"Going out of the palace to play, 'The King of Qin with his children, how novel!'"...
Next, we listened to a stage play together, but Queen Zhao was distracted.
Yang Man knew from Banban's expression that she had done the right thing; that was exactly what she meant.
In just a few moments, she figured out what Ying Zheng and Banban, the young couple, were up to.
This is how it is among nations; they always sabotage each other.
In the year that Ying Zheng first ascended the throne, the Huayang Palace Coup occurred. The turmoil on Chengjiao's side was immense, and there were signs of involvement from many states.
The State of Chu intervened, and the State of Wei also had its own agenda. If it weren't for Meng Ao's presence, they might have really stirred up trouble.
The State of Qi was once a hegemon among the states. The two years after the death of the King of Qi were not peaceful in the State of Qi. Fortunately, she gave birth to a legitimate son that year, which stabilized the situation.
The transition of power is the most vulnerable time for upheaval, and whether the old ministers are willing to submit to the new ruler is another matter entirely.
Therefore, if you want to destabilize the states, the most bloodless strategy is to tamper with the crown princes.
Yang Man glanced at Queen Zhao without leaving a trace, then smiled and said, "These actors are quite ingenious. I've never heard of anything like it before. It sounds like they're singing the illustrated book 'The Story of Yangchun Pavilion' that you and I saw years ago?"
"You still remember?" Banban waved her hand, signaling for someone to refill their tea. "This is milk tea, with citrus pulp steamed with honey inside. Try it."
"I don't know what kind of fruit Empress Zhao likes, so I've prepared all sorts of flavors, including crabapple, peach, and apricot. Why don't you try them?"
"What a novel way to make it! There are shops selling it in Handan too. I've ordered the palace chefs to learn how to make it, and I'll have to satisfy my craving every few days," Queen Zhao said with a smile. "But I've never tried the apricot variety before."
The palace servant then poured her a hot bowl of jujube milk tea. The steaming tea released a delicate tea aroma that blended perfectly with the milk, leaving a lingering and delightful aftertaste.
Banban smiled at her.
After the stage play ended, the three ladies chatted for a long time about how to raise infants, until the moon set and the play ended in the main hall, which in turn ended here as well.
A ruler of a country cannot spend the night in another country; the risk is too high, especially in a territory like Qin.
After another round of farewells, Banban let out a long sigh of relief. Cong Yun entered the palace and whispered something in her ear. Only then did she learn that Qin Ju had been punished by Ying Zheng with twenty strokes of the cane. The Qin people were strong and powerful; how could they survive twenty strokes?
She was shocked and hurriedly asked her to go check on Qin Ju.
Ying Zheng and Lord Changping were talking outside Xianyang Palace. Lord Changping advised, "Your Majesty should not punish Qin Ju in public today. Wouldn't that make you a laughing stock?"
"I didn't consider that much," Ying Zheng said, his expression unreadable.
Lord Changping choked, not knowing how to reply. The Qin people were always unconventional and straightforward, which was quite a sign of the collapse of etiquette and music compared to the Zhou emperor and the other states.
But King Zheng of Qin was not without cunning; he couldn't very well scold him. Lord Changping asked gently, "I wonder what mistake Qin Ju has made? Perhaps His Majesty is in a fit of anger and cannot care about such things."
Lord Changping was the prime minister, and Ying Zheng picked up on the simplest explanation, "How can I not punish him? If everyone below acts like this, wouldn't it confuse the public and destabilize the state?"
Lord Changping paused for a moment, then sighed, “He certainly deserves to be punished. However, Qin Ju has been with Your Majesty since childhood, and he has weathered all kinds of storms with you. Even if he has not made any great contributions, he has certainly worked hard. He made a mistake for a moment, so just discipline him. Please don’t get too angry.”
Ying Zheng gave a faint "hmm" and did not refute him.
After talking for a while, he left the palace.
The biggest difference between Lord Changping and Lü Buwei is that Lord Changping was indeed a blood relative of Ying Zheng.
Moreover, Lord Changping had no ill intentions and no disloyalty. After being appointed Prime Minister, he worked diligently and wholeheartedly for the sake of Qin and the King of Qin.
For this reason alone, Ying Zheng was willing to give him face.
Back at Zhaoyang Palace, Banban had already removed her makeup and was talking to Zhao'er on the bed. Hearing footsteps, she got up and looked over, "Cousin."
Upon seeing her, the weariness on his face finally surfaced slightly, and the small shadows cast between his brows and the bridge of his nose were also softened. "You must be tired today."
“You’re the one who’s more tired.” Banban took the initiative to remove his complicated outer garments, took off his crown, and rubbed his face and long hair. “I’m afraid you have to think carefully about every word you say to them. How can you not be tired? I’m fine. Princess Yangman is already familiar with me, and Queen Zhao doesn’t seem to have any ulterior motives. She’s easy to get along with.”
They have always been considerate of each other.
He gently pulled her into his arms and buried his face in the crook of her neck.
Banban soothed him by gently patting the back of his neck, just like she was comforting a baby, while her fingers deftly moved through his hair to massage his tense scalp.
Zhao'er was sucking his fingers on the bed, his bright eyes fixed on his embracing parents. After a while, seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he slowly sat up on his own, supporting himself with his little hands.
The room was quiet and the atmosphere was pleasant.
Banban glanced sideways, then his eyes widened. "Cousin, Zhao'er can sit up now!"
Ying Zheng immediately went to check, and found it to be true.
"He's only a few months old, how come his bones are already so well-developed?" Banban hurriedly bent down and poked his lower back.
Zhao'er waved his little hands at her, but he didn't pay attention and fell onto the bed. Fortunately, the mattress was soft and he wouldn't get hurt. He was probably quite frightened.
He didn't make a fuss, but his lips twitched as if he was holding back tears. His little face scrunched up, and he clenched his fists and sat up again.
This appearance made Ying Zheng take a good look at him. He bent two fingers and flicked his forehead, raising his eyebrows: "Looks like a stubborn person who refuses to admit defeat."
"Father, hug me."
The baby on the bed thrashed forward and fell into his arms the instant he opened his arms.
The next moment: "Hiss."
Zhao'er clenched his fists so hard that he grabbed Ying Zheng's hair, making him wince in pain.
Banban sat down with her arms crossed, beaming with pride: "He's never pulled my hair before, so he must have understood why you were laughing at him earlier."
Ying Zheng pinched Zhao'er's chubby face and frowned: "How can you expect me to learn to speak?"
"Go find your wet nurse yourself." After spending the entire afternoon with his wife, it was his turn.
Cong Yun carefully held the Crown Prince, who had been tossed over, and thought to herself, "..."
She wondered, how old is the king? Why is he still comparing himself to his own son and getting jealous?
Is this reasonable?
After his son left, Ying Zheng insisted on bathing with him. Once in the bath, they could finally have some private conversations.
Banban lay on his back, casually combing his hair, telling him everything that had been said in the afternoon. "Yang Man is indeed clever. I didn't even have time to say what you taught me, and she has already persuaded Queen Zhao."
"She is indeed clever; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to receive the fief of Yangman County based solely on King Wen's favor. People outside praise Ying Yue for her cleverness, but in reality, she is not as insightful as Yangman."
"Bestowing her upon the King of Qi, who was still the Crown Prince of Qi, was also intended to have her restrain the state of Qi. She did a good job."
"Next, we just need to wait and see. My people in Zhao will follow her lead. With Guo Kai around, it won't be difficult for the Queen of Zhao to place her own people in the court."
Banban asked them what they had talked about in the main hall, and Ying Zheng told them everything.
Zhao Yan and the King of Qi had only two purposes for coming to Qin.
First, to test King Zheng of Qin's attitude toward the other states;
Second, it demonstrates a friendly attitude.
The Qin state's policy of befriending distant states and attacking nearby ones was no secret among the states, and the Zhao state belonged to the category of "attacking nearby ones".
“The attack on Zhao cannot be rushed. Cousin, please wait a while longer. When the Qin army’s iron cavalry crushes Handan, I will take you with me to avenge our defeat.” Ying Zheng turned to the side, his expression serious.
"Okay." Banban had always trusted him, and now she looked at him with even more affection.
Amidst the swirling mist, he bent down and kissed her.
Like a bright star falling into the deep night sky, returning to the original, warmest, safest realm, their lips intertwined, their breaths mingling, his lips softly pressing against hers, constantly exploring deeper.
She bloomed for him like a flower, and he gently caressed her delicate, sweet petals, tenderly playing with them.
She closed her eyes, and the whole world seemed to recede into the distance, leaving only his warmth clinging to her.
This perfect fusion is just like two souls who have been wandering for a long time and have finally found their own comfort and belonging.
They were both clearly exhausted, yet every exchange of glances, every touch of skin, every soul-to-soul conversation ignited a thrilling drive within them.
His breath assaulted her senses, pressing her against the edge of the pool. Ripples spread across the water's surface, and her world exploded with intense fireworks.
After an unknown amount of time, she was limply turned over and suddenly realized that she was lying face down on the edge of the pool. The pool was about half a person deep, and she couldn't stand steadily. Her heels were firmly pressed against his calves underwater.
Layer upon layer of water waves swept over her lower back and abdomen.
She took a deep breath, her cousin's long hair slipped down and fell beside her ear, his strong forearm was also resting on her shoulder, she was out of breath and gently rubbed her ear against his forearm.
Once back on her bed, she quickly fell asleep.
After February, it got warmer day by day.
Banban has been going to play with Ji Changyue a lot lately. Ji Changyue is lying on the couch listening to a storyteller, looking bored.
"I've heard all the funny stories lately. They're all old, stale anecdotes, just repeated with different names and backgrounds. They're not very interesting. Sigh."
In modern terms, I'm experiencing a reading slump. Don't you have any original or interesting books for me to read?
It's a pity that Banban hadn't read any novels in her previous life, otherwise she could have made up some interesting ones for her to read. "How about we go out of the palace for fun?"
Ji Changyue's eyes darted around as she looked over. "What are we playing?"
She was tempted.
Where is Zhao'er?
"He went to play in the council chamber with his father."
Ji Changyue didn't like taking care of children, and Banban was also unwilling to take care of children. The two hit it off and, along with Yang Jiang and Ying Yue, disguised themselves and left the palace.
Chief Secretary Li Si and Wei Liao met on the road.
Wei Liao was bidding farewell to Ying Zheng, who had already approved the money for him, and he was going to do things for him.
The person seen outside the palace today was not Qin Ju, but a stranger. Upon seeing the two officials, he smiled happily and said, "My lords, my name is Xia. Please allow me to go in and announce your arrival."
Li Si seemed to be deep in thought.
Before long, Xia came out to greet them and led them inside, subtly revealing along the way that Meng Tian and His Highness the Crown Prince were both there.
Wei Liao was surprised and peeked out before even going in. Sure enough, she saw a small baby sitting on a thick blanket, pulling and swinging Qin Jian around.
The two went inside, greeted each other, and bowed to the infant, addressing him as "Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Zhao'er couldn't speak, so Ying Zheng waved his hand and said, "Get up and speak. There's no need for formalities."
Just as Li Si stood up, he saw the baby mimicking him, waving its chubby little hands and making noises like "Ah~ Ah~".
He chuckled, made a small face at him, and waved his hand.
Ying Zheng passed by, glanced at Zhao'er, and said, "There's no need for me to speak for you."
Wei Liao flattered, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is exceptionally intelligent, truly admirable."
Zhao'er probably didn't know exactly what His Highness the Crown Prince was, but he knew that he was more powerful than many people, except for his father and mother.
Even these old men have to greet him when they see him.
With a "ha," he flung the Qin Jian in his hand away, then scrambled over to retrieve it, having a great time playing with himself.
Meng Tian stood aside and silently kicked Qin Jian away.
Sure enough, His Highness the Crown Prince immediately turned his face away and looked at him, following the direction of his misbehaving feet.
Oops, she's angry.
That angry little expression is exactly like the king's.
Meng Tian coughed twice, pretending nothing had happened.
The ministers were also puzzled. Historically, it was always women who raised children, and the Queen had not had anything important to do recently. So why was His Highness the Crown Prince staying in the council hall with the King?
Even if the queen is busy, the old women and wet nurses below her still have a role to play.
How could we possibly hand it over to the king? The key point is that the king hasn't objected yet!
Don't kids cause trouble?
Just as I finished thinking that, His Highness the Crown Prince opened his arms and began to wail, wanting someone to hold him. Even the arrival of the wet nurse was of no use.
Ying Zheng had no choice but to pick him up and gently rock him, muttering to himself, "Sleepy?"
He glanced at the time and realized it was indeed time to rest. While coaxing the child to sleep, he told his ministers to continue discussing important matters. The child was a good sleeper; no noise could disturb him, and he would sleep whenever he was tired.
Meng Tian couldn't reconcile this man who was holding a child and putting him to sleep with the arrogant King of Qin. How novel this was! He tried to convince himself to get used to it sooner.
The same applies to Wei Liao and Li Si.
Li Si said that now that the situation is stable and the King of Qin has taken personal control of the government, it is a good time to go east and attack the other states. Since the King of Qin wants to acquire Han Fei, it would be better to point the finger at the State of Han.
“I believe that the Chief Secretary is more inclined to attack the State of Zhao,” Ying Zheng said.
Li Si said, “Zhang Zi once said that if Zhao were to fall, Han would perish, and if the King of Han were to become the ruler of Jing and Wei, they would not be able to stand on their own. The same applies to the other states. Ultimately, the terrain of the Three Jin states is unique. I believe that Han is in the best strategic position and has the weakest military strength. If we can conquer Han as quickly as possible, we can also greatly deter the other states.”
"If Han is destroyed, Zhao will not be far behind."
This creates two gaps.
Ying Zheng smiled slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "In that case, we shall discuss the attack on Han in detail at the morning court tomorrow."
Forcing the King of Han to hand over Han Fei was a natural course of action.
His intention to attack Han first coincided with Li Si's idea.
Meng Tian also had important business to attend to at the palace today. "Your Majesty, the research you ordered me to conduct on charcoal ash some time ago has yielded results, and the refining formula is here." He took out a letter from his sleeve to hand to the King of Qin.
Unfortunately, the King of Qin had no hands, so he just stared at it for a while.
Meng Tian, slow to react, quickly unfolded the package and showed it to him himself.
Meng Tian's gaze swept over the sleeping Crown Prince's face, and he was speechless.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Here we go!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
