There is no doubt that as the capital and the political, military and cultural center, Suihua City is the largest and most prosperous city in the Andong Kingdom. In terms of scale, it may not be comparable to Liaoyang, or even to the northeastern state capitals such as Jin, Shen, Tong, and Huanglong Prefecture. There are some differences, but the excitement is not weak at all.
After all, a "king" always has some special appeal, and a king who works hard and is committed to development can give a city or even a country the wings to take off.
Today's Suihua is the result of Liu Xu's painstaking efforts in the past twenty years and the leadership of the officials and people of Anton. Of course, the essence of Anton's development achievements over the years is also presented in Suihua.
Liu Wenyuan and his party traveled quickly and finally returned to Suihua City in the evening. Compared with the darkness, silence, and terror in the countryside, Suihua City is a completely different world. Thousands of lights decorate the royal city under the cold night, giving people a sense of peace.
Suihua City is basically newly built. The traces of the Khitan and its previous rule have long been covered up during the development and expansion of Suihua. Looking at the city, there is no obvious difference between Suihua and most cities in the Han Dynasty in terms of layout, except in the architectural style. It has some characteristics to adapt to the environment, with a loose layout, large slopes and thick walls.
Counting the officials and the army, there are only over 20,000 people in Suihua City. Excluding the itinerant merchants and traders, the permanent population is even less. However, Suihua City is 8.2 miles around, and it is solid and thick, making it easy to see at a glance. Seeing the strong defensive power, Liu Xu spent a lot of money and manpower to build Suihua City.
Building a nest to attract phoenixes. Although the phoenixes did not attract, some "grass chickens" came after hearing the news. They were also very important to Anton and Suihua, and played a significant role in promoting their development.
In Suihua under the snowy night, the wind is cold and the air is freezing, but the atmosphere is warm, the smoke of fireworks is strong, and the air seems to be filled with the aroma of wine. In Anton, wine has always been indispensable.
In addition to the sound of snow falling and the barking of dogs from time to time, the most common ones are the whispers and private conversations between residents. In the homes of scholars and people, the heat is steaming, fighting against the severe cold. The warm fire kang has become the most common area for Suihua people to spend time in winter, especially at night.
When Liu Wenyuan returned to the city, the sky above Suihua City was still full of smoke. He didn't care to pay attention to it, and arranged for the soldiers to return to camp and returned to the palace, intending to return to duty.
Prince Anton's Mansion is the former Governor's Mansion of Anton. It has not been modified in any way. It just gave back the brand name, but its temperament has been greatly changed. However, some people suggested that Liu Xu need to build a royal palace in Suihua City, with the inside and outside separated, to maintain the king's authority.
Of course, this was rejected by Liu Xu, but he had already put forward a plan. As soon as the money, food, and manpower were met, the construction schedule would be arranged. After all, Anton is a country now, and it also needs its own palace. This is where "ritual" lies, and it is better to cultivate it early than to cultivate it later.
As soon as he entered the palace, Liu Wenyuan noticed something was wrong. It seemed that a distinguished guest was coming to the door. He asked the doorman who was greeting him respectfully: "Is there a visitor?"
"Back to Your Highness, King Rao Le is here. The King is hosting a banquet in the hall. Your Highness has given instructions to go to the hall to see you when you return home!" the gate official explained.
Hearing this, a slight surprise flashed across Liu Wenyuan's face. After thinking for a moment, he put the riding whip into the doorman's arms, patted the falling snow on his body, and walked all the way to the main hall of the palace.
In the lobby, there was a peaceful atmosphere. Liu Xu showed great importance to the arrival of King Raole Liu Xin, welcomed him warmly, dragged his sick body, and hosted a banquet in person.
It had been a while since Liu Xu appeared in the court again. The last time he stood up for Liu Wenyuan to win people's hearts. Although the banquet was of high standard, there were not many people. Only the Prime Minister Geng Jixun accompanied the king, and the rest were waiters.
The look on Liu Xu's face was really ugly. It was obvious that his condition had not improved at all. In view of this, there was no attempt to persuade him to drink at the banquet. However, seeing that Liu Xu was weak even when he spoke, and even gave people a feeling of effort, Liu Xin couldn't help but asked in front of the court: "Brother, I see that you don't look good. If you are not feeling well, you should rest early. I hurriedly paid my respects. In fact, That’s reckless.”
Hearing this, Liu Xu waved his hands gently, with a pale smile on his face, coughed a few times, and said: "It doesn't matter, we are the only brothers in this bitter and cold land here. The fourteenth brother is here to visit, I really I'm happy, but my health is really bad, so I can't have a drink with you. Prime Minister, you must entertain King Rao Le well when you have wine with him."
"Yes!" Geng Jixun cupped his hands and raised his glass to Liu Xin: "Your Majesty, on behalf of Anton, I propose a toast to you!"
Liu Xin looked at Geng Jixun, then turned to look at Liu Xu. She finished her drink in one gulp, put down the glass, and sighed and said to Liu Xu: "Brother, let me be blunt. This visit to Suihua is not only for help but also for advice!"
Hearing what he said, Liu Xu still had a gentle demeanor and chuckled: "It seems that the fourteenth brother is having difficulties in managing Raole, but it doesn't matter. We are in the northeast and should be watching and helping each other. As long as I, brother Don’t be stingy with what you can provide!”
In fact, Liu Xu knew something about Rao Leguo's situation. After all, it was a true brotherhood and the only two feudal states in the Northeast. Rao Leguo also had a large piece of territory that was carved out from Andong.
Xingguo City, where Liu Xin's current royal city is located, is only about 500 miles away from Suihua, which can be said to be within easy reach. Rao Leguo had some informants from Anton's side.
It is also a newly established feudal country. Compared with Anton, Rao Le Kingdom is much bleak. After all, its background is too shallow. The territory is not small, but there are only three or five cities and less than 50,000 people.
I won’t mention it during the Khitan rule, but when it was under the rule of Yanshan North Road, it was almost indifferent. The focus of Daosi’s business has always been on the hometown of the Xi people, and the entire north, that is, Linhuang Mansion, paid a little more attention.
In fact, for Yanshan North Road, the Yanshan North Road did not feel distressed when Raoleguo was established, and even felt relieved of the burden. The current King Raole's city to rejuvenate the country is not as good as a county in the interior. Just to "make room" for King Raole, Yanshan North Road has taken the trouble to clean up, otherwise it will be more miserable.
Compared with the fervent reforms and customization in Anton State, Rao Leguo's side is deserted. Up to now, it is just a grassroots team, which cannot even fill the country's basic organizational structure. The little support provided by the court is simply not enough.
During his happy days, Liu Xin was still a little enthusiastic at first and inspected all the cities under his rule, but he soon became disappointed. This was really not as good as a county in the Central Plains. Slowly, Liu Xin got lost in the vast grassland.
To make matters worse, with the implementation of the Raole and Andong border lines and the establishment of boundary markers, the population that originally belonged to Andong moved eastward one after another, preferring to give up their original land and pastures.
Liu Xin's Rao Le country was very desolate and pitiful, and Liu Xin obviously lacked experience in governing the country. After careful consideration, he finally decided to come east to learn from his elder brother Liu Xu and ask for help. The most important thing is to prevent Raole people from continuing to emigrate. If this continues, his country will be empty.
"Brother, to tell you the truth, I, the king of Rao Le, should be really ashamed, and even shameless to see others! I am afraid that my Rao Le country is not as good as a large county in the Central Plains. I only make people laugh. I feel that I am the night in the Northeast. Lang Guo'." Liu Xin looked at Liu Xu and said to herself.
