Chapter 40
"Sister, I plan to establish the capital in Chang'an soon. The Hexi Corridor is not suitable due to its geography. What do you think?"
Lia had planned this for a long time, but the conflict with the Nomadic Confederation delayed its execution. Now that she has secured the Western Regions, this matter can be brought up.
In the minds of the ancients, Guanzhong was a fertile land—a Heavenly Kingdom spanning a thousand miles, bordered by the Xiaohan Pass to the left, Longxi to the right, rich lands of Bashu to the south, and the benefits of the barbarian pastures to the north.
Therefore, geographically speaking, Chang'an was the center point of the country during many dynasties, serving as a hub of transportation connected in all directions.
Moreover, the Guanzhong Plain is surrounded by mountains, making it a naturally fortified region that is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Thus, Chang'an's inherent natural conditions predestined it to compete with places like Beijing, Nanjing, and Luoyang for the status of national capital.
After serving as the capital from the pre-Qin era to the Qin and Han Dynasties, Chang'an accumulated more abundant resources than many other places.
Although dynasties changed, important cities like Chang'an often suffered huge setbacks during turmoil, but many of its former resources, especially intangible cultural assets, were largely preserved.
Furthermore, ever since the State of Qin vigorously recruited talents to strengthen itself, the Guanzhong region became an important talent gathering place and a cultural center at the time.
Later, the Qin and Han Dynasties reinforced this characteristic, turning the Chang'an area into a cultural center. In short, the benefits of establishing the capital in Chang'an are numerous.
This is also why Lia chose to establish the capital in Chang'an.
Now that there are no issues in the Western Regions, she only needs to guard against Northern Wei. Moreover, Chang'an is close to Luoyang, allowing her to react immediately if any problems arise with Northern Wei.
If she remembers correctly, Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei, Emperor Taiwu, will die in a palace assassination in three months.
Taking advantage of the great chaos in Northern Wei, she could immediately lead a large army in a surprise attack and launch a Northern Expedition before the new Northern Wei emperor is established. If she is lucky, she might even be able to directly defeat Northern Wei.
"Establishing the capital in Chang'an?" Hearing this, Morgan lowered her head and began to ponder.
As the saying goes, one must fulfill the duties of one's office.
After Lia entrusted everything in the Hexi Corridor to her, Morgan had thoroughly studied the affairs of previous dynasties and knew that Chang'an was the capital during the Qin and Han periods.
It is not a bad thing that Lia wants to establish Chang'an as their current capital, but the matter of establishing the capital still needs thorough discussion with the ministers.
Although those civil officials were not skilled in warfare, they were very knowledgeable about the etiquette involved in establishing a capital. It would be better to consult them.
"Alright, but this matter still needs to be discussed with the civil officials," Morgan said, nodding after finishing her thoughts.
"Mhm." Seeing Morgan agree, Lia brought up another topic. "Sister, are you familiar with Summoning Undead and similar sorcery?" Lia asked.
"Why are you asking about this, Sister?" Morgan did not answer immediately, instead finding Lia's question very strange.
Did her sister know that she could summon the undead? But that shouldn't be possible, right? She hadn't used it before.
Or did that guy Merlin tell her? That's not impossible.
"I was thinking, for certain tasks that consume manpower and resources, could we use the undead to do them? For example, building the Desert Highway from the Hexi Corridor to Xinjiang?" Lia said meaningfully.
After all, the undead don't get tired or suffer from physical problems. They are much more useful than humans.
"That cannot be done," Morgan immediately shook her head.
"It won't work?"
"Yes. Although I do know some necromancy Magic, the physical condition of the undead is tied to their state when they were alive. An ordinary person's body cannot withstand prolonged exposure to sunlight."
Hearing this, Morgan knew what Lia was going to say and explained directly.
Although the idea of using undead bodies for hard labor is good, even bones have an expiry date. In a place like the desert, they would turn brittle in just a few days.
The undead may seem powerful, but they are actually fragile things that shatter instantly. Only fresh corpses are of any use; once time passes, they are no different from dry bones.
"However, your idea did make me think of a better solution. It requires a lot of Magical Power, and I might not be able to do it alone. If you are willing to make a small sacrifice, Sister, then there shouldn't be any major problem."
Morgan suddenly thought of something, and a seductive smile immediately curled up at the corners of her mouth toward Lia.
"What solution...?" Seeing the mischievous smile on Morgan's face, Lia felt a chill run down her spine, but she still gathered her courage and asked.
"I have a Magic that allows me to create a Clone. This Clone is just like me, and even without using cement, it can carve a path through the desert and even create many water sources along the way. However, the cost of this is a massive amount of Magical Power."
"Magical Power?" Lia frowned.
Chapter 96: Morgan: How about we Replenish Magical Power!
"Sister, you must know that there are many ways to restore Magical Power, but one way is extremely fast and efficient, allowing one to recover Magical Power in a very short time. And since you possess the Dragon Body, the Magical Power carried within your bodily fluids is the purest of the pure..."
The more Morgan spoke, the more excited she became internally. Her sister had brought this upon herself; she wasn't forcing her~
As Morgan spoke, Lia's face instantly turned bright red. She quickly understood the meaning behind Morgan's words: Morgan intended to frantically "Replenish Magical Power" with her!
While the two of them Replenished Magical Power here, Morgan's Clone would have a continuous supply of subsequent Magical Power to execute the so-called highway construction plan!
If it were just once, Lia might reluctantly accept it, but the distance from the Hexi Corridor to Xinjiang is nearly a thousand kilometers. How long would she have to replenish Morgan's Magical Power for the construction to be completed?
Lia immediately waved her hand. No, no, no, this was too damaging to her health! She absolutely could not agree!
"Since Sister doesn't want to make a sacrifice, then let's forget about this matter. We shouldn't think about building any roads; it is simply unrealistic for us right now."
Seeing this, Morgan did not pressure Lia but continued, "Unless we unify the entire Land of Huaxia, only then might we be able to try. But even so, it would require countless manpower and financial resources. In the end, we might end up with the title of 'Tyrant,' just like Qin Shi Huang when he built the Great Wall."
Morgan's words silenced Lia. Building a road through the desert in this era was indeed incredibly difficult, several times harder than building the Great Wall.
Even in modern times, China spent more than ten years successfully completing it. That was only possible by leveraging 21st-century technology!
But now, if she simply Replenished Morgan's Magical Power every day, they could complete the road between the Hexi Corridor and Xinjiang. The cost would be minimal.
"We will discuss this matter later!" Although Lia knew this was likely the best current option, she still didn't agree immediately.
Morgan nodded. She didn't continue to pressure Lia on this matter. She believed Lia would eventually compromise; she was just thin-skinned and shy right now.
For now, they should prepare for establishing the capital in Chang'an. Once the capital is set there, it signifies to everyone else that they intend to found a nation.
Founding a nation is not uncommon in this era. They had previously experienced the era of the Five Barbarians and Sixteen Kingdoms; adding one more state wouldn't change much, at most making it the Five Barbarians and Seventeen Kingdoms.
However, founding a nation has huge implications. It tells the Liu Song Dynasty and Northern Wei, "I have enough capability to stand equal with you. You can no longer treat us as Rebel Leaders or the like; we are equal in status."
The Liu Song Dynasty might not have serious objections, but Northern Wei would likely react.
After all, the territory where they are establishing their nation was seized from Northern Wei's land. Before founding the nation, Northern Wei might have offered benefits and entertained the idea of amnesty, allowing them to become part of Northern Wei.
Just like the Wei State and the Wu State during the Three Kingdoms period, before Sun Quan declared himself Emperor, everything could be negotiated, and he could periodically declare allegiance to the Wei State.
Whether you were sincere or just going through the motions, as long as the Wei State saved face, it was fine.
But once Lia establishes a nation, this sole possibility will vanish.
In that case, the trade relationship between the two sides must first be severed. Neither grain nor various teas and salts would be allowed to be traded, as this would constitute aiding an enemy state, and anyone caught doing so would be executed.
Next is the control of personnel movement. Northern Wei will also implement strict controls, preventing illegal crossings. Any such crossers will be uniformly treated as traitors colluding with the enemy.
It can be said that once they establish their nation, Northern Wei will set up layers of checkpoints against them—all disadvantages.
But if it's all disadvantages, why would Lia still want to establish a nation?
The first point is that the checkpoints set up by Northern Wei will not significantly affect them; instead, Northern Wei will be the one suffering the loss and they will benefit.
This is because the exquisite glass, Soap, Snowflake Salt, and White Sugar they currently produce are precisely what the nobles of Northern Wei and the Liu Song Dynasty need.
As for tea, it actually has no impact on Lia and her people if they don't drink it. Anyway, they have already developed the salt product, so Common People will no longer suffer health problems from lack of salt consumption in the future.
The second point is the issue of personnel movement. On this matter, Lia truly doesn't have a perfect solution.
However, she has already established schools and begun nationwide literacy campaigns. She believes that within a few years, scholars who share her ideology and policies will emerge. As for the scholars educated by the Confucian School—they are not needed anyway!
The third point is that once Lia establishes a nation, all the people under her command, whether officials or Common People, will develop a sense of belonging.
When facing officials and Common People of other states, they will no longer feel inferior, because they can proudly say what Longwu Kingdom is like, and what Longwu People are like.
This is a form of national or ethnic cohesion that brings confidence to everyone under her rule, and this point is especially crucial!
Furthermore, the two disadvantages of establishing a nation mentioned earlier are not significant issues for the current Lia. Therefore, the sooner the nation is established, the better.
Finally, as the two were chatting, Morgan leaned her head on Lia's shoulder, and soft breathing sounds could be heard.
"Sister... what are you doing?" Lia asked cautiously, unsure if Morgan was up to something again.
"I'm a little sleepy. Lia, lend me your shoulder." Morgan said softly, closing her eyes.
"Sleepy? Speaking of which, the court assembly is indeed quite early." Lia thought about the time the assembly started. The ancient people's concept of time was different from modern people's; they emphasized going to bed early and rising early, and might already be busy by five in the morning.
Even so, Lia was speechless. If you want to sleep, go to a room! Why lean on me?
Lia wanted to clap her hands to signal Morgan to go sleep in a room, but after stretching out her hand, she hesitated and pulled it back.
Never mind. Let her lean on me; it doesn't matter anyway.
Because Morgan was leaning beside her, Lia didn't dare to move much, afraid of waking her up. After a while, Lia started to feel bored.
Having nothing to do, Lia could only turn her head to look at Morgan, observing her eyebrows slightly trembling from being closed. Her sister truly was beautiful.
Unlike the flirtatious, fox-like eyes she usually directed at Lia, Morgan now seemed to have shed all her pretense, looking like a harmless little white rabbit.
Chapter 97: Morgan: I Must Push Down My Little Sister
Little white rabbit? That's Morgan's disguise. Thinking of how Morgan had been handsy with her, Lia's face flushed. The Morgan who shed her disguise was actually a Big Bad Wolf!
The fragrance emanating from Morgan lingered at Lia's nose, making her heart pound incessantly, giving Lia the impulse to kiss Morgan's forehead.
However, Lia stopped herself. She never engaged in such sneaky acts of intimacy!
An hour passed like this, and Morgan still showed no signs of waking up. Lia's shoulder was starting to ache. After thinking for a moment, she whispered to Morgan, "Sister? Sister?"
After calling a few times, Morgan still showed no signs of waking up; she was sleeping soundly.
Lia felt helpless. She carefully reached out, placed her hands around Morgan's waist, and gently lifted her soft body into a bridal carry.
Morgan's body was very light, very soft, and most importantly, very fragrant!
Lia thought for a moment, then pushed open her room door and walked to her bed. Just as she was about to set Morgan down, Morgan opened her eyes.
"Little sister, what is this? Are you trying to take advantage of me?" Morgan looked around and realized she was in Lia's room, currently being placed on Lia's bed.
Morgan showed no anger; instead, her face held a mix of delight and excitement. Had her little sister finally figured things out? Did she know how to actively make a move on her older sister?
At this moment, Morgan felt as if she had eaten strawberry cotton candy; she was sweet all over.
"Of course not! You fell asleep leaning on me. I was just putting you on the bed," Lia said with a slight roll of her eyes, sounding helpless.
"Oh, I guess that's right." Morgan thought about it; it seemed she had indeed gotten drowsy while they were talking.
However, isn't this time and place perfect for something to happen?
Morgan looked up at Lia, stretched out her arms, wrapped them around Lia's neck, and presented herself as ripe for the picking.
Lia was instantly stunned. She was just about to set Morgan down on the bed, but her neck was now encircled by Morgan's arms. How could she set her down now?
"Sister, what are you doing? Why are you hugging my neck?"
"I feel safer this way."
"If you hug me like this, I can't put you down properly."
"Little sister, at this time and in this setting, don't you think we should do something?" Morgan breathed out a seductive whisper.
"Do what?" Lia was genuinely confused.
She had been so direct, did she really have to spell it out? Her little sister wasn't made of wood, was she?
Morgan had no choice but to be a little more explicit: "Happy things?"
"I don't know what could make me happy. Let go of me. I need to go conduct surprise inspections of other departments," Lia said expressionlessly.
How could Lia not know what Morgan was trying to say?
To be honest, with such a great beauty actively flirting with her every day, it would be a lie to say she wasn't tempted. Even now, her heart was pounding.
It was just that Lia was a tsundere, and she felt too shy about that kind of thing, so she could only pretend not to understand.
She liked pretty girls, but only to the extent of appreciation. She was still very rational about relationships, and although something had happened between the two of them, still...
However, before Lia could finish her thought, Morgan, seeing Lia's lack of action, knew that the possibility of her sister actively making a move on her was virtually zero.
It looked like she would have to take the initiative herself. Thinking this, Morgan exerted a little force, and Lia, who hadn't reacted in time, was pulled directly onto the bed by Morgan.
In a flurry of motion, Lia found herself pinned down on the bed, with Morgan pressing down on her, gazing at her with a pair of peach blossom eyes. Lia's heartbeat instantly accelerated.
"Little sister, haven't you always wanted to carve out a road between the Hexi Corridor and Xinjiang? How about we start taking action now?" Morgan teased.
Hearing this, Lia's face instantly turned bright red. Morgan, that woman, wanted to force herself on her again.
Lia wanted to resist, but she found her body was terribly weak and she couldn't exert even the slightest bit of strength.
"W-well... Sister, it's daytime right now..." Lia could only remind Morgan of the time. "Don't go too far, woman!"
"Daytime is exactly when we should be doing proper business. Otherwise, how can we clear the pipes at night? Don't you agree?" Seeing Lia look like a weak little white rabbit, Morgan curled her lips into a smile.