Chapter 64 Heart-Piercing: "I want everything from my cousin."...
The food in Sichuan is characterized by its emphasis on flavor and spiciness. After eating it for several meals in a row, I found it a bit hard to get used to the bland taste.
After spending the night at the inn, the courtyard that Banban loved was thoroughly inspected by a special person, and the group moved in. There was a special place where the interrogation of the Chu princess began.
Ying Zheng did not allow Banban to approach that side. He only learned from a few words that the Chu princess was very frightened and angry, and she was full of contempt for the Qin king's shocking behavior. In the minds of the various states, they probably felt that they should respect the people and nobles of each other's countries.
Just as in war between two countries, envoys are not to be killed.
Unfortunately, Ying Zheng disdained Confucianism and held Legalist views above all else. He considered anyone who set foot on his territory as a provocateur. Since you are provoking me and defying Qin law, why should I care who you are? Once you come here, you will be punished.
Throughout history, there have been instances of Qin kings imprisoning princes and kings of other states. Ying Zheng merely made the Chu princess realize more deeply that the Qin kings were all ruthless and cunning rulers.
“Lianhua was a Chu woman who had deep connections with Lü Buwei. On the very first day we arrived in Shu, she and dozens of guards who served the Chu princess were killed.”
"If you like her, when you return to Xianyang, I will have the Yongxiang Palace train a maid who is just like her and send her to Zhaoyang Palace."
Banban was stunned for a moment, then raised his eyes.
Ying Zheng slowly put down his chopsticks and gestured gently, "Will this make you happy?"
"I'm not sad for her," she argued, picking at her food haphazardly.
"These past two days, your eyebrows have been so furrowed with worry they're practically knotted up, haven't they?"
Is it that obvious?
Banban subconsciously raised her hand to touch her eyebrows, only to meet his knowing gaze. She immediately lowered her hand.
"come over."
As instructed, she got up and was gently pulled into his arms. Banban's bewildered heart calmed down a little. "Cousin, it seems I can't accomplish anything great. Although I know I have to silence them to prevent anyone from sending messages to Lü Buwei, I feel so sorry for the person who was smiling at me not long ago who is now dead."
The skirts from Shu were thin, made of silk, light and soft. Ying Zheng gently stroked her calves through the silk skirt.
When his wife said a few words, he would just hum in response, without arguing about any of her emotions.
After she finished explaining all her thoughts, he comforted her, "You don't have to force yourself to have all your thoughts in sync with mine."
Banban didn't understand and asked in confusion, "Huh?"
“I know my cousin has never been an ambitious woman. She is content with eating, drinking and having fun every day. She is occasionally fond of money and curious about new things. Her mind is only on me and eating and drinking. When she sees others suffering, she feels pity and tries to help them in every way; when others are rich, she is not jealous.”
But he was different. He wanted to be a monarch or even a more powerful being. There was no strange reason that drove him to this, and it was not caused by the oppression he suffered as a child by the people of Handan.
He just wanted to be a king, to stand at the pinnacle of power, it was that simple.
Therefore, he was well aware that countless blood and bones would be buried along this road. He never thought it was wrong; it was just some insignificant price to pay. For example, Cheng Jiao, from the first day he returned to Qin, he had never treated him as his own brother.
Cheng Jiao was not his brother, but his political enemy.
Everyone he met on this road fell into two categories: useful and useless.
He found it useful and tried to make use of it.
It's useless. To prevent them from posing a threat to you, just kill them directly.
The only two were exceptions.
Zhao Ji was the anchor of his childhood aspirations, and Ying Zheng would never abandon her, no matter when or where.
His cousin is the anchor of his humanity; only with her can he prove that he is still a normal person and that he still exists in the mortal world.
"My cousin is conflicted because she doubts that she is different from me, and she doubts whether she is being too soft-hearted or has misunderstood, so she doesn't dare to tell me the truth."
“You can be yourself, you don’t have to do everything like me. I’m very pleased that you have compassion and have never been influenced by power over the years.”
Ying Zheng's words came from the bottom of his heart, and the faint smile on his face was also sincere: "This is exactly the kind of you I love."
Upon hearing this, Banban buried her head in her cousin's neck.
He cupped her face in his hands and wiped away her tears. "More importantly, you pitied her but didn't take it out on me. There are plenty of arrogant people in this world who want to change others' minds, but you didn't. That's rare and precious. Why would I want to change you?"
They understand each other and will not harbor ill will towards each other.
"Any more doubts?" he asked after finishing his remarks.
Banban shook her head and obediently said, "No more."
"Cousin."
"Um?"
"I love my cousin the most."
He stroked her cheek and drew closer, their shadows overlapping on the ground. Her soft arms wrapped around his neck, and as they shared a deep kiss, the tip of her nose touched the side of his nose.
He kissed her inch by inch, from her lips to her chin, lingering on her neck. The light kisses gradually intensified, and he opened his mouth to gently bite.
She tilted her head slightly, completely unguarded, surrendering herself entirely.
His light bites, like an animal instinct, explored the most vulnerable part of life. The kiss was full of infatuation, yet gentle. The bite marks did not leave any traces on her neck, like the caress of lovers.
Steam filled the bath.
In the midst of their tender moment, the man's hand emerged from the water to touch the auspicious pouch in the porcelain jar by the pool.
Her softer arms wrapped around his outstretched hand and pulled it to her waist.
He mumbled something and heard her say no.
"What?"
The next moment, her clearer voice, damp with moisture, reached my ear, "I want all of my cousin."
As soon as she finished speaking, she clearly felt her cousin's breathing pause for a moment, then his breathing suddenly became heavy, and in a dizzying moment, she was suddenly pressed down on him.
Banban couldn't remember exactly how long she stayed in the hot, humid bath.
All I felt was heat, heat, and more heat.
Her muscles ached, her eyelashes glistened with moisture, and his breath was so close to hers, his hand gripping her waist, his fingers sinking into her buttocks.
The feeling of being completely invaded inch by inch, the breath with nowhere to escape, were all swallowed into his stomach.
When he got up, Ying Zheng was no longer by his side.
She lifted the blanket, then immediately covered herself with it again.
I reached out and touched it; it was dry, so it must have been washed last night.
Even so, she felt some liquid flowing down her thighs. She pulled the blanket up to cover her face, and in the sweltering heat, she curled herself into a ball to hide herself.
She got up with Qian Yin's help when the sun was high in the sky.
Qian Yin looked at the marks on the Queen's body, feeling very shy and not daring to look any longer. Perhaps because she had served the Queen for many years, she dared to mutter a few complaints in a low voice, "Did Your Majesty drink last night? How could you be so unappreciative of the Queen?"
She would never have been left with such marks under normal circumstances.
"No," Banban replied vaguely. "I'm not in pain either, don't worry, I'm a little hungry."
Relieved, Qian Yin quickly finished dressing, washed up, and left the inner room.
She spent two days learning from the local makeup artists and has now mastered the makeup and hairstyling of Sichuan. She quickly styled the Queen's hair into her favorite updo.
The Gu family and the children were already waiting in the flower hall. Geng'er and Li Menghua were squatting in front of a potted plant, having a lively discussion.
"After it rains, long, thin insects will crawl out of the soil."
"Ugh, that's disgusting."
"It's not disgusting. You can use this bug to fish. Fish love it."
"Did you chop it up? Such a long fish is too much to eat, isn't it?"
"Yes, it still moves when you cut it open. I'll bring my sister to see it next time."
"...I'm not going to look, so don't call me."
Gu looked somewhat speechless, resting her chin on her hand as she watched the two little ones talk.
I overslept.
"I saw they were having a good time, and since they had breakfast late, they're not hungry yet. It's just in time for Your Majesty to get up now." Lady Gu rose, bowed, and greeted the Queen. Although the Queen had said not to be so formal, she still had to show the proper respect.
The two children were much more relaxed; they were even squatting and playing.
At lunchtime, Ying Zheng and Li Si did not return to eat.
Banban only told Gu that they had important business to attend to, and Gu did not ask any further questions.
We ordered a few dishes at random.
A dish called Kung Pao Shrimp Balls, the shrimp balls are fried. Due to the widespread use of iron woks, fried food has gradually become popular in the past two years.
The "strange flavor" beef is fresh, fragrant, and spicy, with the beef being extremely flavorful.
The dish features braised mandarin fish, silver cod, and three-color rice noodles, accompanied by various side dishes.
The two kids loved shrimp balls and ate them all in half, so the kitchen fried another batch.
After eating and drinking their fill, the group, accompanied by some guards, went out for a stroll.
The pale-faced eunuch from the Qin Palace also came out. He was in charge of the harem and his status was equivalent to that of Qin Ju from the previous dynasty, but his name was very elegant and romantic.
Jiang Yujing.
Li Menghua recited it fluently: "Jade Well contains the void and holds the handle of the Big Dipper; Ice Silk filters the moon and brews heavenly nectar. This is a good name, Jiang Neijian."
Jiang Neijian looked surprised. "Li Xiaoniang is quite learned. My parents named me this, which means 'the moon reflected in a jade well,' and 'wisdom as clear as a spring,' hoping that I would be intelligent."
"What a coincidence! The nickname my parents gave me also has the same meaning!"
Those around him covered their mouths and laughed.
Banban laughed along. Geng'er didn't like studying, which was the opposite of Liaoliao, which was good.
"Sister, what kind of look is that?" Geng'er bristled, immediately becoming displeased.
"That look is an insult, a look that says you're uneducated." Banban bluntly said, pinching his cheek with a fake smile. She was surprised to realize that her younger brother was so tall, even taller than her.
Unconsciously, she took a half step back, feeling somewhat annoyed.
"I'm learned too, I can compose lyrics on the spot, you won't believe me, just listen!" Unwilling to admit defeat, amidst the laughter and jeers of the crowd, he pondered seriously for a moment, looked back at the magnificent landscape, and declared loudly:
"The Lüyan Pavilion resounds throughout the nine streets, its towering buildings reaching the clouds with imposing grandeur."
"The misty waves of the Wei River reflect the azure sky, while the verdant Zhongnan Mountains reach into the heavens."
"Silkworms bring joy, rice and grain bring abundance, and stringed instruments and songs crisscross the narrow streets."
"Where in this peaceful era can we inscribe our merits? The rivers and irrigation systems of Sichuan are bathed in the benevolent winds!"①
Both Banban and Gu were stunned.
Lady Gu, who was standing beside Li Si, was also quite learned. She could tell that the young master's poem was praising the mountains and rivers of Shu and the prosperity of the local mulberry farmers, while also praising King Zhaoxiang's merit in building the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
"What a magnificent Ode to Qin!"
The voice of Li Si.
Everyone turned around, not knowing when Ying Zheng and Li Si had appeared behind them, as if they had been listening for a while.
It was right there on the street that Ying Zheng instructed them not to bow.
Banban nestled close to him with a joyful expression. He gently put his arm around her waist, rubbed her waist with his fingertips, and gestured to her with his eyes to indicate whether she liked it.
She shook her head, hugged his arm, and indicated that she was fine.
Geng'er composed a poem and was extremely proud of it, but Ying Zheng eventually saw through her ruse. "Tell me, how many days have you been thinking about this poem? I saw you pondering it while we were still on the road."
Finally, they found him a chance to sing.
"..." Geng'er was convinced. "Boring, boring!" She ran off without a trace.
The group strolled around for a while. Ying Zheng's observational skills were always amazing. He would take a second look at anything he saw and then have Qin Ju go and buy it for him. In the end, the carriage was almost overflowing with goods.
As night fell, back at their lodgings, Banban quietly asked, "Cousin, you've been away from Xianyang these past few days, leaving everything, big or small, to Lao Ai. Is that really alright?"
She was worried about him.
“If I pretend to trust him, he will only become more arrogant. Right now, he is probably only thinking about winning over the court officials and dealing with Lü Buwei. The most outrageous thing he did was to rename the fiefdom of Taiyuan Commandery to Lao State. That’s all the courage and vision he has. He’s a complete waste.”
“Even if you give him a chance, he won’t be of any use.”
At this point, Ying Zheng seemed speechless and laughed, his contempt and mockery undisguised.
"Then what should we do with him?" Banban also looked worried.
Ying Zheng narrowed his eyes. "It's not difficult. Even a cornered dog will jump over a wall. We'll force him to be that dog. As long as he dares to jump over the wall, he'll be torn apart by five horses." This will also drag Lü Buwei into the mess.
After dinner, he explained in detail the plans of the Chu princess and Lü Buwei.
Perhaps knowing that the King of Qin was extremely wary of people, the first two beautiful women sent to Xianyang either left humiliated or died in the Chengzhang Palace.
Lü Buwei also understood that the King of Qin did not love beautiful women, so the Chu princess's appearance could only be considered above average, not stunning. Her more outstanding qualities were her kindness, her clear sense of right and wrong, and her willingness to speak frankly and remonstrate. Beneath her gentle face lay a resolute heart.
This was done to win over the King of Qin.
Therefore, he kept the Chu princess in Shu, intending to let her fame spread until it reached the ears of the King of Qin, arousing his curiosity, and then smoothly bring her to Xianyang.
At that time, the Chu princess will be gentle and sensible, while the queen will be jealous and domineering. Who will the King of Qin favor more? If she gives birth to a prince with Chu blood, Lord Changping and others will naturally support him. He will then be the designated crown prince. He will have countless connections with the crown prince and will have no trouble becoming prime minister for three reigns.
He didn't take Marquis Changxin, Lao Ai, seriously at all, thinking he was a clown and too lazy to play chess with him.
Who would have thought that Lao Ai was winning over the Empress Dowager and had his own ideas about the successor to the throne?
The key reason why Ying Zheng insulted Lao Ai was not anything else, but that Lao Ai was really useless. He thought about letting his child with the Empress Dowager ascend the throne, but never thought about ascending the throne himself.
After all that trouble, isn't he still just the Marquis of Changxin?
He and his cousin didn't have any children yet, but so many people were already thinking that if he died, who would be the next King of Qin?
Lü Buwei may not have had much malicious intent; he was merely trying to protect himself and worried that Ying Zheng would dismiss him from his position as prime minister after taking power. However, his actions repeatedly crossed Ying Zheng's bottom line.
If he were willing to be a loyal subject, how could Ying Zheng not treat him well?
"The Chu princesses confessed everything?"
Apart from herself, all the followers who came to Qin with her were dead. What could she do if she didn't confess? She was terrified.
Ying Zheng nodded, "She did not do it willingly, but was forced by the King of Chu. Her own mother was still 'sick' in the Chu palace, so she had no choice."
Banban knew that the few people had a brief conversation in the Temple of the Divine Physician that day, which was enough to show that the Chu princess was not a woman who only cared about power. She seemed to be indignant on behalf of infertile women, and her words were very displeased.
"Next, I will have her disguise herself as your maid and return to Xianyang with us."
Banban blinked. "Okay, but what is my cousin going to do?"
"You'll understand later. There's no need to treat her specially; just treat her like an ordinary maid."
Since she was needed, Banban didn't ask any more questions.
On the day they were all packed and ready to return to Xianyang, news from Xianyang reached Shu.
Lü Buwei's work was titled "Lüshi Chunqiu". He organized more than a thousand retainers to compile this book, and now he is offering a reward of "a thousand gold pieces for anyone who adds or subtracts a single word".
Such a confident move demonstrates his expertise in this book.
Upon hearing this news, Ying Zheng's face darkened abruptly, and he was so angry that his chest and abdomen heaved violently, and he even skipped lunch.
Banban vaguely understood why her cousin was so angry.
The Lüshi Chunqiu was compiled from a collection of ideas, including Confucianism and Taoism. Lü Buwei's rampant and unrestrained promotion of these ideas created a fundamental conflict with the Legalist centralized ideology advocated by Qin Shi Huang.
Not to mention that his actions strongly suggest he is promoting his personal political intentions, and no monarch would be pleased if his subject did such a thing.
This was undoubtedly a provocation against the King of Qin.
He looked down on Confucianism because many states admired it, yet they were all destroyed, which shows that Confucianism was useless and not worth mentioning.
Ying Zheng vented his anger at the arena for a while, but returned with a normal expression.
Banban busied herself making him tea, and he took her hand and said, "I'm fine, let's go?"
"Okay, I want to go home too," she said softly.
go home……
Ying Zheng relaxed and ordered his men to set off.
He had calmed down; he knew he didn't yet have the right to get angry.
The reason is that the military and political power of the entire Qin state is still controlled by Lü Buwei, and his power is greater than many people think.
Ying Zheng allowed Lao Ai to govern, hoping that he would seize power from Lü Buwei.
To sit back and watch the tiger scare you, you need patience.
The carriage swayed and rocked as it set off from Sichuan.
Banban brought back many local specialties, intending to distribute them when she returned home. One portion was perfectly wrapped up and sent to the State of Qi. Over the years, she maintained close contact with Princess Yangman.
Yang Man has already given birth to a son and a daughter. With the crown prince of Qi ascending the throne, she is now the queen. With a son and a daughter, her position is secure. Although her feelings for the king of Qi have faded considerably, she is not afraid of anything.
Empress Dowager Xia had been 'ill' and had passed away. Yang Jiang had been in mourning until now and was still unmarried. Banban was very worried about her marriage. He asked his cousin, who only said that they did not intend to use her for marriage alliances with other states. So the two of them were working hard to find outstanding men in Qin.
Ying Yue has never married, and Ying Zheng has never mentioned it.
After he ascended the throne, apart from Liyang, no princess was married off.
These local specialties were also reserved for them. As the queen, she had to maintain appearances with Ying Yue, after all, Ying Yue was the king's younger sister and the queen's sister-in-law.
After several days of travel, they returned to Xianyang. As soon as they entered the city gate, they heard that Empress Dowager Huayang was dying.
Yingyue knelt before the bed and wept uncontrollably.
Ying Zheng went in and spoke to her for a while. After he came out, Empress Dowager Huayang passed away.
"What did she say? She didn't ask you to do anything, did she?" Banban asked, displeased.
Ying Zheng said slowly, "She wants to marry Ying Yue to Li You."
"Li You?" Banban was stunned for a moment before she remembered who Li You was.
Li You was Li Si's eldest son. Li Si was seeing that he was being highly valued by the King of Qin and had a bright future, so Li You was unlikely to be much worse off.
In exchange, Empress Dowager Huayang revealed all the connections she had cultivated in the Chu court and the harem to Ying Zheng, even handing over the remaining influence she had in Chu.
He went to great lengths to secure a good future for Yingyue, hoping she could live a good life. In the end, he breathed his last while holding Yingyue's delicate hand.
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