Ming Dynasty and New Rome and Infinite Magic Machine

Chapter 1702 New City
"My Sun God!" The priest heard the next plan from Shangluo.

Shangluo did not consult with him, but directly asked him to carry it out.

"Your decision is truly as great as the sun! I cannot express in words your great achievements."

“We will do what the Pharaoh can do, and we will also do what the Pharaoh cannot do. Not all problems in this world can be solved by reason, but Egypt’s problems have clearly not yet crossed the line of reason. As long as you are united, do not cause trouble for the court, and do everything I say step by step, Egypt’s best days will surely come. The Nile has flooded thousands of times, but none of them are as good as this one.”

"Your Majesty the King of Rome, you are doing a great thing."

"Yes, I know. But how did you know?"

"Morality is the ritual left by humanity's collective memory of the best times in history. We hope to repeat similar causes to get similar effects. The better the times in history, the more deeply morality is remembered. And if you can create a better time than ever before in history, then you are the one who can shape the morality of the new world."

Shangluo shook his head: "I have no interest in that. I still hope that the Egyptians can stand up straight, manage their own affairs well, and not cause trouble for the court. That's enough."

The imperial court did not want to take anything from Egypt—it did not covet these things, nor did it expect Egypt to make any significant contributions; it simply hoped that Egypt would not cause it any trouble.

The imperial court's demands on the world have always been consistent. Because as long as everyone avoids causing trouble for the court and stays put, there is no problem that cannot be solved.

The Heavenly Court will be like this in the future.

Moreover, it's not just the imperial court that thinks this way; North Korea thinks this way too—and North Korea is even more extreme in this regard.

For example, why doesn't Korea intend to promote Hangul within its borders? In fact, in 1504, King Yeonsan of Korea even ordered a nationwide ban on the use of Hangul.

The reason for this is that Koreans were originally illiterate. But once they learned Hangul, even ordinary farmers could record their spoken language, which then created a powerful undercurrent within the country.

The King of Joseon actually didn't want his people to be literate. He believed that those who could write would start to ponder, and pondering would give rise to "evil thoughts." He thought that if everyone stayed put, Joseon would remain peaceful and prosperous.

The imperial court was not as extreme as Joseon. It still believed that prevention was better than cure, and that relying on the poor and ignorant to govern was unsustainable. Just like with environmental management, after the Yonggyeong Reforms, industrialization and modernization were considered the panacea for all old problems, and indeed, that was the case.

Of course, modernization has indeed brought new problems, so the imperial court brought Shangluo over as a new panacea.

The beauty of Shangluo's medicine lies in its targeted approach and fully automated operation.

Currently, Shangluo has expanded its operations to the farthest border of the imperial court—Egypt. If this region is not governed properly, it will cause trouble for the court. The people here require Shangluo's personal attention.

“But I have a question—if two million people were to gather in Thebes, wouldn’t that cause some problems?” the priest asked. “It seems we can’t accommodate that many people here.”

"Isn't it enough?" Shangluo looked around. "I think there's plenty of space here."

"No, no, no, what I mean is, our city can't support that many people."

“I didn’t say they were to live in Thebes—look, there’s plenty of open space across the river!” “Across the river? That’s the Valley of the Kings! My lord! That’s where all the pharaohs have rested!”

“I know,” Shangluo waved his hand. “I didn’t say we were going to have people live inside the Pharaoh’s tomb. But look at the terrain there, it’s spacious and a good place to build a new city. The court has decided to build the new city of Thebes there and set up the work of the Nile River water conservancy project in that city.”

It's a city like a military camp, so it doesn't need to be very large. Just planning the housing area and fitting in 200 million units wouldn't be difficult.

"Wait a minute, how do you plan to build it?"

“Do you remember what Alexander did? A new city should have a new look.”

This new city of Thebes will become a model for a new life throughout Egypt. Powered by hydroelectric projects, the city will have access to clean running water and a stable electricity supply. Everyone will receive wages, and they will consume industrial products they've never had before. Perhaps they'll even be able to buy transistor radios made in Songjiang—

The Nile River has risen and fallen thousands of times without delivering a radio, but Wang Shi has finally delivered one for them.

"Wait... There are too many people! There are just too many!" Realizing what was about to happen, the priest was at a loss. "With so many people coming to Thebes, how will the souls of the dead find peace?"

"Hmm," Shangluo thought for a moment, "haven't you heard of a practice of converting schools into mass graves?"

"what?"

"Then you haven't heard of it. Well, let me tell you, this is a foolproof secret—where there is a lot of yin energy, you should use yang energy to suppress it."

"But with so many mummies in a crowd, something bad will happen!"

Shangluo tilted his head: "You seem to be doing quite well to me."

"Because I'm pretending."

"I think if you can disguise yourself, then there's no reason why other mummies can't—why bother with all the hiding? Since they all consider themselves Egyptians, shouldn't they be able to work and labor like new Egyptians? Egypt is in the midst of a period of large-scale production and construction. It benefits the present and future generations. So, why can't mummies operate excavators?"

"Ah this."

"I've made my decision, no need to say more." Shangluo waved his hand. "I know you harbor resentment, and I know you have a score to settle with the Romans. However, now it is the true Egyptians who need your help. You also know that everything I've done is for a better future for Egypt. I can even ensure that Egypt's annual floods arrive on time—tell me, if the pharaohs of the past were alive, if they still had any compassion for the common people, would they agree with me or oppose me?"

"They...they will definitely agree with you."

“That’s right.” Shangluo nodded. “Perhaps some people haven’t figured it out yet. But that’s alright, we still have literacy courses and many projects to do. Our work has only just begun. They will get used to it.”

(End of this chapter)