Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Princess of Zhao? (Three more chapters)...

After listening to Hu Tou's story, Zhu Dan understood: "So, they found a lot of this blue stone, so much so that you can't even decide whether to collect it or not?"

Tiger Head nodded.

Zhu Dan hesitated for a moment, because the amount of this ingredient needed for the herbicide pill was not much. If it could not be proved that it had more uses... Although Brother Zheng gave Zhu Dan a lot of gold, it couldn't be wasted like this.

"Just collect 100 kilograms first and let me study it further." In the end, Zhu Dan gave a conservative figure.

"By the way, since they found these in the wild, and there are so many of them, they've probably discovered a mineral vein. Have them search the surrounding area and bring me some samples, no matter what color the stones are. I'll see if they can be of any use."

Generally speaking, a vein has one main mineral, but also has other associated minerals.

After all, the real world is not like a game, where a copper mine only contains copper.

The next day, Zhu Dan asked Fusu to retrieve Lan Shi's records.

Thinking of how it was tempered with fire before, she had an idea and took a small piece and put it into water.

As a result, the water soon turned blue.

This stone dissolves easily in water.

Zhu Dan stared blankly at the dazzling blue, some distant memories being triggered, as if...

"I remember doing an experiment with copper sulfate in high school. It seems that it can be used to prepare a pesticide called Bordeaux mixture!" Zhu Dan widened his eyes in surprise.

If the blue color is not obvious enough, then the name of Bordeaux mixture, which sounds nice and unique, left a deep impression on Zhu Dan.

She had thought that weed killer pills were hard to come by, so she asked Fang Jin to think of a substitute, but she didn't expect to get such a reward.

Although Bordeaux mixture has limitations and is not as versatile as herbicide, Zhu Dan thinks it is a good start.

"Chemistry talent, we need to find someone with a natural aptitude for chemistry to conduct in-depth research!" She clenched her fists and thought, "I could do that, but I'm busy with other things."

I am destined not to be able to devote too much time to this, so it would be best to find someone who specializes in this area.

Zhu Dan thought of the alchemists again: "I wonder how their glass research is going? Why don't I go back and take a look?"

If someone is particularly talented...

Suddenly, Fusu, who was reading the bamboo slips in his hand, spoke up: "Mr. Zhu, I'm very interested in this. How about you leave the pesticide research to me?"

"You..." Zhu Dan looked over in surprise.

This was the first time Fusu took the initiative to take on a job. Before, Zhu Dan always ordered him around, such as asking him to sell tofu or record the properties of ingredients.

Although Zhu Dan was illiterate and could not understand much, she could hear the other party reading and found that the record was indeed detailed, which showed Fusu's meticulousness.

An indispensable quality for studying chemistry is carefulness.

After all, this subject truly embodies the meaning of "a slight error can lead to a huge mistake."

In chemical changes, there are often many additional by-products, which careless people may overlook.

Seeing Fusu's serious expression, Zhu Dan responded seriously: "If you are interested in this line of work, of course you can learn it. I will also try my best to recall various things in the Heavenly Palace to inspire you, but..."

"What are your concerns, Mr. Zhu?"

"Brother Zheng sees you as the heir to the Qin Dynasty. Shouldn't you learn from him how to be an emperor? An emperor is a managerial talent, while a chemist is a technical talent. The two are completely unrelated. I'm afraid you won't be able to do both well, which would be a waste of time."

Fusu smiled bitterly. Only Zhu Sheng would talk about the emperor so directly.

That's right, she always called him Zhengge Zhengge in private, even though he already knew his true identity.

"Mr. Zhu, I believe that with you here, Father will live a long and healthy life. There's no need to rush to train a successor, and that person... may not necessarily be me."

A hint of gloom flashed in Fusu's eyes.

"I have a disagreement with my father. I don't want to anger him again, but I can't bring myself to compromise. So I decided to do something practical for the people, as Mr. Zhu suggested."

"Weed killer pills are hard to come by. If I could develop an alternative pesticide, I could save everyone the trouble of weeding. Without weeds in the fields, all the fertilizer would go to the crops, helping them grow better. I also know that besides weeds, there are also pests that eat crops. If I could develop an insecticide to resist them..."

Fusu smiled, with longing in his eyes.

Zhu Dan suddenly remembered the line "There is Fusu on the mountain."

Of course Fusu was not ugly, but Zhu Dan had always seen him as an unlucky guy who committed suicide out of cowardice, and she was filled with disappointment.

But at this moment, she had some understanding of the demeanor of Prince Fusu of the Qin Dynasty.

Zhu Dan didn't know how long Prince Fusu could persist in chemistry, but pesticides were related to crops and to having enough food to eat, and this was indeed what a crown prince should do.

So she said, “Okay, if you want to study this, I’ll help you.”

It’s just helping, not teaching, after all, Zhu Dan himself is not in this line of work.

She just cheated and made a weed killer that was effective against all weeds. There is still a long way to go from a weed killer that is unique to monks to a pesticide that ordinary people can make.

However, they have results to refer to, so Zhu Dan is full of confidence.

The research on Bordeaux mixture was handed over to Fusu, but that didn't mean he would just leave it alone. Zhu Dan tried hard to recall the chemistry experiments he had done in high school, and vaguely remembered that in addition to copper sulfate, another substance had to be added.

But I just can't remember what it is exactly.

She could only tell Fusu to try the permutations, combinations and matching.

It is a pity that Tangyuan's simulation ability can only deduce the elixir formula at this time, and after upgrading it can only simulate the effect of the elixir.

Although copper sulfate is the material for refining herbicides, the material can be analyzed after quenching, but it cannot be simulated alone.

Otherwise, adding and subtracting in the simulation room would be much faster.

Moreover, the mechanism of the simulation room is similar to a game, which can achieve an ideal state, thus eliminating many interference factors and minimizing errors.

Realistically speaking... Zhu Dan felt his scalp tingling when he thought of the tedious workload and the backward conditions of Daqin - there wasn't even a measuring cup or an alcohol lamp.

She couldn't help but look at the person who volunteered to take over these things. Fusu had already started.

The materials involved in the weed killer pills were brought out one by one, and several blank bamboo slips were piled next to them. His face was full of seriousness.

Zhu Dan suddenly said, "In the Heavenly Palace, someone tried to make an artificial night-shining pearl thousands of times without success."

She said this out of the blue, Fusu didn't understand and looked up at her.

Zhu Dan continued, "Fusu, you still have a chance to regret it now, but if you suddenly decide not to do it halfway through, I won't give you another chance."

Bordeaux mixture is a pesticide that has been confirmed to be produced, but she is not deliberately making things difficult for others.

"Mr. Zhu, did the person who made the night pearl you mentioned succeed?" Fusu did not answer directly.

"Of course it worked." Although the light bulb was not actually invented by Einstein.

"Then you should have some confidence in me, Mr. Zhu." Fusu suddenly smiled. "You've already given me a lot of hints."

Fusu has always been a very gentle person, but this smile revealed a bit of strong self-confidence.

Zhu Dan was slightly stunned. At this moment, she seemed to see Brother Zheng.

Fusu is not as angular as Zhengge, his features are softer and his appearance is more delicate, so he should be more like his mother.

Zhu Dan didn't suspect at first that Mengqi was Fusu, because the father and son didn't look alike at all.

But if you look closely, Fusu's lips and nose are actually very similar to Zhengge's, only his eyes are different.

She has always been used to looking at people's eyes, and the eyes are the most distinctive part of the face, which misled Zhu Dan.

Fusu's eyes are always helpless and gentle, as if filled with a lot of sorrow, unlike Zhengge who is strong, domineering, and has absolute confidence.

Zhu Dan jumped up and patted Fusu's shoulder vigorously: "Very good, now you finally have some of Zhengge's style, so continue to be confident, but don't..." If someone comes one day and says that Zhengge wants you to die, you will just commit suicide.

I've actually been warned by the Heavenly Dao again?! Zhu Dan puffed out his cheeks. He hadn't mentioned anyone by name, so why not just hint at it?

She was very angry and glared at the culprit.

Fusu, completely unaware of what was happening, blinked innocently and said, "In Zhu Sheng's heart, I am a little like your father. I am honored."

Zhu Dan: “…”

You are really promising! She rolled her eyes.

Everything that needed to be said had been said, leaving Fusu to tinker with it on his own. Zhu Dan looked at the materials for the rejuvenation pill again and was surprised to find that the last thing had appeared, a newly lit map.

So what are you waiting for? Is she any worse than Fusu?

Zhu Dan immediately went out and rushed to the corresponding location.

There were always two people guarding her, and one of them would immediately report to Cao Teng.

I heard that Zhu Dan ran away again, heading out of the city. Cao Teng: "..."

A face full of numbness, and a sense of habit in the numbness.

"Let's go."

If nothing unexpected happens, Zhu Sheng will go to the mountains to collect materials for alchemy again.

She still hasn't figured out the pattern.

Just like Mr. Zhu bought materials in the shop before.

I chose it at first sight, with little observation, as if I had already decided that it was what I needed before I even saw it.

Cao Teng was puzzled and could only tell himself that this was probably the result of the immortal's disciples being able to predict that what they needed would appear in a certain place.

Although they knew very well that there was a high probability that they would not be able to catch up with Zhu Sheng - when they arrived with great difficulty the day before yesterday, Zhu Dan was already preparing to return.

But the king has given the order, so we have to go even if we can’t make it.

It's a matter of attitude.

Of course Zhu Dan noticed someone behind her, but she just glanced at it and didn't care.

She once tried to persuade Cao Teng:

Don't bother.

But the other party persuaded him instead.

Do your job well when you are in your position.

This is their professional ethics, but at the same time, don't expect Zhu Dan to patiently stop and wait for them.

Her consideration only means that she will plead for them in front of Zheng Ge, but it is impossible for her to accommodate others and put herself in a difficult position.

At this time, Zhu Dan was hurrying on his way while talking about something completely unrelated: "Fusu is like this, I can't bear to take away his luck."

Wutong said in a calm voice, "So you gave up on refining the rejuvenation pill?"

"How is that possible?" Zhu Dan said coldly, "In my heart, of course Brother Zheng is the most important. Given Daqin's conditions, only the Rejuvenation Pill is the most suitable."

The materials are not particularly difficult to find, and the difficulty of refining is not high. At the same time, as a mortal, Zheng Ge can withstand the medicinal effects of the rejuvenation pill.

Wutong was speechless: "So?"

"So I plan to mess with Fusu more in the next two days, so that he can contribute more luck to me to nourish the materials. This way, I can draw less when I'm actually refining the elixir. He probably won't be as unlucky as Hu Hai who broke his leg!"

Wutong: “…”

I didn't know what to say for a moment.

If he were Fusu, he would rather smoke the required number of cigarettes in one breath than have someone buzzing in his ears to bother him.

As for the broken leg, is it something serious?

Sensing Wutong's disapproval, Zhu Dan became unhappy and emphasized seriously, "This is a huge concession!"

"I used to make pills at the cheapest price, but now I'm deliberately choosing better quality ones just for him. I'm so touched!"

Wutong: "...but you said that the materials should be of the same level. If you do this, won't you draw more luck?"

Zhu Dan was stunned.

It seems so.

The higher the grade of the materials, the more main medicine is needed.

"Should we let Brother Zheng accept a second-rate rejuvenation pill?" Zhu Dan hesitated for only a second before firmly shaking his head, "Impossible!"

"Forget it. I believe Fusu is a filial child. This is to save Brother Zheng. He can understand."

Wutong: “…” He seemed to be speechless a lot today.

Suddenly, Zhu Dan looked in one direction.

In the distance, a group of people were carrying green baskets that seemed to be filled with wild vegetables, but - Zhu Dan narrowed his eyes, and seeing that they were panting and their shoulders slumped, it didn't look like their baskets were only filled with wild vegetables.

"Hey, that person looks familiar." Zhu Dan quickly remembered who he was, the first tofu distributor, Erlin.

"Wait a minute! Hu Tou said that he was the one who discovered the blue stone, so is the whole family out here mining?"

Zhu Dan was walking just to get closer, so crossing mountains and rivers was no problem for her. But the others didn't have her ability, so they walked on different roads. Erlin and the others didn't see Zhu Dan, and soon they turned a corner and disappeared from her sight.

Zhu Dan's heart moved, and he looked inside the alchemy cauldron.

"Sure enough, this map was opened because of them."

Not all places that people who have contributed luck to Zhu Dan have visited can open the map.

Only the more important ones or the ones I have visited more often.

In short, it is what is most impressive to the person involved. The more impressive the impression, the more detailed the map will be.

"Come on, let's go check out the bluestone mine they discovered."

If nothing unexpected happens, the last ingredient of the rejuvenation pill is also there. Zhu Dan is looking forward to it and his feet are faster.

Then Cao Teng discovered that they had lost Zhu Dan again, but everyone was already used to it.

Cao Teng asked his subordinates to set up camp on the spot and wait for Zhu Dan to return.

This is also how Zhu Dan takes care of them. He will come back the same way they left, so that they don’t have to wait foolishly.

…

Well, I can only say that it's a good thing that he didn't ask Zhu Dan for confirmation, otherwise he would find that he was really being self-indulgent and Zhu Dan was just taking a shortcut.

Five minutes later, a hint of blue appeared in front of Zhu Dan's eyes. This was the bluestone mine discovered by Erlin and others. However, she did not stop, because the light spot on the sea of ​​consciousness map was not here.

Zhu Dan turned around and around, compared the route repeatedly, and finally stopped about three or four hundred meters away.

"Well, it should be here." Zhu Dan frowned, "It's a bit troublesome."

The last ingredient for the rejuvenation pill is deep underground!

After a rough estimate, it was at least nearly a hundred meters, and I immediately hesitated.

If it were in the world of cultivation, Zhu Dan would have no problem going to the sky or the sea to find materials for alchemy.

Unfortunately, she is only at the initial stage of Qi Refining, and is limited by the lack of spiritual energy in the Great Qin. Many of her methods cannot be used. The mere hundred meters that she used to ignore is now like an insurmountable chasm!

Suddenly Wutong said, "I'll do it."

Zhu Dan raised her eyebrows, and before she could answer, a blood-colored alchemy cauldron floated out.

The alchemy cauldron swallowed the red dan into it in a terrifying gulp, and then rushed straight into the ground.

Zhu Dan saw through his spiritual sense that the blood-colored alchemy cauldron suddenly stretched out, and the originally round bottom became slightly sharp, like a high-speed rotating drill.

Wherever it passed, rocks and soil were lifted up, and a road was opened directly to where the materials were.

Zhu Dan's mouth twitched.

She thought she was impatient enough for just walking in a straight line, but she didn't expect that someone was even simpler and more brutal than her. This deeply explained what it meant that there was no road originally, but there was a road after he passed by.

But it’s also really efficient.

Zhu Dan felt that he had not even been in the cauldron for a full minute when, in a flash, he was vomited out.

Being nearly a hundred meters underground, it should have been pitch black, but because there was a small red light bulb shining, Zhu Dan's vision was unobstructed.

She took two steps, and with her fingers forming a knife, she dug out a red stone from the wall.

"Tangyuan, put it away."

"Yes, Master."

Zhu Dan breathed a sigh of relief, finally everything was complete.

The medicinal materials used to refine the rejuvenation pill are mostly plants and even animals, such as wild boar stomach - Zhu Dan has already bought it at the market, but the last one is a mineral.

After getting the things, Zhu Dan was about to go back, but something flashed in front of her eyes, and she subconsciously shoveled it a few more times with her fingers.

"Green? Really green!" Zhu Dan's heart skipped a beat. "Wait, this green is not copper rust, is it?"

When copper oxidizes, it produces green rust.

Zhu Dan pressed his hand on it, and his spiritual consciousness spread out.

"Wow, so much copper, so much copper... It can't be a copper mine! I want to see how big this copper mine is!"

The range of the spiritual consciousness is limited, and it soon reached the bottom, but it was not the end of the copper mine.

Zhu Dan had no choice but to ask Wutong for help. The drill started working again, and soon the scale of the copper mine was roughly estimated.

It’s actually not small, it might be at the level of 500,000 tons!

However, the copper mine is located nearly 100 meters underground. Zhu Dan only saw associated minerals such as bluestone when he went up close to the ground.

"I wonder if Daqin's technology can be used to mine it?"

Zhu Dan had never understood this.

If he hadn't drilled underground to find the last ingredient for the rejuvenation pill, he would have found only a lot of blue stones like Erlin and others.

However... Zhu Dan pondered for two seconds and decided to dig some copper ore and bring it back as a testimony to show his support to Brother Zheng.

"Besides, even if we can't mine it now, it doesn't mean we can't mine it in the future." Zhu Dan smiled brightly. "After all, this is a copper mine, and it means money!"

She dug about two hundred kilograms, used the accompanying fire to quench the copper rust, and then put it in the belly of the glutinous rice ball.

The alchemy furnaces of cultivators all come with space for storing alchemy materials, and Zhu Dan's hoarding habit is particularly serious, so he deliberately strengthened Tangyuan's ability in this area.

However, after arriving in Daqin, her realm was gone, and the storage space of Tangyuan became smaller, so it could only hold these two hundred kilograms of copper.

"Now that I have all the materials, I have to go back to Xianyang to make the elixir. By the way, I have to tell Brother Zheng the good news about the copper mine here." Zhu Dan returned to the surface and covered the mine hole dug by Wutong. He hummed a song as he hurried back, "Today is such a good day!"

Zhu Dan, who was in high spirits at this time, had no idea that a storm against her was happening in the Xianyang Palace.

A few days ago, Ying Zheng announced in the court that Zhu Dan would be the national teacher of the Qin Dynasty, and personally gave the national teacher the privilege of being above everyone else, which immediately caused an uproar.

Among the alchemists, there is a new disciple who is said to have obtained divine magic. All the ministers have heard of it.

Of course they didn't believe it.

In recent years, the king has favored alchemists and taken elixirs, becoming increasingly moody. Many people are concerned, but fearing the king's majesty, they dare not speak out or advise.

As a result, Lu Sheng and Hou Sheng failed in their quest for immortality and ran away, which made the king furious, and he wanted to bury all the alchemists alive.

The ministers immediately applauded and even strangely felt that the huge amount of money lost by Lu Sheng was a good thing.

——It is a good deal to use money, an external thing, to make the king sober.

Who could have thought that something unexpected would happen in the middle of the process? Not only did the king not wake up, he was also deeply trapped and believed the nonsense of the Taoist priest named Zhu!

Not only did they recognize her as a disciple of a god and let her tinker around in the palace, but they also appointed her as the national teacher and satisfied all her demands. How could this be possible?

Many ministers strongly opposed it.

The first court meeting ended in chaos.

Afterwards, many people went to visit General Wang, Shangqing Meng and Prime Minister Li Si, wondering why they remained silent in the court.

If they support the opposition, the king will not act alone.

They were puzzled, they were heartbroken, but they could only give a hint:

The story about the immortal disciple may be true.

On the day when Zhu Dan started to refine the herbicide pill, Ying Zheng specially called a lot of people to witness it. Although Meng Shangqing and Li Si were not present, Wang Ben and Shaofu were there.

But the first two knew Ying Zheng's character very well. Even if they had not inquired about the deeds of the so-called immortal disciples, they would not be stupid enough to oppose it in class.

What a joke, what can't the king do?

Who do you think you are? How dare you think that the king would give up just because of your opposition?

When the feudal system was abolished and the county system was implemented, many people opposed it, but what did Your Majesty do?

He wholeheartedly supported Li Si and never wavered.

The king's determination is stronger now than it was then.

Amidst the Nine Ministers' silence or hints, the other ministers discovered in despair that they had no choice but to compromise.

Just when they were about to accept their fate, Hu An, a subordinate of Fengchang, the head of the Nine Ministers, spoke out.

He firmly opposed Zhu Dan serving as the Qin State Master.

But the reason was not that he questioned Zhu Dan's identity as a disciple of the immortal. On the contrary, it was precisely because she was a disciple of the immortal that he could not question her. In addition to being a disciple of the immortal, she was also a princess of the State of Zhao.

Everyone: “…”

They didn't dare to look directly at the king, and all turned to look at He Fengchang.

The other person looked calm, as expressionless as ever.

Not being surprised doesn't mean he already knew about this.

Although Fengchang was the head of the Nine Ministers, he was in charge of many things. In addition to ancestral temple sacrifices, he also had some cultural functions, such as astronomy, calendar, divination and medical care.

However, Ying Zheng paid more attention to practicality and cared more about military affairs, administration and finance, so Fengchang did not hold real power like the prime minister, the general, the censor and other positions.

He is also very tactful and hardly speaks a word, like a wooden stake.

He managed the ancestral temple and sacrificial matters in an orderly manner.

So when he acted like this, the ministers couldn't see what was going on, but they knew, how could he be completely clueless?

That's his subordinate.

If he knows nothing about the movements of his subordinates, he should just give up his job as Fengchang and let Hu Taizhu take over directly.

His calmness seemed more like something he had expected.

It was he who instigated Hu Taizhu to suddenly jump out and oppose.

As for why he didn’t submit the memorial in person?

The king's attitude has been made very clear, and he is the head of the Nine Ministers after all. If he makes trouble... it will not be good.

Letting subordinates speak for you is actually a tactful way out.

All the ministers noticed He Fengchang's statement, and Ying Zheng was naturally aware of it, but he only looked at Hu Taizhu: "You said Zhu Qing is a princess of Zhao. Do you have any evidence?"

Hu Taizhu shouted, "I have evidence. Please summon the Taoist priest Lu Linyong to the palace."

Lu Linyong, who is this? Many people showed a bewildered expression.

The Shaofu's eyes darkened.

Lu Linyong is the disciple of Lu Sheng who was captured by Zhao Zhongche, and Zhu Sheng's former senior brother.

Lu Linyong was once Lu Sheng's most proud disciple. He was good at socializing and always looked very elegant.

Lu Sheng boasted that he wanted to retreat to make elixirs, and left many of the chores under his tutelage to this eldest disciple.

During the years when the king trusted alchemists the most, many ministers bribed Lu Linyong in order to obtain a golden elixir that could grant him immortality, so they were very familiar with Lu Linyong.

But when they saw the disheveled, disheveled man being pressed down by the armored guards, everyone was stunned.

It's obvious that he's been tortured.

Zhao Gao, the last remaining silent, stepped forward to explain, "I was ordered by the king to hunt down the alchemists Lu Sheng and Hou Sheng. They were cunning, and ordered their disciples to flee and cover their tracks. I only captured Lu Sheng's most senior disciple, Lu Linyong. To learn the whereabouts of Lu Sheng and Hou Sheng, I tortured him, and learned many secrets. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived, Lu Sheng had already escaped. I have written down all the details, but time was running out, and I didn't have time to submit a report."

Then why did He Fengchang and Hu Taizhu know about it in advance?

Everyone looked over.

Hu Taizhu stepped forward with a righteous look on his face. "Earlier, the king had said he wanted to appoint Zhu Dan as the Imperial Preceptor of the Qin Empire. I was supposed to assist Lord Fengchang in organizing the ceremony. Although I don't believe in the words of immortals, the king insisted, so I had no choice but to comply. I carefully investigated Zhu Dan's deeds. Just then, Zhao Zhongche returned with Lu Sheng's eldest disciple, Zhu Dan's senior brother, so I sought his advice."

“So I learned this secret!”

"Everyone present here knows that the State of Zhao and Your Majesty have a deep feud. They sent their princess as a spy, disguised as an alchemist, to curry Your Majesty's favor. This is absolutely malicious. Your Majesty, please arrest this person immediately and interrogate him thoroughly. You must not let this person disrupt the lifeblood of the Great Qin!"

Hu Taizhu knelt down and kowtowed, shouting loudly.

The drawn-out tune echoed throughout the entire hall and was extremely infectious. Some young officials also knelt down with solemn expressions.

Ying Zheng looked at their unyielding spirit, willing to die to persuade the king to change his ways, and smiled: "Do you all think so too?"

"No!" Although the king was laughing, the Shaofu sensed murderous intent and quickly stepped forward to speak. "Whether Zhu Sheng is actually the Princess of Zhao remains to be seen. It's impossible to determine based solely on Lu Linyong's words. He, along with Lu Sheng and Hou Sheng, deceived the king and fled with a huge sum of money just last month. I would also say that the remnants of the Six Kingdoms learned of this and are deliberately trying to sow discord between the king and the immortal disciples."

"You!" Hu Taizhu gasped in anger. "Master Shaofu, are you saying that I'm a remnant of the Six Kingdoms, or that I'm stupid and being deceived?"

The Shaofu smiled slightly and said, "Hu Taizhu is worrying too much. What I mean is, even if Zhu Sheng is a princess of Zhao, so what? Are all of you here from Qin?"

Hu Taizhu said proudly, "I am one, and so is Lord Fengchang."

The corner of Shaofu's mouth twitched slightly, thinking that Hu Taizhu was really not smart, but it was also because of his stupidity that he was pushed out by He Fengchang to test the king's thoughts.

He said coldly, "Does Hu Taizhu have any opinion about the Prime Minister?"

Hu Taizhu's smug expression froze.

Li Si was a native of Chu.

"This..." His eyebrows twitched rapidly, trying to find a suitable reason.

At this time, the Shaofu continued, "My Great Qin has long been unified. Whether it's the Chu State where the Prime Minister was born, or the Zhao State where you mentioned Zhu Sheng was born, they are now part of my Great Qin territory. We are all Qin citizens by right. What is Hu Taizhu trying to imply by saying this nonsense?"

Hu Taizhu broke out in a cold sweat.

Li Si had been watching from the sidelines, but he hadn't expected the Shaofu to suddenly intervene on Zhu Dan's behalf, dragging himself into the fray. He quickly said, "That's right. Even before the unification of the Great Qin, everyone knew that the King was eager to seek talented individuals, and would accept anyone who came."

He bowed deeply to his superior and said with emotion, "My meeting Your Majesty is like a good bird choosing a good tree. Because of Your Majesty, I am able to realize my ambition. This heart is as bright as the sun and the moon. I wish I could die in Your Majesty's service!"

The Shaofu felt that he had lost. Someone like him could not express his flattery so sincerely.

"I know what Li Qing is thinking." Ying Zheng's expression made it hard to tell whether he was pleased or not. "It is precisely because the Great Qin recruited talents without regard to their origins that all the talented people in the world flocked to Guanzhong. That is why we have the current situation of the six kingdoms being annihilated and the Qin Dynasty being unified."

Hu Taizhu's lips trembled and he didn't know what to say for a moment.

The composure on He Fengchang's face finally broke. He stepped out and bowed solemnly. "I know your Majesty is magnanimous, but this Zhu Dan is no ordinary person. She claims to be a disciple of an immortal. Do you remember how King Hui of Han sent his hydraulic engineer as a spy, offering a purported plan to dig canals for irrigation, but in reality, it was intended to weaken the power of our great Qin?"

Shaofu's expression changed slightly, and he understood what this guy meant.

If he had not seen Zhu Dan making the elixir with his own eyes, he would also think that this person was using the disciple of a god to elevate his own status and have great ambitions.

but……

He said calmly, "Feng Chang is worrying too much. In fact, the construction of the Zhengguo Canal has eliminated the water shortage in the Guanzhong area and enhanced the national strength of the Qin Empire!"

He Fengchang said bitterly, "This prosperous situation is the result of the courage and perseverance of our Great Qin, despite the pressure of being unable to advance eastward for ten years. What does it have to do with the evil-minded South Korea?"

"Your Majesty, please understand. My Great Qin was once caught in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat. We should learn from this."

"The position of Imperial Preceptor is of grave importance. How can we so easily give it to a Zhao princess whose identity is hidden and whose intentions are unknown?"

This was too harsh, but to outsiders, if Zhu Dan was really the princess of Zhao, her disguise as an alchemist was indeed suspicious.

The Minister of the Imperial Household frowned and said, "Zhu Shengfei is a villain who has wasted the strength of our Great Qin. The King once offered to build her a National Master Tower, but she actively declined, saying that instead of building a magnificent palace for her enjoyment, it would be better to use the manpower and resources to do something practical for the people."

Ying Zheng glanced at him.

Shaofu felt it and immediately cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Your Majesty, please understand. He was simply repeating Zhu Dan's words and was in no way implying that it was wrong for Your Majesty to build the Afang Palace.

This is what Zhu Dan thinks.

There was obviously something meaningful in her words, and even the Shaofu saw it.

But he soon realized that Zhu Dan could say this, but he couldn't.

Although she groaned inwardly, the Shaofu continued to explain to Zhu Dan, "Ever since receiving the immortal's teachings, Zhu has never been extravagant. I have the accounts from the Taoist Temple as proof. She traveled to Lantian County and saw that the people there often ate bean rice. She then developed a method for making tofu from soybeans, allowing even toothless elders to enjoy it. This secret recipe, passed down through generations, has been freely shared by her, available to everyone."

"For such a righteous act, yet Feng Chang assumes she has evil intentions based on a piece of news, whether true or false. Isn't that rude?" The Shaofu sneered. "Lord Feng Chang is in charge of the rituals of the ancestral temple. Why don't you explain this matter to us?"

He Fengchang's expression suddenly changed.

Wang Ben also spoke up. "I can testify about the tofu incident. My father has been bedridden for the past six months. His daily meals have become increasingly scarce, and he can only barely swallow a handful of soft corn. As a son, I was deeply saddened to see this, but I could do nothing. That is until the king gifted him the tofu... My father ate a full bowl of the fish and tofu soup. These days, thanks to the king's tofu recipe, his appetite has improved, and he was able to get out of bed yesterday."

"I believe that this tofu is extremely useful to the elderly people in Daqin."

"I request Your Majesty to issue an edict to pass on the tofu-making method. I believe all the people of Guizhou will be grateful to Your Majesty."

Wang Ben didn't mention Zhu Dan at all, but who couldn't tell that he was praising Zhu Dan?

Zhao Gao's heart moved slightly.

Wang Jian was conscious of his great achievements, and although the king was not afraid of him, he was always cautious and low-key. Wang Ben was not as shrewd as his father, but he was better at being obedient.

He stepped forward now not only because he was grateful to Zhu Dan, but also because he understood the king's intentions.

At this time, Meng Yi also stepped forward and reported truthfully on Zhu Dan's actions in Lantian County: "... I don't know what will happen to Zhu Dan after her death, nor can I see what will happen ten years from now, but I believe that a person's character can be seen in their words and deeds, especially when she is facing the people of Qian."

People will pretend to be good in front of those in higher positions, but will reveal their true nature in front of those in lower positions.

"Everything she does benefits the people of Great Qin, and even more so, helps Great Qin win over the hearts and minds of the six former nations. If she were a spy, would there be such a foolish king or spy in the world?"

Meng Yi felt that He Fengchang was overthinking it. The State of Zhao gave a divine disciple to their Great Qin. Did this mean that they hated the Great Qin enough to receive the Mandate of Heaven?

When Zhao Gao saw Meng Yi, his eyes darkened.

He had a grudge against Meng Yi. Once, he had only slightly violated the Qin law, but Meng Yi was relentless and wanted to sentence him to death. Fortunately, the king pardoned him.

From then on, he hated Meng Yi.

But he knew that Meng Yi was difficult to bring down.

Externally, his brother Meng Tian built the Great Wall to resist the Huns. Internally, Meng Yi loyally assisted in government affairs and was promoted to the position of Shangqing.

The king has great trust in the Meng family.

The Wang and Meng families were both close confidants of the Great King, yet they both stood up to speak for Zhu Dan. Furthermore, there was also the Shaofu, who always followed the Great King's lead...

Zhu Dan, has he gained the king's trust?

Zhao Gao suddenly felt a little regretful.

Perhaps in order to make further progress, I should not have asked the king to capture Lu Sheng, Hou Sheng and others.

Zhu Dan obviously stood on Fusu's side.

If he was in the palace at that time, he would never let Zhu Dan become so powerful so easily!

"You, you guys!" He Fengchang obviously didn't expect them to stand up. A trace of panic flashed in his eyes, but he calmed down after thinking about something. "How do you know this isn't her trick?"

"Anyone who has a purpose must first gain people's trust. No one would reveal their purpose right from the start. Moreover—" He said sternly, "Beans are edible, but tofu may not be. I heard that tofu contains brine, and brine is poisonous!"

The Shaofu wanted to curse.

The tofu rewarded by the king to the concubines in the harem and the ministers of the previous dynasty were all made and sent by them!

The Shaofu subconsciously glanced at the king. Ying Zheng frowned and seemed to be about to speak, but at this time Wang Changshi walked closer and said something in a low voice. His brows immediately relaxed and he nodded slightly.

Wang Changshi walked out quickly.

"Is brine poisonous?" This person obviously didn't know much about it and looked terrified.

"I ate that tofu, too. My grandparents said it was delicious and loved it so much they ate it every day..."

"What should I do?"

Due to the presence of the king above them, they kept their voices low, but the atmosphere of fear had already spread throughout the hall.

The Shaofu said in a deep voice: "Although brine is poisonous, tofu is not. This has been verified by doctors."

"Doctors can't identify all poisons. Perhaps the amount of this poison is so small it would take years to detect." He Fengchang, as if turning the tables, loudly questioned, "You say it's rude to judge someone's character based on events ten years from now, but the fact that this tofu is made from soybeans with poisonous brine is obvious to us."

"Zhu Dan actually made such a poison public. People flocked to her stall to learn from her. What was her motive?"

"If this continues, the people of Qin will become increasingly weak, while the six old kingdoms will become stronger and stronger. Isn't this like the Zhengguo Canal weakening our great Qin?"

Everyone was speechless.

Amidst the silence, a clear female voice rang out: "Putting aside the dosage and discussing toxicity, no one is more shameless than you!"

"At the same time, judging everything based on your own imagination is quite narrow-minded."

It was Zhu Dan who walked in from outside the hall, and everyone's eyes brightened.

Not to mention Mr. Zhu's appearance, his face was as white as cold jade, and even the exposed skin had an exceptionally clear feeling.

It was as if the whole person was carved from a single piece of white jade, without any flaws.

The feeling is very subtle.

The people present had seen beauties with extraordinary temperaments before, but none of them looked like her. She walked with big strides, behaved and spoke aggressively, and had none of the dignity and elegance that one would imagine a goddess to have, but she was very... fairy-like.

When she walked past a minister, she made him look dirty.

She clearly didn't know where she came from, and there was some mud on her trouser legs.