Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 188, Section 187: Where the Sun and Moon Shine

Qin Shi almost forgot that Ji Heng was also quite sharp in his views on issues because he was so engrossed in coaxing the straight man.

However, it doesn't matter, everything she's saying right now is true.

Seeing that Zhou Ju and Chi Nu were both bowing their heads and waiting quietly, Qin Shi leaned over and gently touched Ji Heng's cheek.

This bold move, as light as a dragonfly skimming the water, made Ji Heng raise his eyebrows instantly, then furrow them slightly.

No one in the entire Xianyang Palace had ever dared to overstep their bounds so boldly.

But at the same time, the queen's reply followed:

"I am happy that I can quietly stay with the King."

She smiled and said, "Doesn't Your Majesty feel the same way? If you love something, you can't wait to possess it immediately and not allow anyone else to touch it."

For a queen to utter such words is nothing short of presumptuous.

After all, a king cannot belong to only her.

However, emotional exchange is always a give-and-take situation; if she is too virtuous, then she will need to be even more virtuous in the future.

On the contrary, although Ji Heng was clearly uncomfortable with his many bold actions over the past three days, he was not angry—Qin Shi was close to him and could sense his tension.

Occasionally, when she quietly nestled into his arms at night, he would instantly grip the short sword under his pillow.

Her heart was pounding like a drum, but she could only try her best to breathe steadily. Her limbs were too tired to move for a moment, so they felt heavy and went unnoticed.

In the stillness of the night, Ji Heng was unaware that she had woken up in a daze, so he quickly tensed up again before gradually relaxing.

After this happened several times, Ji Heng has clearly grown accustomed to her boldness.

When the two were alone, Qin Shi said such things, and he was confident that Ji Heng would not be angry about it.

Ji Heng did not get angry as expected.

He nodded in agreement: "That's right."

"Just like the land of Baiyue, which stretches along the edge of my Qin state in a narrow line, every time I look at the map, I wish I could immediately flatten this place."

The Queen's love and jealousy are just like mine.

He could understand.

"This reckless act must never be repeated lightly in the future. Otherwise, what will become of the Queen's dignity?"

These words were spoken neither too lightly nor too heavily. Qin Shi simply looked at him with admiration, then leaned closer to his shoulder:
"With the king protecting me like a mountain, what need do I have for majesty?"

"Besides, I was delighted the moment I saw Your Majesty, yet I restrained myself greatly. How could I have been presumptuous?"

Qin Shi said with great grievance: The most direct way for men and women to deepen their feelings is to kiss and hug, and to achieve physical intimacy.

Under these circumstances, the soul and spirit can grow ever closer.

If she adheres to the current etiquette, how is she any different from the other ladies of the harem? Why does she still insist on becoming queen?

Why did the king bestow four more personal guards upon him?

This shows that the rights that a favored queen and an unfavored queen can exercise are very different.

Ji Heng remained silent.

If the Queen's actions were not considered reckless, and one were to speak of "restraint," then wouldn't all the other women in the harem be as worthless as rotten wood?
Zhou Ju, Chi Nu Wu Zi, and the others lowered their heads, their complex expressions hidden by the bluestone slab, but in their hearts, they all felt the same astonishment and exclamation:
Queen! You're amazing!!!
Qin Shi, seeing that things were going well, picked up where Ji Heng left off: "However, as Your Majesty mentioned, I also think we should bring Baiyue under our control as soon as possible."

"How can I allow others to sleep soundly beside my bed? All that the sun and moon shine upon, and all that rivers flow through, should be the territory of my Great Qin."

"Therefore, Your Majesty is requested to reduce the amount of corvée labor for the next two or three years, allowing the people to rest and recuperate. After one or two years, when the army is equipped with powerful soldiers and has other weapons for conquest, we can launch a full-scale attack and crush the barbarians."

"Only in this way can peace be achieved."

"If there is any more leisure time, the Western Regions and the Rong and Di tribes should also submit to us."

She said it so casually, so matter-of-factly.

It was as if the Baiyue were already within the Qin state's grasp, and as if the land illuminated by the sun and moon should rightfully belong to the Qin.

Even Ji Heng, who had already achieved the remarkable feat of conquering six kingdoms, fell silent upon hearing such self-evident words. No one in the hall dared to utter a sound.

Queen, isn't the Queen always known for her benevolence and kindness?
Why...why...

After a moment, Ji Heng chuckled and said with admiration, "How can I allow others to sleep soundly beside my bed? The Queen is right, this is exactly how I feel now."

The ministers in the court were particularly conservative, and whenever he said he wanted to launch a campaign against a certain place, they would immediately come up with a bunch of excuses and complaints.

Little did they know that what Qin, a great and powerful state, lacked was not some achievement, but the unification of all its lands.

Only in this way can there be harmony between heaven and earth.

Furthermore, there is the place where the sun and moon shine, and where rivers flow...

"What ambition the Queen has!"

He especially loves it!
These few words, after being pondered twice in his mind, filled Ji Heng with a surge of heroic spirit, and he wished he could immediately lead his troops out to crush the Rong and Di tribes!
He instantly forgot the queen's previous reckless behavior—with such ambition, it was only natural that the queen would act bolder than ordinary women!

His queen, Ji Heng's queen, should have this spirit!

“But…” He looked at Qin Shi, not forgetting the words Qin Shi had said when they discussed conquering the Baiyue at Zhangtai Palace:

"I, as the Queen, do not love war, but only the benevolent governance of Confucianism."

Qin Shi was somewhat bewildered: "I naturally do not love conquest—the rise and fall of the nation brings suffering to the people."

"But shouldn't the Baiyue and Rongdi tribes belong to my Qin state?"

"Without a great king to unify the country, they have been left to develop on their own for over a hundred years, and there has been no news of any progress or prosperity for the people."

"In that case, why not let Your Majesty manage it?"

She takes it all for granted!

Zhou Ju lowered his head, at a loss for words.

If the ministers of Zhangtai Palace were to hear of the Queen's murderous words, it would likely cause a great deal of discussion among them, and the Queen's fearsome reputation would spread.

Ji Heng also remained silent, which was unusual for him.

After a moment, he breathed a sigh of relief: "The Queen's ambition shows that she already has a good plan for governing the country and caring for the people."

"In that case, the construction of Xianyang City, Yongcheng City, Shanglin Garden, and Epang Palace shall be temporarily suspended."

"The repairs to the Lishan underground palace, the Great Wall, the Lingqu Canal, and the imperial highways and straight roads cannot be stopped now."

Qin Shi was already quite satisfied.

No wonder history books say that "honest advice is hard to swallow".

She had previously mentioned population data several times, making grand promises with cement and dangling new glass as a pretext, but Ji Heng only mentioned the Epang Palace and never explicitly stated that construction should be suspended.

Now, if she only talks about conquering the Baiyue and Rongdi tribes, the other party will immediately imagine that she can make the Qin population prosperous, so she directly says to stop.

She looked at Ji Heng, and Ji Heng returned her gaze deeply.

"If we allow the people to recuperate and thrive for two or three years, will that be enough to fulfill the Queen's grand ambitions?"

That's certainly not enough.

But Qin Shi had already solemnly bowed and said, "Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty."

"This is Your Majesty's Qin Kingdom, and in the future, all nations will come to offer their congratulations."

　Here it comes! The phrase "Wherever the sun and moon shine, wherever rivers flow, that is Han territory" has two possible origins—

　　One is the stele commemorating Emperor Xuan of Han's conquest of the Hu people (no evidence available).

　　Secondly, it evolved from phrases such as "wherever the sun and moon shine, wherever the wind and rain reach, all submit" in the "Records of the Grand Historian: Basic Annals of the Five Emperors" and "the Han Dynasty holds power and prestige, leading all nations; wherever the sun and moon shine, all are its subjects" in Ban Biao's memorial to Liu Xiu in the "Biography of the Southern Xiongnu" in the "Book of the Later Han".

　　The strategy for the hour: If retreating to advance doesn't work, then advance to retreat.

　　In short, we must achieve our goal.

　　(End of this chapter)