Chapter 48 Forging the Long Qin King's Sword (Part 2) "You want me to keep quiet..."

Li Si's wife was surnamed Gu. At that time, when women introduced themselves to others, they would only say their surname, as if they were too shy to say their given name.

Banban didn't feel comfortable asking her name, so he referred to her as Madam Gu.

Lady Gu was incredibly fortunate to be able to dine with the Queen, but she had some questions: "Everyone addresses me as Lady Li, so why does Your Majesty call me Lady Gu?"

Banban hadn't thought about this question either; it was completely subconscious on her part. "Because Madam Gu's surname is Gu, not Li."

The angle was unusual, and Gu was slightly confused, yet felt that what was said made sense.

Of the children born to Gu and Li Si, only their youngest son and daughter arrived.

After inquiring about his name and age, Banban, on a sudden inspiration, sent Geng'er into the palace. "Madam Gu said your eldest son is skilled in martial arts. I wonder how your youngest son is?"

Madam Gu hurriedly said, "I can't tell anything yet, but all the children love watching the eldest son practice halberds, especially the youngest son Li Zhi. But he is still young, and I haven't let him touch any weapons yet."

Everything seemed so novel. "Even young girls watch it?"

“The young girl…” Madam Gu stroked the girl’s hair beside her and sighed. “She is a naughty and lazy girl. She refuses to learn to dance and is not very willing to sing. She spends her days climbing trees to steal bird eggs and going down to the river to catch fish fry. She can’t be controlled at all, but her father is willing to indulge her.”

Isn't that her?!

Banban felt a great liking for the girl. "That's good too. Do you expect girls to go to the battlefield to fight the enemy?" She smiled and waved to the girl. "Menghua, is that right? Come here."

Gu gently nudged the girl, who timidly took a step closer, turning back to look at her mother, clearly shy.

Banban felt a sense of warmth and hugged her, pinching her soft little face. "Menghua, do you have a nickname?" Afraid that she would be shy, she said hers first, "My nickname is Banban, what about yours?"

Lady Gu was shocked and hurriedly picked up a silk handkerchief to cover herself. Was the Queen's private voice something that ordinary people could hear?

Li Menghua hesitated for a moment, too embarrassed to meet the Queen's gaze. After a while, she mustered her courage and said in a soft, sweet voice, "Liao Liao, Father said that Liao Liao's nickname comes from the phrase 'A thousand miles of wind are clear and bright, and there is no place in the world without a bright moon.'"

Lady Gu bent down and teased, "Your Majesty, don't listen to this girl's nonsense. The name 'Xiao' is straightforward and direct, precisely because she hopes that this child will be capable and wise in the future."

The word "了了" simply means clever.

After saying that, Madam Gu pinched Li Menghua's chubby face hard, "How dare you lie in front of the Queen?"

Li Menghua covered her cheek, which had been pinched red, and her eyes quickly welled up with tears. However, her words revealed a hint of stubbornness and persistence: "I said yes, that's it, I didn't lie."

She was unhappy that her father wanted her to be smart. Was it wrong not to be smart? If everyone in the world was smart, what would be the point?

Banban said enviously, "It's a good name. I'd like to exchange it with yours."

“My father wasn’t very educated or cultured. The only meaning he could think of was that he hoped I would grow up to be pretty, but not as pretty as you. He wanted me to be graceful and elegant, like a painting. He hoped I would be beautiful enough to be painted.”

"But Her Majesty the Queen is indeed as beautiful as a fairy in the clouds," Li Menghua said, patting the Queen's forearm gently to comfort her. "What is Her Majesty the Queen's full name?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Gu's expression instantly changed. She quickly pulled her body and scolded in a low voice, "Liao Liao!"

She knelt down in fear, "Your Majesty, my son was ignorant and offended you. Please forgive him."

Li Menghua was also startled and instinctively tried to kneel down as well.

“It’s nothing, Madam Gu, why are you so nervous?” Banban helped her up and continued talking to Li Menghua, “Now that I know your name, it’s only fair that I tell you mine.”

“My name is Chengyin, Ji Chengyin.”

"Ji? Is the Queen from the State of Yan? Or is she a princess of the Zhou royal family?"

“I knew you would ask that.” Banban covered her mouth and chuckled. “It’s nothing. My family is in business. My ancestors were granted the surname Ji for their meritorious service in disaster relief. However, none of my ancestors were very educated, so we have never produced any ministers or generals. To this day, we are just ordinary people.”

"That's impressive. The Queen's family must be very wealthy."

How do you know that?

"The Empress said that your family has done a good job in disaster relief. Only wealthy families would give away their fortune to give food to others. Poor people can't even feed themselves, so how could they think of helping others?"

"Then you are right, you are indeed very clever. My family is in business and has many shops. I don't like studying. I was almost forced to study when I was young, but luckily I asked my cousin to teach me to read, and I escaped a disaster."

"Ah... I don't have a cousin."

That's such a pity.

Surprisingly, the two of them, one big and one small, got along very well, leaving Madam Gu completely bewildered and unable to get a word in edgewise.

Just then, someone came in from outside. Before the person was even seen, a voice came out first, "Who are you? What are you doing sitting here? When did my sister secretly give birth to such a big son?"

"..." After a few moments, a slap landed on the back of his head. "How dare you!"

Geng'er cried out in pain, clutching her head, her pretty white face contorted in misery. She clung to the woman's leg, begging for forgiveness, "Sister, I was wrong. I just said it offhand."

"You can just say that offhand?!"

Geng'er's face was pulled hard, leaving red marks all over it, and her pupils reflected her sister's forced smile.

In the end, Geng'er, with tears streaming down his face and swollen cheeks, led the two little ones outside to play. The "son of such a big age" he was referring to was Li Zhi, the youngest son of the minister Li Si. The other one was Liao Liao, whom he didn't know by name, only by his nickname.

Liao Liao blinked curiously at him, while Geng'er, concerned for her reputation, felt a little embarrassed and urged him to leave resentfully.

As night deepened, Banban didn't chat with Gu Shi for long, but she did inquire about what delicious food Yunmengze had and whether there were pandas.

Gu Shi indeed said that there was one, and its name was Pixiu, just as Ying Zheng had said.

Banban wasn't used to calling it Pixiu, but it was strange that she suddenly said she wanted to name an animal she'd never seen before, so she could only swallow the word "panda" back down her throat.

Lady Gu and her two children stayed at the Qin Palace. It would take several days to gather information, and since everyone's energy was limited, they let Geng'er stay in the palace to accompany Li Zhi and Li Menghua.

The three of them get along quite well, which makes things much easier for them.

She craved bamboo shoots, so she immediately sent people to Yunmengze in the State of Chu to pick them. They returned in two days, having only picked a few bamboo shoots.

"Your Majesty, summer is really not the season for bamboo shoots to grow. However, because of the pleasant climate of Yunmengze, we did manage to pick some. These don't seem to be very fresh or tender. But I heard that bamboo is edible and has a sweet juice after chewing. Juicing it is excellent, so I brought back a cartload."

"A whole cartload?!" Banban exclaimed in surprise, a bad feeling creeping over her. "You didn't cut down all of their bamboo forest, did you?"

The minister's face tightened. "This..." He glanced at the minister beside him.

"You've gone too far!" Banban said angrily. "Although I am the queen, I can't eat much. Many people depend on the crops from these fields to make a living. How can you do this just to please me?"

The minister offended the queen and hurriedly knelt down to beg for forgiveness, saying that he had acted unintentionally.

Gu had long heard rumors that the Queen of Qin cared for the people, and now that she saw it for herself, seeing the two ministers trembling with fear after offending the Queen, she spoke up to defend them, "Your Majesty may not know, but bamboo is a plant that grows very quickly. During its peak season, it can grow four or five inches taller in a single day, especially at night, when its growth rate is one-third faster than during the day."

Banban was not completely appeased by these words. "Even so, those bamboos will not grow until next spring."

She was furious and immediately wanted to expel them from the royal court, dismiss them from their posts, and drive them away.

However, she still maintained her composure and sent a letter to Xianyang Palace, in which she expressed her anger and detailed the actions of the two men.

Ying Zheng actually listened and dismissed the man.

He replied to her, comforting her: "Cousin, don't worry too much. Such sycophants are unfit to be Qin's subjects. If they are kept, they will only encourage a decadent and corrupt atmosphere."

In addition, he praised Banban highly, commending her for her ability to distinguish between loyal and treacherous officials, and urging her to continue her efforts.

Banban is still not quite used to it and feels rather dazed.

In her mind, it seemed that the empress dowager was not allowed to interfere in politics in ancient times. The empress of the Han Dynasty had real power, and it was all because of Empress Lü Zhi. Although there were a few empress dowagers who acted as regents at that time, it was only because the king was too young to rule personally.

Moreover, she had heard of the Empress Dowager's regency, but not the Queen's regency.

She sent a message to her cousin, saying things she was just saying in anger, and her cousin actually did as she said and even encouraged her to continue.

Surely it's not true that... when my cousin said at our wedding that there would be a queen's seat next to the throne in the Xianyang Palace someday!

She can't fall asleep; she has to study hard!

Banban was in high spirits all day. When he invited Gu Shi to dine with him, he couldn't hide his excitement. In the evening, he opened the Qin bamboo slips from Yunmeng Shuihudi and worked on them with great enthusiasm, flipping through them again and again.

She even had the idea of ​​having Mrs. Lu come back to teach her to read.

After watching for a short while, I felt dizzy and lightheaded, so I lay down and fell into a deep sleep.

She was sleeping soundly in the middle of the night when she was awakened by rustling noises coming from inside the palace. She rubbed her eyes and asked, "Qianyin, are you getting up to use the restroom? What's that noise?"

Qian Yin did not respond.

A tall figure stood before the bed, undressing.

She was so frightened that she was wide awake and opened her mouth to scream.

The man instantly moved closer and covered her mouth, his warm breath coming down on her, "Cousin."

It was Ying Zheng.

Banban stared wide-eyed, peering outside the hall, as if no one was there.

"Cousin, what happened...?"

“That Li Si is so persistent. I suspect he’s deliberately getting revenge on me. Every night he pesters me with nonsense.”

"..." You deserve it!

Banban's gaze was subtle. "Oh~ then what is Your Majesty going back to the palace for?" she said, her sweet voice entwining around his belt, her clear eyes darting around with ill intent.

Ying Zheng curled his lips into a half-smile, a look that was neither a smile nor a genuine one. "What do you think?"

"I said..." She deliberately drew out the last syllable, leaning her body to the side and revealing patches of her fair skin.

His breathing stopped for a moment.

The two quickly became intimate, and he insisted on asking her if she had missed him since they hadn't been intimate for many days.

Banban honestly said he had thought about it.

When emotions run high, one cannot help but feel them and cannot restrain oneself.

Ying Zheng covered her soft lips, "Don't make a sound."

He had already sneaked back, and if others knew that he had kept his ministers to discuss important matters, but then ran back to the Queen's place to sleep in the middle of the night, he would lose all face.

"This has to be done secretly, it's like having an affair." Banban bit his hand, her mind tensing with displeasure.

He suddenly froze, hissing softly as a fine layer of sweat quickly seeped from his forehead, his voice as taut as a taut string.

He slapped her hard on the buttocks. "You did this on purpose too?"

"You told me to keep quiet, but I couldn't help it." She twisted her body unhappily, complaining to him, "Then cousin, don't use force."

"You say all sorts of dirty jokes."

"Are you embarrassed to hear this? I didn't notice it either."

The two spoke in a manner reminiscent of bickering, neither giving an inch, as if they were fighting, exchanging blows back and forth. Banban couldn't help but fall silent, so she covered her mouth and sobbed softly in his ear.

He couldn't help but laugh, saying it would have been better not to cover his mouth.

Banban also noticed this, and her cousin became particularly excited.

After a while, her back ached and she couldn't hold on any longer, so she begged him to move to another spot.

He simply picked her up and placed her on the dressing table, then moved closer to her.

In just a short while, she began to writhe uncomfortably, feeling an intense emptiness. She urged him to hurry up, and only felt much better after she was embraced by her cousin again.

The bronze mirror in the room was large and polished to a high shine. Banban could apply her makeup every day without any problem, as she could see clearly. This is where the advantages of the bronze mirror became apparent.

As the two pressed down on her, she slowly leaned down.

Bottles and jars on the dressing table were overturned all over the floor.

With a sidelong glance, she saw her cousin's strong arm reflected in the bronze mirror, his skin taut and muscles bulging, the powerful veins on the back of his hand extending to his forearm.

The finger bones were squeezed into a sexy curve due to the force.

A moment later, the owner of the hand asked, "Are you still in pain? Do you want me to rub it?"

"...How annoying, you asked on purpose, didn't you?" She simply took his hand and placed it below her collarbone.

But before he could finish his sentence, it was swallowed back down his throat by the impact.

She simply wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed his head down, saying, "Give me a kiss."

It was still dark, and Li Si was not asleep, nor could he possibly be asleep.

He sat under the eaves of the detached palace, where there were several ice basins. It wasn't hot, but he wasn't sleeping because of the heat. He was worried about his wife and children.

The King of Qin had confined him in the Qin Palace for four days, and the longer it went on, the more uneasy he became.

As dawn broke, he sat cross-legged on the veranda, gazing at the horizon, seemingly lost in a meditative state.

Just then, he heard a rustling sound coming from the east, and he opened his eyes and looked over.

The first eunuch to appear came into view. Li Si was slightly taken aback. It was Qin Ju. Qin Ju yawned and looked like he hadn't slept all night.

The king's entourage passed through this area on its way back to Xianyang Palace, and thus, by sheer coincidence, they came into Li Si's view.

The King of Qin was leaning against it, taking a nap with his eyes closed, looking quite refreshed. His naturally handsome face, which also possessed a youthful dignity, still had a hint of satisfaction on it.

Li Si glanced at the direction; it should be the direction of Zhaoyang Palace.

"Your Majesty, Li Si pays his respects to Your Majesty." Li Si shouted in a loud and powerful voice.

The sound was exceptionally loud in the silent Qin Palace.

The King of Qin was startled and sat bolt upright. Upon seeing Li Si, his lips twitched slightly, as if he were forcing himself to smile again.

"Why is my guest elder sitting here?"

"Your humble servant rose to change his clothes, not wanting to miss such a beautiful sight as the sunrise was approaching."

Li Si smiled respectfully, but raised his eyebrows and said, "Your Majesty, why don't we enjoy the scenery together? You are always busy with government affairs, and I'm sure you don't have time to stop and rest. Stopping at the right time would be a good way to make peace."

Now that things have been said, how could the King of Qin refuse?

Li Si bowed and waited, and after a long while, he heard the King of Qin's voice as he came down, "Very well."

Li Si pretended not to notice the coldness and reluctance in the King of Qin's tone and innocently followed behind him.

As the first rays of dawn leap from the horizon, pale golden light pierces the darkness and illuminates the earth.

The beam of light enveloped the seated King of Qin and his minister Li Si.

"Truly a magnificent sight," the King of Qin exclaimed, lost in his gaze.

When the two were in high spirits, they spontaneously composed lyrics.

"Alright," King Qin asked Li Si, "how long have you been serving under the Prime Minister?"

Li Si answered truthfully: "It has been seven years."

“When I came to Qin from Qi, it was during the reign of King Zhuangxiang. At that time, the Prime Minister was the Chancellor. He had good policies for governing the country and was highly trusted by King Zhuangxiang.”

He was not only highly trusted, but Prince Zhuangxiang, Zichu, would listen to almost anything Lü Buwei said. Although he was not an ordinary king, he was taught by Lü Buwei and their thinking was similar to some extent. He had a certain respect for Lü Buwei.

After all, if it weren't for Lü Buwei's advice and lobbying efforts, King Zhuangxiang would still be a hostage, and how could he have ascended the throne?

"For seven years, I have summoned you to the palace for four days, but the Prime Minister has never inquired about your situation. It seems that you are of little importance in the eyes of the Prime Minister."

This must be because Lü Buwei had someone planted in the palace, so there was no need to question it. It also saved face for the King of Qin and created the illusion of respect and submission to him.

But could Li Si say such a thing? He wasn't a fool. The King of Qin wasn't a fool either; he certainly knew it too.

He could only manage a wry smile. "The Prime Minister's residence has over a thousand retainers, and the number of talented individuals is countless. Li Si is of low status and his words carry little weight; indeed, he is not valued by the Prime Minister."

Li Si wasn't lying; he had served under Lü Buwei for seven years and only came to Lü's attention last year.

However, since the King of Qin asked this question, he didn't want to hear a lie that everyone knew was true; he just wanted to see the King's attitude.

He couldn't say anything bad about Lü Buwei planting people in the palace, because that would be betraying his master. People who betray their masters are never given important positions and are even disliked and feared.

After a moment's consideration, Li Si continued, "The Prime Minister has worked diligently for Qin for decades, and his merits and hardships are countless. Not only do the people of Qin love and respect him, but the palace servants also trust him. He and the King are one, and we all believe that under the leadership of the King and the Prime Minister, Qin will surely reach new heights."

Upon hearing this, the King of Qin laughed in surprise and gave him a meaningful look.

"You mouth of yours." The King of Qin pointed at him vaguely, said "Never mind," and took down the King of Qin sword. "Come here, look at this sword."

Li Si had never seen the King of Qin's sword so closely before; he stroked his beard and examined it carefully.

"Your Majesty, this does not appear to be a bronze sword."

“You’re right. The sword is forged from iron and coated with bronze, so it won’t break easily, but it’s also heavier.”

Li Si was full of admiration. "The iron pot invented by the Queen is also made of iron. I have been curious about iron for a long time. This thing seems to be extremely hard and can withstand fire or impact. If it can be used on a large scale in weapons, it will surely increase the Qin's combat power."

The King of Qin said that he had hit the nail on the head. "The iron pot that the Queen made has shown me something strange. I went to watch when the food was being prepared. The charcoal fire was constantly heating the iron, and the charcoal was able to penetrate into the surface of the iron. Although the hardness of this iron is uneven, it is harder than ordinary iron."

"Find a way to make arrowheads or short swords from this charcoal-roasted iron, so that they can kill silently and leave the victim with no chance of survival once they enter the body."

Li Si thought it was highly feasible and immediately agreed, "Your Majesty, why don't you give it a try? You mentioned this method; perhaps you intend to reforge the Qin King's sword?"

The King of Qin nodded, “That is exactly what I was thinking. In the past, the Queen gave me an iron sword. I will reforge the King of Qin sword and lengthen it so that it will be sharper and harder.”

When the King of Qin did not discuss state affairs, he would always mention the Queen, which shows that the couple had a very deep affection for each other.

No wonder he stayed up all night to look for the Queen.

A pang of bitterness welled up in Li Si's heart. "Fine," he thought, "you went to find your wife yourself, so why are you separating me from her?"

He said, "Your Majesty, in this way, the Qin King's sword may be too long and cannot be drawn."

"..." The King of Qin did not believe it, "How could there be a sword in this world that I cannot draw?"

It's still his own sword? Nonsense.

Li Si advised the King of Qin, but the King refused to listen, so he gave up trying to persuade him. Since the King of Qin rarely had the opportunity to fight, the length of his sword would only serve as a deterrent.

Let the king go up.

Li Si stopped the King of Qin from going back to rest, and the King of Qin also took him away, not letting him rest any longer, saying that they would go to see the sword forging together.

What's so interesting about sword forging?!

The forge was unbearably hot, and everyone was shirtless while forging iron. Li Si was almost fainting from the heat. He was a civil official, a civil official! Who would understand!

Then look at the King of Qin. He rolled up his sleeves, wanting to do it himself. The blacksmith was so frightened that he didn't dare to stop the King of Qin from doing it himself. He could only stand close to him, afraid that the King of Qin would smash himself.

He didn't quite understand. If he remembered correctly, the King of Qin did indeed spend the night with the Queen. Perhaps they just chatted?

Otherwise, how could the King of Qin still have so much energy? Is he even a normal man? He's far too vigorous and robust!

His physical fitness isn't just good, it's excessively good!

With such physical strength and energy, it's quite strange that the Queen hasn't conceived yet. Could it be that Lord Huayang really angered the Queen and made her ill, harming her health?

Given how much the King of Qin dotes on the Queen, if this rumor were true, it would be a mercy if the King of Qin didn't kill Lord Huayang. In any case, Li Si didn't believe it.

...Could it be that she is using contraception?

Upon hearing this idea, Li Si was startled by himself and unconsciously looked closely at the King of Qin, who was exchanging ideas with the blacksmith about forging iron.

contraception……

The queen will be eighteen in four or five months. At this age, most women would already have two children, or even those who take better care of their health would have one more.

Li Si had read some secret stories that said a woman's healthiest age is around twenty to twenty-five, and although pregnancy is physically demanding, recovery is extremely fast.

The King of Qin loves the Queen so much. This young king is so cunning. Will he be able to put aside all his suspicions and act like an ordinary young man when he is with the Queen?