Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Ying Zheng's Heartfelt Expression
Zhu Dan was sent back to her residence in a gloomy mood. She didn't expect to be rejected by Zheng Ge.
Not long after, the Shaofu came in person.
He introduced the young man beside him with a friendly smile: "This is Painter Liu Bailiu, who specializes in painting mountains, birds, cattle, and horses. His paintings are extremely realistic and lifelike. The King heard that Mr. Zhu needed a rare alchemy material, so he sent Painter Liu here."
Zhu Dan looked at Painter Liu.
Liu Bai also looked over and smiled, but the resentment that flashed in his eyes revealed that he was not that friendly.
Liu Bai did have some resentment, as he was originally painting palace murals with other painters.
The murals recorded important historical moments of the Qin Dynasty, such as the conquest of the six states, the princesses and nobles sent by the six states, and the heroic figures of the king and his courtiers. As a result, he was exiled here to paint for a small alchemist!
Liu Bai felt like the sky was falling. If he wasn't the youngest and didn't have enough experience... there was no way the blame could be put on him.
Seeing Zhu Dan's stern face and silence, the smile on Shaofu's face froze and he quickly waved behind him.
The palace maids came to Zhu Dan holding boxes and opened them. What came into view was a golden and shining sight.
"Mr. Zhu, I heard that you are now a woman. I wonder if you like these? If you think they are vulgar, we still have some raw jade. Please tell Master Liu what style you want, and we will create it for you quickly."
Zhu Dan: “…”
The Shaofu carefully observed her expression.
When he came, the king personally instructed that Zhu Sheng should be made happy and stay in the Xianyang Palace to make elixirs.
He took a look at the account of the Alchemist's Hall, hoping to please the king. However, Mr. Zhu, who was highly regarded by the king, did not ask for anything and all expenses were in accordance with the usual practice.
The Shaofu racked his brains and finally thought of his own wife based on Zhu's gender.
Since she doesn't like the alchemist's things, what about these?
Zhu Dan finally came back to her senses from the golden scene. She was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, feeling as if she was being coaxed like a little girl.
What is this called?
The overbearing Zheng Ge robbed her by force, locked her up in a small dark room, and used his black card to swipe her at will?
*
Zhu Dan sent the Shaofu away. Originally, she didn't want any of those things. Accepting them would mean compromise, but the other party just put the things down and ran away.
Zhu Dan shouted twice and ran faster.
Xiang Lichun and Xiang Liyuan had a rare moment of leisure, so they were just standing by to watch the fun. They were both pessimistic about Zhu Dan's plans to go to Lantian County, and when they saw her come back with a gloomy face, they wanted to offer some words of comfort, but unexpectedly...
The two of them were jealous and thought that the king was too good to Zhu Sheng.
Unlike them, I just got a few pieces of gold.
Zhu Dan didn't notice their defense being broken, and after hesitating for two seconds, he decided to accept it. Research is very expensive.
She called Lai Su, pointed at the golden pile and said, "Is there a suitable empty warehouse? Put them in. This will be our research and development funds from now on."
Su didn't understand the words "R&D funds" and took Zhu Dan there directly.
"These rooms belong to Mr. Lu, and those over there belong to Mr. Hou... They are all empty now, Mr. Zhu can use them as he pleases."
She opened the door.
Zhu Dan looked at the warehouse that was so empty that a rat could run out of it, and the corners of his mouth twitched.
The original owner's master was too greedy. No wonder Brother Zheng was so angry and angered them.
Thinking about how he was almost buried alive, Zhu Dan gritted his teeth. If he had the chance to find his cheap master, he would let him see what a traitor was.
She wants to overthrow Tiangang and clean up the mess!
"Su, can you write? Come and record the inventory."
Su asked the palace maids to bring empty bamboo slips and writing brushes and ink.
Zhu Dan looked at Su Ji's account book curiously. It was great, but he didn't recognize anything. He felt like he was a hopeless illiterate in the Qin Dynasty.
For a moment, she thought about learning small seal script and official script, but when she thought about the pain she had suffered from classical Chinese, she immediately shook her head and thought, forget it, she would wait until the time is right and let Brother Zheng promote simplified Chinese characters.
The door was locked and Su handed the key to Zhu Dan.
Zhu Dan said, "Take it, keep the account, and you can use it as long as it is for legitimate expenses."
She casually pointed at Xiang Lichun and said, "Even if they want to spend money, they have to apply for you."
Xiang Lichun was surprised: "Can I spend your money too?"
"As long as it's for legitimate purposes."
"What is legitimate expenditure?" Zhu Dan looked at Su. "For example, I told you before that straw can be used to make paper. Buying straw is one thing, paying the papermakers is another. If someone improves the papermaking method, then you have to pay them even more."
"Tools are very important. After switching to a foot-operated pestle, pounding rice has become much easier. This is the benefit of upgrading tools."
"For this kind of talent, you have to give them enough benefits so that they will be willing to work for you and continue to use their brains."
It was rare for Zhu Dan to say so much to Su. Su knew in her heart that Zhu Sheng was trying to teach her a lesson, and she said sadly, "Sheng Zhu, are you still going to Lantian County?"
Even if the king doesn't allow?
"Of course I'll go." Zhu Dan said firmly.
"Why?" Xiang Lichun was really puzzled. "Although Lantian County is at the foot of Xianyang, it is only a small county after all. Unlike the Xianyang Palace, the king trusts you so much that even the Shaofu, one of the Nine Ministers, is at your disposal—"
It's almost like saying Zhu Dan just endured it without any hardship.
Zhu Dan didn't answer, but looked at Su: "Do you think so too?"
Su avoided her gaze and said, "If Zhu Sheng is willing, I will follow you wherever you go."
Zhu Dan: “…”
It turns out that Su didn't agree in his heart and was just bragging about himself.
Xiang Lichun is fine, but Ying Zheng and Su Duo are relatively special in Zhu Dan's heart. They both disapprove, and Zhu Dan can't help but doubt: Am I really so willful and suicidal?
But this hesitation only lasted for a second, and the next second Zhu Dan became firm.
How many people are there in Xianyang Palace? How many people are there in Lantian County? How many people are there in the world?
The life of the Qin emperor and his ministers and that of the common people are like two different worlds. The former would only praise the ingenuity of the things she designed and keep them as collections, while the latter would work hard to learn and use them.
There may be a saying that goes, "What the superiors like, the subordinates will follow," but Zhu Dan always believes that promotion from top to bottom is far less effective than reaching the masses.
This world doesn't like luxury goods that only the highest bidder can buy, but rather daily necessities that are sold at low prices and in large quantities. Although Zhu Dan was restricted from refining the elixir immediately, she surprisingly didn't hate it.
"Mr. Zhu, why do you insist on going to Lantian County?" Suddenly, Su's calm voice interrupted Zhu Dan's thoughts. She subconsciously wanted to say that she was going to find materials for alchemy, but Su's eyes looked straight at her, as if he saw through her excuse.
She rarely looked at people like this because it would be considered disrespectful.
But today Su was bold for once.
Only then did Zhu Dan realize that although Su had an ordinary face, she had a pair of very beautiful eyes. Those eyes seemed to be able to speak, hinting something to her.
Hint...wait! Zhu Dan's eyes lit up and he hugged Su tightly: "I understand, thank you."
She immediately ran to find Ying Zheng and said, "Brother Zheng, I must go to Lantian County because I want to see how the people of Qian live."
"It's been nine years since Your Majesty conquered the six kingdoms and unified the country, but many people still consider themselves not Qin people, but people of the six kingdoms. Do they really miss the six kingdoms so much? While the instigation of the nobles of the six kingdoms is one factor, it's also because their lives haven't improved since becoming Qin people."
"But I can help you, Brother Zheng, solve this big problem."
Ying Zheng, who had been working on a memorial with his head down, finally looked up. He was already used to Zhu Dan's boldness, but...
Zhu Dan put his hands on his hips, feeling extremely proud. "I can feed the people of Qian. They were starving in the six kingdoms, but as Qin people, they can eat and wear warm clothes, and their families are healthy. Why should I worry about not being able to return home?"
Ying Zheng looked at her for a long time without saying a word.
Zhu Dan put his hand down awkwardly, as if it was a bit rude.
Ying Zheng finally spoke, shaking his head in response to her expectation, and said, "The lives of the people of Qian have nothing to do with you. What you need to do is to refine the golden elixir as soon as possible."
Zhu Dan: "...Brother Zheng, don't you believe me?"
Ying Zheng's voice deepened: "Go back." He didn't have much time left.
Zhu Dan didn't want to leave, but the eunuch had already come over. She didn't want to be taken away by the armored guards in such an humiliating manner as before, so she had to leave, looking back every few steps.
As soon as I left the back hall, I heard someone say that Prince Fusu wanted to see me.
Zhu Dan's eyes lit up and he walked even slower.
After she drew the Qi into her body, her hearing and eyesight became quite sharp, and she could hear the quarrel between the father and son even from a considerable distance away.
"Father, the world is now at peace, and we should be implementing benevolent policies. However, the laws are strict, and the Confucian scholars' criticism of tyranny is true. Father, you refuse to repent, and instead want to bury them alive. Isn't this only adding to the fear of the people? This is not the way of a king."
What the hell? Zhu Dan couldn't help but scratch his ears. Fusu, what are you talking about?
Who are the Confucian scholars? Should Zheng Ge repent for them?
Moreover, these words completely deny Zheng Ge's ideas and belittle him. You deserve to be exiled!
She was angry when she heard it as an outsider.
Sure enough, Zheng Ge was furious and ordered Fusu to go and build the Great Wall with Meng Tian.
When Zhu Dan heard this, he realized that he had been being too sentimental. Fusu had not sent him into exile just because they, the alchemists, had pleaded for mercy.
That’s right, Fusu’s kindness is well-known throughout the ages, and his inclination towards Confucianism is very obvious.
But Zhu Dan scoffed.
What is benevolent government? Is this the benevolent government that Confucian scholars talk about?
It's not that she blindly praised Zheng Ge and was hostile to Confucianism, but that few nobles in this era took the common people seriously. Otherwise, the line "Are kings, princes, generals, and ministers any different in character?" shouted during the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang uprising would not have been so shocking.
In short, compared to Erfeng's "People can carry the boat, but they can also overturn it", everyone here is garbage.
Zhu Dan really felt sorry for Zheng Ge, but at this moment she suddenly understood why Zheng Ge was so persistent in seeking immortality.
The only better candidate, Fusu, is a barbecued pork bun, so doesn't he have to do it alone?
"Well, I suddenly remembered that there is something I haven't said yet." Zhu Dan hurriedly said this and ran into the hall.
The guards looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Your Majesty!" Zhu Dan rushed into the hall. He did not see the dusty Fusu, but only Ying Zheng who rarely showed signs of fatigue.
Their eyes met, and they were both stunned.
Good opportunity! Zhu Dan rushed forward and pressed his palm on Ying Zheng's shoulder.
This outrageous act caused the eunuch who had just walked in to change his expression: "How dare you be so presumptuous towards the king! Quick, someone—"
What about the other eunuchs and the guards?
Zhu Dan's spiritual power poured into Ying Zheng's body, and Ying Zheng felt a warmth spreading throughout his limbs. His body, which had become increasingly weak in recent years, was like a dead tree coming back to life in spring, as if he had returned to the time when he first ascended the throne.
He was immersed in this ecstasy and couldn't extricate himself when he was interrupted by the eunuch. Ying Zheng looked displeased and said, "Everyone, leave!"
So this is divine power?
The eunuchs and guards left quickly, all of them extremely shocked. How could the king be so tolerant towards Zhu Sheng?
Especially Guard A, they were glad that they didn't try to stop him. By the way, this Mr. Zhu was really good at running, running faster than a rabbit.
Zhu Dan withdrew his hand only when only two strands of spiritual power remained.
Ying Zheng didn't notice it and continued to immerse himself in the long-lost relaxation of his body.
Zhu Dan coughed twice and revealed the truth about the poisonous elixir refined by Lu Sheng and other alchemists: "If Your Majesty doesn't believe it, you can find a rabbit and feed it this elixir..."
Ying Zheng's face, already gleeful, had turned pale. "So that's how it is! So all these years of my excitement and exhaustion are due to this poison overdrawing my vitality?"
"Yes." Zhu Dan nodded. "Your Majesty has been poisoned to the bone marrow, but I have only just received the teachings from my master. I don't have enough accumulated divine power to clear the poison from your Majesty's body. I can only provide temporary relief."
"Please, Mr. Zhu, save me." Ying Zheng suddenly stood up and bowed solemnly to Zhu Dan.
Zhu Dan was stunned for a moment before he stammered, "Master only taught me the Dharma to enlighten me. My divine power did not come from Master, but was bestowed by Heaven. It was bestowed upon me because I did something beneficial to the Great Qin."
Ying Zheng had never heard of this statement before, and was surprised. "But I conquered the six kingdoms and unified the weights and measures... Could it be that the heavens also think I'm tyrannical and excessive?"
"Your Majesty is naturally important. If we compare the Great Qin to a dragon..." Zhu Dan briefly described the aura he had seen. "But in the eyes of Heaven, all beings are equal. Your Majesty's achievements do not give you any special regard."
"But my appearance may also be a sign that Heaven cherishes Your Majesty and hopes that Your Majesty will survive."
"So I must go to Lantian County to benefit the people. Only then will Heaven grant me more divine power to detoxify Your Majesty and refine a true golden elixir for Your Majesty."
Ying Zheng was moved. He was not someone who could be easily impressed, but Zhu Dan's eyes were like a child's, clearly distinguishing black and white, and he could see through everything at a glance.
Ying Zheng suddenly understood why the gods chose her.
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