I traveled back to the Qin Dynasty, and the First Emperor begged me to become his empress.

Chapter 405 Preparing for the Trade Fair

Ying Wuyou entered Zhangtai Palace, where King Ying Zheng of Qin was discussing plans to expand Xianyang with Wang Wan, Li Si, Feng Quji, Meng Tian, ​​and others.

"Your Majesty," Li Si cautiously advised, "the current city wall of Xianyang has a circumference of twenty li. If we were to double that, the cost would be enormous."

The King of Qin's gaze sharpened: "Li Si, you're looking too short-sightedly. Ten years from now, Xianyang will be the center of the world, with all nations paying tribute. At its current size, even an envoy from a small state would laugh at my Great Qin!"

Meng Tian stepped forward: "Your Majesty, I am willing to take charge of the expansion project. We can begin with the east and south sides and proceed gradually."

"Excellent!" The King of Qin slammed his hand on the table and rose to his feet. "Minister Meng, begin the planning immediately. Remember, the new city walls must be higher and thicker than they are now! The palace area must be tripled in size, and the market area must be able to accommodate 100,000 merchants!"

The ministers in the palace were awestruck by Ying Zheng's ambition and readily accepted the order.

As the figures of those people gradually disappeared into the distance, the King of Qin's gaze slowly fell on Ying Wuyou. He stared at his daughter, a faint smile appearing on his lips, and asked, "Why are you here?"

Seeing this, Ying Wuyou quickly stepped forward, a confident smile on her face. She took a deep breath and then answered slowly, "Father, I have come to report something to you today."

The King of Qin looked at Ying Wuyou with great interest, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes, and asked, "Oh? What is so important?"

Ying Wuyou gathered his thoughts and then said, "Father, I have an idea. I want to hold a trade fair."

Upon hearing this, the King of Qin frowned slightly, a look of doubt on his face, and asked, "A trade fair? What is that? I have never heard of it."

Seeing this, Ying Wuyou quickly explained, "Father, this trade fair is actually a gathering of merchants from all over the country to form a large-scale market. In this market, merchants can display and sell their goods, and people can also buy all kinds of items here."

After listening to Ying Wuyou's explanation, the King of Qin nodded thoughtfully. Although Ying Wuyou's description was somewhat vague, he quickly understood his intention. After a moment of silence, the King of Qin said, "Hmm, that's a good idea. However, Xianyang City is currently preparing for expansion, so holding a trade fair at this time is probably not very appropriate."

Ying Wuyou had already considered this and calmly replied, "Father, it is precisely because of the expansion of Xianyang that the trade fair is even more necessary. During the expansion, the demand for many materials and manpower will increase significantly. The trade fair can gather resources and talents from all sides, allowing the materials needed for the expansion to be collected at a more reasonable price and at a faster speed. It can also attract merchants from all over the country, bringing popularity and business opportunities to Xianyang. Moreover, the trade fair can be set up in an open area outside the city, so it will not affect the expansion project inside the city."

After listening, the King of Qin stroked his beard and pondered for a moment, then his eyes flashed with admiration: "Jiayang, your idea is good. As you say, you will be in charge of preparing for this trade fair. But remember, you must ensure the order and safety of the trade fair."

Ying Wuyou was overjoyed and quickly cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for your trust, Father. Your son will do his utmost to make this trade fair a grand event for the Qin Dynasty and contribute to the expansion of Xianyang." With that, Ying Wuyou began to prepare for this unprecedented trade fair with great enthusiasm.

As night deepened, the city of Xianyang was ablaze with lights. The massive machine of the Qin Dynasty was accelerating. Technology, education, economy, urban construction... every aspect was undergoing unprecedented transformation. And all of this was just beginning.

As night fell over Xianyang, the city lights flickered. After leaving Xianyang Palace, Ying Wuyou hurried back to Chaohua Palace. Along the way, she kept thinking about the preparations for the trade fair, while the idea for the newspaper became increasingly clear in her mind.

Upon returning to her residence, Ying Wuyou rested briefly before immediately summoning her brothers and sisters. She knew that the matter at hand was of utmost importance and required the assistance of trustworthy and capable individuals to discuss it with her.

However, most of the people Mr. Ying Wuyou could rely on had already been dispatched to handle other important matters and were difficult to recall in the short term. As for the officials in the court, although they were all shrewd and capable, Mr. Ying Wuyou felt they were not suitable to be recruited into his camp. After all, doing so might give others cause for criticism and lead to unnecessary trouble.

Although Ying Wuyou's trust in the King of Qin was unwavering, she didn't want these trivial matters to cause him any misunderstandings. Or rather, she hoped that the relationship between father and daughter could remain pure and unaffected by any tests or suspicions.

After careful consideration, Ying Wuyou finally decided to turn her attention to her siblings. These individuals were close to her and each possessed certain advantages. First, they were currently relatively free, with ample time and energy to participate in this matter; second, they had virtually no chance of being named crown prince, thus avoiding suspicion and hostility from the other princes; and finally, they had received excellent educations over the years, possessing a certain level of cultural literacy, making them well-suited for newspaper-related work.

This would not only keep them occupied and enrich their lives, but also promote a harmonious atmosphere in the harem. Considering various factors, Ying Yunman, Ying Gaolu, Ying Gaoshan, and Ying Yueying, her siblings with whom she had a good relationship, naturally became her first choices. Therefore, Ying Wuyou unhesitatingly sent people to invite them one by one to discuss the matter of establishing a newspaper.

Once everyone was seated, Ying Wuyou spoke with a firm gaze: "Gentlemen, my father has granted me permission to hold this trade fair, which is a golden opportunity for the Qin economy to take off. However, if we want this trade fair to be large in scale and far-reaching in influence, we need to spread the word widely so that merchants and people from all countries know about it. I plan to introduce an unprecedented medium of communication—the newspaper."

The group exchanged bewildered glances. Ying Gaoshan was the first to ask, "Jiayang, what is this newspaper?"

Ying Wuyou smiled slightly and patiently explained, "This newspaper is simply text printed on paper, containing various news items such as the time and location of trade fairs, exhibits, and interesting stories from all over the Qin Dynasty. Once printed, it can be distributed in large quantities so that more people can know about it."

Everyone was amazed upon hearing this. Ying Yunman excitedly said, "Jiayang's plan is brilliant! In this way, the news will spread quickly, and the trade fair will surely attract visitors from all directions. But what exactly is this trade fair?"

Ying Wuyou suddenly slapped his forehead, a look of sudden realization spreading across his face. He said, "Oh dear, my brain! I was so focused on talking to you about the newspaper that I completely forgot about the trade fair!"