cluster of officials trailing behind him chimed in, "We want one too!"
Bai Yuan chuckled. "Of course, no problem. Does His Excellency, the Governor, not wish to deepen his understanding of the Heavenly Lord Dao Xuan?"
Fan Shangzheng responded eagerly, "Of course I do! I'm very eager to learn more."
The officials behind him, including the Prefect of Luoyang and others of similar rank, quickly added, "We wish to as well!"
Bai Yuan replied, "Very well. I will have the complete set of *The Divine Saga of Dao Xuan, Heavenly Lord of Exorcism* delivered to each of you. Once you've read it, you will surely understand."
That very night...
The twelfth installment of *The Divine Saga of Dao Xuan, Heavenly Lord of Exorcism*, a substantial stack of volumes, arrived at Fan Shangzheng's residence.
He was profoundly shaken by what he read. Had he not personally endured the Luoyang locust plague, he would have dismissed *The Divine Saga of Dao Xuan, Heavenly Lord of Exorcism* as a mere trivial entertainment.
But having lived through it, his perspective was entirely different.
To him, every plot point in the book was absolutely true!
The Heavenly Lord striking down bandits with his hand, bringing rain to the common people, providing weapons to defeat rebels, dropping food to feed the hungry masses—all these interwoven narratives now made sense. Many previously unbelievable events were finally clear.
Why Bai Yuan commanded so many flintlock rifle soldiers? He understood!
Why Chen Yuanbo managed the small Wenshui County so exceptionally well? He understood!
And why Young Hero, Great Hero, Grand Hero, and Extraordinary Hero Xiao Qiushui was impervious to blades and spears, unharmed by water and fire, able to single-handedly send rebels scattering in terror? He finally understood that too!
Just a few days prior, the Xin'an County Magistrate had reported that the mud-crusted floodplains of the Yellow River, which had plagued Xin'an County for years, had been excavated with divine assistance. Xin'an County had even erected a bridge leading to Shanxi. He had initially dismissed it as the magistrate fabricating a report, but now he realized it was also the Heavenly Lord's doing.
Joining the Heavenly Lord Dao Xuan Sect brought so many benefits!
If he joined too, wouldn't Henan, the province under his jurisdiction, also receive the Heavenly Lord's protection?
The thought filled Fan Shangzheng with inexplicable excitement, keeping him awake all night.
The next morning, as Fan Shangzheng left for his duties, he discovered that the Prefect of Luoyang and a host of other officials all sported dark circles under their eyes. Clearly, he wasn't the only one who hadn't slept well.
The grand development of Luoyang City officially began.
With the Heavenly Lord's divine manifestation laying the foundation, the common people of Luoyang City were exceptionally invigorated.
The residents, who had once been fearful and anxious about their future, now brimmed with hope for the life ahead.
They were people blessed by a deity's protection!
They were no longer mere refugees.
Just like a kitten with a mother is no longer a stray.
Fan Shangzheng stood in the square before the Governor's Yamen, announcing loudly to the refugees, "We are now recruiting a large number of laborers to build a super-long road from Luoyang City, through Xin'an County, and then northward, piercing into Shanxi Province, reaching all the way to Hedong Circuit! Those willing to work will receive three catties of flour per person, per day..."
After speaking, he hastily added, "This is not corvée labor, not corvée labor, not corvée labor—I repeat it three times for emphasis! This project is backed by the venerable Heavenly Lord Dao Xuan himself, and all wages will be paid in full."
Upon hearing this, the common people thought, *With the Heavenly Lord overseeing it, what in hell is there to fear? Even if the authorities lack credibility, there's no need to worry. Would the government dare to oppose the Heavenly Lord? He could just use a divine power and sweep the entire officialdom up to the heavens like locusts!*
In an instant, a massive number of refugees enthusiastically signed up.
Especially those who had once been sheltered by the glass dome—their lives had been saved by the Heavenly Lord from the locust plague. They had no reason not to believe in him.
Fan Shangzheng recruited tens of thousands of workers in the blink of an eye. This sheer number profoundly startled him. In the past, building a road would never have been so easy to find labor for; strong young men usually had to be rounded up, a process that often sparked popular uprisings and conflicts.
Now, a single shout brought tens of thousands.
Blue Hats from Gao Family Village immediately arrived by boat from Shanxi. Guided by these skilled technicians, a super-long railway and highway double-line began to extend from Luoyang towards Shanxi.
Simultaneously, construction teams from Shanxi were building their way towards Luoyang.
The Luoyang extension of the Xihe Railway officially commenced construction.
Xi'an, Caisikou Plaza.
Today's Gaojia News was broadcasting as usual.
Gao Yiye appeared on the screen, smiling. "The railway connecting Hedong Circuit to Luoyang City has officially broken ground. This section is named the Xihe Railway Extension. Once completed, it will link up with the railway from Xi'an to Hedong Circuit, and the entire line will then be renamed the West Luo Railway. From then on, everyone will be able to take a train directly from Xi'an to Luoyang."
The audience exclaimed, "Wow! That's wonderful!"
"Now we can easily travel to Luoyang for leisure."
"I've always wanted to see and explore the Central Capital, Luoyang."
"I have several like-minded poetry friends in Luoyang; now I can visit them for sightseeing and outings."
"Our goods from Xi'an can also reach Luoyang much faster now," a merchant remarked with a sigh. "Before, getting goods there meant traversing Mount Hua, passing through Tongguan Pass, through dangerous mountains and treacherous waters, with bandits everywhere. It was incredibly difficult."
Everyone was overjoyed...
Only one person, after watching the news, remained deeply unhappy.
The Heir Apparent of the Prince of Qin, Zhu Cunji!
Zhu Cunji was unhappy!
His lips were pursed in a pout!
His wife, the Princess Consort, gently nudged him from beside. "What's wrong?"
Zhu Cunji murmured, "I want to go to Luoyang."
The Princess Consort sighed deeply, gently clasping his hand. "You can't go. Don't even think about it."
Zhu Cunji retorted, "Am I not even allowed to think about it?"
His wife whispered, "If you dwell on something for too long, it can become an obsession. Then one day, your mind won't control your legs, and you'll just jump onto a train. After that, it's the curtailment of your princely domain, revocation of your title, and ultimately, your head."
Zhu Cunji scoffed, "Hmph! 'Losing my head,' always threatening me with losing my head. If they're so brave, let them exterminate my entire clan."
His wife was speechless.
There was no reply to that! What emperor would go mad enough to exterminate his entire clan? Not even a mad one would do that.
Zhu Cunji suddenly declared loudly, "I've decided!"
His wife flinched at his sudden outburst. "Why are you shouting so loudly?"
Zhu Cunji announced, "I will continue building railways! I can't just stop with the West Yan Railway. I also want to build a Xi'an-Chengdu Railway, connecting Xi'an to Chengdu. Next, I'll build a Xi'an-Hangzhou Railway, leading to Hangzhou. A Southwest Railway, connecting to Nanjing. A Xi'an-Yanjing Railway, leading to Yanjing... And a Xi'an-Qiongzhou Railway, connecting to Qiongzhou (Hainan Island)... Huh? Wait, I don't think that one can be built..."
His wife stammered, "Uh... what exactly are you planning to do?"
Zhu Cunji explained, "I'm preparing in advance. Just in case, one day, I'm allowed to leave Xi'an, I'll ride a grand train and travel across the entire realm."
His wife let out a long sigh. "I told you not to think about it; it truly will become an obsession."
Zhu Cunji declared, "I already have this obsession. It's too late now to say I shouldn't think about it."
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