In the beginning, he was ranked alongside An Shigeng as a spoiled brat.

However, looking at Zhang Yuan's height and build, one can't help but feel a sense of awe.

They had no doubt about Zhang Xiaoshan's methods.

Nearly five years have passed, and Qin Huangzheng now looks like a twelve, fifteen, or sixteen-year-old youth. This change is nothing short of Zhang Xiaoshan's supernatural abilities.

The only difference is their constitution; this old man's nutrients are all stored in his external fat.

"Sheng'er, bring the gift."

"Yes, Grandpa!"

At this moment, a childish voice came from inside the carriage, followed by a boy of about twelve or thirteen years old, who dragged out a piece of black ice.

"This is a small token of my appreciation for you, young master: a hundred catties of dragonfish meat!"

"Dragonfish meat?"

Is this the legendary dragon fish meat of the Zhang family?

A glint flashed in Zhao Gao's eyes as he looked in surprise at the bright red fish meat inside the ice.

"Dragonfish meat? What is that?"

Seeing Zhao Gao's surprised expression, and knowing that the Zhang family must have brought generous gifts, Fusu couldn't help but feel curious.

"Dragonfish? Named after a dragon, young master, you can tell how precious this fish is."

Dragonfish meat is a highly nourishing food. Young master knows that tiger bones and bear paws are also highly nourishing, but dragonfish meat is more than ten times better than these. It is a rare and precious material for martial artists who practice body tempering to increase their qi and blood.

Even ordinary people can benefit from consuming it, as it can improve their health and prolong their lives.

It has always been said that this treasure is consumed within the Zhang family, with only a very few remaining outside. In addition, the dragon fish is a rare treasure of heaven and earth, and only Young Master Zhang can catch it by sea fishing.

Therefore, even Zhao Gao only knew his name but never saw his possessions!

"profound?"

Fusu couldn't help but show curiosity, not expecting that the dragonfish meat was such a rare and precious ingredient.

"Fusu has more thanks to Master Zhang."

Since it was both harmless and a miraculous product that could strengthen the body, Fusu readily accepted it.

"Lord Zhao, my son said that your martial arts are unparalleled. I came in a hurry and did not prepare any grand gift. This is a jar of Five Treasures Honey Wine that has been aged for thirty years. I hope you will not find it too much!"

"Five Treasures Honey Wine? This is a top-quality wine from the Northern Frontier. Master Zhang, you're very kind!"

Zhao Gao accepted the Five Treasures Honey Wine with a beaming smile, extremely satisfied.

After all, this is a top-quality wine, and it also has the effects of enhancing power and detoxifying. Even if Zhao Gao had no connection with it, he had only heard about it.

Fusu was amazed by Zhang Yuan's experience; the gift he gave was just right.

First, seafood and meat; second, fine wine!

It wasn't exactly something that constituted 'suspected bribery,' and it made them extremely satisfied.

"This young master of the Zhang family has quite the bearing!"

Looking at the well-behaved boy beside Zhang Yuan, Fusu couldn't help but feel a little strange, but he didn't pay it any mind.

On the contrary, Zhao Gao's eyes gleamed with brilliance!

Since a child cannot control his own aura, Zhao Gao immediately recognized that Zhang Sheng possessed immense internal strength.

At such a young age, possessing such profound yet nascent internal strength, there can only be one path—

The Divine Skill of the Wedding Dress!

He wasn't sure if Zhang Yuan had practiced the Wedding Dress Divine Skill, but this kid definitely inherited it.

Thinking of this, even Zhao Gao couldn't help but marvel at the Zhang family's extravagance.

For a child not even ten years old to have such an opportunity, the Zhang family truly lives up to its name.

"This is not the place to talk, Mr. Zhang, let's go inside!"

"Sir, please!"

"Together!"

Fusu was also curious about the Zhang family.

They possessed both ruthless methods and benevolent compassion for the entire nation. Even though Fusu followed the Confucian path of a sage king, he still held the Zhang family in high esteem.

As for those scholars who ostracized the Zhang family, most of them were from scholarly families in Jiangnan.

Ultimately, it all comes down to a matter of interests.

Meanwhile, those in the restaurants on either side, seeing the imperial families of Fusu and Zhang Yuan, all became extremely solemn.

They knew exactly what the arrival of this Zhang family patriarch meant.

Moreover, seeing that even Zhao Gao, the Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office, a powerful figure who wielded the empire's weapons of mass destruction, deliberately walked behind Fusu and Zhang Yuan, the empire's attitude was self-evident.

However, true aristocratic families understand that the Zhang family truly has the financial backing to back it up.

If we consider only those who followed Zhao Gao—Juexin, Tiezhan, and Juezhi—each of them was a peerless master renowned throughout the land.

With the addition of a group of guards, the Zhang family was like a powerful dragon crossing the river.

"Madam, the Zhang family is treating you so well!"

In an exquisitely decorated three-story restaurant, several middle-aged men dressed in splendid robes expressed their dissatisfaction with the empire's attitude towards the Zhang family.

You should know that before, it was 'Xibaqing, Beiwanjia, Nanzhangjia'!

It can be said that the biggest beneficiary of the empire's victory should be the Ba family of Western Shu, while the Zhang family has now become a high and mighty force.

Undoubtedly, this caused dissatisfaction among the various managers of the Ba family in Xishu.

Chapter 589 Prince Fusu's 'Investment Promotion'

"His Majesty has ordered the powerful clans of the nine provinces to relocate to Xianyang."

Among these 300,000 prominent families, only a few were exceptions, and the Zhang family was one of them!

Zhang family!

The soft, sweet, and alluring voice immediately put the hearts of the shopkeepers to rest.

The Ba family was one of the aristocratic families that moved to Xianyang, the capital of the empire, and even many top-tier powers had to follow suit.

The real reason why the Zhang family is an exception is not only because they now live far overseas, but also because of their mysterious and unpredictable strength, and even their significant influence.

Even the empire was unwilling to fall out with the Zhang family, making them the most unique family.

"Is the Zhang family really that terrifying?"

Isn't this obvious?

Even Qin Shi Huang Zheng compromised, and the eldest son of the empire even greeted the Zhang family's most prominent figure at the city gate—an honor that even Ba Qing didn't receive.

Even though the major managers were unwilling, they knew that the Zhang family, whom even the empire had compromised with, were nothing more than ants in the eyes of the Zhang family!

"With the Song Dynasty, we slaughtered Cai Xiang's entire family; with the Tang Dynasty, we exterminated the Wu clan."

The Zhang family is an extremely dangerous entity, like a double-edged sword that can harm others as well as itself.

His Majesty recognized this point, which is why he treated the Zhang family with such courtesy.

After all, with a terrifying force like the Zhang family, unless you kill them in one strike, you'll be bitten by the snake if you don't kill it!

Upon hearing this, everyone was deeply shocked.

Yes, the examples of the Song and Tang dynasties are right before our eyes. Even if Qin Shi Huang was tyrannical and had absolute confidence, he wouldn't dare to directly attack the Zhang family.

"Moreover, the Empire needs the Zhang family's help this time!"

"Do you need something from the Zhang family?"

Upon hearing this, all the shopkeepers looked inside, puzzled.

Could it be that Ying Zheng wants to 'rejuvenate' again? They know that Ying Zheng really did look much younger after the last time.

"His Majesty met with me privately this time because he hoped that the Ba family and the Zhang family could join forces to create a restaurant that would surpass the Yingbinlou Restaurant of the Wu Tang Empire."

"The Welcome Building?"

The welcoming pavilion of the Wu Tang Empire?

They had been to that place; it was truly the epitome of luxury.

If it weren't for the incident that resulted in hundreds of people being poisoned, the Zhang family would never have closed this den of iniquity and simultaneously wiped out the Wu clan.

"Mistress, isn't the investment in the Yingbin Building too large?"

It is said that the Zhang family spent a million gold coins to build the Yingbin Building, and the Zhang family provided most of the materials.

If we join forces with the Zhang family, putting aside His Majesty's ambitions, we only need the materials..."

The walls are made of glazed tiles, and the floor is paved with celadon!

Leaving aside the glass and ceramic tiles, just considering the numerous pieces of furniture, the Zhang family could transport woods such as sandalwood, rosewood, and golden camphor from the south.

Moreover, the technology used to construct high-rise buildings is not a secret at all.

But besides the Zhang family's Empire State Building, why are there no other Empire State Buildings? Because the cost is too high.

The rest is manageable, but each floor plan and foundation column requires a large amount of steel reinforcement.

Therefore, the amount of steel bars used to build the Empire State Building is enormous, starting at at least 10,000 tons.

Not to mention that private ironworks are prohibited by the empire, even if one were to purchase pig iron from the empire to smelt steel bars, the sheer quantity would cost nearly a million gold.

This is high-quality steel!

It wasn't pig iron or wrought iron; given the backward smelting technology of the empire, the cost of smelting steel and forging steel bars was unimaginable!

Therefore, the concerns of the major managers were not unfounded.

"So the empire needs the Zhang family."

As for the Ba family's involvement, it was merely a means to contain the Zhang family.

"We'll see how much of the profits the Ba family gets from the Zhang family then, but this deal is guaranteed to be profitable!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes gleamed.

If they only invest money and manpower, even if they only have a 30% share of the business, they will still make a huge profit.

Others may not know, but as businessmen, how could they not know the profits of Hongfu and Yingbinlou?

This is a good thing, but it's unclear whether the Zhang family will agree.

After all, given the Zhang family's strength, they might not give Qin Huangzheng that much face.

"Mistress, do you think the Zhang family will agree?"

"The Zhang family will not confront the Empire head-on, but how much they offer depends on His Majesty's and our sincerity."

However, all of this depends on the approval of someone in the Zhang family. The Zhang family head just now might not give a clear answer; he's a cunning old fox.

Zhang Yuan was weak after all, and might not dare to make big demands in front of the empire.

Zhang Xiaoshan is different; he is someone who truly dares to sit face-to-face with Qin Shi Huang. Therefore, the Zhang family will not refuse the empire, but the empire should not even think about taking advantage of them.

···

"Is Patriarch Zhang serious? Is the Zhang family really planning to invest three million gold coins to build an imperial building?"

Inside the young master's residence, Fusu looked at Zhang Yuan in disbelief.

Three million gold?

It was a much larger investment than the millions of gold they had imagined, which is why Qin Shi Huang invited the Ba family to join.

The Zhang family has a million taels of gold, and the Ba family has two million taels of gold, enough to build a super building that surpasses the Empire State Building.

Qin Shi Huang's priority was to be number one, not number two!

"That's right, and the Zhang family has already brought architectural models."

"Longxiang, bring over the large chest from the back of the carriage, the biggest one made of rosewood."

"Yes, sir!"