Chapter 121 Finale [Jinjiang Authentic Edition Exclusive Release·Too...
"Your Highness, His Majesty invites you to the Zhangtai Palace."
In early spring in February, when the sun was shining brightly, the golden afternoon sun shone on the majestic Xianyang Palace complex, and thousands of floating golden fragments danced on the dark eaves.
Inside the secluded Qinxue Palace, a carved glass wooden window embedded in the palace wall is extremely bright. Under the sunlight, the smooth glass reflects a handsome figure wearing a black silk robe, showing composure in every gesture.
The owner of the figure had long, smooth black hair that was half-tied and half-draped with a delicate and exquisite jade crown. His palms were covered with thin calluses, but his slender hands, with very white fingers, were constantly sliding on brown bamboo slips. Qin Ying, who was busy all day, had a rare half day of free time on the last day of February. At this moment, he was kneeling beside a table by the window in the Qinxue Palace, sipping fragrant tea and reading the palace classics. At this moment, he suddenly saw a black-robed eunuch from the Zhangtai Palace hurried over and reported his grandfather's words to him.
He then smiled and nodded, casually rolled up the half-read bamboo slips and placed them on a corner of the desk, then stood up from his seat, led a group of palace servants who were protecting him closely, and walked out.
When everyone went outside, the brilliant spring light from the blue sky suddenly fell on Qin Ying like a soft warm veil. After enduring a lonely and long winter, it was rare to see such beautiful spring light. Qin Ying couldn't help but put his right hand in front of his forehead, tilted his head and looked up at the sky, feeling the vibrant spring energy transmitted to him from the warm sunshine. Having been the crown prince for ten years, he couldn't help but squint his almond-shaped eyes happily.
The black-robed eunuch following behind slowed down his pace as he watched the Crown Prince walking. When he looked up at the spring scenery, he couldn't help but admire the half of his handsome face that was revealed from his hand.
Ten years passed in the blink of an eye, and many things happened both inside and outside the court.
More than three thousand days and nights of baptism were enough to transform the Crown Prince, who stood in the outer hall of Zhangtai Palace that day and received the imperial edict of enthronement in the court meeting in front of all the civil and military officials, from a cute little boy who was barely as tall as the waist of the First Emperor into a tall, graceful and handsome young man like his grandfather and father.
What's even more amazing is that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince combines all the advantages of his ancestors and father in terms of appearance and demeanor. He resembles the First Emperor in his features, but the temperament he displays to the outside world is not as gloomy as the Emperor's. Whether dealing with people or things, the elegance and easy-going temperament that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince exudes from the inside out is exactly similar to that of the eldest son. However, although the Crown Prince has the temperament of his biological father, the bold style of behavior he displays to the outside world is very different from that of the eldest son. Instead, he has quite a bit of the vigorous and decisive style of King Zhaoxiang in the past.
Anyone who sees the Crown Prince's true appearance cannot help but sigh in their hearts - the Qin royal family is truly blessed! The feng shui of the Xianyang Palace is even more nourishing, which is why the Ying Qin lineage can continuously cultivate outstanding successors.
Qin Ying, unaware of the admiring gazes of the palace servants behind him, briefly enjoyed the bright spring scenery before quickening his pace and walking along the long palace road towards the Zhangtai Palace. After turning two corners, he caught a glimpse of the majestic and solemn shadow of the Zhangtai Palace from afar. The seventeen-year-old crown prince could not help but wonder in his heart what his grandfather's motive was for sending the palace servants to find him.
The biggest thing in the court recently is the Confucian officials who went out to the grasslands and the Western Regions to educate the barbarians when he was young. As Maodun began to integrate the nomadic tribes and as the reputation of the Qin Empire became more and more widespread outside the Great Wall, the Confucian officials who had been drifting outside for many years also returned to Xianyang one after another.
Although these people were not as miserable as the Confucian officials who went to Baiyue in the past, their experience in the frontier area for more than ten years also made these Confucian officials who were good at talking suffer a lot.
Those with strong personalities endured the bitter cold outside the Great Wall and actively demonstrated the customs and culture of the Qin Empire to the small countries in the Western Regions and the Xiongnu tribes on the grasslands. With their smart brains and extremely resilient character, they not only brought back many seeds and treasures from outside the Great Wall for their grandfather, but also brought back ten priceless Dayuan horses!
The grandfather was naturally very happy and promoted these capable envoys.
There were also some Confucian officials who were unlucky enough to be detained in the barbarian tribes, or who could not bear the hard life of wandering outside, and married and had children in small countries in the Western Regions and the Xiongnu tribes. Now that they have returned to Xianyang, although my father has received them, he has not given them any generous rewards.
These envoys who returned from the Western Regions and grasslands brought back not only novel items but also specific local conditions, which could greatly assist the Qin army's future westward expedition.
Although this matter was serious, it was finally dealt with by mid-month.
Then there would be no other important court affairs, Qin Ying thought quickly in his mind. After catching a glimpse of the palace maids on both sides of the palace road who saluted him respectfully when they met him, he finally guessed the motive of his grandfather sending people to look for him in a flash.
Sure enough, when he arrived at Zhangtai Palace, he saw his grandfather holding a metal magnifying glass, carefully examining the scrolls hung by the palace servants. When he caught a glimpse of the colorful paintings of beauties, his hands and feet went numb. He walked forward with gritted teeth and bowed respectfully to his grandfather, saying:
"Grandson greets Grandfather."
Upon hearing this, the First Emperor glanced at his grandson. Seeing the wonderful expression on his grandson's face after seeing the picture of the beauty, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
He believed that he was not a person with strong desires. Since he started the war to destroy the country and conquer the world, he rarely went to the harem to have children. After unifying the world, he lived in Zhangtai Palace all year round for more than ten years. But even so, he was arranged to be a palace maid by his mother after he was fifteen years old.
But his eldest grandson was strange. He was already seventeen and a half years old, and would be eighteen in another half a year. His height would reach his shoulders. No matter in terms of age or height, he was a standard male of the Qin Dynasty. However, his good grandson always refused the concubines and maids arranged for him by his grandmother and mother, saying that he was just a child and would not be considered a real man until he turned eighteen.
So many years have passed, and his other sons and daughters have given him a long string of grandsons and granddaughters. Even last year, his youngest son, who was held hostage on the grassland, gave birth to a little granddaughter with the blood of Qin and Xiongnu flowing in her body with Maodun's sister. Although he did not see the real person, he still happily named her "Ying Mingzhu" and canonized her as a princess.
But what worries him and the ministers is——
1. Seventeen years have passed, and the eldest son's family has only one son, Guaisun.
Second, my good grandson is good in every way except that he wants to turn around and run away when the matter of marriage is mentioned.
First of all, he and the officials could still keep calm. Although there was only one grandson in the eldest prince's mansion, this unique seedling absorbed the spiritual beauty of heaven and earth, and grew well on the outside and cultivated even better on the inside.
The second thing is a bit tricky.
The Crown Prince is already so old, but he still avoids getting engaged. From the perspective of succession to the crown prince, this will affect the country.
No matter what, my grandson's marriage must be finalized this year.
The First Emperor narrowed his narrow eyes at his grandson who was standing three meters away with an evasive look.
Seeing the serious expression on his grandfather's face, Qin Ying instantly became obedient.
He also heard the officials in the court talking about his marriage. He had heard his grandmother and mother vaguely mention this matter to him since he was fifteen years old, but in his mind, "eighteen years old" was considered "adulthood", so he kept postponing the marriage.
Now, the elders have followed his wishes and postponed the marriage for two years. In half a year, he will be exactly eighteen years old. Not to mention that it can no longer be postponed, if he still doesn't see him engaged this year, he is afraid that Old Li, who is looking forward to the arrival of "Qin III" in the court, will be driven crazy with anxiety.
When he thought of how every time Old Li saw him in the palace, he would be so anxious that he would want to disregard his old face and personally drag him to the palace flower banquet to meet the noble ladies with his uncles and cousins who were of similar age, he felt embarrassed but couldn't help laughing.
In ten years, not only did he grow up successfully, but even Maodun, who was far away outside the Great Wall, unified the nomadic tribes outside the Great Wall.
Even two years ago, his eighteenth uncle, who was stupid and cruel by nature and had no good qualities except his appearance, had a lovely little cousin named "Mingzhu" born to him by chance with Maodun's sister on the grassland.
In addition to Mingzhu, his little cousin from the grassland with a special identity, his aunts and uncles who got married one after another also gave birth to a large number of little cousins for him in the inland area of Xianyang.
The third generation of the royal family had many more members, but what surprised him and all the civil and military officials was that for so many years, no other child had been born in the eldest prince's mansion except for him, the crown prince.
Qin Ying himself was quite surprised by this matter. He really didn't expect that after traveling through time, he could still be the only son in the eldest son's mansion of the Qin Dynasty in this life. Even compared with the later Zhu family, Zhu Houzhao, who had a younger brother and sister who died young and ascended the throne as the crown prince, was not considered a real "only son". Only he, the only child of the eldest son's mansion, could be considered the true "legitimate son, eldest son, and only son" all at once. This unique experience made his already stable position as the crown prince even more stable. He could imagine that thousands of years later, when future generations took stock of the most stable crown princes throughout the dynasties, he would definitely have a place.
However, as an only child, he also has the pressure of being an only child. Putting aside the pressure of being the crown prince, he feels that he and his future princess will have a headache just regarding the marriage. Perhaps once he gets married, all eyes on the "heir of Qin III" will be cast on his small family.
Thinking of this, seventeen-year-old Qin Ying felt that getting married was even more stressful for him.
He slowly moved to his father's side under his father's sharp gaze, and heard his father speak directly to him:
"Ying, you can no longer be willful this year. The selection of the Crown Prince's Consort must be finalized by the end of the year at the latest."
"These six pictures are of six outstanding noble ladies selected by my father based on the status of the daughters of officials in the court. You can personally choose one to be your Crown Prince's Consort."
Hearing her grandfather's unyielding tone, Qin Ying had no choice but to look at the scrolls carefully. At a glance, she saw that in addition to a full-length portrait of a beauty, the six scrolls also contained rows of densely packed ink characters recording the identity information, hobbies, and temperament of the noble ladies in the paintings.
The scrolls that can enter the Zhangtai Palace must have gone through layers of screening, and there are also a number of noble ladies of appropriate age. This one is the one who will spend the rest of his life with him, and he also looks at it very seriously.
Looking through the scrolls one by one, Qin Ying found that these women were all outstanding in terms of family background, talent, and appearance. When he moved to the last scroll, he saw the beautiful woman in red. He couldn't help but be slightly stunned. He followed the lines of ink writing beside the woman's hand and saw the woman's name. He couldn't help but smile and said to his grandfather:
"Father, I have seen this sister before."
The First Emperor glanced at the scroll in the direction of his grandson's finger and saw that the woman Ying was talking about happened to be Feng Quji's great-granddaughter. He remembered that his third daughter had married into the Feng family in his early years. He looked at his grandson and laughed out loud, saying:
"Could it be that when Ying was five years old, she was the sedan chair bearer for your third aunt's wedding, and she saw this little girl in the Feng Mansion?"
Qin Ying couldn't help but laugh when she recalled the past:
"Grandfather, you may not know that when I was young, my mother coaxed me into having a flower ornament stuck between my eyebrows and becoming the sedan chair bearer for my third aunt."
"At that time, my grandson sat in the wedding car and went to the Weishui Bridge with my third aunt. He used the stainless steel washboard that Xuanniao had gifted Ying to shock my third uncle in public. When the wedding car arrived at the Feng Mansion, the news also reached the ears of the Feng family."
"Before Third Aunt's wedding ceremony ended that night, my grandson went to the bridal chamber and rolled around. Then I saw a beautiful little girl with the same flower ornaments between her eyebrows roll around in the bridal chamber after my grandson. Afterward, she glared at my grandson with resentment."
"Ying was baffled at the time. After leaving the bridal chamber, he stopped the little girl and asked her why she was glaring at me. The little girl angrily said that when the eldest and second princesses got married, he, the eldest nephew, didn't intimidate the first and second princes-in-law in the street. But when the third princess got married, I, the nephew, started to embarrass the third prince-in-law in public. Even if I did it to support my aunts, it was still bullying his uncle."
"After hearing what she said, my grandson was completely stunned. First, I didn't expect the seemingly young little girl to be so smart. Second, she wasn't afraid of my status as the emperor's grandson at all. I was able to intimidate my third uncle in the street to protect my third aunt's status, and she argued with me face to face for the sake of her uncle's reputation. My grandson remembered her that day and even joked with her that her name was Feng Shu, Feng Shu. Doesn't that mean she will lose in the future?"
Upon hearing this, the First Emperor couldn't help but raise his long eyebrows. It had been seventeen years, and it was really rare for him to hear about a noble lady from his grandson's mouth.
Even His Majesty the Emperor couldn't help but smile after hearing the quarrel between these little kids:
"I didn't expect that a man as steady as Feng Quji would have such a lively and courageous great-granddaughter."
Qin Ying thought of the little girl who argued with her back then, and the smile in her eyes grew brighter. She asked her grandfather:
"Father, can you guess how Feng Shu reacted after my grandson made fun of her name?"
The First Emperor thought for a moment and shook his head.
"I can't guess it, but girls have strong self-esteem. You're teasing her like this in her house. Are you going to make her cry?"
Qin Ying curled her lips into a smile and shook her head.
"No, not really. When I said 'lose in everything' to that little girl, she froze on the spot, as if no one had ever confused the 'Shu' in her name with the 'Shu' in 'Shuying' before. I saw her eyes were red and thought she was crying out of anger, but then she started to taunt me in a sarcastic way – saying that as the emperor's grandson, I was overbearing and had to distort her good name 'Shu' into 'Shu' to cancel her. Then if my name was 'Yingying', it would mean 'win in everything'. How could a grandson who pursues winning everything wear a woman's flower ornament on his forehead and come to be a sedan chair bearer for a newlywed couple? So what if he's the emperor's eldest grandson? Does that mean he can be shameless and make fun of other people's names at will?"
When the First Emperor heard this, a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes. He truly felt that his great-granddaughter Feng Quji was quite courageous and her little head was extremely smart.
Qin Ying saw her grandfather's expression, and the smile in her eyes became even brighter. Thinking of the wedding held in Feng Mansion at dusk that day, she suppressed her shame and said to her grandfather:
"Grandfather, at that moment, when I heard from her that I was wearing a woman's flower ornament and wandering around at someone else's wedding, I was so embarrassed that my whole face turned red. I immediately picked the flower ornament from between my eyebrows. I wished I could turn back time to early morning. No matter what Grandmother said, I would not let that flower ornament stick to my eyebrows."
When the First Emperor heard this, he could no longer hold back his joyful laughter as he saw that his good grandson still looked as embarrassed as if he wanted to crawl into a hole in the ground when the old matter was brought up again after so many years.
As his grandson described, he slowly recalled the time when his third daughter brought her grandson to Zhangtai Palace to bid farewell to him before she got married. He knelt at the head of the table and saw his grandson with a flower ornament stuck between his eyebrows. Fifteen years had passed in a blink of an eye. At that time, his grandson was still a chubby boy with a childish voice and soft fat all over his body. Looking at the handsome and noble young man in front of him, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart that as his grandson grew up to be more and more outstanding, the chubby boy in his memory was getting farther and farther away.
The First Emperor sighed inwardly, and seeing his grandson still staring at the portrait of "Feng Shu", he smiled and said jokingly:
"Ying, from what you said, you and the young lady from the Feng family seem to be quite compatible. You teased her about her name being 'Everything Loser', but she actually tricked you, saying that because your name is 'Everything Winner', you act so overbearingly. In my opinion, the two of you are quite compatible in terms of age, character and appearance. If you like, the young lady from the Feng family can be the Crown Prince's Consort."
Qin Ying heard what her grandfather said, thought about it carefully, and nodded:
"Grandfather, the selection of the Crown Prince's Consort is extremely important. Although I have some impression of Feng Shu, after so many years, people's personalities change a lot. Besides, they may not be willing to marry into the royal family. If possible, I would like to meet her in person and have a chat with her."
The current atmosphere is still very open.
After hearing his grandson's true feelings, the First Emperor thought for a moment and nodded.
"How about this? Next month, have your mother choose a good day in the harem to hold a flower-viewing banquet and invite all the noble ladies in the painting to come to the harem to play. Then your mother will find a time for you two to meet and talk in person."
Qin Ying smiled and nodded, then glanced at the woman in the portrait.
In the blink of an eye, the spring scenery became more and more prosperous.
In mid-March, the exotic flowers and plants in the harem garden bloomed in a riot of colour, creating a lively atmosphere.
Following His Majesty's wishes, Madam Qiang discussed with the ladies in the palace who had sons of marriageable age to hold a grand flower-viewing banquet in the harem, and invited many famous ladies in the capital to attend the banquet.
Some princesses who had sons also returned to the palace to attend the banquet.
Under the arrangement of her grandmother, Qin Ying also saw the grown-up Feng Shu in front of the lotus pavilion in the garden.
Twelve years have passed. The little girl who disregarded the imperial power and argued with him in Feng Mansion that day has grown into a beautiful lady with graceful figure. She is particularly eye-catching in both appearance and temperament.
The other person was wearing a red dress, which made her skin look even whiter.
Qin Ying was looking at Feng Shu, and Feng Shu was also looking at the Crown Prince.
Indeed, whether in terms of family background, character, appearance, or even reputation, the current crown prince of the Qin Dynasty is the most satisfactory candidate for the ladies of high families in Xianyang when discussing marriage.
Feng Shu was naturally no exception. She had grown up listening to stories about the Crown Prince for so many years. The disputes she had in the mansion during her childhood now seemed like children's jokes and were no longer a big deal.
The moment their eyes met, Feng Shu calmly and gracefully bowed to the tall and handsome young man opposite her and said, "Your Highness, your Highness, the Crown Prince, is greeted by your servant Feng Shu."
Qin Ying nodded slightly. Having never been in love in his two lives, he really didn't know how to communicate with a girl.
People are visual animals. Judging from appearance alone, he admired Feng Shu's appearance. In this day and age, with this status, he was not looking for a soul mate. He said directly to Feng Shu:
"Ms. Feng, you come from a noble family, so you naturally know the situation within the royal family. Our royal family, three generations deep, has never been one for lust. When my great-grandfather was in his prime, he had enough children and no longer ventured into the harem. My father has been alone with my mother for so many years. I, too, do not place that much importance on lust. My only request for the future Crown Princess is that the couple live in harmony, work together, and when they can work together, they can better promote the prosperity of the Great Qin Empire and give birth to a smart and talented heir, and train him well. That's all."
"That's my idea. Since you've come to the palace to attend the banquet today, are you thinking about marrying into the royal family?"
Feng Shu was slightly taken aback when she heard this. She had never expected the Crown Prince to be so straightforward and direct. After she realized what was happening, she pursed her lips and thought carefully. Whether it was the Crown Prince's appearance or his status, there was nothing to fault. The elders of the clan also hoped that she could marry him and become the first Crown Prince Consort of the Qin Dynasty. The Crown Prince was not a shy person, so she was naturally straightforward and said directly with a bright smile:
"If Your Highness can truly live up to me, I will naturally be willing to marry Your Highness."
Qin Ying's heart couldn't help but skip a beat when he heard this. Perhaps it was because the sun above was too bright, or perhaps it was because the girl opposite was too beautiful and her smile was too bright. His ears couldn't help but turn red. He took out a jade pendant from his sleeve and said to her with a wavering look under her doubtful gaze:
"This is the jade pendant that my great mother gave me when I was one year old. I'm giving it to you as a gift."
Feng Shu blinked slightly. Seeing the Crown Prince giving the gift so seriously, she felt a little embarrassed. However, she came to the palace today and prepared a gift for the Crown Prince.
Qin Ying noticed the embarrassment on the man's face, so she extended the mutton-fat jade in her hand toward him, lowering her eyes and saying, "Gifts are a two-way street. I'll give you one this time, and you'll give me one tomorrow. Doesn't that mean we can meet twice?"
Feng Shu felt like laughing when she heard this, but also felt shy. She stretched out her fair fingers to take the jade pendant from the hand of the precious eldest grandson of the emperor. Then, the two young men and women, whose combined ages were less than 34, stood in front of the lotus pond with a bit of shyness and excitement. As two elementary school students who had just started dating, they were a bit at a loss and awkwardly tried to find a topic to talk about:
One person said, "Look, the sun is really big today."
Another person also looked up at the sky and said with a smile: "Yes, the sun is really big today..."
【·End of the full text】
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