Chapter 1226 – Moving the Capital

“World Notification: Congratulations China region player Ouyang Shuo for successfully upgrading Great Xia Dynasty to Great Xia Emperor dynasty, becoming the first in the world to become an Emperor. Awarded three AI instantiation opportunities, 10 million gold, and a huge, mysterious gift as a reward.”
…
Gaia was still as generous as before, and the rewards that it gave were all really special.

Ouyang Shuo did not think much about the three spots, giving them to Han Xin, Li Jing, and Huo Qubing, these three God Generals, to ensure their safety.

10 million gold could temporarily reduce the financial pressure on Great Xia.

Before the New Year, the Great Xia Bank, Great Xia business bank, and Great Xia agriculture bank were formed up. Along with the establishment of these three banks, their control over the dynasty would increase greatly.

The Imperial Court could use the banks as mediums to attract the cash in the hands of civilians to gather them up and loan to corporations, businessmen, and farmers to use the power of interest to grow the economy.

However, what Ouyang Shuo looked forward to the most was the mysterious gift.

When Great Xia was established, Gaia had given Ouyang Shuo one mysterious gift, which was the Planet Hope basic information encyclopedia. As a result, many of his plans leaned toward Planet Hope.

“System Notification: Congratulations player Ouyang Shuo for obtaining one mysterious gift, will you obtain it now?”

“Yes!”

“System Notification: Beginning draw for item…”

“System Notification: Congratulations player Ouyang Shuo for obtaining a special item, Emperor instant death talisman!”

Emperor instant death talisman: After use, player can select an NPC emperor to instantly die.

When Ouyang Shuo saw that, he could not help but take in a cold breath. This was pretty much a bug-like presence, a formless way of killing someone. Seeing that, Ouyang Shuo carefully stored it away.

If it was not a crucial moment, Ouyang Shuo would not use this talisman.

After obtaining the mysterious gift, a System Notification sounded out once more just as Ouyang Shuo was about to leave the main hall to attend the ceremony.

“System Notification: the Great Xia Dynasty has obtained a chance to move Shanhai City since it has upgraded to Emperor dynasty, will you move it? Friendly Reminder: the area that it can be moved to is limited to the Lianzhou Basin.”

Ouyang Shuo was stunned; he did not know that there would be such a thing.

In truth, along with the dynasty territory increasing, the debates in the wilderness about them shifting the capital had not stopped. Shanhai City was located at the southwest shore of China, away from the mid plains. Although it was safe, it was not good at radiating to the surrounding territories, and the location was not helpful toward monitoring the local areas.

Moving the capital to the mid plains was a good choice.

Especially since Gaia had removed the destroying main city meant destroying the territory setting in the last update. Some officials had suggested making Luoyang the new capital and turning Shanhai City into the co-capital.

Ouyang Shuo did not agree or disagree with that suggestion.

With just the China region in the picture, Shanhai City that sat in the Lianzhou Basin was too secluded. However, Great Xia was not limited to China.

If one considered the global situation, with the way that Great Xia was developing, no city would dare to say that it was the center of the dynasty.

Considering Nanjiang City, Shanhai City could be considered a central region.

Furthermore, Great Xia was rooted in voyage trading, and controlling the ocean was one of the foundations of the dynasty. Shanhai City was a port city, so it had a natural advantage that inland cities like Luoyang could not compare to.

Of course, Shanhai City’s current position was truly a little awkward.

First, as a Capital City, it was a little too close to the ocean. It was just a valley away, and although they had the Satellite City, Beihai City, the City protection legion corps, and the Emperor Squadron to defend it, these measures could not give one an overwhelming sense of safety.

Secondly, Shanhai City’s north side was against a cliff.

At the starting stages, the presence of the cliff helped to protect the territory. However, as territory grew, it started to prosper both internally and externally.

The presence of the cliff had prevented the progress of Shanhai City to a certain extent. Now, Gaia was giving Ouyang Shuo a chance to adjust, which was fantastic.

“Move!”

Ouyang Shuo did not hesitate.

“System Notification: Please choose where to move to!”

Looking at the minimized map of Lianzhou Basin, Ouyang Shuo did not hesitate and clicked on the grasslands at the center of the basin to move the city to the central area.

North of the city was the beautiful Shenjuan lake.

With that, not only could Shanhai City move further from the ocean, but the vast and flat grasslands would also give them enough space to develop.

In the future, even if Shanhai City developed into a modern metropolis, the area would still be enough.

“System Notification: Confirming location, will you move now?”

Ouyang Shuo was stunned and asked, “The middle of the grasslands is where Shenjuan lake is located. After I move there, what would happen to the lake? Would it disappear?”

“System Notification: Shenjuan Lake would replace the current Shanhai City’s position.”

Only then did Ouyang Shuo make up his mind and say, “Move.”

After he said that, it was like the Big Dipper and the stars had moved as both cities exchanged positions. The entire process took less than five seconds, and no one felt a thing.

To Gaia, it was just a movement of data.

“System Notification: Movement complete. After upgrading to Emperor dynasty, Shanhai City has a chance to gain a mirror image. Will you take it?”

“What do you mean?” Ouyang Shuo did not get it.

Of course, Ouyang Shuo understood what mirror-image meant by itself. Taken literally, it would be to replicate Shanhai City and make its scale twice as great.

This gift would be huge.

After six years of construction that was under sped up time, Shanhai City had finally reached its current scale. If they considered the architecture and buildings of the city, it would be worth no less than 100 million gold.

Hence, Ouyang Shuo did not believe that Gaia would be so generous.

“System Notification: The so-called mirror image would be to use the current city walls, streets, and city management network as a blueprint to replicate an empty city for territory development.”

Now, Ouyang Shuo understood.

For example, if a government wanted to build a new city region in reality, be it building residential districts or commercial buildings, it would be done by the real estate development companies. The role of the government would be to build the roads and set up the water, gas, electricity, communication networks and the like.

Gaia’s mirror image helped to do all of that for the Great Xia Emperor dynasty.

Even then, it was still a huge gift.

As the central city in the world, Shanhai City was the focus of attention, and its population had reached its upper limit. The Imperial Court had no choice but to take measures to restrict people from entering the city.

Now that the city would directly double in size, with the building standards of Shanhai City and its attraction, they could quickly make the new region prosperous.

Just selling land alone would allow the Imperial Court to earn a huge sum of gold.

Before the mirror image, Shanhai City was the biggest city in the world. Expanding it would make it similar to modern Shenzhen. For an ancient territory, that was indeed a little too much.

If it were not for the fact that industrialization had started and was picking up speed, with olden city management standards, they would not be able to sustain such a mega city.

Ouyang Shuo could already imagine that in the not too distant future, Shanhai City would have bicycles and rail locomotives replace horse carriages as the main modes of transport.

Shanhai City was progressing to the steam engine ages.

Pretty much right away, Ouyang Shuo decided to not blindly develop the new region and instead have a system. It would be an industrialized region, or a so-called steam engine new region.

In the future, the old region of Shanhai City would retain the ancient feels and architectural style, while the new region would be an architectural city with machines all around.

Ancient and modern would mix perfectly in Shanhai City.

Just thinking about it made one excited.

“System Notification: Mirror image completed, can make an adjustment to the city planning, please raise your demands.”

Ouyang Shuo thought about it and raised five demands.

First, he decided to extend Friendship river and Qiushui river into Shenjuan Lake.

The rivers and lake connecting would set up a water net. The future Shenjuan Lake would be both a touring paradise and the biggest inland port, swallowing up resources around the world and maintaining the prosperity of trade in Shanhai City.

Secondly, he decided to move the imperial city to the center of the new city, linking both the old and new regions.

Due to the three city merger, the Great Xia imperial city was located at the north west corner. It was not a problem with the cliff protection of before, but they had to consider its safety now.

From a defensive point of view, this was needed.

Since Shanhai City was now located at the center of the basin, the imperial city being in the center of the city would fit its position as the Capital City. Spreading past the new and old regions showed Ouyang Shuo’s equal focus on both regions.

Thirdly, he decided to move the military works region in the old region to the new city region.

The military works region was the forefront of the dynasty’s industrialization and moving it over would be signaling the start of the new era and region.

Their previous location would become the university region.

The already name changed Imperial University, Army Military University as well as the ones being planned were all moved over.

Fourthly, he decided to move the Industrialization Department, Traffic Department, Asset Management Department, Great Xia business bank, Great Xia agriculture bank, and Shanhai City office all to the new region.

The Imperial Court needed to lead the developments of the new region. Only then could they calm the people.

The Guards Legion Corps’ base would also be adjusted. The four corners of the city would each have a Guards Legion Corps camp. Along with the main camp in the center of the imperial city, they could perfectly fit five legions.

Apart from the 1st legion that was in the imperial city, the remaining four were all shifted around to the four corners.

Such an arrangement helped to protect the safety of the Capital City to the greatest extent. It was also a sign to the people that although they were moved to the grasslands, they could still be as stable as a mountain and be without worry.

At this point, the city adjustment came to an end.