Chapter 50 Teasing (Part 2) "The earliest domineering CEO Ying."...
People who like to ask questions often do so knowingly, finding it amusing to see others embarrassed. Isn't that just flirting?
Banban refused to back down, raising her hand to touch his thigh, "Because it's hot."
Teasing is easy, she can do it too.
Ying Zheng's face stiffened slightly, and he grasped her hand, intending to push her away.
She immediately dodged away, her voice filled with displeasure, "Don't touch me." She drew out the last syllable, her voice sticky and cloying, creating a unique and alluring effect.
"???" He immediately covered her mouth, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
This statement is extremely misleading. If word got out that the current emperor and queen were doing this or that in a carriage, how embarrassing would that be?
"I'm not lying." Her mouth was covered, and her outstretched forearm tightened around him. She nestled against him, her fingers teasing and kneading him, innocently and adorably admiring his fascinating expression. "Oh dear, cousin, are you hot too?"
Ying Zheng: "..."
My wife is no longer as easy to tease as she was when she was a child. If I tease her even slightly, she will be just like a two-legged gold-devouring beast that gets all pricked up.
In his entire life, he only ever admitted defeat to her.
Two years ago, he asked her why she was blushing.
She used to be flustered and soft-spoken, but now she'll ask you why you're blushing.
Ultimately, the important matter was paramount. Upon arriving at the Meng residence, the two tidied themselves up and disembarked.
Meng Tian and his younger brother Meng Yi came out to greet him. When he saw the King of Qin, he whispered something to him and raised his palm to show the King of Qin. The King of Qin took his palm and gently rubbed it.
Meng Tian's face still held a trace of sorrow as he respectfully knelt down with his hands clasped. "I was unaware of Your Majesty's arrival. I have failed to greet you properly. My father is at my grandfather's bedside and was unable to come to welcome Your Majesty."
Although Meng Yi was a few years younger than him, he was already very composed and knelt down to pay his respects.
Banban helped Meng Yi up, gesturing for him not to be so polite, "Good boy, quickly take us inside to have a look."
Ying Zheng and Meng Tian were about the same age and had played together since they were young, so they were quite close. Ying Zheng called Meng Tian to come inside with him and kept asking about Meng Ao's condition.
Hearing the King of Qin's intimate and concerned tone, Meng Tian was overcome with grief. "Your Majesty, my father is unwell. He injured his liver and lungs when he returned from Wei last time. Now, in this sweltering heat, he can't get up from his bed. Whenever he gets up, he has difficulty breathing, feels chest tightness and shortness of breath, and his appearance is becoming more and more haggard every day."
Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng's heart sank. "What did the imperial physicians say? Even ordering all the imperial physicians in the palace to leave and treat him was to no avail?"
Meng Tian's voice trembled with tears as he shook his head vigorously, his wide sleeves soaked with countless tears. "The physician said that my grandfather's life is nearing its end; he has reached the age of nearing his death."
Banban listened from the side, gently stroking Meng Yi's head, her heart filled with worry, "When I returned to Qin to report on my duties last year, General Meng Ao was perfectly fine, and he looked very energetic."
For a moment, everyone fell silent.
Upon entering the room, a strong smell of medicine hit you, making it hard to breathe.
Meng Wu knelt before the bed and personally fed Meng Ao the medicine.
Suddenly, a hand reached out to take the medicine bowl.
Meng Wu turned his head, and the young King of Qin appeared before him. He was stunned, his wrist trembled twice, and he handed the bowl to him.
Meng Ao's aged face twitched repeatedly, and his voice trembled with difficulty, "Your Majesty... No, this old minister is not dead yet."
Ying Zheng gently stroked the back of his aged hand, "Why not? General Meng Ao has devoted himself to the Qin Dynasty. Even if I come to serve you with your medicine every day, it is still acceptable."
Meng Ao's lips trembled slightly, unwilling to miss a single glance at the King of Qin. He swallowed the medicine mouthful after mouthful, but it did not relieve his pain at all. Instead, he became even more short of breath, and his rapid breathing was an attempt to calm him down.
"Father." Meng Wu wept uncontrollably, overwhelmed with grief.
"Your Majesty," Meng Ao raised his hand tremblingly.
Ying Zheng put down the medicine bowl, grasped his hand, and seemed moved. "General."
Meng Ao spoke with difficulty, pausing several times, "Your Majesty, I can no longer protect you from the coronation and the assumption of power. You must be wary of... be wary of the Chancellor. He will definitely obstruct Your Majesty's coronation. He is loyal to the Great Qin, but he is not a loyal minister."
In just a few words, he used all his strength: "The king wants to send Prince Chengjiao to lead the army. Chengjiao is weak-willed. If the army is defeated, he will either die or betray Qin."
"I know that the General and I are of one mind."
Upon hearing this, Meng Ao's whole body went limp.
His vision blurred for a moment, and the outline of the King of Qin before him was like oiled paper soaked in water, the ink spreading and blurring, yet it stirred in him a long-lost and incredibly close longing. "Your Majesty, I have longed for you for a long time."
Ying Zheng was slightly taken aback.
"...then I had my son and grandson serve Prince Zheng."
Meng Ao's pupils were slowly dilating, and his words seemed to transcend time and space, as if he were conversing with another King of Qin.
Ying Zheng lowered his gaze, and after a long while, he revealed a faint smile. "Excellent."
"I have taken them in. Meng Wu and Meng Tian are both promising talents who will surely help Prince Zheng expand the territory. Your grandson Meng Yi also has the potential to be a capable minister. I have high hopes for him."
Meng Wu's eyes welled up with tears. He knew that his father had always been loyal to King Zhaoxiang, Ying Ji. This was probably the last time. He was confused and couldn't tell whether the King of Qin in front of him was Ying Zheng or Ying Ji.
“Okay, okay… okay…” Meng Ao said “okay” several times in a row.
As he released the force he was putting on, his eyelids grew heavy, and his arm slipped from the King of Qin's grasp.
"Father!!!"
"Father!!"
Banban stood by the door wiping away tears, never expecting that when she came to visit Meng Ao today, he had just passed away.
Leaving the Meng residence, Ying Zheng said in a heavy tone, "I'm afraid the General has been hanging on by a thread. If I hadn't come to see him today, he might have held on for a few more days."
"General Meng Ao wishes to see his cousin?"
“It’s not me he wants to see.” He gently squeezed his wife’s fingers. “He is old and will not live to see me come of age and assume power. He dares not die and is always clinging to life. I think King Zhaoxiang must have told him something when he died.”
“King Zhaoxiang,” Banban recalled the two strange words Meng Ao had said at the bedside earlier, “could it be that he mistook his cousin for King Zhaoxiang?”
Ying Zheng nodded, and speaking of Meng Ao, the legendary general of Qin, he also had many feelings: "In the era when Bai Qi was in power, Meng Ao was unknown and only wanted to serve the king, but he had no chance to rise in the ranks."
"Bai Qi later became so powerful that he threatened the king's authority and was forced to commit suicide by sword by King Zhaoxiang. Meng Ao replaced him and became the new God of War. However, unlike Bai Qi, Meng Ao was completely loyal to the King of Qin, not to the Qin state."
"Even when Prime Minister Fan Sui's fief was seized by Han, Meng Ao felt that this matter had offended the King of Qin and felt deeply for him. He told Fan Sui that the King of Qin had been humiliated and he had no face to live."
"He was completely devoted to the King of Qin and to the Qin Dynasty, and had no other intentions whatsoever."
“Cousin, I am now certain that it was King Zhaoxiang who issued the edict ordering the late king to bring me back to Qin.”
That dream he had in Handan as a child was probably not just a simple dream; it might have been a conversation between him and King Zhaoxiang, separated by thousands of miles.
Banban gently patted her cousin's shoulder to comfort him. No wonder her cousin would be displeased and tell her not to do that when she occasionally grimaced at the deeds of King Zhaoxiang.
King Zhaoxiang was his idol.
“Wang Jian’s father has passed away, Meng Wu’s father has also passed away, and Biao Dafu died on his way back home.” Banban said, feeling heavy-hearted. “Who will my cousin use next? General Wang Jian is also getting old.”
“There are always military generals available.” Ying Zheng leaned back and closed his eyes. “The Meng family is indeed excellent. Wang Jian and Meng Tian are both exceptionally talented, even more outstanding than Meng Wu.”
As he spoke, he sighed inexplicably, "Recently I read a book by a Korean author who seems to be eager to find talented people."
Banban asked, "Who is it?"
"His name was Han Fei. His thought combined the principles of law, tactics, and power of Shang Yang, Shen Buhai, and Shen Dao. His idea of 'the law does not favor the noble and the rope does not bend' is very interesting. The law is the public rule that cannot be violated. The tactics are the secret means of the ruler. Power is authority. The three are intertwined and together form the iron fist for governing the country."
Banban paused slightly, then realized she understood. "What is magic?"
Ying Zheng patiently explained to her, "It can be understood as a political tactic, that is, a means of controlling and manipulating ministers. Therefore, it is secret and cannot be made public."
For example, secretly observing and investigating one's subjects.
They could also set up spies and create conflict among their ministers, in order to prevent ministers from usurping power or to bring about the downfall of the monarch.
This is the art of imperial rule, used to centralize power and maintain self-rule.
This applies to any political system.
The more Ying Zheng talked, the more excited he became. "Alas, if I could get to know this person and be his friend, I would die happy."
Banban: "...?"
Oh no, this sounds so familiar. Didn't we learn it in our Chinese textbook?
"Despite the repeated attempts by Qin officials sent to Han to persuade him, Han Fei still refuses to come to Qin. There are quite a few Han officials in Qin, so what is it that prevents him from coming?"
Ying Zheng hung his hands, feeling dejected.
Banban couldn't hold back any longer, "Cousin, Han Fei is a prince of the state of Han! Why would he come to Qin?" Wake up!
Unless Han Fei has lost his mind.
"We need to think of a way to prevent him from becoming the Prince of Han." Ying Zheng fell into deep thought. "What's so good about being the Prince of Han? Han is weak, it's not interesting at all, wouldn't it be like letting a pearl be tarnished?"
Do you like it that much?! And you even went so far as to insult South Korea.
Banban suggested, "Why not trick him into coming here?"
"You've been fooled."
"ah?"
He didn't fall for it.
"..."
"We can't arrest them, but we can't."
Is it that they can't be arrested?
It's probably impossible to catch him. He's a prince of Han, a member of the royal family. Qin can't send too many people, otherwise it will affect relations between the two countries.
If there are too few people, they won't be caught; if there are too many, South Korea will see it as a declaration of war.
It's really frustrating.
"Fine, let's put him in South Korea for now. I'll get my hands on this kind of talent sooner or later."
"..." That's all.
"What does my cousin plan to do?"
"Once I assume full power, I will send troops to escort him."
What do you mean by "picking him up"? He was at his own home...
Okay, now I finally remember where that phrase sounds familiar.
She seemed to recall reading about strange tales in history books, where it was said that when Qin Shi Huang was still the King of Qin, he admired Han Fei's talent and, in order to obtain this talent, directly launched an attack on the State of Han, which frightened the King of Han so much that he was forced to send Han Fei to the State of Qin.
Classmate: Zheng Ge can be considered the earliest domineering CEO who forced love for Harry, directly attacking a country in order to get him.
Why is my cousin laughing?
"...No, it's nothing."
"puff--"
Haha ...
"I didn't laugh on purpose." Banban burst into laughter, tears streaming down her face.
She cupped Ying Zheng's face in her hands, her body trembling as she looked at him, and then burst into laughter.
The funny thing is that when my cousin gets a haircut, wears gold-rimmed glasses, a suit, and red-soled leather shoes, he actually looks quite convincing.
"You also want to see the imperial physician?" Ying Zheng pinched her cheek. "Stop laughing."
"What are you laughing at?"
"Even if I told my cousin, he wouldn't understand, so it's better not to say anything." Banban pushed him away, whimpering, "Are you secretly calling me crazy?"
When did I insult you?
"You asked me if I also wanted to see the imperial physician."
"This is out of concern."
That's bullshit.
"Do you think I'm that easy to fool?" Banban said with a forced smile, pinching his cheek hard. "Let go."
"Let go first."
"Put it down."
"Put it down."
The two pinched each other's cheeks and glared at each other.
Upon arriving at Zhaoyang Palace, the two got out of the carriage together.
Qian Yin hurriedly went to greet him, and when she looked up, she saw that the King of Qin's face was red, as if he had been pinched. She secretly glanced at the Queen, who was cursing and adjusting her skirt. There was no red mark on her cheek, but a piece of her thin makeup had fallen off, right around her mouth, which looked quite ridiculous.
Banban noticed Qianyin's gaze, and with a 'whoosh,' she raised her sleeve to cover her mouth and hurried into the hall with her head down.
Qian Yin struggled with all her might to suppress the laughter that was about to escape her lips.
The King of Qin acted as if nothing had happened, his face indifferent and his demeanor calm, his majesty even greater than when he first ascended the throne, making people dare not look him in the eye.
Last time, she caught the Queen stepping on the King of Qin's face with her toes and scolded him for being hypocritical. Instead of getting angry, the King of Qin laughed and grabbed the Queen's ankle, refusing to let go.
I'm afraid only a queen in this world would dare to do such a thing.
Banban got up in the middle of the night, but Ying Zheng was not by her bedside. She quickly put on her clothes and went outside, where she saw him walking slowly in the courtyard, gazing at the night sky, drinking alone.
When Meng Ao died, he didn't seem particularly sad or upset before going to bed, but instead stayed up all night looking at the moon.
Banban turned around, grabbed a jar of fine wine, dressed, and went out together.
Ying Zheng turned around upon hearing the noise, and hesitated upon seeing who it was after seeing who it was. "You..."
"I can't sleep either, are you the only one who can't sleep?" Banban rolled her eyes at him, then laughed, "Come and drink. This is a rare wine from my collection. Ever since my cousin implemented the prohibition on alcohol, I haven't dared to take it out to drink, for fear that if word got out, people would say that the Queen was leading the way in disobeying the law."
"Is it really that strict?" Ying Zheng was exasperated by her exaggerated statement. "The government does sell wine regularly, just in smaller quantities. In special circumstances, drinking is permitted."
It just means that drinking in public is prohibited.
Even so, Ying Zheng had already sat down, personally poured two cups of wine, took a small sip, and frowned, "You shouldn't drink."
"I haven't drunk from this jar of wine yet, why?" Banban ignored her and tentatively took a small sip.
She felt nothing when the liquor first entered her mouth, but as it slid down her throat, it burned her and made her choke, causing tears to stream down her face.
"Cough cough... cough cough cough!"
Ying Zheng said leisurely, "You don't listen to me when I speak, and this is the consequence."
What nonsense are you talking about?
Banban raised her hand to hit him, but he dodged it.
"How can it be so strong?" She couldn't drink it and sighed, "This was sent to the palace by my father when we got married. It was originally for my cousin to drink."
"Then why did you only take it out today?"
“I…” Banban glanced at him, then guiltily propped up her chin.
Ying Zheng pointed at her vaguely, nodding repeatedly, as if talking to himself, "My private treasury belongs to the Queen, and the Queen's private treasury still belongs to the Queen."
Banban retorted, "The king's people are all mine, so his private treasury is naturally mine too. What's wrong with that?"
"There's nothing good in my private stash."
"Can I go and take a look?"
"Tomorrow."
Ying Zheng chuckled, "If you had more confidence, I would have believed you."
"I'm very confident!" Banban checked herself and didn't think she had given herself away, but her cousin could always tell which of her words were true and which were false.
The two drank and made merry together, dispelling the heavy atmosphere, and finally fell asleep together in the middle of the night.
Meng Ao's funeral was held to the highest standards, and Ying Zheng also attended as a sign of respect.
Banban had a lot to learn. She had never personally handled a funeral before, so she learned from others until night fell when she bumped into the two people in the backyard.
Meng Tian's wife, named Bu, was burning paper money while dressed in plain clothes. The other person was Princess Yingyue, and it was unclear what they were talking about. Yingyue's expression was not good.
Banban was worried that Yingyue would bully Bu Shi, so he coughed and walked over.
Upon seeing that it was the Queen, the two women composed themselves and rose to pay their respects.
"Ying Yue is here. What important matter do you wish to discuss with the Bu family?"
Ying Yue pursed her lips, "No, Sister-in-law," she didn't know exactly how much the Queen had heard, a look of panic flashed across her face, and she dared not lie for a moment, "I..."
"The princess has come to comfort me."
Bu interrupted Yingyue, who looked surprised and glanced at Bu several times, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.
Lady Bu smiled slightly at her, "This concubine thanks the princess for her concern."
Ying Yue lost face and was further humiliated by Bu Shi's act of repaying kindness with enmity. Feeling uncomfortable staying there, she knelt down and left, feeling guilty.
Banban withdrew her gaze. "She wasn't trying to comfort you, was she?" It was more likely that she was trying to take advantage of your vulnerability. "The princess once showed favor to Meng Tian, which became common knowledge."
"Even the Queen knows." Madam Bu shook her head with a smile. "The princess is still a child at heart and has simple thoughts. She has not done anything wrong, so I don't mind. Therefore, Your Majesty should not blame her."
You don't mind this at all? How magnanimous!
Seeing the Queen's puzzled expression, Lady Bu slowly said, "Your Majesty may not know this, but I know that A-Tian went against all odds to marry me back then. If Father wants A-Tian to marry the princess again in order to save face, I will have no complaints."
“Meng Wu isn’t such a clueless person,” Banban smiled. “Don’t worry.”
She bent down and said, "Madam Bu, the Meng family cannot marry any princess, not only Meng Tian, but also Meng Yi."
"You should think carefully about who you are to be loyal to."
Mr. Bu was stunned, and his spine suddenly stiffened.
The queen's face carried a faint smile. Outsiders said that the queen was pure, kind and benevolent, but the expression in her eyes revealed an indescribable sharpness.
Currently, there are only two princesses of marriageable age: Yingyue and Yangjiang. Princess Liyang, who had been ill since the death of her mother, Mi Liangren, was married off early on the advice of the remaining heirs of the Zhou royal family.
Ying Yue and Yang Jiang belong to the Chu faction and the Han faction, respectively.
The Queen wouldn't say something like that for no reason.
Bu was flustered, suspecting that he had said something wrong, but he didn't know how to make amends.
"The Meng family...the Meng family has absolutely no such intention."
"Don't be afraid, I'm just reminding you." Banban straightened up. "Meng Tian is a smart man, you don't need to worry."
“Meng Wu’s wife died early and he has never remarried. The whole family relies on you, the eldest son’s wife, for support. You have worked hard. If you encounter any difficulties, send someone to the palace and I will help you.”
Lady Bu was flattered and overwhelmed that her hard work had been acknowledged. Her eyes immediately welled up with tears. "Your Majesty the Queen is so kind. How could I dare to bother Your Majesty?"
"There's no need to bother you. Meng Tian and Your Majesty practice martial arts and ride horses together, they're as close as brothers. Your Majesty was worried about the Meng family last night and didn't get much rest, so as the Queen, I will naturally care for you even more."
Mr. Bu nodded repeatedly.
After the queen left, she breathed a sigh of relief and soon went to find her husband, Meng Tian.
"My husband."
"Xianglian?"
Seeing that his wife's expression was not right, Meng Tian exchanged a few pleasantries with the others and then went with her to a secluded place.
"Did the Queen say these words herself?" Meng Tian remained silent for a moment after hearing this.
“Yes, I repeated it to you word for word.” Lady Bu asked, “Is this the king’s will?”
“It is indeed His Majesty’s will. The Queen and His Majesty are of one mind, but I’m afraid these are words that the Queen herself wanted to say.” Meng Tian understood the King of Qin. “His Majesty would never give such a direct and obvious instruction.”
“That saves you the trouble of guessing.” Madam Bu sighed. “The King of Qin is very suspicious. Back then, didn’t he test you and Ying Yue many times?”
“You can’t say that.” Meng Tian frowned and gently patted Bu Shi’s hand. “The king is weak and vulnerable. He has the prime minister in front of him and the Chu faction behind him. His grandfather has passed away, and the generals of the pro-king faction are all dead. It’s normal for him to be cautious and suspicious.”
Meng Tian was utterly loyal to the King of Qin and had no ulterior motives, so he naturally always put the King's interests first.
“If Yingyue sends someone again, just ignore them.” Meng Tian was also very annoyed. “Her frequent visits are probably not her own idea, but rather she is acting on the orders of Empress Dowager Huayang.”
What love or romance is there in royal families?
If the Queen had not accompanied the King of Qin in Handan since childhood, given the King's temperament, he would never have shown any romantic feelings.
Mr. Bu nodded and, as expected, said nothing more.
After Meng Ao's funeral, autumn arrived.
Recently, nothing major has happened in the Qin state, and it seems that time has slowed down, bringing peace and tranquility.
Li Si sent two Pixiu to the palace.
One male and one female, about the size of kittens, moved slowly, as if they had just been born.
"Your Majesty, this Pixiu will grow to be like a black bear, extremely dangerous. I suggest that Your Majesty raise it for a few months and then put it in an iron cage."
Upon seeing the panda, Banban was overjoyed, oblivious to the world around him. He hugged and petted the panda cub, forgetting all about the world around him. "Did you catch this in the mountains?" he asked.
Li Si shook his head. "Your Majesty, these two Pixiu cubs came from an injured mother Pixiu. It is said that she was fighting with other Pixiu for territory, and after being injured and defeated, she hid in a farmer's house and ate the fence clean. She even killed a sheep. After doing such a ferocious thing, she is as cowardly as a mouse and hides in the sheepfold, afraid to come out."
“That farming family fed it bamboo every day. The Pixiu felt grateful, or perhaps it wanted its children to live a carefree life, so it voluntarily left the two cubs with the farmer.”
It aligns with her understanding of pandas.
Banban gently stroked the panda's head, "From now on, you and your brother will follow me, and I'll make sure you're well-fed every day."
The panda seemed to understand her words, making soft, indistinct "hmm!" sounds repeatedly.
Seeing that the Queen was genuinely pleased, Li Si smiled and watched with amusement, his hands clasped behind his back.
"It seems the Queen is quite pleased with the Pixiu that the guest minister sent."
Ying Zheng raised his voice and said, "No need for formalities, please rise, guest."
"Cousin, look!" Banban said playfully, lifting up her panda brother and handing him the panda.
Ying Zheng was also seeing a Pixiu for the first time. He touched its head with curiosity and said, "The black fur around its eyes is truly strange."
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