Inside the hall, Xu Chu stood respectfully, with a wooden box not far away. "Your Majesty, following the young master's method, salt has indeed been extracted from the seawater."

Ying Zheng's eyes flickered slightly. "You really brought it up?"

Xu Chu bowed deeply, "Please take a look yourself."

Ying Zheng said, "Granted!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Chu picked up the wooden box with both hands and respectfully placed it in front of Ying Zheng.

Ying Zheng opened the wooden box and saw that it contained crystal-clear salt, as delicate as snow, shimmering with a faint luster.

Ying Zheng's eyes flickered slightly. This was quite different from any salt he had ever seen before. Both its appearance and the size of its grains were clearly much finer.

After examining it for a moment, Ying Zheng frowned. "Is this salt?"

Seeing Ying Zheng's puzzled expression, Xu Chu explained, "This is indeed salt. I have tasted it, and it tastes much better than the previous coarse salt. Moreover, it is excellent in both its fineness and appearance."

"The purity is also higher than before, so less salt can achieve better results, which greatly increases the efficiency of the salt."

Ying Zheng was quite shocked, "This salt is really that powerful?"

Xu Chu's eyes brightened slightly. "Salt of such purity would cause a huge uproar not only in Qin, but also in other countries. No matter what power it is, it would definitely be regarded as a treasure."

Ying Zheng pondered, his eyes gleaming. "As long as the seawater continues, Qin can possess this treasure inexhaustible. In this way, the country's strength will surely stand at the top of the world."

Upon hearing this, Xu Chu's eyes widened in shock. "It's truly astonishing that salt of this purity can be extracted from seawater."

He never imagined that the seemingly useless seawater could be used to extract such a priceless treasure.

This method is truly ingenious; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it the greatest miracle.

After all, Xu Chu didn't think he could use up that endless supply of seawater.

Just then, Wang Jian entered the hall, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, Prince Ye has returned."

Ying Zheng's eyes flickered slightly. "You're back?"

Wang Jian cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Not only have we returned, but we've also brought back the salt that was stolen from the Qin Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng's expression changed slightly.

Inside Xianyang City, Ying Ye rode his horse at the very front, followed by a long convoy of carriages.

On both sides of the convoy, the crowd almost filled the entire street, all staring intently at the convoy.

"Young master! Thank you so much, young master!"

"Thank you, young master! My family is saved!"

"Young master is amazing! Young master is amazing!"

Many people expressed their gratitude, and wherever Ying Ye went, they all bowed their heads and paid their respects.

When the salt couldn't be delivered, they were extremely anxious, as it concerned their survival, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it concerned the lives of their entire family.

Without salt, daily life would become a problem, not to mention food storage.

So when they saw Ying Ye return with salt, they were naturally grateful.

Beside Ying Ye, the chief craftsman said, "After this incident, the young master's popularity among the people has soared."

This battle made Ying Ye famous far and wide, and he was well aware of it; such a scene was rare.

Even a eldest son like Fusu did not receive such love and respect from the people upon his return.

Ying Ye did not answer, his gaze fixed ahead, his eyes thoughtful.

Mother, please wait for me.

Ying Ye entered the hall, where Ying Zheng sat above him, with officials standing silently on both sides, awaiting the return of this meritorious official.

Ying Ye cupped his hands in greeting, "Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty!"

Ying Zheng's eyes remained indifferent. "No need for formalities."

"Thank you, Father!" Ying Ye stood up.

On both sides, many officials cast admiring glances at him.

Ying Zheng's gaze fell on Ying Ye, "Thank you for your hard work in finding the salt this time."

He was well aware of the strength of those bandits; they must all be well-trained veterans, and their combat prowess was beyond question.

Although Ying Ye was studying abroad, he was still just a novice.

Li Si stepped forward and said, “Your actions this time have been very well received. People everywhere are praising you, believing you to be the most outstanding member of the royal family. If it weren’t for the control measures in Xianyang, I’m afraid even more people would have come to thank you today.”

"It's not impossible to fill the entire city of Xianyang!"

An official nearby chimed in, "Indeed, young master's contribution this time is immense, truly saving the entire Qin Dynasty from dire straits. It is truly admirable."

Ying Ye's eyes were indifferent as he cupped his hands and said, "It is my honor to be able to contribute to the Great Qin!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Jian frowned slightly, his expression quite complicated.

He was well aware of Ying Ye's contribution this time, and it was indeed significant.

But he remembered that Ying Zheng had suspected him before, and the current situation was somewhat perplexing to him.

After all, if Ying Ye truly had ulterior motives, he shouldn't have been helping Qin so much.

Moreover, it was related to salt, which was the most important commodity in the Qin Dynasty.

Ying Zheng looked at Ying Ye, "What reward do you want?"

Ying Zheng never hesitated to reward those who had rendered meritorious service, and was naturally very generous in his generosity.

Upon hearing this, Ying Ye did not hesitate and cupped his hands, saying, "With my merits this time, does Father Emperor think I am worthy of the position of Commandant of the Imperial Guard?"

Ying Zheng's expression changed slightly.

The expressions of the officials below also became strange.

The position of Protector-General is one that commands all generals and wields immense military power, holding a large army.

This young man is still young, and he asked for this position right away, which really didn't expect them.

Wang Jian frowned, his eyes shifting between light and shadow.

If this position were truly given to Ying Ye, he would be able to mobilize a large number of troops, and if he were to harbor disloyal intentions, it could indeed cause some turmoil.

After a moment of silence, Ying Zheng looked at Ying Ye and asked, "You want the position of Commandant of the Guards?"

Ying Ye cupped his hands in greeting, "Your subject has proven his abilities. Please, Father, grant me the position of Commandant of the Imperial Guard."

Ying Zheng's eyes flickered slightly, and he gazed at Ying Ye thoughtfully.

You want this position because you truly care about the Qin Dynasty and want to make a contribution.

Or is there something else as shown in the picture?