"What a bunch of good-for-nothings!" Ying Zheng, who was watching the fight from the sidelines, showed a hint of disappointment on his face. He cursed Meng Can and the others for being so spineless, being dismissed by the wicked husband with just a few words.
He didn't want to personally intervene, but considering that he was already overwhelmed by the ever-increasing workload of government affairs, he had no choice but to step in himself.
"Grand Commandant..."
Before the two words could even be uttered, the wicked husband spoke first, "Your Majesty, I think it's time for you to get married!"
Good heavens!
The officials' hearts skipped a beat. Had the Grand Commandant gone mad with bloodlust?
They're not even giving the King face?!
Ying Zheng was dumbfounded. He never expected that his wicked husband would use this matter to fob him off, which surprised him greatly.
Ying Zheng took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He knew he couldn't lose his composure in court. He slowly began, "Grand Commandant, my private affairs are none of your concern... Today you..."
The wicked man smiled slightly, seemingly having anticipated Ying Zheng's reaction: "Your Majesty, how can you say it has nothing to do with me? If I remember correctly, I also serve as the tutor to the Crown Prince... Since you have no heir, isn't that just giving me a nominal position?"
The court was immediately abuzz with discussion. The officials whispered among themselves, shocked by the wicked husband's outspokenness, and genuinely hoping that Ying Zheng would soon have an heir.
After all... if the king has no heir, these people are like drifting duckweed, and the hearts of the people are the same, making it impossible to completely stabilize their hearts.
Ying Zheng was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "What the Grand Commandant said makes sense, but my marriage needs to be considered carefully!"
"I am still young and have many domestic affairs to attend to. How can I have the mind and time to consider these matters?"
Okay, okay.
The wicked husband was somewhat speechless. You really can't stop talking about "numerous official duties" in three sentences?
"Alright, Your Majesty, let's speak frankly!"
The wicked husband, not wanting to continue the argument, said bluntly, "You go and get married and have children, I'll handle the government affairs, how about that?"
He knew he couldn't escape this calamity today, so he might as well gain some practical benefits and at least get that brat Fusu out of there.
Fusu's birth year is unknown. It is only known that when the First Emperor died in Shaqiu in 210 BC, Fusu also died in the same year under the edict of the false king. According to the calculation, these years should be the time when Fusu was born.
I must get this kid born as soon as possible, so that I can take advantage of my youth and energy to properly raise him and prevent him from becoming a soft-hearted person in the future.
Ying Zheng pondered for a moment. He instinctively wanted to refuse, but the thought of the mountain of bamboo slips made his head spin and his heart tremble uncontrollably.
Compared to that, getting married and having children seems like such an easy and pleasant thing, doesn't it?
Ying Zheng took a deep breath and glanced at the expectant faces in the court. He knew that this matter could no longer be judged solely by personal preference.
He pondered for a moment before finally speaking: "Grand Commandant, I will consider your proposal. This matter is of great importance and cannot be decided hastily. I need time, and I also need a suitable woman."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "As for government affairs, you can take over for now, so that you can share some of the burden with me and leave some free time to find a suitable woman."
They're all ancient foxes, why are you playing at some ghost story?
The wicked man curled his lip; how could he not see that Ying Zheng wanted to get something for nothing? "Your Majesty, you often say that we, as ruler and subject, are of one mind. If we are truly of one mind, do you think I can't see what you mean?"
Ying Zheng felt a little embarrassed upon hearing this, staring intently at his wicked husband, his eyes seeming to say, "Don't push your luck, kid!"
The wicked husband, unmoved by reason, simply stared directly at Ying Zheng, their eyes locked.
The officials couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, but dared not interrupt the two, resulting in a stalemate. They all hoped that Ying Zheng would take a queen and have children soon.
"Hope... Grand Commandant, hang in there!"
"Grand Commandant, pull yourself together, don't embarrass yourself!"
The officials secretly cheered for the wicked husband, and were just short of rolling up their sleeves and shouting encouragement.
As time ticked by, Ying Zheng and his wicked husband were filled with bitterness. For their own benefit, they had been staring at each other for so long that their eyes were so dry they wanted to blink.
"Your Majesty, an envoy from the State of Chu requests an audience!"
The sudden sound outside the palace was like a lifeline for Ying Zheng and his wicked husband, and the two immediately seized the opportunity to back down, ending their staring contest.
"Quickly invite them in!" Ying Zheng's voice was filled with an uncontrollable sense of joy. Taking this opportunity, he blinked dozens of times without anyone noticing, which slightly relieved the dryness in his eyes.
The wicked man looked puzzled. "The State of Chu? What are they doing here all of a sudden?"
"News came ten days ago that he had important business to discuss with His Majesty!" Zhao Cha, who had returned earlier and was now in charge of foreign affairs, said with a smile.
The wicked man nodded slightly, said no more, and waited patiently with the others for the Chu envoy to enter the palace.
Not long after, footsteps came from outside the hall.
"The envoy from the State of Chu has arrived!!"
The palace official's high-pitched, shrill voice rang out, and three envoys from the State of Chu entered the hall.
"We pay our respects to the King of Qin!" The three men stood in the center of the hall and bowed respectfully.
Ying Zheng remained calm and composed. "No need for formalities. What brings you three envoys here?" He cut to the chase, displaying remarkable decisiveness.
The man in the middle of the three envoys stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "I am Di Lun, a high-ranking official of the State of Chu. I have come here on the orders of the King of Chu to form a marriage alliance with Your Majesty."
He glanced at the expressionless Ying Zheng and continued, "Your Majesty, the marriage alliance between Chu and Qin has lasted for twenty generations. In this generation, I hope that this amicable marriage can continue for a long time."
"As it happens, the royal family of Chu has a daughter named Mi Ji, who is virtuous, kind, and well-educated. We hope she can marry Your Majesty and continue the good relationship between Qin and Chu through marriage."
"Mi Ji?"
The wicked husband murmured something, his eyes becoming somewhat vacant as he carefully searched his mind for records about Fusu's birth mother.
In fact, there are many records of empresses and queens in the Records of the Grand Historian, but the case of the First Emperor is quite special. Perhaps it was deliberately concealed, which is why there are not many records of the concubines in the Qin Dynasty's harem in later generations.
According to some accounts, Fusu's mother was Consort Zheng in the imperial harem. She loved reciting poetry and especially loved the poem "Fusu in the Mountains," so she named her son Fusu.
Another theory suggests that his mother was a noblewoman from the state of Chu. Given the twenty-one generations of kinship ties between Qin and Chu, this possibility is indeed the most likely.
To put it simply, the current Lady Huayang in the harem is from the State of Chu, and she had previously expressed her hope that Ying Zheng would continue to form a marriage alliance with the State of Chu.
Perhaps the arrival of the Chu envoy was due to a message from Empress Dowager Huayang.
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