Xu Chu entered the hall, cupped his hands, and said, "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty!"

Ying Zheng handed the little guy the paper he had given him, "Take a look at this."

Xu Chu lowered his head and took the paper, then examined it carefully, his brows furrowing slightly.

After a long pause, Ying Zheng looked at him and asked, "Did you understand?"

Xu Chu examined the paper. "This seems to be a method for extracting salt."

However, he immediately frowned again, "But this is the first time I've heard of extracting salt from seawater. Is it really possible?"

Most of the salt in Daqin today is extracted from salt mines; there is no such thing as extracting salt from seawater.

The little guy looked at Xu Chu and said, "Try it this way and you'll see."

Ying Zheng waved his hand, "Go."

"promise!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Chu had no choice but to retreat.

After Xu Chu left, the little guy looked at Ying Zheng and asked, "Dad, do you like this gift?"

Ying Zheng nodded repeatedly, "I like it, I like it. Remember to give your father gifts like this in the future. I will never mind how many you give me."

Providing the Qin Dynasty with an endless supply of salt is an invaluable treasure, something only a little fellow could accomplish, and Ying Zheng was naturally delighted.

Seeing that Ying Zheng was in a good mood, the little guy said again, "Since Father likes the gift I gave you so much, shouldn't you give me a gift in return?"

Looking at the shrewd boy's face, Ying Zheng smiled and said, "I knew you'd pull this trick. Tell me, what valuable thing have you set your sights on this time?"

The little guy became serious, "It's not about its value, it's about protecting people."

Ying Zheng was taken aback. "Who?"

He knew the little guy's strength; he could create countless treasures and could easily protect people. But now he was asking him for help, which Ying Zheng found somewhat puzzling.

The little guy replied, "There are treacherous people around my uncle who want to harm him. I hope Father can step in to protect him."

Ying Zheng's eyes flickered slightly, "Jin Yan?"

Although he didn't have much interaction with Jin Yan, he knew that Jin Yan was a very good businessman. In the past, when Da Qin needed money, Jin Yan had provided a lot of support.

······

On the mountain path, Ying Ye rode his horse at the very front, followed by a large caravan that clearly carried a lot of goods.

Beside him was a slightly overweight middle-aged man, who was the leader of the 10,000 craftsmen.

As they walked, the chief craftsman spoke up, "This is not the best route back to Qin. Does the young master really intend to take this route?"

He was also surprised when they brought so much stuff. He thought that Ying Ye must have some special plan to bring them out, but he didn't expect that they were just there to transport things.

But when it came to transporting things, Ying Ye chose a strange route that was not only unsafe but also took a long detour.

Ying Ye didn't answer and continued walking forward on his own.

Seeing this, the chief craftsman dared not say anything more and could only follow him and continue walking forward.

A moment later, Ying Ye suddenly signaled to stop, and then looked around.

The slope was quite steep, and the terrain was very wide, with the convoy positioned right in the center of the terrain.

Ying Ye carefully looked around before turning to the craftsmen: "Do you still remember the blueprints I gave you before?"

The craftsmen replied in unison, "We remember!"

Ying Ye then said, "Let's start setting up according to that blueprint."

Upon hearing this, the chief craftsman's expression changed. "Not leaving?"

Ying Ye's eyes turned slightly cold. "Can't you hear my order?"

The craftsman leader frowned. "But this place is very dangerous. We are escorting so many supplies, and we are likely to be targeted. Moreover, judging from the terrain, we are probably still within the territory of the group that robbed the salt."

"If we were to be attacked by that group, the consequences would likely be very serious."

Ying Ye looked into the distance, "That's why we need to stop here."

Upon hearing this, the chief craftsman seemed to realize something, and his expression suddenly changed. "You mean to ambush them here?"

Ying Ye didn't answer, which seemed to be his tacit agreement.

The chief craftsman's expression grew increasingly grave. "Young master, please reconsider. Those people can even break through the Qin army's elite troops. Although the trap you provided is very ingenious, I'm afraid it won't be a match for them."

"If anything goes wrong, not only will the transported supplies be lost, but your life will also be in danger!"

Ying Ye's eyes turned cold, and he shouted, "I am the supreme commander! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

The chief craftsman's face froze instantly, and he dared not say another word before going down to carry out the plan.

A fierce wind howled past, and Ying Ye stood in the mountains, his gaze fixed intently on the forest.

Whatever stands in my way, I will drive it away!