61: Chapter 61 Ying Zheng, Li Si, and Feng Quji's Bet on the Fate of the Qin State

As Zhao Fusu left Xianyang City with his army, he not only drew the gazes of the peasants farming in the outskirts but also alerted the heavyweights within the city.

The news reached the ears of the First Emperor, Li Si, and Feng Quji one after another.

Every move Zhao Fusu made brought about massive changes to the Great Qin Empire, leading the First Emperor, Li Si, and Feng Quji to pay incredibly close attention to his activities.

With Zhao Fusu making such a large commotion this time, they didn't know what kind of tricks he was up to now.

Li Si and Feng Quji gathered together to discuss the matter.

Feng Quji asked curiously, "What is the Head of State doing, taking so many people to the outskirts?"

"Isn't the Head of State preparing to open a bank?"

"I saw Zhang Han buying up many shops on the streets; they are currently undergoing intense renovations."

When Li Si went out, he also saw the sign for the Great Qin Empire Bank hanging directly above the main entrance of a shop.

The interior layout of the bank was different from any shop he had seen before. The main hall was filled with several long benches that could seat dozens of people.

The counter was a partitioned area that ordinary people could not enter; they could only communicate with the staff inside through a small window and a bronze-wrought lattice.

Li Si had lived a long life, yet this was the first time he had seen such a novel thing.

Like a playful child, he frequently passed by, watching as the Great Qin Empire Bank was decorated bit by bit under Zhao Fusu's design.

After shaking his head, Li Si spoke, "How can the Head of State's thoughts be something we can speculate on?"

Even in private, the two of them still addressed Zhao Fusu as Head of State. Their respect for him was not superficial; it came from the bottom of their hearts.

The First Emperor was equally curious about what Zhao Fusu wanted to do next.

After witnessing Zhao Fusu take on a thousand alone and leave over a thousand Confucian disciples speechless, his mood was incredibly refreshed.

After destroying the Six States and unifying the world, in order to give his throne legitimacy, he had the He Shi Bi made into the Heirloom Seal of the Realm, inscribed with the words: 'Having received the Mandate from Heaven, may he lead a long and prosperous life.'

Even after years of constant propaganda, there were still many who questioned these words.

The Remnants of the Six States were even more dismissive.

But Zhao Fusu's brilliant debate with the thousand Confucian Scholars would make these words deeply rooted in people's hearts.

As Zhao Fusu said, starting from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the various states constantly annexed one another. Why was the final state Qin?

Was this not the will of Heaven!

It was Heaven that allowed Qin to finally stand out and become the ultimate victor.

Did this not prove the phrase, 'Having received the Mandate from Heaven, may he lead a long and prosperous life'?

He, Ying Zheng, had ended over a thousand years of continuous warfare. He was the savior, he was the great hero!

Zheng Geer was naturally incredibly proud.

Shu Botong was not wrong about one thing: after destroying the Six States, Zheng Geer's chin was held so high it reached the sky.

Of course, no matter who had destroyed the Six States, their chin would definitely be held even higher than Zheng Geer's.

Regarding Zhao Fusu's move to open up the economy, allowing nobles to sell grain and commoners to buy it, the First Emperor's attitude was cautious.

Do not just look at how the grain prices in Xianyang City were constantly falling.

From the initial three thousand coins per dan, it had now dropped to one thousand coins per dan.

The reason the grain in Guanzhong fluctuated so much was that the pre-war price of grain in Qin was thirty coins per dan.

Ying Zheng's destruction of the Six States had led to the depletion of Qin's granaries.

The Qin officialdom had no grain, and the nobles were not allowed to sell grain.

To force the commoners to only farm, they were not allowed to buy grain.

Even if they did buy grain, they could only buy the high-priced grain from the Qin officials.

The prices at the official Qin grain stations were simply filled in by hand.

They intentionally set sky-high prices to scare the Qin commoners into growing their own grain, otherwise they would have nothing to eat.

With Zhao Fusu lifting the grain controls, the grain trade became a market economy.

Whichever noble sold grain cheaper, that was where I would go to buy.

All of this was within Zhao Fusu's expectations.

He knew well that under the guidance of a market economy, grain prices would continue to drop rapidly.

Despite everything seemingly moving in a good direction, there wasn't a hint of happiness on Ying Zheng's face.

Instead, his expression was incredibly gloomy.

Zhao Fusu was setting a very bad precedent.

Nobles earning massive amounts of money by selling grain would inevitably make many people envious, leading them to stop farming and go into business, reselling grain to earn the price difference and gain huge profits.

The more people went into business, the fewer people would farm.

This would lead to a significant decrease in grain production.

If the Steam Engine Zhao Fusu spoke of wasn't that miraculous and couldn't help farmers significantly increase agricultural productivity, then the bubble would burst.

When that time came, it wouldn't just be a matter of mass starvation, but a human tragedy where people would 'Swap children to eat'!

The collapse of the empire would happen overnight.

Including Ying Zheng, Li Si and Feng Quji were all betting that the Steam Engine Zhao Fusu mentioned was truly that miraculous. They hoped that after popularizing the Steam Engine, agricultural production efficiency could indeed be vastly improved.

It could be said that Ying Zheng, Li Si, and Feng Quji were placing a bet using the national destiny of Great Qin.

This was a battle where the fate of the nation was at stake!

Qin had been crazy once before, gambling the national destiny once to annihilate the Six States.

This time, Qin would be crazy once again, gambling the national destiny on the Steam Engine.

The First Emperor originally thought that after annexing the Six States, he had reached the peak of his life and had no further pursuits in the mortal world.

Thus, he became obsessed with seeking immortals and the Dao.

Unfortunately, there were no immortals in the real world, and one could not cultivate immortality.

He was truly angry when he discovered he had been deceived.

It just so happened that the group of Confucianists were there chattering away, criticizing him for being foolish, which made the First Emperor burn with rage.

This was a major reason for the Burning of Books and Burying of Scholars.

He had become angry out of humiliation!

"That rebellious son!"

The First Emperor cursed with a smile.

Zhao Fusu's actions had reignited his heart, which had originally lost much interest in the mortal world.

On his way to the Paper Mill, Zhao Fusu was also thinking about how to develop.

After choosing not to build the Great Wall, the northern border of the Great Qin Empire faced immense military pressure, forcing him to undergo the Industrial Revolution as quickly as possible.

For thousands of years, the north had always been a threat to Huaxia.

The value of Ding Wei's graduation thesis was constantly increasing.

The main reason he didn't build the Great Wall was that he didn't want passive defense, but rather to take the initiative and attack.

He didn't just want the Southern and Northern Deserts; he wanted to crush the Xiongnu, head all the way north, pierce through the Land of Yakshas, and push the borders all the way to the Far North.

Great Qin cannot be without its polar bears, just as the Eagle Sauce cannot be without its bald eagle.

To realize his ambitions, Great Qin had to undergo the Industrial Revolution as soon as possible.

To achieve his ambitions quickly...

After creating paper, he would give the Great Qin Empire a surprise—or perhaps, a shock.

If the First Emperor were still alive and saw this surprise, he would probably be so shocked that his blood pressure would soar, and he'd be slapping his thighs in astonishment.

What a pity!

Zhao Fusu also felt regret.

He incredibly looked forward to the First Emperor being able to see the surprise he had prepared.

But how could the First Emperor have died so quickly!

While Zhao Fusu was thinking this...

On the Qin Straight Road...

A general with a build like a tiger's warrior, riding a tall horse draped in black armor, led a squad of soldiers escorting an object, slowly making their way toward Xianyang City.