Deposed Crown Prince: After three years of service on the frontier, the entire court knelt and begge

Xiao Ce opened it and saw that inside were a pass and identity document issued by Qi Lin overnight with complete procedures.

After watching Xiao Ce finish reading, Xing Wudao bowed and said, "Sir, the vehicle is ready and has plenty of fuel. The driver..."

Xiao Ce then looked at A Tie and Director Mi and the others. A Tie only needed to input the command.

As for Director Mi and his companions, they had already learned this technique back in the Dragon City of the Roman Empire...

"Major General Xing, our people can handle the driver..."

Xing Wudao was initially surprised, then realized that these car sketches were all given to him by Xiao Ce.

It's not surprising that those who followed Xiao Ce could drive...

"Okay, then I'll have my drivers go back first..."

Xiao Ce nodded with a smile as always: "Very good, Major General Xing, thank you for your hard work."

Xiao Ce took the document bag, his tone calm. He looked around and saw the guards chosen by Xing Wudao standing at attention, their eyes sharp.

As expected, Qi Lin did not appear, and his caution pleased him greatly.

Xing Wudao said to Xiao Ce, "Sir, General Qi asked me to come with you to say something, he won't be coming..."

Xiao Ce nodded: "It's nothing. Have you noticed anything unusual these past two days?"

Xing Wudao shook his head, then said to Xiao Ce, "No, sir, everything is normal in Panshi Port."

Xiao Ce nodded: "Alright, then don't bother seeing me off. Let's stop here."

"Understood, sir! I wish you a safe journey!"

Xing Wudao clasped his hands and bowed.

He watched as Xiao Ce helped Yin Pan'er into the back seat of the first car, and Xiao Yue followed. Da Lei sat in the passenger seat, his wary gaze habitually scanning the surroundings.

The three leaders, along with three androids from the creation base, boarded the truck behind them, carrying large wooden crates filled with armor and weapons.

The engines roared with a deep, powerful sound, breaking the tranquility of the harbor in the early morning. The two cars, one after the other, slowly drove out of Jing'an Residence and along the planned internal passageway toward the gate of Panshi Port leading to the outside world.

The guards at the gate had clearly received orders; after checking the passage documents sent in advance by the Fifth Circuit Intendant, they quickly allowed passage.

When the vehicle drove out of the heavily guarded port area and truly entered the territory of Linhai County, the scene before him still deeply moved Xiao Ce, even though he had some expectations in mind.

Yin Pan'er couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, her beautiful eyes filled with astonishment and emotion.

A wide, straight, and exceptionally flat road stretched out before us! The surface was a deep gray, smooth as a mirror, shimmering softly in the morning sun...

This is clearly the modern road that Qi Lin was talking about, made of reinforced concrete as a base and then paved with asphalt.

What's even more striking is that this main road is clearly divided into two wide "lanes" on the left and right.

The left lane is a fast lane specifically designed for cars.

At this moment, several cars of different styles were driving on it, and their speed was significantly faster than that on the right.

Although it was far from the highways Xiao Ce remembered from his previous life, being able to travel smoothly at a speed close to a horse's trot in this era was already a groundbreaking advancement.

A-Tie's car merged into this lane, and the ride was exceptionally smooth, with almost no bumps.

The right-hand lane, on the other hand, is a traditional horse-drawn carriage lane.

The scene here is completely different: all kinds of horse-drawn carriages, oxcarts, donkey carts, and even pedestrians carrying loads are mixed together, forming a slow and lively torrent.

The wheels rolled over the hard road surface, making a clattering or rumbling sound, accompanied by the shouts of the drivers and the neighing of the animals.

Surprisingly, it created a sense of harmony.

At this moment, Yin Pan'er looked at this scene and said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, the design here is quite novel. It not only takes development into account, but also does not forget ordinary people... Is this what we often call harmony?"

Xiao Ce smiled and nodded: "Not bad, it seems your father and the others have managed this place very well... They haven't neglected the people either..."

Yin Pan'er didn't hold back her praise: "Your Highness, it's all thanks to your excellent plan for them..."

Xiao Ce laughed and said, "You're just seeing beauty in the eye of the beholder..."

As Xiao Ce spoke, he looked at both sides of the road.

Along both sides of the road, the scenery unfolds layer by layer, like the rings of a tree through time...

Near the road are often newly built or renovated houses, mainly brick and stone structures, with a distinctly utilitarian industrial style. Some street-facing shops have eye-catching signs, selling all kinds of new goods, new farm tools, kerosene lamps, and even bicycle parts.

If you broaden your gaze slightly beyond these modern buildings, you'll see more familiar sights.

Traditional houses with blue bricks and gray tiles are scattered in an orderly manner, with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys; in the fields, farmers are either driving oxen or using improved but still cumbersome iron farm tools to work.

An ancient stone arch bridge lies quietly over the winding river, and perhaps a small boat glides slowly beneath it.

The distant mountain outlines still retain their verdant appearance from thousands of years ago.

These scenes truly evoke a sense of time travel and disorientation...

The vehicle travels in the fast lane, and the breeze from the speed brushes against the windows...

Yin Pan'er gazed at the fleeting scenery outside the window, her eyes glazed over: "Your Highness... Mr. Xiao, this... the changes are too great. When I left, Linhai County was under reconstruction, but who would have imagined such... such a strange sight? Carriages and automobiles travel the same roads, tiled houses stand side by side with brick buildings... it was just ruins before..."

Xiao Ce had a faint smile on his face: "Yes, Pan'er. This is the seed we planted back then, taking root and sprouting, growing branches and leaves that we expected yet also didn't expect. Steel and iron have forged new arteries, but the flesh and blood are still the familiar land and its people."

He saw a child on the roadside pointing curiously at the car he was in, while the old man beside him had an expression of indifference and normalcy, and simply pulled his grandson to the side of the road.

This sense of normalcy is precisely a manifestation of how deeply the changes have penetrated to the core.

Da Lei chimed in from the side, "Yes, Your Highness, the changes here are so drastic that I feel a sense of unfamiliarity... So, that feeling of coming home that you described, I don't feel it here at all... I even feel like I'm in the West..."

Yin Pan'er said, "It should be a modern Xiao Kingdom; the architectural style here is quite different from that of the West..."

Da Lei nodded.

As the vehicle travels along this road that encircles the city...

This blend of ancient and modern has become more common and vivid.

They drove past the edge of a planned industrial zone, where several towering chimneys were belching smoke—newly built textile and dyeing factories.

Not far from the factory wall, in vast farmlands, golden waves of rice ripple as farmers bend over to harvest, creating a striking scene where the gears of industrial civilization and the pulse of agrarian civilization resonate in unison.

Simple traffic signs began to appear on the roads, guiding cars and horse-drawn carriages to different forks in the road.

At some busy intersections, you can even see people dressed in the uniforms of Xiao Guo police officers, blowing whistles and directing the slightly chaotic but generally orderly flow of traffic.

These police officers clearly gave cars a "favor," often waving them over to let them pass first.

"Your Highness, look..."

Yin Pan'er pointed to a track in the distance that ran parallel to the main road but was much narrower. On it was a small steam locomotive belching black smoke, towing several open carriages filled with coal or sacks.

"That's... a small freight train?"

"Hmm..." Xiao Ce nodded!

"It should be a dedicated line connecting ports, factories, and raw material production areas. It's much more efficient than horse-drawn carriages. It seems that the Qian brothers, Qian Dafang and Qian Dahai, have really mastered the concepts of 'building industries to revitalize the country' and 'to get rich, build roads first.'"

His opinion of the Golden Society and the execution capabilities of Yin Weiyong and Han Da rose even higher.

Their convoy followed this ring road around the city, heading straight towards Kyoto...

Last night, I heard Qi Lin tell Xiao Ce that every city in the Xiao Kingdom now has a main road leading to it, which they call the national highway.

Xiao Ce thought to himself, "Many times, we really do think alike..."

Moreover, there are rest stops similar to gas stations along these roads.

The post station here is also an official one, and I have to say, the price of oil here is indeed not cheap.

The main reason for the high prices is the lack of advanced extraction and refining technologies, coupled with the absence of economies of scale.

They thought they would attract attention, but the closer they got to Kyoto, the less attention they received.

Xiao Ce discovered that there were even more extraordinary people and events here...

Anyway, there are all kinds of people, people of all skin colors, and people driving all kinds of cars.

The other vehicles were all freight trucks, so they seemed rather normal in comparison to these individuals.

Moreover, A-Tie and those androids don't need to rest at all.

Therefore, as long as they let these cars rest when they refuel, they can keep driving.

The car they arranged for Xiao Ce was very comfortable, so they didn't feel tired while resting inside.

As the car approached Kyoto, it drew ever closer.

This is the heart of the empire, which the people of Xiao Kingdom have renamed as Dragon Capital.

The scenery on both sides of the road became increasingly prosperous and vibrant.

The scenery that was originally interspersed with vast farmlands and traditional villages when I first saw it in Linhai County has gradually been replaced by continuous factory areas, neatly planned new residential areas, busy freight transfer stations, and service stations that have sprung up like mushrooms after rain along the way.

Everything here looks thriving.

"Your Highness, when we left this place, it was all scorched earth and ruins, utterly ravaged by those countries... Now, look around, is there even a trace of what it used to be..."

Xiao Ce nodded after hearing Yin Pan'er's words.

Actually, he wasn't surprised by Yin Pan'er's emotions, because before she left, the area she saw was even more desolate...

However, even though Xiao Ce was mentally prepared, the situation here still far exceeded his expectations.

As you get closer to Kyoto, the newly planted roadside trees become lush and green, sheltering the brick and stone buildings with a distinctly Xiao-style utilitarianism.

Huge billboards stand at some intersections or on the outskirts of factories, advertising emerging products such as Dragon brand bicycles, Tiangong brand machinery, and Fengshou brand fertilizers.

It seems that these emerging business models have been widely adopted thanks to the Illuminati's promotion...

Seeing the lively scene, Xiao Ce was in a great mood.

Instead, he noticed that Yin Pan'er, after a brief moment of excitement, now had a look of worry on her face...

Xiao Ce then asked Yin Pan'er, "Pan'er, what's wrong? Did you think of something?"

Yin Pan'er said to Xiao Ce, "You said, such earth-shattering changes have already taken place outside the capital... do you think the Hidden Dragon Tomb might...?"

Xiao Ce was naturally aware of Yin Pan'er's concerns.

Xiao Ce then said to Yin Pan'er, "Alright, you don't need to worry anymore... Many people tried to find that Hidden Dragon Tomb back then. If it were really that easy to find, it would have appeared long ago... Don't worry, everything is a preparation made by God..."

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Yin Pan'er smiled and nodded.

"Your Highness is right... I was overthinking it..."

Xiao Ce gave Yin Pan'er a reassuring smile, then said, "Relax, I believe that everything can turn around..."

After listening to Xiao Ce's words, Yin Pan'er nodded emphatically.

At this moment, Da Lei, who was sitting in the front, couldn't help but say to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness! We've arrived!"

As he spoke, Xiao Ce looked up in the direction Da Lei had indicated...

The scene before them was completely different from the dilapidated and tragic Kyoto they remembered!

The former ruins are long gone. This road now connects to a towering "Revival Gate" that is over ten feet high. It has been rebuilt with huge granite and reinforced concrete, with strong and powerful lines. The flags of the Xiao Kingdom and the East Asian Alliance fly on the gate tower.

On both sides of the city gate are continuous, majestic city walls built with the same new building materials. They are no longer just defensive fortifications, but more like a monument that blends the weight of history with the power of modern industry.

On the city wall, there are simple lighthouses and sentry posts at intervals, with soldiers in new military uniforms standing at attention, the tips of their guns gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

The vehicle slowly drove across the wide moat bridge, where clear water flowed beneath and weeping willows lined both banks.

Passing through the huge archway, a wide, flat, and straight road suddenly appeared before us!

This central avenue, like a giant dragon, pierces straight into the heart of Kyoto, magnificent and imposing...

Seeing this scene before him, Xiao Ce felt a surge of pride...