Chapter 19 Ying Zheng was very patient: "You're jealous, you're being envious..."

Ying Zheng did not immediately understand what his cousin was saying, simply because she was always dull-witted, slow to react, and did not understand love.

She grew up in the harmonious and happy Ji family, without even a younger brother or sister. She had never experienced deceit or intrigue, and her heart was pure. Perhaps she didn't even know how to distinguish between sibling affection and romantic love.

The children in the palace are different. Most of them are precocious and even from a young age, they know that their marriage will not be based solely on love, but rather on seeking the greatest benefit for their country and their father.

Take the Third Princess Ying Yue, for example. She admired Meng Tian, ​​perhaps it was her own thought, or perhaps it was tacitly approved or guided by those around her.

After all, the Meng clan had made great contributions to Qin, and heroes had been produced in the Meng family for generations. Marrying a princess to him would completely win his loyalty.

Ying Zheng knew his cousin Chunran well and never expected her to become enlightened early, nor did he guide her in any way; he only hoped that she would grow naturally.

He quickly realized what was happening and his gaze swept across her face, not wanting to miss any of her micro-expressions.

However, although he knew these things, he had no experience with them. "Are you jealous?"

Banban paused for a moment, then subconsciously shook her head. "Why should I be jealous of the princess? She's my cousin's sister, not mine." She had no right to be jealous.

"Then what are you unhappy about? You won't let her call me 'Brother King'?" Ying Zheng looked at her intently.

"I don't know either." It was precisely because she didn't understand that she was so anxious. Could it be that she wanted to be siblings with her cousin, which was why she was so unhappy?

After hesitating for a long time, she finally brought up what her cousin had promised her: "When we were at home, you said that no matter what your other younger siblings were like, you only had me in your heart."

"So today, do you think I broke my promise?" Ying Zheng asked patiently, bending down to stroke her soft hair.

The guards, eunuchs, and palace maids had all left, and only the chirping of crickets filled the quiet night.

After careful consideration, he was deeply frustrated, thinking, "It seems there isn't one."

"These younger brothers and sisters are not what I wanted. They were born to my father and other concubines. Are you jealous of them?"

"...Is there?"

"Yes," Ying Zheng asked, "Are you angry with me?"

"I don't know..." Banban was at a loss, but when she met her cousin's tolerant eyes, she mustered up her courage and tried to recall carefully. Sadly, she realized that he seemed to be right. Her cousin was so innocent. Why was she angry?

"It seems so, cousin, I'm sorry."

Ying Zheng shook his head. "No need to apologize." He even found it quite amusing and had the leisure to tease, "Such a young age, yet such a strong possessiveness."

Banban lowered her voice, her voice filled with worry, "Isn't this a great disrespect?"

Ying Zheng whispered in sync with her, "I won't tell anyone."

Banban stared suspiciously at her cousin's smiling face. "Are you happy?"

"Is there?"

"have."

This is the first time I've seen my cousin smile so brightly.

It's obvious he's still pretending to be stupid.

Oh no, he's got something on her about having bad intentions.

Banban held her breath, very wary. "Threatening me with this won't work. I won't do anything bad."

"..." Ying Zheng's smile faded.

He flicked her on the forehead, forcing her to swallow the word "idiot" back down her throat.

They're incredibly stupid, but you can't say anything about it.

The Eastern Palace was spacious, with guards stationed at each level, and each level had a dedicated eunuch with different positions.

Banban felt the place was very strict and didn't find it very interesting after walking around.

She hung the new flower bag she had brought above Ying Zheng's bedside, saying, "It contains dried bergamot slices, mimosa bark, dried mimosa flowers, and cypress seeds."

The purse was also dark red, with gold thread binding it, which was just right for the Crown Prince. "Hanging it by the bedside can calm the mind and help me sleep, so that my cousin can fall asleep quickly at night and have good energy to study and practice martial arts the next day."

As she hung it up, she muttered, "My cousin doesn't sleep well at night. He always wakes up in the middle of the night. What a waste of his time."

Banban knew that Ying Zheng often woke up in the middle of the night because they slept together a lot. One time, he woke up very loudly, and she woke up too. She saw that he was covered in sweat and his pupils were contracted in fear. She realized that for him, sleeping was not a happy thing.

"The purse I gave you last time, the fragrance has long since dissipated, hasn't it?" Banban reached out to him, "Give it back to me."

Ying Zheng looked at her outstretched palm, not very pleased. "There's no reason to take back something that's been given away."

Banban wanted to roll her eyes at him, but then she looked around and saw many servants. "Change the things inside, cousin. Are you an idiot?"

He then smiled gently and said, "Oh." He then beckoned for a palace servant to bring him the purse.

The eunuch who served Ying Zheng closely had a fair complexion and narrow eyes and was quite unfamiliar with him. He brought the things that Ying Zheng wanted and presented them to him with a cupped hand. His soft, feminine voice was gentle and gentle, "Your Highness is so well taken with you, I am deeply impressed."

Banban immediately became wary. "Of course." She stared at him for a while, then suddenly asked, "What's your name?" The servants in the palace were all eunuchs.

Ying Zheng was holding the flower bag with some reluctance when he heard this. He lifted his eyelids, glanced at Banban, and then his gaze slid down to the eunuch beside him.

The eunuch bowed and said, "My name is Qin Ju."

When Ji Xiaoniang questioned him, he immediately humbled himself, changing his self-reference from "your humble servant" to "your servant".

"Qin Ju?" Banban repeated, his tense shoulders relaxing slightly. "What character is that?"

"The name 'Ju' means 'foal'." Qin Ju smiled modestly. "This name was given to me by myself, meaning that I am willing to be the horse of my Great Qin. His Highness the Crown Prince clapped and laughed when he heard my name."

His words also reveal that he is quite satisfied with his name.

"It's a good name," Ying Zheng waved his hand.

Qin Ju retreated in time.

"What, such a strong reaction?" Ying Zheng glanced at her. "You're even jealous of your personal eunuch?"

This was just a lighthearted joke.

However, Ying Zheng's gaze was fixed on her and did not look away.

Banban lied, "No, he looks familiar. He looks a lot like someone I met in Handan. I thought my cousin had hired someone with the surname Zhao as his personal eunuch."

Ying Zheng gave a light "oh" and didn't pursue the matter further.

"Cousin, you must not allow anyone with the surname Zhao to be your personal eunuch, and you must not allow any eunuchs either."

"I didn't realize you cared so much for the people of Zhao. If you care so much for the people of Zhao, what will you do in the future?"

Banban paused for two seconds before she understood what Ying Zheng was saying. She subtly sensed that his tone was off, but couldn't quite put her finger on it because he was still smiling as he spoke.

"I..." Which of her words showed that she felt sorry for Zhao Ren?

"—Your Highness the Crown Prince."

A voice interrupted Banban's words, and the two of them turned their heads to look.

It was Qin Ju again. He said, "His Majesty invites His Highness the Crown Prince to Xianyang Palace for a meeting. Marquis Wenxin is also there."

Marquis Wenxin was none other than Lü Buwei. After Zichu ascended the throne as King of Qin, he was appointed Prime Minister and granted the title of Marquis Wenxin for his merits. He can be considered the first person to go from a merchant to a prime minister.

Ying Zheng frowned slightly. "Qin Ju, escort Zhao Ji back to Taxue Pavilion, and then come back."

Banban pouted, somewhat displeased, but said nothing. For the first time, she shared the same thought as her mother: Lü Buwei was indeed annoying. Last time, after the banquet, she bumped into him at the palace gate, and the way he looked at her was very unpleasant.

That's the kind of look you give when you're looking at a commodity waiting to be sold.

Before leaving, she asked anxiously, "Cousin, has Mr. Ji Hao arrived?"

Ying Zheng nodded. "The men I sent should have arrived in Handan by now, and they will set off soon."

Banban's eyes lit up immediately, and she tugged at his sleeve, pleading, "Then can you have someone urge my father and mother? When are they moving to Qin?"

Ying Zheng simply said, "If you miss them, write a letter and send it to them. Your aunt is pregnant, so I'm afraid she can't leave immediately."

Banban thought it made sense and happily followed Qin Ju.

Back at Taxuexuan, she called out for bamboo slips, saying she wanted to write a letter.

Qian Yin smiled, ground the ink, moistened the brush, and helped her write a letter.

She kept writing and revising, her fingers aching from using the scraper. The once smooth bamboo slips were now uneven in some places. Finally, she put down her brush.

"Is the young lady finished writing?" Qian Yin was illiterate, but she knew her young lady's temperament. The text on the bamboo slips was very short. How could she, who was so talkative, only write these few words?

Banban: "..."

“No, I’ve changed my mind,” she said, leaning on the table. “I’ll go find my cousin tomorrow to write together. He should also have something to say to my father and mother.”

In any case, the next day would be the day they would officially begin their studies.

Before it was fully light, Banban was woken up by Qianyin. After a drowsy wash, the two discussed what to wear that day.

Facing the other princesses, not only was she extremely nervous, but Qian Yin also felt as if she were facing a formidable enemy.

In the end, they didn't wear anything too flashy, because the king was still in mourning, and others couldn't wear gold or silver.

With skillful hands, she simply styled her hair into a hanging bun, and placed two light purple jade hairpins on either side, delicate and small without overshadowing the main hair.

She was wearing a light yellow silk blouse and a black floral silk skirt, which highlighted her slightly slender neck this year.

For breakfast, I had millet porridge, which was thick and contained milk. You could see the cinnamon flavor as I stirred it. Paired with some refreshing side dishes, I enjoyed the meal very much.

Because she loves pickled vegetables, there were crispy pickled vegetables available early in the morning. When she took a bite, the broth from the braised pork inside flowed between her fingers.

"Next time, I suggest the chef add some dogwood; it might taste even better."

Qian Yin took a damp handkerchief to wipe her hands and explained, "Other palace servants' pickles are seasoned with dogwood, but you are young and should eat less spicy food. However, eating a little shouldn't be a problem. I'll have the cook add some next time."

Banban nodded and said okay.

After having breakfast, Banban, along with Qianyin and two eunuchs, came out of Taxue Pavilion and saw the Crown Prince's entourage winding in from the dense bamboo forest.

She was stunned for a moment, then immediately ran a few steps and peeked out to look.

It was indeed Ying Zheng. He was resting his head on one hand, his eyes closed in meditation. His moon-white robe made him appear spotless, and the wide, bright yellow belt accentuated his strong yet slender waist.

He usually doesn't tie his hair up, and although he is young, he already has the handsome appearance of a young gentleman. Today, however, he tied his hair up high, revealing his entire face.

His high brow arches created slightly deep eye sockets, and especially when his eyes were closed, the high bridge of his nose cast a small shadow, making him look unapproachable and gloomy.

“…Cousin?” Banban seemed a little dazed.

Ying Zheng opened his eyes and saw that she was dressed properly. He smiled slightly and said, "So punctual, huh?"

Banban blinked slowly, "Didn't we agree that you didn't need to see me off?"

"I didn't agree, did I?" Ying Zheng tilted his head and recalled for a moment, then raised his eyebrows.

Banban was both happy and unhappy. After being pulled onto the sedan chair, she nestled against him and repeatedly told him not to send her off.

Ying Zheng comforted her, "This is your first time attending class today, so naturally I'm here to support you. You're the only outsider in the school, so it's hard to guarantee that others won't bully you."

“No one bullied me.” Banban truly felt that way. “They are all princesses. Princesses are supposed to be dignified and graceful. How could they do something like bullying others? If we don’t get along, I’ll just ignore them. You can’t force friends.”

Ying Zheng was surprised by her statement, "Since you entered the palace, has no one bullied you?"

"No, no." Banban scratched her head, thinking for a while but still couldn't think of anyone who would bully her. "I was brought back by His Highness the Crown Prince, how could anyone dare to bully me?"

Ying Zheng was amused and touched her hair.

"Don't mess up my hair," Banban protested.

He lowered his hand as instructed. "You're not wearing makeup, so you can still touch me, right?" He pinched her cheek, realizing she hadn't felt the hurt in his gaze. "In your eyes, 'being bullied' is probably defined as verbal abuse or physical shoving?"

"Right?" Banban felt that she was not being hypocritical. "Sometimes when I see people I hate or dislike, I will take a second look, and even talk about them behind their backs. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. How can anyone be loved by everyone? I'm not gold. As long as they don't curse me to my face or trip me up behind my back, everyone can live in peace."

Ying Zheng was genuinely taken aback for a moment, then pondered, "Judging by actions, not intentions, no one is perfect when judging by intentions."

However, "If I hear someone cursing at me, I'll curse them back ten times; if someone hurts me, I'll never forgive them and I'll make them pay!"

Looking at her disdainful yet confident little face, and her arrogant words coming one after another, Ying Zheng couldn't help but chuckle and couldn't take his eyes off her.

Banban chattered on and on, but when she realized her cousin hadn't replied, she turned her head and met his eyes, and her words came to an abrupt halt.

The two men stared at each other from the sedan chair, his gaze unwavering, neither averting nor attacking.

She hurriedly looked away, pretending to straighten her clothes, and after a moment of reaction, she looked up at him suspiciously. He was still staring at her.

She had no idea what he was looking at. Was it because her clothes didn't look good? Or because her hair wasn't combed properly? Her cheeks flushed, and she angrily shoved him, then tried to rub her head against his shoulder.

He chuckled softly, his chest heaving, deliberately turning away to prevent her from leaning on him.

She missed her target, her head brushing against his chest, her earlobe rubbing against the pattern on his collar. In that instant, it felt as if his breath was stretched infinitely long, warm and shallow.

A tingling sensation spread through my ears, and my toes immediately curled up.

She quickly sat up straight and opened her eyes wide.

"What's wrong?" he asked, gently rubbing her forehead with concern. "How could you be so careless?"

His expression didn't seem fake; it was so convincing that Banban almost believed he hadn't meant to act that way.

She was stunned, unsure whether to be angry or not.

Suddenly, she pounced on him and grabbed his cheeks with both hands.

The accompanying eunuchs and palace maids were so frightened that they widened their eyes, fearing that something was wrong and prepared to kneel down.

"Why is your face so thick and hard, cousin? Let me rub it for you." Banban put on a cute and innocent look and started kneading and flattening his face.

Ying Zheng, with one hand supporting himself on the palanquin, was not angry at all. Instead, he leaned forward and offered his face to her, saying, "Alright, thank you, cousin."

"..." Banban simply let go of him, "How boring."

“Where is it boring?” he asked.

She looked away from his handsome face, which was so close to hers, and muttered, "You never seem to get angry. I've never seen you like that."

"How could I be angry with you?" Ying Zheng said lightly, and sat back down properly.

Regardless of what the two of them are like, the one who is at fault must be someone else.

Jingyin Palace was just a stone's throw away. After getting off the palanquin, Ying Zheng took Banban's hand and personally escorted her inside.

Early in the morning, a servant announced that the female tutor and princesses inside knew that His Highness the Crown Prince had arrived, and they all rose to pay their respects.

Banban finally met the older princesses.

Princess Yangman smiled and waved to her, inviting her to sit beside her.

Banban didn't know if there was any significance to the seating arrangement, so she didn't dare to go over. She first looked at her cousin's expression. Ying Zheng gently patted her shoulder, signaling her to come over. Only then did she happily run over and sit down next to Yang Man.

The other younger princesses were all delighted and eager to speak with the Crown Prince, but he did not stay. He spoke a few words with the Grand Tutor and then left.

"Is breakfast ready?"

"It's been used."

Banban and Yangman were talking in hushed tones when a shadow suddenly fell beside them, followed by a faint fragrance of melons and fruits.

Turning my head, I saw a familiar face.

Princess Yang Jiang.

Yang Jiang was only seven years old, with a tender face and still some baby fat. She glanced at the things Banban had brought and said, "Your ink stick is so-so, it doesn't look very good."

These words carried a hint of barbed sarcasm.

Banban was not very happy. Before she could speak, Yangman took the initiative to smooth things over, "Changtong's ink sticks are already quite precious. If you sisters don't like them, you can use yours. These ink sticks were given to me by the Queen a few days ago."

What the Queen bestowed was not something to be easily criticized.

Yang Jiang choked, a hint of frustration creeping into her eyes. She glanced at Ji Xiaoniang several times, then sat there and refused to move.

She placed her prized possessions on the table, slightly raised her chin, and glanced at Ji Xiaoniang beside her.

Yang Man glanced at her, pondering, and it seemed that this was not an intention to deliberately make things difficult for Ji Xiaoniang.

Unfortunately, Ji Xiaoniang ignored her and didn't even look at the things she was showing off.

Banban really didn't see any difference between these ink sticks. They were all made of pine soot ink, just with slightly different processes. Which one was more noble than the other? That's impossible.

Because of the novelty, they listened attentively to the first day's lessons, and Yang Man invited the princesses to dine together.

She was the only princess among all the princesses to have a title, so naturally she commanded a large following.

During the meal, the Third Princess Ying Yue suddenly spoke up and asked, "Miss Ji grew up with the Prince. Do you have any interesting stories to tell? The Prince has only been back in the palace for a short time, so we know very little about him and don't know how to get close to the Crown Prince."

Banban immediately became wary, remembering her mother's teachings: "How can you speak so casually about His Highness the Crown Prince?"

“You are siblings, he will not distance himself from Her Highness the Princess, so why should the Third Princess worry?”

He's cautious, but he's also a bit too blunt.

Yingyue was so choked that she couldn't catch her breath. She wanted to glare at her fiercely, but out of consideration for her princess demeanor, she forced a couple of twitches at the corners of her mouth to maintain her composure.

If the Crown Prince wanted to be close to her, why would she bother asking around here?

Stop talking nonsense!!!

Princess Dongyang, who was standing to the side, laughed out loud. Her voice was clear and sweet, and even when she was teasing someone, it was not grating.

Ying Yue was naturally shy, and her face immediately turned red. She angrily rebuked her, "What are you laughing at?"

Dongyang feigned innocence, saying, "It's nothing." She laughed at herself for trying to please others while unable to hide her dislike and contempt.

However, it's normal for Ying Yue to be arrogant. She is the daughter of Consort Han and almost became a legitimate princess. In the past few years, she has always maintained the airs of a legitimate princess and hasn't been able to switch over yet.

Ever since Zichu ascended the throne and appointed Zhao Ji as Queen and Prince Zheng as Crown Prince, Empress Dowager Huayang has kept to herself and rarely interfered in state affairs. The position of Prime Minister, which her younger brother coveted, was taken by Lü Buwei in one fell swoop. No matter how ambitious she was, she could only swallow her anger.

Therefore, Consort Han lost the protection of Empress Dowager Huayang, and it is likely that Consort Han was the one who taught her to please the Crown Prince. After all, the Queen controlled the harem of Prince Chu of Qin, and he listened to Chancellor Lü Buwei in almost every major matter of the court, and Lü Buwei also greatly admired Crown Prince Zheng.

Whether it's Prince Chengjiao's future or Yingyue's marriage, everything depends on the Queen and the Crown Prince.

Therefore, the princesses present wanted to please the crown prince and Consort Ji not out of jealousy or competition for his favor, but for their own future.

The lunch ended rather unpleasantly.

Yang Man invited Banban to rest at her Yiying Palace. The two got along well, so she went.

“I’m sensitive to heat, so I used ice early this morning. If you feel too cold, I’ll have someone bring out two basins.”

"It's not cold." That's just right.

As soon as she lifted the curtain, a cool breeze rushed in, making her feel so comfortable that every pore on her body relaxed. She couldn't wait to roll onto the bed and rest.

Turning her head, she saw the fruit plate on the table.

There were five fist-sized, golden oranges on the plate. She exclaimed in surprise, "This is—"

Upon seeing this, Yang Man suddenly realized what was happening and hurriedly asked someone to peel it open. "This is a fruit that is a specialty of Chu, called tangerine. Every year, my uncle would send a lot of it to Xianyang. Unfortunately, the people in the palace don't eat much of it, and I can't finish it all by myself. So, over time, I've started using it to fumigate the house."

Of course she recognized him; she hadn't seen him since this dynasty came to be!

So it's a specialty of the Chu region.

The maidservant peeled away the white pith, neatly arranged the segments back into the original shape of an orange on a plate, picked up a segment, and just as she put it in her mouth, her face turned red with sourness. "Ah!"

Saliva and fruit pulp were spat out together.

Princess Yangman laughed heartily and lightly tapped her forehead, "You, you, I just said that people in the palace don't eat much, don't you know why?"

The moment Banban saw the orange, it was all she could see; she didn't care what she was saying at all.

After taking a couple of sips of honey water to catch her breath, Banban asked excitedly, "Can I take one with me?"

Yang Man didn't know what she wanted to do. "Sure, I have plenty more in my palace. I'll have the eunuchs pack some for you. Aren't you too sour to eat? What do you need it for?"

"I'm not doing anything," Banban said innocently, then chuckled sweetly.

Before long, the two rested together, and when they woke up it was already late afternoon. They were completely listless when they went to class.

The whole day passed in the blink of an eye. On the way back to Taxue Pavilion, she met Princess Yang Jiang, who asked her how her studies were going.

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Banban asked, puzzled. She still remembered the princess rolling her eyes at her, clearly disliking her. Could it be that she was chasing after her today just to mock her?

"..." Yang Jiang said with a stern face, "If you don't understand, this princess can teach you."

Banban chuckled, "I don't need you to teach me."

Yang Jiang immediately frowned, "You don't know what's good for you. I'm a princess. Do you think I'd be happy to teach you?"

"Then why are you chasing me?"

"I was just going that way... Who, who said I was chasing you? It's clearly you who was chasing me!"

Yang Jiang was so angry that her clothes were practically standing on end. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were wide open, and she exuded a powerful aura, but she started to stutter as soon as she opened her mouth.

Moreover, his statements are incoherent and contradictory.

Banban was suspicious, and couldn't help but wonder if she had always been this obvious when she lied in the past.

"You like me?" She looked Yang Jiang up and down for a moment. "You want to be friends with me?"

Yang Jiang had never seen anyone use such blunt language before. She was dumbfounded and didn't know what to say for a moment. Seeing that she was looking at her curiously over and over again, she started to breathe rapidly. "You...you, you are so presumptuous!"

She rolled her eyes at Banban again, fiercely, then turned and left after finishing her glare.

Banban was speechless. She turned to look at Qianyin and asked, "Did you understand her?"

Even the leader dared not comment on the princess casually, and shook his head reluctantly, "The eldest princess is the daughter of Xia Ba Zi. Xia Ba Zi is deeply loved by the king, and the eldest princess is also pampered in every way."

The subtext of this statement is that the eldest princess, Yang Jiang, is spoiled and domineering, and not someone to be trifled with.

Ying Zheng also came to Taxuexuan for dinner in the evening.

Also brought along was a large quantity of roasted meat.

"What a big piece of meat! What kind of meat is this?" Banban leaned closer to examine it carefully. "It doesn't look like pork."

Qin Ju put down a round pot. "Replying to you, young lady, this is venison, which His Highness hunted at the hunting grounds this afternoon. This is wild pear juice, freshly squeezed, sweet and sour and delicious. Please have some."

Banban was surprised and clapped his hands happily, "Cousin, you can hunt deer!" The deer was quite big.

“Hmm,” Ying Zheng pulled her to sit down, “Just a taste is enough. This stuff is very hot in nature; if you eat too much, you’ll get a sore mouth.”

"How are things today?"

"It's fine," Banban said with a grin. "No one is bullying me, cousin, you're overthinking it."

"Oh, right."

She ran back to the inner room and took out the tangerines Yang Man had given her. "Cousin, look what this is."

Ying Zheng had never seen her before. He looked at her repeatedly, and seeing her expectant little face, he said, "Citrus."

"..." How did he know?

Perhaps her expression was too obvious, so he put down the tangerines. "You get along well with Yang Man. Yang Man's mother is a princess of Chu. This stuff is naturally a specialty of Chu. The book mentions rare fruits, and you can guess it by comparing the descriptions."

Indeed, there were no citrus fruits in the Qin state, and almost all the people of Qin did not recognize them.

Ying Zheng believed that if something was not widely circulated, it must have obvious shortcomings.

"You're smart," Banban muttered, then secretly chuckled, "These tangerines are so sweet! I specially saved one for my cousin, so you should eat it!"

I don't believe he won't change his tune, hehe.

Qian Yin secretly glanced at His Highness the Crown Prince, also curious about what he looked like beneath his gentle mask.