After inspecting Sliven's new district, Ferdinand did not linger and headed straight for the final stop of this journey—Plovdiv.
Having been away from Sofia for nearly two months, Ferdinand was beginning to miss home. Perhaps because he had become a father for the first time, he already missed the little fellow and did not want to miss a single step of his son's growth.
Thus, Ferdinand's impromptu nationwide tour, which had begun with the roar of a tiger and was now ending with the whimper of a snake, was about to conclude.
However, Ferdinand's political objective—to show the bureaucrats that the king valued industry—had already been achieved. Plovdiv would be the final stop of this inspection tour!
Plovdiv held a unique status in Bulgaria. It was also the nation's second-largest city, with a long history and rich culture, second only to Sofia.
Plovdiv lay in the upper reaches of the Maritsa River, on the northern side of the Rhodope Mountains. It had a history stretching back more than a thousand years and was one of the birthplaces of Bulgaria's national revival. Bulgaria's national heroes Botev and Levski, as well as the great writer Vazov, had all lived here.
At the same time, Plovdiv was also the most prosperous agricultural region in central and southern Bulgaria. Broad plains surrounded it, its soil was fertile, and it produced abundant grain, fruits of every kind, and vegetables.
Moreover, Plovdiv was one of Bulgaria's most important transportation hubs, located on the great Eurasian artery. It served as a transfer station on the route from Belgrade and Sofia to Constantinople, and was one of the most important trade centers on the Eurasian continent.
After the Austro-Hungarian Empire occupied Serbia, Ferdinand had briefly entertained the idea of moving the capital to Plovdiv. Only after witnessing the