Thankfully, my cousin is here with her "Ying Zheng-style mini-classroom in session!"...
The next morning, upon waking from her bed, the story of the previous night swept through Banban's mind like a whirlwind. She sat up, still dazed, and pressed her temples.
The swing chain made a creaking sound;
With his body tightly bound, he could hardly breathe and was forced to raise his head like a stranded fish.
He completely controlled the swing's speed and rhythm, its forward and backward movements.
As she swung higher and higher, she panicked and became extremely tense. He held her tightly around the waist, and she couldn't touch or see him. She could only reach back and grab his loose hair.
His neck was being rubbed and nibbled, and an uncontrollable urge spread along her spine. His long, slender eyelashes swept across the skin of her shoulder, leaving one warm, wet mark after another.
Later, he even lifted her up like a child and placed her on the swing, making her stand upright. She was so frightened that her voice broke, and she kept shaking her head, saying no. How could the swing possibly bear the weight of two people standing together?
He said it was made of iron and wouldn't break, trying to coax her not to be afraid.
Banban suddenly snapped back to her senses, gripped the blanket tightly, and pressed her legs together slightly under the blanket, even her toes unconsciously curling up. She silently cursed him as a pervert in her heart.
This seemed to be the first time the two had done that kind of thing outside of their marriage... Although no one dared to peek, the tension and fear brought on by the shame were indescribable.
In particular, he had a perverse sense of humor and insisted on watching her expressions, pinching her chin to force her to raise her cheeks and show him every subtle detail.
He wanted to see everything: the scratching during spasms, the unfocused pupils, the sweat-drenched bangs on his forehead, and even the whimpering sounds that seemed both painful and pleasurable.
If she keeps her mouth shut and refuses to make a sound, he has other methods... all of which are unspeakable.
She was trembling, and he asked her why she was trembling like that.
When she loses control, he will smile and kiss her eyebrows and eyes to help her regain her composure.
Besides asking questions he already knew the answer to, he preferred to guide her to say what he wanted to hear.
She could tell that he hadn't done "that" for a long time and had unlocked a new attribute; she was exhausted, but he didn't even wake up when he went to court... He, on the other hand, was full of energy.
Isn't he an ox that plows the fields? Why doesn't he get tired?
Hearing the commotion, Yun brought in water to help her get up.
Before she could even put on her clothes, she heard her exclamation, "What's wrong?" Her voice was weak and muffled, nasal in tone.
"Are you in pain?" Cong Yun asked cautiously.
"Hmm?" Banban asked with slight doubt. "It doesn't hurt... Do I have any wounds?"
She didn't feel anything, and turned her head to try to see her back.
Cong Yun simply moved the bronze mirror over and placed it on her back. Banban only glanced at it before quickly telling her to move it out and hurriedly put on her undergarments.
"The Queen's skin is like cream, so delicate and tender. It has been like this since she was a child. Even a little force will leave red marks." Cong Yun gently stroked her shoulder with tenderness, thinking to himself that the King was tyrannical and strong. No matter how careful and gentle he was, he would still leave marks on her body, whether light or heavy, let alone if he were to let loose and be unrestrained.
The marks on her back were shocking, a mixture of blue and purple, the shape suggesting they were caused by a hand restraining her. The rest were mostly hickeys and sucking marks. There was no doubt that the king would not intentionally harm her.
Faced with Cong Yun's care and tenderness, Banban felt only embarrassed and ashamed. Actually, she didn't feel any pain, but she looked miserable. That was her skin type, and there was nothing she could do about it.
He wasn't just sucking from the back, he was sucking from the front too...
Last night...the two of them were a bit too unrestrained. In fact, she heard Zhao'er crying in the side hall in the middle of the night. Her cousin was very annoyed and simply covered her ears, saying that there was no need to worry about the wet nurse.
Her moral compass and maternal love were slightly wounded.
After dressing and washing up, she went to the side hall to visit her son.
When the wet nurse saw the queen, she immediately greeted her with a smile and began to talk about the crown prince.
"The Queen and the Crown Prince are of one mind. His Highness has just woken up and is lying quietly after drinking his milk, without crying or fussing."
Banban bent down and saw Zhao'er's big, round eyes. He was sucking his fingers, and after sucking his fingers, he lifted his toes to suck his toes.
That round, chubby face is like a jade plate; it's just so adorable.
Banban poked his forehead with her finger, and he slowly held her index finger without letting go.
"You can hold your mother's hand now, Zhao'er, look here." She waved her other hand, and Zhao'er's eyesight had developed well and was very agile. He looked around and then opened his mouth to smile happily.
"Ah~" Zhao'er mimicked her and made an "ah" sound.
The wet nurse was intrigued. "His Highness the Crown Prince wants to learn to speak like you, but unfortunately, the baby can't speak yet at this age, and he's willing but unable to."
"Is it because my voice hasn't fully developed yet that I can't speak?" Banban didn't know either, so she asked the more knowledgeable wet nurse.
“That’s not true. All babies have their voices already formed in the womb, so they cry when they are born,” the wet nurse explained gently. “They can’t speak because they haven’t heard enough and don’t yet understand what we mean.”
“When a child learns to speak, it’s not just about imitating the shape of our mouths and the sounds we make. For example, when we say ‘mother,’ His Highness doesn’t really understand what ‘mother’ means. When we say ‘dinner,’ he doesn’t understand what ‘dinner’ means either. He has to understand it first before he can learn to say it.”
"This is why children at least one and a half or two years old gradually start to speak."
In short, infants do not have a language system, so they cannot understand or learn. The language center in their brain needs to develop, which also means that they cannot coordinate their mouth, tongue, palate, throat, and breathing. No matter what sounds they make, they sound somewhat clumsy.
"Even so, when the Queen said 'Mother,' His Highness the Crown Prince actually opened his mouth and echoed her. This is enough to prove that His Highness was born intelligent."
In some ways, this is no different from owning a dog...
This metaphor is a bit unethical. Feeling guilty, Banban touched Zhao'er's baby hair, pointed to himself, and said in a slow tone, "Mother."
He indeed couldn't understand, his dark eyes wide open. After a while, he suddenly waved his arms and exclaimed, "Ah~!" He instinctively mimicked the sounds made by the world around him.
Cong Yun rested her chin on her hand, as if looking at a rare animal, and said, "Your Majesty, how old is His Highness the Crown Prince? When you were young, you were also very eager to speak, but you could never speak clearly. Your words were mumbled and unclear, and you would get angry if others couldn't understand you."
That's because their mouth isn't obeying them; they clearly said "I want to eat!" but what came out was #￥%food!
To become a child prodigy, one must actually start by learning to speak.
I don't know how old my cousin was when he started talking. When he was one or two years old, Lü Buwei was apparently still in Handan with King Zhuangxiang.
"Has Lü Buwei already set off?" she asked casually.
Cong Yun nodded, "The day after His Highness's full moon celebration, Lü Buwei's family packed up and set off, and they have probably arrived in Shu by now."
Banban recalled that the last time she went to Sichuan with her cousin, it had only been a week.
The mountain roads were long and the Shu Road was difficult. Back then, when they went to Shu, they had special people to clear the way, which was the fastest in terms of both carriages and efficiency.
Lu Buwei was no longer the prime minister and no longer had the advantages of being a powerful figure, so it took him a month to arrive.
Banban still doesn't know why Lü Buwei, after instigating Chengjiao's rebellion, let him go and allowed him to enter Zhao.
Who is Prince Ziying of Qin...? Could he be Cheng Jiao's child?
Was his move because he thought Ying Zheng would be tyrannical, and he wanted to leave Qin a way out?
As she knew, Hu Hai killed all his brothers and sisters after ascending the throne. Ziying was unlikely to be Ying Zheng's son, so only Cheng Jiao, who had defected to Zhao, remained.
In any case, the new history has overwritten the old history she knew, and only Lü Buwei himself knows what he was thinking.
Things unfolded in the direction predicted by Li Si and his son.
As soon as Lü Buwei landed, before he could even pack his things, he saw the Wei envoy holding the seal of the prime minister in a bamboo-covered area.
Upon seeing Lü Buwei, he immediately knelt down respectfully and raised the seal of office to invite him to Wei.
"The King of Qin is cruel and ungrateful; how could he treat the Prime Minister like this!"
Lü Buwei sighed deeply, waved his hand to let Gu Shi and the child enter the mansion first, then turned to the Wei envoy, "Why did the Wei envoy have to go to such lengths? I will not accept this seal of office. You may leave."
"As for being ungrateful? In truth, His Majesty has treated me with the utmost kindness and righteousness."
After saying that, he turned and went inside.
Wei hurriedly crawled two steps on his knees, turned his head and stared at the person beside him.
"My lord, I have already inquired and found that other states have also sent envoys to Qin. The crown prince of Han has even come in person, determined to win over Lü Buwei. We must not let them."
"That tiny piece of land, Korea, dares to contend with our Wei Kingdom?" The Wei envoy was unwilling to give up, his eyes lowered as he stared at the gate of the mansion.
"Oh my, isn't this a Wei person? They've arrived quickly, aren't they? Waiting for them to come to them?"
The two of them turned around at the same time.
The arrogant and mocking words were directed at none other than Guo Kai, causing the two men to change color.
"You got turned away, didn't you?" Guo Kai said arrogantly. "The master won't let you in. According to me, Wei and Han are not much different, so how come Han is considered a tiny place? That's ridiculous."
"You!" Wei Shi stood up abruptly, his finger trembling as he pointed at Guo Kai's nose, "Guo Kai!"
"Sigh, I'm here." Guo Kai shrugged and gave him a perfunctory bow.
"Don't be so smug!" The Wei envoy wasn't stupid either. "You, Guo Kai, are the Prime Minister of Zhao. If the King of Zhao wants to win over Lü Buwei to Zhao, he needs the position of Prime Minister. Are you willing to give up your Prime Minister's seat to someone else? I don't believe it."
"Oh? I'd love to." Guo Kai grinned, which was infuriating. "I'd love to, of course I'd love to."
"Who is Lü Buwei? Can he be an ordinary person? If we can invite him to Zhao, what does it matter if we have to give up our position as prime minister?"
"Once my Zhao Kingdom recruits such a fierce general, the small lands bordering it will be the first to be destroyed." Although Guo Kai was chuckling, his eyes were fierce as he stared intently at the Wei envoy.
The Wei envoy's face suddenly turned pale. "You—you—"
"You keep working hard here. When you enter Shu, you should take a good rest and explore the area," Guo Kai laughed again. "We made contact with Mr. Lü Buwei a few days ago. Unlike the Wei envoy, who is so pitiful. As a subject of a country, he has to kneel down in the street and beg for the seal of office. Tsk tsk tsk."
He shook his head and left happily.
Guo Kai got into the carriage and spat at him, "He's just Lü Buwei, what's so special about him!"
A bystander cautiously suggested, "Prime Minister, are we really going to present the Prime Minister's seal to Lü Buwei?"
"Am I stupid? If I show him the seal of office, what if he really comes to Zhao? Will I still have a place in Zhao?" Guo Kai thought for a moment and his face darkened. "It's all Li Mu's fault, and that damned Zhao You. His wholehearted recommendation of Lü Buwei is a sign that he looks down on me, Guo Kai."
"So what should we do?"
Guo Kai's eyes darted around, and a good idea came to him. He immediately sat up straight. "If we can't invite Lü Buwei, the king will be angry. If we can invite him, I'll be in trouble. Neither way is good. It would be better to kill him."
"This...?" The person didn't understand.
"Do you even know how to use someone else to do your dirty work?" Guo Kai smiled slyly. "I know the King of Qin's temperament best. When envoys from various states come to Qin to invite Lü Buwei, do you think he'll have a good time?"
"Send out the order to bribe some people to spread rumors that Lü Buwei invited envoys from various countries to have a long talk for two days and had a very pleasant conversation with them."
In less than half a month, the news reached Xianyang.
Banban was watering the Riri Spring flowers when she heard the rumors.
That's like stabbing Ying Zheng in the lungs!
Just a few days ago, Wei Liao said that Qin was in the most dangerous situation and that it should be wary of the alliance of states to attack Qin. Lü Buwei then had a long talk with them. Even though he trusted Lü Buwei's loyalty to Qin, he was forced to become suspicious.
Given the national crisis at stake, how could he, as the King of Qin, not be on guard?
Qia Lisi suggested that Lü Buwei be given a cup of poisoned wine to kill him, so as to eliminate future troubles.
Banban poured tea for him, when suddenly a loud 'bang' was heard. It turned out that Ying Zheng, in his rage, had smashed the brush holder on the ground, making a loud noise.
His face was also dark, and his expression was unpredictable.
Banban snatched the secret report from his hand, which read: "The envoys of the six states all held the seal of the prime minister and requested Lü Buwei to preside over the military and political affairs of the states."
How long can Lü Buwei refuse?
"These states are going too far! Do they want me to relocate Lü Buwei again and again? Where else can I relocate him?"
Lu Buwei was a ticking time bomb in life.
Banban hesitated, "What Li Si said makes sense. If Lü Buwei doesn't die, how can we appease the people of Qin?"
These days, the newly reformed court and the public have heard about the events in Shu, and everyone is in a state of fear, worried that the six states will unite against Qin because of Lü Buwei.
“I won’t kill him.” Ying Zheng leaned back and closed his eyes. “The rumors circulating in Xianyang these days have been exaggerated and deliberately spread. Someone wants me to kill him with my own hands.” He glanced at his cousin with a mocking and annoyed look. “But I will not be anyone’s weapon!”
Banban quickly figured out the key to this: "It's Guo Kai."
Seemingly stuck in a predicament, she gently put her arms around his neck and comforted him, saying there was always a way.
Ying Zheng stroked the inside of her wrist, glancing out the window.
Half a month later, Qin Ju was ordered to make a trip to Shu.
When Lü Buwei heard that Qin Ju had come to visit, he came out to open the door himself. He subconsciously looked at the street outside but did not see the king's carriage.
Qin Ju was led inside, exchanged a few pleasantries with Lü Buwei, and then took out a letter from his bosom. "This was written by the King himself, who instructed me to deliver it to you, sir."
Lü Buwei paused slightly, then went straight to open the envelope, but Qin Ju interrupted him with a sentence: "His Majesty has already read the 'Lüshi Chunqiu' written by you, sir."
"Was it the Queen who advised him?" Lü Buwei asked with a frank smile.
"Indeed, it has some connection with the Queen." Qin Ju smiled. "The King loves the Queen dearly and only listens to her."
"Sir, your insistence on His Majesty absorbing the knowledge of various schools of thought is putting His Majesty in a difficult position. You are well aware of the state of Qin."
Lü Buwei sighed, "At least I can understand it now. It seems I should thank the Queen properly." He had underestimated that little girl from back then.
Qin Ju: "I will convey your words to the Queen."
"Are you leaving?" Lü Buwei asked in surprise, and quickly stood up.
Qin Ju bowed slightly. "I am busy with palace affairs and cannot stay any longer. His Majesty's words are all in this letter. I hope you will read it carefully."
"Is there anything else you wish to convey to Your Majesty?"
Lu Buwei hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "Please take care of yourself, Your Majesty."
After watching Qin Ju leave, Lü Buwei quickly walked back. When he arrived at the study, his breathing was already unsteady. He stopped and slightly raised his arm, took off his wide sleeves, and sat down seriously, opening the letter.
The letter was not thick, but it was not thin either. This was probably the first time the King of Qin had spoken so much to him, and it must have been his true feelings.
The first line of text that caught Lü Buwei's eye stunned him.
[Seeing this letter is like seeing you in person. Is my father well?]
[Since Shang Yang's reforms, the Qin state established a Legalist system of governance based on agriculture and warfare. Although the penal laws were severe, their aim was to maximize the people's potential for warfare...]
"What is farming and warfare?" Banban asked, indicating that her cousin's class had started. She listened attentively with wide eyes, not wanting to miss a single detail.
"During the reign of Duke Xiao of Qin, Shang Jun implemented reforms. He once said, 'The prosperity of a nation depends on agriculture and warfare.' Ying Zheng placed a chess piece down. 'If you want your country to be prosperous and strong, people only need to do two things.'"
"Either farm or fight. Commerce cannot make the country rich. The real purpose of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce is to make farming and war possible. Whether it is an ordinary person or a noble, military merit is calculated based on the number of heads killed and land is increased based on the amount of wasteland reclaimed. So if you want to live a rich life, go to the wasteland to farm. If you want to get promoted, go to the battlefield to kill people."
"Using the simplest system of promotion based on headcount can mobilize the fighting spirit of the people. Under such circumstances, the soldiers of Qin are invincible and their potential is stimulated like never before." Banban seemed to be thinking to herself. She had always thought that the people of Qin were good at fighting because they were strong.
Ying Zheng nodded, then said, "This leads to another serious problem."
"If people are so belligerent, the general public will become more violent, which is a drawback. It is common for people to fight and kill each other. How can we solve this problem?"
Banban paused for a moment, his mind involuntarily turning to the almost perversely harsh laws of the Qin state: if one person in a row of streets committed murder, the entire row of people would be implicated and beheaded.
"Should there be legislation to regulate this, rewards for whistleblowers, and penalties for cover-ups?"
Ying Zheng said, "Let the people keep an eye on the people related to them every day and prevent them from violating the Qin law. This is the simplest and most convenient approach."
"But as a result, all the people are in a state of tension and high pressure every day. They start to worry and fear as soon as they wake up in the morning, afraid that their neighbors will disobey and make mistakes, which will lead to their whole family being beheaded." Such things are commonplace.
When she first arrived in Qin, she never saw the people of Xianyang living a happy life. Although the Qin people had an unprecedented level of cohesion, they were not particularly happy.
"Therefore, people under stress and pressure can kill on the battlefield to vent their anger and even win military merits; those who want to be rich can cultivate wasteland, and the land they cultivate belongs to them," Ying Zheng said slowly.
Goodness, isn't this a perfect cycle?
This is the peasant war!
As for the happiness of the people, it had nothing to do with the rulers of Qin. They were just one of the thousands of cogs in the Qin war machine; if they were damaged, they could be replaced with new ones.
The name "tyrannical Qin" originated from this.
Whoever becomes the King of Qin can be called a tyrant.
“We have always done this since the founding of our nation,” Ying Zheng said. “The reason why Great Qin can conquer other states in the east is precisely because of its agricultural and military strength. This is not just my opinion, so why should we change it? At least before unification, the agricultural and military strategy must not be changed.”
"Everyone criticizes Qin's laws as harsh and inhumane. But if we use Confucian benevolent governance, Daoist non-action, or Mohist non-aggression, which of these can stop the Qin people's internal strife and civil war?"
"Confucianism emphasizes benevolence and propriety, but how can we quickly strengthen the nation? I fear that we will fall behind in the competition with other countries and be destroyed. Falling behind means being vulnerable to attack!"
The last words spoken by Ying Zheng sent a shiver down Banban's spine.
"The Taoist principle of non-action is unsustainable. Can the Mohists stop the warring states' desire to attack? Wherever there are people, there will be war. This has been the case since ancient times. It all depends on who can defeat whom."
"Moreover, Qin and Zhao are sworn enemies. If we cannot unify the states as quickly as possible, we are giving other states time to recuperate and grow stronger. Giving them time is the only way to eliminate ourselves." Ying Zheng said, his smile gone, replaced by a resolute ruthlessness. "Therefore, the Legalist approach, with agriculture and warfare at its core, is the fastest, most efficient, and safest policy."
"Lü Buwei was too lenient, dedicated to giving the people a chance to recuperate and thrive, and also promoted cultural integration, opposed the Qin king's autocracy, and even said that the world does not belong to one person, but to all the people. How out of step with the times this was!"
"If we have the opportunity to unify the country, the remnants of the six states will all submit to our Great Qin, and there will be room for improvement in all the unreasonable aspects. We can allow the people to recuperate and rebuild; we can also use benevolent governance to unite the people. None of these are problems."
"But is it now? In times of war, talking about benevolent governance is laughable."
"Lü Buwei's 'Lüshi Chunqiu' is very good, and I may use it in the future, but it is not applicable to the current Qin state. I can understand this principle, but he can't? Does he really think that I just look down on everything he has because of prejudice?"
Ying Zheng was lonely and isolated, often having nowhere and being unable to express his innermost thoughts. Fortunately, he had his cousin by his side, who allowed him to vent his dissatisfaction and resentment at being misunderstood without restraint.
-----------------------
Author's note: Here we go.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com