Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 281, Section 280: The Queen's Appearance
Although this trip was a long journey, Qin Shi, as the queen of a kingdom, had access to far more resources than usual.

As a result, the travel plan went exceptionally smoothly, without any delays.

Starting directly south of Xianyang Palace, you'll find yourself on the north bank of the Wei River, right at the ancient Xianyang Ferry. The former king once built a bridge here to connect the north and south, with the bridge and ferry complementing each other…

It was here that Qin Shi witnessed the prosperity of the common people.

Against this bleak backdrop, where vibrant colors have yet to reach the common people, the Wei River ripples with clear water, the sun shines brightly, and pedestrians throng the streets, their voices mingling.

Although merchants were suppressed and had no status at this time, there were many people in the world who would take risks for a meal.

Therefore, even with heavy labor, a bustling market still formed near the dock at this time.

The riverbank docks were filled with countless boats of all sizes, including civilian vessels and warships.

The difference lies in the fact that the warships are tall and imposing, while the civilian boats are mostly old and worn, with the sampans in various shades of color, clearly having been patched and repaired many times.

On the tall ship, guards patrolled back and forth. When they saw the Queen's carriage, a horn sounded, and the soldiers immediately cleared a path around it.

The carriage rumbled forward, and Qin Shi, gazing at this remarkably vibrant transportation hub, sighed:
“The Wei River flows through the Yellow River, symbolizing the Milky Way; a bridge spans the river to the south, representing the Oxherd.”

"It really is that shocking."

This passage, whose date of composition is unknown, describes Hengqiao Bridge and uses the analogy of heaven and earth to correspond to Xianyang Palace and Hengqiao Bridge, which is enough to make people imagine the artistic peak of the craftsmen at that time.

Across the vast and boundless Wei River, such a magnificent bridge, seemingly in harmony with celestial phenomena, has been built—

How amazing.

Qin Shi sighed as he was ushered onto the ship.

……

This is the largest warship docked at Hengqiao Wharf, towering like a building. From a distance, it resembles a pavilion standing on the water.

Qin Shi was carefully escorted up the deck, to the second-floor dwelling, the third-floor flying dwelling... and finally to the sparrow room on the top floor.

An official was already waiting here. Upon seeing the Queen, he bowed and said:
"The soldiers of Shanglin Garden are now waiting on the deck. They will obey any orders given by the Queen."

This is a private army belonging exclusively to Qin Shi. Apart from the original garrisoned soldiers, the rest of the soldiers on the entire ship are her troops.

It's just for strategic reasons, and not just on this one ship.

But for the moment, she didn't rush to say anything, only asking one last question:
"Have all those people from Guanzhong who came all the way here boarded the ship yet?"

"Your Majesty, rest assured," Wu Zi, though somewhat impulsive in private, appeared remarkably composed and mature, her report meticulous in detail.
"When the Queen gave the order, messengers sent letters to their homeland. Those who set out from Guanzhong at this time are probably already waiting for their families in Su Su Village."

Qin Shi greatly admired the high efficiency of the present day.

Under Ji Heng's absolute pressure, everyone from top to bottom worked with zero shirking or delay. As a result, efficiency was exceptional in everything they did.

She nodded and said, "Let's set off first, and we can talk about anything else on the way."

The journey takes more than three hours, so there's plenty of time to get to know the soldiers and officers.

then.

The bugle sounded, the ship drums beat, and the Qin flag fluttered in the wind on the ship, while the surrounding civilian ships all moved aside.

Below deck, the oarsmen, unnoticed inside the cabin, began to row...

Amidst the continuous sound of horns, the enormous ship finally slowly anchored and set sail.

Along with it, two equally massive multi-story ships were also launched.

Although Ji Heng only ordered three warships to accompany him, these three warships were equipped with 12 fighting ships (medium-sized ships) and 66 small boats (small boats).

Now it flows mightily, surrounded by people on all sides.

As the bow turned towards the wide river surface, the imposing presence of the Qin Dynasty's shipmen stretched across the entire Wei River.

A biting river wind blew, and Qin Shi, gazing at the magnificent scene before him, couldn't help but feel a surge of pride and exhilaration. This was the Great Qin that Ji Heng had longed for.

……

Once everything was settled, Qin Shi began to summon his private soldiers.

She had five private armies, totaling ten thousand men. One of them followed Yan Cong to the Bohai Sea. Although the conditions there were harsh, the gains were considerable, and she grew increasingly close to Yan Cong...

If he continues to train like this, Yan Cong will eventually master these five captains.

Today, the one who came with them was Captain Lin.

There was no other reason than that his subordinates achieved the highest scores in the literacy class's assessment of "learning five characters every day," and they also excelled in combat training. As a result, they not only received gold, chickens, ducks, pigs, and sheep, but also precious brown sugar...

At this moment, Captain Lin felt a chill in the river wind, but his chest was warm.

Before the queen even arrived, he had already repeatedly given instructions to his soldiers:

"You are all fierce warriors trained during this period. As the Queen's private army, we probably won't have many opportunities to participate in battles. Therefore, we must perform well now that we are going out!"

Without war, there's no way to get promoted; without promotion, there's no way to acquire land and pay taxes; so the only option is to show off to your superiors.

He doesn't need to explain this further; everyone understands it.

Before long, curtains appeared on both sides of the deck, which did not obstruct the view in front, but slightly blocked the breeze blowing from both sides.

The heater was ready, and the chairs were comfortable.

The queen finally appeared before these lowly soldiers.

Everyone bowed their heads, but in that fleeting moment they caught a glimpse of the Queen's face and figure.

The Queen... is so beautiful!

Their faces were full oval, smooth and radiant, with a rosy glow, full of vitality. Their hair was thick and shiny black, and they were quite tall; some of the young men weren't even that tall…

It looks so good! Just by looking at it, you can tell the family eats very, very well. They probably eat a chicken or duck every day, and they probably drink a spoonful of that precious brown sugar every day too.

How blessed you are! No wonder you became queen!
Their Queen of Qin should be like this, exuding wealth and grandeur at first glance!

The thought flashed through everyone's minds, and they couldn't help but feel a longing: they wondered when they would be able to feed themselves like that.

Looking at these Qin soldiers who were still wearing hemp clothing and leather armor in the winter, with chapped cheeks and blackened knuckles, Qin Shi felt a pang of pity.

Even though these were the best of the best selected, and even though she had already provided them with meat and soup through various rewards over the past two months...

But looking at them now, apart from a few leaders who are somewhat robust, none of the rest can be described as having a healthy physique.

Thin, small, and rough.

Indeed, the mighty Qin army that conquered the six kingdoms was actually just a group of people from the lower classes who couldn't even get enough to eat.

The leader was a burly man, not someone who spent his days eating chickens and slaughtering ducks. To be a leader, one must first possess outstanding martial prowess. And to possess outstanding martial prowess, one must have a robust physique.

This robust physique is mostly due to genetics, not necessarily because of an excellent diet.

At this moment, Qin Shi's desire for the Silk Road reached its peak.

　I guess I stayed up too late the other day, because I fell asleep while writing last night! I woke up in the middle of the night, and half-asleep, I fed the cat two vials of nutritious food with a syringe, then went back to sleep...

　　I was woken up early this morning by a stray yellow-haired orange cat; it brought me a bird to help me recover...

　　Thank you. I already told you last time I brought mice that I didn't want any more.

　　[I'm retracting my boast; I'm just incredibly sleepy again.]

　　(End of this chapter)