"Cough cough!"
The wicked man cleared his throat and said in a steady and powerful voice, "Your Majesty, you must not let your pursuit of pleasures distract you from your ambitions!"
"Don't forget, you still carry the legacy of the former kings on your shoulders!"
"The heavy responsibility of our Great Qin Dynasty sweeping across the six states in the east rests entirely on your shoulders!"
Ying Zheng paused in mid-air as he was arranging the chess pieces, and said irritably, "If you don't want to play chess with me, just say so. Why make it sound so serious?"
The wicked husband, whose thoughts had been exposed, was somewhat embarrassed and was about to retort when Ying Zheng continued, "Now that I am not yet powerful enough, if I don't find some fun to relieve my worries and boredom, won't I go crazy?"
"Come here quickly, stop talking nonsense."
Having said that, the wicked man could only shake his head helplessly, slowly walk to the chessboard, sit down, and begin playing against Ying Zheng.
Ying Zheng's chess skills improved so quickly that he was no match for him. The two played two or three games, and Ying Zheng was completely defeated and unable to fight back. His helpless frustration made him look weak and listless.
In contrast, Ying Zheng remained enthusiastic, much like a modern-day internet addict.
The wicked man's eyes darted around, and seeing that Ying Zheng was in a good mood, he chuckled and said, "Your Majesty, this humble general has a request, and I hope Your Majesty will grant it."
"What is it?" Ying Zheng asked without looking up.
The wicked man didn't mince words and immediately said, "Your Majesty, if you want to train elite troops, diet is of paramount importance. How can they train if they are not well-fed? Forcing them to train will only harm them."
"Oh?" Ying Zheng looked up at the wicked husband and said dismissively, "What's the big deal? I'll just allocate some more money and provisions for you later so the soldiers can have enough to eat."
He could understand this. To restore the glory of the Iron Eagle Swordsmen, the soldiers' training volume would have to be enormous. It would be unreasonable to continue to provide them with the same rations as normal soldiers.
The wicked man shook his head, thinking to himself that Ying Zheng was ultimately thinking too simply. Even if the food supply doubled, so what?
Soldiers' rations in this era mainly consisted of millet, supplemented with soybean paste and pickled vegetables, offering absolutely no nutrition or protein.
If this continues, let alone becoming an elite, they might end up as a frail and delicate woman like Lin Daiyu.
"Meat!"
"Without eating meat, how can one develop a strong physique?" The wicked husband sighed and began to explain the theory of scientific nutrition, leaving Ying Zheng stunned.
After a long pause, Ying Zheng finally said dryly, "If meat were provided every day, there simply wouldn't be enough!"
Let alone providing meat for three thousand people every day, even he, the king of a country, could not have meat at every meal.
For a moment, Ying Zheng's face scrunched up as he racked his brains for a solution.
Seeing his distress, the wicked husband suddenly said, "Your Majesty, if we don't have meat, we can get it from others."
Ying Zheng shook his head and sighed, "Qin is now among the most powerful states in the world. We can't even afford to support it, let alone other countries."
“Wu Shi Luo!” The wicked man’s eyes flashed with a sharp light as he said in a deep voice, “This man is a member of the Wu clan of Beidi County. He made his fortune by raising cattle and sheep and owns countless cattle and sheep. In fact, you have to use ‘valleys’ to count his cattle and sheep.”
Ying Zheng immediately became interested, his eyes brightening and shining. "Oh? My Great Qin has such wealthy merchants?"
After pondering for a moment, the wicked man smacked his lips and said, "This man is quick-witted. He made his fortune in animal husbandry and then became a middleman between Qin and Quanrong, buying large quantities of various silks and other goods at low prices and exchanging them for large quantities of cattle, sheep and horses from Quanrong."
In his previous life, he greatly admired the First Emperor, so he knew more or less about the historical records of the Qin Dynasty, and happened to have read about Wu Shi Luo.
This man became a famous wealthy merchant in the Qin state through foreign trade. When Qin Shi Huang learned of him, he was given the same treatment as a "lord". In an era when merchants were looked down upon, he became one of the idols of many merchants.
"Quanrong?"
Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng's expression changed drastically, his eyes sharpened, and he said hatefully, "This man deserves to die! Does he not know the hatred between my Qin state and the Quanrong, yet he dares to make a deal with him?"
“Your Majesty, I understand your anger.” Seeing Ying Zheng’s expression change suddenly, the evil man quickly explained, “But although Wu Shi Luo has been trading with the Quanrong, he is also well-versed in the laws of our Great Qin. What he has done is all within the scope permitted by law.”
"If this person is used properly, not only can the Iron Eagle Swordsmen's meat needs be met, but in a short time, he can also obtain a large number of oxen for our Great Qin and build a new cavalry, thus rapidly enhancing the strength of our Qin state."
For thousands of years, China has relied on the tradition of agriculture. The importance of oxen for plowing is self-evident, while warhorses were even more scarce.
In the era of cold weapons, warhorses were far more important than anything else. It is no exaggeration to say that if the Qin Dynasty had equipped its entire army with warhorses, the difficulty and time required to conquer the six states would have been greatly reduced.
Ying Zheng frowned, understanding the implications, and his tone softened slightly: "Even if I agree, his deal with the Quanrong is ultimately inappropriate, and the officials in the court will certainly reject it."
Seeing that Ying Zheng's attitude had softened, the wicked man was overjoyed and quickly said, "As a subject, one should assist Your Majesty in governing the country, not become a hindrance to Your Majesty. Anyone who dares to make a comment on this matter, I will cut them down with a single stroke as long as you give the order."
"Furthermore, the benefits go beyond just these!"
"The situation in the court is delicate right now, we must not act rashly!" Ying Zheng's expression froze for a moment, then he casually revealed a helpless smile, thinking to himself that this kid was too bloodthirsty. He threatened Lü Buwei that day, and today he wants to kill those ministers who might try to stop him.
"Tell me what other benefits there are, and I will deal with them personally."
Seeing this, the evil man explained the benefits in detail: "We can use Wushi Luo's caravan to sell our Qin silk, porcelain and other goods to the Quanrong through his caravan. Earning a large number of cattle, sheep and horses is just one aspect."
"Where there is demand, a market will be formed, which will indirectly drive the commercial development of my Qin state and lay the foundation for future trade."
"Moreover, with the people's pockets full, Qin's tax revenue will also increase. Once supported by a large amount of money, Qin's national strength will surely advance by leaps and bounds, and sweeping across the six states will be just around the corner."
The wicked husband became more and more agitated as he spoke, even gesturing wildly with his hands, completely oblivious to Ying Zheng's surprised gaze.
"I never expected you to have such a strategy, kid. I really underestimated you." Ying Zheng was deeply moved, his words filled with admiration and emotion for his wicked husband.
In fact, he could already picture in his mind the prosperous era when the Qin Dynasty swept across the six states, unified the world, and brought peace and prosperity to the people.
This almost made him lose control of his desire to endure for a few more years. He wished he could kill Lü Buwei now, seize power, and then have a major showdown with his wicked husband.
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