Chapter 48

He needed a direction.

And the one who would set that direction...

Facing Ying Su looked at Zhang Liang once again.

Finally, he walked toward him!

This time, Zhang Liang still wore that look of eyes ready to burst!

Though he could not speak, the ferocity in those eyes was utterly unmasked!

And facing this situation, Facing Ying Su merely smiled, then removed the cloth from his mouth, and proceeded to untie him.

Finally, he took the water flask and smiled at Zhang Liang: "Mr. Zhang Liang, you have not had water for a day; are you thirsty?"

"Hmph!"

Zhang Liang snorted angrily, directly turning his head away: "If you wish to kill, then kill; if you wish to flay, then flay!"

"Oh!"

Facing Ying Su made a sound, then placed the water flask beside Zhang Liang and shouted to the crowd:

"Return to the palace!"

At that moment, the procession moved in great numbers toward Outside Xianyanggong.

As for Zhang Liang...

This time, he was not bound to the carriage, but was escorted by guards following behind Facing Ying Su.

As for the water flask... it remained exactly as it was when Facing Ying Su gave it to him.

Even though his lips were dry and cracked, he did not drink Facing Ying Su's water!

Seeing this scene, Li Si could not help but speak: "Emperor, is it worth capturing him for a hundred thousand gold?"

"That is a hundred thousand gold!"

Li Si spoke these words; when Facing Ying Su first issued this decree, he had wanted to oppose it, but since the decree was already issued, he could not say much at the time.

Now, a hundred thousand gold has been spent, Zhang Liang has been captured, and the result is this wretched state, which instantly made Li Si furious.

He felt that Facing Ying Su had wasted that hundred thousand gold!

Likewise, he felt Zhang Liang was not worth a hundred thousand gold!

Remember, that was the total income from selling paper for over ten days!

Even now, recalling that hundred thousand gold, Li Si felt a sharp pain in his flesh.

However... Facing Ying Su smiled and said nothing.

It was still the same: Zhang Liang is worth it!

The Three Heroes of the early Han, none of them are weaklings!

Each of the Three Heroes of the early Han, taken individually and placed in history, is a unique existence in a class of his own!

Let alone spending a hundred thousand gold on Zhang Liang; even if it were more, Facing Ying Su would still think it worth it!

Half a day later, they arrived at Outside Xianyanggong; Facing Ying Su specially arranged a room for Zhang Liang within Outside Xianyanggong, with dedicated attendants serving him day and night and guards watching him day and night!

He feared nothing else, only that Zhang Liang might commit suicide!

Not only that, they had to feed him at scheduled times, to prevent him from starving himself to death by going on a hunger strike!

In that case, Facing Ying Su's hundred thousand gold would truly be wasted!

As for Han Xin, he had already ordered Fan Kuai, Lu Wan, and others to begin posting recruitment notices.

From today onward, he would begin recruiting soldiers.

Just as Facing Ying Su said, he was not afraid of them recruiting too many soldiers, only afraid they would recruit too few.

With Facing Ying Su's words, Han Xin was full of energy; on that very day alone, recruitment notices covered every corner of Xianyang City!

On the other side, Li Si's paper was also selling in great quantities!

Previously, Li Si had predicted that this paper might generate an annual income of ten million cash.

But now it appeared that Li Si had greatly underestimated the nobility's love for paper!

Now, paper has been sold for one month, and the total account for this single month was enough to frighten Li Si to death.

Twenty million cash!

One month, twenty million cash!

This one month's income was two times greater than what Li Si had predicted for an entire year!

At that moment, even Li Si felt his scalp tingle.

However... after examining the accounts carefully, he told Facing Ying Su that everything was not so optimistic.

The reason sales were so high this month was entirely because it was the first month, a novelty; there was a very large component of merchants purchasing here!

If merchants are purchasing, then of course the volume is large!

After all, they intend to sell it across the entire country.

By next month, paper may not sell in such great quantities.

It is estimated that at most, at most, there will be two million cash!

By the third month, it may be even less!

The fourth month...

As Li Si spoke, he felt that the current prosperity was consuming future potential!

Facing Ying Su also agreed that Li Si was right!

However... he did not care!

According to the initial plan, linen paper, grass paper, and Xuan paper would sell for at most three years in total!

At most three years, paper prices would drop significantly; not becoming as cheap as in modern society, but returning to the prices of the Tang and Song dynasties was inevitable!

Because, to make the state strong, one cannot avoid letting more people learn to read and write!

And once it involves learning to read and write, the price of paper cannot be too high!

Selling paper like this now, to put it nicely, is selling paper; but to put it harshly, it is bleeding the nobles to feed oneself.

Once the price of paper drops, the nobles will have bled enough, and one will be able to eat one's fill!

And with money in hand, one can do so many, many things to give back to the entire people of Great Qin!

The next morning, another Changdachao Society began!

And it was at this Changdachao Society that Facing Ying Su decided to announce a decision to all the civil and military officials!

"Where is Sima Yan, the Minister of Grain?"

Facing Ying Su spoke and called out a sentence!

At these words, Sima Yan immediately trembled all over with fear!

He did not know what he had done wrong, and moreover, upon reflection, he had never offended Seeing Ying Zheng!

From beginning to end, he had been respectful and courteous toward Facing Ying Su.

But... even with no guilt in his heart, hearing Facing Ying Su call his name still made him feel afraid!

Alas!

After Facing Ying Su ascended the throne, every single thing he did was too ruthless!

Because Chunyu Yue had earlier proposed the feudal system, he killed Kill Chunyu Yue!

Because he needed to find saltpeter mines, he drove all the fangshi and methods of the fangshi out of Outside Xianyanggong to search for saltpeter mines.

It is said that because of this, several people had their tongues cut out, and even... several were killed!

Ruthless!

Too ruthless!

So, in the court, even though many people had done no wrongdoings, the moment they heard Facing Ying Su call their names, they instinctively felt fear!

And as Sima Yan stepped forward, Facing Ying Su did not dally, stating directly:

"You are old; you should yield your position to a worthy!"

"I declare that from today on, the post of Minister of Grain shall be held by Kill Xiao He!"

PS: Begging for flowers, begging for evaluation votes!!!

041. Compared to Seeing Ying Zheng, Facing Ying Su is even more brutal!

"Sima Yan is old? Yield the position?"