Chapter 52 Heading to Yongdi (Part 2 Combined) "Then Banban disappeared..."

Last time outside Xianyang Palace, a group of military officers left in droves. On their black and red court robes, they were indeed wearing two red rabbit ears standing upright side by side.

Banban touched his nose, suppressing his expression. "The white rabbit's fur is snow-white, without a single blemish. It is the finest of horses."

The courtier said, "The Queen has a good eye."

"The king has seven horses in total, and this white rabbit is the one he loves the most. He can't bear to let it suffer. He usually only rides it to relax and often feeds it horse feed himself. He rides Niejing more often the rest of the time."

"I want to see where they are?"

"The Queen has come with me."

Ying Zheng's arm was pinched hard by his wife, but he rubbed it calmly and followed.

The King of Qin's horses were kept in a special stable. When he was away, someone would take them for a run every day.

“This is Niejing,” the courtier said, pointing to the horse with its glossy black coat.

Sensing the unfamiliar scent, Niejing's hooves pounded back and forth, and it snorted. Ying Zheng wanted to ride with the Queen, so this was naturally his first choice.

Nie Jing shook its head excitedly, its neighing and roaring like thunder in a storm, displaying extraordinary power.

Banban was lifted onto Niejing, "Ah!"

Niejing reared up, and she was so frightened that she quickly leaned back into Ying Zheng's arms.

"Don't be afraid." Ying Zheng pulled on the reins, and Nie Jing obediently landed. He wrapped his left arm around her waist to make sure she was safe in his arms. The horse was poised to go, like a dragon soaring into the sea, and roared as it flew away in a black shadow.

The courtier stood on tiptoe, watching the horse's departing figure with a smile.

Banban screamed almost the entire way, not daring to open her eyes, trembling and shrinking into her cousin's arms, "Slow down, slow down!"

She should have just told him to slow down, because the more she said it, the faster he sped up, making her feel like she wanted to ride on his waist. The wind whipped across her face, and her long hair fluttered in the wind.

Why doesn't she just confess everything?

Ask me anything, and I won't hide anything!

Niejing lives up to its name, galloping like the wind, swift as lightning, and agile and nimble.

What's even more astonishing is that its compatibility with Ying Zheng is almost 100%. Like master, like horse, it is extraordinary and completely subservient to its master, as if it would do anything if Ying Zheng asked it to crash into a rock.

After the race, Banban dismounted in a daze, his legs trembling like leaves. He raised his hand and delivered a limp slap to the face, shouting, "Ying Zheng!!"

She vowed that she would never again mention riding horses with him.

Riding Niejing was tantamount to being imprisoned, and she lost interest in the other horses. As for naming the white horse White Rabbit, she left two pinch marks on his waist that night.

What do you mean by "moving like a rabbit"? You're just riding it for a stroll, how would you know how fast it actually runs?

Ying Zheng later admitted that when he first saw the horse, he was amazed by its beauty. He had never seen such a beautiful white horse before. Its large black eyes were lively and proud. He couldn't bear to ride it and took good care of it every day, which made it temperamental. Occasionally, it would even try to kick him.

However, outsiders only know that the white rabbit symbolizes swiftness and agility, and has no other meaning.

Banban asked him how he tamed the horse.

Ying Zheng didn't hide anything, "There are special methods for taming horses. If I were to ask you to do it, you wouldn't be able to bring yourself to do it."

From his words, it seemed that he intended to do more than just subdue it; there was probably some ruthless method involved.

Banban didn't want to listen, and didn't ask any more questions.

Two days later, the dragon's blueprints were completely finalized and handed over to the blacksmith in the forge to forge it himself. It was October, autumn, more than five months after Empress Dowager Ji Changyue left the palace for Yongdi.

Although they continued to exchange letters, Ji Changyue never mentioned when he would return to Xianyang.

As the weather turned cooler, the couple missed their mother and chose a day off to visit Ji Changyue in Yongdi.

Xuanxi and Jiaojiao are very clingy. They've only been raised for a little over half a month, and they've already recognized Banban as their master. If they don't see her for a whole day, they'll probably be restless.

"Maybe my aunt will be in a better mood after seeing us and will come back to Xianyang with us." Banban said confidently, ordering people to carry bamboo, fresh bamboo shoots, fresh milk, steamed cakes, etc., which were all food for the two little ones.

“I think she’s accepted you as her mother,” Ying Zheng said, watching from the side.

“Then you are my father.” She went to check the food for the two little ones and casually stuffed Xuanxi into his arms.

He quickly picked it up. The black and white cub had long claws and wide, thick paw pads. It clung to Ying Zheng's chest, its two front paws pawing at him, as if trying to sit on his shoulders.

Ying Zheng smelled a faint fragrance of bamboo, and it actually licked his chin.

He immediately froze, snatched the handkerchief from Qin Ju's hand, and wiped his chin.

According to Qin Ju, his king was somewhat of a germaphobe. His face had probably only been touched by the blood of his enemies or by the queen.

After the inspection was completed, get into the carriage properly.

The group packed up and set off.

Yongdi is not far from Xianyang, otherwise Ying Zheng would not have agreed to let Ji Changyue go.

In the carriage, Ying Zheng was still reading a book when Banban snatched it away and threw it aside. "Isn't today a day off? I won't let you read it anymore. Even my cousin only gets one day off a month."

Helpless, Ying Zheng glanced at the scrolls tossed onto the soft couch, then pulled the person into his arms. "So what do you want?"

“Cousin, tell me about your childhood. You never told me before, but now that you are the King of Qin, you can tell me now, right?” Banban nestled in his arms, curiously tugging at his sleeve.

Ying Zheng's smile faded slightly. He frowned and thought for a few moments, then picked out a few things he could talk about. "You want to hear about how unlucky I was in my childhood?"

"No, that's not true. Isn't it common for people to reminisce about the past after achieving success?" She pushed his arm. "Tell me."

"All right."

“When I was born, relations between Qin and Zhao were tense. King Zhaoxiang frequently sent troops to attack Zhao, and my father was in a precarious situation. In order to ensure the safety of me and my mother, I concealed my surname Ying after I was born and used my clan name instead.”

The surname Ying was Zhao, and the clan name Zhao was used as the surname, so he became Zhao Zheng.

"So I remember correctly, everyone called you Zhao Zheng back then." Because of this, Banban never thought that her cousin was any remarkable person.

"It wouldn't have been a problem if he had originally been called Zhao Zheng." Ying Zheng's brows furrowed with a hint of indifference, and he temporarily refrained from discussing the name.

"Later, the people of Zhao suffered heavy losses on the battlefield. King Zhao wanted to kill my father to vent his anger. Under the care of his retainer Lü Buwei, my father fled the State of Zhao. Because taking my mother and me with him would be too conspicuous and would not be easy to leave the city, he eventually abandoned my mother and me in Handan."

"Why didn't you go back to the Ji family in the first place?" Banban could easily imagine how dangerous the situation was back then, but she remembered that her cousin and aunt didn't return to the Ji family for almost two years.

Ying Zheng smiled and patted his cousin's hair, saying earnestly, "At that time, my mother and I never thought that Father would never come back. We were waiting for him to send someone to pick us up after he arrived in Xianyang." Moreover, the Zhao army was fierce in its pursuit, and Ji Changyue did not want to implicate her mother's family. Lü Buwei and King Zhuangxiang had left her money, which was originally enough to support the mother and son for several years.

"It's quite funny, really. Back then, my mother would change our residence every two days. At first, I wasn't used to it. Once I went out, I couldn't find my way back."

"Then you still have to go out." Banban poked his cheek.

Ying Zheng lowered his face as if to say something more serious, "You feel sorry for those two Pixiu, worried that they'll get sick from being locked up for so long, but why don't you feel sorry for me?"

"It hurts me so much, it hurts me so much." Banban changed her words and kissed the corner of his mouth. "If someone says something wrong, don't hold it against them."

He shook his head, knowing all too well that his cousin never thought things through when she spoke to him; she said whatever came to mind and couldn't stand it for a moment.

"My mother's beauty was unparalleled in Handan. No matter how she tried to hide it, it would always be seen one day." Ying Zheng seemed to have let go of this past, but from an angle his cousin couldn't see, his eyes were still filled with snow, the gray and cold snowflakes pressing down. Yet his tone was light and tinged with a smile, "Those who are too beautiful, without a powerful backer or the ability to protect themselves, will not have a good ending."

Banban was slightly taken aback, keenly sensing the subtle difference in her cousin's tone, but upon closer inspection, his expression remained normal, as if he were talking about a past event that had already passed.

“There was a reason for my return to the Ji family: the money left by my father and Lü Buwei was stolen. My mother dared not resist or report it to the authorities in order to protect me.”

"With bandits in front and pursuers behind, we hid in a latrine where no one would investigate. I still remember the smell of sweat on her body and in her hair. In the dark night, the torch held high by Zhao Bing could almost illuminate the darkness."

"How many people and how many torches must that be?" Banban frowned. Speaking of which, she had some recollection of it. Every few days, soldiers would knock on the door, saying they were looking for missing persons.

Because the Ji family was so powerful and influential in Handan, the Zhao soldiers did not dare to barge in directly, but repeatedly asked if any strangers had come.

It seems they were also wondering if Ji Changyue had taken her son back to her parents' home.

"My mother was not only good at singing and dancing, but also had a pair of skillful hands. She could weave and sew, and was skilled in needlework. She relied on this skill to earn a living for a period of time."

At this point, Banban basically knew what had happened next. She had snuggled in Zhu's arms and heard a few words about it. She said that after the people of Handan learned about Ji Changyue's identity, no one was willing to do business with her, and some even frequently reported her location to the customs.

The mother and son were starving and freezing, living in a miserable state. Unable to bear it any longer, they pitifully chose a deserted, rainy night to knock on the door of the Ji family.

Sometimes, talking about painful past experiences, tearing open scabbed wounds, can bring a hidden sense of satisfaction. "Back then, Zhao Zheng was my name, but also a symbol of shame."

The name Zhao Zheng itself was nothing special; at that time, Ying Zheng did not hate the State of Zhao.

"When I was four years old, I was walking down the street when someone shouted that I was a bastard of the Qin people and told me to go back to Qin.

A sob came from his arms. Ying Zheng snapped out of his reverie and chuckled, "Didn't you want to hear it? Why are you crying?"

"Was it Li Xie who sent people to spread this? We should have killed him back then to vent our anger." Banban's eyes were red. "These stories are not interesting at all." No wonder her cousin had been unwilling to tell her.

However, the fact that he said it so casually now suggests that he no longer cares.

“It’s not Li Xie, he’s still so young.” Ying Zheng wiped away her tears. “It’s not surprising that people from Zhao would think that way.”

"When my cousin ascended the throne, Empress Dowager Huayang spread rumors that you were Lü Buwei's son. Were you not angry at the time because you had heard these rumors in Zhao?" Banban was filled with trepidation. Thinking of these things, she deeply regretted not spending more time with him back then.

Seeing that he wasn't angry, she didn't dwell on it too much despite her anger.

"The only way to shake the legitimacy of my ascension to the throne is to find fault with my bloodline. I did think about that a long time ago." Ying Zheng disliked Lü Buwei, not only because he was now regent, but also because he had heard countless times since childhood that he was Lü Shangren's illegitimate son.

Therefore, no matter how unique Lü Buwei's abilities and talents were, he could not appreciate him.

He was the biological son of King Zhuangxiang, a fact that Ying Zheng firmly believed. This was because Ji Changyue was devastated and enraged upon hearing these rumors, and even considered committing suicide to prove his innocence.

Although she was very strict with Ying Zheng and placed high hopes on him, urging him to improve day and night, and often scolding him with harsh words, her love for her son was no less than anyone else's.

For example, when Ying Zheng was young, he envied his cousin for having such a gentle mother as Lady Zhu, but he never thought of changing his mother.

"The Chu faction is so annoying. When will we be able to deal with them? It's still more than a year before my cousin takes over the reins of government." In Qin, men must be twenty years old to be officially recognized as adults. When King Zhuangxiang died, he instructed the Queen Dowager and Lü Buwei to act as regents together, and the young King of Qin could officially take over the reins of government only after he turned twenty and was officially recognized as an adult.

Banban counted on her fingers and realized that her cousin would be nineteen in three months.

Before his death, Meng Ao said that the Prime Minister would obstruct the postponement of the King of Qin's coming-of-age ceremony, but Banban did not know at what age the First Emperor was actually crowned in history.

Just thinking about it makes me want to sigh.

“It’s not far.” Ying Zheng thought of Lü Buwei’s recent unusual behavior, smiled slightly, and put his arm around his wife. “Why don’t you close your eyes and rest for a while? You got up very early today, aren’t you sleepy?” It’s not like her at all.

Banban obediently nestled in his arms, "Cousin."

"Hmm?" Ying Zheng's eyes began to search for the books that his wife had tossed aside.

"I will always be with you. We will never suffer again. You, me, and my aunt will live a happy and joyful life."

"Okay." Ying Zheng smiled and kissed her forehead. "Go to sleep."

Banban leaned against her cousin and slept soundly, falling into a deep sleep in no time.

She was slowly woken up after an unknown amount of time. In her drowsy state, she heard him mention Yongdi. She quickly got up and rubbed her eyes. The carriage curtain had already been drawn up and closed, and the dark palace gate came into view.

Upon seeing the king's carriage, the guards standing by the palace gates scrambled over and knelt down, crying, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

Ying Zheng was also feeling uncomfortable in the carriage. He gently shook his shoulders, turned around and glanced at Banban, who was carrying two Pixiu cubs. They had finished getting ready and were coming over together.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty was unaware of the King and Queen's arrival and has already sent word to the Queen Mother."

Ying Zheng frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the trembling servant. "Why bother announcing? I will go in directly."

After saying that, he took Banban inside.

The attendant looked alarmed and hurriedly got up to follow, saying, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I wonder if the Empress Dowager is taking a midday rest. She seems quite tired lately."

Ying Zheng suddenly stopped and turned to stare at the servant. "It's not noon yet. Is Mother taking a midday rest?"

The servant stammered, "This... the Empress Dowager invited entertainers to drink and enjoy music last night, and they stayed up late."

His words were incoherent and he seemed impatient. "Did you not get up, or are you taking a nap? What are you panicking about? The King and I have come to visit the Queen, and that doesn't matter. We can just wait a little longer."

"No, no." The servant subconsciously touched his face, his tone becoming much calmer. "I haven't gotten up yet. I didn't advise the Empress Dowager to rest early to protect her health, so I was afraid of being punished by the King and Queen, which is why I dared not tell the truth."

What Ji Changyue was going to do was something that his servants could not dissuade him from.

The two panda cubs smelled the stranger's scent and burrowed under Banban's arm. "Then go prepare some food. The King and I set off for Yongdi early this morning and haven't had lunch yet. There's no need to rush to wake Mother. We'll just wait a while."

The servant quickly lowered his head and said, "Yes, sir."

Ying Zheng watched the attendant leave, his gaze calm. After the attendant was gone, he gently released Banban's wrist. "Your arms are sore from holding them. Go and rest."

"Hmm?" Banban asked in confusion, "Isn't my cousin going to rest?"

"I have something important to ask Mother, I'll be there in a bit." He touched her cheek. "Go ahead."

"Okay." Banban nodded obediently. "I'll have them make my cousin's favorite dishes. Hurry up and come."

Ying Zheng glanced at the palace servants of Yong Palace waiting quietly beside him, his hand gently gripping the hilt of the Qin King's sword at his waist. The sharp and imposing dragon head was half-lowered in his palm, as if it were the only one who submitted to him.

Finally, he took a step and walked inside.

The palace servants were slightly startled, exchanged glances, and followed behind him.

"roll."

The King of Qin in front did not turn around, and his voice was faint and unemphasized, as if it were an insignificant syllable, yet it intimidated the palace servants so much that they dared not approach and knelt down on the spot with a thud.

Although the King of Qin did not rule in person, he drew his sword and killed countless rebels, and even personally cut off Liu Xi's head. This news had already spread throughout the Qin state, and no one was not afraid of him.

Yong Palace is not large. It was originally a separate palace built by the monarch when he toured the Qin state, and was used as a temporary resting place. It is a typical Qin-style building, grand and towering, with many long corridors and bamboo curtains everywhere.

The artificial hill and stream flow gently, and the surroundings are quiet.

Ying Zheng arrived at the main hall without any obstacles. The towering palace gates were tightly closed, but he almost impatiently pushed them open, calling out, "Mother!"

"Your Majesty."

Suddenly, a strange yet familiar face appeared behind the door, and the smile on Ying Zheng's face froze.

"Lao Ai?" He walked past him, intending to go inside.

Lao Ai knelt down straight. "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is drunk and may not be able to meet you."

"The Empress Dowager and I are mother and son, what is there that I cannot see her?" He had seen her in her most disheveled state, so what was a mere drunkenness?

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this is the Empress Dowager's will." Lao Ai rose and paced after him, his voice urgent. "It's not that I don't want Your Majesty to see the Empress Dowager, please don't make things difficult for me."

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng immediately held his breath, extremely displeased, his gaze sharp and menacing. "If you weren't the Empress Dowager's personal eunuch, these words would be enough to kill you a hundred times over."

"Your Majesty, please forgive me." It was a lie for Lao Ai to say that he was not afraid of the King of Qin.

"Guards," Ying Zheng said, a cold smirk playing on his lips, "detain this eunuch until I have seen the Empress Dowager before making a decision."

Lao Ai's expression changed drastically. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you can't—" Before he could finish speaking, he was suppressed by Qin soldiers.

Now the surroundings were quiet, and no one stopped them.

Ying Zheng slowed his pace and walked towards the inner chamber.

Upon entering the inner room, a faint smell of wine lingered in the air. Ying Zheng, keeping his mind focused, glanced around at everything.

The Empress Dowager's bed was very large, with a light red bed curtain that covered everything. A large screen embroidered with a hundred flowers in full bloom served as a doorway at the corner of the inner room.

"Zheng'er."

It was Ji Changyue's voice, sounding somewhat sleepy.

Upon hearing his mother's voice, Ying Zheng breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't go inside but stood behind the screen and spoke to her, "Mother, are you drunk? Those people outside won't let me come in to see you."

Standing behind the screen, one can vaguely see the red bed curtains.

"You're acting all wronged?" Ji Changyue said helplessly. "You didn't even send anyone to tell us when you came. You scared those palace servants. They've lived in Yong for years and have never seen you before."

"Besides, who can stop you?"

"It was my recklessness," Ying Zheng apologized, his tone even more affectionate. "How is Mother's health?"

“I’m much better now. I’m just staying in Yong for some peace and quiet. You know that your mother knows nothing about state affairs and is too lazy to go back and listen to those things. If anything important happens in the court, someone will come to report to her. It won’t cause any trouble.”

Ying Zheng wanted to ask, "Do you trust Lü Buwei that much?"

He didn't ask, because he couldn't criticize his own mother.

He said in a low voice, "The Yong Palace is so quiet, it reminds me of the danger I faced in Handan. I was afraid that something might happen to my mother, so I rushed in and had Lao Ai taken away."

Ji Changyue was silent for a moment, then sighed, "I am now the Queen Mother, who dares to challenge me? The most bitter and difficult times are over."

"Release Lao Ai. He was just following my orders. If he said anything that offended you, it was only because he was worried about me. Don't take it to heart."

Ying Zheng readily agreed, saying, "Yes."

"I am extremely tired. I couldn't sleep all night thinking about your father. I need to rest a little longer before I see Banban. I've ordered the kitchen to prepare some of your favorite dishes. You can play in Yong for a while and then go back. How can Xianyang be without you?"

"You are a king, not a child anymore, understand?"

"My cousin is worried about Mother. If I don't let her see you, she'll probably be angry with me."

“A few days ago, Li Keqing sent two Pixiu. My cousin really wanted to bring them to show the Empress Dowager, and she also wanted the Empress Dowager to return to Xianyang.”

“I understand her feelings. I told her it’s not necessary. I’ll be going back in a few months.”

"A few months?"

Ying Zheng pressed for an answer, but Ji Changyue paused, her voice carrying a barely perceptible hesitation, "Half a year."

Ying Zheng nodded without hesitation and agreed.

Just as he was about to leave, Ji Changyue called out to him as if she remembered something.

"Lao Ai frequently travels between Yong and Xianyang to deliver my orders. However, he is a eunuch, and because of this, he is always looked down upon, which makes me very angry."

Ying Zheng asked, "What does Mother mean?"

“I want to appoint him as a marquis, so that he can be responsible for relaying my orders and managing all affairs of the court. My son has not yet assumed power, and the Prime Minister’s family is all-powerful. How can I trust him? He is a wolf with ambitions.”

Ying Zheng's hand paused abruptly. He looked inside through the screen, for this was truly a reason that a son could not refuse.

He asked slowly, lifting his foot, "What title will you be bestowed upon me?"

Ji Changyue's voice came naturally, "Since the Prime Minister is Marquis Wenxin, then let Lao Ai be enfeoffed as Marquis Changxin."

His name surpassed Lü Buwei's.

"This title..."

“Naturally, it was chosen for my mother.”

As soon as Ji Changyue finished speaking, she met Ying Zheng's face. He had somehow crossed the screen and was now standing by the bed curtains.

Her heart skipped a beat.