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

Chapter 349 The eldest son has always been upright and incorruptible!

On the way back, seeing how pitiful he was, the teacher took a stroke of his pen and secretly approved a large sum of "transportation allowance" and "overtime pay" for him from that "stolen money".

He who takes a bribe is bound to be obligated to serve it!

Fusu was now filled with panic: It's all over!

Father's eyes are sharp; surely he could have seen through my taking the money from the teacher's private approving notes?

If my father were to find out that I had colluded with my teacher...

Looking at the dignified eldest son and the famous imperial tutor of Xianyang, they now resembled two schoolchildren who had made a mistake, one with his eyes darting around and the other with his head down, pretending to be dead.

Ying Zheng glanced at Zhang Fan and snorted inwardly.

This kid swallowed hundreds of thousands of dollars from Fang Zhengge in one gulp, so it's understandable that he's feeling guilty now.

But when his gaze fell on Fusu, who was curled up in a ball, his brows furrowed slightly, his mind filled with doubt.

What's going on?

The eldest son has always been upright and incorruptible!

Why is he so worried about Zhang Fan, that brat, who embezzled money?

Why does he seem even more guilty and scared than Zhang Fan?

Ying Zheng was completely baffled and couldn't fathom what kind of shady deal the two had secretly made during their trip to Jiangnan.

However, given the urgency of the military situation, he didn't have the time to delve into it. He shook his head helplessly, too lazy to bother them with this trivial matter.

"Alright, stop looking like you're hiding something. I summoned you here today not to settle old scores."

Ying Zheng concealed the doubt in his eyes and said in a deep voice, "I summoned you two here because there has been a major upheaval in the Northern Border!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fan and Fu Su exchanged a glance, their guilty consciences vanishing and their expressions immediately becoming serious.

Without wasting words, Ying Zheng succinctly recounted the battle report from the northern border:

"The 300,000 Xiongnu archers, relying on their superior warhorses, frequently crossed the border in small groups to plunder villages. They didn't attack cities or linger in battle; they simply grabbed food and valuables and ran!"

"The Qin border infantry couldn't catch up at all; by the time the cavalry assembled and arrived, they had already vanished!"

Ying Zheng stared intently at Zhang Fan, "Back then, you strongly advised me to stop building the Great Wall. Now that we no longer have this barrier across the north, the people on the border are suffering greatly from the iron hooves of the Xiongnu."

"Zhang Fan, tell me, what should we do now?"

Hearing about the suffering of the people on the border, Zhang Fan frowned deeply.

He knew very well that the reason for halting the construction of the Great Wall was to save manpower for developing the industrial base, but the price of this vacuum period was that innocent border people had to suffer the slaughter of the Xiongnu.

This is not the outcome he wanted to see.

Zhang Fan lowered his head and pondered quickly for a moment, then raised his head and solemnly cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, the Xiongnu cavalry are swift as the wind, and traditional defensive measures have become ineffective. If we are to achieve a decisive victory, we must not act rashly!"

"Your Majesty, I humbly request a few days' grace so that I may return and discuss this thoroughly with my superiors. We are confident that we can devise a foolproof plan!"

Ying Zheng was already used to the "chief" Zhang Fan mentioned, and even had a faint sense of anticipation.

"Alright! Then I'll give you a few days!" Ying Zheng waved his hand and agreed.

The two immediately took their leave and withdrew from Zhangtai Palace.

As soon as they stepped out of the main hall, a gust of cold wind blew, and Fusu immediately grabbed Zhang Fan's sleeve with a worried expression, whispering anxiously, "Teacher, what should we do!"

"If the situation in the north isn't resolved quickly, and the Huns manage to steal our hard-earned potatoes, we'll be in big trouble!"

Fusu was so anxious that he stamped his feet: "The yield of potatoes is extremely high. If the Xiongnu can successfully cultivate them on the grasslands, their food crisis will be solved!"

Given time, the Xiongnu will surely have a huge population and a strong army!

In the long run, this is a catastrophic disaster for our Great Qin!

Seeing the eldest son sweating profusely with anxiety, Zhang Fan remained calm and composed.

"Young master, please put your mind at ease."

Zhang Fan patted Fusu on the shoulder and said calmly, "Even if they steal the potatoes to plant, it won't affect the overall situation. In the end, all people in the world are human, and there's nothing wrong with trying every means to fill their stomachs."

"Whether they grow potatoes or not, as long as they remain on that grassland, this hungry wolf will bite sooner or later."

Zhang Fan narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp. "Therefore, the most crucial issue right now isn't potatoes, nor is it whether or not to build the Great Wall. It's... how to completely resolve the Xiongnu problem!"

"Thoroughly...completely resolved?"

Fusu was suddenly stunned, and his whole body froze.

He stared wide-eyed at Zhang Fan, his face full of disbelief: "Teacher, those are 300,000 nomadic cavalrymen who come and go like the wind!"

Throughout the centuries in the Central Plains, every dynasty could only defend against and expel the nomadic peoples. Could this truly solve the problem completely?

"sure!"

Zhang Fan nodded emphatically, a smile playing on his lips.

Under Fusu's puzzled gaze, Zhang Fan waved his sleeves, turned around, and strode out of the palace.

……

"Hey! Commander, help me! We need to come up with a plan as soon as possible!"

"I'm under so much pressure!"

"There are no holidays here in Da Qin! I want to go back... Waaaaah..."

Zhu Feng shook his head helplessly, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Alright, alright, stop wailing. I know you've been working hard. Once things are completely stable in Qin, I'll definitely give you a long vacation."

Zhu Feng offered a reassuring remark, then turned to his think tank behind him: "Strategic Analysis Group, immediately provide the optimal solution based on the current situation and historical juncture of the Qin Dynasty!"

Several gray-haired military and strategic experts immediately got to work in front of the virtual sandbox.

Soon, a detailed analysis report was delivered to Zhu Feng, who spoke in a deep voice into the microphone:

"Zhang Fan, based on the timeline recorded in historical records, it is now around 215 BC. A ruthless character has emerged among the Xiongnu. Modu Chanyu killed his father Touman and declared himself king."

He has now initially unified the northern deserts, driven the Yuezhi westward, and defeated the Donghu eastward; his morale is at its peak!

"With the harsh winter approaching and food supplies scarce on the grasslands, they have no choice but to risk everything and plunder from the borders of the Qin Dynasty in order to survive."

A glint of light flashed in Zhu Feng's eyes as he pointed at the sand table and analyzed, "Without the Great Wall, we are certainly on the defensive, but this is also an opportunity!"

Once the Great Wall is built, the Qin army will be bound to its own territory. Since we already possess an absolute, epoch-making advantage in steel smelting, why not seize this opportunity to turn the tide and decisively conquer and recover the north!

The strategy team's proposed solution is to leverage the steel advantage to accelerate industrialization!

Once the first generation of machine tools is manufactured, the molds will be used immediately to mass-produce cold weapons on an assembly line, arming a mighty steel army. Meanwhile…