Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 187, Section 186: The Queen's Jealousy
These 10,000 soldiers were not allowed to enter Xianyang City without an imperial edict.

Qin Shi could understand it very well.

If those ten thousand men under her command were to roam within Xianyang City, even if Ji Heng trusted her implicitly, he would not be able to sleep peacefully at night.

However, it is acceptable for five hundred elite troops to return to the palace together to await further instructions.

The carriage rumbled along in the twilight glow. Qin Shi glanced out the window; the sunset glow on the horizon was as always, outlining the golden eaves of the undulating pavilions of Xianyang Palace.

She vaguely recalled the scene when she entered Xianyang City through this route.

"What a blessing."

She sighed.

Ji Heng lowered the bamboo slip in his hand, then looked up at her.

Qin Shi had already moved closer, and at that moment he took Ji Heng's hands in his own and rubbed them against his cheeks.

Then, with a smile, she said, "I mean, to meet the King so soon after arriving is truly the result of using up all my luck in this life; I'm just too lucky."

At that time, she never imagined that one day she would become the Queen of the Great Qin Dynasty.

She never imagined that she would be truly willing to do everything in her power to create this glorious era with Ji Heng by her side.

Ji Heng's expression softened slightly. He looked down at the bamboo slips and suddenly asked, "Has the Queen improved her seal script?"

Qin Shi: ...

Her tender feelings vanished in an instant, like raindrops pattering on banana leaves, while the academic star's dignity was as fragile as a begonia flower: "I practiced every day, and now I can recognize what I've written."

Ji Heng curled his lips and put down the scroll in his hand: "In that case, please let the Queen read this book to me."

……

Offering sacrifices to Heaven, Earth, and ancestors is the final step in the process of establishing a queen.

Five hundred guards remained in Xianyang City to await orders, but before that, Qin Shi's audience with the people of the six palaces could not be delayed any longer.

She managed to get up early in the morning and resumed her healthy routine. She walked around the orchid pond for half an hour before returning to the palace.
"Let them in."

Then the Red Maiden gave the order, and the ladies of the six palaces filed in from the side hall. Each of them, like spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums, had their own unique charm, and for a moment, the humble abode seemed to be illuminated.

Qin Shi read through them one by one, and at this moment he sighed inwardly: It's so good to be a king.

However, she felt no bitterness in her heart, because the queen had the right to review the "Yinling," which was a book that recorded the daily life of the king and his concubines, a tradition passed down from the Zhou Dynasty.

However, when she opened it, she discovered that Ji Heng had not been intimate with anyone since the spring of this year.

This left her silent for a long time.

Because if Ji Heng wasn't enthusiastic about this, then what was she enduring every night?
If he grew tired of these beauties after a long time, with his power, he could easily order a constant stream of new women to fill his harem.

but no.

[Yin Ling] Looking back a few years, these women in the imperial harem basically had very few opportunities to meet the emperor.

It is clear that Ji Heng truly despised them, as they not only hindered state affairs but were also of little use.

Looking at these beauties now, she felt a faint sigh in her heart.

"Greetings, Queen."

Madam Zheng and Madam Chu stood at the front and bowed deeply. The people behind them also bowed, and the Lanchi Palace became lively for a moment.

"Please take a seat."

Since Ji Heng didn't like them, she didn't have much of a virtuous and gentle mindset.

The emperor having three palaces and six courtyards was an inviolable rule of the Zhou Dynasty. Now that they existed, what I needed to consider was how to use them.

Beside her, Chi Nu Wu Zi had already picked up a pencil. On the paper in front of her, various forms were listed one by one, waiting for each person's resume and information to be filled in.

However, even with the inclusion of both chief and junior officials in the harem, the number of people in the harem at this point was indeed quite small for a monarch who had unified the country.

The two ladies of Zheng and Chu need not be mentioned, but she was also familiar with the Eight Princes of Qin, who had long ago pledged their allegiance. Besides the Eight Princes of Qin, there was another Eight Prince in the palace, who was presented by the State of Qi.

The other person was beautiful, with a delicate and graceful temperament like a willow branch in spring breeze, and even her voice had a soft Wu dialect accent.

It's very sweet and sticky.

This Qi Ba Zi gave birth to Princess Xin Ming, who was 11 years old.

However, Xinming was born with weak lungs and often suffers from coughing and wheezing during seasonal changes; he is still ill today.

The remaining one is the woman presented by the Yue Kingdom, who has now given birth to Princess Peng, who is 4 years old.

Compared to the other women in the harem, Lady Yue had slightly darker skin, but her eyes were as bright and alert as a deer's. Perhaps due to her noble birth in the Yue Kingdom, she was agile and graceful, and it was said that she was an exceptional sword dancer.

But ever since the fall of the Yue Kingdom, Ji Heng has never summoned her to watch the sword dance again.

There was also a pair of twin sisters who were a gift from the State of Yan. The King of Yan was a foolish and incompetent ruler, but the twin sisters he presented were rare and exquisite beauties, with each of their features being perfect.

But that's all.

The two sisters looked exactly alike and were difficult to tell apart. They also had a princess together, but she died before she was full-term.

There was also one chief clerk and one junior clerk. The chief clerk had a son who died at the age of three, and the junior clerk had no son.

These nine women constituted the entirety of Ji Heng's harem.

However, according to the Zhou rites, in addition to the queen, the king should have three consorts, nine concubines, twenty-seven ladies-in-waiting, and eighty-one imperial wives.

In an era when even the incompetent rulers of the Yan state could enjoy hundreds of beauties, his sparse harem was truly...

I don't know how to describe the Qin Dynasty.

But in any case, having fewer people is always more advantageous.

She became happy again, and after speaking with everyone in the harem, she couldn't help but express her true feelings when she met Ji Heng that evening:

“The king has very few women in his harem and does not favor them, which makes me very happy.”

At that moment, Ji Heng was annotating on bamboo slips when his vermilion brush paused.

After the queen was made queen, in order to show his love and respect for her, he could no longer spend all 120 catties of memorials on the day at Zhangtai Palace until late at night. Therefore, some of them would be taken to Lanchi.

What comforted Ji Heng was that the Queen did not wait idly by his side, nor did she try to pester him to go to sleep early. Instead, she would lay out paper and pen herself, practice calligraphy, read books, or record something.

Until he finishes writing today, the other party will also stop.

It was euphemistically called: "Accompanying the King in his studies."

This simple act of companionship had already left Zhou Ju in awe.

No wonder the King was willing to spend more time with the Queen and make her happy. Indeed, indeed!

It's a pity that he, who has always been quick-witted, now doesn't even know how to describe himself.

Hearing Qin Shi's direct words, he couldn't help but glance at the Queen.

That's so straightforward.

But judging from the king's expression, he actually quite liked this straightforwardness.

In fact, Ji Heng not only liked to be straightforward, but also had a faint sigh of "I was right" and a sense of superiority.

The Queen's intense affection for me, her desire to be apart even for a moment, and her eagerness to get close to me whenever possible, clearly shows that she cannot bear to see me favor other women.

It is evident that he was extremely jealous.

He composed himself and quickly wrote down his thoughts on the bamboo slip. Seeing that Zhou Ju had already put it away, he sighed and said:

"What is the Queen pleased about?"

　The existence of harems is ancient and unavoidable. Please read rationally.

　　(End of this chapter)