Chapter 64 Fusu, why is it Fusu again!

"Fusu!"

Wang Ruonan blurted out.

Wang Jian’s eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh, saying, "I knew fucking well that brat made it!"

"Only this brat has such capability!"

"My good granddaughter, can you help your grandfather get one too?"

Looking at Wang Jian’s expectant gaze, Wang Ruonan smiled and said, "That fellow Fusu said this is just a defective experimental prototype!"

"When the finished product is ready, he is going to customize a long spear for me!"

Hearing this, Wang Jian stammered, "Y-y-you said what?"

"This is still just a defective experimental prototype?"

"Then how powerful would the actual finished product be?"

No!

At this point, Wang Jian turned around and started walking away.

I must reserve one in advance, or once other people find out, there won't be any left for him.

Therefore, Wang Jian immediately headed towards Fusu's estate.

Watching this scene, Wang Ruonan reminded him, "He is at the Directorate for Palace Revenues!"

Wang Jian immediately changed direction and hurried away.

...

Xianyang Palace, Imperial Study.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang sat on the dragon throne with a worried expression, reviewing the latest memorials.

Zhao Gao and Wei Zhong were diligently organizing the imperial documents.

Meng Yi and Feng Jie were also sorting through the administrative affairs under their respective charges.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang suddenly sighed.

Although in the short term, by coaxing and deceiving, various nobles had contributed a significant amount of land and wealth, as time went on, while people's livelihoods improved, the state was going to be dragged down.

This was not a long-term solution.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang calculated that they would have to endure at least through this year before there could be a turning point.

After all, a large number of corvée laborers had just returned home, and encouraging agriculture also required a period of buffer time.

How should they get through this year?

After completing the first round of grain distribution and land allocation, Emperor Qin Shi Huang fell into deep contemplation.

Over the past few days, Meng Yi had also collated information from various commandery commandants and, working through the night with Wei Liao, compiled a detailed roster.

Furthermore, they had already issued orders to commandery commandants nationwide to drill day and night without slackening, just in case of any sudden emergencies.

Feng Jie was also organizing the supervisory reports regarding the distribution of food across various regions and the return of corvée laborers, while severely punishing those who broke the law knowingly or engaged in deception from top to bottom!

"Li Si!" Emperor Qin Shi Huang suddenly raised his head.

Li Si happened to walk in, bowed slightly, and said, "Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

Looking at Li Si, Emperor Qin Shi Huang said with deep concern, "Back then, our forces were weak, and you were merely my guest minister. We often talked far into the night without feeling tired."

"Later, when I issued the decree to expel the guest ministers of the six states, it was you who strongly recommended otherwise and submitted the 'Petition Against the Expulsion of Guest Ministers', prompting me to rescind the decree and appoint you as廷尉 (Commandant of Justice) to initiate reforms!"

"Later on, you firmly advocated for the commandery-county system. Back then, how many princes and nobles stood up in opposition, yet we pulled through..."

At this point, Li Si was already choked with emotion, tears streaming down his old face.

Trembling slightly and struggling to suppress his inner emotions, he said, "Your Majesty, this old minister remembers everything, I remember it all..."

Emperor Qin Shi Huang nodded, a nostalgic look in his eyes as he said, "I have never considered myself a person overly swayed by sentiment!"

"Yet I also know that the standing and prosperity our Great Qin enjoys today are the result of all of you striving together with me!"

"When I divided your lands and took your wealth, it was not so that I could indulge in luxury and wealth!"

"It was to secure a glimmer of survival for the common people of our Great Qin!"

"Everyone, if the common people of our Great Qin all become prosperous, could you possibly still go hungry?"

"I can assure you all, as long as I have a bite to eat, you will have a bite to eat!"

"Please assist me in riding out this difficult time and taking our Great Qin to the next level!"

Seeing this, Meng Yi and Feng Jie immediately stepped out of the ranks.

Li Si wiped away his tears, knelt down in emotional prostration, and said, "Your Majesty, with these words from you, even if this old minister has to exhaust his entire family fortune, I will help our Great Qin overcome this crisis!"

"We are willing to exhaust our family fortunes to help our Great Qin weather this storm!"

Feng Quji, eating a steamed bun, happened to walk into the palace and witnessed this scene.

He subconsciously let out a burp.

The spark of hope that had just ignited in Emperor Qin Shi Huang's eyes instantly vanished the moment he saw Feng Quji.

Feng Quji also didn't know what to say.

He immediately shoved the bun into his mouth, then trotted into the hall holding a bag and said, "Come, come, one for each!"

"Everyone has been run ragged these past two days and often went hungry!"

"Eat a little to pad your stomachs!"

Emperor Qin Shi Huang's face darkened with frustration, but he still had Wei Zhong hand him one.

The palace had already been cutting back on expenses, streamlining many unnecessary extravagances.

Therefore, after eating breakfast in the morning, since Emperor Qin Shi Huang hadn't given the order for lunch, everyone had yet to eat.

Thus, the group ate their steamed buns and went back to being busy.

Suddenly, Feng Quji took an abacus out of the backpack behind him and began clacking away loudly.

As he clacked and clacked, he noticed that the hall had grown chillingly quiet.

Feng Quji subconsciously glanced at Emperor Qin Shi Huang and saw him staring at him with knitted brows.

Feng Quji then glanced at Meng Yi and Li Si, only to find them also looking at him with undisguised displeasure.

Finally, Feng Quji looked at his own son.

Feng Jie had initially worn an expression of utter disdain, but the moment Feng Quji looked over, he immediately forced a smile and asked, "What are you doing with that?"

Feng Quji glanced at Feng Jie, let out a cold snort, and said, "What am I doing?"

"Of course I'm tabulating the headcounts, tabulating the grain, counting the number of officials across regions, and figuring out how much land the nobles have contributed!"

Feng Jie silently closed his mouth.

Weren't we all calculating the exact same things?

If you want to calculate, calculate, but why make such a huge commotion?

Sensing his son's thoughts, Feng Quji took it upon himself to lecture him, saying, "As the saying goes, live and learn; you brat never know how to keep pace with the times!"

"Your methods of calculation are outdated!"

"This abacus is currently the most popular auxiliary calculation tool. Not only is it convenient to use, but its efficiency is insanely high!"

"You guys are OUT!"

Emperor Qin Shi Huang stood up, walked over, and looked at the abacus with considerable curiosity. "Is this the abacus?"

Feng Quji nodded, stood up as well, and said, "Your Majesty, this old minister will teach you!"

Emperor Qin Shi Huang looked at the abacus with great fascination.

At this moment, Li Si, Meng Yi, and Feng Jie also gathered around.

Pointing at the abacus with a flattering smile, Feng Quji explained, "Your Majesty, from right to left, these represent units, tens, hundreds, thousands, and ten-thousands respectively!"

"The beads in each column represent one, two, three, four, and five. When it reaches five, you push down the upper bead..."

Feng Quji explained in great detail, and the group listened very intently.

Before long, Emperor Qin Shi Huang had skillfully mastered how to use the abacus. He tested it out on some account books and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "This object is truly wondrous!"

"It is simply the ultimate choice for assisting with calculations in our Great Qin!"

Feng Quji laughed heartily and said, "Your Majesty is wise, your discernment is indeed exceptional!"

Emperor Qin Shi Huang also burst into laughter, asking, "Has Lord Feng applied for a patent for such a miraculous creation?"

"A patent?" Feng Quji was stunned.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang immediately put on an expression that said 'there's a lot you don't know' and explained, "A patent means that something you invented is registered and archived with our imperial court, and henceforth, this abacus will be your exclusive patent."

"Anyone who uses it or sells it must obtain your approval and authorization, and pay a certain fee."

"That way, if anyone secretly copies and sells it, they will also face punishment and sanctions from the court!"

"Hahaha!"

"Our Great Qin finally has such a genius emerge again."

"This time, I'll have that brat Fusu learn a thing or two so he stops acting like he's so smart all the time!"

"I've been sick of him for a long time!"

"Come, come, I shall personally write out the patent for Lord Feng!"

Feeling rather embarrassed, Feng Quji pulled at Emperor Qin Shi Huang's sleeve and whispered, "Your Majesty, this wasn't invented by this old minister!"

"Huh?" Emperor Qin Shi Huang was taken aback.

Feng Quji immediately replied, "This was sent to this old minister by the Palace Writer Hu Qinqiang, and it is said to be on sale at the Sunan Paper Industry shop in Xianyang City!"

"Hu Qinqiang?" Emperor Qin Shi Huang had some recollection of the name; he was a Palace Writer under the Directorate for Palace Revenues.

"Then who invented this abacus?" Hearing the mention of Sunan Paper Industry, Emperor Qin Shi Huang felt a bad premonition welling up in his heart.

Hesitating for a moment, Feng Quji reported truthfully, "Reporting to Your Majesty, it is said that His Highness Fusu provided the manufacturing blueprints and had people build it!"

"Fusu!!!" Emperor Qin Shi Huang's eyes instantly widened!

The next second, the Emperor shook his head and muttered, "No way. If Fusu invented it, he definitely would have come to me to apply for a patent!"

Not knowing how to respond, Feng Quji recalled some words Hu Qinqiang had said and added, "It seems His Highness Fusu said this is merely a trivial craft!"

"Such a thing doesn't make much money, so it's not worth applying for a patent!"

Hearing this, seeing Emperor Qin Shi Huang's expression instantly sour, Feng Quji quickly added another sentence, "His Highness Fusu said that for something that benefits the entire realm, no patent should be applied for."

Upon hearing these words, Emperor Qin Shi Huang's expression improved slightly.

So that brat simply looked down on the profits this thing could bring!

Thinking along those lines, Emperor Qin Shi Huang sat back down, looked at Zhao Gao, and said, "Since Fusu isn't applying for a patent, have people make a few more and popularize them throughout our Great Qin court as soon as possible!"

Hearing this, Zhao Gao immediately nodded and said, "This old slave will attend to it right away!"

Feng Quji also sat back down and resumed clacking away on his abacus.

Knowing that it was created by Fusu, Emperor Qin Shi Huang no longer felt quite so pleased; instead, he found the clicking sound of the abacus somewhat noisy.

"What is this again?" Emperor Qin Shi Huang picked up a list, looked at the densely packed numbers on it, and was completely baffled.

He couldn't help roaring angrily, "Whose memorial is this?"

"What kind of nonsense is written here?"

"Is this drawing talismans?"

Emperor Qin Shi Huang looked at the signature area and paused briefly—Hu Qinqiang!!

This person...

Emperor Qin Shi Huang looked closely at the memorial again, stared at it for a long time, and finally gave up.

This was completely incomprehensible!

Emperor Qin Shi Huang tossed it directly onto the desk and muttered, "What on earth did Hu Qinqiang write this for?"

Hearing the Emperor's voice, Feng Quji stopped his abacus, immediately stood up, and hurried over.

Feng Jie looked at his old father and desperately wanted to drag him back.

Could you stop crowding around!

In case you displease His Majesty, the two of us will be in for a tongue-lashing!