"Young people are so full of emotion!"...
Ying Zheng carefully examined the formula ratio for making charcoal ash, and pondered it in his mind for a moment.
Meng Tian asked, "This charcoal ash ignites quickly and can be used as a starter, but what should we use to hold it?"
Ying Zheng answered without hesitation, "Bamboo."
"I have thought it over carefully. Put charcoal ash and other highly lethal materials, such as stones or iron balls, into the bamboo tube. When it explodes and is launched, the power is stronger than that of a bow and crossbow, and it can kill with one shot."
"Or perhaps it was loaded and hurled into the enemy ranks like a catapult, potentially killing a whole group?" The latter was his conjecture, merely a concept, and had not been truly verified.
The explosion caused by burning bamboo was not an uncommon occurrence in the eyes of those present; every household used to burn firecrackers to drive away the mythical beast Nian in previous years.
Wei Liao and Li Si approached to observe.
Meng Tian stared blankly, lost in thought. "Bamboo is wood after all. If it is not thrown in time, there is a risk of injury or death. This is not advisable."
Li Si and Wei Liao spent two quarters of an hour figuring out the purpose of this thing.
Wei Liao's back suddenly tightened, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet throughout his body.
It's easy to imagine how such weapons would be developed if they fell into the hands of the Qin people. King Zheng of Qin's modifications to weapons far surpassed those of other states. The sharp sword alone, which could cut people without breaking, was enough to intimidate people. It could cut through iron like mud!
Now they've come up with this terrifying thing...
For the first time, he had the thought that "fortunately, when King Zheng of Qin stopped him and forcibly appointed him as the Grand Commandant, he did not die to prove his loyalty." Now, it was no longer a question of whether he was willing to serve the Qin state.
The question is whether they will survive if they don't serve... With such a weapon, the destruction of the six kingdoms is already a foregone conclusion.
Since that's the case, it's better to serve him sincerely. If he unifies the states in the future, he can then retire gracefully, and King Zheng of Qin will certainly not make things difficult for him.
A thousand thoughts flash through my mind, but reality is but a fleeting moment.
Wei Liao suggested, "Why not use bronze as the outer shell for forging? Using iron balls as the launching weapon is much stronger and easier to handle than bamboo. Moreover, bronze can be made into any shape and can be improved many times."
"If it can continuously and uninterruptedly launch iron balls, then its shape must be handy, lightweight, and portable. What kind of improvement is it if it's still like a crossbow? All that work is a waste of time."
Ying Zheng nodded approvingly, "The Grand Commandant has a good idea; I agree with it."
After this experience, Meng Tian led the team to continue improving weapons, while Guowei Wei Liao personally took charge of Qin's military and political affairs, determined to create the most perfect and elusive spy network in the world.
Those who have no concept of guns will never be able to figure out something they've never seen before, no matter how hard they try.
Upon hearing about this, Banban immediately drew a rough shape on a piece of paper and handed it to Ying Zheng. "This handle can be held in the hand or clipped to the waist. It is a weapon that fires from the muzzle. Why not design a tool at the handle that can be loaded, either by pulling or pressing, so that the empty muzzle can be quickly replenished?"
In fact, Banban didn't know the more specific principles and design. She could never touch a gun, and had never even seen a real gun; she had only seen them on TV.
However, people in ancient times were merely ignorant and backward, not stupid.
They must also have ingenious ideas and be able to create the same thing.
"I don't know the reasons and process behind the final design, but after generations of improvements, it is what it is now. It must have been refined and is now the most perfect form."
"Alright." Ying Zheng put away the blueprints. "My cousin has helped me a lot. Is there anything you want? I will find it for you."
"What do I want?" Banban pondered for a long time, troubled. "I want my cousin to love me for the rest of my life."
“That doesn’t count.” Ying Zheng frowned slightly, displeased. “How can it be considered a bargaining chip? This is something I promised you when we got married. I’m not going to exchange it for anything else.”
"I really don't have any more." She honestly took his hand. "My cousin is always so good to me. I don't need anything."
“But I always feel that I haven’t been good enough to you.” These words came from Ying Zheng’s true heart.
Now that he is an adult, he feels guilty when he recalls forcibly taking his cousin, who was not yet eight years old, away from Handan when he was nine. At that time, she could not write and was very attached to her parents. It must have been very cruel to her.
When he arrived at the Qin Palace, he himself needed to put on a facade, let alone his cousin. Following him, she had endured much suffering and fear. What compensation could these riches and honors offer?
...Although, even if he had to do it all over again, he would still make the same choice.
"Then give me another kiss, cousin," Banban said, clinging to his neck and acting coquettishly.
Ying Zheng gently supported her waist and exchanged a long, lingering, wet kiss with her.
The next day, he did something that shocked her.
He bestowed titles upon many members of the Ji family. Ji Xiu was made the Lord of Shangyuan, Lady Pang the Lady of Chuyang, and Lady Zhu the Lady of Zhaoyuan, each receiving numerous fiefs. Ji Xiu was not particularly capable; in his spare time, he would go to the palace to work with the civil officials on compiling books.
Geng'er then entered the court as an official and worked under Meng Tian.
He rewarded and bestowed gifts upon all those she befriended, even Yang Man, who was far away in the State of Qi, received a large number of gifts, leaving her quite puzzled.
Even the two Ji family patriarchs and their wives, who had been dead for a hundred or two hundred years, were dragged out by him to write a long, nauseating eulogy. In short, he was praising the Ji family for being so good and for raising a queen that he loved to the core.
The Qin people: "..."
The officials: "..."
The nations that heard about it later: "..."
What's wrong with you? Is the Queen pregnant again?
The King of Qin's favoritism towards his queen was outrageous; his exclusive affection was bizarre enough, but these other things were even more...
So many years have passed, yet he hasn't changed at all. If the initial acceptance by the states of the King of Qin's beloved wife was just an act, then it's somewhat real that he remains unchanged now that all the Qin's foreign relatives have been wiped out.
Now that things have come to this, everything else about the King of Qin may be fake, but his deep love for the Queen, if recorded in history books, is absolutely true and cannot be faked.
My Lords: Young people are so full of emotion!
Banban sat there in disbelief for a long time, pulling Congyun aside to ask four or five times, and the result was always the same: it was true, and she wasn't still half asleep.
No, didn't we agree that we wouldn't love everything about the house because of it, but only hate everything about it because of it?
Furthermore, what kind of operation is it to drag out an elderly person who has been sleeping in the tomb for hundreds of years, write an article praising them?
Banban asked, "Why don't you write a eulogy for me?" Why praise her ancestors?
"I don't want others to know about your good deeds." Ying Zheng said without changing his expression. "I've written it down, so you can read it by yourself." With that, he took out a thick stack of papers.
"..." Okay.
Banban was forced to sit in a chair and read Songwen's text, while stealing glances at him as she read.
To be honest, the eulogy was written in a difficult and obscure style. She couldn't understand many of the allusions in it, and it seemed meaningless... yet she dared not show it.
"It's no use showing me this eulogy," Banban thought to himself, knowing it would definitely be passed down to future generations. "There are so many historians in the Qin Dynasty; your every move will be recorded."
At this time, historians were even more fearless of authority and possessed a professional spirit of recording facts truthfully.
"You change the subject if you don't want to watch anymore?"
"I'll see! I'll see! I'll see!!"
I didn't say I wouldn't watch it!
The entire eulogy is titled "Ode to the Queen," and it is simple, direct, and unadorned.
The opening chapter connects to destiny and the hardships of childhood. The middle section recalls the circumstances of his early ascension to the throne, followed by an emphasis on the queen's virtuous rule and the continuation of the ancestral temple. As I read through it, my attention lingered on the last paragraph, which I read carefully two or three times.
—Those who read this in the future will know that the alliance between me and the Queen is not merely that of husband and wife, but a bond forged by the mountains and rivers.
—The sun and moon shine brightly, and even ghosts and gods bear witness.
He knew that this eulogy would be passed down to future generations.
After looking at it, her clever little eyes darted around, she cleared her throat, and folded it up seriously. "I'm going to put it in my little box. Even if the gold is lost, this one won't be lost either."
Ying Zheng stroked his wife's hair, "This is enough." He felt she was too easily satisfied.
"The expedition team that explored the sea five days ago has returned to shore and will be back in Xianyang tomorrow. I remember you wanted a talking bird. The captain sent word that several birds suffocated during the sea crossing, but three survived. They are said to have different colors, and you can keep them in the palace to play with."
Upon hearing this, Banban peered at him curiously, "Cousin, how come you remember every single thing he said?"
"What do you think?" He pinched her small face, playing with it in his palm from above, then leaned in with a smile and gently kissed her soft lips.
She pretended not to know, and nestled into his arms with a grin, her hands wandering inside his robes.
The next day, the exploration team indeed returned to Xianyang, the capital of Qin.
Hearing that the Queen desired birds that could mimic speech, the three parrots were quickly brought before Banban: one pure white, one sky blue, and one dark green.
Overjoyed, she immediately ordered someone to bring millet to feed it.
Unfortunately, the three little birds were shy. As soon as they saw her hand, they fluttered around in the cage, frightened, and huddled in a corner.
The exploration team consisted entirely of Qin soldiers. Hundreds of them went to sea back then, but now less than half have returned, demonstrating the perilous nature of the sea route.
They had all become thinner and darker-skinned.
Banban hurriedly asked Ying Zheng to reward them.
The captain knelt down first to express his gratitude, and then eagerly recounted the situation outside.
"My brothers and I have spent several years figuring out the situation on those continents, and we have found that our Great Qin is still the best. Whether in terms of political system or organizational capabilities, Great Qin is at the forefront."
"There was a powerful nation called Rome that flourished for many years, but it has also begun to decline."
"The rest were easily defeated, and some didn't even know how to use farming tools."
Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng was slightly disappointed, but then became proud again.
He pondered to himself, according to what his cousin had said in her youth, could it be that they had developed again later? Why did China lag behind? Was it complacent and stagnant?
“The food and crops they grow are different from those of the other states and the Qin Dynasty. We have brought back many seeds.”
Ying Zheng asked them to write a memorial detailing the uses and planting methods of the seeds, then told them to go back and rest for two days. Afterwards, he would hold a welcoming banquet for them and bestow titles and rewards upon them for their merits.
Banban was the first to identify the pumpkin and corn seeds. Upon closer inspection, the small, yellow, flat seeds looked very familiar. When he brought them closer to his nose, a spicy aroma immediately filled his nostrils.
It's chili peppers!
Looking at the other different small cloth bags, wow, there are watermelon seeds too! That's great!
There were other seeds she couldn't distinguish; they all looked pretty much the same.
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Author's Note: Here I am! I attended a wedding today, so I posted a little less. I'll resume extra updates this Friday! I've accumulated 16,000 nutrient solution, so I currently owe four more chapters!
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