Bonus chapter for 22,000 nutrient solutions: "They say the eldest brother is like a father..."

How could it not look good?

Occasionally, I get so angry at him for being crazy, but just looking at his face makes me feel better.

But Banban didn't like to praise him, and pushed his face away from where it was so close, saying, "...It's time to eat!"

She didn't praise him, but her expression betrayed her true thoughts.

Her cheeks were clearly red.

Ying Zheng was led by the wrist by her, and he kept chuckling the whole way.

Upon arriving at the backyard, dinner was already prepared, and the shop officially closed.

As the sun sets, the curfew begins.

I've been curious for days, and I never expected to see it today.

This man, named Xiao Heng, dressed in plain clothes, was following Ji Changyue as she chattered on and on. He entered through the back door and immediately spotted the unfamiliar man and woman sitting at the table.

His words came to an abrupt halt as he recalled hearing that the shopkeeper's elder brother and sister-in-law had arrived that day, and indeed they had.

The eldest brother frowned deeply upon seeing him, scrutinizing him from head to toe, his slightly pursed lips revealing a hint of displeasure and scrutiny.

Xiao Heng felt inexplicably flustered, his heart racing, but he quickly forced himself to calm down.

He comforted himself, thinking that it was normal for older brothers to be critical of their younger sisters.

Instead, his sister-in-law nudged his elbow, signaling him not to have such a dark expression.

She's beautiful inside and out!

Xiao Heng cupped his hands and said, "I am Xiao Heng, and I have never paid my respects to my elder brother and sister-in-law."

Banban silently touched her forehead. Oh no, this wasn't what the sister-in-law pretending to be her aunt meant at all!

This delighted Ji Changyue. She was almost bursting with laughter behind Xiao Heng. If it weren't for the speechless twitching at her son's eyes, she would have laughed for a while longer.

Composing herself, she cleared her throat and brushed her fragrant sleeve against him. "Who are your elder brother and sister-in-law? You're shameless. I thought you, Xiao Heng, were a well-educated and gentle gentleman, but I didn't expect you to be so persistent."

"You're good at scolding, you're good at scolding." Xiao Heng wasn't angry. He gently helped her sit down, supporting her arm. "Miss Yue, you have quite the eloquence."

As they sat down to eat, Banban realized that Xiao Heng was indeed shameless, but it was also possible that he knew Ji Changyue was a hypocrite.

He is very intelligent, quick-witted but not worldly-wise, and occasionally you can see the naivety of someone just starting out, which is quite inappropriate. That's just how people are, and it's rare to see someone so young.

Upon further inquiry, it was learned that Xiao Heng's family had been extremely wealthy in previous years. They were curious about everything and, although they had no business sense, they dared to try... and as expected, they lost everything.

He then began to study diligently, but halfway through his studies he realized that studying was useless in this world. Under the policy of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce, the only way out was to go to the battlefield and kill the enemy.

But he refused to believe it and became more and more engrossed in reading. He was studying Confucianism and wanted to become an official.

Ying Zheng suddenly spoke up: "Don't you know that the King of Qin governs the country using legalism? Everyone knows that he deeply despises Confucianism."

"Alas, elder brother, you are unaware of this."

Xiao Heng's words silenced everyone.

Ying Zheng really didn't want to hear that title, "Just say it directly, don't call me elder brother."

"Alright, let's each talk our own way. I'll call you 'sir,' and you can call me 'brother-in-law.'"

Ying Zheng: "?"

Ji Changyue kicked him hard under the table.

Xiao Heng swayed slightly, then steadied himself and said, "You've never served as an official in the court; your family runs a business. I suppose you don't pay much attention to national affairs?"

To prevent herself from laughing out loud, Banban picked up a slice of bamboo shoot and put it in her mouth.

Silently hypnotize yourself: Stop talking, eat quickly!

Xiao Heng: "The King of Qin is about to attack Chu. Zhao, which has been fighting bitterly for years, has already been taken into his possession. I don't need to tell you what will happen to Chu. I think you all know what will happen to Chu." When he spoke about the situation, his tone became more serious and he was no longer glib. "If Chu can be conquered within a year, only Qi will remain of the former Seven Heroes. In my opinion, Qi will not resist and will surely open its city gates and kneel at the feet of the King of Qin in the future."

Ying Zheng became interested. "Oh?"

Xiao Heng, fearing he wouldn't believe him, said firmly, "You don't believe me? Let's make a bet."

What are we betting on?

“Bet…” Xiao Heng looked around in turn, “Then I’ll bet on the jade pendant at your waist.”

Ying Zheng readily took off the jade pendant and placed it on the table. "Why not? What if you lose?" Before Xiao Heng could speak, he said directly, "If you lose, you will leave Xianyang."

The atmosphere at the scene suddenly froze.

Banban and Ji Changyue exchanged a glance.

Both of them knew that this was not because Ying Zheng disliked Xiao Heng, but simply to test his limits.

"Very well!" Xiao Heng was indeed confident in his knowledge. In that brief pause, he quickly considered the current situation and the predicament of the Qi Kingdom, confirming that his judgment was absolutely correct. "I agree!"

Ying Zheng clapped his hands and laughed, "Alright, continue."

"The current situation in the world is one-sided. It is a foregone conclusion that the Qin state will annex the other states and complete the unification. It's just a matter of time. Right now, the Qin state does need to govern with harsh laws. But that may not be the case after the state is established and the dynasty is founded. The Qin state today is like a string that has been stretched to its limit. What it needs is to be loosened."

"I've made ample preparations, and I'm sure I'll find my place in the game!"

"Which of the Hundred Schools of Thought is suitable for recuperation and loosening of this tension? None other than Confucianism and Taoism! I was prescient!"

“It’s not enough to promote Confucianism in its entirety; we should learn from the strengths of each school of thought,” Xiao Heng said eloquently. “It’s nothing; I’ve also dabbled in other fields.”

Ying Zheng suddenly asked, "If the King of Qin can truly unify the six states, what do you think should be done with the royal families and nobles of those states?"

Xiao Heng pondered for a moment, hesitated slightly, and then sighed after a long while.

“A more radical and direct approach would be to kill them all.” After giving this answer, he shook his head. “But completely wiping out the old nobility is unrealistic. New people are born every day; how can we possibly kill them all? Besides, blood ties are far-reaching. Should we kill those who are even remotely connected? I observe that the King of Qin is currently treating Han, Zhao, Wei, and Yan in the same way: relocating the wealthy, destroying weapons, and imposing harsh laws…”

"To make the states completely submit to Qin, we need more than just fundamentally solving the problem through institutional reforms. We also need to consider cultural integration. Things are inanimate, but people are alive. As long as people are alive, they will have ideas, and they will have new ideas every moment and every day."

Ying Zheng said, "Unifying culture is the way to go. Burning books and banning discussion is a perfectly appropriate measure."

"Oh dear, this is only treating the symptoms, not the root cause, sir!" Xiao Heng waved his hand in denial, "You won't be able to do it."

Ying Zheng: "?"

Xiao Heng: "Destroying the cultural classics and historical records of the six kingdoms can indeed erase their sense of national identity. Such a high-pressure policy can also incite a lot of hatred and resentment. What should we do? Continue to suppress them by force? This will only lead to the phenomenon that even if the six kingdoms are unified, there will still be constant uprisings among the people."

Ying Zheng held back, adopting a humble and eager-to-learn demeanor, "Alright, alright, tell me, tell me."

"Since it cannot be eliminated, it is naturally better to transform it into something better."

Ying Zheng frowned slightly upon hearing this.

“I can tell you don’t agree at first glance,” Xiao Heng said, pointing to his eyebrows and eyes. “If the King of Qin doesn’t trust his people, how can his people trust their ruler?”

"Actually, this matter can't be rushed. It all boils down to four words: 'shared interests'!"

“Give a few leaders of the six kingdoms a title, let them enjoy generous treatment but not give them real power, and move them to Xianyang. This is both an honor and a form of supervision. At the same time, it will divide the six kingdoms.”

“Once we unify the six states, we will select talented young men from the noble families of those states to enter the Qin bureaucracy, giving them opportunities. In this way, the six states will no longer be partners, but competitors.” Banban interrupted, “After annexing the six states, the frequency of wars will certainly not be as high as it is now. With so many people in the world, how to govern the country and its people will be a major problem. At that time, the policy of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce will probably change, and the number of civil officials will increase.”

"Mr. Xiao's suggestion is good. Talent selection can be done through examinations. We can announce to the world that regardless of background or wealth, everyone can take the exams. This will disintegrate the nobles of the six kingdoms from within. In this way, no one will work for the royal families of the six kingdoms, and they will be unable to raise an army to restore their monarchy."

"Exam?" Xiao Heng hesitated. "An assessment or experiment?"

Banban glanced at Ying Zheng and explained, "It means that the King of Qin, or an official he trusts, will set the questions, just like my husband asked Mr. Xiao about how to settle the royal families and nobles of the six kingdoms. Several questions will be posed, and a large venue will be set up. Those who want to become officials will sit down together and answer the questions on the spot, writing them down on paper to ensure authenticity and prevent cheating. After they finish answering, they will submit their answers, which will be reviewed by the King of Qin or his ministers, who will then select those they like for employment."

Xiao Heng's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea! Sister-in-law, what a brilliant idea!"

Banban choked for a moment: "..."

"In this way, the middle class of the six countries will be cut off first. Without people to cheer them on, it will be more difficult for them to cause trouble."

"To gain the trust and dependence of the common people at the bottom of society, we can manipulate the land. People are concerned about food, and they only care about their three meals a day. As for whether the current ruler is surnamed Ying or Mi, it is irrelevant."

"Thus, the royal families of the six kingdoms, who were at the top, lost everything and had no choice but to accept their fate."

This coincided with what Banban had previously told Ying Zheng, but reforming the land system was not something that could be done overnight.

Ying Zheng: "Qin officials are well-versed in the law and will regularly test their legal knowledge. Those who fail will be punished. In this sense, your idea is in line with this testing system."

"Yes... I've also heard that the Qin state has schools specifically for training clerical officials. Those students need to learn writing, arithmetic, and law. After graduation, they must pass an examination before they can take up positions in various places. Widely establishing such schools throughout the country could be a good way to promote differentiation."

Although the purposes are different, the whole system is very similar to the imperial examination system.

If the Qin state were to implement this policy, the purpose would be to strengthen centralized power, not to encourage scholars to participate in politics. However, it would also do so incidentally, achieving two goals at once.

Ying Zheng did listen to her advice, and he seemed preoccupied as he left. Only then did Xiao Heng notice that the couple had brought their two children with them, but the children had been having dinner upstairs.

Xiao Heng, having gained an advantage, feigned innocence. As he was leaving, tears welled in his eyes as he said, "They say an elder brother is like a father, so perhaps—"

Ying Zheng: "..."

He raised his hand and drew his sword.

Xiao Heng quickly shut his mouth, backing down, "Never mind, never mind, don't get so angry!"

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Author's note: Here it is, this chapter is a bonus chapter with 22,000 words!