Chapter 37 The First Kiss (Double Update Combined) "This is the first kiss between the two of them..."

Yang Jiang was punctual, and the three of them met up at the appointed time.

She hadn't expected Ying Zheng to come along. Banban invited her to ride in the carriage with him, but she fell silent as soon as they boarded.

She and Ying Zheng had no sibling relationship, and he rarely spoke to her unless there was something important to discuss. She got along fairly well with Banban, but with the two of them together, she felt embarrassed to speak to her.

That being said, she had never actually seen the two of them together in private, and out of curiosity, she peeked out from the corner of her eye while peeking through the curtain.

Just then, Ji Xiaoniang leaned forward, making a fist and speaking close to Ying Zheng's ear with a playful expression. Ying Zheng tilted his body slightly and listened patiently, sometimes nodding in agreement, sometimes smiling and replying with a word.

The next moment, his gaze slid over.

Could he even notice it out of the corner of his eye?

Yang Jiang's heart skipped a beat, and she lowered her eyes.

When he was the crown prince, he seemed to be the most gentle. However, Yang Jiang was a sensitive person. She always felt that her brother was not really gentle by nature because his smiles were always similar, as if they were deliberately raised, not from his heart.

The fleeting glimpse she had just caught confirmed her suspicions.

It turns out there's such a clear difference between a genuine smile and a fake one.

His genuine laughter, unlike a fake one, carried a faint indifference, yet his eyes and brows exuded a poignant autumnal warmth, adding a touch of radiance to his already handsome face.

Thinking of this, Yang Jiang couldn't help but glance at him again.

As expected of the son of Zhao Ji, a beauty from the Zhao state, Ying Zheng perfectly inherited his mother's good looks. With his sharp eyes and tiger-like features, his face was extremely three-dimensional and aggressive, especially his high brows, which made him look frighteningly cold when he wasn't smiling. He also had a pair of thick, long eyelashes, and when he slightly closed his long eyes, he would cover a curtain of calmness, giving him a unique feminine beauty.

Such a person is naturally cold, ruthless, and gloomy; one glance is enough to tell that he is no good.

However, at this moment, he slowed down his speech as if afraid that the people next to him would not be able to hear him, and his smiling eyes were filled with a touch of gentle tenderness.

The slender, jade-like hand that single-handedly suppressed the palace coup was gently pinching and playing with an even whiter fingertip.

He was gentle, but the people around him chattered incessantly like little sparrows, their voices rising unconsciously as they got carried away.

She talks a lot and speaks quickly; sometimes she even makes mistakes when she's in a hurry.

They were talking about food, and they could talk about food all the way there, and they were quite eloquent.

...This aligns quite well with Yang Jiang's perception of Ji Xiaoniang.

For some reason, she suddenly snapped at him, "It's easy for you to talk when you're not the one suffering. I'm not talking to you anymore."

Ying Zheng said, "I always bow when I speak to you."

Banban: "...?"

After getting out of the car, Banban, concerned that Yang Jiang might be bored alone, quickly came over, grabbed her hand, and urged her to hurry up, feeling a little embarrassed that she was being a third wheel.

"Come to Taxue Pavilion tonight, and we'll have dinner together. We'll eat something delicious tonight."

"What's so delicious?" Yang Jiang asked curiously.

Banban was quite happy and blinked, saying, "The people at the restaurant have skinned and slaughtered a cow that accidentally fell to its death. I'd like you to come and have a taste."

So, just now Brother Wang was talking to this person about the 'ox that fell to its death'?

As long as there are people who want to eat, there will be cows that 'accidentally fall to their deaths'.

Yang Jiang's lips twitched slightly. "I heard something. A lord under my grandfather's rule was so fond of eating oxen that every half month, an ox would inexplicably fall to its death in his fields." Meeting Ying Zheng's sudden sidelong glance, she added, "Some also died of illness."

I almost forgot how could I jokingly accuse someone of exploiting loopholes in the law in front of the King of Qin?

Fortunately, Ying Zheng only glanced at her and said nothing.

Yang Jiang felt embarrassed, and her stiff back slowly relaxed.

Banban blurted out, "One every half month? He can really eat!"

Isn't the cow huge?

Ying Zheng explained, "Some people only eat a small portion of what they like to eat, and give the rest to others or servants. For example, with fish, I once saw a nobleman who only liked to eat the tenderest part of the belly of the fish, and discarded the rest of the whole fish."

Ying Zheng loved to eat fish, and even fish offal. He would politely decline to eat fish skin, but he would have it grilled into crispy chips and sprinkled with dry seasonings.

Yang Jiang's eyes widened slightly, and she couldn't help but look at Ying Zheng several more times.

Did you hear that right? He referred to himself as "I" instead of "I, the lonely one".

I thought I misheard while I was in the carriage, but it turns out it's true?

"Serving a master who appreciates good food is a fortunate thing," Banban remarked.

As we were talking, we arrived at our destination.

The King of Qin's journey was not as simple as the princesses'. When Banban arrived, the entire Qiuchan Villa had already been cleared in advance, and all the palace servants knelt to welcome the king.

Banban saw the horses lined up at the edge of the racecourse, all twenty of them equipped with brand new saddles and stirrups.

Standing beside him were countless military generals, with Meng Ao at the head, facing the emperor with utmost respect.

Yang Jiang was startled, not expecting this kind of scene today.

Ying Zheng waved his hand, "No need for formalities. I came to the horse farm in person simply to see if these stirrups are really as powerful as Princess Chaoyang said."

"You will be divided into two groups. One group will race horses, pursuing speed." He pointed to the halfway point on the side, which was covered with numerous obstacles. "The race will be between those with and without stirrups. I want to see which team is faster and more stable."

"The remaining group," he said, looking at the other half of the court, "form two pairs and attack each other freely, but remember to stop when you've made your move and don't hurt your comrades!"

Amidst the chorus of "Your Majesty is wise," Banban raised his hand high, brimming with excitement:

"Me too, me too, I want some too, cousin!"

"Go change your clothes," Ying Zheng said helplessly, telling her to change into riding attire.

With permission granted, she pulled Yang Jiang to quickly change her clothes.

The two changed into their riding attire and came out. The Qin army had already begun their competition. Ying Zheng kept his eyes fixed on the front, eager to know the outcome.

"Let's go play in the back." Banban called over the horse trainer to teach her how to ride a horse, and said to Yangjiang, "Try stepping on the stirrups and see what it's like?"

"I'm not quite used to it." Mounting was indeed easier; she tried to feel it. "Squeezing the horse's belly doesn't seem as strenuous as before." She patted the horse, took the lead, and gave a proud laugh. "I'll know after a lap!"

"Sigh!" Banban could only watch!

The horse trainer repeatedly reminded her to slow down and not to rush.

The horse lightly trots its hooves, and the muscles on its back twitch along with it—a very novel sensation, completely different from riding in a carriage.

However, Banban was terrified. Once fully seated, he clung tightly to the horse's neck, repeatedly begging the trainer not to let go.

The horse trainer led the horse around twice before she slowly dared to sit up straight, gradually getting into the swing of things.

When she returned after having her fun, she was surprised to find her cousin fighting a fierce battle with someone else on horseback.

...While watching, I found myself wandering into the inner area!

Upon closer inspection, it was Meng Tian who was fighting Ying Zheng. Banban felt relieved and sat down to rest. Qin Ju waved his hand and had someone bring over some warm salty milk tea. She took a sip but didn't like it very much and put it down. "I want it sweet, with some diced peach."

The palace servant bowed and said, "Yes."

Before long, the sweet milk tea was ready and served. Just then, Yang Jiang returned, her forehead sparkling. She plopped down, her face full of curiosity, and exclaimed, "The stirrups are excellent!"

"If it works well, that's good." Banban pulled her down to sit and rest, and offered her some sweet milk tea.

The two chatted idly while watching the competition inside the arena.

Ying Zheng was also very skilled in archery and horsemanship. In fact, he was a typical all-rounder, and he was not at a disadvantage even when facing Wang Jian.

As dusk settled, after nearly four rounds of competition, the test concluded that the group wearing stirrups was superior in both speed and power.

Meng Ao clenched his fist with great joy, "Your Majesty, those who wear stirrups are extremely advantageous in close combat, it's like adding wings to a tiger, and it perfectly solves the problem of our army's slightly shorter close combat range."

Ying Zheng was overjoyed, "Excellent!"

He immediately ordered the mass production of stirrups, ensuring that each horse had its own. At the same time, he ordered Meng Ao to re-equip and retrain his troops, "but there is no need to chain the stirrups to the saddle; they should be made in a flexible and interchangeable style."

Meng Ao knew what the king was thinking and nodded firmly, "Yes." It was possible that some generals were extraordinary geniuses who were not used to wearing stirrups, and that the chains would actually be a hindrance to them.

night.

Banban lay on the bed, letting Congyun apply medicine to her.

Ying Zheng sat on the floor behind the screen, flipping through the bamboo slips with one hand and resting his chin on the other, sighing, "You've been playing for too long."

"I'm happy you won." Unable to resist, she went back and rode two more laps. "I didn't feel any pain at the time, but after a while..."

Banban was on the verge of tears, and cried out in anguish, "Be gentle!"

"Princess, you're bleeding." Cong Yun was heartbroken. "Please bear with it for now."

"Is it serious?" Ying Zheng immediately put down the scroll and asked urgently.

He almost rushed in, but now that he and his cousin were of different genders, he couldn't go in. He thought his cousin was just being coquettish and pretending to be in pain, but Yunyi said he started to feel sorry for her. "Apply some pain-relieving ointment."

"The skin is broken." Cong Yun didn't want to be too direct, so she expressed it in a roundabout way with a hint of embarrassment. "The princess's skin is naturally delicate, and even the slightest friction will leave a mark, let alone riding a horse for a long time."

After the medicine was applied, Banban was helped to turn over by Congyun so she could examine herself. Sure enough, the two broken skin patches on her inner thighs were bright red, and the blood streaks looked particularly frightening.

After the medicine was applied and a layer of gauze was loosely wrapped around her, she put her 'open-crotch pants' back on, uh... which is the original clothes that everyone wears. Fortunately, the skirt covered it up so it wasn't noticeable.

This is because the wound is covered up too much, preventing it from breathing and causing it to fester.

She had just come out when she bumped into her cousin who was waiting at the door. Banban gave him a resentful look.

"Are you feeling better?" Ying Zheng asked with concern. "Are you able to walk normally?"

“I can walk,” Banban said, still looking forward to eating beef. “Even if I can’t, it’s no use. I’m never learning to ride a horse again.”

Banban and her cousin had no secrets from each other and talked about everything. When they talked about the incident of "accidentally killing the beef", she learned that Ying Zheng had known about it all along.

"Why didn't my cousin say so earlier?" Banban asked angrily.

"You never said you wanted to eat it." Ying Zheng said seriously, and there was nothing wrong with it.

"I..." Banban was speechless, and simply sat down. "I think you did it on purpose. You are the Crown Prince, you are the King of Qin, how could you take the initiative to exploit loopholes!"

Ying Zheng: "You know this too?"

Okay, he's being sarcastic towards her.

Banban chuckled, "I'd like to see what kind of person you are underneath that serious face."

She pounced on him and pinched Ying Zheng's face. He couldn't dodge in time and pressed her down onto his lap.

Banban suddenly stood up and looked at his legs.

"What, did I hurt you?" Ying Zheng softened his voice.

"No," Banban replied hesitantly.

She stared at him intently, her eyes wide, then slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and sat down again. "Cousin..."

"Hmm?" He moved closer to her almost at the same time she sat down, and gently touched her face with one hand.

She obediently raised her chin.

His breath hit her face, and upon first touching it, she flinched, licked her lips with the tip of her tongue, and looked slightly bewildered.

He then lifted her chin and covered it again.

This was the first time the two had kissed in all the years they had known each other.

The closeness and caressing of lips is pure and clean, without a trace of desire.

Banban nestled against her cousin's chest, rubbing her little face against his, and couldn't help but giggle. Before they had exchanged more than a few words, she said she wanted to kiss him again.

So the shadows on the ground overlapped and merged again.

She found it amusing, so she touched the hair at his temples and rubbed her nose against his bridge.

They then turned their necks apart, embraced each other, and listened to each other's heartbeats.

Banban really wanted to say something, and after thinking for a long time, she said, "I admire my cousin."

Normally, Banban would say that she liked her cousin, and Ying Zheng would just smile. But today was different. He replied gently, "I also like my cousin."

Banban felt her heart beating faster. Otherwise, she had clearly seen her cousin's eyes, which were as bright as spring sunshine, far too many times. How could she still taste something different in them, like a clear spring splashing and hitting pebbles, or like a struggling fish that she had held in her hands when she was a child?

Is there a subtle difference between liking and being delighted, just like in the present moment?

She wanted to stay close to her cousin, and he wouldn't let her go.

However, it was indeed time for them to sit separately, because Yang Jiang, who had been invited by Banban, arrived at Taxuexuan.

After bowing and sitting down, Yang Jiang noticed that the two of them were quite different from those in the afternoon; they seemed even more affectionate. In short, it made her teeth ache!

Before long, the kitchen staff came to deliver dinner, and the freshly sliced ​​beef twitched slightly in the plate.

"Hey!" Yang Jiang pointed at the beef. "How come it's still moving?"

The chef explained, "Your Highness, because this beef is fresh and the muscle fibers are not completely dead, it will move around a bit. But don't worry, it can be eaten raw, just like sashimi."

"Oh?" Ying Zheng became interested upon hearing about sashimi. "I'll give it a try."

Curious, Banban picked up a piece of tender beef, dipped it lightly in the sauce, and put it in her mouth. "Ah, it's sweet."

The raw beef was surprisingly sweet.

The cook was an expert in food, able to say a few words about anything. She turned the beef slices over for several people, saying, "They're ready to eat when they change color; if you leave them too long, they'll become tough and hard to chew."

Banban finally understands how to eat beef and how to make it taste good. Sure enough, there are experts. Although it is forbidden to eat draft cattle on the surface, and killing them is a serious crime, there are always ways to eat them if you want to.

That makes sense. In modern times, with the rule of law, it's possible to consume prohibited items... let alone in ancient times when monarchical power reigned supreme.

However, since it was beef, and Banban began to doubt whether the cow had really 'accidentally fallen to its death' today, she felt guilty and secretly delivered it to Ji Changyue.

While reading in the evening, Ying Zheng mentioned something.

"Since I have just ascended the throne, it is not advisable to confront the State of Zhao head-on. Therefore, the two countries have been on good terms recently. The King of Zhao is going to send a hostage to Xianyang."

"Huh?" Banban immediately sat down next to her cousin. "Zhao Yan is going to be sent here as a hostage? This is absolutely gratifying! Back then, he looked down on my cousin because he was the son of a hostage, and he always colluded with hostages from other countries to bully my cousin. This is what they call the wheel of fortune turning!"

Ying Zheng snorted coldly and narrowed his eyes slightly. "Zhao Yan? No, I want the King of Zhao to send his most beloved crown prince to Xianyang."

Crown Prince Zhao You, Banban hadn't thought of him for many years.

All I remember is that he loved his younger brother dearly. When Zhao Yan was retaliated against by Ying Zheng, his humiliated shoulders trembled, and his eyes looked like he wanted to kill someone.

"Why would the King of Zhao send his crown prince here as a hostage?" Banban asked in confusion. "I heard that the King of Zhao is in poor health and probably won't live much longer. If he dies, Zhao You will have to take his place."

Ying Zheng replied, “Zhao You has some talent in state affairs, while Zhao Yan is tyrannical and dissolute. Although he is intelligent, he is very suspicious and relies heavily on the treacherous minister Guo Kai.”

"For the Qin state, Zhao needs a king like Zhao Yan, not Zhao You."

He tapped the table lightly, his expression resolute. "Guo Kai is undoubtedly the best breakthrough point. Qin is willing to help Zhao Yan ascend the throne, and he covets the position of prime minister, so he will definitely take the bait." He also has other inside agents in Zhao.

Banban leaned on her cousin's arm and suddenly asked, "I remember Zhao Yan frequented brothels. When we were kids, you even used that place to injure his leg."

At that time, she didn't know what a brothel was, and when she asked him, he refused to tell her, which caused them to quarrel.

Ying Zheng nodded, "That's true. A few years ago, he forcibly married a prostitute, and the King of Zhao was so angry that he fell ill."

Banban immediately sat up. "Does that mean that prostitute is going to be the queen?"

Ying Zheng smiled and nodded, "That's right."

He laughed not because of the prostitute or anything else, but because his cousin was always like that. No matter what he said, she never questioned whether he could do it or not, but assumed that he could do whatever he wanted.

Banban then said that she also wanted to marry her cousin as soon as possible.

Ying Zheng squeezed her hand and said, "Don't rush."

As soon as Banban's birthday passed, Prince Zhao You of Zhao indeed came to Xianyang as a hostage. It is said that Guo Kai bribed Zhao minister Mao Sui and the Qin envoy with a large sum of money. No one knows what Mao Sui said to King Zhao, but King Zhao hesitated and actually sent Zhao You as a hostage.

However, as soon as Zhao You set off, King Zhao regretted it and ordered Mao Sui to send troops to bring Zhao You back. Mao Sui, having accepted the money, naturally did not actually go to bring Zhao You back. King Zhao was filled with remorse and died of illness in his bed.

And so, Zhao Yan ascended the throne.

Banban was curious about Zhao You, so Ying Zheng had her hide behind the throne to watch during the morning court session.

The eunuchs summoned Zhao You to the palace. He was currently undergoing inspection outside and was not allowed to bring any weapons into the Xianyang Palace.

Banban cautiously peeked out, peering down through her cousin's arm between her waist and abdomen. There were two rows of officials, one on the left and the other on the right.

She didn't recognize any of them. After looking for a long time, she barely recognized Lord Weiyang. He was the elder brother of Prince Zichu of Zhuangxiang. Now he had been granted the title of Marquis and was considered the 'leader' of the Ying clan.

She often heard her cousin talk about how this Lord Weiyang liked to oppose her.

She glared at him fiercely through all those people, though he couldn't see it.

Just as she was about to look away, she met a pair of eyes that had been staring at her for who knows how long.

Banban was startled and quickly pulled his head back.

Oh no, she was caught by Lü Buwei peeping at the officials.

Ying Zheng seemed to have noticed, and used the gesture of adjusting his sleeves to block the left side of the throne. "What matter does the Prime Minister wish to discuss?"

Lü Buwei, of course, dared not expose the King of Qin, but only smiled and said, "There is indeed something that Your Majesty would like to discuss."

Ying Zheng nodded and said no more.

Ji Changyue's initial excitement has faded, and now she's getting restless. Every morning she has to sit in the main hall for quite a while. She can't stand it at all, and when she's bored, she's happy to peek at things to relieve her boredom.

Banban quickly made a 'shh' gesture, begging her aunt not to make a sound.

Ji Changyue couldn't help but laugh out loud.

A minister asked, "Why is the Empress Dowager laughing?"

Silence fell in an instant.

Ji Changyue propped his forehead up and said arrogantly, "In the past, Your Majesty suffered a lot in Handan. Now that the Crown Prince of Zhao has personally become a hostage in Qin, I am overjoyed."

The ministers were waiting for Zhao You to ascend the throne, and took this opportunity to ask the King of Qin how he intended to deal with the Crown Prince Zhao You.

Ji Changyue sneered, "What should I do with him? How could I forgive him? Send him to work with the State of Zheng on the construction of the canals. If he dares to be lazy, I will kill him!"

We definitely can't just kill them directly.

The officials were already used to Empress Dowager Zhao's occasional outrageous remarks, and they consciously filtered them out, interpreting them as meaning that if Zhao You were lazy, Empress Dowager Zhao would not let him off the hook, and so on.

Empress Dowager Zhao was not well-educated, did not come from a noble family, and was vastly different from other empress dowagers. Moreover, she had also suffered a lot, so why wouldn't she seek revenge now? Besides, she was avenging her son.

Ying Zheng nodded in understanding and did not refute her.

Moreover, since Empress Dowager Zhao is now in power, her words are law, and others have no choice but to obey.

Zhao Yougang had just entered the main hall when he heard the news of his affiliation. Enraged, he roared in the hall, "How dare the tyrannical Qin? How dare you, you little brat Ying Zheng? I am the Crown Prince of Zhao! How can I build a canal with commoners?!"

Ji Changyue suddenly flew into a rage, slammed his fist on the table, and shouted, "Guards, drag him away!"

Ying Zheng gently patted her back to comfort her, "Mother, please calm down."

"Who dares? Let me go! I am the Crown Prince, destined to inherit the throne. You cannot treat me like this!" Zhao You struggled desperately, filled with disbelief. Although he knew that being a hostage in Qin would be unpleasant, he had been terrified on the way here.

But I didn't expect this mother and son to be so direct, not even bothering to act.

Ying Zheng chuckled, "The Crown Prince probably doesn't know yet." He then kindly reminded him, "Your father has passed away, and your younger brother, Prince Yan, ascended the throne yesterday."

These words struck Zhao You like a bolt from the blue. His face turned deathly pale. "...This is impossible." He was terrified and collapsed to the ground, his body going limp.

Raising his head, the King of Qin, seated high above him, smiled and said, "I believe that Prince Yan will be a wise ruler. What do you think, Crown Prince?"

The culprit who deliberately allowed his younger brother to grow up badly was Zhao You. He indulged Zhao Yan in order to maintain his own position, not because he truly doted on his younger brother. It is easy to imagine what would happen to the State of Zhao if it were handed over to such a person!

Zhao You's eyelids rolled back, and he fainted from fright.

Ying Zheng was pleased and waved for someone to take him away. Then he heard his cousin hiding behind the throne, giggling like a little mouse stealing millet.