Chapter 12 Your cousin is Gongsun. "Your cousin's name is Ying Zheng."...
Nearly two months have passed since Ying Zheng asked if he wanted to see Li Xie suffer, so long that Banban had long forgotten about the matter.
In late spring, the cherry blossoms planted by the main courtyard window are in full bloom, stretching out their shapes, with petals swirling and falling, while a small body curled up by the window is sleeping soundly.
As Zhu embroidered, she gently stroked her daughter's soft hair, her swollen belly radiating maternal glow.
After eating and drinking to their heart's content and resting for a while, Banban actually started dreaming.
In my dream, a torrential downpour began, and there was a knock on my door.
I heard that a guest had come to my house; it was my father's younger sister, her own aunt.
Beside the aunt was a young man, his clothes disheveled, his face mottled, but his eyes were unusually bright.
After washing and grooming, a clean and fair face was revealed.
Under the eaves, the person who had changed into new clothes bowed respectfully to Ji Xiu. Unable to hear the specific content of their conversation, she hid behind a pillar and peeked out with her eyes to stealthily observe.
The boy, who had been standing quietly, suddenly turned his head and looked over. His calm eyes pierced through the stagnant air and went straight to her heart.
As if a breeze had blown by, her dark hair fluttered in the wind, and she quickly pulled her head back, her heart pounding like a drum.
By the time she realized what was happening, she had already sat up straight.
"Awake? Are you hungry?"
The sounds around her seemed to come from near and far. She curled up in a daze, and it took her a while to realize that it was a dream. She had actually dreamed about the day she first met her cousin.
She hadn't seen the cold look in her cousin's eyes for many years.
"I'm a little hungry, I want to eat meat soup." She slowly climbed down from the small couch, let out a long sigh of relief, and shook Zhu's hand with a sweet smile, "Mother, the food in the kitchen here is very delicious."
"You little glutton." Madam Zhu put down her embroidery quilt and gave him a reproachful look. "Wait, Mother will go and tell someone to make my son's favorite food."
After Zhu left, Banban lay on the small couch looking at the patterns her mother was embroidering when suddenly a series of 'thump thump thump' sounds came from outside the window.
She peeked out, but saw nothing, so she lay back down to continue looking at the embroidery pattern.
——'Knock knock knock'
Banban, feeling annoyed, simply pushed open the door and went out to see who it was.
I looked left and right, but there was nothing outside the door, and no one was there either.
Cherry blossoms drifted down, a gentle breeze swept through, and the room was filled with fragrance.
She lowered her hands from her hips, her face filled with puzzlement and confusion.
Just as she was about to leave, a sneer suddenly came from above, "..."
Banban quickly looked up and saw Ying Zheng sitting atop a tall tree branch, kneeling and playing with a rattle drum, looking down at her. "Are you finally awake?"
Sunlight pierced through the clouds and the tree canopy that blocked out the sky, casting dappled, flickering light and shadow on his face, and a smile bloomed on his slightly upturned lips.
Banban's eyes were dazzled. After a moment, she came to her senses, clenched her fists, and scolded playfully, "My cousin is bad."
After scolding her, he asked in confusion, "You've been waiting for me all this time?"
"I guess so," he replied vaguely, extending his hand. "Come on up."
"I can't get up there." It's too high.
Banban looked up, but there was nothing she could use to get up there.
He jumped down in a flash, saying, "I'll take you up."
"Huh??" Banban was stunned for a moment, not having reacted, when his wrist was suddenly grabbed.
Before she knew it, she had been lifted up. Terrified, she screamed, "Hold on to the tree trunk!" He reassured her, "You won't fall. Your cousin is down here to protect you."
"That won't work either!"
"Don't be afraid."
"Lift your leg and hook it."
"Grab that branch with your hand."
Caught in a dilemma, I had no choice but to comply.
Ying Zheng lifted her up, making sure she held on tight, and then stepped onto the tree branch himself, hooking his legs around it. He then leaned in from the side, grabbed her waist with both hands, and lifted her up, placing her on the branch.
Banban was terrified. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, her voice trembling as she called out for her cousin, and she even did the splits several times.
Ying Zheng released his hand from her eyes, leaned closer and whispered, "Open your eyes, it's alright."
Banban slowly opened her eyes a crack, and the cherry blossoms fluttering on the branches were right in front of her. She immediately opened her eyes wide and sat up straight.
This was the first time she had ever seen such a wide-open view.
She was overjoyed. "Why did my cousin bring me up here?"
Ying Zheng leaned against the tree trunk, slightly raising his chin with interest, "Nothing."
Banban: "?"
He paused slightly, then said, "Seeing how well you've adapted, things will be much easier from here on out."
Are you free?
Half an hour later, outside the back courtyard alley of Handan's largest academy, Ying Zheng, following the same procedure, led Banban up to the towering locust tree.
Banban asked excitedly, "What?! What?!"
What kind of scenery do you want to see?
What's so interesting about Handan Academy?
Ying Zheng pulled out a slingshot from somewhere. "Look," he said, squinting one eye as he drew back the bow and aimed it at the low wall.
Banban hugged his waist and looked in the direction he was looking.
A young man was tied to a vermilion pillar, his mouth gagged with cloth and his eyes blindfolded with black cloth. He was struggling desperately. Through his square jaw, she recognized him as Li Xie!
In an instant, the pebble was launched from the slingshot with a hiss.
"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!" Li Xie struggled even more fiercely, his forehead dripping with blood.
The stone struck him, rolling down his body and staining him with bright red blood.
Banban was shocked. Her cousin quickly covered her mouth, saying, "Don't speak loudly, it won't be good if he hears you."
The obedient chick pecked at the rice, its eyes sparkling, its admiration overflowing.
Seeing that she was obedient, Ying Zheng put down his hand with satisfaction and handed her the slingshot, saying, "You try it."
"Cousin, I don't know how." Banban lowered his voice, as if he were doing something wrong.
"What's so difficult about that?" Ying Zheng smiled casually, put his arm around her shoulder, held the back of her hand, and guided her to pinch the slingshot. "Your cousin will teach you."
"Okay." She said softly, handing over control of her hands to him and squinting her eyes like he did.
The two men, cheek to cheek, aimed their slingshots at Li Xie together.
"three."
"two."
He counted down in a low voice, and she held her breath.
"one!"
The two released their grip at the same time, and the pebble shot out with a hiss.
A dull thud.
Li Xie struggled and writhed like a maggot, his face contorted in pain.
Banban was overjoyed, "I hit it!"
The siblings on the locust tree laughed heartily and hit Li Xie four or five more times. Suddenly, an old man with a long beard appeared under the corridor of the academy. Seeing Li Xie's miserable state, he dropped his books and shouted to call for help.
Ying Zheng jumped down from the tree in a few swift movements, opening his arms to catch the shovels as they came down.
The two held hands and fled at top speed, laughing happily as they ran.
"Cousin, will Li Xie find out that we did it?" Although Banban was happy, she was also worried, fearing that Li Xie would retaliate.
"He's offended too many people. No, I didn't show my face, so don't worry, cousin." Ying Zheng didn't care at all and even comforted her not to be afraid.
She was relieved. "Was that rattle drum made by my cousin himself? I want it."
"I knew you'd like it." He made it himself; it was meant for her. "I'll bring it to you when we get home. Your aunt has asked someone to make meat soup. Hurry back and eat."
"Yay!" She smiled, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons.
The two chatted and laughed, and time seemed to stretch on endlessly.
My good mood was quickly shattered.
The Zhao soldiers, dressed in armor, surrounded the gate of the Ji family's residence.
Banban was so frightened that her soul almost flew away, and Ying Zheng's expression also changed instantly. He grabbed his cousin and hid around the corner with her.
“Cousin, is it Prince Zhao?” She gripped his clothes tightly. “Or Zhao Yan? Prince Zhao loves to protect his younger brother. The two of them have done all sorts of evil deeds. It’s too much. They want to take revenge on you, cousin.”
Ying Zheng's expression changed several times. He slowly sighed and calmed down. "Let's deal with whatever comes our way. They won't do anything to you."
"No!" Banban's eyes widened, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Even if I don't go out, how long can I hide?" Ying Zheng comforted her. "Besides, my mother is still alive, and I can't let them hurt her."
Banban was unwilling, but she knew he was right, so she wiped away her tears and was led out.
"Who exactly is my cousin's father?" Despite the overwhelming fear, she finally asked. "My father and mother won't tell me, and they won't let me mention it."
Ying Zheng pursed his lips, about to speak, when the soldiers in the distance saw the two of them and suddenly raised their voices, "Here they are!"
In an instant, he pulled Banban behind him, his whole body like a small mountain ready to pounce, staring intently at them, wary and vigilant.
The leading soldier cupped his hands in greeting, beaming with joy, "Gongsun, Gongsun has finally returned! Our lord has been waiting for so long."
Upon hearing Gongsun's address, Ying Zheng was completely stunned.
The people of Zhao would never address him with such respect; they didn't like to talk to him, and even if they saw him, they would pretend not to.
"Gongsun?" Banban poked her head out, a hint of doubt in her eyes.
Fifteen minutes later, in the main hall of the Ji family.
Huan Chun and Zi Chan, along with other maids, served hot tea. The official had a fair complexion, appeared to be only about twenty years old, and had long, narrow, upturned eyes. He looked at Ying Zheng and smiled, saying:
"Now that Gongsun has returned, I will no longer keep you in suspense." The man smiled. "My name is Guo Kai. I have been ordered by my king to escort Gongsun and his wife back to Qin."
Ji Changyue's hands trembled uncontrollably as she gripped the corner of the table tightly. She met Ying Zheng's gaze repeatedly, her face filled with excitement.
Guo Kai knew perfectly well that Zhao Ji had been waiting for so many years and was almost going crazy. "Prince Zichu will soon be made crown prince. He wants to bring Lady Zhao and Gongsun back to Qin. My king has specially sent me here."
Ji Changyue burst into tears, trying to hold them back but still crying out loud. She hugged Ying Zheng tightly, "Zheng'er! Your father has sent people to fetch us. We've made it through!"
The entire Ji family was filled with excitement and joy, and everyone was so immersed in the joy that they could not extricate themselves.
Banban was dazed and didn't come to her senses for a long time.
"Qin...?" she murmured, "Was the King of Qin surnamed Ying?"
Her mind was a complete blank, but a white line seemed to be guiding her thoughts.
Pang's eyebrows almost flew to her temples. "Yes, your cousin's name is Ying Zheng. What nonsense are you talking about, child?"
...Ying Zheng?
Ying Zheng.
Ying Zheng?!
Banban felt as if struck by lightning; his mind went blank, and he instinctively took a step back.
In an instant, time reversed, and she could no longer hear the sounds around her. All that remained was her cousin being held in Ji Changyue's arms, looking at her with hesitation.
In that instant, all the memories of my past life were as if a lid had been lifted, the veil had disappeared, and the past events were vividly clear in my mind.
The history textbook was swept away by the wind. After the storm, several large characters were revealed on it: "The world is at peace, the four seas are tranquil, the emperor of all ages."
My mind was buzzing, and the details of my memories flooded back like a tidal wave.
The map depicts numerous warlords operating independently, with each territory gradually merging together. Although they later split again, they eventually returned to unity.
History marches on, from steam engines and automobiles to airplanes… finally focusing on a scene playing on the television in the corner store:
The imposing man, whose face was hard to recall, spread his arms wide. His dark robes exuded a cold, stern, and domineering aura, and his contemptuous yet sinister expression as he faced the camera was palpable.
"At this point in the world, only the Great Qin reigns supreme!!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
