To the First Emperor of Qin: The state has decreed this!

Chapter 381 Mi Yueyao is nowhere to be found! Rejected at her own door!

Seeing this, Li Si, the Left Chancellor, who was standing below, sighed inwardly.

He was also a cunning old fox who was well-versed in court intrigues, and naturally saw through Zong Yu's sinister intentions.

Li Si, holding his tablet, stepped forward and asked in a calm tone, "Your Majesty, Lord Zhang Fan is responsible for overseeing the manufacture of powerful transportation equipment. He has been working day and night at the Institute of Physics, neglecting sleep and meals. Perhaps it is because of this critical moment that he has not had time to attend court."

"Perhaps after court, His Majesty could summon Lord Zhang Fan privately to inquire about the progress?"

At this point, Li Si turned his head slightly and glanced at Zong Yu without making a sound, his tone carrying a hint of admonition: "Lord Zong Yu, don't be too impatient."

Lord Zhang Fan, after all, is serving the country. To lightly condemn someone in court before the matter has been thoroughly investigated, and even to threaten him with a marriage alliance, is truly unbecoming of a court official and lacks proper decorum and etiquette.

Li Si's words were impeccable, both protecting Zhang Fan and cleverly shifting the "inquiry into progress" to a private matter, thus depriving Zong Yu of the opportunity to raise objections in court.

Zong Yu's face darkened.

Although he was unwilling, he knew that he couldn't refuse Li Si's face, and Li Si's words were indeed beyond reproach.

If he persists in pressing the issue, it will only make him appear petty as the Grand Secretary.

"snort!"

Zong Yu snorted coldly, "Then I shall wait and see what kind of magic tricks Zhang Fan can pull!"

He reluctantly agreed to Li Si's proposal.

"Granted. After court, summon Zhang Fan to the palace for an audience." Ying Zheng spoke calmly, temporarily putting the matter aside.

Then, Ying Zheng's gaze swept over the civil officials below who had just been echoing Zong Yu's "marriage alliance strategy."

His once calm eyes gradually hardened with a sense of authority.

"Do you gentlemen believe that a marriage alliance is the best policy?"

Ying Zheng's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Our Great Qin, since Feizi raised horses, has been based in the western border for over six hundred years. Our ancestor Duke Mu of Qin dominated the western Rong tribes, Duke Xiao of Qin reformed the laws to strengthen the state, and King Zhaoxiang's victory at the Battle of Changping shook the world."

Every inch of the land of my Great Qin was won with the blood and bones of our ancestors and soldiers!

Ying Zheng slowly stood up, pointed outside the hall, and his voice gradually rose: "I have built upon the accumulated achievements of six generations, wielded my long-term strategies to govern the world, swallowed up the two Zhou dynasties and destroyed the feudal lords!"

What do we rely on? It is the sword in my hand, and the spears and halberds of my Great Qin soldiers! When have we ever relied on women to buy peace?

"Using women to buy peace is not peace, it's humiliation!"

Ying Zheng's words were resounding and powerful.

Those civil officials who had just agreed to the marriage alliance now looked ashamed and lowered their heads after hearing about the magnificent history of the founding of the Qin Dynasty, not daring to look Ying Zheng in the eye.

However, despite feeling ashamed, many seasoned and prudent officials secretly shook their heads in their hearts.

No matter how glorious history may be, it can't fill an empty stomach.

Without supplies, the consequences of this war would be unimaginable.

Although marriage alliances are humiliating, they seem to be the safest but most helpless option for survival at present.

Ying Zheng looked at the ministers below, each with their own distinct expressions, and sneered inwardly.

He was about to lash out, but just as he was about to speak, he suddenly remembered something, and his tightly clenched fist slowly loosened.

Ying Zheng took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and his face returned to its unfathomable calm.

"Regarding the Xiongnu's proposal..."

Ying Zheng spoke calmly, uttering a statement that surprised everyone: "We'll discuss it again tomorrow."

The court officials were stunned, but none dared to ask any further questions and could only adjourn the court session...

As the officials filed out of Zhangtai Palace, Ying Zheng sat alone on the throne, his brows furrowed slightly, a deep sense of doubt flashing in his eyes.

"Why would the Xiongnu Chanyu specifically request a woman from the state of Chu named Mi Yueyao?"

Ying Zheng tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, the words of the Xiongnu envoy echoing in his mind.

It's normal to want a princess for a political marriage.

But to ask for an unknown woman from Chu, especially one from the Institute of Natural History, is highly unusual.

Moreover, Zhang Fan spends all his time holed up in the Gewu Academy and rarely even leaves Xianyang City. How did he get involved with the Xiongnu?

It even made the Xiongnu Chanyu take notice of the people in his courtyard?

"There must be something fishy going on here. Could it be that the remnants of the six states are plotting in the shadows, trying to use someone else to do their dirty work?" Ying Zheng's eyes sharpened; there must be something fishy going on behind this.

However, these questions can be put aside for now.

Ying Zheng stood up and looked intently in the direction of the Institute of Physics.

The most important thing right now is not the Xiongnu, nor the noisy civil officials in the court.

It's Zhang Fan's progress!

"Boy, the month is up. I want to see if your so-called 'steam train' can really give me, and the entire Qin Dynasty, a surprise."

……

at the same time.

In the west of Xianyang City, there is a quiet and elegant courtyard.

With a soft "bang," the two vermilion courtyard gates were slammed shut from the inside without any politeness.

Zhang Fan stood on the steps, one foot still dangling in mid-air, in a forward-stepping posture, completely stunned by the sudden closed door.

A cool spring breeze blew by, swirling a few fallen leaves past his feet, creating a scene that was both comical and desolate.

"Young master, are you... are you alright?"

Luo Ying and Luo Li walked forward awkwardly and took Zhang Fan's arms on either side.

The two women exchanged a glance, and both saw a helpless, bitter smile in each other's eyes.

The dignified Grand Preceptor of the Great Qin Dynasty, Lord Zhang Fan, the Director of the Institute of Natural Sciences, was actually driven out of his own courtyard.

Zhang Fan snapped out of his daze, looked at the tightly closed courtyard gate, and then at the two black-clad women who stood like two guardian deities, each holding a sword and blocking the entrance. He was so angry that he laughed.

These two women had cold, stern faces and sharp, piercing eyes. They exuded a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay. They were the top female assassins in the Wind and Rain Pavilion, renowned for their martial arts skills.

"No, I meant, ladies..."

Zhang Fan helplessly spread his hands, pointed to himself, and then to the house, "I bought this house with my money, right? The land deed is in my name, Zhang Fan, right?"

"You eat my food and live in my house, and now you're stopping me at the door? What's going on?"

The female assassin from the Wind and Rain Pavilion on the left remained expressionless, merely bowing her head slightly, and said in a stiff and cold tone, "Reporting to the Immortal Master, this is the master's order."

"Your master's orders?"

Zhang Fan's eyes widened. "What on earth is wrong with Mi Yueyao?"

The female assassin on the right remained motionless, mechanically repeating the instructions: "Master has ordered: I am currently unwell and in a bad mood, and will not see any guests."

Especially... I haven't seen you, Immortal Master!

"Hey! I have such a bad temper!"

Zhang Fan was so angry he laughed.

He pointed to the vermilion gate with his finger, hardly believing his ears.