Munitions Empire-Chapter 914 - 837 might still be able to find an old friend

Chapter 914: 837 might still be able to find an old friend Chapter 914: 837 might still be able to find an old friend Tang Mo’s renovation of the Forbidden City was actually somewhat different from the real Forbidden City, as it made extensive use of glass, including floor-to-ceiling windows and other modern design elements in certain garden areas.

Anyway, Tang Mo had an abundance of glass at his disposal and could unabashedly install skylights overhead to enjoy the nighttime stars.

Although the overall red walls and green tiles of the Forbidden City still remained in Huaxia’s style, its interior design leaned toward the modern.

After all, Tang Mo wasn’t about to create headaches for himself by pursuing ultimate historical accuracy while ignoring the palace’s practical functions.

I mean, could a palace fit for the future lack a parking lot and underground parking facility? Of course not; it had to have them, along with bomb shelters and helipads for helicopters.

As per Tang Mo’s plans, the interior was renovated with distinct zones. All rooms were pre-wired for future needs, and parts of the buildings included secret passages and other hidden designs.

Moreover, to satisfy a taste for novelty, there were many structures above three stories high within the Forbidden City, endowing this new version with a more dynamic, three-dimensional feel.

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Unlike Huaxia emperors who pursued ‘groundedness,’ Tang Mo, living in the new century, wasn’t averse to high-rise buildings. These new additions to the Forbidden City also served as shields, blocking the view from all directions.

The original Hall of Supreme Harmony was used for major state ceremonies—a grand hall, where major monthly imperial court deliberations took place. Essentially, it was a grand hall and meeting room for important conferences and ceremonies.

The Hall of Central Harmony was, in true sense, the everyday meeting and reception room, where His Majesty The Emperor received his ministers, issued tasks, and held emergency meetings. It could also double as a dining room, where the Emperor hosted celebratory meals for ministers and guests.

The Hall of Preserving Harmony’s function was altered to become the exclusive office of the Emperor, also accessible for summoning important ministers (should the Emperor wish to avoid the Hall of Central Harmony). Located here was also Tang Mo’s drafting room and archive, making it one of the most heavily secured and significant buildings in Tang Country.

Past these lay the inner court, which was the sleeping quarters of His Majesty The Emperor. Unlike the real Qianqing Palace, this was a luxurious two-story villa.

The entire range of the Hall of Martial Valor resembled the Pentagon in the United States, serving as the military command center of the Great Tang Empire, with the Staff Department situated here as well. For any significant military affairs, Tang Mo would also relocate his office to this site.

The Hall of Literary Brilliance was home to the domestic and financial affairs of the Empire, dealing with state governance, financial expenditures, and hydropower developments. Due to its multifunctionality, this hall was larger than the Hall of Martial Valor, even taking up the living area of the princes (Southern Three Palaces) in the original Forbidden City.

The area between the Hall of Martial Valor and the Cining Palace, originally the Cining Garden Streamside Pavilion, had been transformed into the Imperial Family’s vehicle garage and dedicated heliport in the Forbidden City, altering its original purpose.

Beyond the gates of Cining, Longzong, Jingyun, and Huangji lay the private residences of the Royal Family, off-limits to common people. However, the palace restrictions in Tang Country were not particularly strict, given that Tang Mo’s three Imperial Concubines held positions.

One worked at the Ministry of Finance, another at the Ministry of Domestic Affairs, and a third presided over the Ministry of Culture—none of them were idle women confined to the palace.

Tang Mo didn’t have many children, so only three palace residences in the back court were in use for the three Imperial Concubines to live in—since the children were still young, they stayed with their mothers and didn’t even have their palaces to reside in.

The Hall of Mental Cultivation had become Tang Mo’s massive library, filled with books and blueprints. Given the increasing volume of books and blueprints, the Cining Palace was almost becoming storage for his various papers and drawings.

Indeed, Tang Mo planned to install a supercomputer and corresponding servers in his palace in the future, to provide computational services for the Royal Family. Should he want to play a game, after all, the frame rate must be higher and more stable than everyone else’s, right?

Tang Mo had no intention to repurpose the Ning Shou Palace for himself; according to his plans, there should be a retirement system for the Royal Family, with the Ning Shou Palace being the place for the Emperor to spend his retirement.

No matter how disrespectful the descendants might be, this place had to be preserved: once an Emperor retired to the Ning Shou Palace, he was not to meddle in government affairs, nor was the outer court to disturb the retired former His Majesty The Emperor. This rule was set, and all Emperors were required to adhere to it.

The Ancestral Worship Hall next to the Ning Shou Palace was even more untouchable; it was the place where later generations would worship and offer sacrifices to their ancestors. After a lifetime of struggle, one must at least earn a place on the ancestral tablet, right? If not, that would be truly pitiful.

Aside from oneself, the side halls here also had to worship and commemorate ministers who had contributed to the Great Tang Empire, similar to the Lingyan Pavilion.

In any case, Tang Mo had already prepared for a “Tang Empire forever” attitude. If anyone had an issue, they could just try him!

The four corner towers of the entire Forbidden City had space reserved as well, possibly for mounting the peace of mind that comes with an 1130 in the future. Four Gatling Bodhisattvas, the great compassionate ones that stabilize the residence, spinning three thousand six hundred times in a single breath, ensuring good food, good sleep, and steady dreams…

Today, Tang Mo couldn’t be bothered to summon ministers at the Zhonghe Hall, and instead met with Li’ao, who had come to report news, directly in the office of the Baohe Hall.

Just two days ago, this brand new office had been put into use, and the initial construction work of the entire Forbidden City had finally been completed.

“Your Majesty’s taste really astonishes this servant,” Li’ao said with a little flattery as he entered Tang Mo’s office.

“Soon this design will spread, and everyone will rush to imitate it… Too much, and it becomes commonplace,” Tang Mo said with self-deprecating laughter, noting that many so-called designs that imitated the Emperor of Tang were merely acts of plagiarism.

“Your Majesty need only issue a decree, stipulating that if anyone else emulates or plagiarizes the styles used by the Royal Family, they are overstepping their bounds. Arrest those who should be arrested, fine those who should be fined, and that would put an end to such occurrences,” Li’ao suggested to Tang Mo.

Tang Mo, of course, knew of this method, but what he thought about more was the development of the entire nation, the entire country: when there is a wall in front of everyone, how can they see the future?

It wasn’t that Tang Mo was unworldly, but he feared that his own descendants would have their vision obscured by this wall, become complacent, and eventually turn into another Shireck.

“To prevent people from pursuing better things is a dangerous thought.” Therefore, Tang Mo rejected such an idea.

Li’ao didn’t mind showing his foolishness in front of Tang Mo; he preferred to use his own foolishness to highlight the Emperor’s wisdom.

So, he immediately complimented, “Your Majesty is wise, this servant has not thought so far ahead.”

“You’re not foolish, you’re cunning!” Tang Mo said with a laugh, exposing Li’ao’s little ruse, then ordered, “Tell me the business at hand.”

Li’ao bowed slightly and began his report, “Yesterday, in Linshui, the action division of the intelligence department carried out an arrest operation. It targeted two merchants who had been trying to control the grain prices in Linshui… The Economic Intelligence Division provided data suggesting they used means to inflate prices, earning about 120,000 Gold Coins.”

“Their methods were professional, and their actions very covert; by the time the Economic Intelligence Division spotted the issue, they had already made their escape,” Li’ao finished, pausing to give Tang Mo a chance to speak.

Tang Mo pondered for a few seconds, then looked at Li’ao, “How fresh… Intelligence departments of various countries usually only gather data and information, they don’t risk exposure by taking action…”

“Your Majesty is brilliant! It is from these oddities that we surmise these individuals likely don’t work for foreign intelligence agencies, but probably obey some other people,” Li’ao quickly added.

“Tell me your thoughts!” Tang Mo commanded.

Li’ao spoke again, “If they were merely speculative merchants, they wouldn’t have been so secretive. They are well-organized and used a very professional ’empty cicada shell’ tactic to escape before the action division could move.”

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“Interesting!” Tang Mo nodded—he was well aware that if it were merely speculative behavior by merchants, they could not bypass Tang Country’s intelligence department nor easily escape from their hands.

“Obviously, these people have received counter-surveillance training and are extremely vigilant,” Li’ao said, “Our opponents are a bit too cautious, but such caution has let us catch a whiff of their scent.”

“Now that we know of their existence, let’s continue the investigation… If we don’t follow the leads, wouldn’t we be letting our adversaries’ efforts go to waste?” Tang Mo revealed a slight smile, “Intriguing! Truly intriguing.”

“It seems… these individuals have finally realized that they cannot take the victory they desire from my hands on the open battlefield. They are changing their approach, ready to play some games behind the scenes,” Tang Mo surmised after pondering for a while.

“This servant has let Your Majesty down… to let the enemy think it would be easier to break through from this servant’s side,” Li’ao said with a self-deprecating tone, slightly embarrassed.

Tang Mo waved his hand to comfort Li’ao, “You have done very well. It’s only that our opponents can’t gain an advantage elsewhere and have turned their attention to your area of responsibility. No matter, just play along with them… a little exercise is good for longevity…”

“This servant… thanks Your Majesty,” Li’ao, clearly perceiving Tang Mo’s comfort and encouragement, especially touched by the phrase “longevity”, felt a surge of emotion, “This servant will definitely do everything possible to capture all those damned people, not sparing a single one!”

“Go on, then!” Tang Mo, remembering a distant name, made a joke, “Perhaps, in the end, we might even find a red-haired old friend.”