It did not surprise Gu Yi in the slightest.
Emperor Liu Zhuang, with his relentless pursuit of grand enterprises, would not abandon any opportunity.
After communicating through letters with Gu Kang,
he decisively resolved to reinstate the Western Protectorate and appointed Gu Cheng as the Western Protector.
To maximize the potential benefits of this affair,
he consecutively issued edicts, ordering all officials to practice frugality and vigorously promote minimalism in burial customs.
He led by example, reducing the Imperial Palace's expenditures to the lowest level.
He devoted all resources, sparing no effort, concentrating the entire manpower, materials, and financial resources of the Great Han into the crucial river management and Western Regions affairs.
Under such circumstances,
after a whole year of hard work,
—In the twelfth year of Yongping, summer,
the river management was finally completed.
