Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 175, Section 174: The investiture of the Queen
Now that the formal attire is on, all that's left is to wait for the auspicious time.

Qin Shi slowly flipped through the book, appearing quite calm.

But in truth, she also felt a mix of excitement and trepidation, and could only rely on these obscure and difficult books of seal script to force herself to calm down.

Wu Zi wanted to give some advice, after all, what newlywed is still reading books?

But the Red Woman stopped her and then shook her head slightly.

Although wedding ceremonies no longer have to be held at dusk, the auspicious time given by the Grand Astrologer is still at dusk.

There's nothing wrong with spending the whole day reading. Even His Majesty, would he really refuse to approve a single memorial today?
Since the auspicious time hasn't arrived yet, if you're worried about your clothes getting wrinkled, there's always a copper kettle in the side hall. You can just iron them lightly through a thick silk cloth when you get up.

However, you have to be careful with the timing; you can't rush when ironing clothes.

After all, silk clothing these days is thin and delicate, so it must be worn lightly and slowly at just the right temperature.

As the sun gradually slanted westward, a faint golden edge appeared around the corners of Xianyang Palace. Qin Shi, having recovered from his fascination with the obscure and difficult seal script, suddenly felt a surge of curiosity:

"At this wedding, should the music be joyful or sorrowful?"

Joy and happiness refer to cheerful music. Sorrow and happiness, however, do not necessarily refer to the music played at funerals, but rather to the sorrow of parting and grief.

The Red Maiden was somewhat surprised: "Does the Qin King's hometown play celebratory music? Why? When a woman leaves home for her wedding, her family is filled with sorrow and reluctance to part, so naturally, mournful music is the most appropriate."

“Exactly.” Wu Zi was also curious: “Doesn’t the husband’s family understand? They should be considerate of the wife’s pain of leaving home, respond to her with joy and sorrow, and welcome her back to show their respect for her.”

Qin Shi shook his head: "Where we live, it's all about joy and happiness, which means everyone's blessings for the newlyweds."

Simultaneous progress in healthcare, transportation, and society is essential to bringing joy and relaxation to various festivals and celebrations.

As for now, she can be happy or sad, it's her first time getting married anyway.

But the Red Maiden laughed: "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint the King of Qin. After all, a queen is different from other nobles. She is only granted an imperial edict, and there is no music to accompany it."

After all, the imperial edict was read out in just a short moment; before the eunuchs could even raise their voices, the chimes and bronze instruments were already ringing out.

The music had barely begun when the imperial edict was already read aloud... there was simply no room to arrange the pieces.

Qin Shi couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of such a scene.

"I know."

What she cared about wasn't the music, but... she was really nervous.

But the physician said, "Lord Qin, the Minister of the Imperial Household sent a woman this morning to instruct me on matters concerning the wedding and harmony. May I ask you, Lord Qin..."

She was wondering if she should explain it in more detail?
After all, she had served the king medicine before and knew that the king was incredibly strong, and that it would take all her strength to loosen his shoulders and back during a massage...

Unlike Qin Jun, whose body was firm and full, with elastic skin and limbs, even a slight massage from him was exhausting...

Moreover, Qin Jun never tenses up or is always on guard when enjoying himself, and he listens to advice, so she feels a great sense of accomplishment when serving him!

In short, serving a strong and robust man like the king is truly a difficult task.

Whether as a wife or a doctor.

Judging from Qin Jun's pulse, he was about twenty years old. At that age, he might have already been engaged. Alas, her medical skills were not good enough, and Qin Jun was full of energy and blood, and was very healthy, with no signs of yin and yang imbalance. Therefore, she did not know whether he had been married or not.

Qin Shi was stunned for a moment after hearing these words, then shook his head with a smile:
"No need."

She has been in relationships.

Campus romances continue into the workforce... In modern society, for men and women, when feelings run deep, things naturally turn out differently.

Moreover, with the amount of information available in future generations, even someone who has never been in a relationship can still go online with a sallow complexion.

There's really no need for further explanation.

Yi Ming also breathed a sigh of relief.

After a while, she went back into the inner room and brought out the medicine:
"My lord, Your Majesty is so tall and strong, yet your skin is so delicate. If... if..."

She was very dedicated to studying medicine and spoke with remarkable candor about matters of the heart. But now she acts like a thief, sneaking around like a criminal:
"If Lord Qin cannot bear it, then cry softly... His Majesty dislikes people crying the most. When you bathe and change clothes again, this servant will secretly apply medicine for you..." Qin Shi: ...

I understand you!
Your Majesty!
In short, with Yi Ming's words, Qin Shi felt no more apprehensive.

Now we simply wait for the sunset to paint the sky, and then the Imperial Clan Minister and Minister of Ceremonies will lead their men to arrive.

Although it was just a simple edict of investiture, Ji Heng, as he said, showed respect.

Not only were there two pairs of live geese, but also pearls, jade, and silk, all arranged in rows and columns.

What caught Qin Shi's attention most was the small brocade tray held by the Imperial Clan Head—

There is a square white jade seal on it.

The white jade is smooth and lustrous; under the sunlight, it resembles a lump of mutton fat infused with gold dust, so smooth that it seems to melt into oil when touched.

On the square base, a majestic and imposing dragon-tiger is carved, yet lifelike.

This is different from the small seal that Ji Heng bestowed upon her, and also different from her own personal seal with the dragon and tiger design.

This large seal is the Queen's seal, a symbol of her authority over all things.

At this moment, right now.

The imperial edict was issued, and the seal was received.

The power that Qin Shi desired was finally in his hands.

The Imperial Clan Head was still reciting the imperial edict word by word:

"...The position of Queen, the mother of the nation, is not worthy of anyone but a virtuous and wise person...I hope all my ministers will understand my heart, assist the Queen, and together bring about a peaceful and prosperous era."

Qin Shi bowed solemnly, raised both hands, and accepted the heavy edict of investiture as empress.

When she stood up again, both the Imperial Clan Head and the Imperial Attendant looked at her with warm smiles:
"Congratulations, Your Majesty."

"We will return in three days for the temple ceremony to bestow upon the Queen the military seal, her private army, and so on..."

"The affairs of the inner palace will be handled by the Minister of the Imperial Household in person for the Queen in the coming day..."

"His Majesty's decree was issued hastily, and the ministers have not yet had a chance to meet the Queen. The various seals are still being made; we hope Your Majesty will understand..."

At this point, both Zongzheng and Fengchang were filled with bitterness.

After all, no Qin ruler in history had ever gone from issuing an edict to bestowing a queen in just three days.

In just three days, if the King hadn't already ordered the Queen's seal to be made, he wouldn't have been able to produce it when the decree was issued.

How embarrassing.

Fortunately, although the king still has to review 120 catties of memorials today, the matter of bestowing the title of empress is finally completed.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Although it was just a simple imperial edict, he accepted the Queen's seal, and then there were various arrangements for the betrothal gifts, as well as instructions on several matters concerning the Imperial Clan Court and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices...

By the time all the people and their entourage withdrew from Lanchi Palace, it was already past seven o'clock in the evening.

Having been through all these trivial matters, Qin Shi was no longer constrained by the constraints of a newlywed. Instead, he immediately ordered the palace chefs to prepare dinner, and then sent a eunuch to Zhangtai Palace.
"The Queen has invited you today; would Your Majesty be willing to come?"

　During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the wedding ceremony for women in the Qin Dynasty (which involved following all the traditional rites and rituals, and was reserved for noble families; ordinary people were not qualified to observe such etiquette—yes, not qualified) was a very important event. It was not only a union between two people, but also a way to show respect for the woman and her family.

　　Therefore, it is held at dusk, and funeral music is played.

　　The bride's family did this to express their deep respect and reluctance to part with their daughter, signifying their heartache at her leaving home to marry. (The husband's family should treat her well.)
　　The husband's family will also play mournful music, meaning that although we are happy to get married, we are husband and wife as one, and I cannot be happy while you silently endure the sorrow of parting. Therefore, we should also follow the wife's feelings...

　　There is really no verifiable evidence of the Qin Dynasty, so this version has been used. If there are any errors or omissions, please disregard this information.

　　[The imperial edict referenced Emperor Xuan of Han's conferment of the title of Lady Xu Ping, but because there was no available information on the Qin state, a few phrases were adapted...]

　　(End of this chapter)