Chapter 38 Affection Between Men and Women (Part 2) "Let me massage it for you..."
Ying Zheng coughed lightly, signaling the little mouse behind him to be quieter. He knew she loved to gloat, and couldn't help but laugh.
He coughed, and she immediately shut her mouth.
A short while later, a hand reached out from under the throne and touched Ying Zheng's calf. He was slightly startled and quickly moved his wide sleeves to cover it, glancing back.
A pair of clear, beautiful round eyes held an infinite smile, and the owner of the eyes sat behind the throne with his knees drawn up, covering his mouth.
They'll only cause trouble.
But he couldn't get angry; instead, he almost laughed along with her.
Zhao You was pulled down from the main hall, and the civil and military officials of the court officially began their court discussion.
When Ying Zheng first ascended the throne, he was full of vigor and ambition, intending to carry on the great achievements of his predecessors in their struggle for supremacy.
Lü Buwei, however, suggested adding a new law to the Qin law concerning the Qin army's foreign wars, which would be considered a new policy.
Ying Zheng gestured slightly, indicating for him to speak, "Prime Minister, please speak freely."
Lü Buwei did not rise, remaining seated below King Zheng of Qin. “During the reign of King Zhaoxiang, Lord Wu’an, Bai Qi, led troops to attack Zhao. You are all familiar with this battle, the Battle of Changping, and the outcome is well-known. Lord Wu’an buried alive the surrendered Zhao soldiers, which inspired the morale of the Zhao army. They fought back desperately, from toddlers to the elderly, all joining the fight against Qin.”
"It was precisely because the fighting spirit of the Zhao people was aroused that the Qin army was unable to conquer the country for a long time. King Zhaoxiang spent countless efforts on the Zhao state, and our Qin army also suffered heavy casualties."
Ying Zheng raised his eyebrows. "Does the Chancellor perhaps believe that King Zhaoxiang's decision was wrong?"
Lü Buwei quickly replied, "I had no such intention."
"King Zhaoxiang ruthlessly crushed the morale of the six states, propelling our Great Qin to the forefront of powerful nations. His achievements will be remembered for generations."
"I believe that conquering cities and seizing territories is the primary objective of our Qin army, which is understandable. However, from the perspective of people's livelihood and submission, we must not launch large-scale beheadings against enemy states as we have in the past. This is not because of cruelty, but because it is not conducive to the submission of the people."
“Every commoner hopes to support a benevolent monarch. Only when the monarch is kind and compassionate towards the people will they willingly submit to our Great Qin.”
Ying Zheng remained silent.
Knowing that he had persuaded King Zheng of Qin, Lü Buwei breathed a sigh of relief. This made things easier. He exchanged a glance with the Queen Dowager Zhao and gestured with his chin to signal her to join in the persuasion.
Ji Changyue did not understand why her son had not agreed immediately when he was clearly interested. She covered her son's hand and nodded to the ministers, "The Prime Minister's words are reasonable. Let's do it this way. The new policy will be implemented immediately. Zheng'er will do as he is told."
Ying Zheng smiled and said, "My Prime Minister is wholeheartedly devoted to the country and its people. How could I not listen to him?"
When discussing other state affairs, Lü Buwei would symbolically ask King Zheng of Qin for his opinion.
This morning court session was so boring, no wonder my sister-in-law couldn't sit still.
After finally getting through the ordeal, she quickly stood up, rubbed her bottom, patted her back, and massaged her shoulders.
Ji Changyue said, "This is not allowed to happen again; it is improper."
"I understand," Banban muttered. "My aunt is tired, she should go back and rest."
Ji Changyue poked her head, shook her head reproachfully, and walked away.
Before leaving the main hall, she glanced back and happened to see Banban clinging delicately to Ying Zheng, saying that her legs were numb. Ying Zheng actually picked her up and placed her on the throne, massaged her calves, and spoke to her in a gentle voice.
She felt gratified that the couple had grown up in her presence, but a small sense of envy and jealousy also arose in her heart.
Has anyone ever protected her like this before?
In the past, she fled war and persecution with her son. Without a man to protect her, she suffered countless hardships. If she hadn't been unable to protect her son and hadn't been nearly humiliated several times, she wouldn't have returned to the Ji family in such a sorry state.
Thinking of this, she felt a great deal of hatred and resentment.
Back at Ganquan Palace, the summoned musicians were already kneeling below. One was carefully massaging Ji Changyue's calves, while the other was performing with all his might.
Ji Changyue glanced listlessly at the group of people, then suddenly felt utterly bored. "You may all leave. I'm tired."
The courtesan was slightly taken aback, puzzled. "Your Majesty, have I done something wrong?"
Ji Changyue was impatient. "Get out!" She kicked the man hard with her jade foot, knocking him to the ground.
The performer, trembling, hurriedly retreated and left.
The whole country celebrates Ying Zheng's birthday, but the tradition of singing and dancing for him every night remains unchanged. When he is in a good mood, he will also play the Qixuanqin. He also loves to appreciate vocal music and can sing a few lines along.
The interplay of yin and yang creates a harmonious melody, forming a beautiful musical movement.
After dancing until she was exhausted, Banban knelt down beside the seven-stringed zither and asked, "What tune is this?"
"I played it casually." It had no name whatsoever.
"Then play it again, I want to write it down."
"good."
As a result, it took Banban five or six tries to record the complete score.
She squeezed her cousin's fingertips, "Thank you for your hard work, cousin."
The two nestled together, and she, recalling the banquet that evening, asked him, "Are you happy on your birthday this year?"
Ying Zheng pondered for a moment and said it was acceptable.
Banban could tell he wasn't really happy, so she pinched his cheek and said, "Tell me!"
Ying Zheng sighed deeply, "Do you know Biao Gong?"
Banban nodded. "Biao Gong is a great general who shares the tiger tally with General Meng Ao. I heard from my cousin that he has made great military achievements and is a rare military talent who has served four Kings of Qin in a row."
“He is dead,” Ying Zheng added, “the news reached Xianyang this morning.”
Banban was shocked and immediately sat up. "Who...who killed him?"
Ying Zheng lay back on the smooth floor with his arm as a pillow, and with his eyes closed, he recounted the whole story: "Last year, Lü Buwei implemented new policies in court, ordering the Qin army not to carry out large-scale beheadings against enemy states, and asking me to have a compassionate heart and show mercy to the people."
"Not long after, Biao Gong led his troops to attack the State of Wei. After entering Juanyi, he went berserk and killed 30,000 enemy heads. If his attendants had not advised him that it would have affected Lü Buwei's new policies, he would have continued."
“During the court meeting last month, Lü Buwei publicly challenged him, demoting him to a commoner according to the new policies and forcing him to hand over the tiger tally.”
Biao Gong knelt in the main hall, pleading his case with grievance, "I have fought for the Qin Dynasty for many years, achieving great feats and killing countless enemies. I never knew that killing was a crime! This is unheard of, a truly eye-opening experience!"
Lü Buwei was furious and shouted at him, "Stop making excuses! Hand over the tiger tally and I'll spare your life!"
Not a single civil or military official spoke up for Biao Gong, since even King Zheng of Qin had to support Lü Buwei's new policies.
The new policy had just been introduced when Biao Gong violated it. How could Ying Zheng save him?
Ying Zheng was filled with immense sorrow. "Biao Gong removed the tiger tally and said, 'Although he can no longer serve me from now on, he will still look forward to the Qin Dynasty's early eastward expansion and unification of the six states after returning to his hometown.'" After saying this, he took out the half of the tiger tally from his bosom and held it up to look at it.
"Now that he no longer has the Tiger Tally, the Ying faction is not worried that he will rebel, so who would not let him go? He died on his way back home a few days later."
Upon hearing this news, Ying Zheng was so enraged that he swept everything off the table and drew his Qin sword, intending to kill someone.
"Yes, Lü Buwei has done a great thing for Qin, but I really can't be happy." He only regretted that he could not rule in his own right and was at Lü Buwei's mercy.
Banban couldn't figure out how her cousin could save Biao Gong either. "Once the king's order is issued, how can it be changed overnight? This is not your cousin's fault. If a subject wants to offer his loyalty, he must first protect himself. How can he be loyal if he dies? He only wants to make the king grieve."
It's hard to say that his arrogance and disregard for Lü Buwei played a part in this, which led Lü Buwei to use him as an example, essentially letting him get himself into trouble.
Banban understood that his cousin's resentment was not because he resented the death of Biao Gong, but because he himself was powerless to protect his subjects.
She held her cousin in her arms, gently stroked his hair, and comforted him, "Cousin, one day you will be able to take charge of the government. A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan. I will always be with you."
This is a very reassuring posture, just like holding a baby.
The two hugged for a long time.
Ying Zheng could smell the subtle fragrance on his cousin's body, probably from the palace servants scenting her clothes. He then lay down on her lap and casually placed the tiger tally next to the Seven-Stringed Zither.
Banban took a look and said, "A small tiger tally can mobilize tens of thousands of troops. I thought that after confiscating Biao Gong's tiger tally, Lü Buwei would keep it for himself."
"He doesn't dare yet." Ying Zheng shook his head. Lü Buwei wanted to do practical things for the Qin state. In fact, his idea was the same as Ying Zheng's: to become the hegemon and unify the six states. At least before this grand goal was achieved, the two could coexist peacefully.
But superficial peace inevitably requires someone to make concessions, because there are no two people in this world whose thoughts are completely in sync.
The two disagreed on political views.
Banban put the tiger tally into his purse. "I heard that Lü Buwei has been writing a book recently and has been recruiting retainers."
Ying Zheng was too lazy to offer an opinion.
Banban was also thinking to herself, no wonder successful people like to write books. It seems that Lü Buwei was one of them. She still remembered the name of this book, after all, it was quite famous.
It is called "Lüshi Chunqiu".
As the two were talking, Banban began to feel uncomfortable, perhaps because of her cousin's weight. He was tall and heavy. She pushed his head away, but the feeling was worse than mild.
Ying Zheng was discussing Lü Buwei's recruitment of retainers when he noticed his cousin hadn't responded. Turning his head, he saw her clutching her stomach, her face pale. He immediately sat up and asked, "What's wrong?"
“I…” she couldn’t say.
Ying Zheng hurriedly approached and touched his forehead. It wasn't hot. "Stomach ache? Did you eat something bad?" He immediately ordered someone to summon a physician.
Banban subconsciously shifted her body, leaving a small red stain on the wooden floor, and her dress was also stained with blood. "Ah!"
The moment she saw the blood, she understood what was happening in a flash. "No, no more doctors!"
Ying Zheng also saw the bloodstains, and his expression suddenly froze.
Princess Chaoyang's first menstruation was a significant event.
The staff at the restaurant prepared a nourishing soup for her, which made everyone at Taxuexuan very happy. Banban was extremely embarrassed, as she was already uncomfortable because her cousin had seen her bleeding.
He had just carried her back to the inner room, and his sleeves were still stained with her blood.
He changed his clothes and sat on the edge of the bed, asking her if it hurt.
"As for whether it hurts or not... I can't say for sure." Banban covered the lower half of her face, only showing him her eyes. "It feels stuffy, and I feel uncomfortable in waves."
Upon hearing this, Qian Yin comforted her, "Princess, don't be nervous, relax. It's quite a strange thing, it's intricately connected to people's emotions."
"Judging from what you've said, Your Highness shouldn't be in pain. You're probably just too nervous. I'll rub it for you and you'll feel better."
Ying Zheng asked, "How should I massage it? My stomach?"
Qian Yin was slightly stunned, and for a moment she was at a loss. Was the king going to come in person?
“It’s…a woman’s abdomen, that’s where children are conceived.” She instinctively stopped him, “Or is it this servant—”
"No need, you can leave." Ying Zheng waved his hand, signaling them to leave.
Suddenly, only the two of them were left in the room.
Ying Zheng meant that he wanted to rub her head himself, but Banban was shy and covered herself with the blanket, refusing to let him rub her head.
"Doesn't it hurt?"
"I...I don't feel pain anymore!"
"fraud."
"..."
"Look, there are no outsiders left." Ying Zheng advised her to relax, lifting a corner of the blanket and precisely touching her waist and abdomen with his palm.
She flinched in surprise, afraid he might be groping her, and took his hand and placed it on her lower abdomen, whispering, "It hurts here."
He finally knew the place. "Okay."
Through a thin inner garment, his palm touched her skin, and there was a faint coolness, which was probably why she felt pain.
Ying Zheng frowned and pondered carefully, gently massaging his wrist without haste. "Is this any better?"
Banban, having shed her earlier tension, gradually found her rhythm. She turned to the side, arched her back, and hugged the back of his hand. "A little bit, cousin, your hand is so hot."
"Isn't it better to be a little hotter?"
Okay~
Of course, that would be great.
As she massaged him, she truly relaxed, and drowsiness overcame her. "Cousin, could you stay and keep me company tonight?"
"Alright." Ying Zheng naturally wouldn't object. Now that he was the King of Qin, no one would stop him from doing whatever he wanted, and no one would dare to say anything.
It would be best to have Qin Ju take the empty royal carriage back to Zhaoxin Palace.
For three consecutive days, Ying Zheng rested in Taxue Pavilion. When Empress Dowager Ji Changyue learned that Banban had started her period, she did not say anything, but instead rewarded her with many clothes and accessories.
My first period of Gui water passed peacefully like this.
The following month, the weather became hot, and this time Gui Shui Ban Ban felt even worse than before. Ying Zheng asked her, but she refused to say anything and just kept wiping away her tears.
He summoned the physician, and Banban sent his cousin out to see the patient by himself.
The conclusion was that everything was normal, and she immediately felt listless.
After dinner, they had to part ways, and he pressed her to tell him exactly what was wrong with her.
"I went to ask the physician."
"I'm embarrassed to say, but you insisted on asking." Banban said with a hint of resentment, "My chest hurts, it's sore and painful."
"Chest?" Ying Zheng asked, puzzled.
His gaze fell upon his cousin's heaving chest, and his thoughts were momentarily interrupted.
He did not ask any more questions, and the two of them felt quite awkward when they parted.
Banban, with her sharp eyes, noticed her cousin's slightly reddened ears as he left, but his expression remained calm, showing no change in demeanor. She cursed him inwardly for putting on such a serious act.
The ears betrayed them!
To everyone's surprise, the next day he came over, dismissed the palace servants, and said directly, "I'll help you."
Banban: "?"
How can I help?
Does it hurt her?
"I read a medical book last night and learned that pain is a normal phenomenon. Applying a hot compress can relieve it, and massage can help."
Banban stammered, "You...you learned it? Where did you learn it? Did you give massages to other people?" At first she stammered, but halfway through her sentence, she seemed to have imagined something, and suddenly a fire ignited in her head. When she finished speaking, her eyes were already wide open.
Ying Zheng explained: "...No, I only looked at how to massage, but I haven't tried it yet."
The flames went out.
The inner room fell silent.
A quarter of an hour later, the inner room was lit up, and two figures could be vaguely seen from behind the screen. The taller one sat on the side of the bed, while the shorter one seemed to be sitting in his lap, leaning on his shoulder, looking listless with a slight frown.
"Cousin, your hands are so hot." Banban said what she had said last month, but this time, her voice was almost inaudible. If Ying Zheng hadn't been so close to her, he probably wouldn't have heard her either.
“I deliberately soaked it in hot water for a while,” he replied.
He systematically controlled the pressure of his palms and fingertips according to the medical descriptions.
With each gentle kneading, he could feel the person in his arms flinch slightly, whether from pain or relief, he couldn't tell. She clutched his shirt and occasionally let out a soft sob.
He felt a pang of heartache and gently comforted her, patting her back softly.
After a while, you could see her bare toes slightly relax, dangling beside his legs, and slowly, perhaps feeling comfortable, they began to wiggle. "Feeling better?"
Banban kept her head down and hummed softly, "I'm saying, you're not as comfortable as Qianyin rubbing."
Ying Zheng patted the back of her neck, not angry at all, and chuckled, saying in a good-natured tone, "Then I'll learn some more."
"She is not allowed to help you in the future."
"Um?"
He didn't say anything.
Banban slowly came to her senses, peeked out from his embrace, and whispered in his ear, "Cousin, my aunt said the pain and soreness are because it's growing, and that men all like big ones, preferably too big to hold in one hand. Do you like that too?"
Ying Zheng couldn't understand how his cousin, who had been shy and dared not look up just moments before, could speak so bluntly in such a short time.
He was speechless for a moment, and even took it seriously.
"You still want it, you still want it!" Banban started making a fuss, pinching his face hard. "Don't think about it, don't think about it!"
"Didn't you bring it up first? Why are you crying?" He hugged her and comforted her gently.
"I was just testing you!!" Tears rolled down her cheeks, she felt utterly wronged, "My cousin can only like me."
“I do only love you,” Ying Zheng paused deliberately, “I love someone I can hold in one hand.”
"...You're so annoying!!" Banban was so embarrassed and angry that if she hadn't been doing her usual nail care, she would have left a red mark on Ying Zheng's face.
They bickered for a few moments, and then she wanted to kiss him again.
He kissed her tenderly, then gently held her in his arms. "All my fantasies about women are about my cousin. Don't be jealous. There's no one else here, and there won't be anyone else."
However, he didn't really pay much attention to these things. From childhood to adulthood, his mind was full of how to enrich himself, how to return to Qin, how to become the crown prince, and how to become the King of Qin. Occasionally, when he saw his cousin growing taller, he would sigh to himself, "My cousin has grown taller again."
He dreamed about his cousin last night.
After waking up and calculating the days, they realized that they were almost at the age where they could get married.
Time flies! In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed since I started dating my cousin.
Looking back, it seems that my cousin is still the same innocent child who used to protect him in Handan and scold Prince Dan, "So it was you who bullied my cousin?"
But upon closer inspection, she had indeed undergone a dramatic transformation. Even though he didn't care much about people's appearances, he had to admit that his cousin possessed a beauty that could topple kingdoms, making it impossible to look away.
"I'm also unfamiliar with the ways of men and women getting along. If you feel uncomfortable in any way, please let me know," he said, pinching his cousin's earlobe.
"Okay." Banban looked pitiful. "Then aren't we cousins anymore?"
"Why worry about that?" he said. "You can call me whatever you want, it doesn't matter."
"Then I should call my cousin 'King'."
Why?
"Because the king is very powerful, and I will be the king's wife in the future, then I will be very powerful too." Banban covered her mouth and chuckled, beaming with joy.
Ying Zheng couldn't help but chuckle at his cousin's smugness, "Even without these outward identities, you're still very capable."
"What's so great about me?" Banban suddenly remembered something. "Oh right, when I first returned to Qin, my cousin said I had many endearing qualities. I asked you about them, and you said you'd tell me on my birthday. It's been so many years now, and I forgot to ask you. You still haven't told me!"
"I forgot too."
"I don't believe you." Banban grabbed his wrist. "You're just teasing me. Tell me now."
"I really forgot."
"So now, do you think, aren't they lovable?"
Ying Zheng pretended to be thinking and pondered seriously for a long time. Just as his cousin was about to explode, he finally spoke, "Cousin is enthusiastic, intelligent, good at observing people's emotions, likes to praise others, and gives them the confidence to strive forward."
Doesn't that mean she's good at providing emotional value?
However, this is a modern term, so it's normal that my cousin doesn't understand it.
These are good words.
Banban was also very happy to hear that, "That's because I care about my cousin!"
"I wouldn't be that nice to everyone else."
“I know.” Ying Zheng nodded with a smile, and said, “My cousin is also very accomplished in imaginative thinking. Wasn’t papermaking her the one she came up with? And there are also stirrups, butter mountains, and all sorts of other things.”
Banban was immediately deflated upon hearing this, and hesitated for a long time before saying, "Cousin, none of this was my idea."
"Whose idea was that? Whose friends do you have?" Ying Zheng asked.
Banban had no idea what to say, or if she would be considered a strange person if she did. But she felt guilty and ashamed to take credit for these achievements, feeling that she wasn't actually that great.
She stammered for a while before changing her story to one that suited her better: "I... I sometimes dream about things from my past life when I was little. Those are things from my past life."
For example, she did say when she was a child that she dreamed about paper, but unfortunately neither Ji Xiu nor Zhu Shi took it seriously.
Looking at the panic on his cousin's face, Ying Zheng said, "Actually, when you were very young, I heard my aunt and uncle say that you were precocious. There's probably some truth to that. They were afraid it would harm you, so they taught you to speak less from a young age."
Banban looked surprised; he was telling the truth.
"The secret you're unwilling to tell me, is this it?" Ying Zheng's mind raced. "You knew me in your past life too?"
How did he deduce that? How did he know she had a secret she wasn't telling?
Banban was startled. Her pupils contracted, and she instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but Ying Zheng grabbed it and wouldn't let her leave.
"No, no." Ying Zheng suddenly stroked her cheek. "Don't be afraid of me."
She slowly came to her senses, bit her lip, and said, "I really know you."
"Did I hurt you? Or were we simply not meant to be?"
...It's more than just a lack of fate, cousin!
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