Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 154, Section 153: The Coffin
He left all matters concerning persimmons to Chi Nu and Qin Shi paid no further attention to them.

If something so simple required her personal supervision, even a thousand or ten thousand of her would never achieve anything significant in this lifetime.

The most important thing right now is to bury General Yan.

Early autumn has passed, and mid-autumn has just arrived. The dew is already heavy at dawn, and there is a slight chill in the air.

Grand Historian Yuan Xin led a group of people to loudly chant funeral dirges atop the cemetery.

In vertical pit tombs, layers of blue and white clay were used to seal in the moisture in the soil, and then layers of charcoal were laid on top.

All the scenes depicting General Yan's daily life have been arranged in the tomb chamber.

Such tombs, apart from the craftsmen and servants, would naturally not be open to the public for exploration.

Because of their noble status, during the Qin Dynasty, they were only one step behind the princes and princesses, and their funeral procession stretched for several miles up the mountain.

The carriage carried the coffin, its banners fluttering in the autumn wind, and the mournful sounds of musicians filled the air...

Looking sideways, Qin Shi saw that among the massive transport team, besides terracotta figures and bronze statues, there were also sculptures of various strange and exotic figures from the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

Such burial with the deceased was done in the hope that the deceased could enter the land of the dead and then live another life in a different time and space.

Looking further ahead, the top of the massive coffin was carved with a Boju pattern—

The immortals used the board to arrange the life and death of human beings, and the patterns on the board must also record the laws of heaven and earth.

Using this coffin is a way of borrowing the power of destiny, hoping that one day, time and space, life and death, can be transformed here.

Further down, there are arranged copper coin patterns, diagonal lines, and diamond patterns, with cypress trees, owls, and fish in the water as the patterns.

This is the blood, flesh, and bones of the earth, as well as its water, soil, and stone.

Qin Shi looked away.

Yan Yun was the most indifferent person she had ever met when it came to matters of life and death being buried with someone.

Even so, in today's simple burials, all the necessary utensils, carvings, and expectations are still included.

This must have been something he inquired about and made careful arrangements for during his lifetime.

Just by looking at these patterns, one can tell that everyone at this time regarded the tomb as a "place of life and death".

If you descend deep into the tomb, you will also be able to see the celestial map at the top.

Thus, heaven and earth, yin and yang, heaven and earth unite. The living enter the land of the dead, time and space shift, the corpse dissolves into immortality, and thus enters a new life.

This is what people hope for most in the face of death.

Under such a vast and deeply rooted educational philosophy, Qin Shi probably could never overturn Ji Heng's concept of "lavish burial" in his lifetime.

Even if it takes 100,000 or 1 million laborers, he will definitely build the underground palace at Mount Li.

No one can stop it.

She followed the coffin slowly up the mountain, and the prince and princess became even more serious under this solemn ceremony.

As the coffin was carried to the mountaintop, pigs, cattle, and sheep were slowly brought into the tomb. The Grand Astrologer Yuan Xin loudly chanted a prayer, setting the auspicious time for the coffin to be placed in the tomb.

The servants and attendants worked together, then carefully and cautiously carried the coffin to the tomb.

"Seal the tomb entrance!"

The stone gate slowly closed, layer upon layer of green clay.

The cries of family members echoed through the air, their sorrowful voices never ceasing in the rosy light of the rising sun at the end of the morning.

"Set a sacrifice—"

Pigs, cattle, sheep, and various sacrificial offerings were then placed one by one into the outer coffin chamber.

Then it was transferred to the lateral ventricle.

The craftsman then left.

The Grand Astrologer shouted—

"Fill in the soil—"

"Seal the tomb!" ...

This grand ceremony has continued until now, and the guests who came to pay their respects have finally begun to leave.

When Qin Shi returned to the Yan residence, he was exhausted.

She instructed, "Pack your belongings and send someone to inform the prince and princess. After I bid farewell to the Yan family, I should return to Xianyang."

Wu Zi nodded: "All the luggage has been packed. We just need to put away Qin Jun's usual items, and we can return at any time."

Qin Shi nodded.

In the main hall of the Yan family, Old Madam Yan sat at the head of the table, equally exhausted.

The coffin and offerings have disappeared, and the empty hall appears desolate for no apparent reason.

Yan Ying's eyes were bloodshot, but she still knelt on the ground, her voice hoarse: "Mother, please forgive your unfilial daughter."

Although her father has been buried, as his biological daughter, she still needs to perform the "Yu Sacrifice" three days later, followed by the "Zu Ku Sacrifice"...

But at this moment, she also had to quickly return to Xianyang to report back.

Then, without rest, they had to continue their journey through the night to return to Baiyue.

Madam Yan shook her head, only touching her smooth but slightly dark face: "You brothers and sisters have never been unfilial. My Yan family has served the Great Qin for generations, and you have done the same."

"His Majesty trusts you and has appointed your sisters to guard the Baiyue in the south, your elder brother to drive back the Xiongnu in the north, and your father to guard the Central Plains..."

This unprecedented arrangement, which placed all of Qin's military and political affairs in the hands of the Yan family, naturally made the entire Yan family willing to die for it, even if it meant their own death!

Now, as a mother, Madam Yan could not stop her children's patriotism, and could only give them her final instructions: "When you return to Xianyang, do not ride a horse or a carriage, and then take a nap."

She hadn't slept for a long time just to attend her father's funeral. After that, the funeral procession lasted for many days, and she only managed to close her eyes for an hour or two each day.

If I were to drive back to Baiyue under the starry night...

Ning Ji, as her birth mother, looked at her daughter with heartache, but in the end, she could only whisper, "Get in the carriage and get some more sleep..."

in this way--

Heading back to Xianyang!

……

Yan Ying readily agreed, but on the way back, as soon as the convoy left Pinyang, she requested an audience with Qin Shi.

The carriage stopped, and Qin Shi politely alighted: "The Commandant has made outstanding contributions; it is I who should be the one to request an audience."

Yan Ying stepped into the carriage, her bright black eyes fixed on her without blinking, and then smiled: "Does Lord Qin have to be so polite with me?"

Qin Shi laughed immediately: "I have something to discuss with the Commandant of the Prefecture."

Yan Ying looked at her: There really is one?

She came to request an audience simply to get to know the future Queen of Qin better. After all, she was far away in Baiyue, and if a queen of a kingdom were to harbor resentment towards her, she would inevitably be hindered in every way.

But, then again.

I'm already far away in Baiyue, so what is there for the other party to ask?
Although we don't know the identity of this noble lady, surely she wouldn't know everything about Baiyue?
The thought had barely crossed his mind when Qin Shi said, "The Commandant has been stationed in Baiyue for several years. May I ask if there are any areas in Baiyue that have begun double-cropping rice? For example, Lingnan and Jiaozhi?"

This area is located in what is now the Red River region of northern Vietnam, but during the Qin Dynasty, it was under the jurisdiction of the Baiyue people.

She wasn't sure.

The earliest record of double-cropping rice is found in Yang Fu's "Record of Strange Things" from the Eastern Han Dynasty: "[The rice in Jiaozhi ripens both in summer and winter, and farmers plant it again every year]."

But there are written records from the Han Dynasty. If we go back further, there should be a high probability that it was actually cultivated.
Her eyes were fixed intently on Yan Ying, waiting for her answer.

Yan Ying looked at her silently: "Lingnan, Jiaozhi?"

Even as the military commander stationed in Baiyue, she had no idea that Jiaozhi had double-cropping rice. Why then did the Qin ruler ask her so directly, and why did it seem not like a question, but rather a certainty?
For details about the tomb and coffin, please refer to the Bilibili video "Talking About History", the "Chu Ci" and "Book of the Later Han Dynasty"... Some particularly detailed details are made up by myself (fictional!!!), I really couldn't find any other information.

The earliest record of double-cropping rice is probably in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, but... as we all know, the original version was lost after it was edited.

It might be a bit dry, but... I've already written it! Just take a look!