The Question of How to Reward

Meng Yi first bowed deeply to Ying Zheng, then turned, his gaze burning as he looked at Li Si.

"The law of the land is the law of the land! The fundamental reason Lord Shang's laws allowed Great Qin to sweep across the six directions is 'trust'!"

"Those with merit shall be rewarded, those with crimes shall be punished! Regardless of origin, regardless of seniority!"

"If today we are stingy with rewards because Wei Zhe is young, it is a betrayal of trust! It is destroying our Great Wall! How will the world view Great Qin? Which of the six kingdoms' scholars will still be willing to die for Great Qin?"

His voice was sonorous, each word like a nail hammered into everyone's heart.

"As for the talk of arrogance, it's baseless! Does Great Qin not have more fierce generals than clouds? Can they not suppress a mere child? If he truly dares to be arrogant, the law of the land will deal with him! We cannot abandon the meal for fear of choking!"

"Well said!"

Another voice rang out. This time, it was Wang Wan, his beard and hair as white as snow, holding the position of Chancellor.

The old minister walked forward tremblingly, his clouded old eyes, however, gleamed with sharp light.

"This old minister agrees with Daifu Meng!"

"Those who achieve merit should be rewarded! Tremendous merit should receive tremendous rewards!"

"This is not just a reward for Wei Zhe alone, but a reward for all the soldiers to see! And for all the people of the world to see!"

"To let them know that in our Great Qin, as long as you dare to fight with your life, as long as you can achieve merit, becoming a marquis or a general is not just empty talk!"

Wei Liao also reacted at this moment. He wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead and stepped forward.

"Chancellor is absolutely right! Your Majesty, soldiers are sharp weapons. The art of warfare lies in morale. Now that our army is pressing forward, we need a strong dose of medicine to boost the army's spirit!"

"Heavily rewarding Wei Zhe will be the best tonic for our army's morale! Once this battle begins, our Great Qin Elite Warriors will surely be like dragons and tigers, invincible!"

For a moment, Zhangtai Hall was divided into two clearly distinct factions.

The old bureaucracy, led by Li Si, advocated for caution, worried about upsetting the balance.

The utilitarian faction, led by Meng Yi, Wang Wan, and Wei Liao, advocated for breaking the rules, wanting to extract Wei Zhe's value to the fullest!

Li Xin remained silent.

His heart was engaged in a fierce internal struggle.

As a soldier, he yearned for victory and agreed with the principle of military merit above all else.

But as a veteran general, he felt an instinctive repulsion and wariness towards Wei Zhe's inhuman strength.

All eyes once again focused on the man seated on the throne.

Ying Zheng did not speak.

He merely watched them quietly, watching these ministers he relied on most, arguing heatedly over a young man they had never met.

His fingers lightly tapped the cold armrest of the throne again.

"Thump."

"Thump."

"Thump."

The sound was not loud, but like a heavy hammer, striking everyone's heart, one by one.

The arguing in the hall gradually subsided.

Everyone held their breath, awaiting the final judgment.

After a long pause.

Ying Zheng smiled.

His smile was somewhat playful, somewhat cold.

"What you all say has merit."

His voice broke the dead silence.

"Li Si worries about discontent and the shaking of the nation's foundation. The Chancellor and the Grand Commandant wish to use this person to inspire the army."

"You all only saw one aspect, not the other."

He slowly stood up and walked down the steps of the throne.

"What I want is not for the hearts of the people to be appeased."

"It is to ensure that the hearts of the six kingdoms can never be appeased!"

"Nor is it merely to inspire the army."

"It is to let everyone in the world know that where the blades of Great Qin point, even gods and demons will retreat!"

His gaze swept across each of their faces.

"You all think that bestowing upon him the rank of Fifth Rank Official is already the greatest favor, an exceptional act, right?"

Li Si and the others lowered their heads, not daring to speak.

"Not enough."

Ying Zheng uttered two words.

"Not nearly enough!"

His voice suddenly rose, like a dragon's roar!

"Zhao Gao!"

"This servant is here!" Zhao Gao scrambled out on his knees.

"Draft an imperial edict!"

Ying Zheng's voice boomed through the empty hall!

"Wei Zhe, a Thousand Man Commander of the Tiger and Wolf Army, in the Battle of Yiyang, was the bravest among the three armies, with outstanding merits. His rank is promoted to—"

Everyone in the hall pricked up their ears.

"Tenth rank, Zuoshuzhang!"

What?!

As soon as these words were uttered, the entire hall fell into dead silence!

Li Si's body trembled violently, his face as pale as paper.

Wang Wan and Meng Yi's mouths hung open, their faces filled with disbelief.

Even Li Xin, who had been silent, suddenly looked up, his hawk-like eyes filled with shock!

Zuoshuzhang!

That wasn't the ninth rank, but the tenth!

A single word difference, a world of difference!

Fifth Rank Official was a Qing.

Zuoshuzhang was already a "Zhang," a true noble of Great Qin, possessing his own personal guards and subordinate officials, and could establish his own mansion!

From a new recruit to Zuoshuzhang in one battle!

This wasn't just breaking precedent; it was creating a legend!

However, the shock Ying Zheng brought them was far from over.

He looked at his ministers, who were now stunned into immobility, and a cold arc curved on his lips.

"Furthermore!"

"Promote Wei Zhe to—"

"Ten Thousand Commander!"

"Grant him the authority to form a personal guard battalion of five hundred men."

"Grant him the authority to form the 'Po Jun' Camp, with ten thousand soldiers under its command. Its armor and weapons will be meticulously crafted by the Shao Fu! Its provisions and pay will be double that of ordinary soldiers!"

"This army will not be subject to the command of any other generals, nor will it be part of the five armies' sequence!"

"Where its banner points, that is where this king's blade will strike!"

"This army will obey only one person's command!"

Ying Zheng extended his hand and pointed heavily at himself!

"And that is this king!"

"Boom!"

If "Zuoshuzhang" was a clap of thunder, then "Ten Thousand Commander" and this "Po Jun" Camp were boulders capable of shattering the entire Great Qin court!

Ten Thousand Commander!

Directly under the King!

Unrestricted!

What authority was this! What favor was this!

This was no longer a reward; it was the enfeoffment of a new... king of the army!

"Your Majesty! Absolutely not!"

Li Si finally reacted. He fell to his knees with a thud, tears streaming down his face.

"There has never been such a reward since ancient times! This action will place Wei Zhe in the fire, bringing him a deadly disaster! How can the veteran generals of the army tolerate him! I beg Your Majesty to retract this order!"

"I beg Your Majesty to reconsider!"

Li Xin and Wei Liao also knelt down in unison.

They too were terrified by Ying Zheng's insane decision.

Ying Zheng looked at the three trusted ministers kneeling at his feet, his face showing no emotion.

"This king knows what you are afraid of."

"You fear he will overshadow the ruler, that he will become too powerful to control, that he will become another Lord Wu'an."

His voice was cold and clear.

"But I tell you,"

"As long as I sit on this throne for one more day, he, Wei Zhe, whether a dragon, will have to coil for me! And if he's a tiger, he will have to lie down for me!"

"I can give him all of this, and I can take it all back in the blink of an eye!"

He walked up to Li Xin and helped the old general to his feet.

"High General, you are the cornerstone of my Great Qin. I know you worry about the army's morale."

"But you should also understand that an army that only knows how to promote based on seniority, that dares not use surprise tactics or produce prodigies, cannot win this war of annihilation!"