Chapter 65 Funeral Rites "I do not wish to use your children for marriage alliances."...
"You agreed?"
Banban couldn't understand it. Wasn't Yingyue deeply in love with Meng Tian?
"Whether I agree or not depends on Lady Han's opinion." Ying Zheng did not state his thoughts directly. "The marriage is arranged by parents and matchmakers. Lady Han will make the decision regarding Ying Yue's marriage."
Banban realized that his cousin didn't disagree, but rather wanted to reap double benefits from Madam Han. He even had a subtle attitude towards Yingyue and Liyou's marriage.
The funeral of Empress Dowager Huayang was personally presided over by Banban. Ji Changyue returned to Xianyang from Yongdi. After all, she was Empress Dowager Huayang's daughter-in-law and should have attended.
Are you tired?
Banban let out a long sigh, feeling a bit more attached to her familiar elder. "Tired, so tired." She nestled affectionately against Ji Changyue's side and muttered softly, "Empress Dowager Huayang had a vast network of connections and a deeply entrenched power. Countless people came to the palace for her funeral. I'm getting confused recognizing faces. Luckily, Eunuch Jiang is here to remind me of everything."
"You," Ji Changyue said with a smile, cupping the person's face in her hands. "Let me see, don't you look haggard?"
"Could it be that my makeup is ruined?" she asked nervously.
Ji Changyue pretended to look her over carefully, and seeing how tense she was, she laughed out loud, "No, you are very beautiful."
Banban's little face fell, and she muttered, "You just know how to scare her, Mom. I miss you so much."
"Of course I miss you too." Ji Changyue put her arm around her and went inside together. "With you and Zheng'er sending me new and interesting things every day, I'm doing very well over there."
It had been a year since they last met, and Ji Changyue had indeed changed somewhat. Before, she was like a beautiful flower with thorns, but now the thorns had faded, and she was surrounded by a gentle, warm glow. "But, you and Zheng'er..."
She hesitated, her gaze shifting downwards to Banban's lower abdomen.
Banban's cheeks immediately flushed red, and she stammered, unable to utter a single word for a long time.
Ji Changyue understood everything and smiled knowingly, "It's good that you have a plan. You're all grown up now, you should start planning early, you can't be willful."
The latter obediently hummed and groaned repeatedly.
She remembered all the kindness her aunt had shown her, whether in Handan or later in the Qin Palace, including the fact that she and her cousin had been married for four years without having children, she never mentioned that her cousin should take a concubine.
She was already the best mother-in-law, and thinking about this, I wanted to be even more filial.
As soon as the two entered, some palace servants exclaimed in surprise. Banban's expression changed slightly, and he quickly went in to take charge of the situation.
"Hurry up and help him up!" Qian Yin scolded angrily, and hurriedly called for a physician.
Madam Han leaned weakly against her, her face pale and swollen. Ying Yue knelt on the ground, sometimes crying for Empress Dowager Huayang, sometimes for her own mother.
Banban instructed someone to help Madam Han to the side hall to rest, and said to Yingyue, "The dead are gone, but the living remain. You should still take care of your mother. She doesn't look well. Go."
Ying Yue lowered her head and kept crying. She curtsied to her and followed her to the side hall.
"Whether Madam Han is crying for herself or for that old woman is still unknown; she's just putting on an act." Ji Changyue sneered, unmoved. "She knows all too well how many evil deeds the Chu faction has committed under her protection over the years. I think she's crying because she has no one to rely on and she's afraid!"
"If she stays in mourning until she falls into a coma, won't that put a huge blame on Zheng'er's head? Then people will say that Zheng'er mistreated her! He really has ulterior motives." The more she talked, the more she felt that it made sense, and she even felt more disgusted with Madam Han.
"Have the physician wake her up immediately!"
Ji Changyue was far more sensitive in these matters than Banban; protecting Ying Zheng was protecting herself.
He gestured and did as instructed.
For the rest of the day, Ji Changyue and Banban were busy running around together, helping each other with the workload.
That night, the family of three dined together at Ganquan Palace after a long time.
The funeral rites for Empress Dowager Huayang lasted for three days. These three days were merely the mourning and grieving activities prescribed by the dynasty. The entire process and related taboos would last for a hundred days.
However, the somber mood in the palace subsided after only half a month.
In the West Palace, Yingyue pushed open the palace door, took out a lot of food and arranged it one by one, and Madam Han sat down and poured wine.
"It hasn't been long, and there are already no taboos in the palace." Ying Yue looked out the window. She was still dressed in plain clothes and without makeup, and she looked sullen.
"Empress Dowager Huayang had no children during her lifetime, so who would sincerely mourn her? The world is bustling with people, all for profit; once people die, all feelings vanish, and so it is," Madam Han's expression was unreadable. She seemed to remember something and asked, "Did the Queen mention your marriage to you?"
Ying Yue pursed her lips, a hint of melancholy rising between her brows. "No."
Lady Han fell silent, gently stroking her cup. After a moment, she murmured to herself, "The Queen and the King are one; her attitude is the King's attitude..."
Yingyue raised her small face and said, "At worst, I won't get married. I'll stay in the palace and accompany you for the rest of my life. There's nothing wrong with that."
Madam Han smiled bitterly, "Silly girl, your brother's rebellion failed, that's an indisputable fact, the whole country knows it. It's just that his death in Zhao's camp is a bit suspicious, and Empress Dowager Huayang is also going to be purged. With such a background, do you think you'll have a good life staying in the Qin Palace?"
Ying Yue instantly shed two lines of clear tears, "If only Mother and Grandmother hadn't tried to compete with the Empress Dowager and used me to win over the Meng family back then, how could we have ended up like this?"
“I know you resent me,” Madam Han said sorrowfully.
Ying Yue turned her head away from her, tears streaming down her face like broken pearls.
"Back then, Ying Zheng was weak, the Queen Mother was shallow, and Lü Buwei controlled the court. Who wouldn't want a share of the pie and advance further?!" Madam Han leaned against the table, her voice choked with indignation. "Your brother Chengjiao was raised as the crown prince from a young age. What wrong did he do to deserve being inferior? Just because your father married a singing girl in Handan, I have to abdicate and give way to a worthy successor. I am not reconciled!"
Ying Yue's lips moved slightly. She recalled the teachings her mother had given her since childhood. Her mother said that among all the princesses, she was the most unique. She was a princess on whom high hopes were placed, and she was only one step away from becoming the legitimate princess. How could she not be proud?
In the end, this arrogance turned out to be utterly ridiculous…
“Mother, you were personally chosen by Grandmother, and you were the lady that Father could not refuse back then. There was no love between you, and Father was wary of us because of our connection with the Chu faction. No matter what, you would never be the queen. Besides, my brother is mediocre and not cut out to be a king.”
Ying Yue calmed down, or rather, she saw the situation clearly and became numb.
"Your brother is already dead, why are you still saying such things about him?" Madam Han was filled with resentment.
Ying Yue had looked down on her older brother Cheng Jiao since childhood, so why couldn't she say something? "If I were a man, I would be hundreds of times stronger than my brother!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Madam Han's chest trembled, she gritted her teeth and coughed, and dark red blood instantly flowed from the corner of her lips.
Yingyue swallowed her competitive spirit and resentment instantly. "Mother, Mother, what's wrong?" She hurriedly got up to support her, her face turning deathly pale. "Someone! Quickly summon the physician!!"
Mrs. Han gripped her daughter's hand tightly. "Stop calling. I've already dismissed everyone in the yard."
"You—" Ying Yue was shocked and incredulous. She seemed to realize something, and grabbed the cup. "This wine..."
“I did it myself.” Madam Han raised her hand and gently stroked her daughter’s face. “My son is exceptionally intelligent. He is better than many men in both his studies and his political insights. He is also incredibly beautiful. Meng Tian is blind and doesn’t appreciate you. I hate him.”
Yingyue cried out, "Mother, I had no other intentions towards Meng Tian. I was lying to you. It was only because my grandmother wanted me to win over the Meng family, and my mother wanted to become the queen and queen mother. I was confident in my beauty, so I tried to please him in every way, and proudly wanted to do my part for you."
"Why are you doing this to yourself! If something happens to you, how will our daughter live the rest of her life?"
Madam Han was stunned, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Blood from her chin mixed with tears, soaking her clothes. "You silly child."
The two hugged and cried for a while.
Lady Han was powerless: "Ying Zheng is so cruel." Blood and tears streamed down her face, and with each cough, more blood flowed out. "If I don't die, he will never agree to your marriage. You... do you know why Empress Dowager Huayang and I ultimately chose Li Si's child?"
"Why?" Yingyue asked, sobbing.
"It's not that Li Si is being given important responsibilities and has a bright future, but rather that we know the Queen's younger brother intends to marry Li Si's daughter. In this way, the Li family will become the Queen's faction. Ying Zheng is cold-blooded, but he is only affectionate towards the Queen. Only by marrying into the Li family can you avoid being implicated and purged by the Chu faction."
Madam Han gripped Yingyue's clothes tightly, her eyes wide open. "Son, we're all doing this for your own good, to save your life! Don't be foolish!"
"I..." she said, a mouthful of thick, dark blood choking her throat, and her pale face flushed red again from coughing.
Yingyue tried her best to comfort her, crying and begging her to stop talking.
"Li You is of upright character, brave and skilled in battle, and though he may seem rough, he is actually quite shrewd. He will treat you well." Madam Han held onto her daughter's clothes tightly. "Just one thing: don't follow the example of Li Yang and Mi Liangren. Remember, your name is Ying Yue, your surname is Ying, and the State of Chu has nothing to do with you!"
"No matter when or where, you must stand on Ying Zheng's side, and on the Queen's side!"
"I remember, I remember." Ying Yue burst into tears.
"besides--"
Madam Han's words were almost breathless as she spoke, "Your brother Chengjiao's death is inextricably linked to Prime Minister Lü. Fan Yuqi is his man. If Ying Zheng takes power and dismisses him... you must not let him go. You must avenge your brother."
Ying Yue was like a newborn infant, flustered and helpless, clinging to her mother, "What should I do if the Li family becomes powerful and becomes the second Lü Buwei?"
With her last breath, Madam Han said, "You are a princess of the Ying clan. Hold up your pride once more." As she finished speaking, her hand slowly lost its strength and fell to its side.
Yingyue cried out in anguish.
The next day, Banban got up and heard the news of Madam Han's passing. At that time, she was talking to the Chu princess. The Chu princess dressed as a maid and entered the palace together, following Qianyin and Congyun, and was being watched by others.
Upon hearing the news, she was momentarily lost in thought, then slowly knelt on the ground, saying, "This is fate. You reap what you sow."
Banban looked surprised, finding it hard to believe that a princess of Chu would say such a thing. Both Empress Dowager Huayang and Lady Han were from Chu.
During lunch, the royal edict was announced in Chengzhang Hall, bestowing upon Princess Yingyue the title of Yongning, placing her under the care of the Queen Mother, and formally recording her as the legitimate daughter of the Queen Mother and the late King in the jade edict.
The second imperial edict bestowed Princess Yongning upon Li You, the eldest son of the chief secretary Li Si, and ordered them to marry in May of the following year.
This move completely severed Princess Yongning Yingyue from the Chu faction, making her part of the Zhao faction to which the Queen Mother and Queen belonged.
He was completely baffled and decided to ask around to find out what was going on.
Upon arriving at Xianyang Palace, Qin Ju led her to the council hall, where they bumped into Empress Dowager Ji Changyue as soon as they came out. "Mother!"
Ji Changyue smiled and said, "I've come to say goodbye. I'm going back to Yongdi."
"Why are you going back again?" Banban asked anxiously. "You've only been back for less than a month!"
"Some things have come up that I need to go back to deal with. Besides, I've been back for a month and I'm feeling quite tired and have a headache. If you miss me, just write me a letter," Ji Changyue said, then paused slightly. "You want to ask about Yingyue, right?"
He nodded honestly.
"Historically, the marriage alliances between princesses and princes and court officials were always intended to maintain the relationship between the monarch and his subjects. Our Great Qin is a bit different, as many of our court officials are not of the same surname as Qin people. Therefore, Qin needs to arrange marriages between princesses and princes. This is both a tradition and a means."
"Giving Li Si such an honor means that your cousin really doesn't have many loyal ministers around him who are wholeheartedly devoted to him. He is about to take power and wants to gather his own people."
Ji Changyue comforted her, "If it's not her, then it's your child. Zheng'er doesn't want to use your child to maintain the relationship between the ruler and his subjects."
The subtext of this statement is that you are the beneficiary, so don't have any objections.
Banban had no objection, but he was just puzzled.
After exchanging only a few words, Ji Changyue left.
Banban watched her figure disappear before turning and entering the council hall.
"I thought you were going to talk for ages before you came in."
"You heard everything."
Banban recalled what Ji Changyue had said and felt a little curious, "Is what my aunt said true?"
Ying Zheng was planting a flag, taking out the black flag symbolizing the Qin state and gesturing back and forth across the large sand table of the other states, saying, "This is a win-win situation, why not?"
"As long as Madam Han is alive, the remaining forces of the Chu faction will continue to harbor illusions. She is very smart and chose to end her own life. If she had not chosen to die, I would not have shown her any mercy. The Empress Dowager Huayang's cronies are like flies that cannot be killed. They are not very harmful, but they are disgusting."
“Li You is indeed brave. Based on Cheng Jiao’s merit in the rebellion, he can naturally marry a princess. Unfortunately, this princess cannot be from the Chu or Han factions. Madam Han is determined to save her daughter’s life, so I will go with the flow and give her a Zhao faction identity. Marriage is possible, there is no problem with it.”
"It's a bit like killing two birds with one stone." Banban sighed and said, resting her chin on her hand, "It's a pity that Yingyue is in love with Meng Tian. Even if she doesn't marry Li You, it's impossible for her to have anything with Meng Tian."
"Who said she admires Meng Tian?"
"Um?"
"She wanted to marry Meng Tian, but it wasn't necessarily out of love."
Banban raised his bewildered face.
Meanwhile, at the Chief Secretary's residence.
Gu took the portrait and unfolded it inch by inch.
Although Li You kept saying that he didn't want to look and wasn't interested, his body language betrayed him, and he secretly glanced in that direction.
When the woman's face in the portrait was fully revealed, he was slightly stunned. He hadn't expected Princess Yongning to be so beautiful. His face flushed red, and he ran away in a flash.
The room erupted in laughter.
Gu pointed to the doorway, "You still say it's boring? Did you see his monkey-like face?"
Li Si chuckled happily.
He never imagined that such an honor as marrying a princess would fall upon his family. Who could have imagined that just a few years ago he was an unknown soldier traveling through various countries, and now he is a high-ranking official, able to marry a princess to his son.
For ordinary people, this would be a cause for celebration, and their ancestors would probably be overjoyed.
Little Li Menghua leaned over the table, resting her chin on her hand, looking at the portrait. "Sister-in-law is so beautiful, Mother."
"She is a princess, you should address her as Your Highness, not as sister-in-law," Madam Gu gently instructed, supporting her.
On the artificial hill, Li You sat casually, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, lost in thought.
--"elder brother."
Li Shou suddenly spoke up from the foot of the mountain.
Li You was so startled he almost fell. Seeing who it was, he snapped at him, "What are you doing? Appearing out of nowhere like that, are you trying to scare your brother to death?"
"Your brother is going to marry a princess, aren't you happy?"
"..." Li You scolded him, "Isn't it right that I'm happy about this?"
“But Princess Yongning has someone she loves. Who knows if she’ll be willing to settle down with you? I’ve heard she’s arrogant and has a bad temper. She might cause chaos in the house.” Li Shou said, pursing his lips.
Li You was furious when he heard this. He frowned and scolded his younger brother, "Princess Yongning is a princess, so it's natural for her to be a little arrogant." She is a princess, after all. Isn't that obvious? "Besides, when a princess gets married, she always has to choose a husband and consider several men. This is a lifelong matter and it's quite normal."
"Don't follow others and spread rumors that the princess has someone she loves. That's a despicable act that ruins a woman's reputation."
Li Shou remained silent.
Li You asked loudly, "Did you hear that?"
"I understand!" Li Shou replied even louder.
Ying Zheng attended court for the first time in a long while and frankly stated that he had taken the Queen to Shu a few days ago to visit the Temple of the Divine Physician and praised Lao Ai for handling government affairs properly.
Lao Ai rose and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is too kind. This is the result of discussions between me and everyone else; it is not the work of one person alone."
Upon hearing this, Lü Buwei's expression hardened slightly, and a knowing look crossed his brow.
In the afternoon, Ying Zheng went horseback riding on the northwestern grasslands to relax, accompanied by Lü Buwei.
The two gazed together at the towering snow-capped mountains in the distance and the grasslands that rippled like green waves in the wind. Lü Buwei said, “Does Your Majesty still remember what I told you four years ago? You should just focus on learning how to be a king, and I will protect this world for you.”
"Your Excellency has done a very good job. Over the years, I have not had a single day when I was preoccupied with state affairs or worried about my subjects."
Before Lü Buwei could say anything more, Ying Zheng interrupted, "How is the Prime Minister's 'Lüshi Chunqiu' coming along? I heard the other day that you offered a large reward for its perfection, and it seems that no one can add or subtract a single word."
At this point, Lü Buwei had something to say: "Indeed, no one is more perfect than this book. It is not that I want to become famous throughout the world, but rather that this book is precisely the kind of book I wish to present to Your Majesty."
"Oh?" Ying Zheng paused slightly, then slowly smiled with a hint of doubt. "A gift to me?"
Lü Buwei dismounted and bowed, saying, “Your Majesty is old enough to preside over state affairs. However, being a king is not simply about sitting on a high throne. The ‘Lüshi Chunqiu’ is a collection of the strengths of various schools of thought and is not just one person’s opinion. Please take a look, Your Majesty.”
Ying Zheng's smile vanished, replaced by a cold stare at the bowing prime minister beneath his horse. "Your Excellency firmly believes that Confucianism is the only orthodox school of thought." Moreover, wasn't this a veiled criticism that he was incapable of being a king? The fact that the *Lüshi Chunqiu* was brought up as a subtle comparison with Legalism only irritated Ying Zheng, finding the words grating and irritating.
"I had no such intention. The fact that the various schools of thought have survived to this day means that they have both strengths and weaknesses." Does Legalism have no flaws?
The trip ended unhappily. Although Ying Zheng did not punish him, his displeasure was evident.
Lü Buwei sighed. The young King of Qin already possessed the majesty of a king, which brooked no questioning. He knew very well that the King of Qin disliked him and therefore would not listen to his words.
However, although the "Lüshi Chunqiu" was indeed compiled to teach the King of Qin, he did not even glance at it.
The Chu princess is either dead or in the hands of the King of Qin. His purpose has been exposed. He stood there and watched the scene for a while.
“O strange man, your son is completely different from you, and there is not a single thing he resembles.”
Ying Yiren was weak, while Ying Zheng was tough; these were two extremes.
Half a month later, while Banban and Ying Zheng were having hot pot, Ying Yue came to visit.
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