Chapter 243: Reviving Legends

“That’s the King Zhou Palace!”

Zhu Qiang nodded.

He had confirmed it two or three times with the staff member while on the phone.

“General Zhu, you have to admit, this post came at just the right time. We may not be able to rebuild the King Zhou Palace, but we could try our hand at the other structures in Chao Ge. If we can construct them, not only would it solve the Four Great Banquets, but it would also cover the venues for the historical feasts.”

Snap out of it!

Luo Peng quickly interjected.

“Other buildings in Chao Ge?”

“Exactly! Don’t you remember that famous ancient tower that once stood in Chao Ge?”

“Ancient tower? President Luo, are you talking about the Zhaixing Pavilion?”

After a brief daze, Zhu Qiang uttered three words.

Historically and mythically, the renowned Zhaixing Pavilion was inseparable from the narrative.

Contrary to popular belief, the Zhaixing Pavilion wasn’t merely an independent wooden structure—in reality, it was a tall building constructed atop the Lutai.

This gives rise to the two conflicting legends of King Zhou’s last moments: immolating himself on the Lutai or on the Zhaixing Pavilion.

As for the Lutai…

Historical records state: “Built by King Zhou, spanning three li in length and a thousand feet in height, completed in seven years”—the Lutai took nearly seven years to complete.

The so-called Lutai was actually a misinterpretation of the Lintai—a warehouse for storing goods. Due to the similarity in characters, later generations confused Lintai with Lutai.

In other words, in King Zhou’s era, the Lutai stored the kingdom’s wealth, while atop it stood palaces and towers for the king’s indulgences, with the Zhaixing Pavilion serving as its iconic centerpiece.

“It’s the Zhaixing Pavilion! And if we throw in the Lutai, we can stage historical feasts in its surrounding areas while the main building hosts the Four Great Banquets—perfection!”

Luo Peng grew more convinced of the plan with every thought.

“But constructing the Zhaixing Pavilion won’t be easy! Not to mention, even building the Lutai below is a major project. It seems erecting the Pavilion would be even more time-consuming than building three ancient towers!”

After a moment’s thought, Zhu Qiang hesitated.

“General Zhu, if this were ancient times, the Lutai might indeed take seven years, but in modern times three to four months is plenty! Let’s be honest—it’s just an ultra-large steel-reinforced concrete warehouse. Besides, Mingsha City doesn’t even have a proper supply depot yet; this is the perfect chance to build one!”

At the mention of the Lutai, Luo Peng immediately agreed.

Although historical texts claim the ancient Lutai measured three li long and a thousand feet tall, those measurements used a unit of about seventeen centimeters; with enough heavy machinery, constructing it in three to four months is feasible.

“A supply depot?”

Zhu Qiang’s expression suddenly changed.

With the rising number of tourists and staff in Mingsha City, a supply depot has become an urgent necessity. After all, the city’s taverns can’t keep sourcing supplies from Mingsha County every day.

More importantly,

as a city, Mingsha must have a proper supply depot.

“President Luo, your idea is excellent. But if we go by your logic, should this building be located in the Xianxia Zone or the Wuxia Zone?”

After a moment’s thought, Zhu Qiang looked toward Luo Peng.

“Don’t worry about that. We’ll pass on the concept to Brother Hao and let him make the final call. After all, if we’re really building the Lutai and Zhaixing Pavilion, Brother Hao will have to handle the blueprints and designs.”

Luo Peng spread his hands with a smile.

“That’s right!”

“So,”

“Tonight, let’s draft a preliminary plan to send over to Brother Hao!”

“Alright! By the way, what’s the plan for that post online?”

“Forget about it this time! We can’t really build the King Zhou Palace, and besides, wouldn’t the Lutai and Zhaixing Pavilion be even more grand and awe-inspiring?”

Zhu Qiang immediately shook his head.

Reality:

Inspired by the idea, Luo Peng and Zhu Qiang decided to pursue the Lutai and Zhaixing Pavilion.

Online, although some netizens commented on the post, unlike last time, there was an unprecedented consensus without controversy.

“Building the King Zhou Palace? This post must be some kind of prank by a netizen!”

“Exactly!”

“While Mingsha City has the capability, constructing the King Zhou Palace solely for traditional cultural exhibits is just unrealistic.”

“I agree! The mythic aura of the Shang and Zhou eras is overwhelming. Their architectural feats transcend traditional designs!”

“Exactly! Even though Mingsha City is top-notch in ancient architecture, reproducing a Shang or Zhou structure might only capture its form, not its spirit.”

“Besides, Mingsha City hardly needs extra efforts in ancient architecture. Every landmark in the history, Wuxia, and Xianxia zones already showcases Long Kingdom’s traditional craftsmanship perfectly.”

“Especially the Langya Pavilion! They even incorporated mechanical arts below—a wooden structure feat that could easily outshine H Country’s craftsmen.”

One must admit,

even though some netizens in Long Kingdom seem to blindly follow trends, not every matter is prone to hype.

Especially in the field of ancient architecture!

To them, Mingsha City is already the reigning champion and doesn’t need extra preparation for the Cultural Expo.

Of course,

another crucial point is that this post touched upon a time period netizens rarely dare to scrutinize—the pre-Qin era! In the eyes of many, that era is taboo. Some even believe that the true beginning of history, with genuine human warmth, started with the Qin and Han dynasties.

Especially since the Xia, Shang, and Zhou periods feel like pure myth and legend.

People and architecture from that era are so ethereal that they defy modern standards.

It’s like how the works of Laozi and others have been upheld as classics, with modern science gradually confirming their theories over time.

Moreover, the famed classic ‘Shan Hai Jing’ is being steadily vindicated.

With such mystique, no wonder netizens were in total agreement. Once they started digging, they even exposed the poster’s background.

Sure enough, within half an hour, it was confirmed that the post’s author had concealed his IP address—proving the post was fake!

With the evidence irrefutable,

netizens stopped debating, and after a little over two hours, the post completely faded away.

By twilight, Yan City was choked with traffic, with gridlock at every turn.

At Yan City TV, Han Lijun stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, observing the street scene. After a long pause, he turned to Ren Long.

“It seems that the leak about Mingsha City’s traditional cultural exhibits wasn’t from an insider—it must have been someone stirring the pot. That previous exposé was likely from the same person!”

“Not an insider?”

Ren Long paused. “Exactly!”

“Leader, the content of the previous leak was tacitly approved by Mingsha City. Who else could have such detailed knowledge?”

Ren Long was clearly puzzled.

“It can only be a matter of chance!”

A faint smile tugged at Han Lijun’s lips before he continued,

“Don’t you think it’s too coincidental if it were merely chance?”

“I do feel that way, Leader!”

Ren Long quickly responded.

“It’s simple! When it comes to traditional delicacies, Long Kingdom’s street food has already reached its peak. The palace banquets are top-tier events. But this time, the poster miscalculated!

He chose to meddle with the pre-Qin era—the one time no one dares to tread—and that’s when it all fell apart.”

Han Lijun remarked coolly.

“Pre-Qin era?”

At that moment, Ren Long’s face began to show signs of understanding.

“If the post had predicted that Mingsha City would stage a version of Epang Palace—one that could easily be set ablaze by Xiang Yu, many netizens might have believed it, even H Country might have been convinced! After all, Epang Palace was built after the Qin dynasty. But to conjure up the King Zhou Palace—a blend of myth and reality—even with Mingsha City’s mechanical marvels, it’s impossible to imbue it with a mythic aura.”

“Let’s consider a simpler example: why do most people immediately think of Yuelu Academy when mentioning Long Kingdom’s premier ancient academy, rather than the far older and superior Jixia Academy? Because Jixia Academy belongs to that forbidden, mythic era.”

Ren Long paused before adding,

“That being said, the nocturnal views of Mingsha City’s Demon-Locking Tower and Pansi Cave look stunningly mystical, but it’s all thanks to Tesla coils and lighting effects. Purely architectural creations can never truly capture that ethereal vibe.”

At this, Ren Long nodded in agreement.

“So…”

“Leader, I understand now!”

“By the way, have we already sent the inheritors of traditional snacks over to Mingsha City?”

“Leader, it’s been done! Mr. Fang mentioned that construction for a traditional snack exhibition area in Mingsha City has already begun. We expect the first batch of vendors to move in within a month.”

At the mention of snacks, Ren Long immediately asked,

“A month?!”

Han Lijun was taken aback.

After all, isn’t this part of Long Kingdom’s Cultural Expo? How could it be open in just a month?

“Leader, Mr. Fang said that traditional snacks are no longer a secret. It’s better to showcase them openly so that visitors to Mingsha City can enjoy delicacies from across Long Kingdom in advance.

That’s why there are plans to build a Traditional Food Street in Mingsha City, where each type of delicacy is offered by only one vendor.”

Ren Long explained.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, I think it’s a great idea. Since it’s already out in the open, there’s no harm in it. Besides, this method might help us identify areas needing improvement early on!”

“Good point!”

Little did anyone know, while netizens and officials like Han Lijun were busy debating the outrageous post, the people of Mingsha City never cared about which era was taboo or which buildings couldn’t be constructed!

Nine o’clock in the evening,

at the Jixia Academy construction site in Mingsha City,

Xu Hao, Zhu Qiang, and the others met again.

“Brother Hao, what do you think of my idea?”

Luo Peng looked at Xu Hao expectantly.

Just moments ago, he had already laid out the plan for constructing the Lutai and Zhaixing Pavilion, along with the preliminary designs, to Xu Hao.