They passed through the corridor.
What first met the eye was, of all things, mighty warships, one after another.
That's right: warships!
Not holograms, but warships, the genuine article.
These warships were moored in berths of their own, and their hull surfaces had plainly been dressed up specially, and looked very fine.
At the same time, at nearly every angle there were several electronic display screens showing every item of information on the warship.
There were even holographic intelligent assistants, taking the human forms of every race, introducing the warships to the guests from everywhere.
"This warship is called the T4 Tyrant-class Heavy Interstellar Missile-Battlecruiser. It is still in service with the Owl Dragon Legion at present, holding an important place. It is designed as an interstellar battlecruiser, and to get more firepower out of it, it is fitted with a certain number of interstellar missiles. Its firepower is extremely strong, and because of the defensive strength of a heavy warship's hull armor, conventional fire of the same grade can hardly harm its hull armor at all. ……"
Voices rose and fell on every side, introducing every item of detail to those in each spot who wished to learn about the warship.
The other warships on display were in the main the same.
"Are they selling starships?" Madam Miao looked at the scene in some astonishment.
Li Yaqi nodded in appreciation. "A very good piece of marketing. These warships are hot sellers to begin with. But in truth no few people are still wavering. But now, with these warships shown before everyone like this, on so important an occasion, in so special a place, a great many people are sure to see them. From so large a base, someone is sure to be moved to buy. But I'd suggest putting out more lower-grade Owl Dragon-line warships. In fact, I think our Owl Dragon could bring out some civilian starships or technology now. Say T1 to T3-grade warships, interstellar cruise liners, shuttles and so on. After all, what the great majority of people of the middle and lower levels can ever come into contact with in their whole lives is really only a T1-grade warship. A T4 warship of this kind is very far off for them. The profit on each single ship in this area isn't very high, true. But mind, the whole universe belongs to the Owl Dragon Empire now, and they'd carry the Owl Dragon-line name besides. Little by little it would add up, and the share of profit in it would be quite a frightening figure. And the Owl Dragon Empire is growing at a very fast rate now; a whole class of people will grow rich, and in that period, spending of this kind is born along with it."
Hearing what Li Yaqi said, Zhao Chen nodded in agreement, and admired too Li Yaqi's eye for the business of the future.
How early it still was, and Li Yaqi had already seen the business opportunities of the future.
This was a true commercial genius, the kind who could grow into a business titan.
"All that you've said, I've made arrangements for. It will all be rolled out in future too. On one hand it can enrich the lives and spending of the Owl Dragon Empire's middle and lower levels; on the other, through that spending, it can feed back a little into the Owl Dragon Empire's fiscal outlay. That feedback isn't much of a cake, true. But something is better than nothing. And later, as war gradually disappears, civilian spending will come to hold an important place step by step. We must lay the groundwork ahead of time," Zhao Chen said, giving the forecast he had long had in mind.
Though the moment was one of many crises at once,
Zhao Chen still needed to plan out the Owl Dragon Empire's future growth.
Talking, they passed through this exhibition area.
The view before them opened out a great deal all at once.
"Wow……" Madam Miao, who had seen no few interstellar cities, was dumbfounded at the sight before her.
Before them was a huge floor-to-ceiling glass window, through which the scene inside could be seen.
It was a snow-country city.
Inside, everything was covered in white snow, and a great stretch of city could be seen standing in it, with residential areas, commercial areas, squares, and flying cars racing through the air.
"These are the city clusters within Chang'an City. Chang'an City has twelve city clusters, and every city cluster can hold at least ten billion people. And every city is of a wholly different style. There are cities built to the human body's size, and districts built for winged races, and giant city clusters built especially for interstellar races of great size, and ocean city clusters that are nine-tenths ocean. In short, any interstellar race in the universe can have a place to live here," Zhao Chen said, introducing Chang'an City.
At this moment a hover car had already stopped before Zhao Chen and the others.
On it was a woman soldier in uniform, who saluted Zhao Chen and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I've been ordered to pick you up."
"No hurry. First take them to the hotel where they're staying." Zhao Chen pointed at Li Yaqi, Li Wei and the others beside him.
"Yes."
The hover car was large, able to hold a dozen or more people.
So with Zhao Chen and the others seated in it, it seemed roomy.
Because it was open-topped, they could enjoy the scenery they passed as well.
"Among the twelve city clusters there are some distinctive buildings, and distinctive business can be discussed. You could go to the ocean city cluster, for instance, and talk over some fishery trade with the interstellar traders there. In short, these twelve city clusters lean chiefly toward everyday life and interstellar trade. And farther in, it leans toward politics. That's the inner city of Chang'an City too. I call it 'the Forbidden City.'" Zhao Chen spoke the name.
"The Forbidden City? Then that's to be your imperial city?" Li Yaqi realized what was special about this Forbidden City.
"More or less. From now on, everything that needs announcing to the world will be held in the Forbidden City. Most royal banquets held within the Owl Dragon System will be held in the Forbidden City as well," Zhao Chen explained.
Li Yaqi nodded slightly; she looked at Chang'an City all around, and at the two city clusters that lay right on either side of their lane.
She now truly realized what was special about Chang'an City.
From now on, a place to live in these city clusters would be worth more than gold.
Every interstellar family and power within the Owl Dragon Empire would throw away a fortune just to buy a property here and have the right to live here.
For this was the place nearest to the Owl Dragon Emperor, after all.
In truth Zhao Chen had one more thing he did not say plainly:
the design of the Forbidden City was something Zhao Chen had added specially before,
a kind of last-minute alteration.
There had been an inner city to begin with,
but not the Forbidden City here.
For the Forbidden City here, Zhao Chen had raised some of the technology.
One point was that the Forbidden City could make a spatial fold directly,
leaving Chang'an City,
and could return inside Chang'an City as well.
Which was to say, this Forbidden City of Zhao Chen's was one he could carry off on his back at any moment.
Passing through the city clusters took a very long time.
"How much longer till we're there? It's far too big in here." Li Wei swallowed and said it.
"The hotel we've arranged for you is in the city cluster nearest the Forbidden City. Sailing there takes about fifteen minutes. But in fact Chang'an City has quantum teleportation technology set up. You only have to reach an appointed place and step into the portal, and you can go straight to another portal. But the number of uses is limited; it costs a certain amount of resources. This first time is to show you around. Next time you can use such a portal straight from the corridor where you leave your ship, and arrive directly at the portal nearest the Forbidden City," Zhao Chen explained.
"Isn't that very dangerous? If someone wanted to murder you, they'd be in there in the blink of an eye." Who knew why such a notion suddenly popped into Li Wei's head.
Madam Miao, behind him, quietly pinched her husband's waist.
This fellow truly dared blurt out anything at all.
Zhao Chen, though, smiled slightly and said calmly, "These portals are restricted; even with clearance, you can only reach a place in the city cluster nearest the Forbidden City. After that, to get into the Forbidden City, you have to go to a special passage, or ride a special small interstellar cruiser. So on the question of safety, there's no need to worry much."
Li Wei bore his wife's loving attentions stoically, and nodded.
Very soon
the hover car stopped outside a luxurious hotel.
This too was a city cluster fit for human races to live in: ordinary high mountains, forests and lakes,
just like the great majority of habitable planets.
"Then I'll see you as far as here. See you later." Zhao Chen watched Li Yaqi and the others get out, said his goodbyes, and took his leave.
The hover car carrying Zhao Chen went out of sight entirely.
Li Yaqi was still standing where she was, looking somewhat dazed.
Li Wei reached out and waved his hand slowly before his sister's eyes, then said teasingly, "Sis. His Majesty's long gone; if you really like him, just say so. He's the Owl Dragon Empire's emperor now; having a few women is quite normal. If you don't ask, how will you know if it'll work? And if it really works out, then I'll be the Owl Dragon Emperor's brother-in-law. Think how grand that'll sound."
When he had said it, Li Wei at once took a step back,
dodging the fist Li Yaqi swung straight at him.
Then Li Yaqi, with a touch of embarrassed anger, glared at her brother. "Dare talk nonsense again next time, and see if I don't tear your mouth off."
With that, Li Yaqi turned and walked into the hotel.
"Xiao Miao, look at my sister. In everything else she has plenty of nerve. But when it comes to feelings she's timid as can be, just like some lovesick puppy." Li Wei put his arm round his wife, shook his head, and said helplessly.
But the next second Madam Miao had him by the ear, and said with a half smile, "You said just now that for someone of His Majesty the Emperor's standing, having a few women is the most normal thing in the world. Then how many little fairies is our Boss Li planning to keep?"
His ear hurt.
At once Li Wei begged for mercy.
"Ow ow ow. Dear, I was talking about His Majesty. How would I dare do such a thing? For me, Li Wei, having you, my precious wife, is enough for this whole life."
"I'll allow you wouldn't dare." Madam Miao shot Li Wei a glare.
Then, holding her daughter, she hurried to catch up with Li Yaqi ahead.
Li Wei could only sigh behind them, and say helplessly, "Women really are hard to please. Especially the unmarried ones getting on in years."
When he had said it, Li Wei too trotted after them.
……
Very soon the day of New Year's Eve came.
On nearly every planet everywhere in the Imperial universe there was promotion and celebration.
Even on out-of-the-way planets, wherever the population came to over a hundred million, the Owl Dragon Empire's publicity people were stationed there in charge.
First of all there were the holographic videos hanging in the sky, clearly visible whether by day or by night.
Besides that, the Owl Dragon royal house had specially approved a sum of money:
for all the people on every planet, at some square or other gathering place of residents, a simple banquet would be held, with all the food eaten supplied by the Empire.
It was a very large figure, true.
But for the Owl Dragon Empire's grain industry now, supplying that part was more than easy.
And in this, friendly sponsorship was allowed as well:
the local great men of wealth or lords could bear part of it themselves.
The people of the publicity department would project the names of these people in the sky too, and 'make it widely known.'
So a great many people sponsored it early.
After all, providing some food and a banquet celebration was nothing at all for these great families.
And in some key star regions, fleets under the Owl Dragon Legion would come and parade as well,
letting the local people see the Owl Dragon Legion's mighty fleets through space telescopes.
And at this moment
these people's banquets had already begun.
In the holographic footage overhead, what was played first was the splendid sight of Chang'an City.
Then, bit by bit, the scenes within Chang'an City began to play.
Seeing how beautiful those city clusters were, and how prosperous,
no few people looked on with envy.
And as the picture moved, very soon a city resplendent with gold and jade, and at the same time full of a killing air, appeared before everyone.
It lay in Chang'an City's core area, cut off from the outer area by a ring of empty space, and joining them were only corridors reaching out from every direction.
At this moment swaths of people invited to the banquet had already appeared on these corridors.
This time the banquet was held in a square within the Forbidden City.
The picture followed these people as they gradually moved on into this Forbidden City.
Within, the Forbidden City was more solemn and splendid still; though no few costly materials had been used, somehow, in this style, everyone felt from the heart that this Forbidden City ought to be just like this,
and the word "lavish" did not even come to mind.
It was not only the people watching this scene on far-off star systems.
Even those invited and present,
on walking into this Forbidden City, all had a feeling of being pressed under a great mountain, solemn and awesome.
"So this is the Owl Dragon Emperor's imperial city?" A ten-winged angel exclaimed in spite of herself. "It feels… as though it's more than our Holy Temple Mount……"
As though realizing she had said the wrong thing, this ten-winged angel at once covered her mouth, and looked at the Holy Angel Queen beside her.
"It is more majestic than our Holy Temple Mount." The Holy Angel Queen was not in the least sparing with her praise.