I am not a seventh-generation descendant of Lord Wu'an from the Qin Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, there are over six thousand new recruits aged 16 to 24 participating in the Shanglin Garden Trial this time."

Yongcheng, the council hall.

King Zheng of Qin sat high on the throne, with Li Si, Bai Qi, and other core military officers of Shanglin Garden attending him.

Bai Qi cupped his hands and said, "Thanks to the King's blessing, a total of 1,918 people passed the 360-mile long-distance cross-country trial."

"Truly, a gathering of wise men and upright officials, a court brimming with unparalleled military prowess!"

"color!"

Wang Wei and his group of brainless generals shouted in unison, their faces beaming with excitement and joy.

Li Si looked worried. "Your Majesty, there are too many people. The quota of a thousand people for Shanglin Garden is not enough."

Bai Qi shook his head, but his words impressed King Zheng of Qin: "These are all promising young talents selected from the surrounding areas of Xianyang; they represent the future of Qin!"

Bai Qi's words were not empty talk.

It's easy to imagine that someone could carry an 80-pound suit of armor and travel 360 li (approximately 140 kilometers) from Lishan to Yongcheng in three days on a single breath.

Which of these teenagers wasn't a precious darling of a Qin general's family, raised for almost twenty years?

People like Zhang Han, who served as elite soldiers of the Qin army for generations, were not isolated cases, but rather a common phenomenon.

It's just that Zhang Han was quick-witted, found the right approach, and later made a name for himself.

Whoever controls these outstanding young military families controls the hearts and minds of the older generation of generals and officers in the Qin army.

With military might established, is the monarchy still an obstacle to personal rule?

That depends on whether King Zheng of Qin wants to take on the important task of leading Qin out of the six states as soon as possible!

This is an easy question to answer.

King Zheng of Qin understood Bai Qi's meaning in a flash and raised his hand to stop Li Si from finishing his sentence.

"We can keep the people, but where will the money come from?!"

King Zheng of Qin has begun his career as an observer of politics, and has gained a better understanding of the current situation of the Qin state.

The construction of the Zheng Guo Canal was in full swing, and the smoke of the battle between the five states that had reached Hangu Pass had not yet dissipated.

Although the Qin state later sent troops to fight back, its mountain of stored money and grain had already been emptied.

Not to mention, the news of Lord Xinling's death has now spread throughout the country.

Marquis Wenxin, Lü Buwei, was sharpening his sword and, in alliance with General Meng Ao, preparing to launch an offensive against Wei.

At this critical juncture, the young and impetuous King Zheng of Qin was already overwhelmed just by looking at the memorials from all over the country.

So it wasn't that King Zheng of Qin didn't want to assume personal rule sooner, but rather that he simply lacked the confidence to do so.

Lü Buwei's business acumen still needs to be put to good use, but Lao Deng's gold coins are no longer being generated.

This is the status quo.

King Zheng of Qin spread his hands and looked at Bai Qi, who seemed confident and in control.

Everyone else followed suit and looked over.

Bai Qi laughed and said, "This matter is easy."

"Eight colonels of the Imperial Forest Guard and two auxiliary guards, left and right, were appointed. The capable were promoted, and the mediocre were demoted, clearly distinguishing between categories..."

Bai Qi waved his hand and took out a bamboo slip that he had prepared in advance from the pouch in his sleeve, and handed it over.

King Zheng of Qin took the document, glanced at it, and his brow twitched slightly. "The Left Auxiliary Guard is most valued for its members who possess both substantial wealth and resources, and they must provide their own armor, warhorses, and weapons..."

King Zheng of Qin's lips twitched. "Trying to get people to risk their lives for you without paying them? Are you out of your mind?!"

He quickly glanced through it, then handed it to Li Si, who was sitting at the right, and the latter read it aloud.

"The Right Guard will recruit those with exceptional bravery and martial prowess, and the King, Queen, and Queen Mother will contribute from the Imperial Treasury..."

Li Si obediently shut his mouth; he dared not read any further. "Has Bai Qizi gone mad? Is he eyeing the King, Queen, and Empress Dowager's private property?"

However, when the bamboo slips reached the eyes of the young military officers who were attending the banquet at Shanglin Garden, they were met with cheers.

"That's good. Those who are rich and powerful should pay for their own troops."

"Tch, I bet you bastard's only concern is having your military merits halved within three battles!"

"This interest-free loan initiated by the royal family is acceptable. The poor study literature and the rich study martial arts. In order to have a good physique, there are quite a few low-level warriors who have ruined their families."

"With more soldiers, won't there be more vacancies for the positions of generals and officers?"

"With the King personally training the troops and Lord Wu'an nominally serving as the headmaster, this is true wealth and power that can be seen with the naked eye!"

"Heh, I bet you're only after the title of the King's personal guard, aren't you?!"

……

Through everyone's discussion, the questions that King Zheng of Qin and Li Si had been raised were finally answered.

The two sides are not even on the same level.

"Could this really work out?"

King Zheng of Qin was quite decisive, saying directly, "Let's move to the drill ground and inspect the personal guards!"

Everyone readily agreed.

But as everyone started to leave the main hall, King Zheng of Qin deliberately pulled Bai Qi back a step.

"Bai Qizi, tell me the truth, how confident are you about this?"

"Absolutely perfect!"

King Zheng of Qin held onto him tightly and wouldn't let go.

Bai Qi explained helplessly, "When I entered Xianyang, many Qin people followed me."

King Zheng of Qin suddenly recalled that the people who followed him into Xianyang seemed to be fully equipped with armor and horses.

"So, from the moment you entered Xianyang, you were planning for this day?"

Bai Qi smiled wryly, "Your Majesty, do you think it's possible that it's all just a coincidence?"

King Zheng of Qin was startled: "Did Bai Qizi scheme so deeply?"

But then he realized the timeline was wrong; at that time, he didn't know he was the grandson of Lord Wu'an.

"At that time, Bai Qi was just a refugee from Taihang who had just managed to enter Qin by chance, and he had nothing of value."

Bai Qi sighed, "Faced with the warm invitation from the Qin people of Guanzhong, I can neither refuse nor turn down the invitation."

"The only vague idea in my mind is to go with the flow and take advantage of the situation."

"Until I was fortunate enough to encounter Your Majesty at the tomb of Lord Wu'an on the outskirts of Xianyang, where Your Majesty humbled yourself in humbly..."

King Zheng of Qin waved his hands repeatedly, his cheeks slightly flushed. He had seen and heard everything Bai Qi had done in the Empress Dowager Xia Ji’s palace, where he threatened to kill himself.

However, when he set up the trap to invite Bai Qi to Xianyang, it was mostly not for official business.

Therefore, faced with Bai Qi's mindless praise, the young man, being young and inexperienced, felt somewhat ashamed.

King Zheng of Qin casually changed the subject, "Um, the royal family's interest-free loan?"

Bai Qi smiled and said, "Your Majesty, do not worry. Ganquan Palace has agreed to contribute three thousand taels of gold from its inner treasury and provide a crossbow workshop and training ground in Yongcheng."

"How did you persuade the Empress Dowager...?"

King Zheng of Qin asked half of the question subconsciously, then suddenly stopped, realizing that this was not a respectable matter and not something he, as a son, should inquire about.

Bai Qi glanced at him, and seeing that Qin Wangzheng's expression was normal, he continued as if he hadn't noticed.

"The inner treasury of Ganquan Palace was taken out first, and the Queen put it into the inner storehouse. Whether as a daughter-in-law or a wife, the Queen of Chu should follow the husband's example."

Bai Qi wanted to test just how much wealth this historically little-known Queen of Chu could control within the Chu system.

King Zheng of Qin didn't think anything of it, because in his eyes the two were still newlyweds, enjoying a blissful and loving relationship.

He was confident that Queen Chu would not refuse him as long as he asked.

He never imagined that a decade or so later, he would manually remove this woman from his register of marriage, and consequently, he would find his eldest son, Fusu, utterly unpleasant to look at.

"Oh, I've really worried myself sick over ensuring Zheng-ge's peaceful and happy life!"

Bai Qi followed closely behind Qin Wangzheng, who was striding along, and the two occasionally turned their heads and whispered to each other.

This harmonious scene between the emperor and his minister was the envy of Li Si, the assistant administrator of Shanglin Garden, who had been paying close attention.

"He was here first!"

In a daze, he recalled the Queen's envoy who had entered the manor last night, a noble young man who was good for nothing except for his mouth and his identity as a member of the Chu clan.

"Bai Qizi is deeply favored by the king, and may succeed Lü Buwei as prime minister. What will become of Li Yuancheng then?"

"Bai Qizi's talent for leading troops has not yet been demonstrated; how could he possibly govern the state?!"

"How much of the military system of Shanglin Garden originated from Li Yuancheng's original plan?"

"Selecting the location for the drill ground, construction and transportation, purchasing accounting books, selecting criminal cases, registering and filing records..."

Just thinking about how the other person had been rendered utterly humiliated by his rambling recitation of the menu made Li Si involuntarily shake his head slightly.

The gender of the Queen of Chu's unborn child is unknown, and while it may foreshadow the future, it is too early to form an alliance at this time!

"Ignorance of knowledge, poor judgment in personnel selection, and impatience have always been major taboos for those in positions of power."

"You can contact me, but don't become close friends!"

"I, Li Si, have never considered myself inferior to anyone in my life, but what is the way out..."