Gu Yan, a doctor of science and engineering, was transformed into an exiled prisoner. Faced with the desperate situation of hunger, cold, and constant banditry, he decided to rebuild civilization with his hands.
He started by improving tools and firing bricks, then led the refugees to build walls, dig wells, and build the first windproof shelter. Relying on his geographical knowledge, he found open-pit coal and iron and "underground fire crystal mines", gradually refined steel, manufactured crossbows, and trained militiamen.
Internally, he formulated the "Wasteland Covenant", distributed land, built water conservancy, promoted planting, and resolved the disputes between refugee factions; externally, he joined forces to trade refined salt and iron tools with the border troops, and used explosives technology to defeat barbarian raids.
When a "new city" with neat streets, numerous workshops, and schools and hospitals rose from the ground, the suspicion of the court, the covetousness of aristocratic families, and the barbarian royal court swept in... Gu Yan stood on the city wall and chuckled: "This city should have a national title."
