Noon.

The two scouts wanted to return quickly, but Ying Zheng insisted on keeping them for a meal before letting them go. He also specifically instructed the wicked scout to finish his current business as soon as possible and return to Xianyang.

The wicked husband had been gone for so long that the king missed his good brother, who had shared hardships and risen from humble beginnings with him, very much!

The scene returns to Xinzheng.

"Eight ounces, you know that!"

The wicked man revealed a fawning smile and said in a seductive tone, "Among my men, only you have the wisdom to think things through, unlike those other commoners. I am at ease having you temporarily stationed in Xinzheng."

Li Balang was so angry that he laughed. He thought, "Just because I have a brain doesn't mean I deserve to be treated like a beast of burden."

You think you can just run back to Xianyang with your brothers by calling me a brainless idiot, leaving me all alone in Xinzheng, buried in endless trivialities all day long?

"Commander, you... I may be ugly... but I'm not an idiot!"

Having followed the wicked husband for a long time, Li Balang also learned a lot of terms from him and used them without any sense of incongruity.

"How can you treat your brothers like this? How about next time I take up my sword and fight alongside you? You can leave these trivial matters to Erniu and the others!" Li Balang snorted coldly, his face full of displeasure.

I treated your wicked husband as a leader who shared joys and sorrows, but you treated me as your godson. How could he be willing to accept that?

Seeing Li Balang's displeasure, the wicked man realized that his arrangement was indeed somewhat inappropriate, but unfortunately, he couldn't find a better candidate.

He pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Ba Liang, I know you feel wronged, but I have important business to attend to when I return to Xianyang. We are brothers, how could I really abandon you?"

Upon hearing this, Li Balang frowned slightly. He knew that his wicked husband was not a heartless person, but the situation in Xinzheng was too complicated. It was indeed a bit of a stretch to leave him alone to guard the city, and he was afraid that he would be exhausted to the point of vomiting blood.

“Brother! I’m calling you brother now!” Li Ba’s tone softened slightly. “It’s not that I’m unwilling to share your burdens, it’s just that the waters of Xinzheng are too deep. If you really want to leave, at least leave me some capable people.”

The wicked man nodded, understanding Li Balang's concerns, and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, I will leave Erniu and Chun Ning, as well as the Black Dragon Armored Army, to your command!"

"When I return to Xianyang, I will definitely ask the King to send someone to replace you as soon as possible. You don't think I'm going to leave you here forever, do you?"

Upon hearing this, Li Balang's expression softened slightly. He knew that his wicked husband wouldn't really abandon him here. With Erniu and Chun Ning by his side, at least his safety and loneliness would be guaranteed.

"Alright then!" Li Balang forced a mournful smile. "Commander, you can go with peace of mind. I will do my best in Xinzheng."

Seeing that Li Balang had finally let go of his resentment, the wicked man breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that with Li Balang in charge of Xinzheng, he could return to Xianyang with peace of mind to deal with those thorny issues.

“Ba Liang, I trust you.” The wicked man patted Li Ba Liang on the shoulder, his eyes revealing a hint of trust and gratitude.

The two exchanged a smile, both understanding that the road ahead was long and arduous, and they should walk hand in hand, for they were brothers who had shared hardships.

After the sentimental moment ended, the wicked husband immediately changed the subject, "You take care of these trivial matters first, Ba Liang. I'll go prepare the spoils, and we'll set off for Xianyang first thing tomorrow morning!"

"So urgent?!"

Li Ba's eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "The scouts haven't returned yet, and we don't even know what His Majesty's decision is. Why are you rushing back like this?"

"A general in the field may disobey orders from others!"

The wicked husband arrogantly threw down a sentence, turned around and left the suffocating study, leaving the pitiful Li Balang alone there.

......

"Erniu, Chunning, you two will lead the Black Dragon Armored Army to garrison Xinzheng and assist Baliang!"

"Pan Ning, Le Ye, Bao Yuan... you will return with me to Xianyang to receive the King's rewards in person!"

The wicked man arrived at the Qin army's temporary encampment in the south of the city and loudly issued orders, completely igniting the atmosphere within the encampment.

"Yes, we obey!"

Seeing that they had accepted the order, the wicked man immediately added, "We will set off to return early tomorrow morning. You must make sure everything is arranged properly today."

"Those mountains of gold and silver...not a single penny can be lost!"

"By the way... we'll take 50,000 able-bodied men from the city and bring them back to the capital, otherwise there won't be anyone to do the work when we get back!"

"And those old Korean artisans, take their families with them. Highly skilled technical personnel cannot be treated like slaves!"

A string of words came out of his mouth, showing how eager he was to return home.

The evil man's order quickly spread throughout the Qin army, and the soldiers immediately began to busily prepare for their return to Xianyang.

When the Qin army began its operation, arresting people en masse in the city, the people of Han were filled with terror.

Fortunately, only strong and healthy men were selected, which relieved those who were not chosen, while the relatives and friends of those who were chosen were filled with sorrow. It was truly a case of some being happy and others being sad.

Li Balang, in the wicked husband's temporary residence, carefully examined various affairs in the city to ensure that everything could proceed smoothly after the wicked husband left.

Everything was proceeding smoothly and without the slightest sign of chaos!

...

The next morning.

As dawn broke, the 300,000-strong army stood in neat formation outside the city, flanked by 50,000 selected Koreans, craftsmen, and their families.

Upon his triumphant return, he chose to bring the 300,000 surrendered Wei and Han soldiers back to Qin, while leaving the Lantian camp soldiers he had initially brought with him in Han to suppress unrest, lest trouble arise after he left.

Although these 300,000 people fought several fierce battles with him, they would feel a lack of belonging if they didn't go to the Qin state.

What he had to do was take these things back to Qin, assimilate them, and integrate them into Qin.

The wicked man rode out of the city on horseback, followed by generals who had surrendered, including the tyrannical kite.

"Gentlemen, let's set off and return to Qin in triumph with me!"

The moment the order was given, the soldiers made way for Efu and his men to pass, and only after they had passed did they begin to move, following closely behind them as they headed towards the Qin state.

A day and a half later, the wicked man led his army and encountered scouts returning from their retreat.

The three scouts were taken aback when they saw the army and the wicked man. They quickly dismounted and ran to the wicked man, informing him of Ying Zheng's royal decree.

"Ha ha ha ha....."

The wicked man burst into laughter and boasted to the men beside him, "Look, everyone! This general and the king are truly of one mind; we're thinking the same thing!"

Upon seeing this, Bao Yuan and the others also offered their compliments.

It wasn't that they were trying to curry favor with their wicked husband; it was simply that such a relationship between ruler and subject was extremely rare throughout history. The experiences of the people present, however, were quite the opposite, making their situation all the more poignant.

"Alright, you three, stop following us. Go back and tell Li Balang a thing or two!"

"I will tell you that I will discuss the candidate with the King as soon as possible and come to Xinzheng to replace him!"

Upon hearing this, the scout immediately accepted the order, mounted his horse again, and headed straight for Xinzheng.