I will make Qin Shi Huang immortal in the Great Qin Dynasty.

I have treated him well.

He was personally promoted by me from a commoner in Shangcai, Chu State, and I have entrusted him with the administration of the entire empire.

I consider him to be my most loyal subject.

The results of it?

He rebelled because of a forged imperial edict.

Just for a mere phase.

He thought that by following Hu Hai, he could keep his position as prime minister.

What a joke. Zhao Gao doesn't even respect my son, how could he possibly tolerate a prime minister like you?

"Hu Hai's rule was so brutal that the people of the world suffered greatly, and large-scale peasant uprisings broke out in various parts of the Qin Dynasty."

When Ying Zheng heard the words "peasant uprising," his brows furrowed sharply.

Peasant uprising?

The word "peasant" sounds refined, but no matter what it's disguised as, the essence of these four words is only one thing—rebellion.

A peasant uprising is when peasants rebel against the emperor.

This thought instinctively filled Ying Zheng with disgust.

He unified the six kingdoms, established an unprecedented unified empire, implemented the prefecture-county system, standardized writing, currency, and weights and measures, drove out the Xiongnu in the north, conquered the Baiyue in the south, built roads, and constructed the Great Wall.

He did so many things, wasn't it all for the sake of the people?

But the people of the world responded to him with rebellion.

Those farmers at the very bottom of society, those he nominally called "subjects," those commoners he thought would be grateful to him, raised the banner of rebellion less than a year after his death.

Ying Zheng's lips pressed into a thin line, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

He didn't speak, but continued to listen.

"There were many leaders of the uprising, such as Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu, Liu Bang and Xiao He. It can be said that many heroes rose up and the world was in chaos."

"The Qin's county and prefectural troops were no match for these rebel armies. Cities in various places were captured one by one, and the Qin's rule collapsed within a year."

Ying Zheng's brows furrowed even more deeply.

The county and prefectural troops of the Qin Dynasty were no match for the peasant uprising army.

His Qin warriors were an elite force that swept across the six states, an invincible force that never failed in a hundred battles. How could they possibly be no match for a group of farmers who put down their hoes and picked up sticks?

But then he thought about it again and felt relieved.

Those elite troops were divided, with some defending the northern Great Wall against the Xiongnu and others conquering the Baiyue region in the south.

The military forces in counties and prefectures were originally intended to maintain local order; their numbers were limited, and they had never experienced major battles.

They were indeed powerless to deal with the large-scale rebellion.

"Just when the Qin Dynasty was on the verge of collapse, someone stepped forward."

Qin Tian's tone rose slightly, as if he were telling a story of a hero's debut.

Ying Zheng raised his head, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Who?"

"Zhang Han".

Zhang Han?

Ying Zheng narrowed his eyes slightly, searching his mind for the name.

Zhang Han was the Junior Director of the Imperial Workshops, an official responsible for overseeing the construction of the imperial mausoleum.

This was a low-ranking official position, belonging to the Shaofu (Imperial Household Department), responsible for engineering construction and handicraft manufacturing.

Ying Zheng had some impression of him, knowing that this man was efficient and meticulous in his work, and had never made a mistake in supervising the construction of the imperial mausoleum over the years.

But he never imagined that this person would be associated with leading troops into battle.

"Zhang Han suggested to Hu Hai that the rebel army had already reached the vicinity of Xianyang, and it was too late to transfer troops from the border. However, there were hundreds of thousands of convicts building the imperial mausoleum at the foot of Mount Li. If they were armed, they would be a fighting force."

"Hu Hai was already panicked at that time, and in his desperation, he agreed to Zhang Han's suggestion."

"Zhang Han opened the armory and distributed the weapons and armor stored inside to the convicts. He also recruited some able-bodied men from Xianyang City to form a large army."

A strange glint flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes.

Using convicts as soldiers was something almost no one had done before him.

Convicts are people who have committed crimes and have been abandoned by society. To arm them and send them to fight requires immense courage and, even more so, exceptional military leadership skills.

Could Zhang Han do it?

"Zhang Han led his 200,000 convict soldiers from Mount Li to meet the rebel army sent by Chen Sheng and Wu Guang. Although the convict army was hastily formed, Zhang Han's military tactics were superb. These men were driven to the brink of defeat and fought like ten men each. Zhang Han won victory after victory, almost sweeping all before him and forcing the rebel army into a complete rout."

Ying Zheng's eyes lit up.

Using convicts as soldiers, he won battle after battle. This Zhang Han was a hidden military genius!

"He first annihilated the main force of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, and then pursued the rebel army eastward. At Dingtao, he defeated the Chu army and killed Xiang Liang, the commander of the Chu army."

Ying Zheng's finger twitched slightly.

Xiang Liang was a descendant of a famous general from the State of Chu.

Zhang Han was able to kill Xiang Liang, so his military command ability was probably no less than that of Meng Tian.

After defeating the Chu army, Zhang Han turned to fight the Qi and Zhao armies, and was virtually invincible. The rebel army was driven to flee in all directions, and the rebellion that had spread throughout the Guandong region was mostly suppressed by Zhang Han alone.

"If Zhang Han can continue fighting, perhaps the Qin Dynasty can truly turn the tide and extend its national fortune for several more decades."

Qin Tian paused here, as if giving Ying Zheng some time to process this information.

Ying Zheng stared intently at him, his lips moving slightly as he silently murmured the name "Zhang Han".

Zhang Han.

What a Zhang Han!

I have remembered this name.

I will give this person an important position in the future.

Ying Zheng had already begun to plan in his mind.

Zhang Han is currently the Junior Supervisor of Works, a position that is too low. His talents deserve a larger stage.

When we return to Xianyang, I will personally summon him and send him to the border to gain experience in commanding troops.

With his abilities, he and Meng Tian will be stationed at opposite ends of the empire, one in the east and one in the west. What do I have to worry about?

But Qin Tian's next words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.

"However, just as Zhang Han was leading his army to engage in a decisive battle with Xiang Yu at Julu, Zhao Gao stabbed him in the back."

Ying Zheng's gaze instantly turned cold.

"Zhao Gao?"

"Yes. Zhao Gao was worried that Zhang Han's victory in the battle would make him too powerful and he would be appointed prime minister by Hu Hai, threatening his position. So he secretly sent people to cut off Zhang Han's food supplies, putting the army at the front in a food shortage."

Ying Zheng gripped the lacquer cup tightly with his hand.

The soldiers on the front lines fought valiantly, while treacherous officials in the rear cut off their supplies.

According to the laws of the Qin Dynasty, such a person would be guilty of the heinous crime of exterminating three generations of his family!

"Zhang Han's army ran out of supplies, morale plummeted, and their fighting strength was greatly reduced. Xiang Yu seized this opportunity and led the Chu army to a great victory over the Qin army at the Battle of Julu. Zhang Han was forced to surrender, and all 200,000 convict soldiers were massacred by Xiang Yu."

Ying Zheng's body jolted violently, his gaze like a knife piercing straight into the air.

Two hundred thousand.

Two hundred thousand people.

They were all murdered.

These people were indeed convicts, but they were also soldiers of the Qin Dynasty and subjects under the rule of Ying Zheng.

Zhang Han gave them weapons and armor, and a chance to start anew. They fought valiantly for the Qin Dynasty on the battlefield and made outstanding contributions.

Then, their food supplies were cut off.

Then they were surrounded.

Then they surrendered.

Then, they were tricked and killed.

Two hundred thousand people, not one left.

Ying Zheng took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.