Time flies like an arrow; a year passes in the blink of an eye.

Xianyang City, the Royal Palace.

As dawn broke, the heavy snowfall that had lasted all night gradually stopped, leaving the entire old capital of Yongcheng shrouded in a blanket of white.

Ying Zheng stood under the eaves of a palace, watching the eunuchs and guards clearing the snow that was already ankle-deep, and his heart couldn't help but feel heavy.

The winters of this era are particularly harsh, and due to the lack of effective heating measures, it is unknown how many people will not survive this winter.

"Alas, the people have suffered for too long. Can I truly end these hundreds of years of war and allow the common people to rest?"

Ying Zheng gazed into the distance, a hint of resentment rising in his eyes for his wicked husband, whom he hadn't seen in so long. That boy had once stirred up such excitement in him with a string of empty promises.

What a surprise!

Ever since that kid went up Zhushan, there has been no news of him. He sent people to Zhushan several times to inquire, but each time the kid sent people to stop them at the foot of the mountain.

Having spent his days maneuvering with Lü Buwei, he didn't think much of it and simply stopped sending anyone to inquire, patiently waiting for the boy to appear on his own.

Well, now that more than a month of the one-year period has passed, he is almost unable to suppress his desire to dismiss Lü Buwei, but the wicked husband has yet to appear.

"You wicked husband, what are you doing..." Ying Zheng sighed, turned around and went back into the hall to continue reviewing the memorials that recorded trivial matters.

"Report—!!"

As soon as he entered the hall, the shouts from behind made him stop in his tracks.

"What is it?"

The imperial guards quickly approached, knelt on one knee, and said, "Your Majesty, General Evil Husband requests an audience."

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng's calm heart immediately stirred with excitement, and he hurriedly said, "Bring him in quickly."

Ying Zheng watched the guards' departing figures, his eyes filled with anticipation. If the Iron Eagle Swordsmen achieved remarkable results, wouldn't he be able to assume personal rule immediately?

Thinking of this, his heart burned with desire, wishing he could teleport his wicked husband to him so he could question him properly.

Before long, a figure appeared on the white-covered square in the distance. He was tall and imposing, with a majestic gait. It was none other than the wicked man who had not been seen for a long time.

"This kid, he's grown quite a bit in just one year, he's almost taller than me." Ying Zheng's gaze was fixed on his wicked husband, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

When the wicked man saw Ying Zheng, who was wearing a black cloak, he immediately quickened his pace. When he arrived at the bottom of the steps in front of Zhangtai Palace, he respectfully bowed.

"This humble general, a wicked man, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Ying Zheng nodded emphatically and said loudly, "No need for formalities, please come into the hall with me to speak."

Upon entering the main hall, Ying Zheng dismissed all irrelevant people and sternly instructed that no one was allowed to approach.

"Speak!"

Ying Zheng and his wicked husband sat facing each other around the brazier, and Ying Zheng said casually, "You and I made a promise a year ago, but now it's more than a month late..."

The wicked man grinned, sized up Ying Zheng with his eyes, and then said, "Your Majesty, it's been a long time since we last met. I've missed you dearly. You've become much more composed."

*Pfft...*

Ying Zheng's carefully cultivated serious demeanor instantly crumbled, and he said irritably, "You brat, how dare you be so insolent! I haven't even settled the score with you for deceiving the emperor, and you still dare to joke with me?"

The somewhat cold and solemn atmosphere inside the hall immediately became harmonious.

"I'm wronged! I'm more wronged than Dou E!" The wicked man sighed and complained, "Your Majesty, you have no idea how much I've suffered. I spend all day holed up in the mountains training your troops, and yet you still want to punish me."

"Who is Dou E, and what grievances has she suffered?" Ying Zheng was somewhat puzzled. Could it be that one of his ministers had caused trouble?

have to.

The wicked man, unsure how to explain, immediately changed the subject, "Your Majesty, I have successfully completed my mission and trained an elite force for you. However, time is short, and it is not yet at its most perfect state."

"However, in terms of combat strength alone, they are definitely not inferior to the Iron Eagle Swordsmen."

Although he had never seen the Iron Eagle Warriors in person, their physical condition had improved dramatically after his training and development, and their skills were absolutely no less than any elite force.

Furthermore, he painstakingly developed a simple blast furnace for iron smelting, and the armor and weapons of his three thousand soldiers were all forged from refined iron, which was far sharper and stronger than bronze.

He was confident that his three thousand men, with their overwhelming superior equipment alone, were the most elite troops in history, not to mention the purebred, top-quality warhorses sent by Wu Shi Luo.

"oh?"

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng also became serious. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Judging from the Qin army that quelled the rebellion in Jinyang, how many could three thousand elite soldiers be compared to?"

The wicked man pondered for a moment, then slowly extended his finger and whispered, "One can take on ten."

Ying Zheng's eyes widened, and he laughed loudly, "Good, good, good! Such combat power is beyond my expectations."

"Your Majesty, I was referring to a direct confrontation where the Qin army swarmed in..." The wicked man, seeing that he had misunderstood, revealed a strange smile on his face.

"Um?"

Ying Zheng's smile froze on his face, and his eyes became somewhat dazed. This kind of one-against-ten battle was completely different from what he had expected, and the difficulty was worlds apart.

In this case, if the numbers were actually converted, the strength of these three thousand elite soldiers would be several times more exaggerated than he had imagined.

"You...don't play tricks on me." Ying Zheng came to his senses, his tone becoming somewhat annoyed, fearing that this kid was teasing him.

It wasn't that he didn't trust the wicked man, but it was just too exaggerated. It was already extremely difficult to raise an elite force in just one year, let alone such a rare force.

“Your Majesty, I know you are in a hurry, but please don’t rush.” The wicked man raised his hand and drank the warm wine in one gulp, then said, “I am not playing tricks on Your Majesty. My combat strength is partly due to the weapons and armor I have.”

As he spoke, he drew his longsword straight from his waist, the crisp, melodious sound making Ying Zheng's eyes light up.

"This is forged from refined iron, sharp and strong, capable of cutting a hair with a single blow."

Ying Zheng's gaze fell on the gleaming longsword, a look of disbelief on his face. He casually took the sword and teased, "In the entire Qin Kingdom, only you dare to draw your sword in front of me..."

"Um?"

Before he could finish speaking, Ying Zheng let out a soft exclamation, his pupils suddenly contracting as he looked at the tiny, hair-like wound on his fingertip from which blood was seeping, and he was utterly shocked.

He only accidentally touched the blade and was cut without even realizing it, without feeling any pain, which shows how sharp it is.

Ying Zheng was no mere showman; his swordsmanship was exceptionally skilled. With a casual flick of his wrist, his longsword pierced a nearby wooden pillar like a viper's tongue, the tip sinking into the pillar with a muffled thud.

"What a fine sword!" Ying Zheng exclaimed, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. He stood up and shouted, "Guards!"

The imperial guards, who were standing twenty paces outside the hall, immediately rushed into the hall, pointing their weapons at the wicked man, and tried to surround him.

"presumptuous!"

Ying Zheng roared, startling the imperial guards so much that they stood rooted to the spot, too afraid to move.

"You, bring me your sword." Ying Zheng casually pointed to a member of the Imperial Guard and said. Although the latter was puzzled, he immediately did as he was told and handed over the bronze Qin sword he was holding.