After much deliberation, Ying Zheng finally told his ministers what Wang Ben had said, taking into consideration various factors.
Upon first hearing this, I was surprised, but I was also unsure whether it was true or not.
After the ministers had left that day, Ying Zheng kept Li Si behind and asked directly whether any ancient texts recorded the name of the moon goddess Changxi.
"Your Majesty, the legend of the moon goddess has existed since ancient times. While the ancient texts do not explicitly record her name as Changxi, she is also known as Wangshu or Heng'e."
Li Si cupped his hands in a respectful reply, neither denying nor admitting it:
"However, with the sun and moon shining brightly in the sky, if there truly is a moon goddess, she must be a powerful and majestic goddess. It would be greatly beneficial for Qin to have His Majesty associate with the moon goddess."
His eyes were filled with longing, as if he were happy for Ying Zheng and pleased that the Qin Dynasty was strong, his black beard twitching.
Ying Zheng smiled faintly and waved for the others to leave.
He is still young, the six kingdoms have not yet been unified, and there is an unprecedented goal ahead of him to strive for. Although he has the desire to seek immortality and enlightenment, it is not very strong.
However, if the moon goddess truly came to the aid of the Qin state, Ying Zheng would naturally honor her.
……………………
Three days passed, half a month passed, a month passed, and then three months passed, but the legendary moon goddess was nowhere to be seen.
The Qin court was dejected and ashamed, and their gazes toward Wang Ben changed.
"Wang Ben, that scoundrel, fabricated a story to deceive the king in order to escape the blame for flooding Daliang."
Such news filled the Qin state's civil and military officials, causing quite a stir.
Wang Ben's father even directly asked his son if the news was fabricated.
My son, it's alright to be scared for a moment. If you can admit your mistakes and correct them, your father can still protect you. If you wait any longer, the king will realize that he has been fooled, and the entire royal family will be in great trouble.
Wang Ben was extremely frustrated. Under immense pressure, he was starting to believe that he had indeed fabricated the story out of fear of punishment.
Moreover, news of Qin general Wang Ben's encounter with the moon goddess had already spread to the states of Qi, Chu, and Yan through merchants.
The three kingdoms initially remained silent, but as the so-called Moon Goddess failed to appear, they all mocked Qin's self-delusion and foolishness in their own ways.
The State of Qi valued commerce, and the King of Qi implied that wherever the caravan went, it should spread the story of the Qin ruler and his ministers believing that they had encountered immortals.
The Qin people in the story are incredibly stupid, and then a clever Qi person inevitably exposes the deception.
The State of Chu was the most superstitious in terms of witchcraft and shamans, and held the most sacrificial rites. This is the reason why the people of Chu were said to "value licentious sacrifices and worship witches and ghosts".
Therefore, the King of Chu first consulted his most favored sorcerer:
Will the Moon Goddess from the Heavenly Palace really descend to earth to meet with the mortal kings and princes?
The great wizard, wearing a brightly colored hat adorned with a hundred birds, was old and frail, yet a cold glint gleamed in his murky eyes. His hoarse voice rang out:
"The gods are supreme, while the King of Qin is merely a mortal. Unlike our country, he doesn't offer sacrifices and pray for favors every year. How could the moon goddess possibly descend to see him? Ha, it's nothing but a foolish rumor."
The King of Chu was relieved. He truly believed in the gods. Qin was so powerful, and the Moon Goddess had shown favor to Qin. Didn't this mean that Heaven also favored Qin in unifying the world?
At least while I'm alive, I hope the State of Chu won't perish.
Following in the footsteps of Qi, Chu spread rumors about the stupidity and arrogance of the Qin people. Not satisfied with this, Chu sent envoys with a letter of state.
It is blatantly written that the Qin state has encountered immortals, and our king is very envious. When will he be fortunate enough to meet an immortal?
This infuriated the entire Qin state.
The weakest state, Yan, remained as quiet as a chicken. In fact, Crown Prince Dan of Yan also wanted to take this opportunity to do something.
However, King Xi of Yan was afraid that King Qin would be angered and directly attack Yan, thus suppressing him.
Crown Prince Dan of Yan bitterly told his confidants, "My father is cowardly and missed a golden opportunity!"
Despite facing repeated doubts, Ying Zheng remained steadfast and maintained his trust in Wang Ben.
……………………
It was another full moon night, with the bright moon hanging high in the night sky, emitting a cool light, accompanied only by a few stars.
To celebrate Empress Dowager Huayang's birthday, Ying Zheng held a grand banquet to express his respect for this empress dowager who had always supported him.
The Qin palace was brightly lit, and the figures sitting at their desks could utter a single sentence that could influence the future situation of the six states.
"Your grandson wishes the Empress Dowager a Happy New Year."
Ying Zheng's voice rose slightly, and his narrow eyes, under the light, were like unsheathed swords, their sharpness undisguised.
He stood up, picked up the wine cup, and addressed Empress Dowager Huayang, then took a small sip of wine.
"Your Majesty is very thoughtful."
The well-preserved Empress Dowager Huayang smiled demurely and, giving the King of Qin face, emptied the wine cup in front of her.
The King of Qin first offered his congratulations to the Queen Dowager, and then the others naturally followed suit. There were very few qualified concubines in the harem, so the King of Chu, led by the Queen Dowager Chu who had given birth to Ying Zheng's eldest son, Fusu, offered their congratulations together.
As everyone offered their congratulations to Empress Dowager Huayang on her birthday, they were all smiles and cheerful, refraining from uttering any ill will. Instead, they presented a plethora of brilliant essays, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.
Just then, a discordant voice rang out:
"Since the King of Qin is so filial to the Empress Dowager, why not ask the Moon Goddess to bestow an elixir of immortality upon her, so that she may regain her youth and prolong her life?"
The Chu envoy stood up, a hint of mockery on his lips, a sarcastic and ambiguous expression.
Seeing everyone glaring at him, the Chu envoy became even more agitated. "Why are you all looking at me? Chu doesn't have a moon goddess, hahahahaha!"
"Does the people of Chu not believe in gods?"
Ying Zheng slowly stood up and softly uttered a sentence. His gaze fell on the Chu envoy, which made him tremble with fear and his hands shook.
The Chu envoy dared to make such outrageous remarks, naturally he had his backing. Empress Dowager Huayang was a princess of Chu, and the King of Qin would certainly give the Chu envoy face at her birthday banquet.
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