Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 176, Section 175: The Lotus Golden Lamp
Inside the Zhangtai Palace, Zhou Ju watched as the King of Qin continued to review memorials, his heart filled with hesitation.

The king hates being disturbed while he's working, but today...

Just as they were hesitating, a eunuch from Lanchi Palace hurriedly arrived:

"Lord Zhou, the Queen has sent a messenger to deliver a message—"

He was overjoyed!
At the same time, he sighed deeply: "Your Majesty! Even on the day of the queen's investiture, you don't forget the important matters, and even at night you need the queen to personally invite you..."

Ugh!
He shook his head and sighed, carefully choosing his words, before respectfully asking for instructions.

In Zhangtai Palace, after hearing Zhou Ju's report, Ji Heng hesitated for a moment before finally putting down his vermilion brush.

"Place the unfinished memorials from today where they were, and I will return tomorrow..."

Before he finished speaking, Zhou Ju had already respectfully adopted an inviting posture.

Ji Heng: ...

That's it!

The Queen herself came to invite me; I suppose that now that her wish has been fulfilled, she is especially attached to me!

It was the day of the investiture ceremony, and both morally and logically, he should not delay any longer!
……

Meanwhile, at Lanchi Palace, Qin Shi was being helped into the hot spring by Chi Nu Yi Ming and others. Even though he had been thoroughly massaged and washed yesterday, he was still soaking in the orchid-scented hot spring with a slight wormwood aroma today.

"That doesn't have to be the case."

From now on, these four people around him should devote themselves wholeheartedly to him. Qin Shi did not hide his thoughts from them:

"I also want to show the king my new clothes."

The emotional value given before becoming queen cannot be taken for granted after becoming queen.

When you're giving a presentation, you should present yourself.

"There's nothing to see!" Fu Cai, with her thick, smooth, and fluffy hair styled, spoke much more boldly:

"Your Majesty has many such dark and crimson robes!"

"Besides, I have made a new dress for the Queen for the King of Qin. It is also this dignified color. It is not too late for the King of Qin and the Queen to wear it for His Majesty tomorrow."

But tonight...

Fu Cai took out a black and red close-fitting silk garment and asked shyly, "Which one would the Queen like to wear?"

So what's the point of stripping the clothes off and washing the person again?

The last thing she wore was the same style, only a lighter, softer, and more form-fitting dark crimson blouse with a curved hem.

Qin Shi looked at himself in the mirror and couldn't help but ask again, "Did you make many identical pieces of this clothing?"

Fu Cai asked in surprise, "Why does Your Majesty say this? This is naturally quite different from the formal attire worn during the day. Ever since His Majesty mentioned the Chihu Seal last month, I have been working diligently to prepare for it..."

Otherwise, how could such a well-fitting and elegant garment be made in just 3 days!
Moreover, although the three pieces appear to be the same style, the fabric length, the curvature of the hem, and the time and number of times the vermilion was used to dye the fabric red are all quite different!
The outfit I'll wear tomorrow will be more elegant than this one, yet it will also fit me more subtly than what I wore during the day.

Qin remained silent.

At this moment, a eunuch came from outside the palace to report that the king would arrive at Lanchi in a quarter of an hour.

Fu Cai immediately became anxious and used a little force to press Qin Shi down in front of the bronze mirror:

"Your Majesty, let me simply style your hair. Tonight, the lights are bright and shining all night. With such splendor, it is fitting to adorn your hair with more pearls!"

The phrase "glittering with pearls and jewels" refers to the fact that under the bright lights, the pearls and jewels would also radiate a warm and lustrous glow.

Fu Cai rubbed her hands together, fiddling with Qin Shi's head, and then loosely gathered up his long hair that was draped over his back with a red ribbon.

Qin Shi looked up at the person in the glasses, and then froze.

The next moment, a eunuch outside the palace relayed a message:

"The King has arrived!"

Qin Shi stood up, straightening his back, but trying to relax his shoulders and neck.

She turned out of the inner hall and stood at the hall gate, just in time to see Ji Heng getting off the carriage.

Night fell, and the Milky Way hung high in the sky. The other person's tall figure descended the steps from the carriage.

The jade pendants and silk ribbons hanging from the eaves swayed in the night wind, like her restless heart.

Qin Shi was stunned.

Amidst the flickering candlelight, she could hardly make out the other person's expression.

So he reached out and took the golden lotus lamp from the red maiden's hands, and slowly took two steps forward to greet her.

The lotus petals are ingeniously designed, allowing the summer night breeze to pass through the gaps between the petals without disturbing the flames dancing within.

Under the cover of night, she wore a plain black, light silk gauze dress with a loose hem. The fabric seemed not to fit her body well, and the scarlet edges of the dress revealed her vulnerable, defenseless, snow-white neck.

Just like the geese he personally caught in Shanglin Garden.

However, the waist of the skirt is loosely gathered into a very thin arc, and the hem flutters slightly when walking, revealing large pearls on the shoes.

And look at the other person's outfit today—

Ji Heng frowned for a moment.

It's too plain.

Amidst the dense, dark hair bun, there was only one large pearl hairpin.

Apart from that, there was not a single other decoration.

Ji Heng subconsciously thought: Could it be that he was so focused on reviewing memorials today that he forgot to inquire about the betrothal gifts sent at the same time as the Queen's conferment of honors?
I wonder if Qin Qing is pleased with those two pairs of wild geese?

Or perhaps, weren't the pearls and jade gifts enough?

Qin Shi had already approached him.

In those few short steps, Ji Heng could clearly see a slight sense of bewilderment in her eyes.

The flickering flames danced in her eyes, their dim yellow hue settling on the finest of her skin, so clear that he could almost see the finest hairs.

When Qin Shi entered carrying the lotus-shaped golden lantern, his gaze fixed on him, yet it seemed as if the gaze had found its anchor, revealing a smile of exceptional trust and reassurance:

"Your Majesty."

Qin Shi's smile was exceptionally gentle.

When she couldn't see Ji Heng's face clearly amidst the flames, she almost thought her nearsightedness hadn't improved.

Therefore, one subconsciously diffuses their gaze to avoid focusing on something but failing to recognize it, which might displease the other person.

As she approached, Ji Heng's face became exceptionally clear, which instantly put her at ease.

No matter what, he is the king.

Even if she becomes nearsighted again, the king will still support her in making glasses, right?

She came to Ji Heng's side and very naturally handed the golden lamp to the red maid behind her. Then she turned around and walked alongside Ji Heng, getting close to him.

The moment Qin Shi turned around, Ji Heng saw the crimson ribbon loosely tied around her hair.

It was the clumsy work of some palace maid; the knot seemed loose and about to come undone at any moment.

He couldn't help but look down at it again.

The next moment, the hot hand pressed against a cool and soft woman's hand.

His forearm tensed instantly, but before he could move, Qin Shi seemed oblivious, simply holding his hand tenderly.

Rough, soft.

The other person curled their lips into a smile, looking at him expectantly:
"Your Majesty, this... shouldn't be considered offensive, should it?"

She waved her hand under her sleeve, her happy expression shining through her eyes.

Ji Heng's lips were tightly pressed together, half of his body was tense, and he hesitated to speak.

　Qin Shi: I was so scared! I thought I'd gone nearsighted again! Oh, it's Your Majesty. It's alright then.

　　Ji Heng: She loves me so much! I am completely trusted and loved by her! Alas!
　　(End of this chapter)