Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 208, Section 207: Arrangements for Chickens and Ducks
Dan and Fei Qing were somewhat bewildered.

Raising chickens and ducks?
Nowadays, people in the Qin state do raise chickens and ducks.

Both men came from poor families and knew very well that the Qin state levied a "feather tax." Especially during wartime, ordinary people were required to contribute chicken feathers and other materials to make arrow fletching.

Now... why did the Queen order the two of them to raise this?

If you want to comfort them in their loneliness within the palace...

After a moment's hesitation, Dan whispered, "Chickens and ducks often make noise, and I'm just afraid it might disturb Your Highness's peace and quiet..."

Fei Qing's eyes sparkled: Anyway, they live in a remote area, so the noise won't bother them. If they can raise chickens and ducks, wouldn't they be able to eat them every day?
This is different from the task previously assigned to the two ladies of Zheng and Chu, and requires active cooperation from others.

Qin Shi then explained in a slow voice, "Raising chickens and ducks is not simply for you to keep as pets. I have some methods that can greatly improve the survival rate from the very beginning of incubation."

"It just needs some time to examine it carefully."

"You two are the Queen Consorts, and you are both meticulous and gentle by nature. If you can make contributions in this matter, you may be promoted in the future."

"And if this is then promoted to townships and counties, it will be attributed to your achievements..."

The people of Qin have long feared the king. Although his decrees can be conveyed to the villages and counties meticulously, his execution and initiative are hard to say.

Now, the king's reputation is hard to reverse in the short term, and there may not be a good outcome under the rule of tyranny.

But the stories of the royal family's harem are something everyone loves to hear.

Just like the story Qin Shi gave to Lady Chu about the Kunlun Immortals descending to warn the King of Qin, or the women in the King's harem coming up with such methods to express their gratitude for the King's kindness...

Whether people believe it or not at first doesn't matter; what's important is to keep them interested in listening, to make them remember it, and to spread it around.

The more people who know, the more lives will be saved.

In this way, her arrangements will not have been in vain.

Dan and Fei Qing exchanged a glance, and then without hesitation, they bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty has shown us such kindness; we will obey your commands."

She added, “I am deeply honored that Your Majesty trusts me so much for showing such care for our poor family. However, it is truly inappropriate to spread our names.”

"Such meritorious deeds, even if they are not entrusted to me in the future, will be done by others. How dare I presume to claim the Queen's holy name now?"

Qin Shi shook his head: "This method was not created by me. I'm handing it over to you because firstly, you have the status. Secondly, this is not an easy task. If too many chickens and ducks are raised, the smell will inevitably become unpleasant, and they will all be subject to death, disease, and other illnesses, requiring careful attention."

Even with servants to attend to them, it still takes a lot of effort and time.

"I noticed that you all seemed to be doing nothing in the palace, and the King didn't seem to be lingering around, so I came to inquire."

Faced with these two women from humble backgrounds, Qin Shi's expression softened even more:
"It's alright if you don't do it. Compared to other concubines, this job may not be respectable."

Dan chuckled, gradually shedding her previous submissiveness and caution:

“Those are all noble people who have never gone hungry since childhood. But Fei Qing and I couldn’t even afford to live at home, and we’ve even eaten dirt from the ground in front of the village shrine.”

“Raising chickens and ducks is something we are perfectly suited for. If Your Majesty would be so kind as to grant us a spacious courtyard, we could even bring people there to grow some vegetables.”

In this vast Xianyang Palace, Ji Heng couldn't be more dignified, yet now he's even providing chicken, duck, and vegetables.

Qin Shi suppressed a laugh, but still replied definitively:
"nature!"

"Not only will there be a Guangyuan, but also slaves, servants, and 20 people, all of whom will be at your command."

……

The Queen personally signed off on each document, and imperial edicts were issued one after another. Everyone in the harem was given different tasks, ensuring that no one in the palace was idle.

So when Qin Shi finally summoned Qin Ba Zi to hand over the overall management of official affairs, he truly breathed a sigh of relief.

Wu Zi handed over all the bamboo slips and hesitated, asking, "Does the Queen really intend to entrust palace affairs to Qin Ba Zi?"

Qin Shi smiled and said, "The seal is still in my hands, and all arrangements still require my approval. She is just doing the integration work, so there is no need to worry."

Wu Zi shook her head: "The Queen is currently preoccupied with state affairs and naturally has no time to deal with these trivial matters. However, human desires are insatiable. If such an important matter is entrusted to Qin Ba Zi, what will happen if, in a year or two, the Queen wants to take back this job and Qin Ba Zi harbors resentment?"

Qin Shi smiled and shook his head as well.

In this Xianyang Palace, the most unreliable thing is to rely on others.

But the most reliable person, and the one Ji Heng could rely on for the sake of the Qin state, was Ji Heng.

He stood firm like a mountain, and no one in the entire palace could overthrow his power.

If something unexpected were to happen to us one day, what would it matter if we entrusted all official duties to Qin Ba Zi?
Her private army, which belonged solely to her, would still only obey her commands.

The old man was right: political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.

Those five private armies might sound weak and insignificant, but in this city of Xianyang, they were her most formidable reliance.

Outside the hall, Qin Ba Zi walked gracefully, like an orchid in the wind.

She was a confident and intelligent person, and having already experienced the Queen's temperament, she knew she would be useful.

only……

I never imagined that the Queen would trust me so much!

This is the business of the six palaces!

Before them lay mountains of ledgers, while behind them, transport vehicles continued to arrive in droves.

It covers everything from trivial matters like firewood and charcoal to the salaries of palace servants, and even the arrangements made by noblemen.

And these powers, which best demonstrate the queen's majesty, are now being handed over to her so easily?

"Your Majesty!" Even the usually composed Qin Ba Zi bowed deeply at this moment:

"How could I, a mere reed, be worthy of such great use by the Queen?"

She was merely a lowly concubine, her rank insignificant in the Xianyang Palace. There were clearly two more powerful ladies, Lady Chu and Lady Zheng, above her; why was she chosen alone?

There is no reason why.

Qin Shi glanced at her indifferently: "You showed me your intelligence earlier than they did, and that's the reason."

As the queen, her ability to patiently review the resumes of her subordinates was a way for her to understand them.

Qin Ba Zi has a keen eye and is efficient in action. Whether he can handle palace affairs or not, let's deal with it first and then see.

If that doesn't work, training the Red Maiden Black Seed can also help.

Qin Bazi's expression instantly turned serious.

She did demonstrate her methods to the Queen much earlier, but the consequences...

She took a deep breath and bowed again: "Your concubine obeys."

……

Ji Heng didn't concern himself with these trivial matters.

Only when Qin Shi returned to Lan Chi at night, in the cool night air, looking at the bright moon in the sky, he couldn't help but sigh softly again:
"I was so busy this year that I missed the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Ji Heng looked up slightly. The moon in the sky was not full, and it was covered with a layer of hazy mist. The candles around him flickered, but the queen's beauty was more captivating than the moon.

What kind of festival is the Mid-Autumn Festival?

Qin Shi turned around and smiled slightly at him, saying, "It's called Mid-Autumn Festival, a festival for family reunion."

The evolution of the Mid-Autumn Festival is a long and distant process, but under such a moonlit sky, Qin Shi did not intend to delve into this history.

Therefore, he simply said, "Because even if you are three thousand miles away from your old home, the moon you see when you look up is still the same one."

"Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival, on the fifteenth of August, is a time for family reunions under a full moon."

Ji Heng withdrew his gaze.

"The full moon on the fifteenth of each month is the phase of the moon. If the Queen is homesick, I will come to accompany her to admire the moon on the fifteenth of next month."

His voice was steady, clearly showing no particular affection for this unfamiliar holiday.

Qin Shi laughed. Even though they were walking together by the Orchid Pond, she couldn't help but take his arm again and interlock their fingers. Her voice was soft and gentle, like the ethereal moonlight.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty is so kind to me, yet your words are so stiff... Next time, Your Majesty could say: 'Because I saw that the Queen loves the moon, I specially put aside my official duties to come and keep her company'..."

Ji Heng's arm was now linked with his, so one side of his body was no longer tense, but he still frowned upon hearing this:
"I specially postponed my official duties to accompany you... There's no need for that."

"On the fifteenth of each month, get up an hour earlier and finish the day's official duties ahead of schedule."

Qin Shi looked at his serious profile, which possessed a mysterious and captivating charm even in the hazy moonlight. Coupled with his methodical words, she finally couldn't help but laugh:
"Yes! Thank you for your hard work, Your Majesty."

Ji Heng glanced at her and felt that the other party was not sincerely thanking her.

But thinking about the Queen's recent days, working with him every night to handle official business, she must have been exhausted. In the mornings, she was so weak and listless that she couldn't get out of bed.

Therefore, he didn't say anything more.

However, this rare opportunity to relax by taking a walk would be a waste of time if it were just a monotonous stroll.

He then asked, "The Queen has not yet summoned her private soldiers. What concerns does she have?"

Of the five private armies, one went to Bohai Commandery, while the other four remained in Xianyang City awaiting orders.

They were all loyal to the Qin Dynasty, but if the Queen wanted to govern them, she had to meet with them in person; otherwise, she couldn't command them as easily as she would her own limbs.

Qin Shi was also somewhat troubled: "I have never been involved in military affairs, so I don't know how to win their hearts and minds."

"Your Majesty, if I were to slightly modify the configuration of these five private armies, adding or subtracting one or two dozen men, and offering them different treatment... would that disturb the morale of the other Qin soldiers?"

Ji Heng frowned slightly.

According to the Queen, this does not refer to slightly increasing or decreasing staffing; it clearly indicates a desire to reform the system.

This was naturally disadvantageous for the overall coordination and planning of the Qin army, but...

Would Ji Heng possibly be afraid of 10,000 people?
At this moment, his voice was calm, and his expression was resolute:
"Since they are the Queen's private army, everything is naturally decided by the Queen."

The Xianyang Palace had a loyal general, and the city of Xianyang was filled with Qin soldiers who were sworn to follow Qin to the death.

After that, soldiers throughout the Qin state and the entire country obeyed the king's commands.

In this unified country, his existence meant he was the supreme king.

Qin Shi was overjoyed: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

To be honest, she has already made arrangements for these private soldiers. The only thing she's a little nervous about right now is money.

However, because Ji Heng had given them enough rewards before, they were still able to sustain themselves.

Now, she simply pressed her forehead gently against Ji Heng's chest, her voice muffled:

"It's wonderful to be the king's queen."

3000 words... not much, but readable!