Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 171, Section 170: Emperor Hill Demon
The head of Nanle Pavilion was certainly not a clever person.

If that were the case, Wang Xueyuan wouldn't have needed to come in person to see the person.

But he admired the other party's diligence in working in the fields.

Because such a person is likely to carry out orders diligently, and it is probably not related to the previous incident of inscribing words on a meteorite.

With that thought in mind, he figured the other person wasn't very tactful, so he didn't care.

However, Madam Ba and Wuyou's plan to meet with this former Imperial Censor was not only for current business, but also for future business.

At this moment, Madam Ba quickly composed herself, enduring the discomfort that suddenly gripped her red silk dress beneath her fine linen garment. She still asked softly:
"May I ask, Your Excellency, we have previously heard a summons from Xianyang Palace, ordering all the wealthy merchants in the land to come to the palace to meet with an important person."

"May I ask if this distinguished guest is the one who resides at Lanchi?"

Wang Xueyuan nodded: "Exactly."

If it weren't for this order, why would he have bothered talking so much with these merchants?

Now that I have been demoted, if I want to be reinstated, besides being practical, I still need to please the king.

Although these merchants are not influential, they may still be useful.

He drank the inferior wine from the local tavern, and was stimulated by its pungent bitterness and sourness, causing him to furrow his brow.

But he still replied, "This noble person is kind and benevolent, and does not care much about the social status of scholars, farmers, artisans and merchants."

"She wants to meet with the merchant; she must have something to tell you all. What do you think?"

That's a really great idea.

Wu You and Madam Ba exchanged a glance, and without a word, they both made up their minds—

"Thank you for informing us, sir. Once this matter is settled, we will immediately proceed to Xianyang City to await your summons."

Regardless of what this important person wants them to do—whether it's gold and silver, labor, or using their family for something…

They all have to cooperate.

Now that the six kingdoms have been pacified and the world is unified, these merchants from powerful families are like children carrying gold in a bustling marketplace.

There is no longer any room for maneuver among the six states, nor can we flee to another country if this one fails. The only option now is to maintain good relations with the higher-ups.

If one or two things anger the nobles, someone can help smooth things over.

Now that the Lady of Lanchi Palace has summoned them, this is a golden opportunity. Otherwise, with their status, how could they ever even dream of meeting a Lady of Xianyang Palace?
I wonder what status this person of such importance holds in the eyes of the King of Qin?

Rumors circulated that this noble person had moved from Lanchi Palace to the Southern Palace of Xianyang Palace. They did not want to reveal too much about their knowledge to the censor, lest they displease the noble person, and therefore they did not mention it.

Why move the palace if everything was fine?
Compared to Lanchi, Nangongqun is naturally much smaller in area, according to their understanding.

If I can make friends with some of the ladies of the harem on this trip, that would be a truly wonderful thing.

After all, doing business with women is much more convenient and easier these days.

Furthermore, even though this King of Qin was unprecedented in history and the ruler of all under heaven, one can only imagine what kind of heroic spirit he possessed.

But it's always easier to get a whispered message from someone's pillow than anything else.

Like this former Imperial Censor Wang, it is said that his wife's family has a niece in the palace who is a beauty.

For some reason, before Lord Wang was demoted, the other party had already been demoted two ranks.

This shows that there is still much to be done to improve the relationships within the harem.

They were all lost in their own thoughts, but the head of the Nanle Pavilion still stood there trembling with fear.

After stammering for a while, he finally said honestly, "The lord previously ordered that all the villages and counties must convey the Grand Historian's admonition—"

He was so timid that he couldn't bring himself to say the words, "When the King of Qin dies, the land will be divided."

He could only vaguely say, "If Your Majesty were to pass away, the Qin Kingdom would surely be torn apart, wars would break out frequently, and the people would suffer." "Therefore, the falling star that gave birth to the character is a warning from Heaven, all thanks to Your Majesty's merits and illustrious achievements."

He had memorized these words for a long time, but now he was so busy that his feet barely touched the ground. Every household that was not engaged in corvée labor was busy in the fields.

Even the corvée labor that could not be completed in daily life would mostly be relaxed at this time.

Unless a family doesn't have enough land to pay enough taxes, they will be conscripted.

But whether they spread rumors or the Grand Historian's admonitions, they couldn't care less.

Wang Xueyuan almost burst out laughing.

He met officials of all ranks at Xianyang Palace, and was also introduced to unique and talented individuals by many people.

But it is truly rare to find someone as honest and upright as this village headman.

It's fortunate that the post station is now run by sons after fathers die; otherwise, he would really have to wonder how much money the other party spent to become the post station chief.

However, as he said before, honesty has its advantages. While it may be less adept at relaying orders and flattering superiors, it can significantly reduce suspicion of graffiti.

After all, the king spared the lives of the people within a five-mile radius, but he never said he would stop investigating the culprit.

He then nodded slightly: "In that case, Your Majesty is magnanimous and will not set a time limit. You should keep this matter in mind, and if you have time, spread the word as much as you can."

"Yes Yes Yes."

Seeing that he had no intention of questioning him, the village head nodded repeatedly.

The other party had absolutely no political sense, but fortunately, they weren't going to serve as an official in the government.

At this moment, Madam Ba and Wuyou lowered their eyes and were extremely cautious.

After all, the Grand Historian's admonition sounded to the common people like that the king was about to proclaim his achievements again, but only those who had experienced many wars knew that if they were not careful, this place would probably be in chaos.

[After the King of Qin died, the territory was divided]

What a sharp and sarcastic remark, yet someone risked their life to carve it onto a meteorite.

Only those who are willing to die for their country can accomplish this.

Unless there is a deep-seated hatred, no one could come up with such a vicious plan.

The fact that the other party used such methods clearly shows that they did not care about the lives of the people in the surrounding area.

As soon as the rumor spread, Wuyou led a large number of cattle, horses and sheep and stayed where he was, refusing to go any further to Dongjun.

The reason is to avoid harming innocent bystanders.

Fortunately, a messenger arrived late at night to spread the new maxims of the Grand Astrologer.

Furthermore, with the arrival of some faint news from Xianyang Palace, the two men, knowing that fortune favors the bold, ventured here to fight fiercely.

Receiving this news now is truly a worthwhile opportunity.

However, being a man, Wu You might not be as adept at winning over the noblewoman of Lanchi as Madam Ba. Wanting to curry favor further, he boldly said:

"My lord, when I was selling cattle and horses at Diqiu Pavilion, I overheard some country folk joking about something—"

"It is said that in the small mountains of Diqiu, when the local people were walking along the mountain path, they saw a monster covered in blisters lying on the ground groaning."

"Upon seeing people approaching, he wrapped the burlap sack around his body and hurriedly fled."

"The mountain people were terrified and burned for two days before they survived. But now rumors are spreading everywhere, and they dare not say anything, simply believing that they have encountered a mountain demon..."

　Mrs. Ba only chose this surname, but because it's a fictional story, no historical figures will appear. Firstly, I'm afraid of writing it poorly, and secondly, if I write anything incorrectly, I might get criticized. Just treat her as a somewhat familiar stranger.

　　(End of this chapter)