Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 247 Chapter 246. Early morning of Yuan Day
Qin Shi liked Ji Heng's answer very much.

The sense of security that comes with such strong self-confidence is truly indescribable.

As if this were the natural course of events, she could calmly handle tomorrow's grand court ceremony.

Thinking of this, she leaned over to the side, her eyes like water: "The King is the best to me in the world."

Ji Heng's long eyes were bright and his hot hands gripped her waist through her silk dress, then he tightened his grip slightly: "The Queen was personally appointed by me, so it is only right that she be so."

……

At the turn of October, on the day of Xinmao in the new month.

On the first day of the year, the calendar is announced.

On New Year's Day, the entire Xianyang Palace was already in motion by the early hours of the morning. Maids applied makeup, eunuchs washed and dressed, guards stood tall, and followers filled the air, creating a great commotion.

Qin Shi and Ji Heng also got up at this time, and the four of them, including Chi Nu, Wu Zi, Yi Ming, and Fu Cai, also put on new clothes and entered the hall to pay their respects:

"Congratulations to the King and Queen!"

Then they quickly took their places, holding clothes, combing hair, serving shoes, cups, plates and bowls, and waiting for their formal attire.

Qin Shi should have been nervous, but getting up at 3 o'clock was too against human nature, so much so that even with the slightly cool water splashed on her face, her head was still a little dizzy.

He sat there expressionless, quietly watching Fu Cai carefully apply lipstick to himself with a brush.

Zhou Ju was carefully adjusting Ji Heng's belt, and when the other turned his head to look, he saw the Queen reflected in the clear bronze mirror. Her face was as white as jade, but her eyes were empty.

He couldn't help but relax his perpetually furrowed brow: the Queen was worried about making a mistake yesterday, and he was just about to instruct the Grand Historian to make some adjustments to the process.

But I didn't expect the other person to be in such a state now, which probably has nothing to do with nervousness.

After Zhou Ju finished adorning the king with the jade disc, he asked, "For today's sacrifice, which divine sword will be used?"

Previously, on New Year's Day, the King had always given away the Tai'a sword.

And now...

Ji Heng glanced indifferently at the long box beside him: "I will still wear the Tai'a sword and place the Taiwei Tianshi sword on the altar. After Dai Jingtian informs the gods, I will change it in front of everyone."

As for the auspicious time...

"Go and find the Grand Astrologer to arrange an auspicious time."

Outside Zhangtai Palace, the Grand Astrologer, who had been dragged up to calculate the time of day before dawn, sneezed violently.

Ugh.

He thought rather inappropriately that if he were tormented like this again on New Year's Day next year, his lifespan of one hundred years would probably be shortened by another half year!

Qin Shi also felt the same way!
How could a country's grand ceremony for paying homage start at 3 a.m.?

This kind of physical labor all day long doesn't even give people enough rest time.

Since it was still dark and the auspicious time had not yet arrived, it was not time to offer sacrifices to the ancestors and the heavens. Therefore, the first procedure was for the emperor and empress to go to Zhangtai Palace to receive the audience and congratulations from the officials.

Although Ji Heng planned to declare himself emperor after the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai, all the detailed rules of the "Great Qin Code" had already been discussed and finalized with the civil and military officials. Only the title remained unchanged; privately, countless officials had already begun practicing addressing him as "Your Majesty."

Now, she was dressed neatly in a brand-new red and black robe, attended by maids. A cool white jade pendant hung on her forehead, and a set of dignified, elegant, and extremely precious jade pendants adorned her chest.

Her waist was adorned with jade, glass, turquoise, and pearls; her shoes were embroidered with gold and inlaid with jewels; and she wore a black bird hairpin with a pearl in its beak, perfectly complementing Ji Heng's attire.

Natural fabrics are prone to wrinkling and difficult to care for. Although the clothes they wore were extremely luxurious, the two could no longer move freely once the formal attire was complete.

Qin Shi stood in front of the bronze mirror, looking at himself, and in a daze, he could no longer recall what she had been like in her previous life when she was young and beautiful.

In the mirror, behind the elegant and graceful Queen Qin, the tall and majestic mature emperor also stood quietly, their eyes meeting in the mirror.

Qin Shi smiled slightly, the pearl at his temple feeling cool against his skin.

She turned her head and extended her nail-painted hand to the other person.

"Your Majesty." She smiled and earnestly congratulated Ji Heng as he approached, "Congratulations on Your Majesty's birthday, and also on Your Majesty's unification of the world."

His birthday is on the first day of the tenth lunar month, and he will be completely unified on the fourth day of the tenth lunar month.

Ji Heng was slightly taken aback.

Given the queen's naive and youthful nature, he had just assumed she was about to turn to him with a smile and ask, "Your Majesty, do I look good in this outfit?"

Unexpectedly, it was such an unexpected congratulatory message.

Thinking of the other person's bewildered expression when they were getting ready, Ji Heng suddenly smiled:
"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Qin Shi was taken aback.

Ji Heng was not incapable of winning people's hearts. When he wanted to show consideration for others, he would sincerely say, "You've worked hard."

However, this is vastly different from the "thank you" that everyone can use as a catchphrase in later generations.

Now he looked delighted, his eyes sparkling, and he even earnestly said thank you...

Qin Shi's smile deepened, and he took his hand in his.

Zhou Ju led the way with a lantern to the side, while the eunuch beside him also let out a long shout:
"Departing from Zhangtai Palace—"

……

Outside the Zhangtai Palace, civil and military officials had been waiting quietly for some time.

According to their official ranks, those standing at the front were Wang Fu, the prime minister, and Wang Xueyuan, the censor-in-chief, two of the Three Dukes.

Secondly, there were the Court of Justice, the Imperial Clan Court, the Grand Historian, and the Minister of the Imperial Treasury, among others.

The other officials lagged behind...

The prefects and officials from various regions who came to offer their congratulations followed them, according to their official ranks.

Only at the very end of the procession, two middle-aged men and women, also dressed in brocade robes, were quietly following behind.

The officials from out of town who had come to offer their congratulations kept turning their heads, scrutinizing the two of them with strange eyes.

He wanted to ask questions, but he also wondered if the other party had some background to receive such an honor, so he was torn between asking or not asking, and his expression was very complicated.

Madam Ba and Wuyou stood there quietly, their bodies stiff.

In the chilly early morning, a light sweat was seeping from my forehead, and my hands and feet were stiff and numb; I didn't know if it was from the cold or from nervousness.

Looking at their newly made brocade robes, now worn in public, they felt as if they were naked, making them feel increasingly uncomfortable.

Merchant families not only rarely wear gold and jade ornaments, but they also cannot wear such silk and brocade garments.

Now that the Queen has personally chosen them, and it is a joyous occasion for the court, they are fortunate enough to wear these clothes, but they never expected to feel so uncomfortable.

The two exchanged a glance, their previous rivalry vanishing without a trace, and both felt a pang of regret.

Where there are policies, there are countermeasures. Although these merchants cannot wear fine clothes in public, they still wear them quite often for private banquets and entertaining guests at home. As long as the people don't complain and the officials don't investigate, they naturally don't wear them much.

But now that I've actually put it on, the feeling is so strange.

And the gold and jade hairpins on her head...

The two endured the act of stroking their heads, took a deep breath in the cold wind, and exhaled a white mist.

Seeing the official in front turn to look at them again, hesitant to speak, they realized that their status was different from these adults. They hesitated for a moment, their shrewd and worldly nature suppressing any attempt to strike up a conversation.

Thus, the two of them mentally organized the various data of the matters the Queen had instructed them to handle, and thinking about the honor of paying homage on New Year's Day, their brows quickly regained their bright and cheerful expressions.

　Here it comes! The practice of celebrating the New Year on the first day of the lunar calendar truly began in the Han Dynasty.

　　(End of this chapter)