The wicked man glanced at Meng Can, who was grinning foolishly, then looked at Ying Zheng and sighed, "This stuff has a high sugar content; eating it in moderation can replenish the body's energy."

"but!"

He pointed at Meng Can angrily and said, "Look at you, your gums are bleeding from eating, and you're still gnawing on it? Aren't you afraid your pee will taste a little sweet?"

Green sugarcane is inherently cooling, and eating it in moderation can clear heat and detoxify. However, black sugarcane is different; eating too much of it can cause internal heat.

Among the sugarcane piled up in the corner of the hall, the majority were dark purple sugarcane, indicating that these people were probably suffering from some degree of internal heat.

"Why does urine taste sweet?" Meng Can asked curiously.

The wicked man rolled his eyes. "Because sugarcane has a high sugar content, if you ingest too much, your urine will contain sugar, which is why your urine tastes sweet."

The wicked man patiently explained, "Moreover, if your body is inflamed, your urine will turn dark yellow and even have an odor." He paused and added, "So, you should eat sugarcane in moderation. Eating too much high-sugar food can cause diabetes, so don't be greedy."

Zhao Gao nodded after hearing this. No wonder the palace officials had been saying in private these past few days that the smell was a bit strong after the king and his ministers went to the toilet.

Ying Zheng subconsciously took a bite of sugarcane, trying to calm his nerves, but suddenly felt a wave of discomfort.

He frowned and put the sugarcane aside. Although he didn't know what diabetes was, he figured it was something that could kill him, so even if it tasted good, he had to give it up.

For Ying Zheng, no matter how wonderful everything in the world was, it was not as important as his own life!

"Since this stuff is harmful, why did the Grand Commandant repeatedly instruct General Meng Ao to find large quantities of it and spread its cultivation?" Han Fei seemed somewhat reluctant to part with the delicious sugarcane in his hand.

These words directly expressed the thoughts of everyone present, and all eyes turned to the wicked husband, wanting to hear his explanation.

"Sugar can be extracted from sugarcane, and sugar can be a powerful tool for the nation!"

The wicked man paused here, "In war, sugar can not only serve as soldiers' rations to provide energy, but it can also be used to manufacture gunpowder to enhance the power of weapons. In addition, sugar has a wide range of applications in medicine, such as disinfection, sterilization, and hemostasis. Therefore, sugar extraction from sugarcane plays an irreplaceable role in the development of the country and the improvement of people's livelihoods."

"Firearms? What are those?" Upon hearing the words "weapons of war," Ying Zheng immediately became interested.

"Firearms are weapons that use gunpowder as a power source. They are incredibly powerful, capable of instantly changing the course of a battlefield, even turning millions to ashes in the blink of an eye," the wicked man explained. "And manufacturing firearms requires a large amount of sugar as a raw material."

The wicked man's words made everyone present fall into deep thought. They never expected that this seemingly ordinary sugarcane actually contained enormous value and could even have such power.

Ying Zheng developed a strong interest in white sugar. He began to think about how to use sugarcane to make gunpowder. When he inadvertently saw the sugarcane scraps all over the ground, he was immediately heartbroken.

"You lot... my ultimate weapon!!!" Ying Zheng's roar echoed throughout the entire hall.

He was fine before because he didn't know the wonderful uses of sugarcane, but now he felt a deep sense of waste and his heart ached beyond measure.

"The King ate the most, really..." Meng Can didn't know where he got the courage, or if he was bewitched, but the words that should have been his inner complaints came out of his mouth.

To say that Meng Can was really unlucky was an understatement. Just now, Ying Zheng had been shouting and yelling in anger, so much so that the hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, making his complaints all the more clear.

Ying Zheng's bloodshot eyes glared at Meng Can, a chilling sneer playing on his lips. "You scoundrel, you always claim to be loyal to the emperor and patriotic. Why don't you and your whole family go to Yelang to plant sugarcane for me?!" Ying Zheng pointed angrily at Meng Can, his voice filled with unquestionable authority.

Meng Can turned pale instantly, realizing he had made a grave mistake. He immediately knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, begging for forgiveness: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. I misspoke and had no intention of offending you."

"I beg Your Majesty to consider my advanced age and frail health, for I have an elderly mother to care for and infant children to raise..."

Ying Zheng, however, had no intention of letting him off easily. A playful glint flashed in his eyes. "You seem to have forgotten that the Meng family, the Grand Canal Master, has many descendants. How about I issue an edict entrusting your family with the task of cultivating sugarcane for generations, just like the tomb keepers?"

Meng Can's face was ashen, and his expression of despair seemed to devour him. He could only look at his wicked husband with pleading eyes like a beggar, hoping that his old flame would speak up for him.

Looking at Meng Can's despairing expression, as if he had fallen into an abyss, Ying Zheng felt a surge of vengeful pleasure.

He was not a narrow-minded person, so why would he be truly angry because of a high-ranking official's unintentional joke? He was just taking the opportunity to intimidate the fellow, while also getting Meng Can to contribute to the country's sugarcane planting industry.

Unexpectedly, the wicked man suppressed a laugh and said slyly like a fox, "Your Majesty, although Magistrate Meng Taicang made a mistake in his words, he is, after all, a veteran minister who has served the country loyally for many years. Why not give him a chance to redeem himself and make amends for his mistakes with concrete actions?"

"Meng Taicang has been in charge of the nation's finances and agriculture for many years. He is like an experienced old farmer and an expert in this field. I believe he can help our Great Qin achieve sugarcane freedom."

He and Ying Zheng were of one mind, and their desire for Meng Can to take charge of the matter was exactly the same.

Ying Zheng feigned deep thought, like a wise sage pondering the matter. After a moment, he finally nodded slightly. "Very well, Meng Can, since the Grand Commandant has pleaded for you, I will give you a chance..."

"If you can promote the planting of sugarcane on a large scale within a year and double the sugarcane yield, I will exempt your family from the punishment of planting sugarcane for generations."

Now that things have come to this, how could Meng Can be a fool? How could he not know that he had been tricked by these two, the emperor and his minister? But who told him to carelessly blurt out his true feelings like beans spilling from a bamboo tube?

Seeing that he remained silent, the wicked man raised his sharp eyebrows and winked at Han Fei, who was standing to the side.

Upon receiving the signal, Han Fei immediately stepped forward like a wild horse and shouted, "Your Majesty, how can you so easily forgive Meng Can? Insubordination and disrespect for the monarch are grave crimes. According to the law, his entire family should be executed, and his nine generations of relatives should be exterminated!"

Upon hearing this, Meng Can's face showed an expression of disbelief, as if struck by lightning. He never imagined that the usually upright, taciturn, and kind-hearted man would actually join in the commotion and help Ying Zheng and his wicked husband to oppress him.

"I...I...I'm innocent!!"