Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 231, Section 230: Danpu's Martial Arts Demonstration
Ugly boy withdrew with a heart full of gratitude.

Qin Shi looked at the persimmons on the plate and instructed, "Select the best persimmons and send one dou to Zhangtai Palace. The rest can be distributed to the other palaces during the New Year."

"Don't forget the princes and princesses too."

Wu Zi lowered her head: "Your Majesty, please rest assured. This servant will arrange a small amount for each palace first. The rest of the persimmon cakes will be distributed after they have been verified outside the palace."

Since the Yan family generals brought Chou'er to Xianyang, they naturally hoped that the Queen would still remember them. All of her 40-odd bushels of persimmon cakes were on the supply wagon.

Now, the fruits of the ugly son and his widowed mother's tireless work day and night have been exchanged for an exquisite letter from the Queen.

With this decree in place, one can collect millet from the Yan family every month.

As for the more than 3,000 Qin Banliang coins obtained from the forty dou of persimmon cakes, because they were heavy and difficult to hide, Qin Shi decided to exchange most of them for salt, sugar, coarse grains, seeds, coal, cloth and many other daily necessities.

It was distributed monthly along with millet.

The ugly boy was therefore deeply grateful.

The woman standing nearby asked, "I see that the Queen greatly favors this girl named Chou'er. Why not summon her to Ganquan Palace? For a poor girl, being able to enter the palace as a servant is a good thing."

That's exactly what she is.

Qin Shi slowly shook his head: "I observe that although this girl is young, she is bold, resilient, and quite decisive. I imagine that her widowed mother is gentle and weak, and she makes the decisions in everything."

“If she is summoned to the palace, the widowed mother will live alone. If she remarries, that will be fine. But if she does not remarry, it will be difficult for her to manage the household and grow millet and farm.”

The woman thought of her mother, widowed sister-in-law, and nephew at home, and at this moment she also fell silent.

In fact, she had been in the palace for so long that she could no longer remember what her family members looked like.

Therefore, she smiled and said, "Then, I will send someone to tell Chou'er later that the Queen will conduct an examination at the beginning of next year and summon all those with ambition from all over the world to come and learn."

"I wonder if that's okay?"

If this girl named Chou'er is truly ambitious, she will take care of her mother during this time and then strive again.

After all, the Queen's favor couldn't sustain them for a lifetime.

For people at the bottom of society, a single arbitrary action by a minor official could extinguish a family's hopes.

Qin Shi laughed: "The effect of buying horse bones with a thousand pieces of gold is exactly what she needs to spread back to Pinyang—your message is exactly what I wanted."

Listening to the Queen won't hurt you.

Only by spreading this idea can we truly save her trouble.

……

Meanwhile, in Xianyang, the Yan family generals and their men were discussing their return journey when Chou'er once again took stock of the gifts bestowed upon him by the Queen, and, still not entirely at ease, went to the carriage to examine them again and again.

The accompanying servant laughed and said, "Ugly boy, there's no need to look anymore! This is a gift from the Queen. Our old lady will ask about it when we return to Pinyang. No one will lose it."

Ugly smiled, pursing his lips.

She was still not good-looking, not even pretty. She had single eyelids and her eyes weren't very big, but her bright and cheerful expression made a lasting impression on everyone who saw her.

He then said, "My lords, I'm not afraid of losing anything, but I want to check how much stuff is inside so I can take it back to Pinyang and exchange it with my neighbors."

The head retainer stopped joking with his colleagues and asked curiously, "This was bestowed by the Queen. Surely your family needs it too? Why did you exchange it with your neighbor?"

He had a thick beard and was quite strong. At that moment, he glared at his fierce eyes and asked, "Does your neighbor often come to your house to steal and rob?"

Ugly shook his head: "The Queen's gift is too good. Even if I keep it, I wouldn't be willing to use it."

Even if Qin Shi had given the order, there was clearly nothing of lower quality in her private treasury.

Only the salt, sugar, and grains were specially selected for the palace servants.

Even so, it's already good enough.

Ugly boy only glanced at the reward twice, but his heart was already pounding.

Such a fine thing, though it could be kept at the Yan residence and collected monthly, made me think of the Queen's warm smile and the nameless ambition in my heart…

She pressed her pounding chest and whispered, "I want to trade more persimmons with my neighbors."

The Queen taught everyone how to make persimmon cakes. Some people still made dried persimmon slices, while others did not believe the nobles' words. Some thought it would just take more effort, so they made persimmon cakes again.

These are the families she wants to exchange with.

Since the Queen has bought these persimmon cakes and returned to Pinyang, wealthy and noble people will follow suit and buy them, which will surely raise the price even further.

She took the opportunity to exchange for more food before she felt at ease.

The guard's expression was somewhat complicated:
“But if you live with your widowed mother and use these things to trade with your neighbors for persimmons, people will say you are taking advantage of them.”

Ugly shook his head: "The Queen's things are also very good. Trading them with them will make their families proud. Besides, even if they want me to take advantage, I'm not afraid..."

"I think……"

She hesitated, but what she said was unusually bold:
"My lord, if I send all these persimmon cakes to the Yan family as tuition, would the old lady be willing to hire a literate tutor for me? I, I..."

She gritted her teeth:

"I want to be like the Chief Secretary."

The guards fell silent.

Then the soldiers looked at her with strange expressions. Before they could agree, someone outside relayed a message:
"...At the beginning of next year, the Queen will conduct an examination at Xianyang Palace, summoning talented individuals from all over the land... If you are not selected at first, do not be discouraged. Just continue studying, and if you are selected again, you will still have the opportunity to become an official..."

A sudden light shone in Chou'er's eyes.

The guards listened in stunned silence to the message this man had specifically conveyed, then looked at Ugly Girl, and finally couldn't help but pat her frail shoulder with their large hands:

"Good girl, the Queen appreciates you! She specifically told you this!"

"You've got your chance!"

In that case, when they return to the Yan residence, they should report everything in detail and try to give this ugly child another chance.

Another retainer sighed, "With a character as remarkable as yours, if you were a boy, I wouldn't hesitate to pass on my family's land to you without a second thought..."

Then he asked, "Did your mother teach you to do this? I heard she hasn't remarried yet. Ugly boy, what kind of father do you want to find?"

Ugly boy fell silent.

She wanted to be a woman like the Chief Secretary, but if she left, how could her mother, with her gentle and obedient nature, support the family alone?
She couldn't even pull the plow anymore...

She bit her lip: "I want a strong, upright man as my father, someone so strong that my mother won't have to farm anymore..."

……

Ji Heng didn't care about the insignificant people in Ganquan Palace.

He was currently at Zhangtai Palace, discussing the final details of the "Great Qin Code" with his officials.

The important articles that he originally planned to promulgate early next year, which would also mark the beginning of his ascension to the throne, have now suddenly become hesitant.

"I have been ordained by Heaven and should rightfully become the Emperor. However, next year, I intend to take the Queen to Mount Tai to perform the Fengshan ceremony. What do you gentlemen think is the right time to declare myself Emperor?"

Prime Minister Wang Fu's brow twitched, and he almost blurted out:

Your Majesty, this is a matter of great importance. You can do it whenever you wish. Why ask us what we are doing?
Why don't you have the Grand Astrologer perform a divination?

But he was always unmoved by anything, and after only a moment's thought, a younger censor replied:

"Your Majesty, I believe that it is the right time to change the era name and proclaim yourself emperor in the new year."

"Your Majesty has already subdued the four seas and unified the world. Now, in order to finalize the details, the [Great Qin Code] has been delayed for a long time... Why wait another half a year?"

The Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai would take place in March or April, and by the time the journey was over and they returned to Xianyang, it would already be June. Such a grand event for the Qin state was naturally best accomplished as quickly as possible.

Ji Heng was still undecided, and at this moment asked, "What does the Prime Minister have to say?"

Wang Fu remained calm and composed.

He didn't know what time the king preferred, but he knew that if the other party had already made a decision, there was no need to ask for their opinion.

Now that it's no longer mentioned that the Imperial Censor will speak after the Fengshan ceremony, and he hasn't made a decision immediately.

that--

"I believe that during the Fengshan ceremony, we should respectfully inform Heaven, Earth, and our ancestors before issuing the decree to the common people."

"Oh?" Ji Heng raised an eyebrow.

Wang Xueyuan sat quietly on the table, looking at the cunning old Deng in front of her, and couldn't help but snort coldly in her heart.

Using him as a stepping stone seems far too obvious, doesn't it?

Wang Fu, still displaying his easygoing nature of "following the king's lead," smiled and said, "Your Majesty's harem has been empty for many years. Now that a queen has been appointed, and this old minister has heard that the queen has many plans for the country."

"If that's the case, why rush things? Why not take the Queen to Mount Tai for the Fengshan ceremony, and then, in conjunction with the Queen's many benevolent deeds, promote this [Great Qin Code] throughout the world? This way, things will fall into place naturally, and it will truly reflect Your Majesty's power and virtue."

"To declare oneself emperor and reform the system atop Mount Tai—wouldn't that be awe-inspiring?"

Wang Xueyuan's brow twitched.

Even Zhou Ju secretly thought to himself: The Prime Minister is indeed someone who is always vying for credit with him.

These few words have struck a chord with the king.

After all, standing atop Mount Tai, hearing people shout "Long live the Emperor!" and reverently proclaiming to Heaven that one should be called Emperor... who could resist such glory and temptation?
Given the king's character, there is absolutely no way he would agree to this.

As expected, Ji Heng hesitated only slightly before saying, "In that case, we shall do as the Prime Minister says."

With a queen in the palace and numerous matters to attend to during the New Year, it would be fitting to postpone the matter of ascending the throne for a while.

However, although he had his own reasons for choosing this time, he felt that it was just right to have Qin Shi listen.

Because of the current rush, the play that Lady Chu arranged to sing praises to the king has not yet been approved.

The pro-people policies that I had Mrs. Ba and the Ukrainian merchants promote have yet to gain widespread recognition.

Furthermore, with all sorts of novel things piling up, if you want to create momentum, you have to create something big.

She had other surprises for Ji Heng for the New Year.

such as--

"Reporting to the Queen, the Junior Attendant Xin requests an audience."

Qin Shi paused, his pen still.

Xin had been busy for many days, and even when Ganquan Palace was moved, he had not had a moment to show his face.

Given his considerate nature, he would never do such a thing unless it was truly a critical moment.

Now that he had come specifically to report this, Qin Shi was greatly encouraged.

"Xuan!"

Xin hurriedly entered the palace, and it was obvious to the naked eye that the little bit of flesh and blood he had grown when he was taken from the Ironworks to the Orchid Pond had thinned out again, and he was obviously much thinner.

Although he was thin, he was remarkably energetic, and even his voice became passionate:
"Your Majesty, I request that we meet at the martial arts training ground in Ganquan Palace."

That's right, there is also a martial arts training ground inside Ganquan Palace, but it's not as large as the one near Zhangtai Palace.

But Qin Shi, recalling the projects he had handled, already had a guess.

She stood up, looked at Xin, who stood confidently and proudly below, and smiled and nodded: "Granted."

Xin laughed, her tense body suddenly relaxing.

……

Meanwhile, at the Ganquan Palace training ground, the Taipusi Gonggong and Danpu, who had been waiting there, stood to the side, gently stroking the mane of their steeds while their hearts pounded wildly.

The Queen is coming. She will personally inspect their work later, and if it is satisfactory, it will obviously be presented to the King...

Everyone took a deep breath, and perhaps due to the tense atmosphere, even the horse seemed unaccustomed to it and stamped its hoof.

Danpu's heart tightened, and he quickly took out a wad of kudzu cloth from his bosom and carefully opened it, revealing a clump of loose brown sugar the size of a quail egg inside.

This was a small gift he received after helping the palace maids in various ways.

For him, it was already extremely precious.

So much so that now he only dares to taste it slightly with his tongue, and the sweetness is enough for him to savor in his dreams several times over.

But now, though he was very reluctant, he gritted his teeth and carefully picked up a pinch, placed it in his palm, and fed it to the horse.

The subtle sweetness was clearly quite appealing to the horse. It snorted and gradually quieted down.

Until someone announced from ahead, the Queen's figure gradually drew closer.

Danpu took a deep breath, and all the matters that the Grand Tutor had previously instructed him about came to mind.

He knew that if he had caught the Queen's attention last time, his first opportunity would have been to be promoted from the Dao Palace to the Chief Secretary's side.

Following Lord Xin was his second opportunity.

Now, it's time for the crucial moment to shine.

Qin Shi looked at the horse in the training ground, his gaze lingering for a moment on its reins, saddle, and stirrups before moving down to the metal on its hooves.

She smiled, knowing that Xin had worked hard even though she hadn't seen the results yet.

After all, they had to test and modify everything in such a short time, even readjusting and improving the saddle and bridle...

The Qin cavalry will no longer be limited to light cavalry!

Xin's palms were also covered in cold sweat.

But at this moment, his mind was unusually quiet.

He reached out his hand, directing the movements on the training ground.

Danpu's mind went completely blank.

Seeing his raised hand gesture, I cast aside all other thoughts, took a deep breath, and then carefully grasped the saddle, awkwardly stepping into the stirrups—

This was by no means the behavior of a skilled rider; it was rather clumsy and lacked any of the spiritedness one would expect from someone riding a fine horse.

He had spent many days following Lord Xin at the Imperial Stud, yet he had never personally learned to ride a horse, all so that the Queen could witness this moment—

Witness how new recruits quickly adapt to horseback riding!

This may involve risking one's life, but for him, it is an essential path to upward mobility.

Today, he will use his own body to show the Queen—

They did not fail the Queen's expectations!
　It's here! Wow, it's surpassed 50 words! That's amazing!
　　It's hard to imagine the hardships a woman endured farming alone during the agricultural era...

　　There's a real reason why the institution of marriage has lasted for thousands of years.

　　(End of this chapter)