Wan Nian cupped his hands. "Your servant wishes to expand northward."
"Why north?"
Wan Nian answered, "The land north of Chaoge is vast. We never extended into it before because the terrain was too flat, allowing the northern Rongdi to drive straight in and threaten to besiege the city. Now that the tribes of the Northern Di have submitted, and the Great Wall holds back the Qiang, that danger no longer exists."
Zi Shou pondered for a moment. "That is a sound proposal, but I wish to expand eastward."
"Eastward?" Wan Nian looked utterly baffled. "The Qi River lies to the east. How could we expand there?"
Zi Shou smiled. "Why not cross the Qi River? Cut through mountains when we meet mountains, build bridges when we meet rivers. What is wrong with bringing a stretch of the Qi River inside Chaoge?"
Wan Nian hesitated. "There is nothing inherently wrong with that. With such a water source, life would certainly become easier for Chaoge's people. But building bridges would take a great deal of effort..."
Zi Shou waved his hand. "Everything must have a beginning. Start building a day earlier, and we can finish a day earlier. I hear the refugees are rather unruly. Is that true?"
This time, Li Jing answered. "Among these refugees are herders from the Northern Territory and refugees from Xiqi. Their backgrounds are unclear, and they behave fiercely. There may even be spies sent by the feudal lords among them. They are wild and difficult to tame. Even strict laws can scarcely restrain them!"
That was what gave Li Jing a headache. Expanding Chaoge meant demolishing the ramshackle houses temporarily erected outside the city, but the refugees living in them not only resisted, they stirred up trouble as well. They truly were a pack of