Appointment of the Crown Prince, Resignation of the Prime Minister

In early May, two pieces of good news arrived in succession.

One of them was the great success of the cotton trial planting.

Secondly, key breakthroughs have also been achieved in the breeding and cultivation of new rice varieties.

Thinking of this, Song also opened the system panel.

[The randomly dropped items this time—a compass and shipbuilding technology—have been stored in the consciousness space and can be retrieved at any time.]

[Please keep up the good work, host. We look forward to your next appearance.]

"!!"

Song was startled and suppressed the surging excitement in his heart.

These two items are precisely the most urgently needed treasures for the Qin Dynasty to expand its maritime territory.

Thinking of this, she dared not delay.

"What brings you here so late at night, Minister Song?" Ying Zheng asked without looking up.

He was already used to Song Ye's sudden late-night visits, knowing that whenever she came in the middle of the night, it must be to report important matters concerning the national economy and people's livelihood.

Or perhaps...

Ying Zheng seemed to have made a connection to something, and paused in his writing: "Could it be... that Minister Song has some new artifacts or skills to present to me?"

"Exactly."

Song thought to himself: Dealing with smart people is so much easier.

And so, the emperor and his minister talked all night and finalized the entire plan for shipbuilding, sea exploration, and maritime trade.

......

The next day, at the morning court session.

The First Emperor issued an edict: promoting Liu Bang to be the Qin Dynasty's envoy to the sea, in charge of all matters related to overseas trade and maritime negotiations.

At the same time, Shaofu Workshop and Mo family craftsmen worked together to tackle the challenges of new shipbuilding techniques with the help of the whole country.

When the imperial edict was issued, all the civil and military officials were dumbfounded.

How can I describe this feeling...?

It's like when you're still wondering if you can harvest 20% more crops this year, someone suddenly tells you: We're going to farm on the other side of the ocean.

"..."

Everyone looked at each other, and it took them a while to react.

In just a few short months, we've been promoting high-yield new rice and cotton, and now we're even talking about navigation, opening sea routes, and building giant ships.

The ministers were all a little confused and began to whisper among themselves.

"Our land-based foundation isn't even fully secured yet, so why are we suddenly getting involved in maritime affairs?"

"The ocean is treacherous and unpredictable, with extremely large waves..."

"Recently, new policies have been introduced one after another, and the changes are happening too fast. We old folks are finding it increasingly difficult to keep up."

Many veteran officials were filled with mixed emotions.

They had never seen such rapid changes in their entire lives.

At that moment, everyone had the same thought: if you can't keep up with the times, you'll really be left behind.

The Qin Dynasty of today is no longer what they used to know. It is constantly changing and moving forward, giving no one the chance to stick to old customs.

More than the upheavals of the new policies in the court, the officials harbored a long-held question—

Is nobody curious about Song Shaofu?

Even if someone dedicates their entire life to research, they might not achieve anything significant.

But Song was different; he could come up with new things every now and then, with all sorts of ingenious tricks and a constant stream of treasures.

There were people in the court who doubted her background and abilities.

On the contrary, many people were incredibly curious, but no one dared to bring it up in public.

But intelligent people like Ying Zheng and Li Si understood this perfectly well.

They all knew that Song was no ordinary person, but they never took the initiative to ask her about her secrets.

They wouldn't ask as long as she didn't say.

If you've received a benefit, just accept it quietly; why bother with unnecessary chatter?

Despite their myriad emotions, the ministers could only bow their heads and obey the imperial decree.

Amidst the daze and amazement of the entire court, the grand new blueprint of the Great Qin Dynasty to explore the blue ocean and dominate the four seas was officially launched!

-

End of June.

The eldest son, Fusu, finally returned from the northern frontier, accompanied by General Meng Tian, ​​to report back to the capital.

This was also the first time that Song Ye had personally seen the renowned General Meng Tian, ​​who was so famous in historical records.

Upon meeting, Meng Tian was incredibly excited. He strode forward, his eyes shining brightly, displaying a fervent admiration.

"This must be Lord Song! Those cannons you developed..."

He talked on and on, his mouth full of praise, so excited that he completely forgot about the emperor and left him standing there.

Ying Zheng: "......."

Seeing his general looking like a fanboy, and then looking at his father's speechless expression, Fusu secretly curved the corners of his lips into a smile.

After a long pause, the man withdrew his helpless gaze and looked at his travel-worn eldest son, his tone softening: "You've lost weight, and you've gotten quite tanned."

"It is only natural for children to accompany the army through wind and frost; all the hardships are worthwhile."

Over here, Meng Tian's number one fanboy pulled out paper and pen from somewhere and looked at his idol with a solemn expression.

"Lord Song! May I have my signature?"

Although Song was full of doubts, he still took the paper and pen as instructed and wrote down his name.

Once the writing was finished, Meng Tian carefully took the paper, his expression as if he had found a treasure. He said happily, "I'll hang it in the main hall of my study when I get back, and keep it safe so that future generations of my Meng family can admire it!"

"???"

-

In early July, the ceremony of bestowing the title of Crown Prince took place.

The First Emperor personally presided over the ceremony of appointing the Crown Prince, and his eldest son, Fusu, was officially and legitimately established as the Crown Prince of the dynasty.

The imperial edict was promulgated throughout the country, and the whole nation rejoiced, with jubilation spreading throughout the court and the countryside.

Fusu was kind and virtuous, cared deeply for the people, and served as a soldier guarding the northern frontier. He had long been trusted by officials and the people, and no one had any objection to his investiture.

As the golden age began to emerge, the Qin Dynasty was filled with a thriving new atmosphere.

But not long after the investiture ceremony ended, on an ordinary day...

Wang Wan knelt before the emperor, her expression calm and solemn. She slowly removed the official hat from her head and held it in front of her with both hands.

He was already quite old, his temples were long since turned white, and after years of hard work in the government, his health was not what it used to be.

"Your Majesty, I am getting old and can no longer bear the heavy responsibility of the Prime Minister... Now that the Qin Dynasty is undergoing a complete transformation, it is time for this old minister to hand over the position to the younger generation." His tone was earnest, and his words were heartfelt after careful consideration.

In the past two years, Wang Wan has watched Song Ye achieve remarkable feats and rise rapidly with a group of young officials, and has long harbored the intention to retire.

Rather than clinging to a high position and struggling to maintain it, it's better to gracefully step down and make way for someone more capable.

"Granted."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Wang Wan bowed deeply.