Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 260, Page 259: The Prince Presents a Treasure
Although Ji Heng was not particularly looking forward to it, all the officials and ministers were watching him closely.

Is it possible that the eldest prince has reached the age where he has suddenly become enlightened?

Ah, although the king has already ascended the throne at his current age, in this world, the king is the king, and everyone else is everyone else.

It is common for a son to be unfilial to his father.

Most importantly, the king has only one strong prince among his children!

Prince Qian felt the subtle gazes directed at him, and his spirits lifted considerably.

He proclaimed loudly, "Your Majesty, the treasure I present is called the Signal Mirror."

"Short-distance communications within the military can be transmitted quickly without the need for smoke signals, which is very convenient."

Zhou Ju was already holding the box and bowing as he presented it.

Ji Heng opened it and saw a palm-sized, polished bronze mirror.

The bronze mirror has a small hole in the center to facilitate accurate projection and aiming of light. Because bronze mirrors are particularly susceptible to scratches, a thin layer of glass is applied over them to ensure easy carrying.

Ji Heng held it in his hand and turned it slightly. The light from the entire hall reflected off it, and he could see the dazzling brilliance sweeping past his eyes.

If the goal is to transmit messages covertly and quickly over short distances, this is certainly feasible. But if we're talking about novelty...

At most, the glass is durable and makes it easy to carry, but that's about it.

But he still nodded in the end:

"good."

"My son has grown a lot."

Prince Qian couldn't help but feel smug.

Princess Wen sat quietly to the side, her fingers gripping her clothes so tightly they were about to become tangled.

If this matter were entrusted to her, she would surely do it better than Prince Qian, and the presentation of the treasure would be even more thorough.

Unfortunately, the queen didn't give him this opportunity, and now he can only watch his silly brother enjoy the limelight.

Ugh, I'm so annoyed.

Riding the tiger, he sat there peacefully.

Although he was young, he was quite shrewd, and seeing his elder brother receive praise, he felt quite envious.

But now his mother is busy with her own affairs and has no time for anything else; he only has servants, teachers, and doctors by his side. Now, instead of listening to self-pity and self-deprecation, he is much more absorbed in his thoughts.

So he took a deep breath and comforted himself: he already felt much stronger, and over time, he might be able to move around like a normal person.

At that time, with his talent and intelligence, he will have the opportunity to share his father's burdens.

Thinking of this, the pent-up frustration in his chest slowly dissipated, and he exhaled with a long sigh.

Qin Shi, not wanting to leave her words unsaid, adopted a more maternal tone and asked with a smile, "In that case, would Your Majesty like to bestow any treasure upon the prince?"

What treasure?
Ji Heng glanced at the steps below and thought to himself, if supervising the entire process according to the Queen's orders is considered a merit, then wouldn't all the servants in the palace who work for him be richly rewarded?
Therefore, he said in a lukewarm tone, "Since he has done such a good deed, let's reward him with a bushel of snow salt."

Qin Shi: ...

Oh dear! From another perspective, she, the queen who owns the glass workshop, and the eldest prince who only has a bushel of salt...

The struggle for power has always depended on the emperor's favor!

But look at the surprise on Prince Qian's face—

That's it!

Even eight-year-old Chenghu knows that his elder brother is not a competitor. Fools are happier, so let's just leave it at that!
Prince Qian's joy was absolutely genuine.

That was the finest refined salt I saw earlier, as white as jade and as smooth as snow!
Prince Qian was overjoyed: "Thank you, Father!"

Although it felt a little strange that there was nothing else besides this, it was something that no one else in the entire city of Xianyang could possess, and that only he could have it. Wasn't this another kind of supreme honor? He was very satisfied and left happily, even smiling at Cheng Hu and puffing out his chest.

Seeing this, Ji Heng could only quickly drink another sip of tea to calm his mind.

Looking at the assembled officials and the bustling hall, a sense of desolation and loneliness arose from the feeling that there was no one to carry on the legacy.

Fortunately, the music started again, and some strong soldiers went on stage to perform wrestling, which amused the king.

Behind them, a variety of acrobatic troupes are also on standby, offering a wide array of acts that are both dazzling and relaxing.

At this moment, seeing that the Grand Astrologer had been watching the auspicious hour closely, the Prime Minister Wang Fu rose from his robes and offered birthday greetings to the King in the hall:

"May Your Majesty live a long and prosperous life!"

"Your Majesty ascended the throne at a young age, pacified the six kingdoms, and your achievements are outstanding and will be recorded in history for a thousand years."

"Your Majesty, I only wish you good health and a peaceful and prosperous life..."

With him taking the lead, all the officials rose to their feet in response.

Although Wang Xueyuan wanted to wish the King a son soon, he didn't want to cause trouble for the King or himself on such a fine day, so he held back.

He followed Gong Zhusheng, the head of all officials, and led the courtiers in bowing once again.

Ji Heng's brows relaxed, and a hint of joy indeed appeared in his expression.

Although he was already thirty-seven and had no heir, he was now in a good time and stopped thinking about it. He simply raised his wine cup and drank with his ministers.

Qin Shi glanced at Chi Nu, who nodded slightly, and then a servant brought over another cake.

The cake wasn't made very big because Qin Shi wasn't sure if cutting a birthday cake at this time would have any bad connotations, so it was only five inches long.

This was something she had instructed the palace chefs to study carefully for quite some time; its appearance had already been examined multiple times beforehand.

Although a cake base made with brown sugar and egg whites and cream may not be perfectly white, when topped with pearls, gold leaf, and various colored frostings, it still possesses a delicate and exquisite beauty.

Now that it has been presented, it has indeed attracted Ji Heng's attention.

Qin Shi said in a low voice, "It is Your Majesty's birthday, and I also wish you well."

"Now, I make this cake myself, from its shape and size to the pearl and gold leaf decorations."

Of course, she deliberately omitted details like whipping cream and baking cake bases.

In short, she placed the pearls herself, as did the gold leaf!

The Queen had already presented enough, so Ji Heng's expression softened: "Your Majesty need not go to such trouble..."

But then the Queen smiled at him again: "I have heard that when a woman's husband earns money outside, he will wait until he returns home and hand it over to the woman in the house to plan and use it."

“Now that the national treasury and private treasury are both empty, Your Majesty still bestowed the glass workshop upon me. Your Majesty’s thoughtfulness and affection make me very happy.”

"In that case, I also feel sorry for Your Majesty, so I will humbly use this cake recipe to supplement Your Majesty's allowance for rewarding the palace servants."

She blinked: "I know that the Prince has people in the Imperial Household Department who personally manage the business of the shops. If they open shops in Xianyang City, or sell them to wealthy merchants and nobles, the value they get will definitely be considerable."

Her eyes were bright and lively, subtly revealing a cunning glint in them:

"But if Your Majesty earns money, please give the Queen more pearls, hairpins, jade and silk."

Ji Heng was stunned.

Although the entire Qin state belonged to him, he didn't care much for such romantic feelings. Even when the queen compared him to a commoner couple, he could only laugh it off.

However, the Queen's words still touched him deeply as he sighed over his children's thoughts.

Zhou Ju, standing to the side, quietly lowered his eyes, then subtly glanced at those still enjoying the acrobatic performances (such as Lady Zheng), or those in the King and Queen's harem, and a secret sigh arose within him:
You are not favored, and you cannot blame the king for it!

　Hey everyone! Have a great holiday! The New Year's Day celebration storyline is finally finished!
　　A new volume will begin tomorrow.

　　(End of this chapter)