Chapter 47 Thinking of Me at Night (Part 2) "Sleeping by myself tonight"...
The queen never entered the room; she only lingered briefly in the corridor, spoke a few words with the King of Qin, and then left in a grand and leisurely manner with her entourage.
Han Ke dared not slacken his pace and knelt down again, exchanging a glance with Empress Dowager Xia across the distance. Empress Dowager Xia's expression was not good, and it was unknown what she was thinking.
Both of them were equally somber.
The queen's figure disappeared, and everything behind her became quiet.
Shoes were not allowed inside the Qin Palace, so one walked on the spotless floor in complete silence.
But Han Ke knew that the King of Qin had arrived, and she heard a long sigh.
Her shoulders and neck tightened. "Your Majesty, Han Ke..."
"You don't need to say anything more. I will make my own judgment on right and wrong." The King of Qin's voice was nonchalant. He gently beckoned, and two guards in full armor entered. "Stay in the Qin Palace. With Empress Dowager Xia here, the people in the palace will not mistreat you."
Han Ke was startled and quickly stood up. Sure enough, the guards, each holding a long spear, stood tall and imposing in front of him, exuding an impressive aura.
Is this an attempt to imprison her?!
Han Ke had no choice. He bit his lip, glanced at the King of Qin, and got up to leave with the two guards.
"Alas—" Empress Dowager Xia was naturally unable to stop it and could only watch as Han Ke was taken away.
As soon as Han Ke left, Empress Dowager Xia's face turned unbearably ugly.
Ying Zheng seemed not to notice and smiled slightly, "Grandmother, this concerns matters of national importance, so I must be careful. If Miss Han is innocent, she will not be afraid to investigate, right?"
Empress Dowager Xia knew, of course, that Han Ke was innocent. Those policy proposals were developed by Han Ke and other talented scholars. Although they were not entirely her ideas, she participated in the entire research process and also put forward many of her own thoughts.
In short, the strategy of "befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones" was originally proposed by Fan Sui, the prime minister of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, during his reign. It was not a secret; the specific strategy was simply adjusted according to the current state of Qin.
King Qin was eager to find talented people, so Queen Dowager Xia prescribed the right medicine. She would not simply recommend a beautiful but brainless woman. A woman without knowledge and skills is destined not to be favored for long. Like a flower that blooms and fades, she knows best what will happen after her time.
For example, Queen Ji Chengyin of Qin was said to dislike studying and only studied sporadically. If it weren't for the King of Qin himself teaching her to read and write, she wouldn't have listened.
This reveals the Ji family's many schemes. They have been trying to match her with the King of Qin since she was a child, which shows their ulterior motives. The Ji family already has a queen and an empress dowager, and they are truly ambitious and want to cultivate another one!
It was also because the King of Qin taught her from a young age that, despite her seemingly naive and innocent appearance, she was actually very guarded, intelligent, and alert, and not easily fooled.
She didn't like Cheng Jiao calling her "sister" this and "sister" that.
Yang Jiang had been trying to get close to her since she first entered the palace, and it took her so many years to finally get along with her. At the crucial moment, she was even turned against her by the Queen.
Yang Jiang is no longer following Empress Dowager Xia's arrangements, which is infuriating.
What could Empress Dowager Xia say?
"What Your Majesty is worried about is..." She swallowed her anger, a relieved smile on her face.
The King of Qin was not easily fooled. He had just called her Empress Dowager Xia, but now that it was time to deceive people, he knew to call her his grandmother.
She was his own mother.
As he watched Empress Dowager Xia leave the council hall, the lingering smile on Ying Zheng's face gradually faded. He was expressionless, his gaze sharp. "Summon Li Si to the palace for an audience."
Qin Ju responded and sent someone out of the palace.
Li Si was compiling books with Lü Buwei at the Prime Minister's residence when he received the summons and hesitated. Lü Buwei said, "Perhaps His Majesty has something important to discuss, or perhaps he wants to hear interesting stories from the various states."
Upon hearing this, Li Si found it reasonable and put down his letter, politely inviting, "Prime Minister, why don't we go together?"
Lü Buwei shook his head. "Go ahead, I have a lot to do." Besides, the King of Qin hadn't summoned him, and he had already attracted the King's attention.
After Li Si left, Lü Buwei put down his books and glanced at the servant beside him, "Has something happened in the palace?"
The servant inquired and said, "No, but I saw Empress Dowager Xia bring a beautiful woman to the council hall to pay her respects to the king. Later, the queen also went there."
“…” Lu Buwei shook his head, “This queen is young and extremely jealous.”
In his opinion, the King of Qin should marry more women from the Chu and Han families, preferably with children. Although the threat of maternal relatives is great, using marriage alliances can also bring them closer together, making the throne more secure.
The Queen caused a scene at Huayang Palace, but the King of Qin was not angry.
Ji Changyue was quite jealous at first, but she never stopped Zichu from taking concubines. Instead, she frequently suppressed any concubines who stood out in the harem.
Since the state of Han is weak, it would be better for the King of Qin to marry a woman from the state of Chu.
The fact that Lord Huayang's daughter was not qualified was all due to Lady Huayang's selfishness.
Lü Buwei pondered, "The Chu princess is over sixteen, which is the perfect age for marriage."
A retainer standing nearby laughed, “The Prime Minister is wholeheartedly thinking of the King.” If the King of Qin could gain the full support of the Chu faction, his power would increase by more than just a little. “He also wants to support the Chu faction, but Empress Dowager Huayang doesn’t know what’s good for him.”
Empress Dowager Huayang looked down on Lü Buwei, considering him to be of merchant origin.
"These words are only meant to be spoken in my own residence. If they get out and others hear them, I won't be able to save you," Lü Buwei said jokingly, gesturing towards the retainer.
The retainer chuckled and said he would never go out and spread rumors.
Qin Palace, Council Hall.
Li Si was led inside. King Zheng of Qin sat on the edge of the map of the six states, humming a tune. He had never heard this tune before, but he had heard that the King and Queen of Qin were both skilled in music and would compose songs together in private. He figured it was one of his own compositions.
"Your subject Li Si greets Your Majesty." Li Si knelt and bowed respectfully.
"No need for formalities, please rise, esteemed guest." The King of Qin warmly invited him to sit down. "The Queen's newly developed fruit tea is refreshing and invigorating. I invite you to taste it with me."
The King of Qin treated all his talented ministers equally, regardless of their rank or title, and always respected and valued them. He never put on airs as a monarch and would even humbly seek their advice.
Although Li Si was frequently treated this way, he understood the way of a minister. The king was polite, but you can't be too formal. He bowed again before cautiously sitting down next to the King of Qin.
"This fruit tea smells so good." He had just sat down when he smelled the refreshing fruity aroma in the air.
"Try it quickly," the King of Qin said with a smile.
The cup contained a pale orange tea, with water droplets spreading across its sides. Apart from the steeped, dark-colored tea leaves, a piece of orange peel lay at the bottom of the cup. "This is... a citrus fruit?"
"Your Excellency has a keen eye." The King of Qin clapped his hands and laughed. "The Queen has a clever idea. She sliced the sour citrus and squeezed out the juice, boiled it at high temperature, mixed it with fresh honey and fine sugar and mashed it into a paste. She then stored it in a porcelain bottle. If you want to drink it, you can brew tea properly, add a spoonful of this paste, stir it well, and it will be sweet and sour."
Li Si took a sip; it was refreshingly sweet and sour, with a rich tea aroma. This tea was served cold, and adding ice made it even better.
He was greatly surprised, "Good tea, good tea, the best tea to beat the summer heat."
"Wine-flavored cakes, crispy mountains, stir-fried dishes in an iron pot, snow-covered clouds... The Queen's ingenious ideas are truly admirable." Li Si meant this seriously.
The King of Qin was naturally pleased to hear his ministers praising his wife. "She hasn't been named yet. What good ideas do you have, my esteemed guest?"
Li Si glanced at the porcelain jar next to him, which was indeed filled with tea syrup. He opened the lid, and a golden luster came into view. In the pale golden syrup, he could vaguely see strips of fruit peel and pulp.
After a moment's thought, he said, "Golden Calendula Ointment."
"This tea paste is the color of a golden cup and as thick as jade cream. When diluted with water, its sweet aroma dissolves into the water."
The King of Qin said, "Although it fits well, it is not enough to show the preciousness of this tea. The Queen has been busy all afternoon and has only made half a porcelain jar."
So Li Si thought about it again, and this time he said something that met the King of Qin's requirements: "Qiongju wine. It is taken from the poem 'You gave me a peach, I returned a precious jade pendant,' which is extremely precious and can highlight the Queen's virtue."
The King of Qin was amused for some reason and nodded in approval of the name. "Then let's call it Qiongju Drink. The Queen suggested Honey Citrus Tea, but I rejected it, and she was not very happy about it."
This is a family matter of the King of Qin. Li Si was also very happy that the King of Qin was willing to talk about it, which proved that the King of Qin was willing to be close to him. "The Queen is pure of heart, which can also be seen from the name she chose. People with pure hearts are often kind and approachable, and they care about the suffering of all people in the world."
"Your Majesty, I am delighted that the Qin state has such a queen; it is truly a blessing for the people."
Li Si was adept at flattery; he knew what the King of Qin wanted to hear, and so he said it.
The King of Qin waved his hand helplessly, "The Queen is childish, but she is not as bad as the guest minister said. If she were here and heard you praising her like that, she would be so happy that she couldn't sleep at night."
Li Si was curious about the Queen of Qin. The last time they met was when he was painting a picture of beauties from various states and presenting it to the King of Qin. Suddenly, the Queen arrived, and the King of Qin hurriedly stuffed the painting into a scroll. He didn't know what happened after that.
"Judging a person's heart by their name, Your Majesty, why should you be modest on behalf of the Queen?" Li Si said with a smile.
The King of Qin smiled, seemingly satisfied, and then changed the subject, "I wonder what kind of woman your wife is?"
The King of Qin loved to hear interesting stories from the various states. He had just turned eighteen and still had a childlike heart, full of curiosity about everything.
“My wife is also from Chu,” Li Si inquired. “Has Your Majesty heard of the Yunmeng Marsh in Chu?”
"I have read about it in the book. It describes it as a secret place in a bamboo forest, with streams and rocks, and a warm climate all year round, making it a very livable place. The guest minister's wife lived in Yunmeng Marsh."
“Indeed.” Li Si smiled as he mentioned his wife. “My wife has given me three sons and a daughter. She has worked hard and made great contributions. Now that I am serving the King in Qin, she can also enjoy a life of comfort.”
"Oh?" The King of Qin became interested. "How old is the guest minister's son now? He must have inherited his father's talent, and it is not impossible for him to serve as an official in the court in the future."
"My eldest son is named Li You. He is seventeen years old now. He is mediocre in literature and is a barbarian. He is keen on martial arts. I really want to let him join the army to gain some experience."
“My second son, Li Shou, is no more than twelve years old, and my third son, Li Zhi, is nine years old. Neither of them can compare to my eldest son.”
"My daughter, Li Menghua, is only six years old. In my spare time, I teach her to recognize a few characters. The rest of the time, she sings and dances with my wife."
The King of Qin listened attentively, "Li You is already seventeen, is he married yet?"
Li Si's heart skipped a beat. "No, not at all." Could it be that the King of Qin was going to arrange a marriage for him?
Upon hearing this, the King of Qin was immediately delighted. "Excellent! Today I met a woman of great talent from the state of Han. She is outstanding in both appearance and ability, and is a perfect match for the eldest son of the guest minister."
Li Si was overwhelmed with gratitude and quickly bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am truly flattered."
"What's so special about that?" King Qin chuckled casually, leaning down to look at the kneeling minister before him, his gaze sweeping over him with interest. "Her name is Han Ke, a fine name."
"I feel that she is a good match for the eldest son of the guest minister, and there are some reasons for that."
Korean guest?
Li Si pondered the name in his heart, but after thinking it over, he had never heard of it before. "I would like to ask Your Majesty to explain."
King Qin stared at Li Si's expression for a few seconds, then readily agreed, "She suggested that I implement a strategy of befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones, forming alliances with Yan and Qi, attacking the three Jin states, and finally conquering Chu."
As soon as the phrase "befriend distant states while attacking nearby ones" was uttered, Li Si was stunned. "This strategy was first proposed by Fan Sui, the strategist of King Zhaoxiang..." He then realized what was going on, "I am guilty. When I traveled around the states, I also advised and promoted this strategy of mine many times, but I did not know any Han women or Han guests."
"It was spread in the State of Qi, wasn't it?"
Li Si's spine tightened instantly. "Your Majesty has discerning eyes."
He quickly explained, “Qi was once the hegemon of the six states and frequently invaded other states. However, since Qin united with other states to resist Qi, Qi’s truly talented ministers were executed, and the state gradually fell silent. I did not come to Qin at first, but I did stay in Qi for quite some time.”
"However, Qi has no good ministers below and no wise ruler above, so it is not a country worth serving, and therefore I left."
How did the King of Qin find out?
Almost no one remembers this story.
Or perhaps it's just a guess?
Li Si raised his head slightly, and the instant he met the calm gaze of the King of Qin, he understood that he was not merely guessing.
Could it be that the woman from Han was from Qi...? If so, the King of Qin would suspect that she was a spy from Qi.
The states were wary of each other and never formed a lasting alliance. It was common for them to send spies to infiltrate the courts of other states. It is believed that the Qin state also sent many spies to infiltrate the states.
He just followed the King of Qin's words and revealed all his family background, including where his hometown was and his children.
The King of Qin had already become suspicious of him, and Li Si secretly resented this, for it was truly an undeserved disaster.
He was both alarmed by the King of Qin's cunning and, at the same time, a desire to submit arose in his heart.
"If you say this, it means you truly want to stay in Qin."
"Yes." Li Si bowed again.
The King of Qin sighed, stood up, and gently patted his shoulder. "Very good. I also admire your talent, my guest minister, and wish to employ you."
"The Queen was curious about Yunmengze, but in recent years the relationship between Qin and Chu has been tense. As the Queen, she could not easily step out of the Qin border. So she had to ask the family of the guest minister to come to the palace to accompany her."
Li Si suddenly raised his head, "Your Majesty...?"
“No need to worry,” the King of Qin smiled slightly, seemingly lost in thought. “The youngest daughter of the guest minister is about six years old, which is about the same age as the Queen’s brother. They will surely get along well.”
As the saying goes, "give a stick and then a sweet date," he was implying that if he was innocent, he should agree to the Queen's brother marrying Li Si's daughter, so that he could become the Qin foreign relative that Lü Buwei wanted to be.
"Please stay, my guest, and have a long talk with me. I still have many interesting things about the countries that I want to know. You don't need to worry about where you stay in the palace; I will make sure you are comfortable."
Li Si calmed down and said, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your kindness."
The fact that the King of Qin wanted to investigate and test him only shows that he really wanted to employ him, but he encountered some problems. Li Si was upright and honest and was not afraid of being investigated.
Ying Zheng finished his work when it was already dark. Remembering that he needed to return to Zhaoyang Palace for a meal, he sent someone to place Li Si in a detached palace near Xianyang Palace and ordered him to be strictly guarded to prevent him from sending any messages out.
Back at Zhaoxin Palace, the Queen was extremely busy.
Banban was filled with resentment. As soon as she saw Ying Zheng return, she raised her hand to hit him. "I went out to play for a little while, and my cousin sent someone to call me back. What a spoilsport!"
"You want to bring my wife to live in the palace? That's bothering me! How annoying!"
It was more than just "to bring my wife to live in the palace." Banban hurriedly returned to the palace after receiving the king's order. Li Si's wife and children were sitting in Zhaoyang Hall, looking bewildered and nervous.
It wasn't much better than that.
"It was my fault, things happened so suddenly." Ying Zheng apologized to his wife with a gentle smile, then took her inside and explained the situation to her in detail.
After listening to the whole thing slowly, Banban was the first to explode with excitement.
"Why are you so annoying? Is it an eyesore that Your Majesty only has one queen?" Banban persisted, feeling extremely wronged, angry and anxious.
Seeing that she was furious and about to take her anger out on someone, Ying Zheng quickly said that he hadn't even looked at her twice and that it was all just suspicion.
The anger welled up inside him, leaving him with a sense of frustration, as if his words had been anticipated.
"..." She was bewildered. "How did my cousin guess that Li Si's strategy was leaked in Qi?"
Ying Zheng helped his cousin to a seat. "Although it all originated from Fan Sui's ideas, there's nothing difficult to summarize about the strategy of befriending distant states and attacking nearby ones. But everyone has their own insights. It's quite remarkable that someone can say the same thing as Li Si word for word."
“I’m sure Han Ke overheard it, and it’s also because she said that I have a close relationship with Ji Dan.”
Banban was also a little confused when she heard this.
Looking back on his childhood, what exactly was the relationship between his cousin and Prince Dan?
It seemed that the two of them were on good terms, and they often sparred and played together. On the surface, they did seem to have a good relationship. However, the cousin was never one to extend his love to everything associated with the person he loved; he only hated everything associated with the person he loved.
Li Xie, a key figure by Prince Dan's side, meant that his cousin could not possibly be without resentment towards Prince Dan.
They can still play together, but there's still profit to be made. After all, Prince Dan is the Crown Prince, and the things he can see and experience are incomparable to those of Zhao Zheng, a hostage son.
Moreover, what were Prince Dan's true intentions in allowing Li Xie to repeatedly bully his cousin? Was he truly innocent? Probably not.
Ying Zheng was still speaking, and Banban listened intently, his ears tucked in.
"Among them, Han Ke proposed an alliance between the states of Qi and Yan."
"It is easy for Ji Dan to form an alliance with Yan because of our close relationship. However, when it comes to Qi, she says she has not figured out how to take on this tough nut."
"Since she was able to come up with the strategy of befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones, perhaps she only heard it from others. But the fact that she dared to say it and wasn't afraid of being exposed shows that she can also understand the subtleties of it. This shows that she has some talent, and that she is not so incapable of giving any guesses. This is undoubtedly to avoid suspicion."
“Then the State of Qi is the key. I used this to test Li Si, and sure enough, I found the answer right away. Li Si dared not lie to me.”
Banban pursed her lips, "Cousin wouldn't have locked Li Si up in the detached palace, would he?"
"how?"
“The palace is hot and sunny, with no trees or buildings to block the heat. It’s unbearably stuffy at night, and I’m afraid he won’t be able to sleep well.” Banban said, calling someone over to bring two more basins of ice to the palace. “Since Li Si didn’t lie, is he innocent? We shouldn’t treat him harshly. I’m worried he might harbor resentment towards his cousin.”
Ying Zheng praised her, saying, "The Queen is virtuous."
He said to Qin Ju, "Why don't you hurry up and go take a look? Make it clear that it's the Queen's thoughtfulness."
Banban glared at him and shooed him away. "After you've had your meal, cousin, go ahead and have a long talk. I'll also take Li Si's wife to the side hall to rest." She added with a hint of sourness, "I've given him plenty of face. Sigh, I wonder what Yunmengze is really like? I've heard that bamboo shoots from bamboo are delicious, crisp and refreshing."
And giant pandas...
Banban's eyes lit up. "Cousin, do you know of a type of cat that lives on bamboo? I want one!"
My cousin's mind is indeed unpredictable; she jumped between three topics in one sentence.
Fortunately, Ying Zheng was able to keep up.
"Could my cousin be referring to a Pixiu?"
"Pixiu?" Banban was bewildered and didn't know what Pixiu looked like. "The cat I'm talking about is very big, with black paws and black eye circles. The rest of its fur is white. It is timid by nature and easily frightened, but it is very strong. It eats wood or bamboo."
Ying Zheng nodded in agreement, "I'll ask Li Si, and if there are any, I'll definitely send someone to catch one for you to raise."
"My cousin is the best." Banban said to him affectionately, hugging his neck and trying to kiss him, but he couldn't reach him. He was too tall, and she couldn't touch his lips at all. Even standing on tiptoe didn't work.
Ying Zheng's eyes lit up with a smile. He bent down to stroke her soft hair and kissed her close.
Rou Rou accepted the kiss, and Ying Zheng cupped her smiling face, then kissed her cheeks and forehead again, "Tonight you will rest alone, so let Qian Yin and Cong Yun come into the room to keep you company."
Since they got married a year ago, the two have never slept in separate rooms. Whenever she has menstrual cramps, her cousin will even rub her stomach and hold her while she sleeps.
The sudden decision to separate for one night left them both feeling a little reluctant.
"Then you'd better think of me." Banban poked his chest, her words carrying a hidden meaning.
"I live with my subjects, why would I miss you?" Ying Zheng said deliberately. "Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"
“…I didn’t mean that kind of thinking.” Banban exclaimed, her cheeks flushed, and turned away from him, “I’m not talking to you anymore.”
Ying Zheng smiled but remained silent, and in the end, the two did not eat dinner together.
On the way to the detached palace, Ying Zheng held the hilt of the Qin King's sword, measuring the blade with his eyes, and suddenly felt that it was a little short for him.
It would be even more imposing and powerful if it were longer, and more capable of wielding the sword to kill.
He unsheathed the sword and casually examined the Qin King's Sword. He had used this sword to kill countless people, including personally beheading some. The Qin King's Sword was indeed easy to use, sharp and handy.
His cousin had also given him a sword, which she had bought for his birthday when he was a child. It hadn't been used for many years, and compared to the Qin King's sword, it looked just like a wooden sword.
He carefully preserved that sword in the sword pavilion.
Thinking of this, if I melted down that sword and forged the Qin King's sword to be longer, I could carry both my cousin's sword and the Qin King's sword with me every day, killing two birds with one stone.
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