"Lord Commandant, stop with the useless talk. What if Zhao snatches this business away?" Li Si said anxiously, unable to help but urge him on when he saw him spouting nonsense.

The wicked man was speechless with anger, and said impatiently, "We changed the wolf skins to weaken the three tribes. Since the Zhao Kingdom wants to take the lead, why not let them have it?"

"You're not happy about saving money? Are you stupid?"

"This Zhao state is truly a friendly nation!"

Well?

Everyone was stunned.

Yes, what are they worried about?

Some people like to be the first to stick their necks out, so you should be happy to take their place. Why are you still looking so worried?

"Do you really think that wolf pelt is some rare commodity?" The wicked man curled his lip, wishing he could slap each of them across the face.

The ministers shook their heads upon hearing this, saying that even a fool wouldn't do a losing business.

Wang Wan's brows remained furrowed as he asked, "May I ask, Lord Commandant, how can you guarantee that the Zhao Kingdom will maintain this kind of transaction?"

"They are only trying to steal trade from us. They will gradually lower prices in the future and eventually demand that we trade cattle, sheep and horses."

"In this way, we will only suffer a slight loss in the early stage, but they will gain a great advantage and our national strength will surely advance by leaps and bounds."

The courtiers, who had just begun to relax and feel happy, were once again silenced by these words, and their faces all turned solemn.

"If only Lü Buwei were still here..."

At this moment, the wicked man suddenly regretted killing Lü Buwei so early; at least he would have instantly understood the secret behind it.

The ministers were completely bewildered. You killed Lü Buwei, so why are you missing him now?

Besides, what does Lü Buwei have to do with this?

"Everyone!"

The wicked man suppressed his emotions and patiently explained, "When buying things, people value quality and low prices, and they compare prices from different vendors. Monopolies make money because they are rare commodities, and a scorpion's excrement is unique, giving them absolute market power."

"Which of the six countries can't provide the goods we're trading now?"

"Since Zhao wants to do it, let them have it. But if they show any signs of trying to lower the price, we'll jump in immediately... Hehe, do you understand?"

His amused gaze swept over the ministers who were deep in thought. He had already said so much; if they still couldn't understand, they might as well go home and sell salted duck eggs.

"Lord Weiwei, you are insidious!"

Meng Can suddenly let out an excited roar, startling the officials who were deep in thought, and also darkening the smiling face of the wicked husband.

Ying Zheng was right back then; this kid was wasting his talents being a granary official. This matter was related to the market and commerce, and his reaction speed was extremely fast.

"When competition arises, the three tribes will have more options, and if Zhao wants to maintain its trading rights, it will inevitably have to make sacrifices... Hahaha... Brilliant, truly cunning."

Meng Can was so excited that she talked to herself like a fool, completely oblivious to the increasingly fierce look on her husband's face.

"The magistrate of Taicang is indeed a genius, with quick thinking."

The praise, delivered through gritted teeth, made the still excited Meng Can instinctively shudder, only then realizing that her wicked husband was glaring at her with a hostile expression.

"Uh... Lord Commandant, please don't mind, it was my presumptuousness..." Meng Can revealed a fawning smile, his body hunched over.

She doesn't care about saving face at all; she's lost all dignity after being interrupted twice while trying to flatter him. As long as she doesn't get targeted by that ruthless husband, that's better than anything else.

The wicked man glanced at him sideways, then stopped arguing and said loudly, "Gentlemen, we will now offer to lower the price to make way for the State of Zhao."

"We will closely monitor the trade and economic relations between them and the three tribes. If there is any sign of price reduction, we will immediately step in and add 10% to 20% to the price."

"Hey, he's in a dilemma. I don't believe he's willing to give up his initial investment."

The sinister words sent chills down the spines of the officials, deepening their fear of the wicked husband.

This kid's strength and murderous intent were already terrifying, but when he got into a mental game, he became even more ruthless and cunning. You should never mess with him again.

"Hmm, the Commandant of the Guards is just as I thought." Seeing that his wicked husband had resolved everything, Ying Zheng finally spoke and gave his final conclusion.

Goodness.

Zheng-ge, when did you become so shameless?

Ignoring the meaningful look in his husband's eyes, Ying Zheng slowly said, "Meng Can, you must act according to the Commandant of the Guards' plan. As for the State of Zhao... hehe."

His childhood experiences are still vivid in his mind. He will make the State of Zhao pay for all the suffering and torment he endured in the past, and this is only the first step.

"Your Majesty, I will obey your command." Meng Can bowed solemnly, then left the hall to make arrangements for the matter.

After he left, the wicked man, seeing that no one was reporting to him, asked, "Your Majesty, while I was away, has there been any progress in Yelang?"

"Have Zhang Han and the other two been able to send back a message?"

Speaking of this, Ying Zheng smiled and said, "A few days ago, General Meng Ao sent someone to report the victory. The army swept across Yelang for three hundred miles with almost no casualties."

"Zhang Han and his two companions caused the three tribes a great deal of trouble, forcing them to evade their army's encirclement and suppression several times, resulting in the annihilation of more than a dozen small and medium-sized tribes."

"Zhang Han's Fierce Tiger Army even destroyed the Xiongnu Canmuhe tribe. Its strength should not be underestimated. It is one of the major Xiongnu tribes. It did a very good job."

Ying Zheng made no attempt to hide his admiration, expressing great satisfaction with Zhang Han's performance and even deciding to meet him personally upon his return.

"Not bad, you haven't disgraced this general."

The wicked man smiled and nodded, extremely satisfied with the three men's performance.

Then, he turned his gaze to Feng Jie and asked, "How is the matter of merging the land tax and poll tax going? This is of utmost importance. Have you encountered any obstacles?"

Seeing that the home ground was finally in their hands, Feng Jie hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Lord Commandant, the news has been released, and all the relevant laws and regulations have been completed."

"There is resistance, mainly from the local landlords and gentry, but the common people are looking forward to it with great enthusiasm."

The wicked man was not surprised at all. Although these landlords and gentry had no status, the resistance they could pose when united was not to be underestimated, and even far exceeded that of the officials in the imperial court.

Seeing Feng Jie's expectant eyes, he gave a bitter smile, "I don't have any good solutions either. The only option is to kill him."

His expression changed instantly as he said this.

A clear, yet chilling shout echoed through the hall.

"kill!"

"Kill them until they're terrified!"

"Kill until no one dares to utter a sound!"

"Let them understand that everyone under heaven is a subject, and the power of an individual is insignificant in the face of the nation's overall situation."

"Anyone or force that dares to obstruct the rise of poor peasants will be eliminated!"

The more he shouted, the more excited and agitated he became, and even a hint of blood appeared in his eyes.

The officials in the hall watched his frenzied appearance, their hearts filled with mixed emotions, wondering how many more would die under the executioner's blade this time.