Chapter 24 Her Obsession with Him "How many pieces of your heart have you taken?"...
Regardless of how Mi Liangren moved around during the period, by the end of the month, the Qin army had officially assembled and was heading towards Eastern Zhou.
The Eastern Zhou Dynasty offered no resistance, and its last ruler, the Eastern Zhou King, was deposed and reduced to a commoner, marking the complete end of the Zhou Dynasty.
Lü Buwei won a battle and made great contributions. Prince Chu of Qin was so pleased with him that he wanted to give him everything he had.
On the day of their triumphant return, Banban and Ying Zheng stood together by the city wall to watch as Lü Buwei rode back on horseback, his banners fluttering high, forming a bright red spectacle.
"The Prime Minister truly knows everything." Banban sighed with some emotion, "From now on, there will be no more Great Zhou."
"The Western Zhou and Eastern Zhou were both destroyed by Qin, which had already attracted the attention of the other six states."
Ying Zheng did not turn around. "Whether they advocate war or peace, Qin is a country of tigers and wolves in their eyes. As early as when King Huiwen became king, Qin had already angered the people of the world."
Banban snorted, "Other countries also declared themselves kings back then, so why are you dissatisfied with Qin's claim to kingship? That's so unfair." Could it be a double standard?
Who is this person?!
Ying Zheng patted his cousin's head. The Qin army below the city wall seemed endless, their heads thronging the ground. "They believe that Qin has challenged the authority of the Zhou royal family. Qin is no longer under the control of the Zhou royal family, and has broken the original balance."
Another reason was the panic caused by Qin's continuous expansion.
He said it casually, his tone light and indifferent, his words carrying an air of self-righteous indifference.
Banban leaned quietly against her cousin's chest, gazing at the distant horizon. The afterglow of the setting sun blanketed the entire city of Xianyang in an orange-yellow hue.
A grand banquet was held at the Northern Palace that evening, and the whole country celebrated.
Banban had a new dress made and went to the palace gate early in the morning to greet Ji Xiu and Zhu Shi.
Holding the baby boy who was already old enough to go out, Zhu said to Banban, "Your younger brother's name already has characters to choose from."
It was hot, so the baby boy's swaddling clothes weren't thick, just a thin layer. He had a round head and was sucking on his fingers, his eyes closed, showing only a thin slit.
How can it be so ugly? It's even uglier than the last time I saw it.
Banban glanced at it several times, but couldn't see any resemblance to herself. "Oh, what's your name?"
Ji Xiu smiled and said, "My eyes look just like yours, sister."
"...?" Banban was incredulous.
"Ji Chenghong".
"Ji Chenghong," Banban repeated.
Zhu nodded and explained, “The Rites of Zhou says: ‘Therefore, the width of the hub is wide, so that it is weak, and even if there is a heavy load, the hub will not break.’”
"I only wish my son to have a broad mind in the future."
Upon hearing this, Banban asked, as if possessed, "Has the meaning of this word been explained to Grandmother?"
"Not yet, this is something your father and I came up with together on the way."
"Your Majesty has just destroyed the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Your calligraphy is excellent, but please do not casually tell others about it."
Ji Xiu was taken aback, then slowly came to his senses. Zhu Shi quickly said, "That's natural."
Then she remarked with considerable emotion, "You've grown up; you're more sensitive than your father and mother."
Living in the palace is quite different from living at home; Banban has already acquired the demeanor of a princess.
How can one not be proud?
As usual, Banban sat with the princesses at the banquet. Banban sat next to Liyang and Yangjiang. Last time, Yangjiang rolled her eyes at Banban here.
Banban sat down and bowed to the others.
Good grief, Yang Jiang rolled her eyes at her again.
Banban sat down peacefully and secretly flipped back over. Only you can flip over, haha.
After rolling her eyes and looking up, she just happened to see the Crown Prince taking his seat. Everyone stood up to pay their respects, and she secretly looked up from the crowd. Just then, he was surveying the entire hall, and his gaze lingered on her. The two of them made eye contact.
She made a series of funny faces, winking and sticking out her tongue.
Ying Zheng: "..."
They quickly looked away.
He almost couldn't suppress the gentle smile.
Ministers kept crowding around the crown prince to speak with him, and he was surrounded like a ball, trapped in the center of the crowd.
As they were talking, the time came, and the eunuch's shrill voice came from within.
Prince Zichu of Qin arrived together with his prime minister Lü Buwei, accompanied by Queen Zhao Ji.
Everyone present fell silent in unison.
The King of Qin spoke from the head of the table, his words seemingly tedious, yet he dared not feign laziness, keeping his back straight and his eyes fixed straight ahead.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of water and turned her gaze slightly to the side.
Princess Liyang noticed that Ji Xiaoniang was looking at her, and just as she was about to lower her head, a soft handkerchief was handed to her.
She paused slightly, then quickly wiped her eyes clean. "Thank you."
Banban whispered a reminder to her, "Today is a joyous and auspicious day."
Li Yang knew perfectly well, but the more people tried to remind her, the more resentful she became, saying, "How could I not know?"
These words had a sense of resignation, and Banban, filled with doubt and uncertainty, was too lazy to say anything more.
Qian Yin knelt to one side and poured fruit juice for her, reminding her in an almost inaudible voice: "My lady, Lady Mi is from the Zhou royal family. Now that her family has been destroyed, how can the Second Princess be happy?"
Banban suddenly realized that her earlier use of the word "good days" had hurt her.
She had initially assumed that Lady Mi was a noblewoman of the Zhou dynasty, and Li Yang hadn't contradicted her that day; it turned out she was a descendant of royalty…
No wonder she avoided the topic when she said she wanted Liyang to plead with the king to bring her maternal relatives into Qin.
"Don't give this princess that long face. If it causes our father to punish us, I'll never forgive you!"
A very low, suppressed voice squeezed in from the side.
Banban and Liyang both glanced sideways.
The one who spoke was Princess Yang Jiang, who was all smiles. She laughed along with the crowd until her face was a little stiff, but her chin was still held high, looking quite arrogant.
"Should I be glad that you didn't wear makeup today?"
Li Yang's face darkened: "What's it to you? Shut up."
Banban vaguely felt that Yang Jiang was reminding Liyang not to be so obviously mournful.
Why did she talk like that?
She was curious and glanced at her several times.
Yang Jiang looked away, quickly glancing at Banban, and blurted out, "You shut up too." She was afraid that Banban would say something shocking when she wasn't looking.
Banban: "I—" Why should I shut up?
Yang Jiang covered her ears and muttered, "I don't want to hear it, I don't want to hear it, I don't want to hear it."
Banban: "..." Okay, okay, you're crazy!
Before long, the banquet officially began. The palace servants served the dishes, and everyone took a bite. Perhaps due to the scale and time constraints, many of the hot dishes had already cooled down, with oil floating on top.
The further along the way, the harder it is to eat.
Banban picked up a few more pieces and ate a couple more. After that, he ate peach slices to pass the time. After eating two slices, he stared blankly and stacked them together to form a peach heart shape.
Qin Ju bowed as he came from the back room, drawing countless gazes. He set down the dishes on his tray, his voice soft and gentle, almost feminine:
"Young lady, His Highness the Crown Prince ordered roast suckling pig and he ate it quite well. Have a servant bring half of it over."
Plates and dishes were taken down one by one. "This is a sauce soup. This pickled dish is also one of your favorites. The shrimp cakes are fresh out of the pan."
I knew my cousin was worried that she wasn't eating well.
Banban immediately became delighted and put the fruit plate back on his tray, saying, "Then give this to your cousin."
Qin Ju bowed in agreement, glanced at the fruit plate, and couldn't help but burst into laughter, "Yes, sir."
Yang Jiang stretched his neck and pretended to be aloof as he peeked at the fruit plate. When he saw the heart-shaped peach in the plate, his lips twitched violently. He wanted to say something but then swallowed it back.
Although it was rare to express one's feelings in this shape, there were already quite a few heart-shaped items at this time, such as chicken heart seals and diamond heart seals.
Those present, almost unconsciously, understood the meaning behind the pattern that Ji Xiaoniang had arranged.
Li Yang felt only one thing: disgusted!
The two watched as Qin Ju returned with the fruit platter. The Crown Prince was slightly taken aback when he saw the fruit platter, and slowly realized what was happening. His lips twitched violently, but his ears turned bright red.
"..."
"..."
Yang Jiang/Li Yang: So Brother Wang falls for this!
A hint of doubt crept into Li Yang's mind; perhaps she should give it a try too?
The next moment, he rejected himself.
...Never mind, uh.
The other princesses had already eaten, so even though the dishes at the table were not very appealing, they were not hungry. They only touched their chopsticks symbolically before putting them down, maintaining their noble and composed demeanor as princesses.
Only Ji Xiaoniang ate with relish, not even lifting her head, her mind completely focused on the delicious food in front of her.
She didn't even notice when someone called her.
The sound of the tether bumped twice.
Banban was chewing on a bean leaf dipped in sauce and wrapped with a slice of meat when she noticed that the surroundings were completely silent and many people were looking at her.
The King of Qin gestured with his gaze, looking in their direction. Queen Zhao Ji raised her wide sleeve to cover the amusement on her face and winked at her.
Banban hesitated for a moment before getting up, swallowing the food in his mouth in a few gulps. "Your Majesty."
The King of Qin realized that the young girl hadn't heard a word he said, and he was quite surprised. "When I asked you what you were eating, it seemed different from what I was eating at the banquet. Could it be that the Crown Prince was giving you special treatment?"
Banban was speechless for a moment, "It was Chengyin who begged His Highness the Crown Prince."
"Indeed, they are of one mind." King Qin said with a smile, "You don't need to protect him. You grew up together since childhood, and your relationship is extraordinary, far beyond what I can match."
To put it mildly, this was a sign of jealousy; to put it more bluntly, it was an implication that the crown prince was unfilial. The people below immediately reacted with varying expressions.
However, the King of Qin had no such intention. He was just saying it casually, as a joke. Before the Crown Prince could apologize, the Queen smiled and said, "It's good that Your Majesty knows. Poor Zheng'er has never enjoyed the love of his own father since childhood. Your Majesty should make it up to him properly."
Ying Zheng rose and apologized: "Father, I was negligent. Please forgive me."
The King of Qin was greatly disappointed and waved his hand, saying, "Why are you making such a fuss?"
He said to the Queen, “A few days ago, I invited the Crown Prince to drink with me. He was so drunk that he slept for a whole day. My son and I talked freely and our relationship is better than that of many ordinary fathers and sons.”
Hearing this, the Queen gave him a reproachful look, "Alright, alright, only a father like you would bring up the Crown Prince's drunkenness to make fun of it."
The King of Qin waved his hand, "Distribute this dish of Jade Shrimp Drink in front of me to the Crown Prince and Consort Chengyin."
Banban hurriedly bowed and expressed his gratitude. Inside the hall, ministers began to come out and say that His Highness the Crown Prince was deeply affectionate and righteous, showering him with compliments and flattery.
Banban sat down and fiddled with the "Emerald Drink Cold Shrimp" dish, discovering that it was actually raw marinated shrimp, with a small, very obvious piece of shrimp roe.
Qian Yin peeled the shell for her, and she tasted one. It was chewy and firm, with a crisp and sweet flavor.
People who can't eat it will only find it unbearably fishy, but those who just happen to like it.
Following this, the Queen frequently bestowed dishes upon the Ji family, and Prince Zichu of Qin also bestowed two dishes upon them. For a time, Ji Xiu received much attention.
Princess Yingyue had no time for envy. She was craning her neck to show Meng Tian that he hadn't gone to the last horse racing festival, not even giving the Crown Prince any face.
She cursed inwardly, "So arrogant! Does he think he looks down on a princess like me?"
After the banquet ended and everyone dispersed, no one dared to linger outside the North Palace. Banban followed the princesses out and immediately spotted Yingyue talking to a young man standing on the steps.
The young man was respectful, and his hands, which were clasped in front of him, never lowered.
Yang Jiang grabbed Banban's sleeve. "What are you doing? Isn't it enough that you're standing here? It's embarrassing if she finds out we're peeping at her. She'll go crazy."
"I'm not peeking, I'm leaving!" Banban pulled out her sleeve.
“No.” Yang Jiang grabbed her again. “You have to pass through there to get back to Taxue Pavilion.”
"Do you have an illness?" Banban couldn't help but ask sincerely.
"How dare you! How dare you!" Yang Jiang shouted, as if she wanted to jump up and yell at her.
“Speak louder, and Princess Yue will hear you.”
"..."
Yang Jiang was forced to shut her mouth, her hand gripping Banban tightly. She peeked around with a frown, muttering to herself, "That damned Meng Tian, he doesn't even look at the princess. Is he trying to rebel?"
Banban: "What if Meng Tian takes a liking to you?"
"Shut up." Yang Jiang shivered, and when she saw Banban's upturned lips, she realized what was going on. "You did this on purpose, Ji Chengyin. You really are incredibly audacious."
"They're all spoiled by the princess." Banban was innocent; she didn't react when Banban scolded her, only saying "How dare you!"
Yang Jiang's cheeks suddenly flushed red. "Shameless!" Who spoils you?!
She didn't even bother to peek anymore, and turned and left with her maid.
Banban stood with his hands on his hips, still claiming he wasn't sick.
The next moment, a forced, insincere voice rang out, "Miss Ji, what are you looking at?"
Banban stiffened and slowly turned her head. She saw Yingyue, who had been standing not far away, right in front of her, her pretty face filled with undisguised resentment.
"...Would the princess believe me if I said I just happened to be passing by?"
What do you think?
I never expected to be caught red-handed for peeping, and the culprit even got away. I should have known better than to let go of Cai and not bully Yang Jiang, otherwise there would be someone else to take the blame with me now.
I bowed respectfully to apologize, feeling extremely embarrassed and as if I were sitting on pins and needles.
Yingyue was mindful of the presence of outsiders and wouldn't punish Banban to save face, but she couldn't swallow her anger.
Banban raised her head and quickly glanced at the young man beside the princess. This was the first time she had seen Meng Tian.
Hmm, she wasn't as tall as her cousin, her skin was a little darker, a wheat color, her nose was high and straight, her eyebrows were thick and dark, and her pair of starry eyes were looking at her.
The two looked at each other, and he smiled in a friendly manner, his smile open and radiant.
Your teeth are so white.
It looks a bit silly.
"You are His Highness the Crown Prince's... uh, cousin." Meng Tian paused at the crucial point, scratched the back of his head, and changed his words.
"You are Meng Tian." Banban nodded.
"Does my name, young lady?" Meng Tian's eyes lit up, eager for her to tell him in detail.
Upon seeing this, Ying Yue's face darkened, and she immediately stepped between the two.
Meng Tian took a step to the side, quickly saying, "Princess, please forgive me," then turned to Banban with great interest, "Did His Highness the Crown Prince mention me? What did His Highness say about me?"
"My cousin said you are brave and can hit the target every time you ride a horse and shoot an arrow."
Meng Tian let out a loud, strange cry.
Startled by the shout, Banban and Yingyue suddenly stood together.
"The Crown Prince really values me! That's awesome!" Meng Tian's face was flushed with excitement as he raised his arm and pinched his muscles.
"..."
"..."
Banban turned to look at Yingyue: "?" Is this the person you like?
Ying Yue: "..." Strangely, she understood the unspoken meaning of this young lady Ji, "He is usually quite normal, you don't understand."
Meng Tian kept talking, muttering something about serving the Crown Prince, and walked on, leaving the two girls behind.
"What an amazing person," Banban murmured. "Next time you host a banquet and invite your cousin, you can also invite Meng Tian, who will definitely attend."
Ying Yue: "Brother Wang ignores me," she blurted out, then realized she and the other woman didn't get along. But it would be embarrassing to take it back now that she'd already said it. "Then you come here."
Banban blinked, then touched her lips with a finger. "Princess, are you going to make me do this for free?"
"?" Ying Yue looked the young woman up and down, then asked with difficulty, "What do you want?"
"The lessons assigned by the Grand Tutor..."
"I'll write it for you."
Banban held up one finger, "One month."
Ying Yue's face twitched twice, and she was about to retort without hesitation.
Banban immediately extended another finger, "Then—"
"Deal! One month it is!" Ying Yue interrupted, still a little scared that she might change her mind. "Starting tomorrow."
"I'm hosting a banquet next month, please remember to invite Brother Wang to attend."
"Okay." Banban chuckled and waved to her. "See you tomorrow, Your Highness."
Back at Taxue Pavilion, Ying Zheng was reclining on a small couch reading books. "Why are you back so late?"
He left later than she did, yet he returned before her.
Banban sidled up to him and told him everything that had happened that night. "Cousin, I'll invite you later, you have to come!"
"You used me as a raft, what did Ying Yue promise you?" Ying Zheng glanced at her lightly.
Banban stammered awkwardly, "It's nothing..." But when she met his gaze, she changed her words: "She helped me with my homework."
Ying Zheng suddenly moved closer to her, "You."
With many questions, she leaned back as he approached, her hands resting on the small couch behind her.
Ying Zheng aimlessly scanned her face. "The peaches on that plate were sliced, just like my cousin's heart. She's either teasing Yang Jiang or making fun of Ying Yue."
"ah?"
...What kind of teasing?
How she teased
Where did you flirt with me?
Her?
Teasing Yang Jiang
Completely confused, she admitted to teasing Ying Yue.
Ying Zheng smiled and gently touched her face, seemingly lost in thought, "What you gave me appeared to be a whole plate of hearts, but you secretly gave them a few pieces as well, didn't you?"
His smile didn't reach his eyes; his delicate eyelashes shimmered with a cool, autumnal light, a contradiction that made his exceptionally handsome face even more striking, captivating all who looked at him.
Banban blushed instantly, stammering and unsure of what to say. In fact, her brain had completely shut down, and she didn't understand what her cousin had said. Her head was buzzing, and all she could see was her cousin's face so close to hers.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Ying Zheng softened his voice, taking in her infatuation with a deliberately questioning gaze.
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