Inside Handan city, various follow-up work is being carried out intensively.

Standing on the city wall, Wang Li looked at the faintly visible shell craters in the distance and couldn't help but smile as he recalled the fierce battle of the past few days.

The capital of Zhao, which had troubled the Qin state for many years and bore witness to the king's unhappy childhood, finally fell into the hands of the Qin.

"General!" A junior officer rushed over. "General Wang requests your presence for a meeting."

Wang Li nodded and turned to walk into the city.

Along the way, many Qin soldiers could be seen clearing the battlefield, some repairing the city walls damaged by gunpowder, and others sorting out the captured supplies.

The people worked silently with their heads down, their eyes filled with fear as they watched the Qin army pass by.

Clearly, the power of gunpowder left an indelible impression on them.

Inside the council chamber, Wang Ben and Meng Tian were examining a map. Seeing Wang Li enter, Wang Ben looked up and smiled, "Ah Li, how's the inventory going?"

"Father..." Wang Li sat down at the desk, "The Zhao Kingdom's treasury has been inventoried, and the household registration is mostly complete. However..."

"But what?"

"During the search of King Zhao's study, the Black Ice Guard discovered some suspicious secret letters."

Before he finished speaking, a secret agent from the Black Ice Bureau hurriedly entered, carrying a stack of bamboo slips in both hands.

"Reporting to the generals!" the spy said respectfully, "This letter was found in a secret room in King Zhao's study. Judging from its contents, it seems to have been delivered by an envoy from Chu a few days ago."

"The State of Chu?" Wang Ben took the bamboo slips and examined them carefully, his brows gradually furrowing. "These people from Chu have certainly made a good plan."

"Father, what did the letter say?"

"These Chu people!" Wang Ben sneered. "They actually secretly contacted the remnants of Qi and Wei, trying to stir up trouble in secret before our Great Qin has fully consolidated its power in these states."

"There's something even more important," the spy added. "Judging from the clues, they seem to have also sent people to the Xiongnu, hoping to use external forces to contain our army."

"Hmph!" Meng Tian slammed his hand on the table. "They really don't know what's good for them! We clearly let them off the hook for now, and they still dare to have such ulterior motives?"

"Calm down." Wang Ben waved his hand. "The most important thing right now is to return to Xianyang and report back. Keep these secret letters safe, and report to the Grand Commandant before making further plans."

“Speaking of the search, I did find a treasure!” As he spoke, Wang Li reached into his robes and pulled out a beautiful piece of jade.

The jade was smooth and lustrous, crystal clear, and felt warm to the touch.

What's most special is that the surface of the jade is as smooth as new, without any carving marks, yet it exudes an ancient and mysterious aura.

"What a fine piece of jade!" Wang Li examined it with obvious delight. "Could it be the jade seal of the King of Zhao?"

"It doesn't seem like it." Meng Tian leaned closer to examine it. "Jade seals all have inscriptions, but this jade is as smooth as new; it's clearly an uncarved gem..."

"Interesting." Wang Ben also became interested. After examining it closely, he exclaimed in a low voice, "Could this jade be... the precious jade that Lin Xiangru seized back—the He Shi Bi?"

"Whatever it is..." Wang Li casually tossed the jade to his deputy, "Keep it for now, and show it to the Grand Commandant when we get back. By the way, how are the army's preparations going?"

"Preparations are complete," Meng Tian replied. "We can depart for Xianyang in three days. However, those surrendered soldiers and prisoners..."

"Proceed according to plan," Wang Ben said. "The able-bodied will be incorporated into the army, and the rest will be convicted. As for King Zhao and his important ministers, they will be under the special care of the Black Ice Guard."

Three days later, the Qin army broke camp and set off.

The grand procession set off from Handan, with wagons laden with spoils stretching as far as the eye could see. The captured Zhao officials and soldiers walked silently with their heads down, occasionally letting out deep sighs.

"What are you looking at!" the Qin soldiers shouted. "If it weren't for the mercy of our Qin state, you people would have been killed long ago for what you've done!"

The surrendered Zhao soldiers shrank back, not daring to utter a sound. They had all witnessed the terrifying gunpowder firsthand and knew that if the Qin army wanted to massacre the city, they would have no power to resist.

At the head of the column, Wang Li rode forward, walking alongside Wang Ben: "Father, we have rendered a great service in this attack on Zhao!"

"Haha!" Wang Ben laughed heartily, "This is all thanks to the Grand Commandant's gunpowder; otherwise, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly."

"Speaking of gunpowder..." Meng Tian spurred his horse forward, "It's truly an extraordinary thing. Just seeing the terrified looks in the eyes of those Zhao people along the way was exhilarating enough!"

"I wonder what the Grand Commandant's brain is made of, to be able to design such a marvelous thing," Wang Li exclaimed. "If this gunpowder can be mass-produced in the future, who in the world can stop my Qin army?"

"Shh!" Wang Ben gestured for silence. "This is highly confidential; let's leave it at that."

The three exchanged a smile and said no more.

The army continued westward and soon left Handan behind. Looking back, the capital of Zhao was shrouded in desolation.

Along the way, whenever they saw Qin soldiers, the local people knelt down on both sides of the road, showing extreme obedience.

"It seems the Grand Commandant's tactic of using gunpowder to intimidate has worked even better than expected," Wang Ben said with satisfaction. "These Zhao people are truly terrified."

"Indeed!" Meng Tian laughed. "I just overheard some surrendered soldiers saying they'd rather surrender and become slaves than face gunpowder again."

......

Ten days later, the Qin army finally arrived outside Xianyang.

Xianyang, the Grand Commandant's residence.

The wicked man was inspecting the sorcerers' research progress when he heard the news, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

"Grand Commandant, the army has arrived outside the city." Zhang Erhe rushed in. "Wang Ben and his men have had a great harvest this time, capturing twenty to thirty thousand prisoners alone, and the spoils of war are countless."

"Hmm." The wicked man nodded slightly. "Let them regroup briefly and report back at court tomorrow morning."

"Oh, right," Zhang Erhe said, remembering something, "they also found a strange piece of beautiful jade in the Zhao King's palace. I heard it was exceptionally warm and lustrous, crystal clear throughout, but it had no markings..."

"A beautiful jade?" The wicked husband raised an eyebrow, then his expression suddenly changed, and he abruptly stood up: "Quick! Go and fetch that jade right now!"

"Grand Commandant, what is this...?"

"That might be..." The wicked man's eyes flashed with a sharp light, but he suddenly lowered his voice, "Go, be sure to bring the jade here as soon as possible."

"yes!"

Watching Zhang Erhe's hurried departure, the wicked man muttered to himself, "If it really is that thing... then Brother Zheng is about to evolve!"

As night deepened, lanterns and decorations adorned every corner of Xianyang City, and the people celebrated the triumphant return of the army, for Qin had already conquered five states, leaving only Chu behind!

The great undertaking is about to be accomplished!