To the First Emperor of Qin: The state has decreed this!

The pride on Fusu's face froze instantly!

What Zhang Fan said is true!

Hundred-times-refined steel is extremely precious and produced in very low quantities!

Only a select few high-ranking officers can be equipped with this!

"but!"

Zhang Fan's voice suddenly rose in pitch!

"What if we used a technology called blast furnace steelmaking!"

"We'll no longer be hammering away, one strike at a time!"

"Instead, it's like smelting copper, letting the molten iron gush out!"

"This isn't forging! This is production! Mass production!"

"The steel we can smelt far surpasses bronze, and is even superior to hundred-times-refined steel!"

boom!!!

Fusu suddenly sat up straight in the rocking chair!

The leisurely look on his face vanished without a trace, replaced by extreme shock and horror!

A weapon harder than bronze?!

Blast furnace steelmaking?!

He stared intently at the enormous sand table, his mind reeling!

If what Zhang Fan said is true...

In this small physics institute!

Hidden within lies a terrifying power capable of overturning the entire world!

however.

While Fusu was still immersed in his fantasy.

Zhang Fan suddenly gave a bitter laugh and lazily slumped back into the rocking chair.

"well……"

A long sigh pulled Fusu back to reality from his shock.

"The idea is good, but it's useless."

Zhang Fan shook his head, his face full of helplessness.

"Mining, steelmaking—which of these doesn't require people? And a massive number of people at that!"

"Where will we find these hundreds of thousands, even tens of thousands, of laborers?"

"If I dared to propose in court that we conscript laborers to mine coal!"

"Those officials and ministers would probably tear me apart on the spot!"

The excitement on Fusu's face vanished instantly.

He frowned, feeling an intense headache.

The corvée labor in the Qin Dynasty was already heavy.

This has long been a source of resentment among the people!

Adding another item, especially a mining project of such a massive scale, is simply impossible!

"Then... what should we do?"

Fusu asked anxiously, as he absolutely did not want the plan to be shelved.

Zhang Fan looked at Fu Su's anxious expression and pondered for a moment.

immediately.

Zhang Fan took out his phone again and quickly tapped a few times on it.

"drop--"

After a soft click, Zhang Fan put the phone to his ear.

"Hey! Commander!"

Zhang Fan's voice instantly became respectful and forceful!

"Any results from our mining plan?"

On the other end of the phone came Zhu Feng's calm voice.

"Got it!"

For this plan!

The top think tank of Bureau 749 barely slept all night!

We considered all the possibilities!

Zhu Feng's voice was resolute!

"Comrade Zhang Fan, our final recommendation is:"

"Persuade Qin Shi Huang to stop building the Great Wall!"

"The labor for building the Great Wall will be directly transferred to miners and steelworkers!"

Hearing this, even Zhang Fan himself was taken aback.

Repairs to the Great Wall have been halted?

This was a crucial national strategy for Ying Zheng to defend against the Xiongnu!

Will he agree?

Seemingly anticipating Zhang Fan's concerns, Zhu Feng immediately offered a solution!

"As for the criticisms from the court officials, they are easily resolved!"

"The first step was for Emperor Qin Shi Huang to propose in court that a million laborers be conscripted to build the Great Wall!"

"Building the Great Wall involved enduring harsh weather conditions, including scorching heat and bitter cold, leading to frequent accidents and heavy casualties!"

"The mortality rate is far higher than imagined!"

"Then, you stood up and disagreed! You suggested mining and blast furnace steelmaking!"

"The mortality rate and scale of mining are far lower than those of building the Great Wall!"

"Both are forms of forced labor! One is sent to its death, the other is sent to create the future!"

"They won't mine if you ask them to! But they'll mine if you ask them to die!"

Zhu Feng's voice was resolute.

However, upon hearing this near-perfect plan...

Zhang Fan hesitated, which was unusual for him.

"Sir...this plan is indeed brilliant!"

"But it's still forced labor for tens of thousands of people. Won't...too many civilians die or get injured?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

immediately.

Zhu Feng's voice rang out again!

"Comrade Zhang Fan! I understand your thoughts, because I was thinking the same thing just now!"

"But the truth is! These laborers are destitute people who can't afford to pay taxes and whose families can't even afford to eat!"

"For them, performing corvée labor at least meant they could at least get a decent meal and avoid starving to death at home!"

"And what about our plan?"

"Not only will they be provided with meals, but they'll also be given enough charcoal to take home to save their lives!"

"Save themselves, and save their wives, children, and elderly parents!"

Zhang Fan was stunned for a moment, then a look of understanding flashed in his eyes, and he nodded heavily.

"I see, I understand now, sir!"

Zhang Fan hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket.

He turned around.

All I saw was Fusu standing there, completely still!

Fusu's face was deathly pale, and his eyes were filled with shock.

And a sorrow never before felt!

"Have the people of Qin... really... really fallen to such a state?"

Fusu's voice trembled, filled with pain and self-blame!

If you don't perform corvée labor, you'll starve to death!

This bloody reality shattered the pride in his heart!

however.

After the shock and grief, a huge question arose in his mind!

He suddenly looked up at Zhang Fan and asked urgently:

"Teacher! I...I don't understand!"

"Since mining and steelmaking are saving them!"

"Why did we have to let Father Emperor propose building the Great Wall first?"

"Why do you still choose to stand up and disagree?"

"Why not just implement benevolent governance?!"

Upon hearing this question...

A hint of approval finally appeared on Zhang Fan's face.

He looked at Fusu and spoke slowly.

"Fusu, if I were to directly petition the emperor to conscript a million laborers to mine, what do you think would happen?"

"Those ministers will say I'm bewitching His Majesty, a treacherous minister who undermines the foundation of the nation!"

"The people of the world will see this as yet another tyranny that will crush them!"

Zhang Fan's voice became deep and powerful.

"When everyone in the world has only one option, and it's a bad option!"

"Even if they die, they will fight back!"

"but!!!"

Zhang Fan's tone suddenly became more serious, and his eyes flashed with a sharp light!

"When you give them two options, one bad and one worse!"

"They will not only not resist!"

Instead, they'll rush to choose the option that's not so bad!

"They'll think that going to mine is a great favor from the emperor!"

"It was His Majesty and the Immortal Master who gave them a way out!"

"They'll even be incredibly grateful to the person who gave them that choice!!!"

boom!!!

In an instant, everything became clear in Fusu's mind!

He understood completely!

Looking at Zhang Fan's face, he felt a chill run down his spine!

This is the true art of imperial strategy!

This is the real open strategy!

It's not just about solving problems!

It also manipulates people's hearts!

It requires people to do the work!

It expects people to work with gratitude!

To kill someone, you must also destroy their spirit!

boom!!!