Chapter 110 Not enough money!
After the court was dismissed, the sun was setting in the west, and Prince Fusu came to the Ye Mansion with a small entourage.

The palace was crowded with people, and the arrival of Fusu made it seem even more noble.

He walked through the hall, his expression solemn but revealing a keen desire for knowledge.

Upon hearing the news, Ye Chi hurried out from the inner hall. After the two of them exchanged greetings, they sat down as host and guest.

Prince Fusu spoke frankly and stated the purpose of his visit: "Mr. Ye, I want to learn from you how to govern a country and use military force. I also know that you are responsible for the establishment of the Qin Navy. I would like to witness it with my own eyes and learn from it."

Ye Chi smiled slightly, and admired Prince Fusu's diligence and ambition in his heart.

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded and agreed: "Since you have such an ambition, how dare I not follow your lead? It just so happens that I am going to recruit naval forces recently. If you don't mind the bumpy journey, you can come with me."

Upon hearing this, Fusu was delighted and immediately stood up to express his gratitude.

The two of them left the house together, and Ye Chi led Prince Fusu and slowly walked towards the place where the navy was recruited.

On the way, Prince Fusu couldn't help but mention General Meng Tian's journey north.

His words were full of admiration for Meng Tian: "General Meng is heading north, with banners covering the sun. With the power of the cannons, I believe he will be able to easily annihilate the Xiongnu and spread the power of our Great Qin!"

Ye Chi smiled slightly, his expression revealing profoundness and confidence: "My lord, what you said is very true. The power of cannons can indeed deter the Huns. However, there is more to governing a country and using military force than just one aspect."

"If the Great Qin builds a road, the originally long journey can be shortened by at least half! The food and grass must be sent before the troops move. After the road is built, the food and grass supply in the rear will become very convenient!"

Upon hearing this, Prince Fusu's eyes flashed with approval. He nodded in approval and said, "Mr. Ye is right. The benefits of road construction are obvious. Fortunately, the evils of the clans have been cleared up, and the court is united. We can slowly start building the road!"

At this point, Prince Fusu couldn't help but reveal a hint of anticipation and longing on his face.

He seemed to have seen the broad and flat roads that ran through the mountains and rivers of Daqin and closely connected the four directions together.

And on these roads, there will be countless soldiers and horses galloping, and countless food and grass being transported, which are closely related to the prosperity of the Qin Dynasty!
Looking at Prince Fusu's expression, Ye Chi's heart was also filled with passion and ambition.

He also knew that building a road was not a task that could be accomplished overnight and required a large amount of manpower and material resources.

……

When we arrived at the recruitment office, we saw crowds of people and a long, winding line, showing the enthusiasm for joining the army.

Prince Fusu was very excited when he saw this scene. He said generously: "With these soldiers joining the army, combined with Mr. Ye's garrison system, the national strength of our Great Qin will surely reach an unprecedented level!!"

Ye Chi heard this, but shook his head slightly, and explained solemnly: "Sir, although the garrison system is good, it is not suitable for the Qin Navy."

"Navy officers and soldiers must train near the sea all year round to maintain their combat effectiveness! If we follow the garrison system, the officers and soldiers will take turns to return home. Over time, they will only become unfamiliar with naval warfare, which is not conducive to the long-term development of the navy."

After hearing this, Prince Fusu couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

He frowned and pondered, "But if this continues, before the colonial expansion, I'm afraid the Qin Dynasty's money will be almost exhausted! After all, war is very expensive, and it is indeed so in fact."

Seeing this, Ye Chi smiled and comforted him, "Don't worry, sir. I have already thought of a solution!"

Prince Fusu was still puzzled and couldn't help asking Ye Chi about the details of the navy construction: "Excuse me, sir, what is the countermeasure?!"

Ye Chi was neither anxious nor slow, and smiled and gestured to Fusu: "My lord, please be patient."

He first picked up the registration list, read it carefully, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

"How's the situation at the recruitment office?" Ye Chi asked casually.

"Your Excellency, there are about a thousand warriors who come to sign up every day. Their enthusiasm is high, which shows the loyalty and support of the people of the Great Qin for the country." The official at the recruitment office replied respectfully.

Ye Chi nodded in approval, and then he took Prince Fusu to the Ministry of Works to check on the progress of Li Si's supervision of the construction of the large ship.

As soon as you enter the dock, you will see craftsmen busy at work. The sounds of hammers and saws can be heard one after another, and the majestic warships have begun to take shape.

Li Si came forward and greeted Ye Chi and Fusu.

"Lord Ye, you are here." Li Si said with a smile.

Ye Chi smiled slightly, nodded to Li Si, pointed to the busy dock, and said, "Sir, please look, this is our shipbuilding grandeur."

Fusu looked in the direction of Ye Chi's finger, and saw craftsmen gathered in the dock, each doing his own job!

The majestic keel has been erected and the huge hull is gradually taking shape in the hands of the craftsmen!

Their movements were skillful and swift, as if every detail had been honed thousands of times.

"Mr. Ye means..." Master Fusu couldn't help but exclaim, his voice full of awe and expectation.

Ye Chi's tone was firm and decisive, "A thousand large ships! This will be the cornerstone of our Great Qin Navy, and also our weapon for sailing far and wide and conquering the four seas!"

When Li Si heard this, he couldn't help but take a breath!
He knew how expensive it was to build one warship, let alone a thousand!

However, he also understood Ye Chi's ambition and determination, and knew that this was for the future and glory of Daqin.

He pondered for a moment, finally nodded, and said: "Since Lord Ye has such a grand ambition, I will do my best to help you!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Chi gave Li Si a grateful look.

He knew that although the plan of building a thousand large ships was arduous, with the support of the Qin court and the hard work of the craftsmen, this day would eventually come.

……

As night falls, the palace lanterns are lit.

Li Si hurried into the Zhangtai Palace where the First Emperor was, carrying a heavy load of accounts.

Prince Fusu also accompanied him with a serious look on his face.

Ying Zheng was buried in documents. When he heard Li Si coming, he looked up.

"Your Majesty, these are the accounts needed to build the large ship. Please take a look." Li Si presented the accounts with a hint of helplessness in his voice.

Ying Zheng took the account and read it carefully.

At first, he was able to remain calm, but as he looked into the accounts, his expression gradually became solemn!

When he saw that it would cost a million taels to build the ship, he couldn't help but exclaimed: "This... is so much!"

"How can this number be so huge?" Ying Zheng's voice trembled a little, and he was obviously shocked by the huge expenditure.

Seeing this, Prince Fusu explained softly, "Father, Mr. Ye once said that the navy must be trained at sea all year round in order to maintain its combat effectiveness! Therefore, he proposed not to use the garrison system, but to adopt a rotation system."

"As a result, the cost of the navy will naturally increase."

"The cost of building this large ship is indeed a necessary expense!"

(End of this chapter)