Chapter 29 Banban is granted the title of Princess "When Lady Ji comes of age, she will be with the Empress Dowager..."
Banban suddenly realized, "So my cousin can be two-faced too."
Faced with his cousin's gloating smile, Ying Zheng was unusually silent, and then roughly ruffled her hair.
She was impatient with him for disturbing her, saying that with him around, Madam Lu couldn't teach properly. She forced him to go back to his room and told him to rest for a while. She grumbled, "Cousin, you never rest properly. It's affecting your health and lifespan!"
Who would dare speak to a crown prince like that? Isn't that a curse?
Upon hearing this, everyone present was so frightened that they almost knelt down.
Ying Zheng disagreed and readily agreed. His cousin gave him her small couch, and Cong Yun gently fanned him from the side, as if time had turned back to their days in Handan.
The years pass peacefully, a gentle summer breeze blows, the bamboo grove rustles, and the tender grass, distilled by the scorching sun, releases a misty vapor that transforms into paint that flows freely through the soil.
Ying Zheng opened his eyes. He was surrounded by the grand hall of the Xianyang Palace, a magnificent and imposing black and red-toned building, but it was empty.
His field of vision was pulled extremely low—no, not that his field of vision was pulled low, but rather that he reverted to the appearance of a four- or five-year-old.
On the throne in the main hall, an elderly man with gray hair rested with his head propped up by one hand and his eyes closed.
When he saw him come, he opened his eyes.
His sharp, eagle-like eyes shot out.
A sense of awe and fear welled up within him, and he raised his head high, trying to see the person on the platform.
"Who are you?" he heard himself ask.
No, he knows who he is!
The old man asked, "And who are you?"
"I am Zheng'er."
He strode towards the old man and, under his watchful gaze, ascended the platform step by step.
The old man watched him approach with cold eyes, neither stopping him nor even tacitly approving.
Ying Zheng stopped and said in a deep voice, "I am here to replace you!"
The old man was taken aback for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter.
"What a fine man to replace me." He stopped laughing, his gaze piercing through the man's flesh like a sharp blade. "Zheng'er, do you know that our Great Qin has never had a tyrant in its history? Why have we been unable to achieve unification for so long?"
Ying Zheng pondered for a moment, "Maternal relatives are the king's maternal relatives and the king's wife's relatives."
"Intermarriage between the vassal states was constant. If we wanted to completely destroy the six states, we would have to withstand the backlash from both domestic and foreign relatives of the vassal states, and be attacked from both sides."
"Perhaps our ancestors dreamed of becoming hegemons, but never of unifying the six kingdoms."
“A good perspective, but too limited.” The old man stood up and slowly paced on the high platform. “The maternal relatives are indeed a natural paradox of unification. Many Qin kings relied on the support of their maternal relatives to ascend the throne. The empress dowager held power, the queen shared power, and only by obtaining the support of the vassal states where the maternal relatives were located could they secure their throne.”
"How could one kill one's wife's maternal family? How could one kill one's mother's maternal family? If we don't consider it from a moral perspective, there is indeed a risk of jeopardizing the throne."
“However,” he suddenly turned around, looking down at the young future King of Qin, “the feudal lords have been divided for many years, and the other six states are not cowards or incompetent fools. Don’t underestimate any of them!”
“The world is full of talented people, who create a multitude of variables. Opportunities for unification are fleeting and hard to come by.”
"The second most important and crucial reason is the excessive division between the countries."
The old man waved his wide sleeves and gazed into the distance beyond the palace. “Race, ethnicity, culture, from the written language to the measurement of land, every country is different from every other country.”
He lowered his head and looked at Ying Zheng, "If you want to crush these different stones and level them again, it cannot be done overnight. It is a long and difficult task. During the process of leveling the broken stones, there will be stones that are unwilling to be crushed and will try to gather again. If you are not careful, destruction will await you."
"You can't just focus on the present; you must also ensure that your offspring inherit your throne, along with your ambitions and your policies!"
"Otherwise, even if you manage to achieve unification by chance, the stones you laid with your own hands will crumble again!"
Ying Zheng's pupils trembled as he raised his head to look up at the old man.
"Zheng'er, I know you." The old man's previous coldness and murderous intent vanished, replaced by a faint smile. "You must have been suffering after the Battle of Changping."
Ying Zheng suddenly stopped breathing, his mind going completely blank.
He didn't know what he had asked, but he noticed the old man's eyes turned strange.
"Bai Qi, huh?"
"I haven't heard anyone mention Bai Qi in a long time." He stood with his hands behind his back, his hair clearly gray, but his back was still straight, without the slightest hunchback. "A minister who is loyal to the Great Qin will be loved by all the people, but a minister who is only loyal to the Great Qin will not be what a king wants."
"You must be wary of such a minister," the old man said calmly, "He might betray you."
“What separates me from Bai Qi is our mutual resentment. He resents me for making him bear a bad reputation and for putting him in a position of disloyalty and injustice. I hate that he is disloyal to me and cares more about loyalty than to me. We can no longer be a normal ruler and subject.”
“If someone cannot be of use to me, then they must be killed. I cannot and will not leave behind any potential threat to the king’s rule.”
"You need some ministers who are completely loyal to Ying Zheng, not just to the Qin Dynasty. Do you understand?"
Ying Zheng took a deep breath, stepped back half a step, and bowed respectfully.
He only said one sentence:
"May the King live ten thousand years! May the Great Qin Dynasty live ten thousand years!"
The man at the head of the table smiled slowly. After a long while, he took off the crown from his own head and gently placed it on Ying Zheng's head.
This is something that only the king can wear, symbolizing royal power.
Ying Zheng was slightly surprised and raised his head to support the crown.
"Go." He waved his hand, and the surroundings gradually faded and blurred, and the face of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, Ying Ji, also gradually became indistinct.
"Back then, was it you who instructed my grandfather to bring me back to Qin?" Ying Zheng asked hurriedly.
Ying Ji did not answer; he woke up from his dream.
Ying Zheng sat up, his forehead covered in a fine layer of sweat. He subconsciously touched his crown, but there was no Qin King's tassel.
"Your Highness?" Cong Yun asked in a low, worried voice, "Did you have a nightmare?"
Ying Zheng asked, "Am I talking in my sleep?"
"No." Cong Yun shook her head. "Would you like me to fetch some water for you to wash and groom yourself?"
He nodded absentmindedly, "Okay."
This was by no means a single conversation. Ying Zheng knew some dream interpretation techniques and knew that people could not dream of things beyond their own comprehension.
So what was the purpose of this mysterious dialogue? Do miracles truly exist in the world?
He recalled that he had dreamt of this old man when he was in Handan. Back then, he didn't know who the old man was, only that he was some kind of ancestor. After waking up, he had completely forgotten the content of the dream.
Later, he jokingly told his cousin about it, and she innocently asked him what his grandfather looked like.
So, this is actually a replay of that dream from back then?
Otherwise, how can we explain that he appeared to be four or five years old in the dream?
Looking around, Ying Zheng noticed a common thread in both dreams: he was with his cousin.
His cousin was truly a gift from heaven!
Banban was exhausted after class, and as she walked out of the study, she bumped into her cousin, who was dressed neatly. She wondered if he had taken a nap or not.
In front of everyone, he suddenly cupped her face and kissed her hard on the head, then left in a hurry, saying he had important business to attend to and wouldn't be coming over for dinner.
Banban blushed at his abrupt action, covering her head and looking left and right at the maid and Madam Lu.
They covered their mouths to stifle their laughter.
"No, if you're not coming, then you're not coming. I'll go find my aunt." Banban muttered, her cheeks warm.
Time passed by as she attended her daily classes, played with her aunts, and ate meals. The princesses in the palace hadn't been interacting much lately.
After the height of summer, Yang Man officially got married.
To show that he attached great importance to the matter, Chancellor Lü Buwei and General Meng Ao would personally escort Yang Man to Qi.
Yang Man left almost all her belongings from Qin to Banban, and cried uncontrollably. Banban wiped away her tears, saying, "Your makeup is ruined, you can't cry anymore."
"We may never see each other again." In the past two years, she had come to regard Banban as a close friend. Although she initially befriended her with the intention of pleasing the Crown Prince, how could she not truly give her heart over time?
"Perhaps we'll meet again." Banban was momentarily at a loss, then became serious, "As long as you still want to come back."
Yang Man hesitated as she wiped away her tears. "Really?" She wasn't stupid. She could tell from Ji Xiaoniang's tone that there was still room for negotiation. Who else could make her say that with such certainty?
Thinking this, a surge of joy welled up inside her, "Of course I want to come back!"
Yangman's fief is Yangman County. In the future, there may be hope that Yangman will become his fief, allowing him to have a place to be self-sufficient and live a prosperous life. Who would want to leave their homeland to become a crown princess in Qi? Even if they could successfully become queen, what good would that be?
She had no ambition, neither for power nor for love.
Yang Man got married just like that.
As summer passed and early winter arrived, the King of Qin fell seriously ill and spent more than half a month in bed taking medicine before recovering. Through Ji Changyue, Banban learned that the King of Qin was physically weak, but he appeared to be normal.
This confirms why no one in the harem had conceived for so long; it really was the King of Qin's fault.
However, it seems that neither the previous King of Qin nor this one is in good health.
Banban knew in her heart that this was a good thing, that her cousin could succeed to the throne sooner, but she couldn't say it out loud, well, that would be a bit unethical.
However, after the King of Qin fell ill, the atmosphere in the Qin palace became strange and quite tense.
Ying Zheng repeatedly instructed her to observe and listen more while traveling, and not to talk too much. Even the usually carefree and arrogant Ji Changyue changed her ways and became more cautious.
Banban was terrified. She really thought that being a hostage meant suffering too much and would harm her health. These past few days, she's been anxiously asking the kitchen to prepare all sorts of medicinal dishes, which she personally brought to her cousin to drink, and she personally watched him drink them.
"My body is fine." Ying Zheng said helplessly. He had been drinking so much these past few days that he felt like vomiting, and he wasn't joking at all. "My father was a hostage for many years, but I only suffered for two or three years. I lived very well in the Ji family."
"I don't care," Banban pouted.
She insisted that he drink it, and Qin Ju laughed from the side, "This is all out of my love and care, Your Highness, please give in."
I do know which side you're on.
Ying Zheng gave him a disapproving look.
Qin Ju knew that the Crown Prince was not really angry, but he did his job of saving face and quickly pretended to kneel down to beg for forgiveness.
"Why are you yelling at Qin Ju? Qin Ju, get up now."
Qin Ju knew that his lackey was overjoyed, glancing at the Crown Prince with only one expression on his face: Look, look, how much my mother dotes on me.
Ying Zheng laughed this time, but it was a sinister laugh.
Qin Ju immediately composed himself; any more smugness and he'd be in for a world of hurt.
Left with no other choice, Ying Zheng drank the medicinal food. After finishing, he took Banban and left the East Palace, saying he wanted to take her somewhere.
He wouldn't tell me where he was when Banban pressed him for details.
You'll know when you get there.
Banban: "So mysterious."
After arriving at their destination in a sedan chair, Banban was slightly taken aback. "Isn't this Shangqiu Villa?"
Last winter, she and the princesses enjoyed plum blossoms and wine here.
Ying Zheng smiled but said nothing, and took her hand. "If you walk further out from Shangqiu Villa, there is another place called Tan Palace. This is the site of the wood workshop. When you were researching Sushan, the kitchen staff borrowed the shaved ice equipment from here."
After a moment of stunned silence, a thought flashed through her mind, and she suddenly grabbed her cousin's sleeve, "The paper has been made, hasn't it?"
Ying Zheng was half disappointed and half impressed, "My cousin has become clever."
She was furious and punched him.
Upon arriving at the Tan Palace, Banban disembarked even faster than Ying Zheng, jumping down and rushing inside.
As soon as she arrived outside the palace gate, she heard the slow, rhythmic thuds of stones being smashed at midday. The air was humid and thick with mist, and countless shirtless, muscular workers were endlessly pounding the slurry-like substance in stone tools.
This item has a dark, somber tone; it is a mottled brown.
Looking at others, some were cutting tree bark, plant roots, fishing nets, and other items into small pieces, grinding them, and then adding water to pound them into a paste.
In the outermost, sun-exposed area, a paste-like substance was spread out on a bamboo mesh for processing.
After a series of miraculous steps, the paper that Banban needed appeared in the Qin state.
Ying Zheng took a few completed sheets and handed them to her, saying, "Take a look."
Banban hurriedly caught it, gently stroking it with his fingertips. The surface was smooth, not as soft and flimsy as he had imagined, nor as likely to crack with the slightest tear.
However, the color is not entirely satisfactory; it is not pure white but rather yellowish-brown.
"How did you do that?" Banban asked hesitantly. "Didn't my cousin seem indifferent to the paper I mentioned before?"
"When have I ever not cared about what you're saying?" Knowing he was in the wrong, Ying Zheng wouldn't admit it. He brushed it off and explained about the paper, "The surface of this paper is coated with glue, and glue was also added when it was made into a pulp."
"Glue?" Banban was confused. There was glue at this time?
"You don't know what this is." Ying Zheng waved his hand and ordered someone to hand it over.
The porcelain bowl contained a semi-yellow, milky-white, transparent, hard lump. "This thing melts when heated," he explained. "This is exactly what I discovered by chance. You love peaches. Once, I saw the palace maids planting peach trees. During transportation, the trunk of the peach tree was scratched and chipped, and this thing actually emerged from inside the bark. It's slightly soft to the touch, but quite resilient."
"I pondered for a moment. Since the first draft paper was soft and lacked any resilience, making it impossible to write on, why not add some of this stuff and give it a try? Besides, most of the other raw materials for paper come from plants and wood."
"It actually worked."
After Ying Zheng finished speaking, Banban looked on with admiration, "Cousin, you're amazing!"
Ying Zheng smiled broadly, clearly pleased. "The surface is also coated with this substance. I can't achieve the dyeing you mentioned. This substance is slightly whiter, so I can only try my best to make the paper a little whiter." But it was only a little bit; the paper was still yellowish and brownish. "To my surprise, I discovered that the paper coated with this substance is slightly waterproof and can float on the water, which perfectly makes up for its shortcomings."
However, although the paper will not be soaked with ink when it is written on, the ink will evaporate.
However, its ease of preservation was already a lucky accident; we can't ask for more.
Banban was overjoyed and clapped his hands in delight, "From now on, the palace servants won't have to push a whole cart of scrolls back and forth anymore. The ministers' memorials will be lighter, making it easier for Your Majesty to handle them!"
"Moreover, paper is extremely cheap to produce, so everyone can afford it! And everyone can afford to go to school!"
Ying Zheng smiled and said that knowledge is precious and cannot be easily obtained by common people. This is not a matter that can be solved simply by whether or not there is paper.
But my cousin's intentions are quite touching.
The Crown Prince presented the papermaking technique, revealing that it was Ji Xiaoniang who had first proposed it. Prince Qin was overjoyed and rewarded her with ten thousand gold pieces, countless precious artifacts and jade, and directly arranged her marriage to the Crown Prince.
The wedding date was set for when Banban turned fifteen, the age of coming of age.
Banban's eleventh birthday is in the following month, which means that in four years she will be able to marry her cousin as she wishes.
Perhaps because of her papermaking skills, the King of Qin personally attended her eleventh birthday celebration, giving the Ji family great respect.
Prince Zichu of Qin, in a moment of revelry from drinking, was about to bestow concubines upon Ji Xiu. Zhu Shi's expression immediately changed, and Ji Xiu, trembling, knelt down to express his gratitude, saying, "Your Majesty, my wife and I are deeply in love and swear to be one for life. I will never take another woman."
The King of Qin's smile faded, and he frowned slightly as he looked at Ji Xiu.
After a long pause, he relented, "Fine, since that's how it is, I won't let you two become estranged." Clearly, he didn't quite understand how a man could truly not take two women. After thinking it over, considering that the Ji family was the Queen Mother's family, he simply said, "I will bestow upon you the title of Marquis."
This is an enormous reward, but considering that the papermaking technique originated from the Ji family, it is not unreasonable to give it to Ji Xiu.
Unexpectedly, Ji Xiu refused again! This time, Pang Shi's expression turned sour, and she almost wanted to hit him with her cane.
His head was pressed tightly against the ground. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. This merit was conceived by my beloved daughter. You should reward her, not me. My merit is that she gave birth to Banban, which is truly a blessing for the Ji family."
"I have already bestowed a marriage upon her and the Crown Prince; how can this not be a reward?" The King of Qin was beginning to grow impatient.
In such a grand occasion, Banban couldn't get a word in edgewise. Fearing that her father would anger the King of Qin, she tried several times to tear at her father's clothes.
Ying Zheng remained silent for a moment, then suddenly stepped forward and said, "Father, please allow me to report."
The King of Qin had a lot of patience with his only two sons, and moreover, he felt guilty towards Ying Zheng and was willing to listen to him. "If the Crown Prince has anything to say, please speak."
“My cousin and I have grown up together since childhood and have long been in love. Even if Father does not grant us marriage, I will marry her in the future. Therefore, this is really not a reward.”
The King of Qin's face was somewhat unpleasant. He wanted to get angry, but staring at the Crown Prince's outspoken face, he couldn't bring himself to do it. How could he not see that the Crown Prince was asking for a title for Consort Ji?
An unbearable silence can kill even with a single drop of water.
The King of Qin sighed and let the eunuch help him to his feet. "Since it is the Crown Prince's wish, how could I refuse?"
"Guards, issue an imperial edict."
"Zhao Ji has made a contribution to papermaking, so she is hereby granted the title of Princess Chaoyang, with a fief of 100,000 households in Chaoyang County." He said calmly, then waved his hand to signal the royal decree to be passed down. "I am not trying to take your daughter away from you. This title is an honor bestowed upon you for your merits. Apart from this princess's appearance, you are still one family."
However, the title of princess cannot be inherited, but that of a lord can. In the eyes of the King of Qin, Ji Xiu was at a great disadvantage, so he was somewhat displeased.
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