Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Zhou Wenqing, unaware of Fusu's thoughts, looked at Li Si shaking his head and chuckling, ceasing his banter with him. He then turned to face Ying Zheng, his expression returning to composure.

"Actually, it's quite ordinary. The preparation of firewood depends on daily accumulation and adapting to local conditions. I have three suggestions."

"Firstly, during the autumn harvest, I have sent letters to all villages, repeatedly emphasizing that every household should store more millet stalks, bean stalks, miscellaneous tree branches and dry grass. These are fuels that can be prepared during the off-season, and are readily available and sufficient for daily cooking and heating needs."

"Secondly, in pastoral areas such as the northern border and Longxi, herders can be taught to mix cattle and sheep manure with grass clippings, press it into cakes, and after drying it, it becomes a durable 'manure cake' that provides long-lasting heat and can supplement the lack of firewood."

"Thirdly, Your Majesty, please send someone with a keen eye to look out for the rock strata in the Wei River Valley and the mountains in the north. If there are any dark stones scattered around, collect them in small quantities and hand them over to the Craftsmen's Office to test their properties. This substance may be able to aid combustion, but it must be handled with care. Only after understanding its usage can we consider promoting it."

He paused briefly before concluding, "In short, the key to fuel is to increase supply and reduce expenditure, and to take multiple measures. We must let the people know that they can save up enough fuel to make a warm kang (heated brick bed) by using local materials. Only in this way can the benefits of a kang last."

After listening, Ying Zheng slowly nodded, "Minister Zhou's considerations are profound, and I am very pleased. Naturally, I have no objection, but..."

He raised his eyes, his gaze suddenly sharpening as he precisely captured the "third" that Zhou Wenqing had just casually mentioned.

"You just mentioned, my dear minister, 'a dark stone that can be ignited.' I have never heard of such a thing before. This stone can actually start a fire?"

I knew you'd ask this question when you arrived.

Zhou Wenqing remained calm and composed, not even bothering to suppress his smile. He simply straightened his body slightly, adopting a composed demeanor as if he were about to give a detailed account.

"Your Majesty is wise. I once heard a fellow disciple mention this. The locals call it 'burning stone.' It can indeed start a fire, and the fire is far more intense and lasts longer than ordinary firewood."

He paused, then naturally changed the subject: "But this stone is fiery. It can't be burned as soon as it's chiseled out. Newly mined stones produce a lot of smoke. If not handled properly, it can at least irritate the eyes and throat, and at worst, cause people to be choked by the smoke, which they may not be able to withstand."

"However, when my senior brother traveled back then, he had already figured out some tricks of reforming it. I thought, why not let the craftsmen carefully study the recipe, roast it, remove impurities, and adjust its fire properties? If it can be successfully tested, given its strong properties, in time it may not be able to rival firewood, or even replace it."

Anyway, the loophole in the sect has already been exposed, so patching it up... well, it's barely patched up. Might as well use it. One blame is one thing, two blames are another thing. In any case, the "senior brothers" can't be found. Zhou Wenqing said this without the slightest guilt.

Finally, as if he had inadvertently remembered something, his speech slowed down and his tone became somewhat subdued:

"Unfortunately, this material is scarce in Qin, which would make it expensive. It may not be able to completely replace firewood. However, my senior brother mentioned that when he traveled to Zhao, he saw that the eastern foothills of Taihang Mountain and the banks of the Fu River were covered with combustible stones. The locals said that they did not use much of it because they were worried about the poisonous smoke, but the stones... were exposed to the wind and rain for many years and they did not seem to decrease."

So Your Majesty, don't just focus on the people of Han, Zhao also has good things!

Ying Zheng tapped his finger lightly on the edge of the imperial desk.

Zhao State...

A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and his tone was icy and flat: "In that case, let the craftsmen try to make it first. If this thing can be successfully made, it will be a blessing for all craftsmen."

He paused, his voice as calm as if he were talking about the weather.

"As for the Zhao territory... when the world is unified one day, these will naturally belong to our Great Qin." He paused slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "For now, it is fine for the King of Zhao to keep them."

Zhou Wenqing subtly raised an eyebrow.

As expected of the King... He is so domineering and nonchalant, even when "stealing" something, he can say "I will keep it for now"!

He immediately cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and said fluently, "Your Majesty's grand plans are awaited by your humble servant."

Ying Zheng gave a faint "hmm" and didn't continue the topic, as if the endless burning stones hidden deep in the mountains of Zhao were just a punctuation mark that would be added to the map sooner or later—the person who would add the punctuation mark was already on the way, it was only a matter of time.

Zhou Wenqing put his hand down and suddenly felt that something was wrong.

He tilted his head slightly.

What about Li Si?

Normally, Brother Gu'an would be the first to utter such flattering words as "Your Majesty is wise," and he could spout them in eloquent language. Why is there no response today?

He turned his head away.

Li Si held the pen, his expression subtle—not serious, not solemn, but a complex look somewhere between "Did I just hear wrong?" and "This doesn't seem convenient to ask."

He looked down at the second point he had just noted down, then looked up at Zhou Wenqing, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Zhou Wenqing waited patiently.

Li Si looked down again, as if to make sure that the words hadn't changed under his nose.

Finally, he spoke, his voice eight octaves lower than usual, carrying an almost cautious uncertainty:

"You just said that the second one... should be mixed with straw, pressed into cakes, dried in the sun, and used as firewood..."

He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing noticeably, as if he were squeezing the word out with difficulty, as if trying to force it from between his teeth:

"Is it... feces?"

Zhou Wenqing's gaze fell on Li Si's face, which was filled with the message, "You better tell me it's not true."

Oh ~

So that's what Brother Gu'an was struggling with.

He understood immediately, and while taking a sip of tea, he managed to suppress the barely suppressed smile in his eyes.

Cow and sheep dung is not the same as chicken or pig manure, the excrement of omnivores. After being sorted and dried, it looks more like proper fuel. Apart from a faint grassy smell, it has almost no odor. It's just that people in the Central Plains don't have this habit of burning firewood, so it's understandable that they haven't seen it or know about it.

Understandable —

But I don't want to let it go.

A mischievous urge suddenly welled up in Zhou Wenqing's heart. He put down his teacup and then, seriously, slowly, and with absolute certainty, nodded.

The next second, Li Si's expression... cracked.

He opened his mouth but made no sound, looking at Zhou Wenqing with a complex mix of emotions swirling in his eyes—shock, confusion, struggle, despair, and a faint, dying struggle, as if asking: You're not kidding, are you?

Zhou Wenqing was not joking.

Zhou Wenqing is looking at him.

Furthermore, Zhou Wenqing's lips were slowly and dangerously curving upwards in an extremely restrained arc.

"Pfft—hahahahaha!"

Zhou Wenqing couldn't hold back any longer. He laughed so hard his shoulders shook, and he had to raise his hand to support his forehead, hiding half of his face in his palm.

That's rare, extremely rare.

Li Si was a man who always navigated the court with the composure of "unperturbed by favor or disgrace." Faced with his startling remarks, he always tried his best to smooth things over, remaining dignified, thorough, and flawless. But at this moment, his face clearly showed:

My place in history, my achievements, my eternal glory—

It was being trampled over by a bunch of dried-up, rock-hard dung cakes!

Back and forth!

It was crushed to pieces!

Zhou Wenqing's eyes welled up with tears from smiling.

Li Si looked at Zhou Neishi, who was laughing so hard he could barely breathe, and finally managed to squeeze out a reaction from his broken state, each word being ground out from between his teeth:

"Zhou Neishi, you've tricked me again!"

Zhou Wenqing barely managed to suppress his laughter, raised his eyes, and looked completely innocent.

"Brother Gu'an, why do you say that? These cow and sheep dung cakes are indeed excellent fuel." He paused, his tone so sincere it was almost radiant. "Cows and sheep only eat grass, so their dung isn't particularly filthy. Once it's made into cakes and dried thoroughly, it doesn't actually have much of a odor."

He even added, in a gentle and mild tone:

"The people of the border region have used this for generations. It works very well. Apart from the fact that the temperature is not as high, it is not only much more stable than firewood, but it can also keep you warm all night without anyone watching over it. Moreover, it is very easy to store and transport."

Li Si: "..."

Why didn't you say so earlier?

Why didn't you say so earlier?!