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

His eyes were piercing as he stared intently at Wang Guan.

"Even the former Sui emperor, who lost his kingdom, is now a county magistrate in my Great Qin. Does no one in my glorious Qin court think of emulating his achievements and digging a canal for the benefit of future generations?! Why has no one mentioned it? Give me an explanation!"

Wang Guan felt an immense pressure bearing down on him, his back instantly soaked with cold sweat. He opened his mouth, but for a moment, he didn't know how to answer. Building the Grand Canal connecting the north and south was such a massive project, involving such a wide range of people. How could it be easily agreed upon and started?
Wang Guan felt an immense pressure bearing down on him, his back instantly soaked with cold sweat. He opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to answer.

The construction of the Grand Canal, connecting the north and south, is an enormous undertaking, involving a vast number of people, money, and resources. It's not something that can be easily agreed upon and initiated. Currently, the Qin Dynasty is at war with otherworldly monsters, its national strength concentrated on the front lines. To propose such a grand project at this time is truly...

Just as he was racking his brains for a tactful explanation, a cabinet official hurriedly entered the duty room and bowed to report urgently.

"Your Majesty, His Majesty has dispatched the Imperial Guards with a swift messenger to inform you that the imperial carriage is on its return journey and is expected to arrive in the capital this afternoon!"

"What? Arriving this afternoon?"

Emperor Qin Shi Huang's expression suddenly changed. He abruptly looked up from behind the mountain of memorials, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. According to his previous calculations, even if Ying Shaoyang set off immediately, given the normal speed of the royal procession, he should not arrive until tomorrow at the earliest.

He subconsciously did some mental calculations based on the news he had just received from several prefectures and counties. His Majesty only made brief stops in important towns along the way to demonstrate imperial power, and the rest of the time he traveled at an extremely fast speed, far exceeding the norm!
'Could it be... that the situation at the front has changed?' A thought flashed through the First Emperor's mind, making his heart tighten. Connected to that world of trillions of monsters, the Great Qin was already doing its utmost, like walking a tightrope, and could no longer withstand any major changes.

He immediately suppressed the speculation; now was not the time to let his mind wander.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his turbulent emotions, regained his imperial dignity, and gave the order in a deep voice.

"By order of the Emperor... by order of this cabinet, all officials of the fifth rank and above in the capital shall immediately prepare to leave the city this afternoon to welcome Your Majesty's triumphant return!"

"I will obey your orders!"

The officials in the duty room bowed and obeyed, their hearts filled with trepidation. They wondered whether His Majesty's early return to the capital was a blessing or a curse.

In the afternoon, dozens of miles outside the Qin capital, banners fluttered, and civil and military officials stood solemnly according to their ranks. Emperor Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng, had already changed into a dark official robe representing his status as the Grand Secretary, and stood at the forefront of the officials.

He ignored the somewhat strange and inquisitive glances cast at him by some officials behind him. As the retired emperor, he was dressed in the official robes of a subject to greet the emperor, which was unprecedented in the history of the Qin Dynasty. However, he remained calm and composed, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

When the enormous metal palace, carried by hundreds of imperial guards, sped along but slowed down as it approached the welcoming procession, appeared at the end of the official road, all the officials held their breath.

The palace came to a smooth stop. Ying Shaoyang, dressed in casual clothes and with a smile on his face, stepped out of the palace gate.

"Your Majesty, we respectfully welcome your triumphant return! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Led by the First Emperor, all the officials bowed in unison, their voices resounding throughout the heavens.

"All of you, rise."

Ying Shaoyang smiled and raised his hand in a gesture of support, his gaze sweeping over the officials present, especially lingering for a moment on the First Emperor. When he saw the official robes on the emperor's body, a subtle smile flashed in his eyes.

Ying Shaoyang strode down the steps in front of the palace, his gaze sweeping over the welcoming officials. He keenly noticed that many officials wore undisguised signs of fatigue, and some even had ink stains on the hem of their robes, clearly indicating that they had just come from busy official duties.

This gave him a slight thought.

Officials in the Great Qin Dynasty could enter the palace during the monthly grand court session to absorb the purer spiritual energy of heaven and earth there to improve their cultivation. Coupled with his previous intentional or unintentional support, many officials had already broken through to the first level of the Life Realm. Recently, with the continuous blessing of spiritual rain, they shouldn't appear so exhausted.

'It seems that during the ten-odd days that Father has served as Grand Secretary, you ministers have had quite a 'fulfilling' time,' Ying Shaoyang thought to himself, though he felt no resentment. Officials being overworked meant that government affairs were running smoothly and efficiently, ultimately benefiting the people.

He's happy to see things succeed as long as it's not a pointless exercise.

He looked at the officials' eyes, which held a mixture of respect, exhaustion, and an irrepressible curiosity and eagerness for the situation at the front, and smiled slightly, speaking loudly.

"It seems that you all are very concerned about the situation at the front."

He raised his hand and pointed into the distance. It was a huge estate set up by the Imperial Household Department near the capital for farming and various experiments. It covered a vast area and was currently vacant.

"I will let you all witness firsthand the victory of my Great Qin soldiers!"

Before he finished speaking, Ying Shaoyang gently flicked his sleeve towards the direction of the manor.

In an instant, the weather changed dramatically! Countless weapons and armor, gleaming with a cold metallic luster and crudely designed, surged out from his sleeves like a flood bursting its banks or a black meteor shower flowing against the current!

They were densely packed, covering the sky and instantly obscuring half the sky, falling precisely towards that huge farm with a whistling sound!

"Boom—!!"

Like a torrential downpour of metal! Countless spears, bone clubs, stone axes, rough iron knives, and all sorts of bizarre leather and bone armor stained with dark green blood piled up wildly, as if they had come to life!
In just a dozen breaths, under the gaze of countless shocked eyes, the once empty farmland was replaced by a towering metal mountain made entirely of otherworldly metal and leather, reaching straight into the clouds!

Sunlight shone on the dense, seemingly endless array of weapons and armor, reflecting a chilling gleam. A desolate aura, a mixture of savagery, bloodshed, and steel, swept over us!

In the past ten days or so of fighting, the Qin army has killed hundreds of billions of goblins! Although not every goblin has complete weapons and armor, they all have some metal artifacts.

The soldiers at the Starlight Great Wall at the front line have already melted down some of the metal to refine their own weapons. The supply wagons have also returned fully loaded. However, what Ying Shaoyang brought back this time was still hundreds of millions of sets of weapons and armor that were completely different from those of the Qin Dynasty, after plundering the battlefield!
"This...this..."

An old minister pointed at the mountain of metal, his fingers trembling, too excited to speak.

"Great Qin will be victorious!!!"

The First Emperor, Ying Zheng, was the first to recover from the immense shock. He suddenly raised his arms high and let out a roar of extreme joy! He knew all too well what steel meant!

Such a quantity of ironware likely exceeds the total amount of iron ore mined and smelted throughout the entire history of the world! If most of this could be smelted into agricultural tools and implements, what kind of leap forward would the Qin Dynasty's national strength experience? He simply couldn't imagine!
"Great Qin will be victorious!!"

"Your Majesty's divine might!!"

"Victory for Great Qin!!!" With the First Emperor leading the way, all the officials, along with the common people who were allowed to watch from afar, went completely wild! The deafening cheers swept out like a tsunami, soaring into the sky!

Past war victories might have been exaggerated, but these mountains of tangible, otherworldly spoils are the strongest proof! The Qin army has indeed achieved an unprecedented victory!
Looking at the crowd caught up in the frenzy, Ying Shaoyang raised his hand and pressed it down slightly. After the noise subsided, he calmly added.

"This is only part of it. There are millions more wagons behind, carrying the same spoils of war back in droves."

Even working day and night, it would probably take several years to transport everything.

"Victory! Victory! Victory!!"

An even more fervent roar erupted once more, and the entire Qin capital seemed to come alive amidst the deafening cheers. Loud shouts and cheers echoed through the sky, lingering for a long time.

……

Back in the familiar palace hall, the officials' excitement and flushed faces had not yet faded. They chatted in small groups, their voices low, and the hall was filled with a high-spirited atmosphere.

Ying Shaoyang casually leaned against the only large chair in the main hall, while Lü Zhi, Qu Ruo, Jing Rou, and Zhao Shan stood quietly on either side of the throne.

"My dear ministers," Ying Shaoyang's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of every official, and the hall fell silent instantly.

"During my absence from the capital, the government has been operating smoothly, and the Emperor Emeritus has made great contributions."

He turned his gaze to the First Emperor, who stood at the head of the civil officials and was still wearing the official robes of the Grand Secretary, and continued speaking.

"The retired emperor cared deeply for the people and could not stay idle. He always wanted to do more for the people of the world."

As for me, as the emperor, I also have a path of self-cultivation that I need to contemplate and comprehend, and it is difficult for me to bury myself in documents every day.

The position of Grand Secretary is crucial to the functioning of national politics and requires an experienced, respected, and energetic individual.

He paused, looked at the First Emperor, and spoke with an undeniable determination.

"After much deliberation, I have decided that the position of Grand Secretary should be filled by none other than the Emperor Emeritus."

From this day forward, we request that the Emperor Emeritus resume this important responsibility.

These words surprised the officials below, but upon reflection, they made perfect sense. They had already experienced firsthand the Emperor Emeritus's power and authority over the past ten days.

Ying Shaoyang continued.

"As for the administrative procedures, I reiterate once again. From now on, all administrative matters shall first be submitted to the Cabinet, where the Grand Secretaries shall discuss them, add their opinions, and write them into a memorial. The memorial shall also be submitted to the Inner Study. Only when both the Cabinet and the Inner Study approve it can it be affixed with the seal and circulated throughout the land."

"I will obey your orders!"

The officials echoed in unison.

The process remained unchanged. Even when the retired emperor served as Grand Secretary, his power was still constrained by the Imperial Study, maintaining a balance. For court officials, as long as the system remained the same, it made little difference who served as Grand Secretary, so naturally no one raised any objections.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang, standing below, looked up at his son on the throne, who was composed and made such an important personnel appointment with just a few words. A complex emotion swept through his heart, mixed with an indescribable envy.

He knew very well that Ying Shaoyang's prestige in the court now stemmed from far more than just the emperor's throne.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards, which are spread throughout the land, and the Eastern Depot's inner guards, whose power is unfathomable, are the true foundation for suppressing all dissent and ensuring the smooth implementation of government orders.

'This new world war is unprecedented in scale, and it is precisely the time when top-tier experts are needed to command from the front lines,' the First Emperor thought to himself. 'Yet, he still keeps the core forces of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot by his side…'

He understood that his son possessed an extremely clear understanding and grasp of the fundamental principles of ruling the world. Only by controlling the most powerful and forceful apparatus could one firmly grasp the ultimate power.

However, this would inevitably affect the intensity and efficiency of the battles at the front... Perhaps only he, as the son, truly understood the trade-offs involved. The First Emperor sighed silently to himself, ceasing his contemplation.

The atmosphere in the main hall, which had been somewhat relaxed due to the victory and personnel appointments, instantly became solemn and serious again as a faint aura emanated from Ying Shaoyang.

All the officials held their breath, knowing that His Majesty was about to deal with real state affairs.

Ying Shaoyang's gaze swept over the officials standing respectfully below, finally settling on the officials from the Ministry of Revenue. His voice was steady yet carried an undeniable authority.

"My lords, on my return to the capital this time, I have been deeply impressed by what I have seen along the way. In particular, the currency circulating in the markets of our Great Qin is dazzling and diverse."

His tone gradually turned cold.

"The old currencies of the six kingdoms, the coins I brought back from other worlds, and even the inferior coins privately minted in various places are all circulating in a mixed and uneven manner. When people trade, they cannot even use the face value of the coins, but instead have to weigh them to estimate their value! Such chaos is simply the most ridiculous thing in the world!"

He slammed his hand on the imperial desk, his voice suddenly rising in pitch.

"Unifying currency, standardizing writing, standardizing cart tracks, and standardizing ethics! This is the most direct manifestation of national unification! Throughout history, when a new emperor ascended the throne, the first thing he did was to change the reign title, unify the minting of coins, exchange old coins for new ones, and announce to the world the change of dynasty!"
"And my Great Qin, since its founding, has a territory spanning several realms, yet its currency is in such a chaotic state. Where is the order and discipline? Where is the system?!"

His gaze was like a sharp sword, piercing straight at Wei Zhuang, the Minister of Revenue, who stood at the front of the civil officials' line.

"Kui Zhuang! As the Minister of Revenue, in charge of the nation's finances, household registration, and grain administration, what explanation do you have for this chaos? I ask you, what impact does this disordered currency have on the livelihoods of the people?!"

Kui Zhuang had already turned pale and was covered in cold sweat. Now, being questioned by His Majesty, his legs went weak, and he knelt down with a thud, banging his head on the ground, his voice trembling and choked with sobs.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, please calm your anger! Your Majesty... Your Majesty is guilty! I know I have failed in my duty, failed to unify the currency system, causing inconvenience to transactions among the people, unstable prices, and great suffering to the common people... Your Majesty... Your Majesty lacks a unified vision and a sense of overall control. Your Majesty... I deserve to die ten thousand times over!"

He was filled with regret and fear. As a former official of six kingdoms, he was not incapable, but when it came to integrating such a vast empire and dealing with such a complex issue involving multiple world monetary systems, he indeed lacked the courage and was burdened with many concerns, failing to come up with an effective solution. (End of Chapter)