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

On this day of the grand court assembly, the main hall of Zhangtai Palace was packed with people.

Almost all the civil and military officials who are usually absent due to cultivation or official duties are present today.

The military officers' armor was polished to a gleaming shine, while the civil officials' robes were neatly arranged.

Even the vice ministers and their subordinates who rarely show their faces have come, crowding both sides of the main hall.

Everyone wore an unusual expression.

Qin Tian stood at the front of the line, still dressed in white, still with a lazy and composed demeanor.

He hadn't attended the morning assembly for several months, and he came today simply because he knew what the topic of the day was.

Fusu stood to his side and slightly behind.

Then Ying Zheng's eyelids started twitching.

Fusu carried two large iron hammers on his back, one on each side.

It was tied to his back with a thick iron chain, and two hammerheads hung down at his waist.

With each step he swayed slightly, producing a dull metallic clanging sound.

The hammerhead was a size larger than his own head, and its surface was polished smooth and shiny.

Each one weighs at least two or three hundred pounds, and the two together weigh six or seven hundred pounds.

He carried it on his back, his steps steady as usual, without even panting.

Ying Zheng sat on his throne, looking at his eldest son, who was originally gentle, refined, and well-educated.

But now he enters the main hall in such an appearance.

After a moment of silence, he sighed inwardly and said nothing.

The image of Fusu returning to Xianyang a few years ago involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

At that time, Fusu was wearing a clean, dark blue robe, with a jade belt around his waist and a beautifully decorated sword.

When walking, his steps are neither too big nor too small, and when he cups his hands in a salute, his posture is so perfect that it looks like it was copied from a textbook.

He speaks softly and quotes extensively from classical texts; he can talk about a passage from the Analects for an hour.

From the profound words of Confucius to the timeless principles of governing the country and bringing peace to the world.

It is rich in classical allusions, every word is carefully selected, and there is no repetition from beginning to end.

What about Fusu now?

He carried two heavy iron hammers, each weighing several hundred pounds, to court.

The hammer made a thumping sound as it walked on the ground.

Those unaware of the situation might think someone was dismantling a roof beam in the imperial court.

His gaze toward the civil and military officials carried a strange scrutiny.

It was as if he was silently estimating everyone's arm strength, trying to figure out if each person could withstand his hammer blow.

His way of speaking has changed too.

In the past, people would often quote Confucius or the Book of Poetry.

Now, the words coming out of their mouths are "Dignity lies only on the hammer" and "Truth lies only within the range of the hammer's swing."

A few days ago, Ying Zheng visited Fusu's residence and overheard Fusu talking eloquently to several young civil officials who had come to seek his advice.

It's about the saying, "If friends come from afar, even if they are far away, they shall be punished."

He managed to combine Confucius's words with another completely unrelated statement, and he did it without batting an eye.

The young civil officials were stunned, and some even took out their notebooks and wrote it down carefully.

One day, Ying Zheng couldn't hold back any longer and, during a private conversation with Fusu after the morning court session, asked, "Fusu, why do you carry those two iron hammers to court every day? What kind of decorum is this?"

Fusu looked calmly at his father and said, "Father, Confucius said, 'A gentleman who is not dignified will not command respect. A gentleman who does not carry heavy weapons will not be authoritative.'"

"Since I wish to be a refined and elegant gentleman, I naturally need to be equipped with such heavy weapons to possess both majesty and benevolence."

Ying Zheng's eyelids twitched several times. He opened his mouth to refute, but swallowed the words back.

Although he had not studied the Analects, he knew that this was not the meaning of the sentence.

A son who has been reading the Analects for over a decade should not, in theory, misunderstand what Confucius said.

It's obvious without even thinking that my good imperial advisor has completely led my eldest son astray.

He sighed, deeply doubting his decision to have Fusu study under Qin Tian.

But he also knew that Fusu was indeed different.

He is no longer that indecisive young master who shrinks from challenges.

Those two large iron hammers were probably the witness to his transformation.

Ying Zheng shook his head slightly, temporarily gathering his chaotic thoughts, and sat up straight.

His gaze swept over the solemn faces in the hall, and he cleared his throat.

"My lords."

The hushed conversation in the hall instantly fell silent.

"Today's grand court assembly is attended by both civil and military officials. I believe you all already know what is being discussed."

Ying Zheng's gaze swept from the ranks of military generals to the ranks of civil officials, finally landing on Qin Tian. He paused for a moment, then looked away.

"Great Qin has accumulated resources for four years, with ample provisions, strong horses, well-equipped armor, and advanced weaponry. The art of guiding Yuan energy has been widely adopted within the army. The Xiongnu have occupied the northern frontier, repeatedly raiding our borders, plundering our people, seizing our livestock, and destroying our fields. I have endured this for four years, and Great Qin has endured this for four years."

"Today, it's time to settle accounts."

The hall was silent for a moment, then a low murmur of commotion broke out among the ranks of the military officers.

Some people clenched their fists and instinctively gripped the hilt of their swords at their waists.

They've waited too long.

From the moment the Qin Dynasty began smelting steel, sowing high-yield grains, and teaching the art of guiding Yuan energy.

They had been waiting for this day to come.

For four years, more than a thousand days and nights, they trained, they practiced, they honed their armor and swords.

While staring at the northern sky, I counted down the days—almost there, almost there, it's about time.

Fusu stepped forward in the queue, gripped the chains of the two iron hammers behind him with both hands, and suddenly raised the hammers to his chest, causing them to collide with each other with a loud crash.

A thunderous metallic clang erupted in the hall, sending dust flying from the window frames. Several civil officials instinctively shrank back.

"The insignificant Xiongnu," Fusu's voice was laced with disdain, "can simply be pushed over and that will be the end of it."

After a brief silence in the hall, a chorus of approving whispers and laughter erupted from the ranks of the military officers.

Meng Tian stood beside Fusu and nodded slightly.

He stepped forward and bowed to Ying Zheng on the throne.

"Your Majesty, I have been ordered to oversee military preparations in the northern frontier, and I now report on the situation." Meng Tian's voice echoed in the hall.

"The Qin Dynasty currently has 20,000 light cavalry, each with three horses, equipped with fine iron armor, and the horses' vital parts are also armored. They are well-equipped with bows and crossbows, and their weapons are of high quality; they can travel 400 li a day, even traveling day and night. Although the Xiongnu have hundreds of thousands of archers, their armor is crude, and their weapons are of varying quality. In terms of combat strength and equipment, they are far inferior to our army and are not a threat."

A civil official peeked out from the ranks and cautiously asked, "General Meng, if the light cavalry is already so well-equipped, how many heavy cavalry do you have? And what is their equipment like?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Tian turned his head to glance at the civil official, then held up five fingers: "Five hundred heavy cavalry."