Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 150, Page 149: Rightfully So

The prince and princess had already left, and the car gradually quieted down.

After tidying herself up, Chi Nu Wu Zi returned to the carriage, while Qin Shi put down his pen and folded the paper he had just written on.

He then turned to Yan Cong: "Young Master Yan, please come into the carriage and tell me about the battles you have experienced, big and small. How you attacked cities, how you fought, and how you dealt with prisoners..."

One's theoretical depth may be insufficient, but its breadth is certainly sufficient.

Young people these days can chime in on any topic.

But now that we have a goal to strive for, a lack of understanding will not only make us a laughing stock, but could also lead to loss of life.

Therefore, it is natural to accumulate more knowledge.

However, Chi Nu was somewhat worried: "There are still three hours to go to Pinyang. Why don't you rest for a while, Qin Jun? These things are not urgent."

Despite her young age, she spoke with remarkable maturity: "Lord Qin has only been in Xianyang for half a month, and he is busy every single day..."

In his leisure time, the king would enjoy dancing, listening to music, and watching various performances. Now, the Qin ruler probably doesn't even remember the beauties in the palace.

In the past, it would have been normal to work hard in order to advance one's career.

But now that she clearly knows the king is going to make a queen, why is she so busy?
Qin Shi shook his head.

According to the original plan, as long as she followed the steps, the day she was made queen would be about six months later when she performed the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai.

For her, this was incredibly fast.

but……

She looked out the car window.

Through the hazy silk gauze, the caravan was now moving along, and the ant-like laborers outside the windows were gradually becoming invisible.

"But they can't wait another six months."

"We can't wait for the next batch, or the batch after that."

She was powerless to dissuade Ji Heng from building a mausoleum—based on their lifelong education, a mausoleum was a more solemn and grand event than birth, and no one could stop them.

The imperial highways and straight roads connected transportation routes, and wherever government orders reached, that was where the Qin king's power lay.

The Lingqu Canal connects vital waterways, facilitating travel between the north and south.

The Great Wall, stretching for thousands of miles, not only repelled the Xiongnu and blocked the Hu people, but also served as an incredible military barrier.

Every day, laborers are conscripted to the mountains, and every day, people die.

If she continues to be so slow and hesitant, first carefully considering how to persuade Ji Heng, then requesting the king's decree, and finally using the King of Qin's subordinates to gradually push the matter forward—

This process is lengthy, uncontrolled, and extremely inefficient.

At this moment, she smiled reassuringly at the woman, and the bumpy carriage did not prevent her from listening attentively to Yan Cong's narration.

She wants power.

It wasn't the small [Holding Balance and Embracing the Jade] dragon-tiger private seal in his hand.

She must possess the Queen's Seal, which allows her to share the world with the king, command troops, and give orders to all officials on behalf of the king!
With a legitimate cause, the world will submit.

……

As dusk fell, the group finally arrived at Pinyang East Township.

This was the hometown of Yan Yun. Qin Shi silently circled the address in his mind, knowing that this was probably Fuping County in Shaanxi Province in later generations.

Once they arrived at their hometown, Yan Cong, being a filial son, could no longer serve by Qin Shi's side. The group settled down after entering the mansion with General Yan's coffin.

The funeral arrangements are still underway, but the remaining people are allowed to wander around the area.

After all, no one would expect a prince or princess to stay quietly in the palace and wait for the arrangements to be completed.

Therefore, at this moment, in addition to the prince and princess, Qin Shi was also accompanied by the household guards arranged by Yan Ying.

"There are so many persimmon trees in Pinyang."

Princess Wen looked up and saw that the tall persimmon tree had already scattered patches of green leaves, which, in the twilight sunlight, made walking through it resemble a dappled courtyard. Qin Shi looked up and indeed saw that the gardens leading to the Yan residence were lined with tall and familiar fruit trees—

Persimmon tree.

At this moment, the leaves are a deep green, and the fruits are clustered together, already the size of chicken eggs.

To be precise, it looks more like a ping-pong ball.

But persimmons are only this size these days. Although we don’t know which variety is ripe or which is not, they will gradually ripen in about a month.

It's quite a rare and delicious fresh fruit.

Wang Ziqian asked from the side, "It seems that Shanglin Garden also has them. If the fruit is ripe, it is very sweet."

Nowadays, almost no one can resist sugar, and he naturally remembers the feeling of the ripe, soft flesh, which could be sucked into his mouth with just a small opening.

Princess Wenye nodded: "I heard from the palace servants that these will not ripen naturally on the branches; they need to be picked in advance and placed in a vat to ripen them..."

Qin Shi listened silently, thinking that the way persimmons were eaten hadn't changed for thousands of years—pick them, tie them in a plastic bag, put an apple in it, and let them sit for a few days.

However, judging from their discussion, it seems that there is no way to eat dried persimmons nowadays.

The persimmons from Fuping, Shaanxi... have become a regional specialty in later generations. Although the varieties have evolved and changed over the past thousand years, and they are no longer the same persimmons as they are today, but...

It's always worth a try.

In this impoverished era, the more circulated and preserved goods there were, the better the lives of ordinary people would become.

She silently made a note of this.

The group wandered around for a while, but the summer heat had not completely subsided. In addition, it was not appropriate to linger outside for someone else's funeral, so they returned to the Yan residence.

Princess Wen breathed a sigh of relief. Spending a whole day in the carriage had been quite an ordeal for her.

Wang Ziqian, however, was in high spirits: "I see that young man Yan is only two years older than me, but he is so tall and strong. His martial arts skills must be quite extraordinary."

"I wonder what his secrets are in terms of food, clothing, and training. Will I be able to grow as tall as him someday?"

Qin Shi thought for a moment and said objectively, "Your Majesty is tall and Lady Zheng is also in good health. The prince should be able to grow to the same height in the future."

As for strength and skill, these require both innate and acquired qualities.

Princess Wen, on the other hand, needs to exercise regularly to maintain her health.

She snorted: "If Father takes us to Shanglin Garden after autumn, I will hunt myself and let the King of Qin see what it's like."

She asked with a hint of smugness, "Does Lord Qin... know how to ride a horse and wield a bow?"

Qin Shi's eyes lit up: "Will you be going to Shanglin Garden in the fall? I happen to be completely ignorant of riding and archery, so I will need Your Majesty to invite a famous teacher for me."

Having more skills is never a bad thing.

Princess Wen, however, was annoyed when she heard her talk about the King, as if her father would grant any request she made.

He then asked, "When does General Yan wish to be buried?"

Qin Shi glanced at Chi Nu.

She bowed and replied, "According to the Grand Astrologer's calculations, the auspicious day and time will be two days from now, at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM)."

The burial process will take about an hour. The Yan family, including Yan Cong, will need to stay in Pinyang to keep vigil for 49 days. Yan Ying is a county commandant and is stationed in the Baiyue region, so he will return with them on the same day.

Qin Shi calculated the days and silently breathed a sigh of relief.

These days, traveling is really not an easy experience.

only……

Once she returns to Xianyang Palace, how will she strive for power without arousing Ji Heng's suspicion and distrust?

I don't know if persimmon trees existed in the Qin Dynasty, but this is a native Chinese variety, so they should have existed.

The Book of Rites (Han Dynasty) also records persimmons, which are also called Zhu Guo or Houzao.