At the foot of Yinshan Mountain, the autumn wind is bleak.
A towering mound of skulls, hundreds of feet high, stood majestically, its countless heads of foreign tribes reflecting a ghastly white light in the wind.
This is the majesty of the Qin Dynasty, a monument built with blood and bones!
"Report! His Majesty's imperial carriage has passed Yunzhong County!"
Upon hearing the news, the wicked man immediately ordered the entire army to prepare for battle.
Two hundred thousand troops were already lined up at the foot of Yinshan Mountain, waiting for the emperor's arrival.
This was the first time the First Emperor had personally visited the northern frontier.
After receiving the news of the wicked man's complete pacification of the grasslands, he decided to personally inspect this newly acquired land.
"Grand Commandant," Meng Tian urged his horse forward, "Why has His Majesty suddenly decided to come in person?"
The wicked man glanced into the distance, a slight smile playing on his lips: "His Majesty is trying to tell the world—he is the first monarch to set foot on this land!"
Before the words were even finished, the thunderous sound of horses' hooves could be heard in the distance.
Amidst the swirling yellow sand, a grand convoy slowly approached.
Tens of thousands of armored soldiers guarded the procession, creating an imposing sight. Leading the procession was none other than Qin Shi Huang's imperial entourage.
"We pay our respects to Your Majesty!"
Two hundred thousand soldiers shouted in unison, their voices shaking heaven and earth.
Ying Zheng stood with his hands behind his back on the imperial carriage. His gaze swept across the vast grassland, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.
How many years has it been?
Since he came to power, the threat from the north has never ceased.
The Xiongnu, Yuezhi, and various kingdoms of the Western Regions—countless foreign tribes roamed this grassland, frequently raiding southwards.
But now, everything has changed.
"You wicked husband," he began, "I ordered you to pacify the northern frontier; has that been completely accomplished now?"
"Your Majesty," the wicked man stepped forward, clasping his hands in a fist salute, "I have annihilated the Xiongnu and Yuezhi, and pacified the kingdoms of the Western Regions. No foreign tribe dares to invade this grassland now!"
Ying Zheng nodded in satisfaction: "Take me to see it."
The imperial carriage moved slowly forward and first arrived at the Jingguan (a mound of corpses).
"Your Majesty, please look," the wicked man said, pointing to the heads. "These are the heads of princes and nobles from foreign tribes. Their heads are piled here to tell the world that this is the fate of those who dare to oppose Great Qin!"
Ying Zheng carefully examined the mound of skulls.
The towering Jingguan (a mound of stones) rises in layers, resembling a small mountain from a distance.
The countless heads looked particularly ferocious in the autumn wind, yet they also exuded an aura of majesty.
"Excellent!" he suddenly said. "I ordered you to pacify the northern frontier, and you not only accomplished it, but you also gave me an unexpected surprise. This mound of skulls will remain here forever, so that all future foreign tribes will remember this lesson!"
After saying that, he pointed to the camp in the distance: "Is all of this your deployment?"
"Yes," the wicked man replied. "Your Majesty, I have already stationed troops at the fortress. Zhang Erhe is guarding the area north of Yinshan, Wang Li is stationed at the Mobei Fortress, and Meng Tian is leading the main force to continue the westward advance."
"Oh?" Ying Zheng's eyes lit up. "You mean you're going to continue expanding your territory?"
"Exactly!" the wicked man said solemnly. "I believe that now that we've taken the first step, why not continue forward? This grassland is vast and boundless; this isn't even half of it!"
Ying Zheng suddenly burst into laughter: "Good! I admire your audacity. Men, prepare the carriage for the summit of Yin Mountain. I want to see with my own eyes just how vast this newly acquired territory truly is!"
The imperial carriage began to slowly ascend the mountain.
The Qin army lined up along the way and cheered, their voices echoing through the valleys. These soldiers, who had fought for many years, were now witnessing the emperor inspecting the territory they had pacified, and their blood was boiling with excitement.
Upon reaching the summit of Yinshan Mountain, Ying Zheng gazed into the distance.
The autumn sun shines on the grassland, turning the entire land golden. In the distance, the mountains stretch endlessly, like a giant dragon lying on the horizon.
"Wow!" he couldn't help but exclaim, "What a vast and beautiful land!"
The wicked man seized the opportunity and stepped forward: "Your Majesty, the grasslands are fertile and ideal for grazing horses and sheep. Now that I have seized the pastures of the foreign tribes, within three years I will be able to breed a continuous supply of warhorses for my Great Qin!"
"Warhorse..." Ying Zheng's eyes gleamed.
With these warhorses, the Qin cavalry will be even more invincible. Its imperial territory will continue to expand outwards!
"Your Majesty, please look," the wicked man said, pointing to the distance. "I have erected beacon towers at various strategic passes. If any foreign tribes approach, they will be detected immediately."
"Excellent." Ying Zheng nodded in satisfaction. "This is a true imperial fortress! I ordered you to pacify the northern frontier, but you have given me a complete military system. Very good!"
After saying that, he looked into the distance again: "I heard that you have exterminated all the foreign tribes, not even sparing the livestock?"
"Exactly!" the wicked man said solemnly. "These alien races are inherently cruel. If they submit today, they will rebel tomorrow. Rather than leaving them as a future threat, it is better to exterminate them all."
"As for the livestock, I have ordered them all to be slaughtered. From now on, this grassland will only belong to the pastures of my Great Qin!"
Ying Zheng pondered for a moment: "You're trying to completely change the nature of this land."
"Your Majesty is wise!" the wicked man said, clasping his hands in a fist salute. "In my opinion, since we aim to unify the world, we must have unified regulations. This grassland is now part of our Great Qin territory, and naturally it should be governed according to our methods."
"Go on."
"I have already established military garrisons in various fortresses," the wicked man continued. "Not only will troops be stationed here, but cities will also be built. Let the people of my Great Qin relocate here, and completely transform this place!"
"Excellent!" Ying Zheng laughed. "I admire your decisiveness. Granted! I will issue an edict immediately to mobilize the people to cultivate the land. This grassland will truly become part of the territory of my Great Qin!"
As the sun sets, its afterglow shines on the summit of Yinshan Mountain.
Ying Zheng stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance.
This northern frontier that once gave him headaches is now truly under the Qin dynasty's control. The threat of foreign tribes is gone, replaced by his iron-fisted rule!
"You wicked man," he suddenly spoke, "Now that you have pacified this land, I will naturally reward you handsomely. But before that, I am quite curious—what do you intend to do next?"
The wicked man looked up at the sky and said, "Your Majesty, I believe this is only the beginning."
"oh?"
"Yes," the wicked man said, pointing into the distance. "Your Majesty, look how vast this grassland is! Now that we've taken the first step, why not continue forward?"
He turned to Ying Zheng: "Your Majesty, I humbly request permission to continue commanding the army and expanding westward! I want this Qin banner to fly across the entire grassland!"
"Hahaha!" Ying Zheng laughed heartily, "I knew you'd say that. Very well! I grant your permission!"
He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sharp as lightning: "My empire should never have borders. Since you have this ambition, then go. I await you, to bring forth even greater territories!"
Night falls, and the stars twinkle.
Ying Zheng stood on the high platform, looking at this newly acquired land.
Under the moonlight, the mound of corpses looked particularly ferocious, yet it also exuded a sense of majesty.
This is his empire—an empire forged with iron, blood, and bones!
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