Chapter 24 Cheng Jiao: My brother knows xx!
However, Wang Yuan, who had sharp eyes, stopped this behavior. After this little incident, the soldiers who wanted to get a piece of the auspicious aura did not dare to get too close and just surrounded the carriage.
After traveling some distance and getting far away from the chaotic area, Lü Buwei finally ordered them to set up camp and rest.
The group spent another night in the wilderness before setting off again the next morning.
****
When they arrived in Xianyang some time later, Zhao Ji and Ying Zheng were in good condition because they were being escorted, and Lü Buwei was with them. The guards did not dare to block their way, and they entered the city smoothly.
Ying Zheng calmly surveyed the city. He had once glimpsed it in a dream, and now that he was closer, the low, dilapidated houses on the outskirts did indeed give him a sense of shattered illusions. But looking into the city, the tall palaces were vaguely visible, a scene he had seen in his dream.
As the carriage wheels slowly moved forward, they arrived at the gate of the Crown Prince's residence.
Wang Yuan rushed ahead of Lü Buwei to help Zhao Ji and Ying Zheng down, and then took the initiative to introduce them: "This is His Highness the Crown Prince's residence on the right, and the house opposite is the residence of the Grand Prefect. Although this Grand Prefect does not hold a real position in the court, both the late King and the current King value him highly."
"Is it the Grand Master of the Imperial Household, the highest-ranking nobleman?"
Lu Buwei frowned and said, "I sent someone to inform you earlier, but His Highness the Crown Prince is not in the residence at the moment. You and your wife can go inside first."
"Mr. Wang is not a guest of His Highness the Crown Prince, so please wait here."
"Yes, how could I disobey Lord Lü's orders?" Wang Yuan replied with a smile, then looked at Zhao Ji and her son, raised his hand in a bow, and was about to take his leave.
"Wait, Mr. Wang, you must be tired from your journey. Please come in and rest before you go on your way." Zhao Ji smiled politely. This Mr. Wang had been leaning towards Zheng'er from the beginning, and as a man of the late king, he had no connection with the current powerful figures in the city. In any case, he was more valuable to win over.
Lü Buwei did not try to stop him again; he simply said, "Please."
Wang Yuan bowed deeply: "Thank you, Madam."
It seems his pledge of allegiance was quite good; he automatically stood behind Ying Zheng, making his choice clear.
Lü Buwei: ...I feel like this shouldn't be the case. Where did this Wang Yuan come from?
****
Before the group could go inside, a hurried female voice rang out, as if calling for someone.
Soon everyone saw a child, about five or six years old, run out and look at Zhao Ji and Ying Zheng with curiosity, mainly at Ying Zheng.
He turned to the beautiful woman behind him, who was running along with her skirt, and asked, "Mother, is this the brother who's coming to our house today?"
Han Ji also saw the group of people who were about to enter, and quickly gave a slight bow: "Please come in, everyone..." Then she whispered to the child, "Cheng Jiao, this is your brother..."
Han Ji and Zhao Ji looked at each other and nodded slightly as a greeting. The lively conversation stopped, and everyone walked silently into the mansion. Ying Zheng raised his eyes and looked at the many officials with different expressions. He paused and took the initiative to greet Cheng Jiao.
Chengjiao looked up at Han Ji with delight and asked, "Mother, can I bring my brother along to play?"
Han Ji looked slightly embarrassed: "This... first ask yourself if you're willing."
Zhao Ji gently nudged Ying Zheng: "Zheng'er, go play."
Before returning to Xianyang, they rested and tidied themselves up in other cities. Today, she was also dressed up in her finest attire, but she never expected that Han Ji would have such a personality.
She thought it would be good for Zheng'er to play more, and it would also be a good opportunity to see what kind of background Cheng Jiao had. In addition, she did not want her child to see her fighting with others, so she went along with it and let Ying Zheng go and play with Cheng Jiao.
"Brother, let's go!" Cheng Jiao only found out today that he had an older brother. He had always thought that he was the eldest child. After suddenly having an older brother, he didn't have any negative emotions. He was just really curious about what kind of person his older brother was.
Lu Buwei also took his leave with great tact. He said, "Now that Madam has safely entered the mansion, I will take my leave." He paused and then added, "Please rest assured, Madam, that what I said before will be arranged by me."
Although Wang Yuan appeared out of nowhere, he was still the first to know Zhao Ji. In addition, after weighing the pros and cons, he believed that helping Zhao Ji become the principal wife was the most beneficial thing for him, so he did not treat Zhao Ji and her son badly because of Wang Yuan.
Zhao Ji nodded her thanks: "Then I'll have to trouble you, Lord Lü."
"You flatter me," Lü Buwei said after a few more pleasantries, before turning to leave.
Wang Yuan also thought of something and said, "If this is the case, I can also share the burden for you, Madam."
Han Ji quickly took her leave, thinking that these two didn't even try to hide it from her, just saying it so directly? These retainers were really strange.
Zhao Ji smiled, said a few words to Han Ji to keep her, and then let her leave. As she had a maid lead the way, she asked Wang Yuan, "What is it?"
The two women lagged a few steps behind the maid in front of them and then ordered the people following behind them to bring in their luggage.
Wang Yuan then lowered his voice: "Although Lord Lü says he wants to build momentum for Madam and Young Master, he probably won't really go all out. But Madam, rest assured, leave the rest to me. I think..."
After listening to Wang Yuan's whispered words, Zhao Ji nodded in agreement: "This plan... is feasible."
****
On the other side, Cheng Jiao, having left the adults behind with Ying Zheng, complained, "That's just how my mother is. I'm not a little kid anymore, I definitely won't fall down again."
"My name is Cheng Jiao. What's your name, brother?"
My given name is Zheng.
"Oh, oh, oh, it's still easier to call him brother. Mother always thinks I'm still a little kid and always calls me Jiao'er... Brother, let's go over there!" Cheng Jiao called out to his brother happily. All the other kids he played with had older brothers, but he didn't. Now he had an older brother too.
Ying Zheng didn't expect the topic to change so quickly, and before he could react, he was pulled away again.
His younger brother, whom he's never met, is really... lively and energetic...
Cheng Jiao said they would play together, but there weren't any really fun toys. However, children this age can laugh even when playing in the mud, so Ying Zheng didn't care whether the toys they found were fun or not.
He thought having another mischievous younger brother might not be so bad.
The two had only been acquainted for a short while when Cheng Jiao immediately took Xin Xin out to show off to his friends, with two servants following behind to look after them. Zhao Ji and Han Ji were not worried about anything happening to them in Xianyang City.
Upon arriving in Xianyang, Ying Zheng met a group of children led by Cheng Jiao, the oldest of whom was no more than thirteen years old. These children were generally members of the Ying clan, meaning they were all relatives.
As for how they all managed to arrive so quickly, it was because today was Cheng Jiao's birthday, and almost everyone except those with whom he had a bad relationship came out.
After Chengjiao arrived at the place where they often gathered to play, he became engrossed in comparing his brother with others and no longer cared about what Ying Zheng was doing.
"You're Cheng Jiao's brother?" He looks so different from Cheng Jiao.
And they don't even look alike...
"Indeed, and who are you?"
In a place like Xianyang, even an inconspicuous child could be a prince or nobleman. Anyone who can stand here and mingle with Cheng Jiao must be someone of considerable stature.
"My name is Meng Tian."
"...Never heard of it."
The suddenly appearing 'Qin' said: "His grandfather was Meng Ao, a high-ranking official from Qi. I heard 'Qi' complain about him before."
Meng Tian said dejectedly, "My grandfather was the high-ranking official Meng Ao."
He quickly rallied: "But sooner or later, I will make sure that everyone in the world knows me when I say my name, without having to mention my grandfather anymore."
Ying Zheng subtly shifted his gaze and smiled discreetly at 'Qin'. Meng Tian, thinking his new ally didn't trust him, emphasized, "I can definitely do it!"
Seeing his serious expression, Ying Zheng encouraged him, "Good ambition, I wish you success."
"He's quite lucky; he should be able to get what he wants."
Ying Zheng listened to his motherland's analysis and tried to observe Meng Tian, but he could not see the so-called fortune. How could one's fortune be so easily seen? The world in the motherland's eyes must be very different from theirs.
Meng Tian was pleased to see that someone was supporting his cause, and he unilaterally considered that he had made a new friend.
Cheng Jiao was trying to say something to his brother during the competition when he suddenly realized that his brother wasn't around!
Turning around, he saw that there was someone else next to his brother. He walked over like a little tyrant and said to Meng Tian, "Who are you? Did you sneak in?"
Ying Zheng interrupted Cheng Jiao: "He is Meng Tian, the grandson of Minister Meng."
"Oh~~" Cheng Jiao thought for a moment and said innocently, "I don't know him."
Meng Tian: ?
Even if you don't know him, you must know his grandfather.
He got angry and his fist hardened. (jpg)
“Brother, let’s go. Chi just said his brother will…”
Qin paused for a moment, wondering if this was about to fast-forward to "My brother will do xx".
The scene was too beautiful, and she felt she had to stop it.
Fortunately, not everyone present got so carried away, and in the end it was just a simple swordsmanship contest.
The swords they were carrying on either side were still wooden swords, not the sharpened bronze swords.
Qin stood with the group of children in the audience seats on both sides, waiting for the competition to begin.
Ying Zheng's choice of a swordsmanship master in Zhao was not for nothing; he was superior to his master in both strength and skill.
The moment he won, everyone around him cheered and applauded.
"Colorful! Colorful! Colorful!"
Amidst the children's cheerful cheers, a gentle female voice emerged.
It was Qin. She was laughing with the children on both sides. On either side of her were Cheng Jiao and Meng Tian. The two of them had made room for her without her noticing. Even though she had a great view from her spot, no one thought to go over there.
Ying Zheng sheathed his wooden sword, reached out and pulled the person on the ground to their feet, and together they walked into the crowd.
Cheng Jiao couldn't wait to boast to the younger brother of the man he had defeated: "See, I told you my brother is better than yours."
The child was only four years old, and upon hearing this, he immediately burst into tears.
His older brother quickly comforted him, saying, "I'll definitely win next time."
Cheng Jiao retorted, "How could that be? My brother would never lose!"
The four-year-old child finally cried out, and the older boys around him were in a flurry of activity. It was at this moment that Ying Zheng officially entered this circle.
****
After two months of getting to know each other, Ying Zheng discovered that his younger brother was truly sincere and a simple child.
Another day passed, and Cheng Jiao went to play with Ying Zheng as usual.
He rummaged through his room and found two small wooden swords. After thinking for a moment, he gave the new one to Ying Zheng and kept the old one for himself.
With a proud look on his face, he said to Ying Zheng, "This was given to me by my father. He said that I will become a general to protect Qin in the future, so I will give this new one to my elder brother!"
Ying Zheng looked at the wooden sword in his hand and noticed Cheng Jiao's reminiscing about his father. He never expected that the first gift he received from his father would be from his half-brother.
He had been back in China for so long, but he hadn't actually seen his father much. Every time, his mother would say that his father was very busy, but he had never received a single gift from him.
However, he didn't feel like he was missing anything. He would visit his motherland from time to time. His mother cared about him, his newly hired tutor cared about his studies, and... a newborn younger brother.
Seeing that Ying Zheng didn't speak, Cheng Jiao said again, "Brother, it's good that you take the new one. If I take the old one, I can go to Father and ask for another new one... I wonder when I can take a real bronze sword."
Ying Zheng nodded and thanked him sincerely, without mentioning that he already had a bronze sword and didn't need a wooden one anymore.
As He Chengjiao stepped out of the house, Ying Zheng immediately saw the flowers and plants in the garden extending out of their proper place and weaving together, with the 'Qin' kneeling and smiling at them.
With Cheng Jiao still by his side, Ying Zheng could only greet her silently, receiving a gentle smile from his motherland: "Go have fun, I'll wait for you here."
Watching the two children play, Zhu Qing'ai pondered something: what was the reason Cheng Jiao rebelled in history? There was no indication of this tendency when he was a child.
She had previously visited Han Ji under a pseudonym, and Han Ji didn't seem to have any intention of vying for power; she was rather gentle and timid.
Chengjiao, on the contrary, was raised by her to be extremely lively.
The two children's adorable interaction brought a smile to Guo's face. Qin was in a good mood, but then a gentle breeze blew by, bringing with it a clear, elegant female voice: "I need to enter the country. Please grant my permission!"
'Qin': "..."
She brushed the wisp of wind aside, but the wind shamelessly pressed against her fingertips, as if urging her to agree quickly.
Only one person from one country heard these words. That person was still playing with his younger brother, while 'Qin' welcomed a 'Zhao' who was letting loose.
As soon as Zhao's figure appeared, she said, "Oh, giving someone a reward."
This "reward" doesn't mean bestowing a gift; "Qin" understood that it implied she was appreciating people like flowers.
'Qin' turned his head to look at 'Zhao': 'Can't you see the beautiful flowers in this garden?'
"Come on, what's so interesting about staring at the embroidery on your own clothes? Besides, this flower bed is so small it doesn't even have a single useful thread. You might as well say you're admiring someone else."
"And what about you? What are you doing here?"
Zhao laughed shamelessly, "I came to see you. Look how good I am to still remember your centuries-old, lonely country. Aren't you touched? Next time you grant me entry, remember to hurry up."
"...You couldn't hold back after only two months?" Although she complained about Zhao, Qin still raised her hand and made the flowers and plants in the flower bed grow outwards, forming a futon not far from her.
“You know I’m always unruly,” Zhao said, taking up the new spot without ceremony. Her kneeling posture was more casual than Qin’s, and she even had the mood to pick and choose. “If there were a backrest, and it were higher, my legs could hang down naturally, that would be nice.”
"How about I just make a bed for you here?"
"Really?" Zhao asked Qin with feigned surprise, then added with a smile, "I misunderstood you. I declare you my favorite country now."
Ying Zheng paused in his work, and Cheng Jiao noticed. In a flash, he saw the flowers and plants spreading along the edge of the flower bed. He asked in confusion, "Didn't the servants prune them before? How come they're growing back?"
"Perhaps this is newly grown."
"That makes sense. I'll call someone to fix it later."
Zhao suddenly nodded in relief: "It seems that not everyone with the surname Ying and the Qin clan can see it."
"...Do you think it's as common as beans?"
Zhao pondered for a moment: "It's hard to say, Qin Ji might remember it too."
"But this is how it is with a dying man. I've seen it before, but unfortunately no one listens to his nonsense."
"Speaking of dying people... Qin Zhu is dying soon too, isn't he? Has he not officially ascended the throne yet?"
"You know perfectly well why you came here just to ask me this... He's still in mourning, and his coronation will have to wait until the mourning period is over." Even the king is not exempt from mourning, and the formal coronation ceremony can only be held after the mourning period ends. So, whether it's King Qin Yingzhu or Crown Prince Ying Zichu, for the time being, everyone knows that he is King Qin/Crown Prince, but strictly speaking, he cannot be considered officially crowned. "You don't seem to have met Qin Zhu, so how can you be so sure that he is going to die?"
Zhao raised his chin slightly, gesturing to look at Ying Zheng: "Because his fortune is slowly increasing, this is a sign that he will soon become the crown prince. By all accounts, Qin Zhu should die soon."
Qin found Zhao's choice of words extremely unpleasant, yet they were all true. She nodded and said, "I forgot, Zheng'er's mother is from Zhao. You can see that too."
Zhao gave a haughty snort: "It's good that you remember."
"How many more years do you think Qin Zichu will live?"
Qin sighed speechlessly, then frowned and said, "Why do I feel like you're more anxious than I am?"
Putting everything else aside, Ying Zichu would be a good King of Qin. If there were any other options, she would also like him to live for two more years, so that when Ying Zheng ascends the throne and assumes personal rule, there will be fewer future troubles due to the young age of the ruler.
“Emmm…” Zhao’s guilty gaze drifted away, avoiding looking at Qin.
Zhao finally quieted down and watched with Qin as two children practiced swordsmanship with wooden swords.
****
Driven by self-interest, both the pseudonym 'Qin' and the real Zhu Qing'ai wished for Ying Zichu to live two more years, but a person's lifespan is not something she can control at present.
The longevity drugs or panaceas in the mall were too expensive for her to afford, so she could only reluctantly let Ying Zichu die on time.
****
Two months later, Qin discovered that every time she came to see Ying Zheng, Zhao would send an entry application via Qingfeng. This happened eight out of ten times. If Qin hadn't been so polite every time, she would never have let Zhao in.
Later, Qin figured out the pattern: the country applied randomly, but because the number of applications was so frequent, and she herself visited the Crown Prince's residence frequently, Zhao happened to run into her more often.
This time, Qin finally couldn't hold back and started to speak sarcastically: "You might as well live in Xianyang and change your name to Xianyang instead of Zhao."
"I just came to 'Qin' in advance to experience what Zhao Min's future life will be like, don't be so stingy~" 'Zhao' said with a smile. Since she completely gave up and let herself go, she couldn't be happier.
Qin sighed again: "Don't worry, I will treat everyone equally."
“I’m not worried about that. You’ve taken in Zhou Yumin and even the Quanrong. Come to think of it, there are quite a few people with the surname Ying in Zhao who are closer to you than they are.”
“So you actually came to see Zheng’er,” Qin suddenly said, his tone certain.
"Yes..." Zhao blurted out, but quickly corrected himself, "No!"
“No, it’s not.” Qin looked at Zhao with a calm gaze, clearly without a clear attitude, but Zhao became anxious.
She said in a serious and solemn tone, "Really, no, you have to believe me."
Qin glanced at Zhao and suddenly chuckled softly, "I believe you because we are both consciousness entities."
Zhao: "..."
Not far away, Ying Zheng and Ying Chengjiao were putting on a show of brotherly affection, while the two countries were engaging in a childish bickering.
Further away, Zhao Ji and Han Ji stood under the eaves, secretly watching this scene. Han Ji noticed that since Cheng Jiao had an older brother, the child had been studying harder than before, which made Han Ji quite gratified.
She whispered to the maid beside her, "Keep an eye on their safety."
"only."
Zhao Ji glanced at Han Ji but said nothing. After the last test, she realized that Han Ji was not really her match, and her friendly attitude towards Han Ji became even more genuine.
She had also tried to gain sympathy from Ying Zichu and received a verbal promise, but that was all.
After observing, she discovered that the obstacle on her path to becoming the principal wife was actually Lady Huayang.
Lady Huayang wants to control the choice of the Crown Prince's principal wife, and the reason why no one has been appointed as the principal wife so far is simply because the two sides are still at an impasse.
****
When the event ended, Ying Zheng and Cheng Jiao were each led away by their mothers. Seeing that Zhao still showed no sign of leaving, Qin couldn't help but urge, "Why aren't you leaving yet? You've stayed here for so long today, is there anything important you want to say?"
"Can't I stay here a little longer if there's nothing else going on?"
Qin felt that Zhao was testing its bottom line step by step, staying in Qin territory for longer and longer periods of time without taking any additional action.
Doing nothing really feels like just strolling around Xianyang. She remembered that this country used to say she was wandering around aimlessly, but she realized that this country was judging the country by its own standards.
Qin waved its hand impatiently, no longer bothering to argue with the state, and simply threw the state out of Qin.
****
A few days ago, Lady Huayang finally relented, and Zhao Ji was made the principal wife. It wasn't because she didn't want Zichu to make someone from her side the principal wife.
Instead, it was Ying Zhu who spoke. Hearing the news that was spreading like wildfire in the city, Ying Zhu remembered the things his father had told him. He didn't dare to delay any longer and immediately issued an edict to make Zhao Ji the Crown Prince's principal wife.
Lady Huayang was initially unwilling, as she was aware of the rumors circulating in the city that the young master who returned from Zhao was protected by a divinely ordained black bird and would surely become a figure like Tang of Shang or Wu of Zhou.
But everyone in politics knows each other, and as shrewd as she is, she doesn't believe such rumors at all. She immediately ordered her subordinates to investigate who was spreading them.
As expected, the investigation led to Lü Buwei. Lady Huayang sneered, "What a Lü Buwei..."
These rumors won't fool these people, but they'll be enough to fool the common folk, and that's how they gain fame.
But he didn't consider that such a useful trick had rarely succeeded before.
To boast like that, the person being boasted about has to be worthy of it...
Lady Huayang immediately ordered her men to suppress the rumors, and then she would personally go to the King to discuss the matter, emphasizing that the position of the principal wife should not be decided lightly!
Unfortunately, Lady Huayang was disappointed. Yingzhu usually doted on her, but this time his attitude was extremely firm. He clearly wanted to establish her heir as the crown prince, but this time, he insisted on establishing Zhao Ji as the crown prince's principal wife.
Lady Huayang was suddenly alarmed. Had she gone too far?
She had no further objection to Zhao Ji's actions and remained silent.
Later, news from Zhao made her glad that she had kept silent. After the Zhao army returned home, some people strictly demanded that the news be kept secret and that the events of that day not be spread.
But with so many soldiers escorting them that day, it was impossible for everyone to keep quiet.
The strange phenomenon of that day eventually spread throughout the State of Zhao, and the Qin spies in Zhao dutifully relayed the news back to their homeland.
Lady Huayang was taken aback when she received the news. Of course, she knew that the Zhao army couldn't be Lü Buwei's men...
Are you kidding me? The Zhao army would cooperate with Lü Buwei to create momentum for a powerless prince of Qin? Impossible!
Madam Huayang raised her hand to her forehead, feeling a little dizzy. Her eyelashes blinked rapidly. Why couldn't she understand this world anymore?
"Someone...go and investigate further..."
Then, over the next few days, Lady Huayang heard several versions of the story...
Version 1:
The descent of the Black Bird is a blessing for Qin. Prince Zheng will surely lead Qin to its peak!
This is reasonable enough. But when she saw version two, Lady Huayang couldn't help but twitch her lips. How could anyone think that Prince Zheng was born to the Black Bird a few days ago, growing up in a year, and stopping when he was nine years old? He is currently living in the Crown Prince Qin's residence.
There are actually people from Zhao who believe that the current crown prince of Qin is Ying Zheng?!
Lady Huayang threw away the bamboo slip in her hand; the more she looked at it, the more her heart ached.
However, without exception, all these messages came from the State of Zhao. She also sent people to investigate carefully, but they found no evidence that Lü Buwei had intervened in the matter (the mastermind behind it all, Wang Yuan, kept his merits hidden). In other words, these outrageous rumors did indeed come from the mouths of the people of Zhao.
She really wanted to question these Zhao people: how come you Zhao people are more enthusiastic about spreading rumors about the Qin prince than the Qin people are? You know, the versions she heard in Xianyang were not this outrageous.
As expected, Lü Buwei was just too concerned about saving face... (crossed out)
With such a grand display, Yingzhu naturally used this as an excuse to refuse his beloved wife while also appeasing her. Lady Huayang had no choice but to accept this daughter-in-law of humble origins.
****
At this point, the time was very close to the day when Yingzhu would be officially crowned.
Zhu Qing'ai made a point of taking the time to visit Tai Shujiu and instructed him to remember to decline the official appointment that Ying Zhu should formally appoint him after ascending the throne. She told him not to delay for too long, just three days would suffice.
Taishu Jiu, who was already engrossed in farming, looked up at Zhu Qing'ai, who was wearing the 'Qin' cloak. He was stunned for a moment, then realized what she meant and said, "Oh, okay, I'll remember that."
He has recently been trying to grow other high-yield crops and has not communicated with the outside world for a long time. It seems that he did not even mourn Ying Ji's death.
This is what happens when you get carried away with farming. Zhu Qing'ai can only be thankful that she didn't teach him to fish. If she had taught him to be a fisherman, he would have been ruined (not really).
Taishu Jiu had a very high level of physical fitness from the start, and he was very good at farm work. It was like playing a farming game for him, and the sense of accomplishment when harvesting was even greater.
He experienced the joy of being human for the first time, and he was very grateful to Zhu Qing'ai for arranging for him to farm back then.
If it weren't for the fact that the King of Qin would occasionally send people to invite him to the smelting workshop to guide the craftsmen, Taishu Jiuzhen would not have planned to leave the area of his own land.
"Do you remember what I just said?" Zhu Qing'ai asked in a surprise inspection.
Taishu Jiu repeated carefully: "...I cannot agree to Yingzhu's offer of an official position; it must be delayed for at least three days."
"Qing'ai, although I am human now, my memory is still very good. I won't forget, so don't worry."
Zhu Qing'ai: Does having a good memory mean forgetting that you have to pay twice...?
She blurted out, "It seems that sometimes being human isn't so good. Ah Jiu, I'm not going to be human anymore."
Taishu Jiu: ? ? ?
Tai Shu Jiu didn't understand what Zhu Qing Ai was thinking, and only said dryly, "Actually, being a leader isn't good either. Some hosts don't respect leaders, and encountering such a host is very torturous..."
Looking back on my past after becoming a human being, was that the life a human being should have?!
He had the opposite idea from Zhu Qing'ai; he wanted to be a human being and never want to be a leader again.
“What you said makes sense.” Zhu Qing’ai frowned in thought. If she were to encounter a rebellious host, she would rather not bind to a host at all.
Thinking of this, she looked at Tai Shu Jiu. If only every host she had was such an excellent tool...
Taishu, the excellent tool, was oblivious to everything. He was still complaining to Zhu Qing'ai about his former host.
"After living like this for so long, I've realized that the life I was living before was not even fit for a human being."
Zhu Qing'ai asked curiously, "How many hosts have you had before?"
“Wait a minute,” Zhu Qing’ai stopped Tai Shu Jiu from saying anything more. She said, “These six must not be very good, otherwise you wouldn’t have only been level 2 when you bound me.”
"Tell me about your first host first, and I'll listen to the rest later when I have time."
Taishu Jiu was lost in memories:
"Back then, I was just a fresh graduate from the Systems Academy when I met him..."
"After he got involved with me, he initially tried to improve his skills in technology, but as soon as he joined the government, he demanded that the state provide him with a wife..."
"That's not all. The government arranged a blind date for him, but he actually said that only children make choices, and that he wants all the adults. The government rejected his application directly."
"Let's forget about all that. He went abroad to attend an exchange meeting and slept with a blonde, big-breasted sweetheart from the neighboring country who was actually a spy."
Zhu Qing'ai leaned back tactically after hearing half of it: "You're too pitiful. What was the ending?"
"He was sentenced for bigamy and treason. I applied to unbind him because the mission hadn't progressed for a long time. Later, I heard from another system in that world that he had been working on a sewing machine his whole life."
Zhu Qingai breathed a sigh of relief and comforted Taishu Jiu, saying, "Look, although you were tormented by him, the law will deal with this kind of person. You have avenged your great wrong."
To everyone's surprise, Taishu Jiu looked conflicted: "Actually, this isn't such a big deal. Although it impacted my system career, it wasn't too outrageous... right..."
Zhu Qingai quickly waved her hand: "Alright, alright, stop talking. If this is nothing, then the host you bind to later... I think my cyber blood pressure will rise after hearing this."
Tai Shu Jiu obediently stopped complaining and only said with concern, "Qing Ai, if you change hosts in the future, you must find one carefully and not just look at a person's luck."
Zhu Qing'ai nodded knowingly. That was for sure. In all the novels she had read, the protagonists' personalities and character had ups and downs, let alone actually going to find a host.
When a person is the host, they don't feel anything, but when they think about it from the system's perspective, they wish they could just throw some hosts away on the spot.
Once she thought about it that way, she became even more reluctant to part with Tai Shujiu, such a perfect tool.
"I was just too much of a failure as president."
Zhu Qing'ai's eyes flickered slightly as she thought about how to trick him into her hands. She gently comforted him, "It's alright. In my heart, you are the best host, without exception."
These days, where can you find a real person who's this obedient? The most popular type of host these days has become the rebellious type. The worst part is that she's become a system.
Tai Shujiu looked at Zhu Qing'ai with deep emotion, almost wiping away tears. His voice choked slightly as he said, "Thank you, Qing'ai. You're the first person to praise me."
"They all call me a piece of trash..."
Zhu Qing'ai took two steps closer, raised her hand and put it around Tai Shujiu. He leaned against her like a little bird, his emotions fluctuating.
"They're blind. I'll praise you every time I go to another world."
Gong Chengyang, who had always worked for Taishu Jiu, was startled. Why was his boss suddenly crying?
He hurried over to ask with concern, "Sir, why are you crying? Is something wrong?"
Taishu Jiu's handsome face was slightly flushed. He raised his sleeve to wipe away the almost non-existent tears, glanced at Zhu Qing'ai beside him with her clear laughter without leaving a trace, and said nonchalantly, "It's nothing. I just suddenly figured out a problem that has been bothering me for a long time, and I got excited for a moment. I'm fine."
The servant named Yang suddenly realized something, then congratulated Taishu Jiu with a smile: "Congratulations, Lord Taishu! Have you come up with some new and ingenious ideas? Would you like me to get some paper to write them down?"
Taishu Jiu: "...Not for now."
He hasn't even figured out how to develop new blueprints yet, he's still researching pest-resistant crops. He'll definitely come up with something new next time!
"Go ahead and get busy, I'll think about it some more."
Actually, he felt that following Qing'ai was not bad. He didn't feel that way when he was in charge, but now that he was a human, he hoped to live longer, just like other humans.
What could be an easier path to immortality than traveling through worlds and completing missions with the system? Besides... Qing'ai said he's the best host!
Taishu Jiujun's face turned red again.
****
Reminded by Zhu Qing'ai, Taishu Jiu remembered to attend Yingzhu's coronation ceremony on time this time. Before the surrounding ministers could be shocked that this Grand Chancellor had finally come out of that remote place and stopped studying farming, a major event that shocked the entire court and the country occurred.
When they heard the news, many ministers were speechless. Did the Qin royal family have to be so extreme? The previous king reigned for fifty-five years, and the new king died after only three days on the throne.
Crown Prince Zichu... no, he's now the new Prince Zichu of Qin. He just finished his mourning period and has started mourning again.
Lady Huayang was not surprised. Despite her grief, she quickly stepped forward to take charge, preventing the country from descending into chaos after the deaths of two rulers that year.
She's only been queen for three days, and now she's about to be promoted to empress dowager.
However, she did not let her guard down, because the late King Yingzhu had only been crowned three days ago, so it was conceivable that her heir Zichu's position was not secure either.
She seized the opportunity before the court officials could react, also to prevent the throne from falling into other hands at the last moment.
However, sometimes conflicts cannot be prevented from happening even if she wants to. After Yingzhu passed away, some relatives still raised objections in front of his coffin.
Empress Dowager Huayang looked at the man coldly. Her husband had many children, and the man's face was both familiar and unfamiliar. She couldn't quite remember who he was.
She sneered inwardly. This was probably another scapegoat someone had pushed out to test her and the new King of Qin's bottom line. If Zichu had been a little weaker... then this situation might not have been at the stage of 'reasoning' yet.
"How dare you! How dare you behave before the spirit tablet of the late King! Guards, seize him!"
Empress Dowager Huayang took the initiative, using her seniority to intimidate the cunning man, and immediately ordered him to be captured.
"Let's see who dares! I am a member of the royal family, who dares to touch me?"
"So what if they're members of the royal family? If they dare to make a scene in front of the late king's spirit, they can be dragged away and imprisoned."
She absolutely could not allow anyone else to ascend the throne at the last moment, otherwise all her years of hard work would have been in vain.
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Author's Note: Cheng Jiao: My brother could never lose, because we are the opposite of losing; our surname is Ying (嬴)! (crossed out)
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This article will offer a slight attempt to whitewash Zhao Ji and Cheng Jiao, or rather, it's just that, given the current plot logic, if Cheng Jiao were to rebel, that would be illogical and simply unacceptable (?).
Aside from his father who died young, our Zhengzai will have a complete family. (Nods)
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After becoming a VIP member, updates usually occur around noon. In special circumstances, a leave notice will be posted. After becoming a VIP member, updates will be 3,000/6,000 words per day. Updating 10,000 words per day is too much of a waste of time and energy, sob sob qwq.
The previous chapter was updated on Tuesday, and this chapter is updated on Wednesday. I'm combining three chapters into one to pay off two-thirds of the debt first. I still owe one extra chapter for nutrient solution, so I'll need to think about it some more (huh?).
P.S.: I'll add an extra chapter for every 1000 nutrient solution or 100 landmines. I'll ask for leave if I have something to do. *kiss*
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The Zuo Zhuan, Duke Xuan, Year 8: "The people of Jin captured a Qin spy." Tang Lu Deming's commentary: "Spy, pronounced 'tu xié', means spy, now called a spies."
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Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 00:19:31 on April 23, 2024 and 00:55:09 on April 24, 2024!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: Look, I'll glow (1 one);
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Wan Nian 40 bottles; Chen Yi 30 bottles; Zhong Hua Jia 21 bottles; San Qian Ke 20 bottles; Li Li Zi 15 bottles; Shi Yuan Bu Shi Yuan, Qing Niao Yin Qin Wei Tan Kan, Feng Xi Yue 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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