Chapter 18: Unveiling the Vision - Infrastructure

The Imperial planning chambers, unlike the Grand Imperial Hall, were designed for function over ceremony. It was a vast, well-lit space in a less ostentatious wing of the Outer Palace, dominated by large, unadorned tables of polished wood, wide enough to accommodate detailed maps and architectural models. Today, these tables were laden with rolls of parchment, intricately drawn diagrams, and small, rudimentary clay models of terrain and proposed structures. The air, usually stale with the scent of old ink, held a faint, invigorating aroma of fresh wood and clay from the new models.

Tianheng stood at the head of the largest table, clad in a simpler, more practical robe of deep blue, indicating his focus on governance rather than ritual. Beside him stood Li Wei, ever-present, and Master Wen, who, though still slightly awed by the imperial presence, held a bundle of new sketches and looked remarkably composed. A select group of ministers had been summoned: Minister Fang of Revenue, General Hu of War, the heads of the Ministry of Works, and a few other key officials, including, to their surprise, Deputy Minister Xiao, indicating the Emperor's continued favoritism towards pragmatic, open-minded individuals. Grand Tutor Chen, however, was conspicuously absent, having been excused due to a convenient "ailment" — a subtle victory for Tianheng in avoiding direct, immediate confrontation.

"Ministers," Tianheng began, his voice clear and resonant, devoid of the flowery rhetoric he often employed in the Grand Imperial Hall. Here, in the realm of practical governance, he spoke with the directness of an engineer. "I have summoned you today not for debate on policy, but for a discussion on the very arteries and veins of our glorious Ziyun Dynasty. I speak of the lifeblood of trade, the swift movement of our armies, and the well-being of our citizens."

He gestured to a massive map unrolled across the main table, depicting the entire Ziyun Empire. It was not a conventional map, but one he had personally overseen the creation of, with topographical details Tianheng had subtly guided Master Wen to incorporate, drawing from his own mental geographical knowledge. "Our empire, vast and bountiful, is currently hampered by the very paths that connect its parts. Trade is slow, vulnerable to bandits and the whims of weather. Our armies move like tortoises, delayed by impassable terrain and treacherous roads. And our cities, though grand, suffer from maladies rooted in the very ground they stand upon."

He paused, allowing his words to sink in. He saw the shift in expressions: Minister Fang looked intrigued by "trade," General Hu by "armies," while the Minister of Works, a stout, practical man named Master Liu, seemed to ponder "impassable terrain."

"My meditations on the Mandate of Heaven," Tianheng continued, "have revealed a profound truth: a healthy body requires clear channels, unobstructed flows. And so, I propose nothing less than a complete revitalization of our nation's arteries and veins: a comprehensive network of Imperial Roads and a vastly improved Capital Drainage System."

He unrolled a detailed schematic scroll beside the map. It was a design of his own creation, translated into Ziyunese architectural drawing conventions by Master Wen. The lines were precise, the angles logical. "Firstly, the roads." He tapped the schematic. "Our current roads are often little more than trampled earth, easily turned to mud in the rains, or dust in the dry season. They wear quickly, and offer little foundation. My vision for the Imperial Roads is different."

He pointed to sections of the schematic. "These roads will be built with layers. A deep foundation of coarse stone, compacted firmly into the earth. Above that, a layer of smaller, angular stones, interlocking tightly. And finally, a surface of fine gravel and packed earth, crowned in the center, allowing water to shed to the sides." He was describing a rudimentary Roman road, adapted for Ziyunese materials. "Crucially, along their entire length, we will incorporate side channels – small, lined ditches – to carry away rainwater, preventing it from pooling and eroding the road surface. This will ensure their longevity, their usability in all seasons, and their resilience to the elements."

The ministers, initially intrigued, now began to look increasingly bewildered. The concept of "layers" and dedicated "side channels" for roads was unheard of. Roads were built by laying down stones or just compacting earth. The sheer scale of manpower and material implied by such a construction method was staggering. Master Liu of the Ministry of Works, who usually oversaw simple bridge and wall repairs, looked utterly overwhelmed.

"Your Majesty," Master Liu stammered, his face pale, "to build such roads across the empire... the cost in stone, in labor... it would be unprecedented! It would drain the imperial treasury for decades!"

"And the return on that investment, Master Liu?" Tianheng countered smoothly, turning to Minister Fang of Revenue. "Minister Fang, imagine if trade caravans could travel twice as swiftly, and with half the risk of breakdown or banditry. Imagine the increased flow of goods, the increased revenue from swift, secure commerce. Imagine the prosperity that would bloom in every market town along these routes. This is not mere expenditure; it is an investment in the very economic heart of Ziyun. And General Hu," he turned to the grizzled general, "imagine legions of soldiers, fully provisioned, capable of marching twice the distance in a single day, responding to threats at unprecedented speed. What value would you place on such military logistics, on such rapid defense of our borders?"

General Hu stroked his beard, his eyes narrowing in thought. The strategic implications were undeniable. Banditry had been a perennial problem, and slow troop movements a constant frustration. "The military benefit, Your Majesty, would be immense. A true force multiplier."

"Precisely," Tianheng affirmed. "This road network is the skeleton upon which the muscle of our empire will grow."

He then moved to the next table, revealing another, even more detailed set of models and schematics. These were for the capital city itself. The models showed sections of the Imperial City, with visible open drains, narrow, winding alleys, and stagnant pools of water near dwellings.

"And now, for the veins of our capital," Tianheng continued, his voice taking on a graver tone. "Our cities, though grand, are vulnerable. The pervasive odors, the breeding grounds for pestilence—the 'fever and ague' that Master Lin so diligently combats—these are not random curses of Heaven, but consequences of our own management of water and waste."

He pointed to a specific model depicting a section of the city. "We will implement a rudimentary, yet profoundly effective, drainage system. This involves two primary channels: one for pure water, sourced directly from the mountain springs and channeled through covered conduits to public wells and designated cisterns, ensuring its cleanliness. The other, for waste. Instead of open, stagnant channels, we will construct deeper, lined channels, covered with stone slabs, designed to carry away all waste water and refuse swiftly and discreetly, leading it to designated purification fields far outside the city walls. No longer will our citizens drink from the same flows that carry their refuse. No longer will the air be heavy with the breath of decay."

He paused, letting the sheer scope of the vision sink in. The models were clear. The diagrams, though simple, illustrated the separation of water flows, the covered channels, the distant disposal sites. It was a complete revolution in urban living.

Master Liu of Works looked even more stunned. "Your Majesty... covered channels for all waste? And purified water lines? This is... this would require reshaping the very ground beneath the city! Every street, every alley... the disruption would be immense! The common people would riot!"

"The initial disruption will be a temporary discomfort for a lasting salvation," Tianheng asserted, his voice firm. "We saw the immediate benefits of simple covered waste pits in the eunuch quarters. Imagine those benefits multiplied across the entire capital. Imagine a city where sickness is less frequent, where the stench of decay no longer permeates the air, where the flies no longer swarm! This is not disruption, Master Liu; it is cleansing. It is a manifestation of Heaven's beneficence, for a truly healthy people are a truly loyal people."

He turned to Minister Fang. "Think of the reduction in lost labor from illness, Minister Fang. Think of the increased vitality of our populace. A healthy workforce is a prosperous workforce. This is an investment not just in public health, but in the very productivity of our empire."

Master Wen, Tianheng's tutor, stepped forward, his voice calm and scholarly. "Ministers, the Emperor's vision aligns with the rediscovered principles of the Primordial Sages, who understood the sacredness of separating the pure from the impure. It is a return to a deeper harmony with the land, a wisdom forgotten amidst the complexities of modern settlement." He spoke of it as a philosophical imperative, subtly countering the arguments of disruption with ancient, revered concepts.

The ministers, however, remained largely overwhelmed. The sheer scale. The cost. The disruption. Their minds struggled to grasp the benefits outweighing such monumental, unprecedented undertakings. Grand Tutor Chen's absence, Tianheng noted, was keenly felt. His structured opposition would have been easier to counter than the collective, bewildered silence that now filled the chamber.

"But the resistance, Your Majesty," a junior official from the Ministry of Rites dared to interject, "the people are accustomed to the old ways. They will fear such drastic changes to their daily lives."

"Fear of the unknown is natural," Tianheng conceded, his gaze sweeping across the room, landing briefly on Deputy Minister Xiao, who was studying the drainage schematics with an almost obsessive interest. "But it is the Emperor's duty to guide them, to show them the path to greater well-being. We will begin with pilot projects, demonstrating the benefits, just as we did in the eunuch quarters. We will educate them on the virtues of clean water, on the harmony of pure living. It will be a gradual process, but an unwavering one."