Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 111, Section 110: The Imperial Carriage
Ji Heng slowly sat up straight.

He has always maintained a proper posture, perhaps due to his exceptionally strong shoulder and back muscles, or perhaps due to the long-standing, subtle influence of etiquette, which makes his back both relaxed and upright whether he is kneeling or sitting in a chair.

But when he stared at Qin Shi with his muscles tense and his eyes sharp, his aura was like that of a tiger ready to pounce!

If you're not careful, you'll be completely overwhelmed by his majesty and then willingly serve him for life.

No one could remain relaxed under such scrutiny, not even Qin Shi.

She felt her hair stand on end and her scalp tighten inch by inch.

But she still smiled and asked softly again, "With such a divine object, will Your Majesty be pleased?"

Ji Heng's eyes, sharp as an eagle's, were fixed on her. Then he said slowly, "I am naturally delighted."

He gripped the short sword in his sleeve tightly and then relaxed it, now certain that his previous worries were completely unnecessary.

Because regardless of his concerns or the outcome.

With Qin Qing's abilities, he naturally deserves a high position. He can only, and must, be the Queen of Qin!
Otherwise, if she were to submit to someone else, she would have a thousand ways to overturn this peaceful world!

Qin Shi noticed the tension in Ji Heng's expression, knowing that Ji Heng was very concerned about this matter, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
As expected of the King of Qin, who had a distinguished military record and unified the world, he valued people's livelihood, but he did not attach as much importance to weapons as he did to them. He was truly one-sided in his studies.

The two shared an unspoken understanding, though unspoken. The sorcerer, Mao Sheng, knelt hesitantly at the foot of the steps, cautiously glancing up at the distinguished person beside him:

Since you have such abilities, why doesn't Your Majesty seek out this noble person to refine the elixir of immortality, yet refuse to take the elixir and hold his life in your hands? What's the point?
The thought had barely crossed his mind when he heard the King of Qin say casually, "In that case, Mao Sheng will be exempt from alchemy. All his needs and requests will be arranged by Minister Qin."

Qin Shi smiled and said, "In that case, his energy is limited by his own. I urge Your Majesty to summon all the alchemists in the land to Xianyang!"

"On the banks of the Wei River, in a desolate place, it must be the place where alchemists forged their divine weapons."

Ji Heng also slightly curled the corners of his lips, his cold and stern face seemingly softened by the warm spring sun, giving people a strange sense of tolerance.
"Yes."

Mao Sheng, still kneeling on the ground: No... Your Majesty... me?

He thought to himself: The villain hasn't said anything yet!
Fortunately, Qin Jun, who seemed more tolerant than the king, spoke up at this moment: "That being said, I still want to see the golden pill that Mao Sheng has refined... Can you refine another one?"

Mao Sheng subconsciously said, "How can a noble person speak lightly of the art of seeking immortality? My alchemy is based on the principles of metal, stone, five virtues, and the Way of Heaven and Earth. How could it be accomplished in a day?!"

"That's it..."

The smiling Qin ruler spoke even more casually: "From now on, you will be under my jurisdiction. Having served as both ruler and subject to the king, I originally intended to reward you—for each golden elixir you obtain, you can feast on roasted meat, fish, and shrimp..."

"But since such alchemy is so serious, you should continue to eat some light grains and vegetables."

She turned to look at the King of Qin: "Your Majesty, there are no questions to test him in such a short time. We've already seen him, and he has no elixir of immortality. Why don't we return to Zhangtai Palace?"

Mao Sheng was filled with pain and inner turmoil.

Upon seeing that the emperor and his minister had indeed stepped out of the desolate palace, the thin porridge they had drunk that morning seemed to slosh around in their stomachs like water, leaving them empty in an instant.

His mouth was watering; he was craving the taste of meat so badly that he was practically going mad. At this moment, he could only cry out:
"A benefactor!"

Qin Shi stopped in his tracks ahead, then slowly turned around.

The intense sunlight poured down from under the canopy, making her figure appear as if it were edged with gold.

Mao Sheng's vision blurred from the stab, and tears welled up in his eyes. He then choked out:
"You scoundrel! You scoundrel will be able to refine the golden elixir tomorrow."

As I said those words, something shattered gently.

……

The royal carriage was ahead, and attendants had already set up the footrests.

On the enormous chariot, the canopy was adorned with gold and jade carvings, and auspicious beasts and dragons could be faintly seen. Qin Shi had only ever ridden in such a chariot when he first met the King of Qin, and seeing it again now still felt incredibly novel.

Then look at those pedals, which are clearly a recent addition.

Qin Shi's gaze lingered on the carriage for a moment, still remembering the straight back of the servant who quickly bowed and knelt before the emperor's carriage when he first saw it.

Ji Heng followed her gaze and suddenly realized that Qin Qing's kind-heartedness had struck again. But he wasn't particularly fond of human bodies; since there was a more stable foothold, why not use it?

Without saying much, he stepped onto the carriage.

The attendant quickly opened the carriage door, but just as he was about to bow and step inside, he suddenly turned around, looked down at Qin Shi who was still standing there watching him get into the carriage, and suddenly said:

"A gift was bestowed upon Qin Qing to accompany the emperor in his carriage."

These words, though the servants did not move, deeply shocked them.

However, Ji Heng never took them seriously as human beings, so he naturally didn't care about their thoughts and ideas. Qin Shi was also taken aback.

She then happily stepped forward, naturally reaching her hand upwards as she stepped on the ground.

"Your Majesty."

The voice was neither gentle and melodious, nor solemn and affectionate.

It was just an ordinary thing, a simple gesture or a call, as if it were the most common and natural thing in the world.

However, as soon as the words left his mouth, Qin Shi realized something was wrong.

Looking up, she saw Ji Heng staring intently at her hand, his brows slightly furrowed.

Qin Shi: ...

It's not her fault!

When Ji Heng summoned them, Chi Nu and the others took the initiative to step back a little, so much so that when they quickly stepped forward, the other party did not follow.

As she ascended the higher steps, she borrowed a step from an acquaintance in front of her...

Qin Shi's fingertips trembled, and he instinctively tried to pull his hand back.

However, Ji Heng was seen to be slightly bent over, his face shrouded in the dim light of the backlight, and a helpless sigh seemed to linger on his lips.

His tall figure, like an eagle spreading its wings, enveloped her completely.

Then, his large hand was placed under her palm.

Hold tight.

His dry, hot, strong, and broad-knuckled hands gripped her soft fingers firmly, diagonally upwards from the palm.

Now, exert force once more.

In a daze, Qin Shi only knew to take a slight step, and didn't realize at all whether he was being lifted up by force or using the momentum to get onto the carriage.

The burning sensation between her fingers, palms, and wrists subsided, and Ji Heng's wide, slightly cool sleeves gently brushed against the back of her hand. When she looked forward again, she saw that the other person had already bowed and entered the carriage.

Qin Shi felt his heart pounding.

In a daze, she seemed to have returned to the time when she first met Ji Heng.

When she first arrived, she was filled with countless anxieties and expectations as she met this earthly monarch.

It was as if the sun in the east was slowly rising from the sea of ​​clouds over Mount Tai.

The radiant glow of the sunset was so dazzling that it made one's very soul tremble.

—Just like her heart at this moment.

[Wenliang chariot: a horse-drawn chariot used exclusively by Qin Shi Huang; museums have bronze Wenliang chariots in their collections.]

[I can't finish writing, that's all for today!]

[Hehe, I think everyone enjoyed this chapter...]