Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 133, Section 132: Velvet Rose [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

The five types of mourning garments in the current system of mourning are: Zhan Cui, Qi Cui, Da Gong, Xiao Gong, and Si Ma. People wear different mourning garments depending on their closeness to the deceased.

Among them, the 【斩衰】 (Zhan Cui) is the most serious. This ritual is required for sons to pay respects to their parents, and for unmarried daughters to pay respects to their parents.

For example, Yan Cong and Yan Ying.

Lady Yan and Consort Ning wore the mourning attire of Qi Cui.

Although the "Si Ma" ceremony mentioned in the Qin Dynasty was the lightest of the five mourning rites, it represented a person of extraordinary status—the king himself would stand beside her in the royal carriage to hand her a gift, something that had never happened before. No one would look down on her because she had not yet paid respects to the dukes and ministers.

Therefore, Madam Yan hesitated for a moment.

Although Yan Yun was the Grand Commandant of Qin, ranking among the Three Dukes.

He was later appointed as a general and was also the teacher of King Heng of Qin.

However, there is a distinction between ruler and subject.

If this noble person before us is indeed the future Queen of Qin, then such a show of respect is truly unreasonable.

Qin Shi only said gently, "General, you have fought for our Great Qin all your life. Now that you have passed away, Your Majesty is deeply grieved."

Ji Heng was truly heartbroken.

If he did not deeply respect and love General Yan, why would he have rushed to the Western Regions immediately after obtaining the divine medicine, hoping to relieve General Yan's suffering from illness?

He has not slept all night, and although the emperor forbade him to personally see the general off, he sent the prince and princess to personally escort him. The deep affection and respect expressed in this gesture need no further explanation.

Looking at the elderly lady with gray hair, Qin Shi was equally determined: "Now I have come to see you off on behalf of the King, so please consider me here to see off my teacher as well."

Even though Madam Yan had been calm for a long time, she still couldn't help but tear up when she heard this.

"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty. Yan Ying, come and help the noble lady put on the coarse linen."

In the crowd, Yan Ying, who was also giving instructions to her family servants, turned around upon hearing this. Her dark face showed signs of weariness and exhaustion, and her eyes were so red and swollen that they were almost invisible.

The late General Yan had single eyelids. She inherited this feature, and with her skin tanned dark from the sun in the Baiyue region, she now looks so healthy and natural that even by Qin's standards of beauty.

She has absolutely nothing to do with the word "beautiful".

However, she possessed an exceptionally striking and spirited air; simply standing there, she appeared tall and slender with a neck like a swan.

His slightly square jawline immediately conveyed a sense of determination.

Her overall demeanor is exceptionally unique, like a tall, dark red velvet rose, Black Buck, standing out in a rose garden.

What a unique and captivating charm!

Upon hearing the mistress's call, Yan Ying heard the servant beside her say, "This is Lady Qin. The other day, His Majesty personally helped her into the carriage. Commandant, please show her some respect."

Yan Ying nodded: "Qin Jun is willing to wear the mourning clothes for my father, so I should respect him."

So he quickly took another set of the lightest and finest linen clothes from the steward and presented them to Qin Shi, his eyes filled with undisguised scrutiny, but his words were exceptionally respectful: "My lord, please."

Qin Shi took it with both hands, and Chi Nu and Wu Zi carefully unfolded it and draped it over her robe.

Qin Shi was also focused on Yan Ying. The two looked at each other and both had something to say.

But the next moment, the Grand Astrologer Yuan Xin announced the time, and Yan Ying only smiled hastily, bowed slightly, and began to arrange the affairs of her household.

Qin Shi also turned around and got into the car.

Behind him, he could see the gazes of various parties—many families had come to see General Yan off from Xianyang City today, and everyone had noticed the royal carriage that stood out from the Yan family's procession.

Black lacquered wood, engraved with cloud patterns and auspicious beasts, inlaid with pearls and jade, with tinkling pendants at the four corners of the round lid. It is both understated and luxurious.

Then, recalling the rumor that had been circulating a few days earlier—that King Heng of Qin had personally helped a woman into his carriage—everyone's first reaction upon hearing this rumor was disbelief.

Then he sneered: People who spread rumors these days are really bold, daring to say such things!
But now, looking at this royal carriage that belongs exclusively to the king, everyone was overwhelmed with mixed thoughts and stunned, and they didn't even have a chance to say a few more words and build rapport.

Among the crowd, Jiang Lu, the wife of former Imperial Censor Wang Xueyuan, quietly lowered the curtains of her carriage.

—This is the future Queen of Qin.

The other person's appearance was slightly inferior to Qin Ba Zi Jiang Di's, and his temperament seemed to have no special features, only appearing gentle and calm. Even when he smiled, he seemed to have no guile at all.

This was nothing like what she had imagined the Queen of Qin to be.

Judging solely from his calm and gentle demeanor, it's hard to imagine that he had only been in Xianyang for half a month before receiving the Chihu Seal bestowed by the King.

They were not affected at all by the schemes of the aunt and nephew to kill each other, and instead, they directly overturned the entire game.

Jiang Lu sneered, laughing at his own shallowness and empty mind.

Now, having made a mistake, General Yan escorted the coffin back to his hometown, and Wang Xueyuan was also demoted and sent to Dongjun to inspect various matters.

The Qin beauty in the palace was also demoted two ranks.

We've lost everything.

She sighed, watching the Yan family's procession gradually disappear into the distance, and finally retreated in dejection.

……

The massive procession moved slowly along the city road of Xianyang, with the guards and soldiers leading the way in a steady and gentle manner.

Yan Cong and Yan Ying followed on either side of the coffin. Old Madam Yan, being quite old, remained in the carriage as well. From a distance, only a patch of slightly yellow hemp clothing could be seen in the procession, making it difficult to distinguish one person from another.

Qin Shi, who was at the back of the group, looked forward again:

"What's the noise?"

Although the voices weren't loud and it wasn't exactly arguing, it's still best to be quiet at someone else's funeral.

The guard beside him said, "Prince Qian wants to ride a horse."

Qin Shi sighed.

Being clueless really means lacking common sense—galloping on horseback is carefree and elegant, but it also depends on the occasion.

Qin Shi instructed: "Please invite Prince Qian and Princess Wen to the carriage for a discussion."

As soon as these words reached Qin Shi, he looked ahead and saw Princess Wencai, supported by her maid, stepping off the carriage on a stool. He then saw Prince Qian impatiently jump down from the carriage and run to her carriage.

After getting on the bus, he looked around for a moment before letting out a cold snort:
"I am the prince of Qin. My father, to show his deep gratitude, only ordered me to personally escort General Yan's coffin back to his hometown. Why must Minister Qin accompany me?"

Qin Shi twitched the corner of his mouth: "Perhaps it's because I'm reasonable and won't make a scene during the old general's funeral."

Prince Qian immediately felt guilty: "I didn't argue loudly."

He didn't shout, but there were still sobs coming from the group. Although they were in the back of the line, it didn't mean others couldn't notice.

He was only a teenager, and this was his first time leaving Xianyang City, so his excitement was understandable. But...

He's really missing a screw.

Regardless of whether there are any rules or regulations, from a purely pragmatic perspective, Ji Heng values ​​this matter so much that if his behavior were to be reported back to Xianyang Palace, he would undoubtedly face another round of punishment.

Why bother?
　Here I am! Requesting monthly votes at the end of the month!

　　(End of this chapter)