Zhangtai Palace, side hall.
Inside the spacious hall, Ying Zheng and his wicked husband sat facing each other, a chess set between them. Li Si sat to the side watching them play, his heart burning with anticipation, wishing he could kick aside his wicked husband, this incompetent chess player, and take his place.
Suddenly, Ying Zheng asked casually, "Aren't you afraid I'll blame you?"
The wicked husband, who was scratching his head and racking his brains for a way out, subconsciously said, "What are you afraid of? Anyone who dares to humiliate or anger my Zheng-ge'er, I'll kill their whole family."
Ah...this?!
Ying Zheng and Li Si both looked up at the wicked man, who was still engrossed in thinking of a way to break the deadlock and had no idea that he had spoken out of turn.
"You brat, I knew it was you!" Ying Zheng laughed and scolded, but did not pursue the matter. He was not someone who couldn't distinguish right from wrong; as the future emperor of a thousand years, his way of thinking was different from that of ordinary people.
The rules of etiquette between ruler and subject were an insurmountable barrier in this era, which no one was allowed to cross!
Li Si was deeply shocked. He never expected that Ying Zheng would show such great favor to his wicked husband, not even reprimanding him for such a serious matter as the private execution of the Empress Dowager.
Seeing that Ying Zheng had seen through his trick, the wicked husband was quite straightforward, saying, "Your Majesty, what we're saying may be crude, but it's true. You are the ruler of a country, and I am your son!"
"In this world of endless war, war is the inferior strategy; winning hearts and minds is the superior one!"
The wicked man's face was solemn as he stared directly at Ying Zheng and said, "If the two countries go to war, and the other side uses this matter, at best the morale of their army will be low, at worst the entire army will be annihilated..."
Ying Zheng and Li Si were astonished to hear these words come from the mouth of their wicked husband, and they looked at him with surprise. They had truly seen something new today.
"This butcher isn't wielding a knife; instead, he's playing mind games. It's truly eye-opening!"
“Your Majesty is right. Li Si has never seen such a wicked general before… um…”
It's no wonder the two joked and teased each other; the contrast between the wicked husband and his previous cruel and ruthless demeanor was too great, making him seem like a completely different person.
Li Si seemed to be moved, and said with a smile: "The wicked general's heart for the king is truly touching. He even went so far as to... preserve the king's dignity."
These words struck a chord with Ying Zheng, who immediately said solemnly, "My wicked husband, if you do not betray me, I will certainly not betray you."
Upon hearing this, Li Si was filled with envy. Throughout history, how many ministers have received such a guarantee from their monarch?
"Sigh~~"
The wicked man waved his hand dismissively and said earnestly, "Your Majesty, I have no desire to usurp the throne, nor can I bear the responsibility for the fate of the people. I am a lazy bum, and killing and fighting are more suitable for me."
"When the world is unified in the future, and the black dragon flag of my Great Qin is spread all over the sun, moon, mountains and rivers, I will retire and enjoy my life. At that time, you can manage my expenses."
Li Si gave the wicked man a thumbs up. Few people would dare to say such 'dangerous' things so openly.
If anyone else had said this, Ying Zheng would have at most laughed it off and never taken it seriously. But coming from his wicked husband, he believed it without a doubt.
Given the circumstances at the time, even if the wicked husband was not yet powerful enough to usurp the throne, if he had chosen to join either Lü Buwei or Lao Ai, he would have definitely become a guest of honor in their court, which would have been better than being a puppet king himself.
It was he who helped him step by step to assume power!
It was he who quelled Lao Ai's rebellion and brought down Lü Buwei!
The wicked husband had only been in the court for a few days, yet he had already beaten Lao Ai and kicked Lü Buwei. Thinking of this, Ying Zheng exclaimed, "Wicked husband, having you is my blessing!"
That fool Li Si was still joining in the commotion, saying, "The affection between Your Majesty and your wicked husband will surely become a beautiful story in the future, just like that between the late King and Lü Buwei."
Hey bro, what's wrong with you?
The wicked man and Ying Zheng both looked at Li Si at the same time, their eyes filled with a hint of murderous intent. The latter was so frightened that he trembled and realized the inappropriateness of his words, and quickly apologized.
The wicked man said meaningfully, "Li Tingwei, you have also contributed a lot today. You will surely be valued by the King in the future. You must not be like those people who have changed their minds."
Li Si nodded repeatedly with a serious expression, taking it as a reprimand from his wicked husband.
Little did he know that the wicked man was from the future, fully aware of what he would do in the future. Without his support, Zhao Gao alone would have been far from capable of handling the Sand Dune Incident.
Seeing the atmosphere become somewhat tense, Ying Zheng spoke up to ease the tension, "Gentlemen, what are your thoughts on the future path of our Great Qin?"
"We must reorganize the military and promote talented individuals. Because too many officials are implicated in Lao Ai and Lü Buwei's case, we must fill the vacancies first!"
"Let's find a country to conquer first, and practice our skills!"
Two voices rang out at the same time, but their meanings were completely different.
"this...."
Li Si was speechless. The current situation was not suitable for war at all. They had just taken down Lao Ai and Lü Buwei, yet they were already in a hurry to declare war on foreign countries?
Therefore, he could only patiently say, "You wicked general, as the saying goes, 'A craftsman must first sharpen his tools if he wants to do his work well.' This involves hundreds of officials, and these vacancies must be filled first. Otherwise, even if war breaks out, there will be no communication between the government and the war effort."
Li Si was a fanatical advocate for conquering the six states and had repeatedly encouraged Ying Zheng before. However, he was able to suppress his desires and focus on maintaining stability, which surprised Ying Zheng.
"Old Li, why the hell are you being so hesitant?" The scoundrel curled his lip and said nonchalantly, "It doesn't involve any generals in the army, so how could it delay the start of the war?"
At this point, the wicked man asked, "May I ask Your Majesty, in the past year or so, has Wushiluo been able to open up trade with the Quanrong for us?"
Speaking of this, Ying Zheng couldn't help but be happy, his lips curving upwards to an exaggerated degree, "This Wushi Luo is quite a talent, his trade with the Quanrong is growing bigger and bigger, bringing in an endless stream of cattle and sheep."
"I'm starting to admire you, kid. It's just as you said!" Ying Zheng laughed and scolded, then continued, "Now silk and other goods have become scarce commodities, with supply falling short of demand. The people have benefited greatly from this, and tax revenue has increased by more than 40% compared to before."
Li Si was stunned. He hadn't expected that Wu Shi Luo was recommended by the wicked man. From Ying Zheng's words, he could tell that the wicked man had suggested that Qin make a deal with the Quanrong.
"Is...is he really a warrior?" Li Si was filled with deep doubt.
"Smack!"
The wicked man snapped his fingers and said excitedly, "King Han is probably going to cry now. With this financial support, the construction of the canal will be a piece of cake."
He clearly remembered the record in the Records of the Grand Historian: "When the canal was completed, it filled the silted land with water, irrigating more than 40,000 hectares of saline land. The yield was one zhong per mu, and Guanzhong became a fertile field with no years of famine. Qin became rich and powerful and eventually unified the other states. It was named 'Zheng Guo Canal'."
Abundant food supplies gave Qin the confidence to sweep across the six states; it was truly a matter of timing and destiny!
When the King of Qin unified the six kingdoms, the King of Han made unparalleled contributions.
"Your Majesty, now that our Qin state is strong and prosperous, we must find someone to show their mettle!" The wicked man slammed his hand on the table, his face full of excitement.
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