Outside Xianyang city, the morning dew had not yet dried.

"Grand Commandant, are you waiting for the King to return outside the city?" Zhang Erhe couldn't help but ask as he watched the wicked man ordering people to make arrangements outside the city.

"Of course!" the wicked man smiled mysteriously. "His Majesty has returned in triumph; we must give him a surprise, mustn't we?"

As he spoke, he walked towards an open space by the roadside. Several high platforms had already been erected there, each covered by a huge curtain, the secrets of which remained unknown.

"Grand Commandant, what exactly have you prepared?"

"Just you wait and see!" A smug glint flashed in the wicked man's eyes. "I haven't been idle these past few days. When His Majesty sees this, he'll be utterly astonished!"

Just then, a scout rode up on horseback: "Report! His Majesty has left Chen County and will arrive in Xianyang in three days!"

"Three days..." the wicked man calculated with his fingers, "That's just enough time. Go, tell the craftsmen to work harder; they must finish before the King returns!"

Behind the several high platforms lies an even larger construction site.

Hundreds of craftsmen are working hard, some carrying materials, some pouring foundations, and others building scaffolding.

"Grand Commandant, the main structure here is complete!" A Mohist craftsman ran over excitedly. "Would you like to come and take a look?"

"Good!" The wicked man strode over. There stood a three-story building, entirely constructed of new cement. The smooth walls gleamed faintly in the sunlight, with not a single seam visible.

"Not bad, not bad!" The wicked husband nodded in satisfaction. "How's the strength?"

"Look!" The craftsman swung a hammer and smashed it hard against the wall. The hammer bounced back, but the wall wasn't even marked.

"Good!" the wicked husband exclaimed with delight. "That's the effect I wanted! By the way, where's that pillar?"

"Over here." The craftsman led him to another construction site. There stood a giant pillar, about twenty feet tall, pure white, reaching straight into the sky.

"This took a lot of effort," the craftsman explained. "To ensure the column's integrity, we cast it in one continuous pour. Just preparing the materials took three days..."

"Worth it!" The wicked man stroked the smooth column. "At this height, ordinary stone simply couldn't have been used. With this, what palace or pavilion could we build with ease?"

........

Three days later, smoke and dust billowed in the distance.

"Report! General Wang Jian's vanguard has reached ten miles outside the city!"

"So fast?" The wicked man, who was reviewing memorials, was taken aback, then overjoyed. "Perfect, let them have a look! Send the order down to the craftsmen to prepare for the unveiling!"

Before long, Wang Jian and other generals arrived one after another. They were all astonished by the scene before them.

"Grand Commandant, what are you up to...?" Wang Jian surveyed the platforms and buildings.

"Hehe." The wicked man chuckled mysteriously, "Don't be impatient, you'll know when the king arrives. By the way, how's the army?"

"Everything is going smoothly," Wang Jian replied. "The surrendered Chu soldiers have been resettled in batches, and households are being registered in various regions. Your Majesty is proceeding slowly to appease the people."

"That's good." The wicked husband nodded.

After waiting for about two hours, another scout came to report: "Reporting to the Grand Commandant! The King's entourage has entered within five li!"

"Get ready!" the wicked man exclaimed, his spirits lifted. "Draw down all the curtains! Let's give the King a surprise!"

At his command, the craftsmen began to work.

Soon, the curtains covering the buildings were lifted one by one, revealing their true appearance.

"This..." Wang Jian and the others were dumbfounded.

New buildings sprang up everywhere. Some soared into the clouds, while others were magnificent. The most eye-catching was the giant pillar in the middle of the road, its white jade-like body seemingly piercing the sky, its top adorned with exquisite carvings.

"Grand Commandant, are these all made with that new material you mentioned?" Wang Ben exclaimed in surprise.

"Indeed!" the wicked man said smugly. "You've all seen the world, haven't you? But have you ever seen such a tall building? Such thick pillars?"

The generals shook their heads. They had never even imagined such a colossal pillar, let alone seen one before.

"Grand Commandant, what are you going to do..." Wang Jian pondered.

"This is called..." the wicked man thought for a moment, "This is called grandeur! The king has conquered the world, so he needs a respectable appearance when he returns, doesn't he?"

Everyone agreed. Just then, the sound of horns came from afar.

"The King has arrived!"

Amidst the billowing dust, a grand procession slowly approached. At the head were the royal guards, followed by civil and military officials, and then Ying Zheng's imperial chariot.

The convoy stopped abruptly in front of the platform.

"This is..." Ying Zheng stood up, looking at everything in front of him in surprise.

"Welcome back in triumph, Your Majesty!" The wicked man led the civil and military officials in bowing and greeting.

"Rise." Ying Zheng waved his hand, his gaze still fixed on the buildings. "These are all... newly built?"

"Exactly!" the wicked man laughed. "Thinking of His Majesty's triumphant return, there should be some new atmosphere. So, let the craftsmen try out the new techniques."

"A new technology?" Ying Zheng's interest was piqued. "Tell me about it."

The wicked man quickly introduced, "This is a new building material I developed by improving upon rammed earth. Not only is it exceptionally strong, but it can also be molded in one piece. Most importantly, it can be used to build unprecedentedly tall buildings!"

"Oh? Really?"

"Your Majesty, please look!" the wicked man exclaimed, pointing to the colossal pillar. "This pillar is nearly twenty feet tall, cast entirely in one piece. Tell me, could it have been built this tall using ordinary stone?"

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!