Chapter 15 Appointing Zheng as Crown Prince: "I don't like you calling me that."...
Banban peered at the trays brought by the maids, where not only were clothes neatly arranged and stacked, but jewelry was also on display.
She shook off her earlier gloom and happily followed the maids to change her clothes.
Ying Zheng knew his cousin liked these things, and unconsciously smiled, resting his face on his hand as he listened to her chattering.
Qin clothing is elaborate, requiring a series of meticulous steps to put on. Finally, a light yellow ribbon is tied around the waist, and the deep robe is the same color. The edges are embroidered with intricate patterns, so that every step is like a flower blooming.
The maid combed her hair, and with a pair of skillful hands, the person in the mirror looked completely different in no time. A crimson ribbon was tied behind her hair, and an expensive pearl hairpin was worn on it.
Her bangs were all pulled back to the top of her head, revealing her fair and full forehead. Her long, curled eyelashes fluttered gently, making her bright and clear eyes even more striking.
“This is the Lingyun bun,” the maid said. “Young lady, you are young and naturally beautiful, so you don’t need to wear makeup.”
Banban, holding up her dark dress, excitedly emerged from behind the screen, spreading her arms to show herself off. "Cousin, do I look good?"
Ying Zheng was slightly taken aback, then lowered his arm and laughed, "Beautiful."
Since we met, my cousin has always worn her hair in two little pigtails. Her pigtails are cute and adorable, but I never knew that she looked so different and adorable when she wore her hair in a high bun. I sincerely praised her, "The high bun looks really good."
She secretly glared at him, "It's me who's prettier."
Ying Zheng was not angry and continued to smile.
The maids were all astonished, and then realized that this young lady, who could accompany Gongsun back to Qin, must be no ordinary person.
Since people usually don't eat much at night banquets, Ying Zheng sent over some late-night food to share with Banban.
Banban loves to eat taro. After slicing and steaming it, she poured on a sticky, gooey syrup. When she picked up a piece, she was surprised to find slices of pork with alternating layers of fat and lean meat inside.
The combination of salty and sweet flavors made her love it.
The maid knelt beside the table and served soup to the two of them.
This is exactly the duck soup that Banban has been longing for; the water bamboo slices are crisp and fragrant.
"Cousin, I ate some pickled vegetables before bed. They were delicious. The braised meat inside was tender and the outer pancake was crispy and crumbly."
"It's delicious, I'll order it again next time."
"Hmm!" Banban ate her meal, looking around. "Where is my aunt now?"
“She hadn’t seen my father for many years and had a lot to say to him.”
After the meal, Banban learned that Prince Zichu had only been officially named Crown Prince today. Although the eunuchs and palace eunuchs had been calling for him these past few days, he had not yet been crowned. Lady Huayang used this to coerce Zichu into making Lady Han his principal wife.
Unfortunately, it failed.
The banquet was grand. Following the maid's guidance, Banban sat down at the women's table. Sitting with her were several of the King of Qin's princesses, and the two younger ones were the daughters of the King of Qin's son, Ying Huai.
Banban, being a newcomer, smiled ingratiatingly at them.
When a maid introduced someone, she would bow respectfully and obediently not dare to cause trouble.
The little girl next to her rolled her eyes at her, her lips moved slightly, and she said something. Immediately, the others covered their mouths.
Banban was very sensitive. She didn't know what they were saying, but she was sure they were making fun of her. She felt resentful, but dared not say anything.
He had no choice but to ignore them and turn to talk to the maid.
The maid knelt beside him and introduced herself, "My name is Qianyin, and I am fourteen years old."
"Qianyin, how long will this banquet last?" Banban asked her in a low voice.
"Around 11 PM."
Upon hearing this, Banban sat down obediently, not daring to look around. There was a large, dark mass around her, and she found her cousin's seat roughly to her side. He was sitting among a group of men whose faces she couldn't recognize, probably all of whom had the surname Ying.
I picked up a few pieces of fruit from the table and ate them. The singing and dancing in the hall made it not too boring.
After several rounds of drinks, Crown Prince Zichu suddenly rose from his seat and knelt respectfully in the central courtyard. "Today is an auspicious day for the Hehuan Banquet, and I have a request."
The King of Qin put down his cup and said, "Speak freely."
The crown prince dared not raise his head, and respectfully placed his left hand over his right. “Zhao Ji was my wife when I was at my lowest point. She gave birth to my son Zheng. Over the years, she has suffered greatly in the state of Zhao, yet she still raised Zheng to be healthy and strong.”
“Whenever I think of her at night, I feel guilty, but I also admire her.”
"Therefore, I wish to make her my wife, and I hope that my father will grant my request."
Madam Han was startled, bit her lip and lowered her head, her heart filled with bitterness and unease.
She gave birth to Chengjiao for the crown prince and thought that her becoming his wife was a sure thing, but unexpectedly, Zhao Ji appeared out of nowhere.
She had heard these past two days that Young Master Zhao Yan had sent men to ambush and kill Zhao Ji and Gongsun Zheng, but they had failed. She wondered why Guo Kai, who was so capable, would go against her young master's wishes.
After a moment of contemplation, the King of Qin spoke first: "Zhao Ji may have a harder time, but she is from a merchant family, so a high position is enough for her. Han Shuang is the daughter of a noble family in Chu. If we don't appoint her but instead appoint Zhao Ji, what will Chu think?"
"Your Majesty, the Queen is mistaken."
One person voiced their opposition.
"Who dares to speak like this?" The King of Qin frowned slightly. "Show yourself."
"Yes, Your Majesty." A man bowed and knelt behind the Crown Prince. "Your subject Lü Buwei greets Your Majesty."
This is Lü Buwei, the merchant whom his mother always curses.
Banban curiously peered through the crowd and saw that the man was in his prime, broad-shouldered, with short beard and hawk-like eyes, and a humble and respectful demeanor.
"The late king reigned for fifty-six years, and his only goal was to dominate the six kingdoms. Our Great Qin is now the strongest among all the kingdoms! The other kingdoms are already in ruins. Even if His Highness the Crown Prince demotes Lady Han to a slave, would any other kingdom dare to utter a single word of dissent?!"
"You—!" Madam Han's face turned pale. She tried to get up in shame and anger, but was firmly held down by the person beside her.
"The Crown Prince was personally appointed by my King. The Crown Prince and my King are the mainstay of Great Qin. So what does Great Qin want to do? What right do other countries have to interfere?"
Lady Huayang cursed inwardly that Lü Buwei was indeed a merchant by birth, and was very eloquent!
On the other end, the King of Qin also laughed heartily, "Well said, Your Highness, I grant your request!"
The Crown Prince and Lü Buwei hurriedly knelt down to express their gratitude. They exchanged a glance and rose with smiles on their faces.
Zhao Ji also stepped forward and happily expressed her gratitude.
Banban was quite happy too.
The late king reigned for fifty-six years, and the King of Qin had been the crown prince for countless years. He almost thought he would not outlive the late king, that his body was already exhausted and he would be unable to carry on his father's legacy and do anything for the Qin state. He was always sleepless at night.
Even if Lü Buwei hadn't intervened, he would have still allowed Zhao Ji to become the Crown Prince's wife.
Thinking of this, the King of Qin waved to the audience below the stage, "Where is Gongsun Zheng?"
Ying Zheng immediately stood up and said, "Zheng'er greets Your Majesty."
The King of Qin waved his hand, indicating that there was no need for such formalities, and said, "Come closer and sit with me."
Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent, and several people turned their gazes toward Ying Zheng.
The crown prince quickly urged Ying Zheng to go up in a low voice, reassuring him not to be afraid.
The King of Qin seemed to be very fond of his grandson Ying Zheng. During the latter half of the banquet, he kept Ying Zheng by his side, asking him questions, which the latter answered fluently.
How could a grandfather dislike his grandson? It's perfectly reasonable for the King of Qin to like Ying Zheng.
Banban thought to herself, resting her chin on her hand and staring blankly at the stage.
She thought of her mother, who was far away in Handan, and her mother was pregnant with her younger brother.
When the age of the child in her womb could be determined, Pang invited a professional doctor to examine her. After asking four or five doctors, he was overjoyed to confirm that she was carrying a boy.
It seems that the grandmother also prefers her grandson.
However, her stepmother treated Banban very well, always giving her the best food and drink, and providing her with all the clothes and jewelry she needed. On her fourth birthday, she even promised to give her several shops and a manor as a dowry when she got married.
After the banquet ended, the King of Qin kept Ying Zheng behind.
Qian Yin took Banban back to her palace, helped her wash and dress, and asked her if she wanted a nighttime tonic, but Banban refused because she couldn't eat.
The next morning, what woke Banban was not the maidservant calling her for breakfast, but the sound of wailing.
The King of Qin, who had spent his entire life struggling to hold the position of crown prince, died after only three days on the throne.
For two days in a row, Banban was unable to see her cousin.
Upon hearing that Crown Prince Zichu had been kneeling by the bedside for a long time, weeping uncontrollably, he ascended the throne after being persuaded by the ministers. The first thing he did upon taking the throne was to follow the late king's last wish and issue an edict appointing Prince Zheng as the crown prince.
In a short time, Ying Zheng's status rose, and even the princesses who had given Banban a cold shoulder at the banquet a few days earlier came to visit her one after another.
Two days later, Banban woke up from his nap and saw Ying Zheng striding in, still wearing mourning clothes.
She was overjoyed, hurriedly bowed, and smiled sweetly, "Crown Prince!"
Ying Zheng frowned slightly and immediately said unhappily, "I don't like you calling me that." He took his cousin's hand and went inside with her. "How have you been lately? These past few days have been so busy that I haven't had a chance to come and see you at night. You were sleeping soundly. Qian Yin, who is by your side, reports to me every day, and it seems that nothing major has happened."
“It’s really nothing serious. Princess Yangman always comes to visit me, and I keep her company.” Banban asked, “Why won’t you let me call you Crown Prince Brother?”
He finally became the crown prince, how prestigious! She wanted to show him off as much as possible.
Ying Zheng glanced at her, "It reminds me of Ji Dan." The way she looked at Ji Dan that day.
Banban was completely confused and pouted, "Then people will just call you cousin."
These past few days, she had so many questions to ask that she hadn't had time to think about why Ying Zheng wouldn't allow her to call him "Crown Prince Brother." She pulled him down to sit and personally poured him tea. "Cousin, will your aunt be the Queen from now on?"
"Yes," Ying Zheng explained, "My father has already made my mother his queen."
Banban clapped his hands in delight, his face beaming with joy. He put his hands on his hips and said gleefully, "That's wonderful! My aunt is the queen, and my cousin is the crown prince. Once my parents move the family business to Qin, let's see who dares to mess with us."
Ying Zheng couldn't help but chuckle, "You still care about your family's businesses? Anyone who didn't know better would think she just eats and sleeps all day long."
“Of course!” Banban sat down next to him and said matter-of-factly, “My aunt said that when I get married, she will give me lots and lots of shops, and they will all be mine.”
After saying that, she asked longingly, "When can I marry my cousin?"
"No matter what, we'll always be together, don't rush." Ying Zheng touched her little face, saying that she was greedy for money, and had someone fill a bag with gold ingots for her. He couldn't help but squeeze her hand again.
"Starting tomorrow, I will be going to Chengkun Palace to study. I have asked my father to allow you to study with the princesses. Prepare in advance, as you will be going in two days."
Upon hearing that there was a class, Banban's face immediately fell.
But then she thought that her cousin had to study every day, and it would be boring for her to stay there. It wouldn't hurt to go to the school. "So, is the school I'm going to far from my cousin's?"
Ying Zheng thought for a moment, then smiled and asked, "It's not too far. I'll come to pick you up every day, and we can go together, shall we?"
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