Feng Lang Juxu

Li Si also spoke up, "If we calculate according to your words, sir, wouldn't the income from an ordinary person working ten hours a day be enough to buy over thirty catties of rice?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone's faces were filled with astonishment once again.

Thirty catties of rice, even if one ate a catty a day, that would still last for thirty days.

And this was merely the income of a single day.

One day's income could sustain someone for thirty days.

Such a thing was completely unimaginable in the Great Qin!

"Actually, it's not as exaggerated as you think. After all, besides rice, one still has to buy vegetables and cover various other expenses. Of course, if one is merely seeking basic sustenance, it is more than enough."

Wang Er continued, "A catty of rice is three dollars. If a person eats half a catty a day, that's one dollar and fifty cents. A catty of meat is ten dollars, and a catty of vegetables is five dollars. These are enough to fill a person's stomach. Added together, that's sixteen dollars and fifty cents. Factoring in miscellaneous things like gas, oil, and salt, let's call it twenty dollars a day."

"So, strictly calculating, in our later generations, if one only seeks basic sustenance with meat and vegetables, twenty dollars a day is enough for a single person's expenses. Ordering takeout and such is a different story."

"Sir, could it be that the population of the later generations is small? Otherwise, how could food be so cheap?" Feng Quji asked.

Wang Er shook his head and said with a serious face, "In the later generations, the total population is fourteen hundred million!"

"Fourteen hundred million!"

Qin Shi Huang was shocked. The entire population of the current Great Qin added together was only around thirty million!

They only heard Wang Er continue, "And the reason we can sustain so many people and keep them fed is that in our later generations, a Sage of Agriculture appeared. He cultivated a type of hybrid rice that can yield over a thousand catties per mu. Aside from that, the later generations also have various high-yield crops, like potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes, which can all reach yields of three to five thousand catties per mu."

Everyone was dumbfounded. Li Si trembled with excitement, "What? Rice can actually yield a thousand catties per mu? To be able to cultivate such a crop, he is truly worthy of the title Sage of Agriculture!"

"These are all changes brought about by science and knowledge. Agriculture is also a form of science and technology."

Wang Er smiled and continued, "So, if the Great Qin truly wants to develop, it must value science and technology. Moreover, there is a technology in the later generations today that has developed to a stage you cannot even imagine."

"Oh? Please enlighten us, sir." Li Si and the others all had faces full of curiosity.

Wang Er said, "Our country researched and developed a technology two years ago that can synthesize carbon dioxide into starch."

"What is carbon dioxide? And what is starch?" The crowd looked puzzled.

Wang Er stroked his chin, "As for starch, you can simply understand it as rice and noodles."

"And carbon dioxide... is actually a component of the air."

"Then what is air?" The crowd remained puzzled.

Wang Er felt a bit of a headache and simply said, "Let me put it this way. You can just understand it as this technology of the later generations being able to turn the northwest wind into food, achieving the literal meaning of filling your stomach just by drinking the northwest wind."

"What?"

"How is that possible?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone was stunned.

Wasn't that conjuring food out of thin air?

"Nothing is impossible. This kind of thing does sound outrageous, and it's understandable that you don't believe it. Let alone you, even in our later generations, many people probably still don't know this technology exists. It can be considered relatively obscure knowledge."

At this time, a Black Ice Guard walked in from outside the door, "Your Majesty, the group of alchemists led by Xu Fu has been escorted outside Xianyang City."

"We understand. Have someone lock them up first."

Qin Shi Huang nodded, and then looked at Wang Er again, "How do you think We should deal with Xu Fu and the others, sir? Mr. Qin mentioned before that it was these alchemists who blindly tinkered out gunpowder while refining elixirs, and gunpowder is an indispensable item for firearms. Should We keep them alive for now and let them research gunpowder for Our Great Qin?"

"Just kill them all. A thief like Xu Fu deserves to die."

Wang Er shook his head, "As for gunpowder and such, we from the later generations can just teach you directly. Why do you need them to blindly tinker with it?"

Hearing this, Qin Shi Huang could not help but be taken aback, "That makes sense."

"Sir, are the firearms you speak of the kind of missiles we saw outside the city today?" Li Si could not help but ask.

"It's roughly the same idea, but the difference is still quite large."

Wang Er nodded, then pulled a handgun from his person, walked outside the door, and set up a target.

"Bang!"

By the time he returned to the hall, the crowd only heard a thunderous boom. In the next moment, they saw that the target had actually been pierced straight through and shattered apart.

Everyone was shocked, staring blankly at the weapon in Wang Er's hand.

"The firearms I'm talking about are pretty much this thing. However, over here in the Great Qin, a lot of the foundations are still lacking, so the firearms you manufacture then will naturally be much weaker in power. Being able to shoot a few hundred paces would be the absolute limit."

Li Si and the others all revealed excitement on their faces, "A divine artifact! A divine artifact! Compared to the missile, although this item is small, it is also convenient, and it can take an enemy's head from a hundred paces away!"

Meng Tian could not help but speak up, "If this item can be used on the battlefield, it will be an absolute lethal weapon against cavalry!"

"That is the truth."

Wang Er smiled and nodded, and then glanced at Zhu Di beside him, "You might not know this, but in our country's history, the first military unit established with firearms as its standard equipment was created by this Yongle the Great."

"Sir, please do not say that. I am the Prince of Yan, not Yongle the Great, and in the future, I will only ever be the Prince of Yan." Although Zhu Di said this, the proud expression on his face did not restrain itself at all.

When he was still in the Great Ming previously, he had drunk wine with Xia Fei quite a bit, and had also learned of his own future from the other party.

"Oh? Yongle the Great?"

Qin Shi Huang narrowed his eyes, seriously sizing Zhu Di up, "To think that you will actually be an emperor in the future too! And you are even called the Great by later generations!"

Li Si, Feng Quji, and the others were also endlessly surprised.

"Yongle's achievements are indeed worthy of the title of the Great."

Wang Er continued, "Not only did he personally lead military expeditions to the northern deserts five times, but he is also the only emperor in our country's history to perform the ritual at Mount Langjuxu."

"What does it mean to perform the ritual at Mount Langjuxu?" The crowd, however, did not understand.

"Oh, during the Great Qin period, there was no saying about performing the ritual at Mount Langjuxu."

Wang Er realized and continued, "Mount Langjuxu is located in the hinterland of the Xiongnu. For many years, it has always been hailed by them as a sacred mountain. Brother Zheng, it is currently the second year after Qin's unification. If I remember correctly, in the third year after unifying the world, you will head to Mount Tai to hold the Fengshan sacrifice ceremony?"

"Correct. We already had plans for this matter as early as last year, and have formulated the regulations. If nothing unexpected happens, the Fengshan sacrifices will be set for next year," Ying Zheng nodded.

Wang Er said, "Mount Langjuxu is equivalent to our Mount Tai; it is the sacred land of the Xiongnu."

"To perform the Feng sacrifice at Mount Langjuxu, the Shan sacrifice at Mount Guyan, and ascend to the Han Sea."

"During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the General of Hussars, Huo Qubing, led his troops northward to strike the Xiongnu. Advancing a thousand miles, he pursued the enemy all the way to Mount Langjuxu. There, he built an altar to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, and to honor the fallen soldiers, officially declaring his triumphant campaign. Ever since then, this monumental feat has become the ultimate pursuit of military commanders throughout China's history."

"For thousands of years, those who managed to perform the sacrifices at Mount Langjuxu have been exceedingly rare. To accomplish this feat as an emperor, however, Zhu Di stands absolutely alone. It is truly an achievement unparalleled in the annals of history."