On the ninth day, as soon as Evil Husband, Erniu, and Chunning stepped into the gates of Xianyang, they heard that King Ying Zheng had sent people to summon them three times.

The wicked man didn't have time to rest for a moment. He ordered Zhang Erhe to pack his luggage first and then took the token and rushed to the palace.

The carriage sped through the streets, with remnants of snow accumulating on the roadside. The cold wind carried the chill of late winter, causing the wicked man to unconsciously tighten his coat.

Upon arriving at the palace gate, the eunuch, showing no surprise at seeing him, immediately bowed and said, "Grand Commandant, His Majesty is waiting in the Imperial Study. Please proceed immediately."

The wicked man hurried after him, thinking to himself: What important matter could possibly make Ying Zheng so anxious? Such a situation is truly rare.

Passing through the long corridor and over several palace gates, the wicked man entered the imperial study and saw Ying Zheng standing with his hands behind his back in front of the desk, his expression cold and stern.

Several bamboo scrolls were spread out on the table, and Meng Ao, Han Fei, and others were also present, creating a rather solemn atmosphere.

"Your Majesty." The wicked man clasped his hands in a salute and was about to ask another question when Ying Zheng waved for everyone to leave, leaving only Zhao Gao to attend to him.

Ying Zheng spoke directly: "I've been waiting for you for many days, and you've finally returned. First, look at this list of annual tributes." With that, he picked up a scroll of silk and threw it at his wicked husband.

The wicked man took a look and saw that it listed the amount of tribute paid by various places, but at the end of the column it noted that "the amount has been significantly reduced and the tribute items are mostly inferior."

His expression changed slightly: "Zhao knows that Qin is powerful, yet it still dares to be negligent?"

Ying Zheng's eyes showed displeasure: "Zhao Yan has been patient and humble, but this year he has only sent some inferior furs and a small amount of grain, far less than half of what was agreed upon. I originally thought they were temporarily in dire straits, but I did not expect that this was a deliberate test of the bottom line of my Great Qin."

After pondering for a moment, the wicked man bowed and replied, "In that case, I request to take immediate measures to let the State of Zhao know my majesty."

After saying this, he paused slightly, "Send out the Xiaolong and Zhenshan armies, led by Meng Tian and Wang Li, with sufficient weapons to demonstrate our strength at the Zhao border. If the Zhao ruler refuses to pay tribute obediently, we will use our military might to force them to understand that the Qin army is not to be trifled with."

Ying Zheng's expression softened slightly upon hearing this. He knew that his wicked husband was always decisive, and this "siege of the city" tactic was a swift and effective strategy. He asked, "Isn't it too much of a mobilization for Meng Tian and Wang Li to lead two armies on the expedition?"

The wicked man responded: "The Zhao region borders the northern border of our Great Qin. We might as well give them a good beating once and for all, so that they will not dare to take any chances again."

They were the ones who first brought up the tribute, and now they're the ones being fooled. Not to mention Ying Zheng, even the wicked man felt a surge of resentment.

We're not eliminating them yet, and it's not like we lack the strength to do so. How can we allow the Zhao state to be so perfunctory and arrogant?

Ying Zheng nodded: "Granted. I will issue an edict to allocate military supplies to them, requiring them to complete the reorganization within half a month and immediately march north to approach Zhao territory. If Zhao remains obstinate, I will not hesitate to start another war." As he said this, a murderous intent appeared between his brows.

The wicked husband bowed and said, "Your subject will fully cooperate."

Ying Zheng sat back down at the table, but suddenly changed the subject: "Besides that, I have another question for you. Do those 'fireworks and firecrackers' have any other use? I wanted to ask you that day, but I was interrupted, so I haven't been able to ask you since."

The wicked man was taken aback at first, then he remembered that during the Spring Festival, he had promoted fireworks and firecrackers in Xianyang and other parts of the country, with the aim of adding to the festive atmosphere.

He nodded and said, "I have given them a method for the Mohists to explore. Although their gunpowder formula is not the most sophisticated, when placed in a bamboo tube, it makes a loud bang, adding to the festive atmosphere."

A hint of curiosity appeared in Ying Zheng's eyes: "Have you ever thought about using it in the army?"

The wicked man smiled upon hearing this, admiring Ying Zheng's ability to think of this. "If it is to be used for military purposes, more rigorous gunpowder production and equipment design are needed. Although the explosions of ordinary small bamboo tubes are loud, they are not enough to kill the enemy. However, if they are improved, they may be used to disrupt enemy formations, or they may be made into signal flares to transmit long-range signals."

These words indeed greatly piqued Ying Zheng's interest.

He clapped his hands and said, "Excellent! Produce the plan as soon as possible, and I will allocate the resources of the Imperial Treasury to speed up the research and development."

The wicked man nodded: "That's exactly what I was thinking. I was planning to start research and development after the New Year, but since Your Majesty has brought it up, we should naturally speed up the research and development process."

Having made the decision, Ying Zheng no longer hesitated. He first sent his wicked husband back to draft the details of the mobilization, and instructed him to quickly include the military research on fireworks and firecrackers in the plan, and then find the Shaofu Yamen to work together to promote it.

The wicked man bowed and accepted the order. Seeing that Meng Ao and the others were also full of curiosity, he laughed and said, "Everyone, just wait and see. If the firearms are developed, they can be deadly weapons on the battlefield, and even one person can break through the city gate."

Meng Ao and the others immediately showed their enthusiasm; anything this kid revered was no ordinary thing!

......

Upon exiting the main hall, the snow inside the palace had not yet melted, and it was falling like goose feathers from the sky.

Meng Ao and the others followed closely behind the wicked man, and couldn't help but ask, "Can these fireworks and firecrackers really become weapons of war?"

The wicked man smiled and said, "It's just included in the plan. It may not be able to exert its actual combat power in the short term. However, if we can improve the gunpowder ratio in the future and replace the bamboo tubes with iron tubes or pottery jars, its power will far surpass that of crossbows, catapults and other military weapons."

Wang Jian seemed to already see the magnificent scene of flames soaring into the sky, and he was extremely excited: "If it really works, wouldn't the Great Qin have gained a trump card? Who would dare to invade then?"

The wicked man, however, remained calm and composed: "Weapons are instruments of destruction. Once this thing is revealed, the world's格局 (geju, a term referring to the overall structure or pattern of the world) will be redefined. Wherever my Qin army can reach, it will be reduced to scorched earth!"

Back at the Grand Commandant's residence.

The wicked man put down his cloak, remembered what Ying Zheng had just said, and said to Zhang Erhe, "Go and order Wang Li and Meng Tian to come to the mansion to discuss matters immediately."

Zhang Erhe agreed and withdrew.

About fifteen minutes later, Zhang Erhe returned with Wang Li and Meng Tian.

After exchanging pleasantries, the wicked man nodded slightly and asked, "How many troops do the Xiaolong and Zhenshan armies have? Are they enough to put pressure on Zhao?"

Meng Tian replied, "The Valiant Dragon Army remains at full strength!"

Wang Li gave the same reply, "Full strength!"

The wicked man nodded and laughed, “The State of Zhao is outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant. The annual tribute they send is all of inferior quality and the quantity is insufficient. I request Your Majesty to appoint the two of you to lead troops to the border to intimidate them.”

"If you need anything, just tell me everything."

Meng Tian thought for a moment and then said, "The Zhao region is bitterly cold in winter and spring, and the mountains are steep. If we want to advance quickly, we need to prepare more cold-weather clothing and vehicles. As for food and fodder, they are not of great importance."

The evil man nodded, "Include these details in the military equipment list. The day of departure should not be delayed too long, lest Zhao make other preparations."

The three of them discussed this matter intensively until late at night before finally concluding their discussion.

After the two left, the wicked husband did not rush to sleep. Instead, he went to the study alone to organize plans for developing firearms.

At present, although Qin's technology has advanced by leaps and bounds and its reserves of various minerals are very abundant, it is still somewhat troublesome to manufacture firearms and cannons. It would be more effective to directly produce simple homemade bombs.