I started on a deserted island and encountered Ying Zheng, who insisted I was an immortal.

After a hearty meal, Wang Ben patted his belly, which was bulging more than his chest muscles, and let out a loud, satisfied burp.

He looked at the curved plow and the seed drill as if they were his most beloved weapons, finding them pleasing to the eye no matter how he looked at them.

"With these divine resources, along with potatoes and rice..." Ying Zheng's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement, "The Qin Dynasty will be free from starvation!"

Meng Yi held the curved plow, carefully wiping the dirt off it with his sleeve, as if it were not wood but a peerless jade.

"It's more than just eliminating hunger." He raised his head, his usually calm face now flushed. "Your Majesty, what the people desire is nothing more than food and shelter. The reason the remnants of the six kingdoms can still incite the people is simply by using the fear of 'not being able to survive' as a pretext. If everyone in the world had enough to eat, who would follow those old nobles to their deaths?"

"He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world"—this saying is absolutely true!

Wang Ben, listening intently, was filled with excitement. He slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "That's right! When the grain supplies are piled up like mountains, I'll lead my troops to pacify the Xiongnu, and then we'll deal with the Baiyue in the south! Let's see if they still dare to challenge the Great Qin!"

The three of them, one after another, began to plan a grand blueprint for the agricultural reform of the Qin Dynasty, as if a brand new golden age was just around the corner.

Zhang Ying had no interest in their pronouncements on state affairs.

The weather is getting hotter and hotter, the sun is scorching the earth, and the air is filled with a scorching smell.

He pointed to the two farm tools they treasured: "Alright, stop dreaming. Hurry up and move these things back. What if they get ruined by the sun?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Yi, without saying a word, carefully hoisted the curved plow onto his shoulder as if it were his own son, afraid of bumping or damaging it.

Wang Ben also lifted the heavier seed drill with a "heave-ho".

Zhang Ying ignored the three men who were on steroids and dragged a heavy sack out of the thatched hut.

Back in the cave, he untied the sack and poured the grayish-white granular crystals inside into the large earthenware jar used to store water.

"Sizzle—"

The water in the earthenware jar churned violently instantly, bubbling up countless bubbles and even making a slight popping sound, splashing water everywhere.

The three leaders of the Qin Dynasty, who were placing the "divine object," were startled by the commotion. When they turned around, they were all dumbfounded.

"Sir, why...why is the water boiling?" Wang Ben stared with panda eyes, looking utterly incredulous.

How can water boil on its own in this sweltering heat? What kind of magic is this?

Zhang Ying ignored him. After the water in the vat gradually calmed down, he took a clean porcelain basin, carefully let it float on the water, and then poured half a basin of cooled boiled water into it.

Ying Zheng, Wang Ben, and Meng Yi curiously gathered around, their eyes wide as they stared intently at the porcelain basin.

Strange things happened.

A layer of white icy mist rose from the surface of the water in the earthenware jar and swirled around the porcelain basin.

Under their horrified gaze, the cooled boiled water in the porcelain basin visibly began to condense into a thin layer of white frost from the edge, and then solidified into a hard block of ice.

"Ice! It's frozen!" Wang Ben's voice trembled.

"On a sweltering day, water freezes into ice..." Meng Yi muttered to himself, his hand trembling as he almost dropped his willow-twig pen. "This is no ordinary human skill; it is the work of immortals!"

Ying Zheng's Adam's apple bobbed as he stared at Zhang Ying, the question once again rising to his lips: "Sir, what exactly are you...?"

"It's just junior high school chemistry knowledge," Zhang Ying thought to herself, rolling her eyes.

Saltpeter absorbs a large amount of heat when dissolved in water, causing the water temperature to drop sharply below zero, thus freezing surrounding objects. This stuff was used to make ice in ancient times; it's hardly some kind of magical technique.

It's impossible to explain to these illiterate people.

He simply didn't bother to explain and tacitly accepted their absurd speculation.

Zhang Ying picked up a large bowl next to her, poured it full of her own brewed high-proof Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), then smashed the ice in the porcelain basin with her fist with a "bang," and threw a handful of ice shards into the bowl.

Crystal-clear ice cubes floated in the clear liquor, and wisps of white, chilly air wafted from the rim of the bowl.

A bowl of chilled Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) is ready.

"Gulp."

Looking at the bowl of chilly wine, Wang Ben couldn't help but swallow hard, his mouth practically watering.

In this awful weather, what a treat it would be to have a sip of ice-cold liquor.

"Greedy?" Zhang Ying glanced at him. "Wipe your drool."

Wang Ben blushed and quickly wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Come on, don't just watch." Zhang Ying took out a few more bowls and poured one for each of them. "Drink and play mahjong, enjoy yourselves."

Upon hearing that there would be mahjong to play and iced wine to drink, the three of them immediately forgot their earlier shock and readily agreed.

On the stone table, the mahjong tiles were neatly arranged.

Ying Zheng threw the dice, drew the cards, then picked up the bowl and carefully took a sip of chilled Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor).

An intensely cool sensation slid down my throat, instantly dispelling the heat in my internal organs. Immediately afterward, a fiery aroma of alcohol shot straight to the top of my head.

Ice and Fire.

"That was awesome!" He let out a long sigh of relief, feeling refreshed.

"Old Wang, stop drinking and start playing cards!" Ying Zheng urged Wang Ben as he drank from the bowl.

After a few rounds of mahjong, the atmosphere in the cave became lively again.

As Ying Zheng drew cards, he casually asked the question he had kept hidden for a long time.

"Sir, have you ever heard of... the First Emperor of Qin?"

"You always say you're Qin Shi Huang, why are you asking me this?" Zhang Ying played a card without looking up. "Although I didn't study history, I still received nine years of compulsory education. Who doesn't know Qin Shi Huang?"

Ying Zheng was overjoyed and sat up straighter.

"Oh? Then, in your opinion, what kind of person was the First Emperor of Qin?"

"The greatest emperor of all time, of course," Zhang Ying said casually. "He swept across the land, ending more than five hundred years of war, and established the first unified feudal dynasty in China. He standardized the width of carts, the written language, and weights and measures. He was incredibly awesome."

Upon hearing this praise, Ying Zheng's face lit up with satisfaction, waiting for Zhang Ying to continue her compliments.

"However..." Zhang Ying changed the subject.

"This emperor, who was a great ruler throughout history, became a bit muddle-headed in his later years. He was obsessed with immortality and was completely fooled by a group of alchemists. The worst part was that, in order to remain emperor forever, he never designated a crown prince until his death."

"As a result, he died on the sand dune platform during his fifth patrol."

"Then his most trusted prime minister Li Si and the eunuch Zhao Gao conspired to alter the imperial edict, forcing the eldest son Fusu, who was supposed to succeed to the throne, to commit suicide, and installing a mentally challenged son, Huhai, on the throne."