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

Li Si collapsed to the ground.

Li Si devoted half his life to assisting the emperor, and only then did he build the edifice of the prefecture-county system, completely eradicating the cancer of enfeoffment.

Now, His Majesty has personally smashed a hole in this building for the sake of some unknown outsider.

No.

wrong.

A flash of lightning streaked through Li Si's muddled mind.

This is not a hole.

This is another sword hanging over Li Si, prepared by His Majesty.

With Zhao Gao dead, the position of Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office was vacant. The court appeared stable on the surface, but in reality, undercurrents were surging.

Li Si was the greatest synthesizer of Legalism and the most steadfast implementer of the national policy of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce.

But what Zhang Ying presented—those crops yielding thousands or even tens of thousands of kilograms per mu—completely negated his achievements in the first half of his life.

His Majesty has seen another way.

A broad road that integrates agriculture and commerce, and even promotes agriculture through commerce.

But Li Si was a stumbling block on this path.

His Majesty will not kill him.

But His Majesty will support another person, someone who can represent a new direction, to check and balance him, or even... replace him.

Zhang Ying.

Marquis of Hanzhong.

Li Si's chapped lips moved, emitting a barely audible murmur.

"Well said, Marquis of Hanzhong..."

Ying Zheng looked at the distraught Li Si, his face expressionless.

An overly powerful prime minister is not a good thing for the empire.

He gave Zhang Ying a stage, a stage big enough.

Hanzhong was his testing ground.

Whether one is a dragon or a worm depends entirely on one's own destiny.

He, Ying Zheng, was pleased to see it happen.

……

Outside the tent, chaos had already broken out.

"Have you heard? His Majesty has bestowed upon Mr. Zhang the title of Marquis of Hanzhong!"

"Marquis of Hanzhong? My goodness! That's a Marquis of Che!"

"Not only that! His Majesty granted the entire Hanzhong Commandery to Mr. Zhang as his fief!"

"The entire Hanzhong Commandery!?"

The three thousand elite soldiers responsible for the transport were in an uproar.

Among the crowd, a burly, dark-skinned young soldier clenched his fists tightly, his body trembling slightly with excitement.

His name is Ugly Husband.

A farmer's son from Chenggu County, Hanzhong Prefecture.

A few days ago, he was nearly hit by a rolling sack because he was too tired while carrying supplies. Mr. Zhang pulled him away and gave him a roasted sweet potato.

He will never forget the sweet aroma of that roasted sweet potato.

Now, this living deity who saved his life has become the master of Hanzhong.

The ugly man's chest heaved violently.

He wants to follow Mr. Zhang!

He would be willing to be even the lowest-ranking bodyguard.

This is not just about repaying a debt of gratitude.

They even followed a divine being who could ensure that all the people of Hanzhong and the Qin Dynasty had enough to eat!

This is the highest honor.

The large ship set sail, carrying Ying Zheng, Li Si, and tens of millions of pounds of hope, slowly drifting away from the coast.

Zhang Ying stood on the beach, with only Yin Xu and three hundred Xuanwu Guards by her side.

"Sir, His Majesty has decreed that we three hundred men are now entirely at your command," Yin Xu said, bowing.

"Okay, got it." Zhang Ying waved her hand. "Stop with the formalities, get to work."

He led three hundred men back to the emptied caves.

"Clean up everything that's still usable inside, don't leave anything out."

The Xuanwu Guards obeyed orders and began a thorough cleaning of the cave.

In the deepest corner of the cave, Zhang Ying discovered a pile of grayish-white crystalline minerals.

"Salt water?"

He picked up a little bit and placed it in his palm.

He dug this out of a mine when he was making a simple refrigerator.

This thing is quite common in modern times; it's used for making ice and gunpowder.

But on this deserted island, once you leave this village, you won't find this shop again, and you won't know where to look for it later.

"Pack them all up and take them with you," Zhang Ying ordered.

Unbeknownst to him, his decision, made purely out of fear of not needing it in the future, stirred up new waves in the hearts of Yin Xu and the Xuanwu Guards.

Saltpeter, used by alchemists in alchemy, can also be used in medicine.

Immortal disciples, indeed, cannot live without these things.

The cleanup work lasted for half a day.

Zhang Ying led his men to the area on the back mountain where he had set up the traps.

One by one, the animal traps were filled in again.

The tripwires were put away one by one.

"Sir, what is this?" Yin Xu asked, puzzled.

"This island has sustained me for three years, so it's like my second home." Zhang Ying patted the dirt off her hands. "If anyone else ends up here in the future, or if any small animals wander by, don't let them hurt them."

Yin Xu remained silent.

Looking at Zhang Ying's profile, he suddenly realized that this gentleman's heart was much softer than he had imagined.

Subsequently, Zhang Ying directed the Xuanwu Guards to herd the dozens of old goats he had raised on the island, as well as several wild boars he had raised from cubs, onto the only remaining medium-sized ship.

The beehive is hard to take, so I'll leave it on this island.

By the time all this was done, it was nearly dusk.

Zhang Ying carried two freshly roasted lamb legs and walked alone into the depths of the back mountain.

"Sir, the mountains are dangerous, we must protect you!" Yin Xu said, leading his men to try and follow.

"Stop right there!"

Zhang Ying turned around and said, "Wait for me here. Don't follow me, and don't draw your sword."

Yin Xu and the Xuanwu Guards could only remain where they were.

Zhang Ying's figure quickly disappeared into the dense forest.

He came to a mountain stream and whistled loudly.

"Awooo—"

A moment later, a wolf howl echoed through the forest.

Four or five lithe gray wolves emerged from the woods. They looked at Zhang Ying, then at the lamb leg in his hand, and let out low growls, but did not immediately approach.

"Guys, I'm leaving."

Zhang Ying threw a leg of lamb over.

The alpha wolf stepped forward, carefully picked up the lamb leg, and retreated to the side.

"The resources on this island are enough for you to live well, but I'm going to a new place that might be more interesting."

Zhang Ying shook the other leg of lamb in her hand.

"Any wolves want to come with me? Food and lodging provided, you'll definitely be treated well."

The wolves didn't react at all; they just continued to devour the lamb leg.

Zhang Ying shrugged, not disappointed.

He tossed the rest of the lamb leg over and turned to leave.

Just then.

A small wolf, pure white and smaller than the other gray wolves, suddenly ran out from the pack.

Instead of trying to snatch the lamb leg, it ran a few steps and followed Zhang Ying to his feet, gently nuzzling his trouser leg with its head.

Zhang Ying stopped and looked down at the little white wolf.

He smiled.

He bent down and picked up the furry little creature.

"Okay, you're in."

When Zhang Ying emerged from the forest carrying a small white wolf.

Yin Xu, who was waiting outside the forest, froze completely.

The little wolf rested its head in Zhang Ying's arms, purring contentedly, its tail swaying back and forth, as docile as a domesticated tabby cat.

That's a wolf!

It is the most ferocious and cunning beast in the mountains and forests!