The revised Qin law states, "She tricked me again."
Liu Ji's subtle yet direct self-recommendation pleased Ying Zheng, who immediately asked him to stay for a talk. After sitting for a while, Banban felt bored and took Congyun to stroll around the surrounding area.
Xing Shu was squatting to the side watching the butcher slaughter a pig. The butcher's knife was sharp, and he sliced the meat as if it were water. The guards beside him were on high alert, each of them wishing they could protect the princess, fearing that the butcher had ill intentions.
"This is yellow throat. Let me cut it open for you. Inside is yellow... Ah, then comes the oily edge, tearing off the lard..."
The butcher cut a slit with his knife, and with both hands, tore the entire piece of snow-white lard apart in an instant, accompanied by a hissing sound.
He immediately began cutting the ribs, saying, "First, draw the outline." He skillfully used his knife to trace the outline of the ribs, then removed the entire rib.
Not only was Xing Shu stunned, but even Ban Ban unconsciously went over to take a look.
The blade hadn't even applied any force before it naturally sank into the flesh.
The mother and daughter had identical expressions.
Seeing this, the butcher felt a little embarrassed and immediately offered the best sliced pork to the empress and princess.
Banban smiled and told Congyun to accept and put the item away. Then he took out a piece of gold and put it down.
The butcher was blinded by the golden light, his eyes widening in surprise. He hurriedly wiped his hands on his apron, stammering, "This...this is too much! Besides, this meat is a gift from me, how can I accept money?"
"Does raising pigs not require any effort?" Banban joked with him. "Your lives aren't easy either, so we can't just take your things for nothing."
"Besides, your pig-slaughtering skills are quite impressive and pleasing to the eye. This is your skill fee, so please accept it."
After they left, the butcher snapped out of his daze, quickly stuffed the gold coin into his pocket, and carefully held it until it was warm.
"It'll be perfect to slice and grill it at night." Banban, holding Xingshu's hand, smiled and asked, "My darling, do you want some grilled meat?"
Xing Shu tilted his head back and said, "Whatever Mother eats, I will eat too."
Banban pinched her nose, "So easy to please." Just like her father.
The two went to find Ying Zhao, who was watching what common children were playing with. Ji Changyue told him not to bully others, but he said he wasn't.
After playing for a while, he pouted and felt bored. Banban ordered someone to bring him a water bag filled with warm water. "You've been playing like crazy for so long, and I haven't seen you eat. Aren't you hungry?"
“I just went to find Father and used dog meat.” Ying Zhao couldn’t resist ruffling his sister’s head, earning a sharp glare from her. “He really likes that Liu Ji and said he wants to take him away.”
Banban: "Huh???"
Ying Zhao lowered his voice, "Mother, that Liu Ji is glib and has a roguish habit. He probably knows that Father Emperor dislikes Confucian scholars, so he scolded the Confucian scholars in front of Father Emperor. He even said that he once urinated on a Confucian scholar's hat, then hung the hat back up. When he saw the Confucian scholar put on the hat without noticing, he laughed heartily."
"The Emperor listened with great interest and even asked him to draw the comical appearance of the Confucian scholar."
He was ashamed; he thought everyone in the world could paint.
Upon returning, Ying Zheng indeed took Liu Ji with him and inquired further. He learned that he found Liu Ji's speech amusing, with one witty remark after another. Although Liu Ji had a somewhat roguish air about him, it was precisely because of this that he did not fawn over Li Si and lack his own independent thoughts.
"Does my cousin really intend to appoint him to an official position?" Banban pursed her lips. "He needs to test him first, otherwise wouldn't that be harming the common people?" She had already thought carefully about the name Liu Ji in her mind and confirmed that she had never heard of him before, so he shouldn't be someone who had done anything terribly wrong.
Ying Zheng: "Am I so rash?"
Banban: "I'm afraid you have it."
Ying Zheng was speechless and pinched her fingers.
As the cart set off, Liu Ji, hanging on the back, tossed chestnuts into his mouth and waved wildly at the people of Pei County. An old man, trembling, called out, "You better watch your step, Liu Ji!"
Liu Ji waved his hand, "Oh!"
Wang arrived at Hengshan from Peixian. It was another mountain, and this time Banban refused to climb it no matter what. He stayed in the carriage and didn't even glance out.
Ying Zheng rarely returned during his rest periods along the way; I heard he was chatting happily with Liu Ji.
After nearly three more months, Xianyang City was finally within reach.
When the time came, he issued an imperial edict, sending Liu Ji back to serve as a village head. Liu Ji's expression was as if he had been treated like a dog.
Upon hearing this official title, Banban immediately sat up. "Pavilion Chief?"
She hurriedly stopped Liu Ji at the city gate, who looked utterly dejected with his hands behind his back. As soon as he saw the beautiful and elegantly dressed empress, he jumped off the carriage, his face lighting up. "Oh my... Your Majesty the Empress!"
Banban slightly covered her lips with her wide sleeve, subtly sizing him up and down, then smiled reservedly, "Your name is Liu Ji, which character is it?"
Liu Ji: "Ji, the Ji of Meng Zhongshu Ji."
"So, Ji is just your family's hierarchy? You're the youngest?"
Liu Ji was puzzled. "That's right." This is how names are given. Commoners don't give their children proper names like wealthy families do.
"Although His Majesty has only appointed you as the head of Sishui Pavilion, you must not misunderstand him." Banban was curious and stared at him intently. "It's not about how high the rank is, but about what's appropriate. You are quick-witted and adaptable. We need to bring you in to see what you are suited for."
"If anything happens, you can send a message back to Xianyang; His Majesty will read it."
Liu Ji's heart skipped a beat as he wondered if the empress was deceiving him into coming here for another purpose, or if, as she said, the emperor was simply trying to train him.
A multitude of thoughts raced through his mind, and almost without pausing, he revealed a look of overwhelming gratitude, "Ah, I knew Your Majesty had me in your heart."
Regardless of the Empress's thoughts, he had to turn the tables and take the initiative. He joked that the opportunity was right in front of him, and if he didn't seize it now, when would he?
Liu Ji asked for a token, otherwise how could others believe that he had such an opportunity to share interesting stories with His Majesty, only to have his plans cut off, to the point that His Majesty thought he was unwilling to contact him again because of the long distance? That would be too unfair to him.
What a self-aware person, yet so eager to pat themselves on the back, always trying to climb the social ladder. Now that things have come to this point, she can't very well say, "You're too narcissistic, Ying Zheng doesn't have those feelings for you."
Banban was stunned for a long time before handing him the phoenix-patterned jade pendant she wore at her waist.
Watching the carriage disappear into the distance, Cong Yun asked, "Didn't the Empress treat him indifferently before? Why is she looking at him differently today?"
Because... this Liu Ji is the Liu Bang she has been searching for for more than two years.
—The founding emperor of the Han Dynasty.
The origin of the Han ethnicity also stems from the Han Dynasty. Qin Shi Huang only unified the country, but it was the Han Dynasty that laid the foundation for a strong, unified, and lasting civilizational identity. The Han Dynasty made the Han people the common symbol of the people on this land.
Even after the fall of the Han Dynasty, the term "Han people" and its associated concepts did not disappear; instead, they were inherited and reinforced.
Under this tradition of succession to the throne by bloodline, not many people would have wanted to rebel if it weren't for the harsh corvée labor in the late Qin Dynasty.
The situation is different now. In the future... perhaps people's ID cards will no longer say they are Han Chinese, but Qin Chinese.
Banban returned to the palace in high spirits. As soon as she stepped through the threshold, she saw Ying Zheng sitting at the table playing with the porcelain in his hand. "The Empress has returned. I wonder what is so special about the Sishui Pavilion Chief that the Empress personally saw him off. Not only that, but she also had a long talk with him and was reluctant to part with his carriage."
Banban: "..."
Nonsense, she's not reluctant to leave at all!
She pretended to ignore him and walked past him.
She had only taken two steps when her wrist was grabbed and she was lifted up, which terrified her and made her scream.
Yun understood immediately, then retreated, closed the door, and sent the palace servants outside to guard the palace.
Without saying anything, Ying Zheng guessed pretty much everything. After a bit of commotion, she explained everything that was left unsaid.
But someone who's jealous isn't someone you can easily handle.
Two days later, he had a new jade pendant with a phoenix pattern made, and warned him in the night, "You are not allowed to give it away casually again."
They were all trembling and hurriedly agreed.
Another year passed, and the entire imperial highway was completed, as was the straight road. The third imperial procession began.
The brand-new cement road is about 50 steps wide, or 70 meters wide. The road surface has been compacted, and a pine tree is planted every 3 zhang (approximately 10 meters) on both sides. The standardization is so precise that there is no error even inch.
In the same year, the Lingqu Canal was excavated, and he also designed standardized houses. Cement blocks were distributed to all parts of the country. Banban found that her cousin's aesthetics and standardization were quite similar to those of later generations. These were all his own ideas, and she did not interfere at all.
The examination system was officially implemented, with Chunyu Yue overseeing it. This time, the scope of the examination was opened up, no longer limited to powerful and wealthy families. Unfortunately, few commoners were literate, let alone knowledgeable.
However, this action inspired them and made people realize that besides learning martial arts, studying literature is also a way out.
With the promotion of official rotation and the system of hiring from other places, coupled with the completion and opening of the imperial highways, the problem of government orders not being able to reach the local areas was effectively solved.
As the empress, Banban took the lead in inviting all officials to reform the Qin laws.
Corporal punishment was abolished first, and the provision that women who were not married by the age of seventeen would be punished was also removed. She debated with Ying Zheng for a month and a half about whether the system of collective punishment should be abolished.
Both sides stuck to their own versions of events, resulting in a three-day cold war.
The Qin law was originally designed to severely punish minor offenses and govern the country by law. Its corporal punishment and collective punishment were the most severe and terrifying punishments. In addition, the Qin law allowed private revenge.
“How can this be allowed? Isn’t this an overstepping of authority?” Banban argued fiercely. “Delete it! It must be deleted! Corporal punishment should not exist either.”
"Criminal justice should only be handled by the government!"
Han Fei silently agreed, "The Empress is right. I agree."
She punished Xu Fu with corporal punishment only once, because in her mind, Xu Fu was utterly wicked and deserved to be torn to pieces.
Chunyu Yue and Xiao Heng jointly advised that Qin law should prioritize virtue and supplement it with punishment, combining rites and laws, and ensuring that the punishments were appropriate.
Ultimately, both sides compromised, changing the original collective punishment of beheading to flogging and forced labor.
In these areas, the restrictions have been relaxed, and many minor crimes are no longer capital offenses, except for two that remain strictly guarded: theft and robbery, and murder.
Anyone who commits this offense will be executed without exception.
More detailed laws, after a long period of refinement, took a year to develop. The "New Qin Law" was formulated by Han Fei, Li Si, Xiao Heng, Chunyu Yue and others, which deleted many laws and regulations that interfered with the daily behavior and life control of ordinary people.
It is worth mentioning that Chunyu Yue and Xiao Heng introduced Confucian ethics and established 'filial impiety' as a serious crime in order to uphold paternal and husbandly authority.
Before Banban could object, Ying Zheng, based on the concept of 'equality,' added maternal and marital rights, creating a system of checks and balances among the four powers to prevent the power of men from being infinitely amplified within the family.
This reform removed the harshness while retaining the framework, making the Qin laws more humane.
The Qin legal reforms completely liberated the common people, and the empress was elevated to a divine status.
People among the common people began to emulate the emperor by marrying a wife but not taking concubines.
In reality, not many ordinary people take concubines. Ordinary people can't even afford to get married, let alone take concubines. For example, Liu Ji was still a bachelor even after he turned thirty.
However, Banban heard that a few years after he took office as the head of Sishui Pavilion, he was promoted to county magistrate. Due to the system of transferring people to other places, he did not serve in Pei County, but traveled all over the country. He benefited from his excellent ability to handle grassroots affairs and mediate disputes. He was open-minded and good at recognizing and appointing people. He was promoted twice more. Later, he also married a wife from a respectable family.
Banban then learned that Ying Zheng had indeed maintained continuous contact with Liu Ji, exchanging documents at least every three months. He used one of the Nine Ministers, the Dianke, to keep Liu Ji in check, making him do things for him.
"He is adept at appeasing refugees and mediating conflicts between powerful families and commoners." Ying Zheng said thoughtfully, "He is very good at stabilizing local areas. Although he has a bit of a rogue's air about him, he is good at winning people's hearts, and he has quite a few followers around him."
Most of these followers were recommended by Liu Ji, and Ying Zheng was willing to take a look at them, keeping the useful ones.
Within two years, he was directly assigned to work on water conservancy projects. He was eloquent and very good at appeasing the people.
"This is a thankless task. Why would he do it if his cousin doesn't give him enough reward?" Banban wondered.
"He likes beautiful women." Ying Zheng's expression changed slightly as he said this, but he didn't finish his sentence.
Banban immediately understood what he had bestowed upon Liu Ji, and remained silent for a moment.
He really is a legendary figure.
With these matters settled and many years having passed, Ying Zheng proposed to tour the country again, marking his fourth such tour.
Banban initially said she didn't want to go, because she was really tired and lazy.
Ying Zheng had no choice but to go himself.
After walking for a long time, news came from behind that the Empress was ill. He immediately turned back the main force and rushed back to see her.
I've been scammed again.
She wasn't sick; she changed her mind.
Banban said innocently, "Then I won't go. Who knows if you'll come back with one or two orphaned girls, pitifully alone, and need to be placed in the palace?"
Ying Zheng laughed angrily and, without saying a word, shoved her into the carriage.
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Author's note: Here it comes, extra chapter might be at 11 PM?
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