I started on a deserted island and encountered Ying Zheng, who insisted I was an immortal.

The moving work was in full swing.

As Zhang Ying watched the human chains formed by soldiers flowing endlessly between the mountains and the coast, she suddenly remembered something.

He took something out of his pocket.

That was an IOU written on hemp paper.

The first card shows Lao Ying, also known as Ying Zheng, who owes two million coins.

The second one is about Lao Meng, also known as Meng Yi, who owes three million yuan.

The third one is about Lao Wang, also known as Wang Ben, who owes five million coins.

This five million dollars was an astronomical sum that Wang Ben had painstakingly accumulated over the past few days by playing chess and poker with him, repeatedly losing but never giving up.

Three IOUs, totaling ten million dollars.

In modern times, ten million is nothing.

But this is the Qin Dynasty.

Zhang Ying recalled the online articles and materials she had read.

One qian in the Qin Dynasty was equivalent to one and a half liang coins.

Prime Minister Li Si's annual salary was two thousand shi of millet, which, at most, amounted to two hundred thousand coins.

The highest annual salary for a marquis like Wang Ben, the Marquis of Tongwu, was 300,000 coins.

Even if Wang Ben didn't eat or drink, it would take him more than ten years to pay off his five million yuan debt.

Zhang Ying's breathing was a little heavy.

Previously, he only considered it a prize for playing mahjong, a way to alleviate the monotony of life on the deserted island, and a joke he played on these actors who were "too immersed in their roles."

But now, with 50,000 troops before him, the cries of "Your Majesty" were deafening.

He knew this was no joke.

This ten million is real money.

He was about to go to Xianyang with this group of people. He was unfamiliar with the place and had no money.

This money is crucial for those who want to live a decadent life in Xianyang, buying houses, hiring servants, and listening to folk songs.

He has generously given away sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn—seeds that could change the fate of the nation.

This gambling debt is his personal property.

Both morally and logically, they should be repaid.

Zhang Ying was determined to get this debt back today.

"Send five hundred Xuanwu Guards."

Zhang Ying waved to Yin Xu, who was standing to the side.

Yin Xu immediately stepped forward: "Mr. Zhang, what are your orders?"

"Go and dismantle that biggest piece of wood in that workshop over there. Be careful when you move it."

Zhang Ying was referring to the water-powered mill he had built.

Ying Zheng treasured this thing like the back of his hand, and had mentioned it several times before, insisting that it must be moved back to Xianyang intact.

"promise!"

Yin Xu accepted the order and personally selected five hundred of the most elite Xuanwu Guards to dismantle and move the equipment.

Watching the Xuanwu Guards move cautiously, Zhang Ying nodded in satisfaction.

Now that I've finished my official duties, it's time to take care of some personal matters.

The transport of supplies to the island was on track, and Ying Zheng, Wang Ben, and Meng Yi were finally able to take a breather in their makeshift tents by the sea, freeing themselves from frontline command.

Zhang Ying strolled over and lifted the tent flap.

Wang Ben was shirtless, wiping the sweat off his body with a damp cloth, muttering curses under his breath.

"Damn it, this job is more tiring than fighting a war."

Meng Yi sat to the side, slowly drinking water, his demeanor much more refined.

"Old Wang, Old Meng."

Zhang Ying got straight to the point, pulling out the two IOUs from her pocket and waving them in front of the two men.

"Look, shouldn't we settle this bill?"

He slammed Wang Ben's card on the table; the number "five million" on it, along with Wang Ben's own red handprint, was extremely conspicuous.

"Paying back debts is a matter of course."

Wang Ben stopped wiping his sweat.

He turned his head, looked at the IOU, then at Zhang Ying, his dark face turning slightly purple.

"cough."

Wang Ben coughed lightly, tossed the damp cloth aside, and sat down with an air of nonchalance.

"Mr. Zhang, what is our relationship? Talking about money will hurt our feelings."

"Even close brothers should keep clear accounts." Zhang Ying wasn't buying it.

Wang Ben chuckled and rubbed his hands together as he approached.

"I'm betrothing Shu'er to you, and this five million coins will be your dowry! What do you say?"

"puff--"

Meng Yi, who was drinking water next to him, spat out his entire mouthful of water.

Wang Ruoshu lowered her head even further, almost curling up into a ball, and her ears turned bright red.

Zhang Ying opened her mouth wide, unable to close it for a long time.

And this kind of operation?

"No way!" Zhang Ying refused decisively. "One thing is one thing, money is money, and marriage is marriage."

Wang Ben's face fell: "Why not? My daughter, the Marquis of Tongwu, is she worth less than five million coins?"

"This isn't a question of whether it's worth it or not; it's a matter of principle!"

Zhang_Ying was extremely worried.

He looked at Wang Ben, who was acting shamelessly, and then at Wang Ruoshu, who was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into the ground. He decided to change his target.

He turned to Meng Yi and took out another IOU.

"Old Meng, you should at least give me the three million now."

Meng Yi wiped the water from his mouth, slowly picked up the IOU, and examined it carefully.

"Mr. Zhang, this IOU is written clearly and plainly, and I, Meng Yi, acknowledge it."

"That's good." Zhang Ying breathed a sigh of relief.

"However..." Meng Yi changed the subject.

"This IOU only states that the debt is three million, but it doesn't specify when it will be repaid."

Zhang Ying was stunned.

Meng Yi looked at him innocently: "You see, since there's no agreed-upon time, it doesn't seem like I'm breaking the contract if I return it a hundred years later, right?"

Zhang Ying: "..."

He looked at Meng Yi, who had a "I'm right" expression on his face, and then at Wang Ben, who was trying not to laugh. He almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

Good guy.

One used his daughter to pay off a debt, while the other played word games.

Neither of these two people intends to properly repay the money.

Li Si, who had been silent all along, had seen everything from the corner.

He knew exactly what was going on.

Would Marquis Wang Ben of Tongwu be short of a mere five million coins?

The Wang family's wealth far exceeds what outsiders can imagine.

He did this simply because he valued Zhang Ying's abilities and wanted to use his daughter as a bond to tie this "immortal" to the Wang family's chariot.

As for Meng Yi, he certainly wasn't trying to renege on his debt.

The Meng family wielded immense power, and three million coins were nothing to them.

He's deliberately owing it; owing it is a favor.

A favor that Zhang Ying could ask for at any time.

The weight of this favor is so great that even if it were thirty million, Meng Yi would be willing to repay it, let alone three million.

Those two old foxes are really good at scheming.

Zhang Ying took a deep breath, realizing that she couldn't reason with these two.

He put away the IOU, turned around, and walked out of the tent.

The target: Ying Zheng's command tent.

My younger brother is unreliable, so I have to turn to my older brother.

Ying Zheng's camp was significantly larger, and there were Xuanwu Guards standing guard at the entrance.

Zhang Ying walked in without any hindrance.

Ying Zheng was sitting at a simple wooden table, staring intently at a map.

"Old Winner".

Zhang Ying slapped the IOU belonging to Ying Zheng onto the map.

"They're trying to renege on their debts, you can't just renege on yours too, can you? Two million, cash, no credit."

Ying Zheng looked up from the map, glanced at the IOU, then at Zhang Ying, his face showing no intention of reneging on the debt.

He smiled.

"A mere two million coins? How could I possibly cheat you?"

"That's good." Zhang Ying rubbed her hands together, revealing an expectant expression.

Ying Zheng stood up, walked up to him, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Your achievements, sir, could stabilize the nation and save countless lives."

"A mere two million coins is hardly enough to demonstrate your merit, sir."

Zhang Ying felt a little uneasy hearing such flattery.

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

Ying Zheng stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an air of dominance over the world.

"I hereby bestow upon you the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households, with a fief of ten thousand households, and your prosperity will be shared with the nation."

"How about we write off this two million in debt from your fief tax?"

Looking at the three "ancient people" in front of her who were acting like scoundrels with a straight face, Zhang Ying felt a huge sense of powerlessness.

He had assumed that the ancients valued promises, and that with written agreements and handprints, they would surely honor their commitments.

The results of it?

One is marrying off his daughter, another is making a century-long promise, and the third is directly offering a title as payment.

They're all cunning old foxes!