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

So, who should bear the blame for "failing to distribute rewards on time and in full"? The Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, Emperor Qin Shi Huang? The Grand Secretary of the Military Council, Wang Jian? Neither! These two are the true cornerstones and pillars of the Qin Dynasty; they cannot be touched, nor can they be associated with such a charge of "ineffectiveness."

After much deliberation, he realized that only he, as the Minister of the Imperial Household and a "court official of His Majesty," was the most suitable "scapegoat." Although he couldn't help feeling a little resentful—he had almost married a noblewoman from the imperial family and joined the ranks of true imperial relatives back then, and for that reason, he hadn't dared to keep many concubines and maids in his household for many years, waiting patiently.

But His Majesty never mentioned it again, leaving him waiting in vain, a regret he still feels to this day—but for the sake of the bigger picture and for his own long-term future, he has to take the blame, and he is willing to take it!
After listening to Liu Bang's "apology," Ying Xuan looked at his tragic expression that seemed to say, "I deserve to die a thousand deaths, and I am willing to take full responsibility," but slowly shook his head.

"His Majesty!"

Upon seeing this, Liu Bang became anxious and quickly bowed again, his voice even more earnest and urgent.

"The emperor must never make a mistake! This is the foundation for maintaining the country and uniting the hearts of millions of people! If there is any delay or shortage in this reward, it is all due to the incompetence of the Imperial Household Department and the fault of my poor supervision! It must not be allowed to damage Your Majesty's reputation in the slightest!"
If Your Majesty's reputation is damaged due to my fault, even if Your Majesty is magnanimous and does not pursue the matter, the officials of the court and the public will never let me off the hook! At that time, I fear my entire family will be in grave danger, Your Majesty!

His words were both a declaration of loyalty and a reminder of the consequences—Your Majesty, you cannot admit your mistake, the price of admitting it is too high; someone must admit the mistake, and I am the most suitable; if I admit it, you can protect me, and everyone will have a way out.

Just as Liu Bang finished speaking, a concubine who was following Ying Xuan stepped forward gracefully.

She didn't just bow slightly as she usually did when they met; instead, she knelt down and performed a solemn salute, her voice clear yet carrying an undeniable firmness.

"Your Majesty, what Lord Liu said is absolutely right. The emperor's reputation is related to the stability of the Great Qin and the support of the people. Even though we are deep in the inner palace, we know this principle."

"Our limited power derives entirely from Your Majesty's grace. Our authority over the Imperial Study, our role in gathering talent across the land, and our ability to govern on Your Majesty's behalf all depend on Your Majesty's unparalleled prestige. If Your Majesty's reputation is damaged by such trivial matters, our future actions will be fraught with difficulty. I implore Your Majesty to consider the greater good and reconsider!"

This imperial concubine was clearly intelligent and politically astute; she pointed out the key issue—the power and political participation of the imperial concubines stemmed from the emperor's absolute authority. If the emperor's prestige was damaged, their status and power base would also be shaken. Therefore, maintaining the emperor's infallible image was in their fundamental interest.

"Your Majesty, please think again!"

"This is the duty of the Imperial Household Department; we are all willing to accept our punishment!"

"His Majesty's prestige must not be damaged!"

In the valley, all the officials under the Shaofu seemed to be awakened at this moment, and they all knelt down again, their voices filled with fear and determination.

They understood that the responsibility in this matter must be limited to the "ineffective handling of the affairs by the Imperial Household Department," and must not be implicated above the Emperor, or even easily affect the Cabinet and the Military Cabinet.

As His Majesty's "inner courtiers," it was their duty to step forward and "take responsibility" at this time, as well as a form of political "correctness" and "self-preservation."

For a moment, the atmosphere on the high ground was heavy. Everyone knelt on the ground, pleading with Ying Xuan to "allow" the Shao Fu to take full responsibility in order to preserve the emperor's impeccable reputation.

However, faced with this almost unanimous "apology" and "defense," Ying Xuan not only did not get angry or embarrassed, but instead burst into laughter.

"Hahaha!"

The laughter was hearty, carrying a sense of self-assurance and complete understanding.

"Well said, what a great saying, 'Emperors cannot make mistakes,' and what a group of loyal ministers who are devoted to the country."

Ying Xuan's laughter subsided slightly, and his gaze swept over the kneeling crowd before finally settling on Liu Bang, whose forehead was touching the ground and who was awaiting "judgment."

"Liu Bang, I know your intentions."

Even if I were to dismiss you from your post as Minister of the Imperial Household Department today, or even take your life to quell any potential public discontent, it would not be difficult for me.

Liu Bang's body trembled slightly, and he lowered his head even further.

"but."

Ying Xuan changed the subject, his tone becoming relaxed.

"There's no need for such trouble, nor for you all to vie for the blame."

He looked up at the sky, a hint of composure in his eyes, as if he were in complete control.

"I already have a better way to solve this trivial problem of 'insufficient farming tools'."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ying Xuan's mind stirred slightly.

"Om-!"

Suddenly, a humming sound, even more ancient and vast than the previous descent of the Void Heaven Palace, resounded throughout the world, as if it came from the beginning of chaos!

Above the valley, the wind and clouds suddenly changed! A giant cauldron, with three legs and two handles, its body dark gold, and its surface engraved with the sun, moon, stars, flowers, birds, fish, and insects, as if bearing endless years and the laws of the Dao, slowly emerged from the depths of the void!

It is another heaven-reaching spiritual treasure—the Void Heaven Cauldron!

Unlike the Void Heaven Palace, the Void Heaven Cauldron did not occupy a vast area, but the terrifying aura it brought with it, capable of suppressing the universe and melting all things, was even more chilling! It seemed to be the center of the entire world, slowly descending, its speed decreasing, but its size grew larger and more solid in the horrified gazes of the crowd!
When it finally hovered a hundred feet above the valley, its body was already so enormous that it resembled an inverted mountain, covering an area of ​​hundreds of miles! The shadow it cast enveloped most of the valley and the surrounding mountains! The mouth of the cauldron was deep and dark, as if connected to the endless void, with faint phantoms of various colored flames flowing and leaping within it.

At the same time, a small portion of the stone gate space deep within Ying Xuan's primordial spirit opened again.

The next moment, it was like dark clouds obscuring the sun, or like the Milky Way turning upside down! A massive amount of all kinds of metal materials—recycled materials from the crude armor and weapons stripped from goblins, crude and refined iron ingots mined and smelted from all over the Qin Dynasty, and even some "collected" from the Tianxing Sect cultivators.

The scraps, imbued with a faint spiritual quality, formed torrents of metal that surged forth from the stone gate space, like weary birds returning to their nests, frantically flowing into the mouth of the Void Cauldron above, which resembled the gaping maw of a gluttonous beast!
"Boom—!"

The Void Cauldron seemed to be "activated" by these torrents of metal, and the ancient patterns on its body suddenly lit up! An indescribable, enormous suction force, seemingly capable of swallowing the heavens and earth, erupted from the mouth of the cauldron!
Not only was the torrent of metal being sucked in more quickly, but also the vast energy surrounding the valley and even further into the distance—pure spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and violent energy that had not yet been fully transformed. Even the earth's vein energy dissipating from deep within the earth—was drawn in by this suction force, transforming into visible energy vortexes that, like rivers flowing into the sea, rushed into the Void Cauldron!
Inside the cauldron, the light shone brightly! Fiery heat, icy cold, sharpness, heaviness, explosiveness, erosion... all sorts of completely different, even conflicting, attributes and laws began to collide, merge, temper, and purify wildly under the influence of the mysterious flames and spatial power within the cauldron!
Everyone stared in disbelief at this miraculous scene, at the colossal cauldron, as imposing as a mountain, and at the endless torrent of metal and energy flowing into it. The inefficient iron-smelting furnaces of the Imperial Workshop, burning day and night, seemed utterly ridiculous compared to this divine cauldron, like children's toys.

Ying Xuan stood with his hands behind his back on the high ground, his clothes fluttering, gazing at the Void Cauldron that swallowed heaven and earth and melted all things, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Solving the problem of millions of sets of farm tools? Why waste manpower and resources working day and night? One cauldron is enough!
Ying Xuan had his own profound considerations in bringing back and preserving the Void Heaven Cauldron, a spiritual treasure that reaches the heavens, instead of directly merging with it like the Void Heaven Palace.

The Qin Dynasty truly needs a top-tier treasure capable of suppressing a region and being crafted on a large scale with high efficiency. Most of the artisans in the Imperial Workshop have already cultivated their primordial spirits. Although their cultivation levels are not high, their learning ability and control precision far surpass those of ordinary people.

The soldiers' standard weapons and armor, under the framework of the method of refining natal magic weapons promoted by Ying, have long been inclined to be refined and nurtured by the soldiers themselves under the guidance of the accompanying craftsmen, based on their own characteristics and battlefield spoils. This not only suits the individual, but also saves the central workshop a lot of energy. The Imperial Household Department only needs to provide basic materials and technical standards.

But the farming tools are different.

The demand for agricultural tools is hundreds or even thousands of times greater than that for weapons! Moreover, the requirements are relatively uniform, emphasizing sturdiness, durability, and controllable costs. In the past, the production of iron in the Qin Dynasty was limited, and the technology was relatively backward, making the manufacture of agricultural tools a long and labor-intensive task.

Although we now have access to a vast amount of metal materials and more craftsmen, the traditional workshop model is still insufficient to produce hundreds of millions of agricultural tools in a short period of time, even with round-the-clock work.

More importantly, it needs a future-oriented and powerful "forging furnace" as its core for the Qin Dynasty to develop, grow stronger, and forge even more powerful treasures to suppress the world's fortune and conquer all directions, or even attempt to forge "immortal artifacts".

The Void Heaven Cauldron, a top-tier weapon-refining treasure even in the world of Mortal Cultivation, is the most suitable choice. Leaving it in the Great Qin Dynasty as a strategic treasure and a cutting-edge production tool will yield immeasurable long-term value.

Thinking of this, Ying Xuan turned his head and looked at Liu Bang, who was speechless with shock because of the appearance of the Void Heaven Cauldron and was now becoming more and more uneasy because of his laughter, and casually asked.

"Liu Bang, in your opinion, what kind of agricultural tool does the Qin Dynasty lack most right now? Or, in the past, what was the most laborious and iron-consuming tool to forge?"

Liu Bang was filled with anxiety because he had previously been determined to take the blame, even going so far as to exaggerate his words. Now, however, His Majesty seemed to have a different plan. He was both hoping to escape this predicament and worried that His Majesty was just pretending to be relaxed. Hearing Ying Xuan's question, he was startled and quickly composed himself, carefully recalling the difficulties of his work in the Imperial Household Department over the years, and bowed to answer.

"Your Majesty, if we are talking about the most scarce, most iron-consuming, and always the last to be cast... it is the 'plow'."

He explained.

“Plows need to plow deeply and break through the soil. The plowshare and plowshare must be made of thick and tough iron. A good iron plow consumes as much iron as several hoes and sickles. In the past, iron was scarce, and farmers mostly used old-fashioned wooden plows or iron-coated wooden plows, which were inefficient. Although Your Majesty has vigorously promoted ironware since ascending the throne, iron plows have always been the most in short supply because of their high material consumption and difficulty in making them.”

Ying Xuan nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.

He said no more, his divine sense had already connected with the Void Heaven Cauldron.

The colossal cauldron, suspended high in the air like an inverted mountain, saw its patterns and light flow even more rapidly. From the deep darkness at the cauldron's mouth, which seemed capable of swallowing all things, a sudden burst of even more dazzling brilliance erupted!

The massive amount of metal that had previously poured out of the stone gate space and flowed into the cauldron like dark clouds is now undergoing earth-shattering changes under the influence of the mysterious flames and spatial forces inside the Void Heaven Cauldron!
All metals, whether in their original form rough iron ingots, twisted fragments of armor, or scraps with an alien aura, were enveloped and decomposed by the power that seemed capable of melting everything the moment they entered the cauldron!
Impurities, slag, and even trace amounts of foreign energy residue are filtered through the finest sieve, turning into wisps of fly ash of various colors, which are expelled from the tiny pores of the cauldron and dissipate into the air.

What remains is the purest, most uniformly sized liquid metal, which has been initially endowed with basic properties such as "toughness," "wear resistance," and "corrosion resistance"!

The whole process was incredibly fast, almost completed in the blink of an eye.

"drawing."

Ying Xuan reached out his hand.

Liu Bang quickly took out a meticulously drawn blueprint of a "curved plow" from his bosom and respectfully presented it with both hands.

Ying Xuan took it without even glancing at it, and with a flick of his finger, he transformed the blueprint into a stream of light, which entered the radiant mouth of the Void Heaven Cauldron.

"Om-!"

The Void Cauldron trembled slightly, and the hum emanating from its body carried a peculiar rhythm, as if a master craftsman whose skills had reached perfection was examining and understanding the blueprint of the work he was about to create.

next moment!
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!!!"

The sound of something cutting through the air was like a torrential downpour, so dense it made one's scalp tingle!

From the enormous mouth of the Void Heaven Cauldron, countless crimson "flowing shadows" radiating scorching heat and metallic luster burst forth!

These fleeting shadows rapidly cooled and shaped in mid-air, transforming into iron plows with standardized shapes, exquisite structures, and a shimmering dark metallic luster! Hoes, sickles, and other components surrounded the iron plows like stars around the moon!

In just a few breaths, countless iron farm tools, numbering in the millions, filled most of the sky above the valley! They were not arranged in a very neat manner, but they possessed a kind of awe-inspiring industrial beauty.

The scorching heat emanating from these newly "baked" farm tools caused the temperature above the valley to rise sharply, and the heat wave was so intense that it made it hard to breathe.

"This...this..."

Liu Bang's eyes widened, his mouth gaped open enough to fit an egg, and his expression shifted from shock to bewilderment, then to indescribable ecstasy, finally culminating in a hysterical, broken roar.

"Long live Your Majesty! Your Majesty's divine powers are unparalleled! Heaven blesses the Great Qin!!!"

He shouted until his voice was hoarse, as if trying to unleash all the pressure, fear, and pent-up frustration he had felt! With these! With this divine cauldron! That damned farm tool quest that had been suffocating him was nothing compared to this!

"Long live Your Majesty!" (End of Chapter)