My Imperial Advisor is ChatGPT

Chapter 14 I can't turn lead into gold, but I can sell toilet paper.

Xianyang, Shaofu Workshop.

The atmosphere here is now even more oppressive than the torture chambers of the Court of Justice.

Zhao Gao, the once all-powerful and ruthless Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office, now sported a disheveled head of hair and a face covered in soot, looking like a wronged ghost who had just crawled out of a stove. He held a strangely shaped wooden wheelbarrow in his hands and looked tremblingly at the... young demon before him.

"Is this the new car you built?"

Hu Hai, dressed in brocade robes and holding a specially made "product inspection hammer" from Xiao G, circled the wheelbarrow three times.

"Your Highness, this is the 'Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse'... a youthful version." Zhao Gao smiled obsequiously, but his heart was bleeding. "This servant improved the bearings according to His Majesty's drawings, lubricated them with lard, making them easy and effortless to push, and capable of carrying up to three hundred catties."

"Effortless?" Hu Hai raised an eyebrow. "All talk and no action is useless. Men, fill it with stones! Fill it to the brim!"

Several strongmen immediately stepped forward and piled heavy stones into the cart bed.

"Teacher Zhao, please." Hu Hai gestured for him to proceed. "Push it around the workshop ten times. If it tips over, or makes too much noise and disturbs my ears..."

Hu Hai shook the small hammer in his hand, revealing two cute little tiger teeth: "Then I'll smash it, and while I'm at it, I'll deduct half a year's salary from your pay."

Zhao Gao was on the verge of tears. He was an expert in rebellion, a master of intrigue, but now he had been reduced to a mere errand boy. However, he dared not refuse, because His Majesty had said that Prince Huhai's words were essentially "user feedback."

"drink--!"

Zhao Gao gritted his teeth and pushed the wheelbarrow. It was indeed more maneuverable than a two-wheeled cart, but it was extremely difficult to maintain balance.

Just as he reached the third lap, Zhao Gao ran out of energy and his hand trembled.

"Clang!"

The wheelbarrow overturned, and a load of stones clattered all over the ground, nearly breaking Zhao Gao's toes.

"Tsk tsk tsk." Hu Hai shook his head and drew a big X on a piece of Qin paper titled "Product Defect Report".

"Defect 1: Unstable center of gravity, prone to tipping over."

"Flaw two: The operational threshold is too high. Even a 'smart person' like Teacher Zhao can't master it, let alone an old farmer?"

Conclusion: Garbage. Redo it.

Hu Hai slapped the paper on Zhao Gao's face, put his hands behind his back, and strode away like a demanding client: "Teacher Zhao, no dinner tonight. Try adding auxiliary wheels to both sides of this unicycle. I'll come back to check it tomorrow morning."

Zhao Gao watched Hu Hai's retreating figure, then slumped to the ground and sighed deeply.

孽 孽!

This isn't a prince! This is clearly a debt collector! How come he never realized Hu Hai was so troublesome before? If he had known, he shouldn't have taught him the law; he should have taught him how to sleep!

……

The side hall of the Qilin Hall in Xianyang Palace.

Ying Zheng had no time to care about Zhao Gao's life or death; he was now facing a more serious problem than building chariots—he was out of money.

Yang Que, the Imperial Secretary in charge of grain, was kneeling on the ground, holding a crimson account book, weeping bitterly. Although he had been terrified by the audit earlier, he had been retained by Ying Zheng to review the accounts because of his expertise.

"Your Majesty! The national treasury is empty! Absolutely empty!"

"In the past three months, we've been repairing toilets, digging drainage ditches, issuing stipends to scholars, and allocating huge sums of money to paper mills... Money has been spent like water, but the taxes collected are still the same."

"If this continues, we won't even have enough money to transport grain for General Meng Tian!"

Ying Zheng rubbed his temples, looking at the ledger filled with deficits.

Reform is a money-devouring beast. Although he knows the future and the technology, turning technology into cash takes time. The curved plow is good, but increasing grain production is a matter for next year. Right now, he urgently needs a quick sum of money to inject lifeblood into the empire.

"Little G," Ying Zheng asked in his mind, "what did you do when the country ran out of money in your time?"

Option A: Print money.

[Consequences: Inflation, soaring prices, eventually leading to situations like in the Republic of China era where people had to carry sacks of money to buy a single grain of rice. The Qin Dynasty's economic system was already fragile; this tactic would directly cause its collapse.]

"Rejected," Ying Zheng said coldly. "The Qin Dynasty uses half-ounce coins, which are made of copper. I can't just conjure up copper."

Option B: Outward plunder. Raid the Xiongnu and the Baiyue.

[Consequences: High risk, high investment. The Xiongnu were poor; they had nothing but cattle and sheep.]

"Rejected. War is more expensive."

Option C: Harvest the rich. In other words… luxury goods marketing.

"Luxury goods?" Ying Zheng frowned. "You mean jade? Jewelry?"

No, no, no, those are too vulgar. The highest level of luxury is taking something that is originally inexpensive, endowing it with "cultural attributes" and "class attributes," and then selling it at an exorbitant price.

[Your Majesty, you currently possess a readily available divine artifact—Qin paper.]

Ying Zheng was puzzled: "Paper? Didn't I order Zhao Gao to make paper cheaper than rice, so that everyone in the world could afford it?"

That's the "civilian version." You could have Zhao Gao develop a "Royal Supreme Limited Edition."

Add some gold leaf, a touch of fragrance, and give it a nice name, such as "Yunlong Xuan" or "Xue Tao Qian".

[But that's not profitable enough. I have a bolder idea... it's a bit disgusting, but it's definitely a necessity.]

A picture of a cylindrical object, pure white and soft, popped up on the screen.

Product Name: Toilet Paper (Special Edition)

[Pain Point Analysis: What did nobles in the Qin Dynasty use after using the toilet? They used "toilet sticks," which were essentially bamboo scrapers. These were hard, painful, and prone to causing hemorrhoids.]

Solution: Use specially made, softened paper.

[Marketing Script: This isn't just about wiping your bottom; it's the ultimate pampering for the delicate skin of royalty! It's a symbol of status! Only those with truly noble bottoms deserve to use toilet paper!]

As Ying Zheng listened, his expression became extremely strange.

"You mean you want me... to sell toilet paper?"

Ying Zheng felt insulted. He was a great emperor, not a toilet supervisor!

[Your Majesty, consider this. How many nobles and wealthy merchants are there in all of Xianyang? As long as a person is alive, they need to relieve themselves. This is the most frequent form of consumable.]

[A sheet of paper costs one coin to produce, but you sell it for one hundred. They'll still fight to buy it.]

This isn't selling paper; it's installing a tax control switch on their backside!

Ying Zheng remained silent.

He was weighing his options. On one hand, there was the dignity of an emperor; on the other, the empty national treasury and the urgent need for reform.

A moment later, Ying Zheng slammed his hand on the table.

"Let's do it!"

"It's just selling paper, isn't it? I dare to burn books, why would I be afraid of selling this?"

"Summon Li Si! Summon Zhao Gao! I'm going to hold a 'new product launch'!"

……

Three days later, at Zuixianju, the largest restaurant in Xianyang.

Today, this place is surrounded by black-armored guards. Those who can enter here are either rich or noble, all old aristocratic families, great merchants, and powerful figures who migrated from the six kingdoms.

They received an invitation from His Majesty, saying that he wanted to "reward them with treasures".

Everyone was filled with unease. A treasure hunt? Could this be a trap, a pretext to confiscate their property?

In the center of the hall, there were no mountains of gold and silver, only a tray covered with red silk.

Li Si, dressed in his brand-new prime minister's robes, stood on the platform with a ruddy complexion. He cleared his throat and displayed the literary flair of his famous "Memorial on Expelling Foreign Guests."

"Gentlemen!"

"What do people seek in this world? Nothing more than food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. But my Great Qin is the richest in the world, and your food and clothing are already of the highest quality. There is only one thing: although you are nobles, you are no different from ordinary villagers, and even suffer greatly from it!"

The audience exchanged bewildered glances. What could be so serious?

Li Si smiled mysteriously and held up a finger: "That is... the 'cleanup' after the cycle of the five grains."

Everyone's faces instantly turned red. How could the Prime Minister discuss such a thing in public? It was utterly disgraceful!

"Toilet sticks!" Li Si cried out indignantly, holding up a bamboo stick. "These things are stiff and rough! Every time they are used, it is torture for your noble bodies! Some have even developed hidden illnesses because of them, making it difficult for them to sit or stand!"

Many portly, wealthy businessmen in the audience subconsciously shifted their positions. Li Si had hit a nerve. Hemorrhoids—that was a disease of the rich.

"His Majesty is merciful and could not bear to see you all suffer. He specially ordered the Minister of the Imperial Household Department to spend forty-nine days collecting snow water from the Tianshan Mountains and gathering the essence of a hundred flowers to create this divine object—"

Li Si suddenly lifted the red silk.

On the tray, a neat stack of snow-white, soft paper with a faint sandalwood scent was laid out.

This is not paper for writing; it is a special type of paper that has been wrinkled and softened through a special process.

"This is—Shu Yunrou!"

Li Si picked up a sheet, gently rubbed it against his face, and said with a look of rapture, "As soft as a cloud, as smooth as silk. Gentlemen, please try it out."

The maids carried trays and distributed samples to the nobles present.

An old nobleman touched the paper tremblingly, then crumpled it up in disbelief.

Soft. Really soft.

It absorbs water better than silk and is lighter and thinner than cotton.

"This...this can really be used..." The old nobleman found it difficult to speak.

"Yes!" Li Si declared decisively. "Not only can it be used, but it's also disposable, easily rotten with a rinse. From now on, goodbye to bamboo strips, goodbye to suffering!"

"This item is supplied to the palace on a fixed quota. His Majesty said that good things should be shared with the people. Today, the first batch of one thousand scrolls starts at one hundred coins per scroll (100 sheets)!"

The entire room fell silent for a second.

One hundred coins? That's enough to buy a bushel of rice! Just for wiping your butt?

But the next second, a voice broke the silence.

"I'll pay two hundred coins! I want ten rolls!"

The one who shouted was Qing, a widow from Sichuan. She owns a mine, has plenty of money, and cares most about her quality of life.

"I want one too! I'll pay three hundred coins!"

"Five hundred coins! Don't try to take it from me! My old sore is acting up right now!"

It's insane. The whole place has gone crazy.

This isn't just paper; it's "His Majesty's favorite," a "symbol of civilization," and a certification of "wealth." If you're hosting a dinner party and your bathroom still has bamboo strips, you'll be utterly ashamed!

Watching the money bags being waved wildly below the stage, Ying Zheng, hiding behind the screen, twitched his lips uncontrollably.

"Little G".

【exist. 】

"I suddenly realize that while my previous harsh laws and punishments were impressive, they were indeed... not as lucrative as this 'consumerism'."

That's for sure. Swords can only take their money, but consumerism can make them kneel down and hand over their money, even thanking you profusely.

That night, Zuixianju raked in 500,000 coins.

The bleeding in the national treasury has stopped. But a revolution concerning "buttocks" has quietly swept through the upper class of Xianyang.

……

Pei County, Sishui Pavilion.

The art style here is completely different from that in Xianyang.

Liu Bang was sitting in a dilapidated tavern, his feet on a long bench, holding a dog's leg in his hand, eating with gusto.

"Big brother! Big brother!"

Fan Kuai rushed in like a black bear, waving a piece of paper in his hand.

"Something terrible has happened! New laws and regulations have arrived from Xianyang!"

Liu Bang lazily picked his teeth: "What's the panic? If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. Are they going to conscript labor again? Or are they going to forcibly recruit men again?"

"None of those!" Fan Kuai slammed the paper on the table. "Look! This is 'Qin paper'! The county government uses this stuff for issuing proclamations now!"

Liu Bang glanced at the paper.

"Wow, quite white. More pleasing to the eye than those bamboo strips." Liu Bang reached out and touched it. "I heard this stuff sells for quite a bit of money in Xianyang?"

Xiao He entered at this moment, his expression grave: "Liu Ji, don't just look at the paper. Look at the contents."

Liu Bang then approached, and although he was not very literate, he could still understand the general meaning.

"...Those who are forced to perform corvée labor but are hindered by rain will be exempt from death...? The promotion of the new plow will be rewarded for increased production...?"

As Liu Bang read on, the dog meat in his mouth suddenly lost its flavor.

He slowly withdrew his foot, sat up straight, and a sharp glint suddenly shot from his eyes, which always carried a hint of drunkenness and a touch of roguishness.

"The world has changed," Liu Bang muttered to himself.

"Yes," Xiao He sighed, "The First Emperor has changed his ways. Before, he used harsh laws and severe punishments, leaving people with no way to survive. Now, with this decree, it's like letting the gas out of a boiler that's about to explode. I'm afraid most of those who originally wanted to rebel will disperse."

Fan Kuai scratched his head: "Then what do we do? Should we rebel again?"

"Rebel my ass!" Liu Bang slapped Fan Kuai on the forehead. "Is it fun to have your head hanging on your belt? Since you're not going to be beheaded, who's going to be so bored as to rebel?"

But then he frowned.

If we don't rebel, are we just going to stay here as the head of the Sishui Pavilion for the rest of our lives?

Looking at the Qin document, Liu Bang suddenly felt a strange anxiety welling up inside him.

He sensed that the First Emperor, high above all, was weaving a vast, soft net. This net was no longer meant to strangle people, but to ensnare them, making them work and struggle within the system, yet unwilling to leave.

"Xiao He," Liu Bang suddenly spoke, "what do you think... could we get some of this paper and sell it?"

Xiao He was taken aback: "Selling paper?"

"That's right!" Liu Bang slapped his thigh. "They're expensive in Xianyang, so we're definitely short of stock in this poor, remote place. If we could get the 'agency rights,' we could resell them, wouldn't that be better than being a village head?"

"Moreover..." Liu Bang lowered his voice, a sly glint in his eyes, "this paper is lightweight. We can use it to write 'IOUs' and 'letters of recommendation.' In the future, when I, Liu Ji, make friends with heroes from all over the land, I won't need to carry bamboo slips around anymore. I can just carry a few sheets of paper in my sleeve and present a poem to any hero I meet (though I'll have to find someone to write it for me). Wouldn't that make a good reputation?"

Xiao He looked at Liu Bang, his heart filled with trepidation.

This Liu Ji is truly a born political rogue. While others see laws and regulations, he sees business and connections.

"Brother is wise!" Fan Kuai didn't understand what "connections" meant, but he understood "making money" and "buying wine".

Liu Bang stood up and looked in the direction of Xianyang.

"Ying Zheng, your 'soft knife' tactic is indeed formidable. But I, Liu Ji, am not to be trifled with either."

"You can use this piece of paper to win people's hearts, and I can use this piece of paper... to pave a road to heaven for myself."

"Boss! Two more pounds of dog meat, please! Put it on the tab! Write it down on paper!"

……

Shangjun, military camp.

Han Xin, sporting two huge dark circles under his eyes, was hunched over a table calculating accounts.

The pile of Qin paper in front of him was like a small mountain.

"Fifty thousand troops, marching fifty li a day, water consumption... water consumption..." Han Xin grabbed his hair, nearly collapsing. "How do I calculate this water consumption?! Do I have to calculate evaporation? Do I have to calculate the recovery rate of horse urine? Is Teacher G kidding me?!"

Yes, Ying Zheng not only made Han Xin do the accounting, but also had Xiao G give him "Olympiad math problems" every day.

For example, the "Chicken and Rabbit in the Same Cage" problem (a military version): If there are 3,000 cavalry and 5,000 infantry, mixed in formation, with horses eating beans and people eating millet, and there are 100,000 shi of grain available, how should the grain be distributed so that everyone starves to death at the same time... no, I mean, arrives at the destination at the same time?

Han Xin is going crazy.

But he couldn't go mad. Because he discovered that the more he calculated, the clearer the "fog of war" map in his mind became.

In the past, when he watched battles, he focused on the murderous aura between the two armies.

Now, when he observes the battle, he is looking at the flowing supply lines and the precise scale of time.

"Report—!"

A scout rushed into the tent.

"General Meng Tian, ​​Commandant Han, has issued an order: a small group of Xiongnu cavalry has been spotted harassing a supply convoy. Your unit is ordered to immediately proceed and drive them away!"

Han Xin suddenly raised his head, and the weariness in his eyes vanished instantly.

It's finally here! The real battle!

He grabbed the sword on the table, about to rush out, but suddenly stopped.

He glanced back at the calculations on the table.

"Small groups of Xiongnu cavalry...usually one man on two horses, extremely mobile. If I lead infantry to pursue them, they won't even catch a glimpse of my ashes."

"Wait a moment," Han Xin calmly ordered. "Pass down the order: no heavy armor, each man only carries three days' worth of dry rations and water. Also..."

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Han Xin's eyes; it was the cunning honed through countless calculations.

"Bring ten 'specially made' grain carts. The carts are filled with sand, with only a layer of millet on the surface. The axles are deliberately loosened, so they wobble when they move."

The lieutenant was taken aback: "Captain, what does this mean?"

"A bait," Han Xin sneered. "The Xiongnu are short of food. Seeing these nearly broken grain carts, they won't burn them; they'll only want to loot them. As long as they stop to loot the grain..."

"That's my turn."

"Also, calculate how much their horses will slow down after they've looted the grain, as they'll be carrying a heavier load. Which mountain pass should we set up an ambush to catch them off guard?"

Han Xin closed his eyes, and a huge formula appeared in his mind.

$$Greed + Burden = Death$$

"Set off!"

In this battle, Han Xin did not employ any earth-shattering strategies. He simply used precise calculations to predict every move of the Xiongnu.

When the Xiongnu cavalry happily seized the "grain carts" and were preparing to retreat, they found themselves trapped in an encirclement that seemed to be tightly bound together like a precision instrument.

The Qin army's crossbow bolts seemed to have been calculated precisely for the wind speed and distance, each arrow striking their vital points.

Victory.

When Han Xin returned to the camp carrying the head of the Xiongnu squad leader, Meng Tian felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the scheming young man.

This isn't a military genius; he's clearly a devil who kills people with an abacus.

Meanwhile, Ying Zheng, far away in Xianyang, smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the battle report sent back by Xiao G.

"It seems I've done a good job as my 'math teacher'."

"Han Xin's sword has been sharpened."

The secret chamber of Xiang Mansion in Kuaiji Commandery.

The atmosphere was as oppressive as the low pressure before a storm.

Xiang Liang stared blankly at a basin of water. The Qin paper, left by Zhao Zheng (Ying Zheng) as "toll money," hadn't rotted after being soaked in sweat; instead, it revealed a line of eerie, will-o'-the-wisps of blue characters:

"The one who destroyed Chu was Ji."

"Uncle, you've been staring at this tattered piece of paper for three days now."

Xiang Yu pushed open the door impatiently, carrying a wild boar he had just hunted. He casually threw it on the ground, making the floor tremble. "That Zhao Zheng is a charlatan! What nonsense about 'the one who will destroy Chu is Ji'? I am a descendant of the Xiang family, I will only destroy Qin, how could I destroy Chu?"

Xiang Liang raised his head, looking at his incredibly strong nephew with a complicated expression.

As a shrewd and calculating politician, he was not a believer in ghosts or gods. But the handwriting appeared out of nowhere and pointed directly to the core issue—Xiang Yu's violent and stubborn nature did indeed pose a risk of "destroying the foundation." Once the seed of doubt was planted, it grew wildly like weeds.

"Ji'er," Xiang Liang said in a deep voice, "that Zhao Zheng... is not simple. In the past few days, the Black Ice Guard spies in the city have suddenly withdrawn, and in their place are..."

"What is it?"

"It's a delivery."

"Huh?" Xiang Yu thought he had misheard.

Just then, the steward stumbled in: "Master! A large group of people has arrived outside! They say they are 'special envoys' from Xianyang, here to deliver gifts to the young master!"

Xiang Yu sneered, grabbed a halberd from the wall, and said, "Giving gifts? I think it's suicide! Uncle, let me go and kill them!"

"Wait!" Xiang Liang stopped him. "They brought no troops, only gifts. This doesn't make sense. Let's take a look first."

……

Outside the main gate of the Xiang residence.

There was no menacing Qin army, only a line of carriages covered with red silk.

Leading the group was a pale, beardless, smiling fat man. He was none other than the newly appointed director of the "Department of Deception" of the Qin Dynasty, and also the former head of the Sishui Pavilion who had been promoted from the grassroots by Ying Zheng—**Liu Bang**.

(Ying Zheng thought that sending Liu Bang to deceive Xiang Yu was a perfect match. It was like using magic to defeat magic.)

"Oh my, this imposing and valiant warrior must be the mighty Xiang Yu, the young master with the strength to uproot mountains, right?" Liu Bang rubbed his hands together and greeted him with an air of familiarity, completely ignoring the sharp blade in Xiang Yu's hand.

Xiang Yu frowned: "Who are you?"

"My name is Liu Ji, and I am currently the captain of the Xianyang... uh, 'Royal Logistics' team." Liu Bang pulled out a Qin Dynasty paper list from his sleeve. "I have been entrusted by a 'Mr. Zhao' to deliver a set of 'divine equipment' to Young Master Xiang."

"Divine equipment?"

Liu Bang waved his hand: "Lift it!"

The strongmen suddenly ripped the red silk off the first carriage.

Under the sunlight, a blindingly cold light instantly dazzled those around.

That was a halberd.

But it was by no means an ordinary bronze weapon like the one Xiang Yu held.

This is a heavy weapon, entirely black, forged repeatedly from "high-carbon steel" (a byproduct of Zhao Gao's cement-making process) that the Shaofu (Imperial Household Department) had just developed. The blade gleamed with a bloodthirsty blue light, and the shaft was engraved with a coiled dragon. It weighed 129 jin (approximately 64.5 catties).

[Little G's design concept: A special version tailored to Xiang Yu's strength. Since he's incredibly strong, give him the heaviest weight. Physics tells us to increase kinetic energy.]

Xiang Yu's eyes widened instantly.

For a martial arts fanatic, this was more attractive than a stunning beauty. His breathing quickened, and he unconsciously stepped forward, gripping the halberd shaft with one hand.

"rise!"

The 129-pound halberd felt as light as a feather in his hands. He swung it casually.

"Ugh—!"

The explosive sound of the air being torn apart was ten times more terrifying than the previous bronze halberd.

"What a fine weapon!" Xiang Yu couldn't help but shout. "What kind of iron is this? How can it be so hard?"

"This is 'Mysterious Iron' (actually steel)," Liu Bang said with a smile. "Mr. Zhao said that ordinary iron in the world is unworthy of the Overlord's divine strength. Only this thing is worthy to accompany the Overlord... **hunting**."

"Hunting?" Xiang Yu's gaze sharpened. "Hunting what? The Qin dogs?"

Liu Bang's smile remained unchanged, but he took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Xiang Yu.

"Mr. Zhao said that the Qin soldiers were too weak and couldn't withstand a fight, so it was pointless. If you really want to prove that you are the best in the world, then go and read this letter."

Xiang Yu opened the letter with suspicion.

The letter contained no lengthy text, only a drawing and a sentence.

The painting depicts a monster with only a rough outline (a modified version of a Hunnic cavalryman drawn by Little G), with a ferocious face, riding a giant wolf, holding a scimitar, and stepping on the heads of Central Plains people.

Below is a line of wildly provocative cursive script (written by Ying Zheng himself):

"There is a monster in this world called the Xiongnu. They say that the people of the Central Plains are two-legged sheep, only fit to be slaughtered. I have built a huge arena in the north, but I lack a deity to guard it."

Xiang Ji, do you dare to come?

You've won! I'll bestow upon you the title of "Overlord of Western Chu," granting you land and titles. Even if you desire the lands of Chu, I will give them to you.

If you lose, you can just stay in Kuaiji and keep playing with your bronze toys.

"Bang!"

The letter in Xiang Yu's hand was crushed to shreds.

In his double pupils, an unprecedented raging fire ignited. It was the fire of a raging beast, and the fire of ignited pride.

"The Hegemon-King of Western Chu?"

Xiang Yu muttered the word to himself. It was so domineering. This was far more to his liking than any title like "Great General" or "Restor of the Kingdom."

More importantly, there was that line—"The Qin soldiers are too weak, it's not interesting."

This is the greatest recognition of his abilities, and also the greatest motivation.

"Zhao Zheng..." Xiang Yu looked north, a wild smile playing on his lips. "Does he think I don't know this is a case of using someone else to do the dirty work? Does he want me to fight the Xiongnu to the death?"

Xiang Liang, standing nearby, panicked: "Ji'er! Don't fall for their trap! They're sending us to guard the gates of Qin!"

"uncle."

Xiang Yu stroked the cold steel halberd in his hand, his eyes revealing an arrogant and domineering air.

"Guard the gate? No."

"I'm going to prove that all prey under heaven, whether Qin people or Xiongnu, are nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs before me, Xiang Ji!"

He turned around abruptly, the tip of his halberd pointing directly at Liu Bang.

"Go back and tell Zhao Zheng."

"I want the title of 'Overlord of Western Chu'."

"Make him pave a smooth road to the north! If the road is difficult to travel, I'll go back to Xianyang and smash his pot!"

Liu Bang shuddered in fright, but was secretly overjoyed.

Become!

This big, clumsy guy is definitely a pushover. As long as you give him enough face and equipment, he'd even dare to go fight aliens.

……

Xianyang Palace, Qilin Hall.

Ying Zheng listened to Liu Bang's report and put down his vermilion pen with satisfaction.

"Your Majesty...you're really sending him?" Li Si asked incredulously. "That's a mad tiger. What if he returns with a large army?"

"Come back and fight our way back?"

Ying Zheng stood up, walked to the map, and traced his finger along the straight road leading north.

"Li Si, you still don't understand."

"The cement road I'm building isn't just for transporting grain; it's also... a one-way street."

"Once he reaches the North, his eyes bloodshot from the bloodshed, and he tastes the sweetness of victory, receiving the reverence of the people, he will discover that being a 'god' who protects China is far more enjoyable than being a 'thief' who rebels."

"and……"

A sly glint flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes.

"I plan to have Zhao Gao build a 'Overlord's Palace' for him in the north, filled only with wine, not books. Send him the best horses and the strongest wine, but not... provisions."

"His provisions depend on you, Han Xin, to calculate them, and on my direct routes to transport them."

"Do you think a tiger with its stomach being squeezed can still bite its owner?"

Li Si felt a chill run down his spine.

This is hardly an offer of amnesty; it's treating Xiang Yu as the Qin Empire's highest-ranking "mercenary," the kind whose wages depend entirely on the boss's mood.

"Your Majesty... is treacherous," Li Si exclaimed sincerely.

"This is called management science," Ying Zheng corrected.