Daqin Zhentiansi

Qin Tianjian.

The Hall of Stars.

Beneath the enormous starlight curtain, Emperor Yuankang stood with his hands behind his back.

The high-ranking officials from various departments, royal family members, meritorious generals, and several respected Taoist priests from the Imperial Observatory, who had been urgently summoned, gathered in this deep hall.

The starlight, like water, flowed across the solemn faces of the crowd, creating a slightly tense atmosphere.

Everyone wondered what the Emperor's urgent summons was for, given that it was neither a holiday nor a major court session.

"Your Majesty," Minister of Revenue Zuo Qian bowed cautiously, "what urgent matter has prompted your summons?"

Emperor Yuankang turned around, his face lacking its usual composure, instead showing a hint of barely perceptible excitement.

His gaze swept over the crowd, his voice steady yet penetrating: "I have urgently summoned you all here because good news has come from the East Sea, and Marquis Qingyang has brought us another great surprise."

He slightly raised his hand, and Yu Kuizhen, who was standing to the side, immediately presented him with a scroll that emitted a faint, precious light.

Emperor Yuankang took the dossier, unfolded it with a whoosh, and lightning flashed as the text flowed: "This is a list of treasures newly acquired by Marquis Qingyang during his hunt in the East Sea."

As soon as the list was revealed, a collective gasp filled the hall.

"Seven Thunder Rocs with wingspans exceeding twenty zhang, and seven Thunder Cores!"

"A thousand-year-old tree struck by lightning, imbued with the primordial energy of thunder, seven thousand cubic meters!"

"Special blueprints for lightning-attracting needles and diagrams for lightning-bearing furnace arrays!"

"..."

"This...this..." Gongsun Yan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, rushed forward, his beard trembling with excitement, his eyes fixed on the words "Thunder Core", "Drawings for the Thunder-Attracting Golden Needle", and "Illustration of the Thunder-Bearing Furnace Array".

"Your Majesty! This Thunder Core, with its active energy drawn from the thunderous spirit of heaven and earth, is of immeasurable value!"

"As the core driving force, it is enough to bring about a qualitative leap in new warships and even the Imperial City Formation!"

"And these golden needle blueprints and the lightning-collecting furnace array are simply divine objects that can harness lightning for one's own use! These three items must be given priority to the Ministry of Works for research and study!"

Those craftsmen who were conscripted to the East China Sea were the Ministry of Works' treasures.

Unexpectedly, they made such a gain so quickly, and Gongsun Yan and the others were naturally delighted.

But they also knew that ordinary treasures were one thing, but these array blueprints that could strengthen the nation and enhance its fortune might not necessarily be brought back to the Ministry of Works.

But they had to fight.

If these things fall into the hands of other departments, then even the master craftsmen of the Ministry of Works will probably be robbed.

The Ministry of Works has already weakened in recent years and cannot be weakened further.

"Minister Gongsun, you are mistaken!" Minister of Revenue Zuo Qian stepped forward, disregarding etiquette, "Your Majesty! The entire corpse of the Angry Thunder Roc is a treasure; its feathers, bones, and essence are all priceless! The Thunder Core is even more so!"

"Now that the treasures of the East China Sea are flowing like a tide, the Ministry of Revenue needs such rare treasures to enrich its treasury, either for auction to raise massive amounts of military funds, or for rewarding and motivating soldiers on the frontier! I request that these treasures be handed over to the Ministry of Revenue for overall management!"

Just kidding, if the Ministry of Revenue can't get these treasures, then nobody else can.

The Ministry of Revenue is the purse bag of the Qin Dynasty. If treasures don't go into the Ministry of Revenue's treasury, are they going to be given to others?
"Lord Gongsun, Minister Zuo, how can such a treasure containing the power of heavenly thunder be taken lightly?" An elderly man from the Hall of Worship, dressed in a simple Taoist robe and exuding a profound aura, spoke slowly, his voice not loud but overwhelming the argument.

"The core of Thunder contains the true meaning of the Thunder Dao of Heaven and Earth. Its active energy is slowly recovering, which is perfect for us to comprehend the supreme method. It is also an excellent material for refining our natal magic weapon!"

"The Hall of Worship is the cornerstone of the royal family; it deserves a share!"

"The flesh and blood of the Thunder Roc contains pure thunder power, which has miraculous effects on tempering the body, prolonging life and cultivating vitality. I hope Your Majesty will bestow some upon the worshippers in the Hall of Offerings for their cultivation." Several old worshippers behind him also cast eager glances at him.

Worship Hall.

The cornerstone of royalty.

Zuo Qian and Gongsun Yan exchanged a glance, their eyes gleaming.

They must compete, but they must also cooperate; they cannot allow the ancestral hall to gain an advantage from behind.

"I, the Imperial Observatory, also have something to say!" said Daoist Yunmiao, the head of the Imperial Observatory, in a deep voice. "A thousand-year-old tree struck by lightning contains the essence of heaven and earth. Lightning-attracting talismans can communicate with celestial phenomena and complement star-gazing and fortune-telling."

"If it can be integrated into the star-gazing rituals within the prison, it may allow us to gain insight into more celestial mysteries. This item will be of great use within the prison; I urge Your Majesty to allocate it as appropriate!"

For a time, the usually solemn and dignified main hall of the Imperial Observatory became a "battlefield" for vying for resources. The Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Revenue, the Imperial Academy, and the Imperial Observatory were all unwilling to give way to each other, arguing until their faces turned red.

The precious light flowed across the scroll, illuminating every face filled with fervent hope.

What Donghai sent this time was no longer just simple spoils of war, but strategic resources that were enough to change an entire field and propel a great path forward!
Its immense value caused even these high-ranking officials in the empire, who were accustomed to seeing treasures, to completely lose their composure.

Even Yu Kuizhen, standing to the side, was somewhat tempted.

Fortunately, he understood that there were some things the Imperial Household Department didn't need to fight over.

Emperor Yuankang gazed silently into the hall, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

After the argument subsided, he slowly spoke, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority: "Alright."

With just two words, the hall fell silent instantly.

"The Ministry of Works shall acquire three Thunder Cores and a complete set of blueprints and catalogs," Emperor Yuankang decreed. "The Ministry of Works' Refining Hall shall be tasked with prioritizing their use for the upgrade and modernization of the flagship 'Zhenhai Ship.' The Ministry of Works shall also establish a special team to research new types of warships and the application of large formations."

"The Ministry of Revenue will control the two Thunder Cores, and 70% of the materials from the corpse of the Angry Thunder Roc will be stored in the Ministry of Revenue for reserves and large-scale allocation and auction."

"A Thunder Core from the Offering Hall, the essence and blood of a raging Thunder Roc corpse, and carefully selected Thunder Feather materials."

"The Imperial Observatory obtained 1,000 cubic meters of wood struck by lightning a thousand years ago, which was used for the stabilization and calculation of the star observation system."

"The remaining Thunder Core will be stored in the internal treasury; the remaining 20% ​​of the Thunder Roc materials will be allocated to the meritorious soldiers of the Eastern Frontier Camp."

The allocation was swift and precise, taking into account all parties, but it also highlighted the preciousness and scarcity of core resources.

Although all parties were still unwilling, they knew that this was a balanced result after His Majesty's careful consideration, and could only agree in unison: "Your subjects obey the decree!"

However, just when everyone thought the discussion was over and their minds were still on those earth-shattering treasures, the excitement on Emperor Yuankang's face had vanished, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity.

The atmosphere in the hall instantly shifted from the previous "fierce competition" to a somber "storm is brewing" mood, all because of the emperor's expression.

Emperor Yuankang slowly raised his hand and pointed to the side.

Yu Kuizhen understood and gently waved to her side and behind her.

Two eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department walked forward solemnly, carefully carrying a heavy bronze box.

The box was opened, revealing two items: a rubbing of a stone tablet covered with ancient, mottled marks, and a rubbing of a peculiar stone platform fragment engraved with strange, distorted star trail runes.

Everyone's attention was drawn to it, and their hearts sank, sensing that something even more astonishing was about to be revealed.

"These rubbings of the stone tablet and the array diagram," Emperor Yuankang's voice was low and solemn, "were obtained by Marquis Qingyang from the deepest part of the East Sea, at the site of the ancient Kun Island that sank!"

"The inscription on the stone tablet has been preliminarily deciphered by Confucian and Taoist masters familiar with the ancient Qin dynasty." Emperor Yuankang's gaze swept over the shocked faces of the crowd as he spoke, word by word, "It records that the ancient Qin 'Zhenhai Guard' established the 'Star-Piercing Platform' on this island 100,000 years ago, attempting to establish a gateway connecting... to the battlefields beyond the borders!" (End of Chapter)