Qin Renhuang just became an immortal, and you told me this is the prehistoric time

It is conceivable that if these people were to flood into the regular army, although they would have a certain level of skill and strength, how could their fighting will, combat skills, and discipline in obeying orders compare with those battle-hardened veterans who had crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood? The combat power of an army is by no means a simple accumulation of internal strength.

"We must ensure the quality of our recruits, avoid discouraging the people's desire to serve the country, and eliminate corruption among officials... It's difficult, truly difficult."

Ying Shaoyang sighed inwardly, "Is there a way to have it all in this world?"
However, he also keenly noticed that with the emergence of tens of millions of top-level cultivators, the energy cycle in the Great Qin world had also undergone drastic changes.

These newly minted "experts" are constantly and spontaneously absorbing the energy of heaven and earth. Even if their efficiency varies, the total amount they absorb is still a terrifying number.

The energy they released during their cultivation, which had already been partially refined, returned to the heavens and earth and was absorbed by the mountains and rivers. This served as an invisible and continuous supplement to the Qin world, which was an unexpected bonus.

After a moment's thought, Ying Shaoyang came up with a temporary expedient plan.

He spoke.

"There is no perfect solution to this matter. For now, we may delegate authority and trust the integrity of the county magistrates in various places. We can conduct interviews to observe their character and physique, rather than judging them solely by their age."

Meanwhile, the Cabinet and the Military Council need to quickly agree on regulations to set different upper age limits for military service based on different cultivation levels. For example, those who haven't reached the Innate Realm will still be limited to twenty-five; those who have reached the Innate Realm can have their age extended to sixty years; and those who have reached the Grandmaster Realm… will be considered separately. The specific details will be left to them to draft.”

Upon hearing this, all the imperial concubines nodded.

While not a perfect solution, it is at least a feasible approach that balances practical considerations with legal principles, and can alleviate most of the conflicts.

Their attention returned to the ground floor.

After much persuasion, the county magistrate finally managed to convince the eager middle-aged man to return home. He explained that if the man truly wanted to join the army, he needed to go back and familiarize himself with the rapidly increasing strength before returning on the day of the assessment.

The man was somewhat unwilling, but he also felt that there was a reason for it, and muttered as he went back. However, there was still a queue in front of the recruitment office, among which were some young people whose aura was obviously stronger than that of ordinary people, who were obviously the beneficiaries of this "smallpox opportunity".

Ying Shaoyang stopped paying attention to what was downstairs and turned to ask Lü Zhi.

"What is the exact number of our Qin's military settlement troops now?"

Empress Lü, who was in charge of the inner study, was very familiar with this kind of data and replied immediately.

"Your Majesty, according to the statistics reported from various places last month, the number of registered military personnel engaged in land reclamation has reached more than 37.6 million."

"More than 37.6 million..."

Ying Shaoyang repeated the number softly, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

"There are too many."

His tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable judgment.

"Now, the Great Qin no longer needs so many reserve soldiers specifically for land reclamation and farming. The regular army also does not need such a large reserve force."

Upon hearing this, not only Ying Shaoyang, but also the four imperial concubines in charge of the inner study—Lü Zhi, Qu Ruo, Jing Rou, and Zhao Shan—frowned.

This is indeed a problem masked by prosperity.

Qu Ruo added softly.

"Your Majesty is wise. Although our Great Qin is vast and sparsely populated, and urgently needs to increase its population, the people have a strong sense of insecurity due to the wars of the past and their experience of the vastness of the outside world. They are all eager to learn martial arts to strengthen their bodies in order to protect themselves and even rise above others."

This led to a large influx of young and middle-aged men into the military settlements, where they could obtain cultivation resources, serve the country, and enjoy a good reputation.

Jing Rou replied.

"However, the main responsibility of the garrison troops was to reclaim wasteland."

Currently, the area of ​​newly reclaimed farmland in various regions far exceeds the actual arable area. Many fertile fields, after being reclaimed, remain idle because manpower is concentrated on reclamation, leaving insufficient personnel for meticulous cultivation. This in itself is a huge waste.

Their divine senses also caught the idle chatter of some people outside the restaurant. Several men who had just returned from the fields were sitting at a roadside tea stall, discussing the town's wealthy "winner."

"Have you heard? Master Ying's family has raised the wages for temporary workers again, and this time there are no age restrictions, as long as you have strength!"

"Hmph, only now do you think about wages? Where were you before! When grain prices were good a couple of years ago, you were so stingy."

Now that His Majesty has brought forth immortal seeds that are now widespread, pumpkins are everywhere, and grain prices have fallen, is he getting anxious?

"Exactly! I think that during the busy farming season this year, no one will help his family with their work! It's better to let his fields lie fallow!"

"That's right! Let's let it fall into disarray and see if the township head and county magistrate will care! Let's see if the winner can still be so arrogant!"

These resentful comments, however, revealed a deeper problem to Ying Shaoyang.

Along his journey, his divine sense swept across countless mountains and rivers, revealing a scene far more vivid than the numbers on the memorials. Indeed, many wealthy households had idle land, partly due to the widespread cultivation of high-yield crops like pumpkins, which kept grain prices low. The Imperial Household Department, in order to stabilize the livelihoods of the people, had consistently maintained stable grain prices.

With low grain prices, the cost of hiring labor for planting and harvesting becomes somewhat unprofitable for wealthy households. They would rather leave some land fallow or adopt extensive farming methods than invest too much in it.

On the other hand, ordinary people were encouraged by the government's policies, which exempted newly cultivated land from taxes for several years. As a result, they worked hard to cultivate the land. However, their labor force was limited, and the land they cultivated far exceeded the scope that they could cultivate intensively. This also led to a large amount of land being in a semi-abandoned or extensively managed state.

Even more alarming is that many people's homes still lack essential metal farm tools.

This was a fundamental problem he explicitly proposed to solve at the beginning of his reign, yet it has not been fully resolved to this day. Some of the relocated people wore rather scarce and worn-out clothing. The problem of impassable roads in various regions also persists, hindering the flow of goods.

Ying Shaoyang slowly drank the tea in his cup, his gaze becoming deep.

He realized that beneath the dazzling facade of rapid development, the Great Qin still harbored numerous shortcomings. "My Great Qin lacks far more than just regulations for dealing with newly emerging martial artists… it lacks physicians throughout the countryside, blacksmiths capable of forging farm tools and weapons, and enough cloth to keep warm and cloth-covering." Hearing Ying Shaoyang's whispered words, Lü Zhi, Qu Ruo, Jing Rou, and Zhao Shan all lowered their heads in silence. The Inner Study, overseeing the entire situation, was not unaware of these hardships faced by the people, but the empire was too vast, with countless problems, and many things could not be resolved overnight.

at this time--

"Boom...boom...boom..."

The distant and magnificent sound of the bell came from the northwest, clearly resounding between heaven and earth, ringing out nine times in a row!
The sound of the bell echoed throughout the Qin capital and transcended space, as if ringing in the ears of Ying Shaoyang and the others.

Inside and outside the restaurant, all the Qin officials who heard the bell, no matter where they were or what they were doing, were startled, their expressions changed slightly, and they dropped everything without hesitation and rushed out as fast as they could!

Nine chimes signified that His Majesty the Emperor had concluded his tour and returned to the capital!
This is the rule of the Great Qin Dynasty. If an official does not even know the meaning of this bell sound, or remains indifferent after hearing it, then he is guilty of dereliction of duty!
At the same time, in Xianyang City, the original site of the palace, which had been empty, experienced a spatial fluctuation. The Qin Dynasty palace, which had been tempered by the heavenly tribulation and fused with the shell of the ancient alligator dragon, and had become even more magnificent and majestic, reappeared clearly in its original place like a mirage, exuding the glorious national fortune and rich spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

However, the colossal tree that had been revealed after the palace's disappearance has vanished once more, its whereabouts unknown. The immense spiritual energy emanating from the palace itself has been firmly absorbed within its walls by its powerful energy-gathering effect, no longer spreading outwards as it had before.

Outside the palace, some commoners who had gathered nearby to cultivate using the dissipated spiritual energy sighed with regret upon seeing this, but could only retreat helplessly. His Majesty's palace was ultimately not a place where they could casually take advantage of the situation.

Meanwhile, the officials who were rushing back to their offices from all directions or heading straight for the palace were filled with anxiety and trepidation.

His Majesty travels the country with his imperial concubines, seemingly enjoying a leisurely and carefree journey. But who knows what His Majesty has seen and heard along the way? Has His Majesty noticed anything amiss in the regions under his rule? Have his family members and nephews behaved themselves during this time?
In the present Qin Dynasty, the pool of officials is increasingly abundant, leading to fierce competition. If, at this critical juncture, His Majesty deems someone unfit for office, then once they leave their current position, they may never have another chance to return.

For a time, the entire officialdom of Qin capital was filled with a tense and solemn atmosphere because of the nine tolls of the bell.

Ying Shaoyang and his concubines finished their travels and returned to Xianyang in the blink of an eye.

When the high-ranking officials, both civil and military, arrived at the palace with trepidation, the scene before them shocked them to their core.

The once familiar palace square now blends seamlessly with the towering palace gates and majestic city walls, as if cast from a single, flawless piece of metal, exuding an aura of indestructibility and impervious force. Sunlight shines upon it, casting a faint, dark golden glow, adding to its mystique and majesty.

Moreover, the entire palace was faintly permeated with a sacred aura that calmed the mind yet dared not be disrespected in the slightest. It was the Daoist charm that naturally emanated after being combined with the shell of the ancient alligator dragon and tortoise and undergoing the baptism of heavenly tribulations.

The Imperial Guards and the Eastern Depot's inner guards, who usually stood solemnly on both sides of the palace gate with an imposing aura, were nowhere to be seen. The palace gate was wide open, as if no one was guarding it.

But no one dared to relax their vigilance in the slightest; on the contrary, they became even more cautious.

The ministers exchanged glances, all seeing the solemnity in each other's eyes, then took a deep breath and stepped into the palace gates.

Stepping inside felt like entering another world. The boundless and pure spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged into their bodies like a gentle tide. Even without their active cultivation, it spontaneously transformed into refined cultivation, nourishing their meridians and dantian.

"Buzz!"

Subtle fluctuations of spiritual energy resounded one after another. Several ministers whose cultivation had been stuck at a bottleneck for a long time felt their internal barriers loosen after taking only a few steps forward, and they actually broke through a minor realm on the spot!

Such a miraculous cultivation holy land, if placed on ordinary days, would be enough to make everyone ecstatic and devote themselves to enlightenment.

But at this moment, no one was in the mood to focus on improving their own cultivation.

Their minds raced, constantly recalling whether there had been any mishaps in their jurisdictions during His Majesty's tour, and whether their family members had behaved themselves. Their expressions grew increasingly cautious, and their steps unconsciously became much lighter.

Upon entering the magnificent main hall, one sees His Majesty Ying Shaoyang already seated on the Nine-Dragon Throne, his face calm yet exuding a chilling aura.

The four imperial concubines in charge of the inner study—Lü Zhi, Qu Ruo, Jing Rou, and Zhao Shan—stood on either side of the throne, their faces equally frosty, their beautiful eyes concealing a murderous intent, making the temperature in the hall seem to drop considerably.

Grand Secretary Wang Guan, the head of the civil officials, stepped forward first, bowed deeply, and maintained this respectful posture, not daring to straighten up.

He inwardly groaned, realizing that he had entered the hall later than His Majesty, which was already a breach of etiquette.

More importantly, he keenly sensed from the expressions of His Majesty and the four empresses that something earth-shattering was about to happen, or rather, His Majesty was already truly enraged!
Following them, cabinet ministers such as Li Si and Zhang Juzheng, ministers of the six ministries, and military officers such as Wang Jian and Yang Duanhe entered in succession and stood solemnly on both sides according to their rank.

Just as all the ministers stood still, the entire hall suddenly changed! The previously dim hall instantly became incredibly bright, yet the source of the light was nowhere to be seen. The smooth, mirror-like golden bricks underfoot transformed into transparent, seven-colored crystals, and one could vaguely see wisps of spiritual energy moving like dragons and snakes below.

The colossal pillars that required several people to encircle disappeared silently, and the space of the hall seemed to expand infinitely, becoming incredibly vast, as if one were in a miniature world. Only the high platform where the throne stood remained real and tangible.

This miraculous change filled the ministers with even greater awe, and their reverence for His Majesty's divine powers and this newly built palace reached its peak.

In the suffocating silence, Ying Shaoyang's calm voice rang out, but beneath this calmness, it was as if a volcano was about to erupt.

"I recently traveled with my imperial concubines to explore the mountains and rivers and observe the people's conditions. What I saw and heard was shocking."

His gaze, almost tangible, slowly swept over each minister below. His voice remained steady, yet carried an invisible weight, striking the hearts of everyone present.

"When I first ascended the throne, I said that I wanted every household in the Great Qin to have at least one iron farming tool."

Now, many years have passed, and the gold and iron I brought back are as vast as mountains and as deep as the sea, yet the whereabouts of so much metal remain unknown! In the fields, countless people still toil and cultivate the land, using wood, stone, bone, and horn as tools!

"I see that the people lack clothing, and some families don't even have complete clothes. They can only hide at home or dare to go out to work at night! Where are the cotton seeds I brought back? Why haven't they been widely planted to protect against the cold?"

"In order to be exempt from taxes, the people recklessly reclaimed wasteland, but manpower was limited, resulting in a large amount of both new and cultivated land being left idle. The shortage of labor was a widespread problem in the prefectures and counties!"

"In Jiujiang Prefecture, I once issued an edict to build a medical academy in order to train doctors and benefit all people."

But what results have been achieved? Medical care and medicine remain scarce in various regions, and the people suffer greatly—who cares?!

A barrage of questions, like thunderclaps, exploded in the hall. (End of Chapter)