Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 241, Section 240: Yan Cong Returns to the City
If Princess Wen were here, she would immediately realize:
The Queen's words were remarkably similar to the questions Ji Heng had asked her at Zhangtai Palace.

Unfortunately, the person currently residing in Ganquan Palace is Prince Qian.

He was thoughtful at first, then suddenly realized what was happening, and then jumped for joy:
“That’s even more reassuring. My mother prays in the palace every day; she has already asked Heaven for help! If we ask the Queen again, I think my sister will definitely get the job she wants.”

Qin Shi sighed silently: Indeed, great emperors are all prone to having a son who is not worthy of them.

The First Emperor was like this, Emperor Gaozu of Han was like this. And now, Ji Heng is like this too.

Prince Qian's questions were answered, and upon leaving Ganquan Palace, he immediately went to find Princess Wen.

The other party is not only intelligent, but also diligent in his studies. Even as the New Year approaches, he is still engrossed in his books.

Wang Ziqian felt his head buzzing as soon as he saw it, and quickly stepped forward to interrupt the top student's spellcasting:

"Sister! I just asked the Queen for you, and she said: If you want a job, you should ask her!"

The half-scroll of bamboo slips in Princess Wen's hand suddenly slipped out with a clatter.

Her eyebrows furrowed in anger:

"You asked for me? How did you ask? Did the Queen tell me to go and beg her?"

The prince paused for a moment: This question doesn't feel quite right.

But it didn't seem wrong. So he nodded: "Just ask directly, the Queen doesn't like beating around the bush."

Princess Wen was immediately enraged: "Although she is the Queen, I am also the Grand Princess of Qin! How can I have to beg her so humbly for something I do?!"

Prince Qian frowned immediately: "Sister, you already said she is the Queen."

"The Queen commands the six palaces and has a private army. The King has granted her special permission to appoint and dismiss officials—if you want a job, you'll naturally have to ask for one."

"Even if my mother wanted a job, she would have to beg for it."

He spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, but Princess Wen suddenly stammered.

She pondered the sentence again, and looking into Wang Ziqian's clear, bright eyes, she sighed with emotion.
"Next time I need something, I will ask myself. Please don't pass on the message."

At first glance, she thought the queen was deliberately humiliating her since she had just assumed power.

But should we really ask for that job?

She immediately became conflicted again.

But if she were to make a request—her father had once reprimanded her at Zhangtai Palace for not daring to fight for what she wanted, so if she were to make a request, she should ask her father!

She proudly raised her head and looked at Wang Ziqian: "Thank you for keeping me in your heart—it's been over a month, haven't you memorized Han Feizi yet?"

Prince Qian: ...

How could my elder sister repay kindness with enmity?!
……

Qin Shi didn't pay attention to the children's thoughts; she was too busy and had almost no free time.

Ordinary families prepare for the New Year several days in advance, let alone the Queen. While she doesn't need to worry about preparing for the New Year's Day court ceremony, the affairs of the six palaces—

Harem regulations, child care, work summaries, employee arrangements, holiday rewards, project feedback...

The details of the rituals and paths she, as queen, had to follow during the grand ceremonies of worshipping heaven and ancestors were explained to her by someone invited by the Imperial Clan Court.

Even the Grand Astrologer, despite his busy schedule, sent someone to inform her of the auspicious time, emphasizing that New Year's Day must not be missed.

The great affairs of the country lie in sacrifice and military affairs.

It would be truly unacceptable for something to go wrong during the sacrificial ceremony, so she gritted her teeth and rehearsed it once or twice before she finally felt at ease.

Then he thought about how he only had so many people at his disposal, and they were already so busy that they couldn't keep up. Ji Heng personally handled everything, and there were so many government affairs, big and small. He didn't know how he managed to squeeze out so much energy.

One can only sigh: those who conquer the world are all truly full of energy!

Amidst the hustle and bustle, the woman brought over a stack of cakes:

"Your Majesty, the palace chefs have prepared six baskets of cakes as instructed. We would like to invite Your Majesty to taste and evaluate them."

As Wu Zi was tidying up the bamboo slips, she smiled and said, "Just by smelling this enticing aroma, I know that the recipe given by the Queen must be extremely delicious."

Qin Shi looked up and was taken aback:
The first day of the tenth lunar month is the New Year's Day court ceremony, which is also Ji Heng's birthday.

She has done her best to make the contributions she deserves and to give what she should give; now she should fulfill her duties as a wife.

For example, personally ordering a birthday cake that suits local customs.

Since there was no white sugar, this cake was made with ground brown sugar. Its color wasn't as pale and creamy as later cakes; instead, it was slightly deeper.

However, it is lightweight and soft to the touch, so it is obviously well made.

Qin Shi took a bite—it wasn't as fluffy as a cake base, but it was similar to a regular sponge cake. It was soft, fragrant, and even had a unique caramelized flavor.

This is probably the limit of what the palace chef can do.

The palace chefs at Ganquan Palace were transferred directly from Lanchi Palace. They learned many new dishes under the Queen's command and are very good at applying what they've learned to other dishes and are obedient.

Now that we've heard about new types of pastries, we've been working on them diligently for over a month, and finally, just before the New Year, we've produced our results.

But judging solely by taste, the wait was clearly worthwhile.

There is no low-gluten flour available now, so we would like to use high-gluten flour mixed with appropriate starch as a substitute, but we do not have corn, cassava, or sweet potato starch at the moment.

Therefore, the chef had to grind the selected wheat flour again and sift it carefully. The fact that it has this softness now is clearly due to a great deal of effort.

The six portions that were delivered differed only in baking temperature, time, sweetness, and minor flavor adjustments. Qin Shi tasted each one carefully and found them all quite good.

But in the end, I still ordered the slightly lighter one:
"Is the brown sugar whipped cream ready? Choose this as the base, top with whipped cream, garnish with gold leaf pearls, and decorate with fresh flowers—"

There's no need to add any filling. Fruits are scarce in winter, and people don't have many delicious sweets to eat. The cake base alone is enough to win everyone over.

Ji Heng actually liked sweets, but he had suffered a lot under the Queen of Chu when he was young, so he was quite restrained in his diet.

Even though he has a sweet tooth, he rarely indulges in sweets, and his daily diet rarely shows any particular preference.

Nowadays, the cake base is chosen to be light, but the brown sugar whipped cream on top is sweet and caramelized, neither too sweet nor too cloying, and it tastes refreshing and soft.

Decorate it like this, and then serve it with some other desserts—

She briefly decided on a few desserts in her mind, gave instructions to the palace chefs, and then slowly went to a thick piece of reconstructed paper standing tall in the hall. She dipped her brush in ink and heavily crossed out the words "Birthday cake and dessert preparation".

Looking at the dense list of crossed-out and uncrossed-out to-do items now, I feel that the task I just completed was quite stress-relieving.

The next moment, a eunuch came to report:
"Lord Yan Cong, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, has returned from Bohai County and requests to report to the Queen."

"Furthermore, Lord Yan has brought with him Mr. Wen Xun, a distinguished disciple of Xunzi, and we request an audience with him."

"May I ask Your Majesty if we would like to arrange another time?"

This so-called "disciple of Xunzi," Wen Xun, is someone I've never heard of in the Qin Dynasty. Weren't Li Si and Han Fei the notorious disciples of Xunzi?

Now that Li Si is gone, and Prime Minister Wang Fu is no longer like him, then what about this new Mr. Wen Xun of the Qin state...?

Qin Shi paused for a moment, then said without hesitation, "Quickly, invite him in!" He paused again, then added, "Please also invite the Minister of Agriculture to come and see me. I have important matters to discuss with you."

……

Yan Cong, with his carriages and supplies, headed towards Xianyang City. His speed was slow, but fortunately, it was not yet winter. He traveled day and night on the straight road and was finally able to report back to the Queen before the New Year.

The city of Xianyang was already bitterly cold at the end of September, but along the imperial road, a steady stream of villagers were pushing wheelbarrows.

Although they were dressed in thin clothes, the black coal dust from the cart was blown up by the wind through the gaps in the straw mats and splashed onto their faces, but their faces, though blackened, were full of excitement.

There were also strong men and women from the same clan and village who couldn't afford horses, and they were reluctant to use their important livestock like cattle too much in the winter. Now they gathered together, each pushing a small cart...

As the New Year approaches, pedestrians line both sides of the main road in an endless stream, and officials from all over the country who are planning to pay homage to the emperor are also arriving in droves.

The entire city of Xianyang became increasingly lively.

Yan Cong stared intently at the scene, and couldn't help but recall what he had seen on the way back to Pinyang with the Queen when they escorted the coffin.

At that time, the only people along the way were laborers, who were forcibly conscripted during the farming season, and each of them had a sorrowful face. Some wore straw sandals, some were barefoot, their clothes were tattered, and their faces were sallow from hunger.

He was momentarily stunned.

But then an old man beside him asked curiously, "Didn't they just conscript laborers in August? I heard it was for building palaces in Shanglin Garden, expanding Xianyang Palace, and constructing the Lishan Underground Palace, etc..."

Yan Cong came to his senses: "That is indeed the case. However, the Queen is kind and persuaded Your Majesty, so the expansion of Xianyang Palace and the construction of Shanglin Garden Palace have been suspended."

“The laborers from those two places returned home in three to five days.”

"Only the trip to the Lishan Underground Palace will be a little later; I won't be back until the beginning of the month."

The old man looked even more curious: "The Queen strongly urged you, and the King was willing to stop?"

Yan Cong glanced at him.

This old man was named Wen Xun, a disciple of Xunzi and a renowned scholar from Shangdang County.

Now, he and a dozen students encountered Yan Cong on the road and asked for a ride—Yan Cong would never have agreed if he didn't have such a reputation.

However, knowing that the Queen was eager to find talented people and was only bringing along some scholars, and that the Queen would also have five hundred private soldiers to escort him on this trip, he agreed.

Seeing that the old man was asking the question sincerely, and it did not seem like mockery, he replied seriously, "His Majesty has always been reasonable. The Queen's words are reasonable, and he is naturally willing to accept advice."

"However, people spread rumors that the king is arbitrary, tyrannical and cruel."

King Goujian of Yue killed Wen Zhong, and King Fuchai of Wu killed Wu Zixu.

There are many heartless rulers here, but the king has never doubted the Yan family, even though they all hold military power.

Therefore, when he said these words, he was full of youthful vigor, sincerity, and unwavering certainty.

Wen Xun was taken aback, and for a moment his opinion of this Qin King, whom he had never met before, changed.

The disciples behind her said, "This queen is indeed concerned about the world and deserves the position of queen."

"Yes, we've seen many poor families along the way. Even if they work, they can only earn a bushel of coal dust..."

With their financial resources, while they might not have a mild winter, they can at least ensure that fewer people freeze to death or catch a cold.

If you also have hot water to drink every day, and are willing to add some, your frostbitten legs and feet will probably feel much better.

This act saved countless lives and can be considered a great act of kindness.

Yan Cong listened quietly, a surge of ambition rising within him.

The king rules over all people, and the queen cares for the world.

And in this prosperous and unified era, the monarch treated him with sincerity, and although he was young, he wanted to repay him with all his might!

Looking back at the long line of supply wagons behind him, Yan Xiaolang took a deep breath. The biting cold air entered his lungs from his throat, clearing his feverish mind.

On the carriage beside him, Wen Xun looked at the villagers coming and going on the road, and then at the officials arriving with their carriages full of supplies to pay homage. He sighed silently again.

He turned and asked, "Before meeting the King, I would like to request an audience with the Queen. Would you be willing to introduce me, sir?"

Yan Cong would naturally not refuse such a renowned scholar: "I was in a hurry to return to the palace to report, and I am afraid that I have not been polite enough to you, sir. Please forgive me."

Wen Xun smiled and said, "I am just a humble countryman, dressed in coarse cloth and hemp. I am already extremely grateful for your kind introduction and for taking care of me along the way."

……

In this vast Xianyang Palace, all the travelers were in a hurry.

This year, the Qin state established a new queen and also had divine soldiers who thwarted previous ominous omens such as the presence of Mars guarding the constellation and the falling star in Dongjun.

Now that things have turned around and everything is going smoothly, the court is in a state of harmony and prosperity, so the grand ceremony for paying homage to the emperor must be held even more solemnly.

Yan Cong was hurriedly led into Ganquan Palace, but Wen Xun was quite tactful: "I am just a commoner, there is no need to delay Lord Yan and the Queen from reporting back. You can just wait in the side hall."

"No need."

Yan Cong shook his head and looked at Wen Xun: "Mr. Wen, you will know once you meet the Queen that she is not a person who is demanding in terms of etiquette, and she is eager to find talented people. If you are truly talented, you will surely be given an important position this time."

He was still young, and very proud of the Queen. Even Wen Xun, who had found Yan Cong exceptionally reliable throughout the journey, couldn't help but chuckle at his words.

Is he truly talented?

Wasn't he already talented enough to have a modest reputation, which is why Yan Xiaolang was willing to recommend him?
It seems that this queen's criteria for judging talent are not the same as those of ordinary people.

The two entered the hall together, where they saw a woman as beautiful as the full moon, dressed in a light brown plain dress, wearing only a short hairpin with a black bird holding a pearl and perched on a green pine. At this moment, there were several bamboo slips and silk books on the table in front of her...

Wen Xun was taken aback, thinking to himself that such simplicity and plainness were quite different from the magnificent Xianyang Palace and the warm, fragrant palace room.

But there were no charcoal braziers or bronze pillars inside the hall, so why was it warm and peaceful?

One wonders how much those in power spend to enjoy themselves in the short term.

And then there are the glazed mother-of-pearl windows inlaid with white jade that can be seen everywhere in this bright hall; how wasteful was the hard-earned money of the people that was used to create them...

His heart sank, and little of his previous faint hope remained.

But the queen, who was on a higher rank, looked up and saw Yan Cong, and couldn't help but smile:
"Young Master Yan is back! Come closer and let me see..."

Her expression was affectionate, as if she were looking at her own son, and even her sighs were particularly genuine: "It's clear that the sea winds of Bohai County are so fierce that even our Lord Yan has become rough from them."

Yan Cong blushed slightly: "Your Majesty, I..."

He wanted to report back quickly and then carefully introduce Wen Xun to recruit talent for the Queen.

But then the Queen said, “Wait a moment—this must be Mr. Wen? If it’s alright, please wait a moment with me. I have some matters to discuss with the Minister of Agriculture.”

　Here it comes! A whole bunch of words!!! Aren't you happy? Haha!

　　I made a mistake in my research before; the Grand Minister of Agriculture was a figure from the Han Dynasty—a fictional one. Let's just leave it at that. Now, many records for the Qin Dynasty are unavailable; you need to look up records from both the Qin and Han periods. [Making excuses to forgive myself.]

　　(End of this chapter)