Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 132, Section 131: Severing the Mourning Clothes
On the day General Yan escorted the coffin back to his hometown, he was woken up at 3:00 AM during the Qin Dynasty.

After a simple dressing and grooming process, she still needed to go to Xianyang Palace to bid farewell to the king before setting off.

As dawn approaches, twinkling stars hang in the deep blue sky, shining brightly on their own.

The Xianyang Palace was dimly lit, but along the way, the campfires were relit, adding to the sweltering heat.

When they entered Xianyang Palace, Zhou Ju was already waiting in front of them.

Qin Shi alighted from the carriage and asked in a low voice, "Has Your Majesty also gotten up early?"

Zhou Ju shook his head:

"His Majesty has not slept all night and is currently in the training ground."

He led Qin Shi there, passing through many palace gates, and before them lay a vast open plain.

The surrounding area was paved with neat and orderly bluestone slabs, but in the middle was a huge dry grass field, about the size of two football fields.

Attendants carried targets and wandered around. Every now and then, one could hear galloping horses, attendants trying to arrange their troops, and the whistling of arrows flying through the air.

But when Qin Shi looked around, this vast training ground only had one bonfire on each of the four cardinal directions.

In such dim light, she could only make out the outlines of groups of servants running back and forth in the training ground, each carrying a target.

Looking further ahead, one could see Ji Heng riding his horse to a campfire. Then, the particularly tall and imposing horse slowed its pace, and his cold and handsome face was hidden in the dim light of the campfire, with orange-red light gently dancing between his eyebrows and eyes.

That moment, the silhouette of the man on horseback with his bow drawn was truly moving.

After another arrow shot out with a loud whoosh and hit the target, Ji Heng did not urge his horse forward again, but instead put away his bow.

Immediately, a messenger loudly sounded a horn, signaling the end of the martial arts exercise.

After a brief silence, the attendants also packed up and left the training ground.

Because of the intense running, they were covered in sweat, their bare arms were exposed, and they wore thick leather armor on their chests and backs.

Zhou Ju explained from the side, "These are the king's guards. Whenever the king conducts a martial arts demonstration, he will have them stand guard with targets."

"If a martial arts competition is held and no arrows hit the target, the person who does so will be promoted one rank."

At this time, the ranks of ordinary soldiers were determined according to the twenty-one-level system. In addition to the most important rank increase, promotion also meant that they could be allocated more land.

Therefore, accompanying the king and participating in martial arts exercises was a coveted opportunity that everyone dreamed of.

Even if they fail to win this time, it doesn't matter. The king practices martial arts every day, and one day one of them will be able to win this opportunity.

Qin Shi looked into the distance and saw that Ji Heng had already dismounted with agility.

He was so tall that even his horse was much taller than the others. At that moment, the horse was led away by a servant waiting nearby to be groomed.

Seeing that Qin Shi had already arrived, Ji Heng hastily washed his face with clean water in a basin and then stepped forward.

There are such people in the world, people with such personal charm.

He didn't have to do anything; just walking along like this, he inspired awe and admiration in everyone.

Qin Shi couldn't help but smile. This scene, which she had only ever seen in movies and TV shows, was now truly unfolding before her eyes, making it hard not to feel her heart pound.

Now she was utterly sincere, her eyes reflecting the leaping campfire: "Your Majesty's archery skills are unparalleled."

Ji Heng's cold expression softened.

Today he was only dressed in clothes that were easy to ride and shoot. The wide robes and sleeves he used to wear every day were gone, making him look even more agile, with long arms and a slender waist.

His lean, powerful arms slid downwards, and the veins connecting them to the back of his hands were particularly prominent after the powerful archery.

Qin Shi couldn't help but glance at him for a moment, until Ji Heng had already turned his hands behind his back as if nothing had happened.

She came to her senses and heard Ji Heng say, "My skills in riding and archery, and even swordsmanship, were all taught to me by Master Yan."

Yan Yun served as his teacher for ten years, but was demoted by the Queen of Chu, and subsequently remained in his hometown of Pinyang.

After he assumed personal rule, there were no generals in the court who could be trusted by the people, so he went to Pinyang and invited Yan Yun back.

Then the Qin army trampled the six states, their blood and flesh stained with the blood of the Yan general, and their children were buried among them.

Now, he is finally sending his teacher back to Pinyang again.

Ji Heng paused for a moment.

At this moment, he rarely felt the urge to talk to someone.

However, they no longer knew what to say.

Qin Shi couldn't always fathom his thoughts, but after thinking it over carefully, she said, "Once Your Majesty has organized all of General Yan's bamboo slips and passed them on to the soldiers of Qin, then General Yan will live forever in the books of the people of Qin."

"Centuries later, when future generations rummage through old documents and revisit the past of our Great Qin's military genius, they will sigh and exclaim to everyone: 'So, back then, His Majesty and General Yan shared such a deep and trusting bond!'"

Although General Yan is dead, the firsthand military materials he left behind will likely become a national treasure thousands of years from now, a legendary historical book known to everyone, like "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu.

Her words were full of imagination, as if everything was happening now and was about to happen.

Ji Heng remained silent for a long time.

The bright star Venus shone brilliantly in the sky, and when he turned to look at Qin, he saw that the other was also staring intently at his profile.

Meeting his gaze, Qin Shi asked curiously, "Your Majesty, did what I said upset you?"

Ji Heng turned his head, put his hands behind his back, and snorted coldly: "How could the writings and military treatises of my Great Qin Supreme General end up in the dustbin of history?"

"Tomorrow I will order the scribes to write it down one by one. Whether it is the Xianyang Palace or the Jixia Academy of Qi, which has been abandoned, I want this book to be famous throughout the world, and all brave warriors in the army will come to praise it."

Qin Shi smiled.

King Heng of Qin, you have such strong self-confidence!

However, if she had personally achieved such a feat, she probably wouldn't just be confident now, but would be walking around with her head held high.

Thinking about it this way, she couldn't help but smile even more.

Ji Heng gazed at the fading starlight on the horizon and fell silent once more.

……

At five o'clock in the morning, Qin Shi arrived at General Yan's mansion on time.

The sky was already bright with light, and the Yan General's mansion was brightly lit. Servants and retainers knelt on the long street, and cries of sorrow echoed from the crowd.

The most eye-catching figures were Yan Cong and Yan Ying, kneeling in front, wearing mourning clothes made of raw hemp cloth with tears showing through the fabric, and observing the "Zhan Cui" ceremony.

Grand Astrologer Yuan Xin was also present. Upon seeing Qin Shi arrive, he stepped forward, bowed, and said, "The time is approaching. I request that Minister Qin, Prince Qian, and Princess Wen prepare incense together."

"Then, we escorted General Yan back to his hometown."

Qin Shi nodded.

He then walked to the old lady Yan who was standing to the side and said, "The king did not sleep all night and sent the general back to his hometown from Xianyang Palace."

"Madam, please allow me to wear the mourning garments for the general."

　The five types of mourning garments in ancient China are Zhan Cui, Qi Cui, Da Gong, Xiao Gong, and Si Ma, which are worn according to the closeness of the relationship with the deceased.

　　Here we go! I'm begging for votes at the end of the month!

　　(End of this chapter)