Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the exquisite design drawings.

Li Si stared intently at the scene, his eyes flashing with surprise and admiration.

Although he was not a craftsman, as a top Legalist political theorist and pragmatist, he had an extraordinary keenness and understanding of things that could enhance national strength, especially the fundamentals of agriculture and warfare.

The clearly marked curved lines, adjustable plowshares, and ingenious plowshare connections on the diagram... every modification directly addresses the pain points of the existing plow, which are clumsy, laborious, and inefficient. These are not mere figments of imagination, but rather well-thought-out and targeted improvements.

Although I haven't built or tested it, I don't know exactly how much effort it saves or how much it speeds up, or whether it's really as magical as Zhou Wenqing said.

However, the clarity of thought, the rationality of structure, and the precision of problem-solving presented in these drawings far exceed the scope of ordinary "ingenious ideas" and are more like a mature and feasible improvement plan!

Li Si suddenly looked up at Zhou Wenqing, his face filled with disbelief and emotion, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Brother Zicheng! You...you actually believe in me so much?!"

Zhou Wenqing simply smiled and said casually, "I trust Brother Gu'an's character."

Just kidding! If I don't believe in you, Li Si, how could I not believe in the one sitting next to you—the "First Emperor" Qin Shi Huang, who swept across the six kingdoms, standardized writing and cart axles, and laid the foundation for two thousand years of Chinese civilization?!

This blueprint of mine was originally a "gift" prepared for this "ancestor"!

Of course, these words should never be spoken aloud.

He simply smiled, shifting his gaze from the excited Li Si back to the blueprints, and naturally, it fell upon Ying Zheng, who had remained the most composed throughout, his gaze fixed intently on the blueprints.

"What does Brother Shengzhi think?"

"It's worth a try!" Ying Zheng's fingertips slowly traced the blueprints as he frowned in thought. He easily grasped the core advantage of the curved plow—simplifying the complex and making cultivation easy.

With this item completed and this support, when heading east out of Hangu Pass, one's steps will be heavier and more steady.

Thinking of this, even with his deep and unwavering nature, he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion welling up inside him.

My gaze swept over every detail of the silk scroll again and again, as if I could already see it turning over new soil in the fertile fields of Guanzhong.

He abruptly raised his head, his gaze piercing, staring directly at Zhou Wenqing, his tone urgent:

"However, we will only know the extent of its effectiveness, whether the materials are available, and the difficulty of its production through actual trial production. Brother Zicheng, we should not delay."

He pointed heavily at the silk scroll with his finger. "Could you give me this drawing? Because of my trade in the border regions, I have some advantages in terms of materials and craftsmanship. I also don't need to worry about the expenses. If Brother Zicheng agrees, we can send someone to start making a trial production right now."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wenqing raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, understanding in his heart: It seems that his "ancestor" is quite satisfied with this "gift," and his actions... are indeed swift and decisive.

"Giving the silk scroll to Brother Shengzhi is certainly fine," Zhou Wenqing said with a smile. "However, Wenqing has one small condition."

Ying Zheng's gaze sharpened, and his aura seemed to become three degrees more composed, but he showed no displeasure. Instead, he appeared to be listening attentively: "Zicheng, please speak freely about your conditions. As long as it is within my power, I will do my utmost to satisfy them."

He referred to himself as "Zhong" and made a solemn promise in his capacity as "Zhao Zhong".

"Brother Shengzhi, you're exaggerating. It's not that serious." Zhou Wenqing quickly waved his hand and said frankly, "I just hope that if this curved plow can be successfully made, the first batch could be given to the farmers in this village for trial use first."

He looked at Ying Zheng, his gaze clear, his reasons sound and reasonable: "We need to conduct on-site experiments to verify the effects. Rather than seeking unfamiliar fields and farmers elsewhere, why not start here? Firstly, I have a better understanding of the village's fields and the farmers' habits, making it easier to observe and record. Secondly, it's a way of offering something to the villagers I live with day and night, providing them with the earliest possible convenience. I wonder if Brother Shengzhi would grant this small request?"

Ying Zheng was taken aback, clearly not expecting Zhou Wenqing to propose such a completely altruistic condition that had no direct connection to his own interests.

He scrutinized Zhou Wenqing for a moment, then suddenly clapped his hands and burst into laughter.

"Excellent! What a wonderful idea to 'make things convenient for the villagers'! Brother Zicheng's sincere concern for his neighbors is evident. This is a benevolent act; how could we possibly refuse it?"

With his mind made up, Zhou Wenqing stood up and solemnly bowed to Ying Zheng: "In that case, on behalf of the villagers, I would like to express my gratitude to Brother Sheng for his generosity and kindness."

"Brother Zicheng, please rise!" Ying Zheng also stood up, extending his hand to help him up. His tone was sincere yet unusually passionate. "To offer such a powerful weapon, benefiting agriculture and sericulture, is something I, on behalf of the Qin state and the people of the world, should thank for your noble act, Brother Zicheng!"

Seeing this, Li Si and Meng Wu also stood up solemnly, bowed respectfully to Zhou Wenqing, and spoke in unison, their words resounding:

"On behalf of the Qin state and the people of the world, I thank Brother Zicheng for his righteousness!"

Tsk! Let's have the First Emperor, the Prime Minister of Qin, and General Meng Wu all bow in gratitude. Tell me, who else would do that?!

Zhou Wenqing sighed inwardly, but his actions were swift. He quickly stepped forward, offering one hand to support Li Si and gesturing to Meng Wu with the other.

"Alright, alright, please rise, all of you. This back-and-forth of thanks is never going to end. I think we should skip the formalities and get straight to the point, shall we?"

"Brother Zicheng is indeed straightforward! Then let's do as Brother Zicheng says, cut the small talk and get down to business."

"Next..." Meng Wu turned to look at him, "Should we talk about that other treasure—'fertilizer'?"

"That's right, it's fertilizer."

Zhou Wenqing returned to his desk once again, and took back another silk scroll, which he unfolded on the table, placing it side by side with the silk scroll of "Curved Plow".

"I'm sure Brother Gu'an has already explained what fertilizer is and how effective it is, so I won't go into details. Everything should be based on the actual product."

He got straight to the point, pointing to the newly unfolded silk scroll.

"This silk scroll contains my detailed record of the fertilizer production process."

Li Si didn't look at the silk book first, but instead stroked his chin and looked thoughtfully at Zhou Wenqing's desk.

"It seems that Brother Zicheng's desk is indeed hiding quite a few treasures! If I have the chance, I must personally take action and thoroughly search Brother Zicheng's 'treasure trove'!" he joked.

"Oh?" Zhou Wenqing stepped aside, feigning wariness, but his tone rose slightly, and a sly glint flashed in his eyes.

"Then I'd better quickly add more locks to the study to guard against 'refined thieves' like Brother Gu'an."

"Locked?! Hahahaha!" Li Si burst into laughter at his reaction. "It seems Brother Zicheng still has quite a few 'treasures' he hasn't brought out yet! I'd better keep a close eye on them, or I'm afraid I won't be able to resist picking the lock!"

"This is not the act of a gentleman. For Brother Gu'an's sake, it seems we must stop keeping these two vicious dogs to guard the gate."

The two joked around, which livened up the atmosphere again, and even Meng Wu couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Ying Zheng's gaze fell on Zhou Wenqing's bright face, and the admiration in his eyes grew stronger, a sharp gleam of someone who had discovered a rare gem and was determined to obtain it.

"No rush," he said slowly. "What treasure trove is a mere table? Sooner or later, with my sincerity, Brother Zicheng will willingly and without reservation reveal all that he holds in his heart."

This trip was absolutely the right one.

Ying Zheng had made up his mind; this trip was to win over talents like Zhou Wenqing and make him completely devoted to learning from them.

He had this confidence and this magnanimity, and he firmly believed that someone like Zhou Wenqing would understand his thoughts and aspirations and be in sync with his.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wenqing paused slightly.

He subconsciously looked up and met Ying Zheng's eyes, which were as calm as an ancient well.

The air was silent...

Zhou Wenqing squeezed his eyes shut. It felt as if molten lava was pounding against his flesh and bones deep in his chest, so much so that he could almost hear the echo of his own blood throbbing!

"good!"

He picked up the cup of tea on the table, which had long since gone cold.

"Then I will wait for that day."

I raised the cup and drank it all in one gulp. The cool tea went down my throat, its taste slightly bitter, but it just right to suppress the burning sensation in my throat.

He gently placed the empty cup back on the table, the soft "tap" sound like a silent seal falling upon this unspoken covenant.

Li Si and Meng Wu exchanged a glance and raised their cups together.

"Brother Keiko Cheng!"

Seeing this, Zhou Wenqing's smile deepened slightly. He poured himself another half cup of tea, raised his cup in response, and the four ceramic cups lightly touched in the air without making a crisp sound. There was only the rustling of sleeves and a silent solemnity.