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

The wooden bucket filled with pig feed scraps was still swaying on the ground.

Meng Yi's act of stuffing the food in just now sealed the Qin Dynasty's top secrets, along with the stench, to the bottom of the bucket.

Zhang Ying ignored the whereabouts of the "imperial decree" from these drama queens.

He dusted off the pig bristles on his hands and turned to walk back.

"Let's go back and rest. We'll make some big dishes tonight to celebrate your crew wrapping up filming."

The sun was scorching.

The four followed behind Zhang Ying, their feet sinking deep into the soft, humus-covered soil.

Ying Zheng's mind was filled with the magnificent scene of the 100,000-strong army landing.

Wang Ben was still savoring the aroma of the bucket of pig feed.

Only Li Si seemed distracted as he walked.

He felt that something was wrong.

Every inch of soil and every blade of grass on this island seems to exude an eerie aura.

After passing through the bushes, the strange "house" came into view again.

I was in such a mess when I first arrived on the island that I didn't have time to take a good look around.

At this moment, the setting sun shines on the house, reflecting a dazzling light.

Li Si subconsciously raised his hand to shield his forehead.

What is that...?

Several huge, transparent objects were embedded in the walls of the house.

smooth.

Smooth and clean.

Absolutely no impurities.

It's like taking the finest ice, shaving it flat, and sticking it to the wall.

"Your Majesty..." Li Si's throat was dry as he pointed to the window, "That's... crystal?"

In the Qin Dynasty, crystal was a rare commodity.

Only the smallest crystal cups, no bigger than the palm of your hand, were precious gifts presented to royalty.

But here.

Such a large piece of land was only used to... block the wind and rain?

Ying Zheng stopped in his tracks.

He saw it clearly too.

Behind the transparent wall, the furnishings inside the room could be vaguely seen.

This sense of transparency surpasses even the most luxurious glazed tiles of Xianyang Palace.

"Sir," Ying Zheng pointed to the window, "what is this?"

Zhang Ying took out her keys, opened the door, and didn't even turn her head.

"Glass. Taken from an airplane window, it's bulletproof and very sturdy."

Again, words I couldn't understand.

Airplane? Bulletproof?

But this did not prevent Ying Zheng from judging its value.

If a palace could be built using this material, wouldn't it shine as brightly as the sun and moon?

Zhang Ying pushed open the door, and a blast of cold air hit her.

The room was dark, yet the light was excellent.

"Sit anywhere, but don't touch anything."

Zhang Ying threw her coat on the sofa and walked straight to a cabinet in the corner.

He felt a little uncomfortable in his stomach.

Perhaps the seafood we had at lunch wasn't very fresh.

Zhang Ying opened the cabinet door and took out a cylindrical white object.

That thing was so white it was dazzling.

It was rolled up neatly, circle after circle.

The texture looks... soft and fluffy.

Li Si's eyes widened instantly.

He was a scholar with a natural sensitivity to "white" and "paper".

The writing materials used in the Qin Dynasty were either heavy bamboo slips or expensive silk.

Bamboo slips are heavy and inconvenient to transport.

Silk is lightweight, but expensive to produce, and it is not used without an imperial edict.

And the thing Zhang Ying was holding.

Its color is like snow, and its texture is like cloud.

Whiter than silk, softer than silk!

"teacher!"

Li Si rushed forward in one stride, his movements so agile they were unlike those of a civil official.

He stared intently at the roll of paper in Zhang Ying's hand, his voice trembling.

"This...this thing is used for writing?"

Zhang Ying was startled by him and instinctively hid the roll of paper behind her back.

"Writing? This thing absorbs water too quickly, the ink smudges and it's unusable."

Can't write?

The light in Li Si's eyes dimmed for a moment.

But then, a new hope was rekindled within him.

If it cannot be used for writing, then it must be some kind of ritual vessel used in sacrifices!

So pure and flawless, it must have been used to wipe statues of gods or as a sacred object offered to the heavens!

"Then sir, take it..."

"Take a dump."

Zhang Ying uttered two words as if it were perfectly natural.

The air freezes.

Li Si remained frozen in place, maintaining his forward-charging posture.

Wang Ben stopped picking at his toes.

Ying Zheng's buttocks, which had just sat down, bounced up suddenly as if pricked by a needle.

"What...?" Li Si thought he had misheard.

"Go to the toilet, wipe your butt."

Zhang Ying was getting impatient and shook the roll of paper in her hand.

"What else? Use a bamboo strip to scrape? Wouldn't that shave your buttocks raw?"

boom!

Li Si felt as if a thunderbolt had split open the top of his head.

Wipe...your butt?

Using this divine substance, white as snow, soft as clouds, and a hundred times more exquisite than silk...

Go wipe that filthy...

"What a waste!!"

Li Si let out a piercing scream and knelt on the ground with a thud.

He pounded the ground with his fists and wept bitterly.

"What a sin! This is an unforgivable sin!"

"Such auspicious things, pure and flawless, how could... how could they be tainted by such filth!"

"Sir! You are desecrating scholarship! You are trampling on the dignity of scholars!"

Zhang Ying's lips twitched as she looked at the old man throwing a tantrum on the ground.

"Hey, is your props department on a budget running low?"

"It's just a roll of toilet paper, is it really that big of a deal?"

He tore off a piece of paper and handed it to Li Si.

"If you don't believe me, touch it. This thing is a consumable."

Li Si raised his head shakily.

He looked at the piece of white paper handed to him.

As thin as a cicada's wing.

It is as smooth and delicate as cream.

He stretched out his rough fingers and touched it carefully.

soft.

Incredibly soft.

It feels like touching a baby's skin.

Li Si's heart was bleeding.

Such a good thing.

Such exquisite creations.

It's... used for wiping your butt?

"Sir..." Li Si held the piece of paper, tears streaming down his face, "If the Qin Dynasty possessed such a thing, it would surely be enshrined in the temple, used to write down classic texts for posterity, and to record the words and deeds of sages..."

"How...how could you do that?!"

Zhang Ying rolled her eyes.

"Alright, alright, stop wailing. I haven't used it yet, have I?"

He shoved the entire roll of paper into Li Si's arms.

"It's yours, okay?"

"I'll use leaves, is that alright?"

Zhang Ying turned and walked out, muttering, "Crazy, even going to the toilet is so difficult."

Li Si held the roll of toilet paper.

It's like holding the Imperial Seal of the State.

He knelt on the ground, his cheek pressed against the soft paper, feeling a sensation he had never experienced before.

"His Majesty……"

Li Si turned his head and looked at Ying Zheng, his eyes filled with fanaticism.

"This thing... if this thing could be widely promoted..."

Ying Zheng remained silent.

He stared intently at the roll of paper in Li Si's arms.

As an emperor, he saw more than just writing tools.

He envisioned a future where government orders were effectively implemented.

Bamboo slips are heavy; a cartload can't carry many characters.

If it were replaced with this...

The laws and decrees of the Qin Dynasty can spread throughout the world at ten times or a hundred times the speed!

"Meng Yi." Ying Zheng's voice was deep and powerful.

"Your subject is here."

"Go." Ying Zheng pointed to the direction Zhang Ying had left outside the door, "Stand guard at the entrance to the latrine."

"Once the gentleman comes out, we must ask him how this item is made."

"If you can't get answers..."

A ruthless glint flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes.

"Collect all the leaves from that latrine for me!"

"I want to see what he can use without the leaves!"

Chapter 76

Chapter 76 The Prime Minister, that's really not for writing imperial edicts.

Li Si knelt on the ground, tightly protecting the scroll of "auspicious omen" in his arms.

It's like protecting the lifeblood of the Qin Dynasty.

Wang Ruoshu squatted to the side, curiously reaching out her finger to poke the roll of white paper.

"Oh my, it's so soft."

The girl gasped as her fingertip sank into a small dent, then slowly bounced back.

"Don't move!"

Like an old cat guarding its food, Li Si suddenly turned to the side and hid the paper behind his back.

"This is a sacred object! If you get it dirty, I couldn't afford to pay for it even if I sold myself!"

Wang Ruoshu stuck out her tongue and withdrew her hand.

Ying Zheng ignored their farce.

He walked to the cabinet and glanced at the other compartments.

Since this kind of "paper" can be found here, there must be something else.

really.

On the second shelf of the cabinet, there were several transparent glass bottles.

It contains a transparent liquid.

Crystal clear.

Colorless and odorless.

"This is...water?"

Ying Zheng reached out to take it.

The bottle feels cool to the touch and has a smooth, delicate feel.

The label above had some strange simplified Chinese characters that he didn't recognize.

But he recognized that number.

52.

"Fifty-two?" Ying Zheng frowned. "What does that mean?"

Just then, the door was pushed open.

Zhang Ying walked in, pulling up her pants, looking displeased.

"Can you guys just shut up for a second?"

He glanced at Li Si kneeling on the ground, then at Ying Zheng, who was studying a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor).

"That's wine, don't touch it."

liqueur?

Ying Zheng paused.

The wine of the Qin Dynasty was mostly brewed from millet, and its color was cloudy and yellowish-brown.

It is called "cloudy wine".

Even the "sake" used by the imperial court was only filtered slightly cleaner, giving it a faint amber color.

But this bottle in my hand.

It is as transparent as a clear spring in a mountain stream.

If Zhang Ying hadn't said it was wine, he would have definitely drunk it like water.

"Was this also... brewed by you, sir?"

Ying Zheng shook the bottle.

The liquid clung to the bottle wall and flowed down slowly; its viscosity seemed to be higher than that of water.

"Yes, it's distilled using traditional methods."

Zhang Ying walked to the table, poured herself a glass of water, and gulped it down.

"The alcohol content is a bit high; you might not be used to it."

"degree?"

It's another new word.

Ying Zheng's brows relaxed.

Since arriving on this island, he has heard more new words than he has in his entire life.

But behind every new word lies a force that subverts conventional wisdom.

"Sir, you underestimate me."

Ying Zheng uncorked the bottle.

A strong, never-before-smelled spicy aroma exploded out instantly.

That was the pure taste of alcohol.

It has no sour or putrid smell, and no unpleasant odor.

Only a chilling cold that rushes straight to the top of one's head.

"It smells so good!"

Wang Ben, who was in the corner, suddenly raised his head, his nostrils flaring violently.

As a military general, his thirst for wine was ingrained in his very being.

But this aroma was ten times more potent than the strongest Qin wine he had ever tasted!

"Your Majesty, grant me a bite!"

Wang Ben strode over, staring intently at the bottle in Ying Zheng's hand.

Ying Zheng was also tempted by the taste.

Although he was not fond of drinking, as a Qin native, he had a martial spirit flowing in his veins.

This kind of strong liquor, just the smell of it makes your blood boil.

"Bring me a bowl."

Ying Zheng gave the order.

Meng Yi quickly found a few ceramic bowls—these were also the ones Zhang Ying usually used.

"Splash—"

The clear liquid was poured into a bowl.

The splash of wine vanished instantly.

The whole room was filled with an intoxicating aroma.

Even Li Si, who was kneeling on the ground, couldn't help but take a few breaths, feeling a little dizzy.

"Sir, please."

Ying Zheng picked up a bowl and handed it to Zhang Ying.

Zhang Ying waved her hand: "I won't drink it. This stuff is strong. I'm afraid if I drink too much, I'll sell you bunch of old fogies."

Ying Zheng smiled and didn't press the matter.

He picked up the bowl and gestured to Wang Ben and Meng Yi.

"I will drink first as a sign of respect."

After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.

Bold and heroic.

Decisive.

But the next second—

"puff--!!!"

As soon as Ying Zheng swallowed a mouthful of wine, his entire face instantly turned bright red.

A line of fire burned down the esophagus and exploded in the stomach.

hot!

pain!

burn!

This isn't wine at all.

This is clearly like swallowing a mouthful of molten iron!

"Cough cough cough! Cough cough!"

Ying Zheng coughed violently, and tears welled up in his eyes.

He braced himself on the table with both hands, panting heavily, feeling as if his throat was on fire.

"His Majesty!"

Meng Yi and Wang Ben were shocked and were about to step forward to protect the emperor.

But then Ying Zheng suddenly raised his hand and stopped them.

"Don't...don't move..."

Ying Zheng was panting heavily when the burning sensation subsided.

A warm current quickly flowed through my body.

It was as if every pore on my body opened up in that instant.

Comfortable!

Transparent!

The chill that had accumulated during the previous drift at sea was completely dispelled by this sip of strong liquor.

"Excellent wine!"

Ying Zheng slammed his hand on the table and shouted.

His voice was loud and clear, full of energy.

"This liquor... is potent!"

Wang Ben was itching to see it.

He picked up a bowl, and imitating Ying Zheng, tilted his head back and gulped it down.

"Gulp!"

He finished the bowl.

Wang Ben's eyes widened instantly, like copper bells.

He didn't cough.

But he froze.

The muscles in his face were twitching, and the veins in his neck were throbbing.

Three full breaths passed.

"ha--!!!"

Wang Ben let out a long breath, exhaling a strong smell of alcohol.

"Cool!!!"

The roar shook the dust off the roof.

"This is the kind of drink a man should have!"

Wang Ben's face was flushed, his eyes were glazed and excited.

"Those old drinks we used to drink aren't even worthy of carrying this wine!"

Zhang Ying shook her head as she looked at this group of people who seemed to have never seen the world.

"Drink slowly, this liquor is 52 proof, it'll get you drunk easily."

"Intoxicating?"

Ying Zheng was already feeling rather smug.

But he was still mentally alert.

Extremely clear-headed.

He looked at the half-empty bottle of wine in his hand.

This liquid is as clear as water, and its flavor is as fiery as fire.

If we could bring it back to Qin...

If it could be given as a reward to the soldiers on the frontier...

The elite soldiers of the Great Qin could fight bare-chested even in the freezing cold, and they terrified the Xiongnu!

"gentlemen."

Ying Zheng put down his bowl and stared intently at Zhang Ying.

"Is this wine also brewed from grains?"

"That's right, it's brewed from pure grains," Zhang Ying said casually. "It takes hundreds of kilograms of grain to produce this little bit of essence."

Several hundred kilograms?

Li Si's emotions, which had just calmed down, collapsed again.

Clutching a tissue, he lamented, "Hundreds of kilograms of grain? All for a few sips of water?"

"Extravagant! Too extravagant!"

"This is practically bloodsucking!"

Ying Zheng laughed.

His smile was meaningful.

luxury?

No.

This is value.

When there's an abundance of grain, it naturally becomes worthless.

But if it turns into this kind of strong liquor...

That would increase the value a hundredfold or a thousandfold!

The Qin Dynasty was short of food, so alcohol was banned.

But what if we had potatoes that could yield 10,000 jin per mu, and high-yield rice?

There is more food than we can eat.

So this wine...

It was the scythe that Qin used to reap the wealth of the world!

"gentlemen."

Ying Zheng leaned forward slightly, the alcohol making his ambition in his eyes no longer concealed.

"This brewing method..."

"I want it too."

Chapter 77

Chapter 77 I will place this scroll of "auspicious omens" in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Night was falling.

The atmosphere inside the room was scorching hot.

I downed more than half of a bottle of Erguotou.

Wang Ben was completely drunk.

The dark-faced man was currently hugging the table leg, humming and singing the old tunes of Qin.

"How can we say we have no clothes... We share the same robes with you..."

His voice was off-key and out of tune, yet it carried a desolate, bloodthirsty quality.

Meng Yi wasn't much better off.

Although he had only taken a small sip, his face was now as red as a monkey's bottom, and he was holding a pen, drawing crooked circles on the bamboo slips.

He kept muttering, "Write it down... write it all down... potatoes... white paper... strong liquor..."

Only Ying Zheng.

Although her eyes were a little unfocused, her back remained ramrod straight.

The emperor's self-control allowed him to maintain his last shred of rationality even under the influence of alcohol.

But his usual dignity was replaced by a strange excitement.

He was fiddling with the roll of toilet paper in his hand.

It was snatched from Li Si's arms.

"gentlemen."

Ying Zheng tore off a piece of paper and examined it carefully by the candlelight.

Light shines through the paper, revealing its fine and even texture.

"You said this thing is made of tree bark and straw?"

Zhang Ying was sitting with her legs crossed, cracking sunflower seeds.

"Okay. Just add some alkaline water, boil it, mash it, take it out and dry it in the sun."

"Basic operation, anyone with hands can do it."

Ying Zheng's fingers gently caressed the paper.

Tree bark.

straw.

In the Qin Dynasty, this was considered waste material, which was everywhere and no one even gave it a second glance.

But it's in this man's hands.

Yet it has been transformed into such an exquisite and practical divine object.

Turning waste into treasure.

Midas touch.

This is truly divine skill!

"Li Si," Ying Zheng called out.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty is here..."

Li Si lay on the ground, his arms empty, looking at the scroll of paper in Ying Zheng's hand with a resentful expression.

"You are in charge of the Court of Justice and are well-versed in the law."

Ying Zheng's voice carried a hint of drunkenness, yet it left no room for argument.

"If this item were to replace bamboo slips and be promoted throughout the land..."

"How many days will it take for the Qin dynasty's decrees to reach Lingnan?"

Li Si was startled.

The effects of the alcohol have mostly worn off.

He is a smart man, extremely smart.

Previously, we were only concerned about how this thing was being used to wipe our bottoms, but we overlooked its true strategic value.

Bamboo slips are heavy.

A single memorial to the throne might require a whole cartload of bamboo.

The First Emperor had to carry 120 catties of bamboo slips every day to review memorials.

If it were this paper instead...

The contents of the 120 jin of bamboo slips are probably not even enough to use up the single scroll in my hand!

light.

Portable.

Low cost.

"His Majesty!"

Li Si suddenly straightened up, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.

"If such a thing exists!"

"Government orders can be issued ten times faster!"

"The cost of disseminating information through books can be reduced by a hundredfold!"

"May all students in the world be able to afford education and understand principles!"

"This is... an achievement that enlightens the people and will last for eternity!"

In the end, Li Si was so excited that he trembled all over and was about to kowtow to the roll of toilet paper.

Zhang Ying watched from the sidelines, thoroughly amused.

"I mean, are you guys really that serious?"

"It's just a roll of toilet paper, and you expect it to last forever?"

"If I were to give you the papermaking technique, wouldn't you build me a shrine to live on?"

The air froze again.

Ying Zheng turned his head sharply and stared intently at Zhang Ying.

His eyes were like those of a hungry wolf staring at a piece of fat meat.

"Papermaking?"

"Would you be willing to teach, sir?"

Zhang Ying shrugged and spat out the sunflower seed shells from her mouth.

"I already said, anyone with hands can do it. If you want to learn, call that guy tomorrow..."

He pointed to Meng Yi, who was still drawing circles.

"Call that bookworm over here, I'll demonstrate it for him."

"Anyway, there's plenty of tree bark and grass roots on this island, so we might as well just sit here doing nothing."

Pfft!

Ying Zheng suddenly stood up.

The movement was too large, causing the chair behind him to tip over.

But he didn't care at all.

He held the roll of toilet paper in both hands and raised it high above his head.

His expression was solemn, as if he were worshipping a deity.

"Sir, you are truly righteous!"

Ying Zheng bowed deeply to Zhang Ying.

This was the first time the Emperor of Qin had ever performed such a grand ceremony for a commoner.

It wasn't about the potatoes.

It wasn't for the strong liquor.

Rather, it is for this thin sheet of paper that can carry civilization and be passed down through the ages.

"On behalf of the countless students of the Great Qin Dynasty, I thank you, sir!"

Zhang Ying was completely taken aback by this unexpected and generous gift.

He scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Alright, alright, stop with the formalities."

"Just stop treating this thing like a precious treasure."

"This thing is made to be used."

Ying Zheng straightened up, carefully tucked the roll of toilet paper into his robes, and placed it close to his body.

"Don't worry, sir."

"This item is a bathroom fixture in your possession, sir."

"But here with me."

A fanatical glint flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes.

"It is a national treasure."

"I will take this scroll of 'auspicious omens' back to Xianyang and enshrine it in the Imperial Ancestral Temple!"

"Let our ancestors see just how bright the future of the Great Qin Dynasty is!"

Zhang Ying's lips twitched.

Should toilet paper be offered at the Imperial Ancestral Temple?

Let the ancestors of Qin Shi Huang look at a roll of toilet paper?

The scene was too beautiful for him to imagine.

"Whatever you want."

Zhang Ying yawned and stood up.

"I'm sleepy, I'm going to sleep."

"If you're finished drinking, remember to wash the dishes."

After saying that, he waved his hand and walked towards the bedroom.

The four Qin emperors and their ministers remained, sitting in the dim candlelight, guarding a half-empty bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) and a roll of toilet paper, their hearts surging with emotion, unable to calm down for a long time.

outside the house.

The waves crashed against the rocks.

A revolution concerning civilization, basic needs, and the future.

In this humble house, it quietly took root in an absurd yet solemn way.

And on the distant coastline.

Meng Tian's 300,000-strong army may not have moved yet.

But Ying Zheng's heart had already flown back to Xianyang.

He wanted to prepare an unprecedented grand "welcome" for the island and for this gentleman.

Even if it means turning the Qin Dynasty upside down.

We must take all the good things from this island back with us!