bullyxtreme Chapter 186 Flatterers are as numerous as carp crossing a river!
Chapter 186 Flatterers are as numerous as carp crossing a river!
By offering up this immense wealth!
He had bound his own interests, those of His Majesty, and the fate of the entire Qin Dynasty together!
From now on, anyone who dares to touch Zhang Fan is touching His Majesty's purse and the very foundation of the Qin Dynasty!
high!
That's way too high!
This is no longer a power play; this is an open and aboveboard scheme!
Upright and honest, yet irresistible!
Looking at Zhang Fan, Li Si felt a sense of awe for the first time!
This person is no ordinary individual!
Before the dragon throne, Ying Zheng's body froze in shock.
He stared intently at Zhang Fan, his tiger-like eyes filled with a complex expression.
There was ecstasy, astonishment, and scrutiny, but above all, there was deep emotion!
As the emperor, he understood the art of checks and balances and the importance of suspicion better than anyone else.
He had seen too many loyal subjects, and also too many greedy faces.
He was even prepared!
When Zhang Fan requested a reward, we negotiated with him!
Then, by using imperial power, they firmly controlled the lion's share of these benefits.
But to his utter surprise, Zhang Fan didn't give him that chance at all!
Zhang Fan gave him everything!
"Zhang Fan..."
Ying Zheng spoke slowly, his voice hoarse.
For the first time, he asked in an almost egalitarian tone:
"What...do you want?"
Upon hearing this, everyone held their breath.
Zhang Fan slowly raised his head, meeting Ying Zheng's gaze with clear and firm eyes.
What do you want?
He smiled.
Of course I want to be a hands-off manager!
Papermaking is indeed a goldmine, but how complicated must it be to manage?
Raw materials, craftsmen, production, sales, anti-piracy... just thinking about it gives me a headache!
Why not just hand it over to the government and let the government deal with the headache?
What to do when you run out of money?
If you're out of money, just ask for it!
Thinking of this, Zhang Fan's smile grew even brighter.
"Your Majesty, I ask for little."
"I only wish that one day I could follow His Majesty and see it with my own eyes..."
"The Black Dragon Banner of my Great Qin Dynasty will be planted in every corner of the world map!"
"My only wish is that we, the people of China, can stand tall and proud at the pinnacle of the world, forever prosperous!"
The words fell with a firm and powerful tone!
Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng was first taken aback, then burst into laughter!
"Good! Good! Good!!"
"A peerless talent! My acquisition of Zhang Fan is like King Wen obtaining Taigong!"
"Why worry about the world not being at peace!"
He suddenly waved his hand, his voice booming like thunder!
"Issue my decree!"
"The imperial examinations shall be entirely overseen by Chancellor Li Si and implemented immediately without fail!"
"The papermaking project will be overseen by the Junior Chamberlain, with the Academy of Natural Sciences providing full cooperation, and will be established as a government-run enterprise!"
"I want to see the first batch of official documents issued within a month!"
"Anyone who disobeys or neglects their duties..."
A murderous glint flashed in his eyes.
"Exterminate their entire clan!"
"promise!"
Upon hearing this, the officials dared not utter a single objection, and knelt down in a dense mass, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"
Zhang Fan... what a flatterer!
That's simply divine, it's reached the pinnacle!
Chunyu Yue knelt on the ground, his old face flushed red, feeling both ashamed and shocked.
I have served in the court for decades!
I've seen countless sycophants, but I've never seen anyone at such a level!
We are ashamed of our own inferiority!
I am ashamed of myself!
However, just as Ying Zheng was about to announce the end of the court session, Zhang Fan took another step forward.
"Your Majesty, I have another matter to report!"
This sound made the hearts of the officials, who had just relaxed, clench again!
Come again?
Again?
Everyone instinctively looked up, staring at Zhang Fan in horror.
I was afraid he would say something shocking again.
Zhang Fan remained calm and bowed, saying:
"Your Majesty, paper is the cornerstone of civilized governance!"
"But to expand territory and conquer the world, one needs an invincible blade!"
"Your Majesty, I once again implore you to allocate funds to Shangdang Prefecture immediately!"
"I will mine coal and build blast furnaces in the Taihang Mountains to forge a true torrent of steel for my Great Qin!"
Fund the grant!
Another round of funding!
If it were yesterday!
No, not even half an hour ago!
Upon hearing these two words, half the officials in the court would surely jump out, lamenting the empty national treasury and accusing Zhang Fan of being ambitious and fond of grandiose achievements.
But now...
The entire Qilin Hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
All the officials lowered their heads, looking down at their noses and contemplating their own thoughts, as if they had become wooden or clay sculptures.
joke!
Oppose?
Who dares to object?!
They just deposited a mountain of gold into the national treasury!
Right now, all we want to do is take a piece of gold from the mountain to start a project. Who dares to say "no"?
Wouldn't that be going against His Majesty?
Are we going against the entire purse strings of the Qin Dynasty?
Besides, the bloodstains on the Qin Dynasty's political platform haven't even dried yet!
Shaofu Zongyu kept his head down and didn't dare to utter a single word.
How terrifying are the profits in papermaking?
Supporting one Shangdang County is more than enough, let alone ten!
The immortal master is practically giving money to our young master's household!
Ying Zheng looked at the silent and obedient officials below and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
This is the court he wants!
He looked at Zhang Fan, his gaze intense:
"Granted! From this day forward, my treasury is open to you!"
"But I have only one request: as soon as possible!"
"I want to see as soon as possible a divine weapon that can cut through iron like mud, a powerful tool that can split mountains and carve roads!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Fan felt relieved and overjoyed.
Become!
He immediately bowed respectfully, his voice loud and clear:
"Your Majesty, I obey! I will prepare immediately!"
"I will depart for Shangdang County tomorrow, and I will certainly not fail His Majesty's trust!"
……
The next morning.
Outside Xianyang City, there is a ten-mile-long pavilion.
Today's scene is unprecedented and will never be repeated.
Within Xianyang City, from Chancellor Li Si and Grand Commandant Wang Ben downwards.
All civil and military officials, including the nine ministers and high-ranking ministers, were present and lined up neatly on both sides of the road.
Ying Zheng himself personally visited this place.
The officials all had heavy dark circles under their eyes, clearly indicating that none of them had slept well the night before.
Their faces bore expressions of profound sorrow and deep reluctance to part.
Many of the ministers were whispering among themselves.
"He's gone! He's gone! This plague is finally leaving!"
"Get out of here! Get out of here now! It would be best if you stayed in Shangdang County for the rest of your life and never came back!"
"Immortal Master! Please wait patiently! Don't rush back!"
Especially Chunyu Yue and other veteran officials, upon seeing Zhang Fan's figure, were so excited that they almost cried.
They kept wiping the corners of their eyes with their sleeves!
Zhang Fan's few days in Xianyang had a greater impact on them than Meng Tian's 300,000-strong army that attacked the Xiongnu in the north!
He killed the Nine Ministers, abolished the recommendation system, created the imperial examination system, and offered paper money to the gods...
Everything that happened left them dizzy and almost suffocating.
Now, this great deity is finally leaving Xianyang temporarily!
The sky over Xianyang suddenly brightened up!
Finally, under the "watchful eyes" of everyone.
Zhang Fan bid farewell to everyone and boarded the carriage bound for Shangdang County.
The wheels rolled on, slowly starting up.