Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 165, Section 164: The Qin Law Through the Ages
When Ji Heng suddenly mentioned the Queen, Qin Shi felt slightly uncomfortable.

Although she fought hard for the position of queen, this position not only meant wielding power, but also fulfilling the duties of a wife.

And she... her last relationship was several years ago.

Ji Heng was a highly perceptive person with exceptional intelligence, naturally able to sense people's emotions. The reason he spoke such magnanimous and gentle words now was because—

Every time Qin Shi saw him, he was genuinely delighted.

Who wouldn't be overjoyed?

This is Ji Heng.

She didn't know the true situation of the Qin king in history. The history textbook described him as a "tyrant," and the story that circulated in her childhood was "Meng Jiangnu crying at the Great Wall."

However, when he read books again as an adult, he saw that a great man was praising him:

I urge you to refrain from criticizing Qin Shi Huang; the burning of books and burying of scholars alive should be discussed.

The spirit of the First Emperor may be dead, but the Qin dynasty lives on; Confucianism, though renowned, is but chaff.

[The laws and policies of Qin have been followed for generations; even ten criticisms cannot make a good article.]
They even went so far as to say, "In history, the one who truly accomplished something was Qin Shi Huang."
"No other feudal monarch in China's past has surpassed him."
This gave her deep doubts, which led to countless reflections. In this process of reflection, she explored her own career path and successfully earned her first pot of gold.

Then, heartbreak.

And now, before even starting a relationship, she's already thinking about becoming a wife.

But, do I really not like Ji Heng?

No one would not feel a good impression of him upon meeting him, right?
Powerful, majestic, deeply grateful, trustworthy, handsome, composed... these qualities are integrated into a person's monarchical glory. Qin Shi couldn't even tell whether he was captivated by these qualities or by the supreme royal power.

But now, she felt Ji Heng's tolerance towards her.

Therefore, she couldn't help but look at Ji Heng with tender eyes, as if she were looking at her lover:
"Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty."

as predicted.

She saw that Ji Heng's face was equally gentle.

……

After leaving Zhangtai Palace, Qin Shi did not speak again until he got into the carriage.

At first, Chi Nu was delighted by their conversation at Zhangtai Palace, but now, seeing her thoughtful expression, she couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"Is the coal that Lord Qin mentioned difficult to obtain?"

Qin Shi snapped out of his reverie: "It's not difficult. I was just thinking..."

The king wouldn't just randomly appoint a woman as queen; she must have unknowingly sent some signals beforehand.

Otherwise, why did the other party change their mind later when they initially treated him as a guest and even bestowed upon him a beautiful woman?

Could it be...

She carefully reviewed her every move and word from that period onward, and at that moment she found several words that expressed her heartfelt feelings, and she was stunned.

Yes.

Her adoration, respect, affection, and deliberate flattery were probably, in Ji Heng's eyes, an uncontrollable infatuation with him.

She slowly let out a soft sigh.

This isn't Ji Heng's fault for being narcissistic; it's because she didn't know how to phrase things properly.

Although the social atmosphere during the Qin Dynasty was relatively open, women still maintained a degree of reserve when in the presence of men, unlike her…

In short, although there were slight differences in the process, the result was always good.

She rallied her spirits again: "To be queen, one must manage the harem for the king and select beauties..."

Frankly speaking, possessiveness is human nature.

Even if she didn't deeply love Ji Heng, any slight affection would make it difficult for her to manage the "selection of beauties" without any reservations. Never mind.

She wouldn't know how to choose, so if there really is such a need, it's better to focus on training Akane.

She should just focus on her own career.

Thinking about it this way, the scope of my future work can be roughly determined.

Prince Qian and Princess Wen are both usable, and Madam Zheng is strong and healthy, so it would be a pity not to use her.

As for Madam Chu... although she's a tea enthusiast, she can dance for an hour or two, which shows that her muscular physique can maintain excellent energy... Use her!
Next up is the most useful Qin beauty, oh no, Qin Ba Zi Jiang Di.

Now that she has been demoted, given Ji Heng's personality, unless he performs a great service, he will not be reinstated for at least ten years. If she wants to maintain a good standard of living with Princess Chan in the harem, she must work hard.

Thus, Qin Shi relaxed slightly.

As for now...

She perked up: "Send someone to ask Prince Qian and Princess Wen if they want to play with coal briquettes tomorrow."

As for the prince riding the tiger... let's forget about it.

I saw her before at Zhangtai Palace; she had thin arms and legs, and I was really afraid she would fall into a coal pile if she dropped a lump of coal.

He then asked the Red Maiden, "Could you instruct the craftsmen that honeycomb briquettes must be dried at a low temperature before molding? The temperature should not be too high—just half the temperature of boiling water is sufficient."

If we had come a week earlier, we could have endured the scorching sun for three to five days, but the weather is overcast today, and it might rain tomorrow, so we have no choice but to use a dryer.

The advantage of doing this is that by noon tomorrow, after 12-24 hours of drying, the first batch of coal briquettes should be almost dry.

The Red Maiden smiled and said, "Don't worry, Lord Qin."

The King's intention to establish a Queen had already spread throughout the entire Xianyang Palace. From top to bottom, no one dared to disobey the Queen's orders.

Even the book-making department—now a separate department called the "Paper Making Department"—is working overtime to boil and soak hemp and sift the pulp back and forth.

If it takes a day or two to make high-quality paper that doesn't bleed ink, surely we can make a soft, basic version of "toilet paper"?
……

Prince Qian was having a meal with Madam Zheng at that moment.

Although he was a prince, he did not follow the rules of "not speaking while eating or sleeping" in private. At this moment, he had a brown sugar bun in one hand and "egg fried rice" made from rice in the other.

Nowadays, with the promotion of iron pots in the Xianyang Palace, people of slightly higher status are gradually using them.

The combination of carbohydrates brings immense happiness and satisfaction, not to mention the rich, sweet flavor and the savory taste of the fried rice—

Though simple, it was truly satisfying! It was just what Prince Qian, a boy growing rapidly, wanted, as he was planning to have another plate of roasted meat later.

In short, when he heard the messenger's message, he immediately agreed: "Flipping coal briquettes? How do you play that? I'll definitely go tomorrow!"

Madam Zheng looked at him, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping herself.

Princess Wen said, "Brother, you have classes to attend tomorrow."

Wang Ziqian sighed, "It's enough that I can recognize the characters and read the articles. Sister, please don't ask me to do it anymore... I really can't memorize them!"

He looked at Madam Zheng with his cheeks puffed out: "Mother, when you were pregnant with my sister, did you meet a fairy from Penglai? Or did you take some kind of magic pill?"

How come the older sister can memorize something after reading it three times, while he struggles to memorize it and forgets it as soon as he turns his head?
Lady Zheng was still holding a grudge—the king was going to make a queen, and she wouldn't be the queen!

But hearing what Wang Ziqian said, she instantly felt guilty: "Mother can't remember... It's not my fault, son, Mother can't recite either!"

"Wen'er, don't be so harsh on him."

Princess Wen: ...

She took a deep breath.

　The 104-character quote marked with an asterisk could have been placed in the author's notes, but some quotes lose a layer of meaning when placed here.

　　(End of this chapter)