Luoyang, the Eastern Capital.
Construction sites stretched as far as the eye could see.
Millions of people labored here!
The last time this place had undergone large-scale construction, Verdant Green Maiden remembered, had been during the Zhou Dynasty. Back then, it had still been called Luoyi. She had met a young man named Ji He here and witnessed the birth of a Bronze Zun. Heh... that was a very distant past.
Now, she had come again.
But she was no longer alone. She had brought Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin, and Li Xiu Ning with her, along with Hong Luan perched on her shoulder.
"I remember having a house in Luoyang, too. What a shame."
After a thousand years, the house had long since turned to dust.
"Master, what are we doing here?"
Li Shimin followed behind her. Though he was only seven, seeing all these laborers stirred an inexplicable feeling in his heart, a sense of unease.
These people... why? He had only ever seen the people of Chang'an, and most of them wore smiles.
But not the people here.
All that showed on their faces was numbness, hardship, and exhaustion.
"Looking at people," Verdant Green Maiden replied.
Looking at people?
"Do you mean them?"
Li Jiancheng's gaze fell on the laborers. After a moment, he seemed to understand Verdant Green Maiden's meaning and asked, "Master, do you want us to see their suffering?"
Verdant Green Maiden nodded. "That's right."
"But what can we do?"
Li Xiu Ning looked at them and said, "Building the Eastern Capital was His Majesty's decree!"
Verdant Green Maiden asked, "Do you think that decree was right?"
Hiss—!!
The moment Verdant Green Maiden asked, both Li Jiancheng and Li Xiu Ning changed expressions. They were older and better understood what Imperial Power meant.
This wasn't