[Guys, I need to take tomorrow off, something's come up!]

"Your Majesty, you must not commit murder without authorization! Beware of unrest among the people and turmoil in the country!" Feng Quji, who was still a Grand Master of the Palace, shouted loudly.

Upon hearing this, the wicked man turned his gaze to Feng Quji, who was standing at the back of the civil official line, a hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes.

At this time, Feng Quji was in his thirties, with a tall and straight body and sharp eyes. He looked like a naive young man who had not yet been tortured or beaten.

"Feng Quji?"

"Your name is quite something!"

The wicked man chuckled and joked, then said bluntly, "The 'equalization of land tax and poll tax' is the foundation for all ages. We must sweep away the obstacles with thunderous force so that it can be implemented as quickly as possible."

"Take a look, open your eyes and look!"

He pointed at the officers who stood like oxen and horses, drowsy and half-asleep, "Look at your colleagues, holed up in Xianyang all day, just waiting to die. Do you know how hard their lives are?"

“You have the wisdom to govern a country and bring peace to the world, but all they know is fighting and killing. They are in their prime; how can they waste their time?”

"Could it be that by the time your old lady's dragging method of binding her feet gets it to the ground, these people will all be old and frail?"

"Let alone fighting a war, even getting onto the kang (heated brick bed) would be a struggle!"

His mouth was like a machine gun, spewing out a torrent of words that left Feng Quji speechless.

What did I say?

"Lord Commandant, you can't be unreasonable! I was just pointing out the drawbacks, not saying I was stopping you." Feng Quji was on the verge of tears, his face as bitter as if he had eaten bitter melon.

"You wicked man, that's gone too far!"

Ying Zheng pinched the bridge of his nose, casually offering a half-hearted rebuke to his wicked husband. "They really didn't say anything, so why are you nagging so much?"

"How was the trip?"

To prevent the boy from continuing to pester him, Ying Zheng directly changed the subject.

Speaking of this, the wicked man became very excited and said, "This trip was really a huge success. Not only did we make a lot of money, but we also recruited two great talents from the Mohist school."

"The Mohist school?"

The hall fell silent instantly.

This strange reaction puzzled the wicked man. "Gentlemen, what's going on?"

"Right now, what we lack are talents from the Mohist school, so why are you unhappy?"

well...

The senior officials present all sighed, which made the wicked man even more puzzled.

Seeing that her husband's brows were furrowed, Wang Wan explained, "The Mohist school originated in Qin. How prosperous it was back then! It contributed a great deal to the development of my Qin state."

"Later, a major internal change occurred, and the Xiangli clan split into three. The Xiangli clan remained in our Qin state, but after the death of the previous Grand Prince twenty years ago, internal strife broke out again."

"From then on, it fell apart, and many Mohist masters either left or went into seclusion."

"......."

As he explained, a look of understanding gradually appeared on the wicked man's face, and then he asked, "I heard Xiang Lihe say that Qin Baihu, the great master of this generation, is also quite capable. Why have I never heard of this person?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than several shouts and curses rang out, "Don't mention that bastard."

"That fellow's skills are terrible, and he's also extremely petty. Many talented younger generations have been driven away by him, which is why the Mo family has gradually faded from view."

"Later on, they only cared about money. Not only were the quality of the artifacts they made poor, but they also demanded extremely high prices, which led to their gradual rejection by the imperial court."

Wang Wan and other veteran officials took turns criticizing Qin Baihu, their words revealing no concealment of their disdain and resentment.

"The Mohists... Alas, if Mozi were alive, he would never have spared them!"

It can be said that the Qin Moxiangli Clan is now on the verge of extinction. There is a lack of successors within the clan, and countless skills and techniques have been lost. It has become a one-man show run by Qin Baihu, who only knows how to amass wealth and does not care about the inheritance of the family business.

"In that case, it's appropriate."

The wicked man rubbed his chin and said, "Xiangli He was originally the designated leader of the Mohist school, but this scoundrel secretly framed him and drove him away from Qin."

"Now that he's back, why not let him take over and reorganize the Mo family!"

The officials present were well aware of the importance of the Mohist school to the development of the Qin state, and were even more reluctant to see this once great and pragmatic school of thought disappear from the Qin state.

At this moment, Li Si seemed to remember something and quickly stepped forward, saying, "Lord Commandant, there is indeed a good opportunity right now!"

"Oh? What opportunity?"

Li Si immediately recounted a case he had reported a few days ago: "A few days ago, we arrested someone for smuggling prohibited items. According to the interrogation, the items were made by the Mohists."

"I have already sent people to investigate this matter, and I expect to have a result soon."

Just when you're about to fall asleep, a pillow appears; the wicked husband immediately reveals his signature sinister smile.

"This matter is no longer your responsibility. The sale and smuggling of prohibited items threatens national security and should fall under my jurisdiction."

Upon hearing this, Li Si knew what Ying Zheng was planning and couldn't help but look at him calmly.

Sensing Li Si's gaze, Ying Zheng's lips moved slightly, and he uttered, "Yes, the Commandant of the Guards is right."

How could he not know the wicked husband's style of doing things? Having grown accustomed to his lightning speed, he now truly looked down on everyone else's ways.

"Since His Majesty has spoken, then this matter will be handled by the Commandant of the Guards!" Li Si cupped his hands, bowed, and retreated.

"Someone come here!"

With a loud shout, the imperial guards waiting outside the palace gates immediately strode into the palace.

"By order of the Commandant of the Guards, mobilize the troops within the city to arrest members of the Mohist school, and gather troops stationed in various places to arrest all merchants who are connected with the Mohist school."

"yes!"

The two imperial guards shouted "I accept the order!" and turned to leave quickly.

Ying Zheng was very satisfied with his wicked husband's swift and decisive actions. He stood up and said, "Wicked husband, bring the two Mohist disciples you recruited to see me later."

"Dismiss the court!"

The wicked man nodded, cupped his hands, and said, "Your subject respectfully sees Your Majesty off!"

"Your Majesty, we respectfully see you off!"

After Ying Zheng left, Li Si approached the wicked man and said with a smile, "Lord Commandant, would you like to personally visit the people imprisoned in the jail?"

After a moment's thought, the wicked man nodded and walked alongside Li Si, leaving Xianyang Palace.

Outside the palace gates.

When Zhang Erhe saw the wicked husband come out, he quickly went to greet him.

Before Zhang Erhe could speak, the wicked man said directly, "Erhe, quickly go to Zhushan and bring Xiangli He and Zizhen to the prison to see me."

Zhang Erhe nodded, then turned and ran away.

"Your Excellency, let's go!"

"General, don't be so polite, please get in my carriage."

The two chatted and laughed as they boarded the carriage and headed towards the prison.

On Zhu Mountain.

Xianglihe and Zizhen were like addicts; they plunged into the smelting room and wouldn't come out, chasing after the busy craftsmen with a barrage of questions like a million whys.

The craftsmen were extremely annoyed, wondering where these two idiots had come from.

Zhang Erhe arrived covered in sweat and greeted them, "Stop looking, gentlemen. The general is looking for you. Come with me quickly."

Upon hearing that it was the wicked husband who wanted to see them, the two reluctantly left the smelting room and followed Zhang Erhe to the prison.