Inside Xianyang Palace, the atmosphere was solemn and dignified.
Under the attentive service of his maids, Ying Zheng, dressed neatly and sitting upright at the dining table, was surrounded by admirers, ready to start his busy day after breakfast.
Zhao Gao, like a loyal hunting dog, bowed beside him and read the memorial in a low voice.
Although the disaster has ended, the reconstruction work in the affected areas is like a heavy mountain weighing on Ying Zheng's shoulders.
Furthermore, with the incorporation of the former Wei and Han states, the trivial administrative affairs became even more overwhelming, making him even busier, and even having a peaceful meal became a luxury.
"Can the planting in Longxi be delayed this year?" Ying Zheng suddenly asked.
Zhao Gao pondered for a moment before replying, "The governor of Longxi Prefecture, Tai Xuan, did indeed submit a memorial stating that farming has been fully restored, but some farmland has been turned into lakes and waterways that cannot be dealt with."
"However, this flood has also irrigated a lot of land, turning previously unsuitable areas into fertile soil. As a result, this year's harvest may be much higher than before."
Ying Zheng nodded casually and said, "Tell Yang Duanhe to remove Tai Xuan's record. Once Longxi County is stable, transfer him to Xianyang!"
Although the wicked husband did not report Tai Xuan's foolishness at the time, the Black Ice Guard reported the matter to Ying Zheng and recorded it in his archives.
The Black Ice Tower is now quite formidable. Yang Duanhe made reforms based on his wicked husband's advice and submitted a memorial to Ying Zheng requesting the establishment of archives.
All officials of Qin, both high and low, were registered, and their merits and demerits were recorded. If merits and demerits could not offset each other, or if demerits outweighed merits, or if a serious mistake was committed that crossed the red line, the offender could be directly punished.
They should be killed!
Their property should be confiscated!
Their entire clan should be exterminated!
Ying Zheng fully agreed with Yang Duanhe's suggestion. The current situation of Qin was somewhat awkward. It was true that it was easy to expand territory, but difficult to find capable and good officials.
To put it bluntly, the officials of Qin, both high and low, and even the king himself, are now working like cattle and horses, juggling multiple duties and working non-stop every day.
Privately, many officials complained bitterly, hoping that Ying Zheng could slow down the pace of the evil man's expansion, lest he suddenly destroy another country, which they would really be unable to handle.
Take Meng Can, who was promoted to the position of Grand Minister of Agriculture, for example. This old fellow used to have thick hair, if not a full head of jet-black hair, and a tall and upright posture.
Look at him now, where is the slightest bit of the high spirits he once had? He's practically bald, his eyes are always bloodshot, and he's even driven away several of his concubines.
What's the point of these days, this kind of life?
Zhao Gao nodded and whispered, "I'll go and inform General Yang later..."
Before he could finish speaking, shouts and calls could be heard rising and falling from within the palace.
"Great joy..."
"Kucha...market...."
Because Ying Zheng's palace was located deep within the palace grounds, and the shouts were too far away, they were intermittent and somewhat indistinct.
"Go, go see what's going on?"
Ying Zheng's heart skipped a beat, and a hint of panic flashed between his brows.
He was scared, he was really scared!
Nowadays, the entire officialdom in Xianyang is not afraid of bad things, but rather of good things.
Bad things keep you busy for a while, but good things keep you busy all the time.
Zhao Gao's legs went weak and he almost fell to the ground. Although he did not have to participate in handling political affairs, as Ying Zheng's personal eunuch, he could not get any rest even if the big boss did not sleep, and he had to serve him.
These past few months have left him feeling completely drained. He already lacks some of the essential qualities of a man, particularly yang energy, and his health has deteriorated significantly, not to mention the constant late nights.
Now, he felt that the yin energy on his body was too strong, even surpassing that of the fierce ghosts in the deepest hell.
"Outside...what's all this noise?!"
The guard at the gate swallowed hard and said cautiously, "It seems... there's good news coming from the Kucha market... but we didn't hear the details very clearly."
It’s over!
Zhao Gao's heart skipped a beat, and he said tremblingly, "Go...go quickly and see what's going on."
The guards dared not delay and immediately ran away.
Zhao Gao sighed, leaned against the door frame, and decided to wait there for the imperial guards to return.
A short while later, the imperial guards returned quickly with three men.
"Reporting to the Imperial Carriage Office... It is indeed good news from Kucha!"
The guards stepped aside and pointed to three men covered in dust, saying, "We are here on the orders of the Grand Commandant to return and report to the King!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Gao was not pleased at all; instead, he sighed even more, leaving the three scouts puzzled. They explained, "Is the Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office mistaken? We are returning to report good news, not because we have encountered any difficulties."
Zhao Gao glanced at the three of them, then turned and walked into the hall. "Come with me. It's because I'm bringing good news that I'm worried!"
These words left the three scouts even more bewildered. Their eyes were filled with confusion as they looked at Zhao Gao's retreating figure. They exchanged glances and understood the unspoken meaning in each other's eyes.
"Zhao Gao... is absolutely insane!"
This is the only reasonable explanation; otherwise, why would anyone sigh and lament when they encounter a joyous occasion?
After walking through the long corridor, the three followed Zhao Gao to the main hall. Upon seeing Ying Zheng, who was sitting uneasily, they hurriedly said loudly, "We pay our respects to Your Majesty."
Ying Zheng waved his hand impatiently, "Tell me, what earth-shattering move has your Grand Commandant pulled this time?"
Seeing that the king was agitated, the three men subconsciously swallowed and their tone became less confident.
"Report to the King!"
"The Grand Commandant destroyed Loulan... opened the market... how much supplies did he gain..."
The three of them reported everything that had happened recently to Ying Zheng.
Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng was initially delighted, but quickly calmed down and asked in a low voice, "Besides this, does the Grand Commandant have any other requests?"
The three shook their heads, indicating that they had nothing else to say and had simply come to share the good news.
"Ha ha ha ha....."
Ying Zheng, having received a definite answer, laughed heartily, "Tell me, how much wealth do you think we can get?"
One of the scouts replied, "I heard from the Grand Commandant that it can be exchanged for several years' worth of taxes from my Qin state!"
Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng's smile vanished abruptly, his eyes filled with astonishment.
Back then, the wicked man told him that this project was guaranteed to make money, but he never expected it to be so profitable. He had already made so much money in just a few days.
If this continues for a long time, what will become of us?
Ying Zheng felt a surge of heroic spirit, as if the world was vast and boundless, yet it was all subject to his control.
With a steady stream of money flowing into the treasury, the people's lives improved, and so did his. Only the people of Zhao, Chu, Yan, and Qi faced hardship.
"It all belongs to me...it all belongs to me...this world will be entirely in my hands!"
Ying Zheng grinned and muttered to himself, "Zhao, Chu, Yan, Qi, what can you use to resist me? I can bury you all in money!"
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