Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 189, Section 188: Concubines and Concubines
As Qin Shi gradually took control of the functions of various departments in Xianyang Palace, the women in the harem harbored a multitude of emotions.

The most at ease among them was Qin Ba Zi, who had already been demoted two ranks.

The maid looked at the eight children who were calmly playing a game with her, and was filled with confusion:

He had already angered the queen before she ascended the throne, and was demoted two ranks.

But why did the eight children seem even happier after the temple ceremony?

Qin Bazi watched Princess Chan playing with her maid under the shade of a tree in the courtyard, and his expression was unusually serene.

She and the Queen had long understood each other, and now that the Queen was the only one favored by the King, her power would be even greater in the future. How could she not be happy?

If anyone is unhappy, it has to be the two wives who have given birth to the prince.

The others might not see the king twice a year, and Qi Ba Zi, who was of the same rank as her, was now preoccupied with Princess Xin Ming, so he had no time to care about anything else.
I'm afraid all I can ask is that the Queen be magnanimous and not be too harsh on the imperial physicians and medicines.

The chief clerk and junior clerk had no children, and their status was only one level higher than that of servants, so there was no need to mention them further.

The Yan sisters are twins, and both are beautiful; perhaps they can win the Queen's favor...

Qin Bazi frowned slightly, and then instructed the maid:

"Bring me that copy of Xunzi."

I heard that the Queen had not used the jade maidens that the king had bestowed upon her at Lanchi, but she made them learn the Nine-Nine Song.

So, could it be that it has great use in divination?
She wanted to be remembered in history, not just as the mother of Princess Chan; she also needed to keep up with the times.

As for the two ladies of Zheng and Chu...

Madam Zheng was indeed very indignant.

"I have at least given birth to you and your brother for the King, yet the King is still so cruel—"

She was sad and depressed, large tears welling up in her eyes, but she swallowed back her presumptuous words.

He said, unwillingly:
"It was one thing that you were reluctant to give me the finest makeup powder before, but now that you've made me queen, you've even given me four more royal guards..."

She choked up, unable to speak: "If we disobey in the slightest in the future, these tens of thousands of people will swarm us, and I will have no way to survive."

Then, feeling depressed and angry, she couldn't help but cry to her children while eating.

Princess Wen sighed, "I had long noticed that Father treated the Queen differently, but I never imagined it would be like this."

It's too fast. Less than a month has passed since the Queen returned to Xianyang Palace with her father, and such a dramatic change has already occurred.

My father is a ruler who makes all the decisions and doesn't care about the women in the harem at all.

Thinking of this, Princess Wen felt a little disheartened: "In addition, the Queen herself is exceptionally intelligent, so Mother, you will need to be careful and respectful in the future."

Prince Qian hesitated for a moment:
"Is the Queen doing well...?"

“Mother, you don’t need to worry about the number of guards. After all, we are outnumbered and weak. If you anger her, why would you need ten thousand men? Father can punish us with a single order.”

He gave an example: "Moreover, she doesn't even ask us to call her 'Empress Dowager,' which is already very affectionate."

"What's more, he also taught me a game of Ludo, which uses six-sided dice. It's quite different from other board games and is very fun."

"Sister, will you play with me today?"

Princess Wen had a thousand plans in her mind, but looking at his foolish head and innocent naivety, she could only sadly put down the spoon.
"Mother, please don't think so much. Just obey the Queen's orders from now on. After all..."

She pursed her lips and glanced at Wang Ziqian again, resignedly saying, "We really aren't much of a threat to her."

Lady Zheng was shocked: "Wen'er, how could you underestimate them like that? Your younger brother is the King's eldest son!"

Princess Wen: ...

She no longer blamed her father for not properly educating her younger brother!
He inherited his mother's intelligence, and he should be grateful to his father for giving him some cleverness.

She then snorted coldly: "If Mother insists on the principle of primogeniture, does that mean my younger brother can already recite Confucian classics by heart?"

Madam Zheng hesitated, "Your younger brother is a bit weak in memorizing texts, but surely he doesn't need to memorize Confucian classics? Qin governs by law; if anyone should memorize something, it should be Han Feizi..."

She was unusually intelligent, even remembering the works of Han Feizi. Meanwhile, Prince Qian looked pale and sickly.

He didn't want to memorize either of the two books.

If he had to choose, he would prefer Confucianism, at least he was already familiar with it.

Only Princess Wen felt despair:
It is true that the Qin Dynasty governs by law, but my father also values ​​the classics of various schools of thought. Otherwise, why would there be any need for Confucian scholars?

hateful.

She bit her lip indignantly, and at this moment she could only tell herself: I should be more obedient in the future.

In any case, they truly posed no threat to the Queen.

……

While Madam Zheng had the comfort of her children, Madam Chu was shrouded in gloom.

The king not only favored the queen, but also bestowed four additional guards upon her during the temple sacrifice!

Military power has always been a sensitive issue, and Ji Heng's situation makes people even more cautious about the queen's position.

Otherwise, everyone would never have been so obedient when we met before.

But after the visit, I now hear people saying that the Ganquan Palace where she lives is waiting for the Queen to renovate it at will...

Those people in the harem who lived in remote palaces sounded like cats and dogs kept in the corners, and it was hard to tell what their status was in the palace.

She has been trying to win the king's favor for so many years.

Yue Liangren is now not skilled enough at sword dancing, and despite having been in the palace for many years, she has never slacked off in her dancing skills.

Her riding a tiger!

If it weren't for wanting to gain the favor of his father, why would he have to study so hard at such a young age, burning the midnight oil every day?

He had originally thought he could outwit Prince Qian. Although he did not dare to dream of the position of Crown Prince in front of the King, it would be impossible for him to have no ambition at all.

But now that the Queen has received such supreme favor, the King has been spending every night at the Orchid Pond for several days in a row.

With the queen's absolute favor, how could they, mother and son, possibly survive?
She held Chenghu close, her heart filled with immense sorrow:
"What will become of my son in the future?"

Chenghu took a deep breath, recalling his previous visit and how the other party at Zhangtai Palace spoke up for him and the others, and then looked at the frail and weeping Madam Chu.

At this moment, he could only sigh and say, "Mother, don't worry. I see that the Queen is kind and generous, and I don't think she will do anything."

not to mention……

He thought with a slight sense of gloom: with his physical condition, even if the other party wanted to do something, there was no need for it.

After all, if the succeeding ruler is not mentally sound, there are still his ministers who can assist him.

However, his poor health makes it difficult for him to even find an heir.

Thinking of this, a sense of desolation suddenly arose in his precious mind.

Madam Chu felt another pang of sorrow. Touching the patches covering her cheeks, she felt an overwhelming sense of resentment.
"If I were to arrange for some concubines from the former Chu state..."

Chenghu took another deep breath.

Although he was young, he could already see a lot: "The Queen's favor is solely due to Father's single-mindedness."

"Even if you arrange for the Mystic Maiden to be a concubine, if she is of no use to Father, he won't bother to look at her at all."

Lady Chu, recalling the reasons why she was not favored, felt utterly hopeless.

　Hehe, you've improved again! I'm so happy.

　　Concubines, concubines, princes, and imperial grandsons. They left the tower and descended the palace, arriving in carriages from Qin—the Rhapsody on the Epang Palace.

　　“媵” emphasizes the status of a dowry attendant, while “嫱” emphasizes the status within the palace. When used together, they often refer to women in noble families or the imperial court.

　　(End of this chapter)