Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 136, Section 135: Marriage Planning
When the topic of marriage was mentioned, Princess Wen immediately shook her head: "I don't want to get married."

As a princess of Qin, whoever she marries will attain a high rank. If she wishes to remarry, the person she marries will also attain a high rank.

She couldn't help but say to Qin Shi, "Mother once mentioned Yan Cong... but he came to Xianyang Palace when he was young, and at the age of seven he couldn't even recite a single volume of the Analects. His brain is about the same size as my younger brother's."

She opened her mouth, then swallowed the rest of her words: This princess doesn't want such a stupid brain.

Qin Shi was speechless for a moment: Is it possible that it is normal for a seven-year-old not to be able to memorize the Analects?

But then consider Prince Chenghu in the palace. He was also seven years old. Not to mention the Analects, he probably had already recited the Book of Poetry, the Book of Documents, the Book of Rites, and the Book of Changes, if not memorized them perfectly.

But that's not the point right now.

She quickly sketched out a mind map on the paper, with horizontal lines connecting two possibilities:

[Getting married]

[I will not get married]

He added, "Princess, people can change."

"If you look back at yourself at age 7 now, you'd probably think you were naive. Marriage is a major life event, and no matter what you think now, if you're planning for the future, you need to consider both."

Teenage girls may read a lot, but their horizons and experiences are far from broad. Any decisions they make at this stage cannot truly guarantee their future.

Although the Qin state suffered from years of war and a shortage of population, it allowed men and women to marry and have children several years earlier than the law stipulated.

However, as a noblewoman, she could naturally follow the law, and it was not too late for her to consider marriage after the age of 17.

Now, Princess Wen carefully moved closer to Qin Shi.

This was the first time she had been so close to this noble person who was favored by her father. Looking at him up close, she felt that his appearance was calm and gentle, and he had a kind of composure that was not easily angered or displeased, which was very touching.

Moreover, there is a faint, slightly bitter scent of mugwort on her body, which is not sweet but makes people feel relaxed.

Wu Zi carefully attended to Princess Wen, and at this moment she also brought a cushion to support her lower back.

Princess Wenyuan intended to maintain her composure, but as soon as her lower back touched the support, she involuntarily slumped down.

After a while, she quietly adjusted her posture again, and seeing that Qin Shi's posture was also not very neat, she breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Look at this [paper].

The option "Get Married" is followed by two more choices:

[Civil Official]

[Military General]

Qin Shi added with a smile, "Princess, you should really be grateful that the King has unified the world, is decisive and exceptionally powerful. Otherwise, after this option, you would probably have to choose between [marriage alliance] and [co-optation].

As for the remaining Xiongnu, Western Regions, and Baiyue—given Qin King Heng's volatile temper, it would be more satisfying to have him take his sword and charge straight there than to marry a princess to a foreign ruler.

Princess Wen had never thought about this before, but now that she heard about it, she felt somewhat lucky.

It turns out that their powerful father could not only oppress them, but also provide them with support!

Otherwise, setting aside the issue of marriage alliances, if a marriage alliance with a minister could bring assistance to Prince Qian, his mother would probably be willing to marry into that family herself.

Qin Shi continued his analysis:

"If she were to marry a civil official, given the princess's extensive knowledge and talent, since she has chosen him, they must have something in common. I don't know if they will be able to have a loving and harmonious married life, but they will certainly respect each other."

Of course, there are also situations where they don't agree.

But she's a princess now, so if things don't go well, she can just get a divorce and then choose someone she likes.

"Similarly, if the princess chooses a military general, the other party must also be quite intelligent. With one being a scholar and the other a warrior, their knowledge of military strategy and poetry complement each other, and their lives will surely be fulfilling."

She was too indifferent to it, so she wouldn't have had a chance in the first place.

As Qin Shi continued, he extended his words further down the paper. "If that's the case, I hope the princess will maintain good health. If possible, give birth before the age of 25. Once the child is seven or eight years old and able to stand on his own, the princess will have an advantage in the struggle for power."

This is also due to the high mortality rate of infants today and the great risks of childbirth, which is why the time allotted is so limited.

"First, you have passed the crisis of childbirth. If a retainer comes to you now, the probability of something going wrong during childbirth will be greatly reduced, increasing the stability of your own resources and the other party's investment."

"Second, you are now over thirty, your knowledge and experience have greatly improved, and your perspective on things is very different from today. You have already developed a mature mind."

"Third, at that time, the king..."

Qin Shi swallowed the words "old age": "I also hope to see the sons and daughters of Qin become pillars of society, and thus be able to obtain the authority that the king has generously granted me."

The advantages and disadvantages are clearly listed on this not-so-white and smooth parchment paper, making them easy to understand at a glance.

Princess Wen was captivated by this novel writing style, and at the same time, she was moved by the blueprint planned by Qin Shi.

However, there is one thing she still needs to emphasize.

Therefore, at this moment, slightly raise your chin:
"This plan suits me very well, except for one thing, Qin Qing probably can't understand it."

"That is—as a princess of the Great Qin, whether I choose a civil official or a military general, the other party will only have the option of bowing down and obeying."

"Mutual respect is unnecessary."

Qin Shi burst out laughing.

Those words certainly have the air of a Han Dynasty princess. However—

"If the other party were truly obsequious and subservient to the princess, what would the princess find attractive about him?"

Ji Heng did not necessarily require the princess to marry.

If Princess Wenruo is to marry, it must be because she herself wants to marry.

Given her pride, would she possibly compromise herself and tolerate others for any reason?
She can't even forgive someone for their apology.

In this day and age, the way people judge a person's excellence is somewhat similar to that of the Eastern Jin Dynasty—

Integrity

If the person the princess chooses lacks integrity, what is it that she values?

"This..." Princess Wen was speechless.

A moment later, her cheeks puffed out almost imperceptibly, then she glanced quickly at another blank entry:
"What if you don't get married?"

Qin Shi picked up his pen again: "If you do not marry, Princess Wen will start today to build a team and select beautiful women—you may not love, but you cannot be ignorant of matters between men and women."

Whether now or thousands of years from now, unmarried girls and married women have very different topics to discuss.

As the ruler, she had both men and women under her command, which was why she needed to be even more composed.

Of course--

"If one is firm in their stance of not marrying or having children, they will attract followers, since there is no risk of childbirth."

"Or, the princess could choose more talented and handsome men in Qin and have them as lovers at the same time."

"If a woman is pregnant and gives birth to a child, there is no need to let the child know the father."

"After having a child, one can still get involved in politics and gain an official position for oneself."

Of course, this is not necessary nowadays.

Because the identity of "princess" itself already carries the real power of commanding troops.

Good night! I might be going back to my hometown tomorrow. Happy Dragon Boat Festival everyone!