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

"I, the Emperor, have swept across the land, unifying the world! I have standardized writing, cart axles, and ethical conduct! I have abolished the feudal system and established prefectures and counties! I have laid the foundation for an everlasting dynasty!"

The First Emperor's voice, like thunder, echoed through the palace, each word imbued with supreme pride and unquestionable authority.

"This Qin empire, this imperial law, was created by my own hand! Only I am qualified to establish a policy for this Qin empire that will last for ten thousand generations and remain unchanged forever!"

He couldn't tolerate it, absolutely couldn't tolerate it! The empire he founded was going to have figures like Liu Bang, Yang Guang, and Li Yuan serve as Grand Secretaries, leaving their mark on the core of the empire? This was worse than death for him!

"I will personally take the seat of Grand Secretary!"

The First Emperor said this firmly and without question.

"I must return to the capital to personally sort out the current complex and chaotic affairs of various regions, and to formulate the most suitable laws and regulations for the Qin Dynasty at present, so that the Qin Dynasty can be truly passed down and remain unchanged for eternity!"

Ying Shaoyang frowned slightly, trying to ease the tension.

“Father, please calm your anger. Your subject suggests that these three may temporarily assume the duties, with Father providing guidance from the sidelines…”

"Guide?"

The First Emperor was so angry that he laughed instead, feeling that Ying Shaoyang's words of concern were extremely hypocritical.

"You want me to instruct Liu Bang? To teach Yang Guang and Li Yuan? Ridiculous! Enough! Prepare the carriage immediately, I'm returning to Xianyang!"

His mind was made up, and there was no room for change. Everyone in the Chu King's palace felt the almost tangible rage, and they all trembled with fear, desperately praying that they could weather this sudden storm safely.

……

Meanwhile, in a secluded valley far from the center of power, a completely different scene unfolded.

Here, blast furnaces stand in rows, their massive chimneys billowing thick smoke, the scorching heat distorting the air. Huge bellows are being pulled frantically by strongmen, producing a deafening "whoosh, whoosh" sound. Upon closer inspection, the strongmen pulling the bellows are clearly masters of exceptional internal strength, their breathing deep and their temples bulging!

This is the core workshop of the Imperial Foundry, a gathering place for top craftsmen from various worlds. At this moment, they are all covered in sweat, intently watching the molten iron churning in the blast furnace, which gleams with an unusual luster.

When the molten iron reaches a certain critical point, the chief craftsman gives an order, and the molten iron gushes out along a specially made channel and is poured into various molds that have been prepared in advance. At the same time, a special person quickly cleans up the waste slag produced by smelting.

Truckloads of iron farm tools and ordinary weapons, still warm from being cooled, were quickly pulled out of the valley and transported to various parts of the Qin Dynasty.

This is a routine task of the Imperial Household Department, ensuring the supply of ironware for civilian use and basic equipment for county soldiers.

Liu Bang, the Minister of the Imperial Household, and his capable assistant Wan Sanqian were carefully following behind a group of old blacksmiths with white hair and beards but sharp eyes like eagles. They even breathed very softly, for fear of disturbing the thoughts of these national treasure-level craftsmen.

The two of them had previously been at the training ground, where they had witnessed the generals testing the combat power of those otherworldly monsters, and they had even mustered up the courage to try it themselves.

The result was terrifying! The standard weapons that the Qin soldiers were currently equipped with proved so ineffective against goblins and pigmen of the same level! Even with their full-force slashes, ordinary soldiers could hardly inflict fatal damage, while the enemy's counterattacks were exceptionally fierce!
The thought of the trillions of ordinary monsters and the hundreds of millions of powerful individuals who had broken through to higher levels sent chills down Liu Bang's spine. Send the Qin soldiers, armed with their existing weapons, to fight them? That wouldn't be war; it would be suicide!

"My esteemed masters," Liu Bang said in a low voice, his tone filled with unprecedented respect.

"The military has reached a consensus that if our army wants to survive and even win on future battlefields, it must possess new weapons that are sharper and more durable! This matter concerns the fate of the nation and the lives of hundreds of millions of soldiers! The fate of the Imperial Household Department... and even my life as Liu Bang, rests entirely on your shoulders!"

The most senior master craftsman did not turn around, his gaze still fixed on a batch of new materials being processed—metal ingots smelted from ores that Ying Shaoyang had just brought back from another world, their color deep and faintly glowing.

The old craftsman picked up a long sword blank that had just been forged from this new metal, and then picked up a standard long sword that had been forged from high-quality iron ore from the Qin Dynasty.

"Qiang!"

The two swords clashed! A crisp sound rang out!
Under the expectant gazes of Liu Bang and Wan Sanqian, the standard longsword snapped in two with a clean break! The newly forged longsword blank, on the other hand, only had a tiny, insignificant nick on its blade!
"it is good!!"

Liu Bang and Wan Sanqian almost jumped up, their eyes gleaming with wild joy!
This is only a preliminary smelting, unrefined embryo! Its hardness and toughness already far surpass the so-called "divine weapons" of the Qin Dynasty! If it can be distributed to the army on a large scale, the Qin soldiers' armor-piercing ability and survivability will undergo a qualitative leap!

However, the old craftsman frowned, shook his head, and said in a hoarse voice.

"Not enough! The firepower... the firepower is insufficient! If the furnace fire could be stronger and the temperature could be increased by several degrees, more impurities would be removed, and the sharpness and toughness of this weapon could be improved by at least 30%!"

Several master craftsmen nearby nodded in agreement. With their peak skills, they could clearly sense that there was still untapped potential within the material.

Liu Bang's joy froze instantly, then turned into bitterness. Increase firepower? Easier said than done! The workshop in this valley was already using the best charcoal the Imperial Household Department could get its hands on, and the bellows operators were top-notch, hand-picked experts—this was practically the limit the Imperial Household Department could muster!

If he wanted to further increase firepower... a thought flashed through Liu Bang's mind, and his expression changed constantly.

Unless... unless we can summon those powerful individuals who, like ourselves, broke through to a new level because of His Majesty's tribulation! But those powerful individuals are either serving in the military or have been won over by various forces; how could they be so easily mobilized? And to have them pull the bellows? Just thinking about it is unbelievable.

But... for the future of the Qin Dynasty, for that war that was a matter of life and death, no matter how difficult it was, we had to try! Liu Bang gritted his teeth, having already made up his mind.

Deep within the palace, in the Imperial Study.

The atmosphere was completely different from the solemn and peaceful atmosphere of the past. The four imperial concubines who were in charge of the inner study, Lü Zhi, Qu Ruo, Jing Rou, and Zhao Shan, were gathered here. Their faces showed none of the gentleness and respect they had shown when they were with Ying Shaoyang. Instead, they were cold and stern like ice.

Empress Lü sat upright in the main seat, her face gloomy, the chill emanating from her phoenix eyes almost freezing the air. She solemnly handed a letter sealed with sealing wax to Chu San, the respectfully standing supervisor of the Eastern Depot, her voice icy and devoid of any emotion.

"Chu San, you must personally deliver this letter to the patriarch of the Tu Shan clan of Qingqiu. Remember, no one else must see the contents. If anything goes wrong, you will be beheaded!"

"Your Majesty, I obey your command! I will certainly not fail your trust!"

Chu San felt the biting cold and shuddered. He quickly took the letter with both hands, as if it were a hot potato, and carefully put it into his pocket. He bowed and retreated, and then disappeared like a ghost.

Watching Chu San leave, Qu Ruocai spoke in a low voice, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

"Sister, will the fox spirits from Qingqiu really come? They always avoid the world and are very cunning."

Jing Rou snorted coldly, a ruthless glint flashing in her eyes.

"They have no choice but to come! Although Your Majesty speaks lightly, how vast are the beings in the new world? Trillions! If Your Majesty is to deal with them, how can you avoid bloodshed? We all know that once the divine soul and primordial spirit merge, if there is rampant slaughter, the consequences are unpredictable! Your Majesty is the foundation of us and the Great Qin, and we must not allow him to be lost!"

Zhaoshan echoed, her tone equally resolute.

"His Majesty himself said that the fox demons of Qingqiu are skilled at bewitching souls, a natural counter to those new world monsters who only know the instinct to kill. In that case, they can't expect to remain uninvolved! This matter concerns His Majesty's character and the fate of the Great Qin Dynasty. If they know what's good for them, they should come and serve! If they are unwilling…"

She didn't finish speaking, but the fierce look in her eyes said it all.

Informing the fox demons about the types of monsters in the new world and how their talents countered them was a decision made jointly by the four of them, without informing anyone else. This move served two purposes: it forced the Qingqiu fox demons to contribute, sharing the burden and reducing the likelihood of His Majesty personally taking action to kill them;

At the same time, if the fox demon ancestor is unwilling to make sacrifices for the Great Qin, it will allow His Majesty to see her true nature and eliminate a potential threat to the future of the Great Qin. For His Majesty's sake, they are willing to resort to such scheming.

……

Meanwhile, within the special space enveloped and isolated by more than a dozen immortal artifacts, a completely different scene unfolds.

This place is not a paradise of birdsong and fragrant flowers; instead, it is filled with heat, bloodshed, and a chilling atmosphere! Hundreds of thousands of elite Qin imperial guards, selected from the best, are busy working like the most sophisticated machines.

Some sat cross-legged, holding specially made bone needles, using their own blood and qi as a guide, carefully sewing dragon scale armor that shimmered with a ghostly light; others stood in front of a huge grinding stone, using all their internal energy to polish the white dragon bone spear, each friction sparking out tiny sparks.
Some people even sat cross-legged next to the mountain of dragon meat, which was white as jade. When they were hungry, they would tear off a piece and swallow it raw. The powerful blood energy would instantly fill their whole body, and their skin would turn blood red!
Then, these soldiers immediately began to fully utilize the unique technique personally taught by His Majesty, chanting incantations and guiding the boiling blood and qi within their bodies. They forced out strands of blood beads containing their own essence and spirit, which were then evenly applied and soaked into the armor and weapons being made!

The Blood Refining Method!
This is a unique secret technique mastered by Ying Shaoyang. Using his own blood essence as a medium, he communicates with the spirituality of the materials, enabling the equipment he creates to resonate with the user's mind and unleash its maximum power.

Given the current severe shortage of top-tier weapon refiners in the Great Qin Dynasty, this is the only way to tailor-make the most suitable armor for these million Dragon Blood elites in a short period of time!

The weapons and armor left behind by the soldiers who were eliminated during the cultivation and blood refinement process, which had already begun to possess spirituality, would not be wasted. They could be collected into the Qin Imperial Palace and slowly nurtured by the accumulated national fortune and luck, becoming treasures for future inheritance.

These dozen or so sacred cultivation grounds, once shrouded in celestial artifacts, have now been completely occupied by the military and transformed into massive arsenals and training grounds. Weapons and armor, gleaming with blood-red light and radiating a fierce aura, are being continuously forged and equipped on these soldiers who are diligently cultivating day and night.

They are the undisputed strongest fighting force of the Great Qin at present, and the core edge of the upcoming bloody battle!
……

The entire Qin Empire, like a war machine wound up tightly, began to operate at an unprecedented speed.

Inside the Chu King's Palace in Jiujiang County, Emperor Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng, had suppressed his anger, but the determination in his eyes was even greater than before. He was packing his things at top speed, preparing to set off immediately for Xianyang, the capital of Qin. He wanted to personally take charge of the cabinet and reorganize this vast country!
Ying Shaoyang, who caused all of this, seemed detached from worldly affairs, leisurely strolling among the towns and villages of the Jiangnan water region.

Thanks to the magic spells of fox spirits and Taoist priests, such as "turning fossils into mud," and the full mobilization of manpower by local governments, the main roads within the Qin territory are now exceptionally smooth, with carriages shuttling back and forth, ensuring the flow of goods.

The people I saw along the way were still dressed simply, but most of them had hope on their faces and were full of energy, clearly indicating that the most basic problem of eating had been solved.

Ying Shaoyang strolled into a small town in Jiangnan. The town's buildings were a mix of old and new, with ancient white walls and black tiles as well as newly built brick and stone houses.

He walked into the largest restaurant in the city, ordered several signature dishes, and savored the local flavors that were so different from the imperial cuisine, while listening to the gossip of the diners around him.

Several months have passed, and the Jiangnan region has once again welcomed a bumper pumpkin harvest. In the fields, besides some areas planted with new rice varieties suitable for the local climate, large swathes of pumpkin vines can still be seen. The harvested pumpkins are piled up like mountains, and in some places, large quantities of dried pumpkins have already begun to be produced for storage and transportation.

Large quantities of dried pumpkin, pumpkin candy, and pumpkin seeds were bought by caravans and transported to all corners of the country. The people used the money earned from selling pumpkins to buy daily necessities such as oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, making the market quite bustling.

However, Ying Shaoyang astutely noticed some problems. Although Wan Sanqian's money shop had already opened in this small county town, very few ordinary people came in to deposit money.

The people of Qin had clearly not yet developed the habit of using money shops.

What made him frown slightly was that the gold and silver circulating in the market, after being recast by the Imperial Household Department, were uniform in size and weight, and were well received by merchants.

However, copper coins remained incredibly diverse, with coins minted in various regions and those left over from previous dynasties mixed together. When people traded, they relied more on feel to estimate the weight and value, failing to truly fulfill the role of currency in promoting circulation and integrating into people's lives.

"The Ministry of Revenue... has failed in its duty."

Ying Shaoyang thought to himself. Ensuring that a unified currency bearing the imperial seal permeated every corner of the populace was originally an important means of consolidating rule and facilitating people's livelihoods; now it seemed that this was far from being done well enough.

He also noted that ordinary people had plenty of salt at home, and the price of salt was firmly suppressed by the imperial court and the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Many households still had smoked cured meat hanging under their eaves, and street vendors were selling eggs from shoulder poles.

Clearly, the policy of encouraging people to raise poultry and livestock in a decentralized manner has indeed stimulated a lot of idle labor and increased the sources of meat. (End of this chapter)