Crown Prince of the Empire, I quit!

"In the Imperial Institute of Technology, we have established a 'Gewu Department' to select students from good families and teach them mathematics, Gewu, and metallurgy as a reserve. However... all students must undergo a rigorous three-generation background check by the Tingfeng Guards before they are admitted."

Qin Ming paused for a moment, then wrote a sharp "yes" on the memorial. He didn't immediately comment on this rigorous system, but instead asked, "Where is the Black Khan envoy?"

Ying Qi was slightly startled, then replied, "Your Majesty, according to the itinerary, we should have passed Longshan and will arrive in the capital soon."

"Tell the Ministry of Rites to accept the reception according to the regulations. No need for excessive ceremony. Accept the tribute. As for the letter of credence... I will review it when the time comes." Qin Ming said indifferently. "Also, have the Censorate send a smart censor to accompany the delegation throughout their activities in Beijing. Record for me who they meet and what they say."

"Yes." Ying Qi understood what he meant. He wanted to continue to exert pressure and observe the real reaction of the Black Khanate.

"Also," Qin Ming raised his eyes and glanced at Ying Qi, "How did the Black Khanate 'severely punish' that Left Wise King Helu?"

"According to reports, he is still under house arrest in his palace, and some of his fiefdoms have been reduced. The Black Khan seems to be... cautious about making a move, and Helu still has considerable influence within the tribe."

"Ha." Qin Ming sneered, almost inaudible. "If you're indecisive, you'll never achieve anything. Tell Meng Zhi that the Black Armor Cavalry of Beiting must not slack off in their daily training. Also, we can 'accidentally' let a few Black Khan scouts 'see' the power of our newly tested 'Thunderbolt Cannon'."

A glint of understanding flashed in Ying Qi's eyes: "I understand. Strike a blow to scare the tiger."

Qin Ming fell silent, burying himself once more in his memorials. He knew full well that the Black Khanate's surrender was only temporary; the ambitious individuals of the Western Regions would never give up on their ambitions after a single setback. Only by maintaining absolute deterrence and ironclad internal discipline could the empire's fangs remain unbending.

A few days later, the Black Khanate envoys arrived in the imperial capital. Just as Qin Ming had expected, the reception was conducted according to established protocol, neither servile nor overbearing. The tribute was registered and stored, and the earnest letter was presented to the emperor. However, the emperor did not immediately summon the envoys, merely allowing them to "rest" in the inn.

During their visit, the Imperial Censors dutifully accompanied the envoys on a tour of the imperial capital, even "happening" to pass by the Jingying parade grounds where a military exercise was taking place. When the Black Khan envoys saw the neatly arranged, shiny black cannon barrels on the parade grounds, and the massive craters blasted into the distant mountain walls, their faces paled, their eyes filled with undisguised fear.

A few days later, Qin Ming finally held a brief court meeting in the Huangji Hall, receiving the Black Khan's envoy. The entire process was solemn and brief. The emperor simply accepted the letter of credence as a matter of routine, encouraging the Black Khanate to "adhere to the boundaries and enjoy eternal peace." He did not mention the matter of Zuo Xian Wang. However, the invisible pressure caused the Black Khan's envoy to sweat profusely throughout the meeting, and he could hardly finish the prepared eulogy.

After the court meeting, Qin Ming returned to the Western Warm Pavilion, casually tossing the letter from the Black Khanate aside. He walked over to the vast map of the empire, his gaze once again focused on the Western Regions. The Black Khanate had temporarily surrendered, but further west lay the Arabs and Persia... The empire's journey was far from over.

"Shadow Seven."

"The minister is here."

"The new rules of the Shenjifang will be implemented immediately. Tell the Ministry of Works and the Privy Council that I don't want rules, I want results. Within a year, I want to see the new rules implemented and the Firearms Supervisory functioning smoothly. If there are any discrepancies, they will be held responsible."

"We must urgently work on the Gewu (Geology) project. Talent is the foundation of the empire."

"Also, have Meng Zhi submit a proposal. The next step... is to take action against those disobedient tribes in the Western Regions."

"Here!"

Qin Ming closed the Black Khanate's letter and tapped his fingertips lightly on the rosewood table. The candlelight cast his silhouette on a screen depicting the territories of the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions, a shadow that perfectly covered the Black Khanate's royal court.

"Inform the Privy Council to accept the order." His voice was not loud, but it made the eunuch standing outside the pearl curtain shudder.

At three o'clock in the morning, Zhao Huaijin, the Grand Secretary of the Privy Council, came hurriedly, holding up the hem of his official robe. He noticed that the Ministry of Revenue's memorial regarding the military settlements in Hexi was spread out in front of His Majesty, while the letter from the Black Khanate was casually pressed under a paperweight.

"I remember that the seeds for the Hexi military settlement were purchased from the Black Khan?" Qin Ming suddenly asked.

Zhao Huaijin was stunned, then bowed: "Your Majesty is wise. Heihan's barley is drought-resistant, indeed..."

"No need to purchase next year," Qin Ming interrupted him, his fingertips tracing the words "yield less than two dan per mu" on the memorial. "Tell the Sino-Agricultural Ministry to select and breed seeds from Longyou. Tell the Black Khan's envoys that their barley seeds...are not suitable for the soil and water of Daqian."

Zhao Huaijin's pupils shrank slightly. A third of the Black Khanate's tax revenue came from the barley trade. Such a light-hearted statement...

"As for the Left Wise King," Qin Ming raised his eyes, the candlelight flickering in them. "Since he likes Daqian artifacts, I'll give him a set of Jingdezhen porcelain kiln patterns. I'll also send two porcelain craftsmen to Heihan—in the name of teaching them skills."

Zhao Huaijin's shirt was soaked with cold sweat. The porcelain kiln designs were top secret from the Ministry of Works. Your Majesty was trying to make Prince Zuo Xian a target of public criticism within the tribe. And the porcelain craftsmen he had sent... he didn't dare to dwell on it.

"I will do it immediately."

"Wait a minute." Qin Ming picked up a black jade chess piece that was pressed against the map of the Western Regions. "I heard that the Black Khan High Priest has been looking for Snow Mountain Ganoderma recently. Are there any in the Imperial Hospital's warehouse?"

"This is a thousand-year-old snow ganoderma that Tubo presented as tribute. Only three remain..."

"Give one to the high priest." The chess piece landed on the Black Khan's court. "Say, I wish him to refine the elixir of immortality."

The moon was bright as Zhao Huaijin left the warm room. He gazed at the shadows of the Imperial Guards patrolling the palace walls and suddenly realized that His Majesty not only wanted the Black Khan to surrender, but also wanted it to rot from within.

Ten days later, the Black Khan envoys and the porcelain craftsmen returned home, bearing the reply that the porcelain was "unsuitable for the local climate." Meanwhile, on the Daqian post road, an express train was rushing 800 miles to Hexi—General Meng Zhi had received a secret decree that the price of highland barley at the border market be reduced by 30% that very day.

Late at night, Ying Qi brought new news: After Zuo Xian Wang accepted the design, he killed the two aides who proposed to accept the porcelain craftsman that night.

Qin Ming was marking the essay papers of the first batch of students in the Department of Physics, and he drew a red line under the line "Relationship between firearm range and elevation angle" with his red pen.

“Tell the porcelain craftsman,” he wrote, “that if Prince Zuo Xian asks about the glaze formula, tell him that he needs Snow Mountain Ganoderma Lucidum as a lead.”

Black Khanate, Golden Tent.

Helu, the Left Wise Prince, stared at the set of Jingdezhen porcelain kiln patterns spread out on the table, his fingertips white with strain. The "generous gift" bestowed by the Daqian Emperor burned him like a red-hot iron, making him restless. The two Daqian porcelain craftsmen, their hands hanging down, looked to him like dynamite ready to explode at any moment.