When the king founded the nation, he established the capital accordingly, surveying the land and settling the …
When the king founded the nation, he established the capital accordingly, surveying the land and settling the people as precedent dictated. In Kaifeng city, peoples from all corners gather, waterways and roads converged, trade flourished, and prosperity grew day by day. Yet the city, built atop old foundations, had not been fully restored. Military camps were cramped, and government offices had no room for proper construction. Within the wards and markets, lodging houses were few, while merchants and artisans from afar poured in without end. Rental prices soared unpredictably, and poor households struggled to provide. Moreover, houses stood wall to wall, streets were narrow and congested, in summer, the heat and humidity became oppressive, and the risk of fires remained sky-high. For the convenience of both public and private life, it is now necessary to expand the city. Officials shall be ordered to construct an outer wall encircling the four sides of the capital. Markers must first be established, during the idle season between late winter and early spring, laborers from nearby fields shall be drafted to carry out the work. Once spring planting begins, they shall be released. If construction is unfinished, it will carry over to the following year, allowing matters to proceed with flexibility. From now on, any burials, new residences, hearths, or marketplaces must be built beyond seven li from the designated markers. Within the markers, once the officials have planned and allocated streets, camps, warehouses, and administrative offices, the people may then freely proceed with construction.