Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 290, Section 289: The Fragrance of the Zhao Clan
The head of the Bai family is quite decisive.

Now that he had realized the situation, he would not be stingy with these material possessions: "Go to the storehouse and get a thousand bushels of millet and 500 catties of salt, and present them to the Queen."

The weather has been good this year, and all the farms have had a bumper harvest, which is nothing compared to the money and grain in their granaries.

The reason for making such a swift decision was also related to the name of the charcoal pencil that had not yet been obtained.

The "Great Qin Code" has been in preparation for a long time, and many of its established clauses are already known to both superiors and subordinates, but it has not yet been officially promulgated.

Speculators like the Bai family, who are adept at seizing opportunities, are never one to lag behind others in currying favor with influential people.

Therefore, by piecing things together, I gained some understanding of those terms and conditions.

One of the detailed rules that has not yet been promulgated is to name the writing tool "pen".

Charcoal pencils were brought by the queen, yet they already had this name.

Regardless of her background and various secret techniques, this queen must have had a good understanding of the Bai family's intentions when it came to discerning the thoughts of nobles.

Since that's the case, they won't lose anything by taking the initiative.

In addition, he added, "I've heard that the Xianyang Palace already has top-quality snowflake salt and brown sugar, but I don't know what they are. If you have the chance to see them, you should seize the opportunity as soon as possible!"

Although business is considered lowly, someone in the clan still needs to manage it; otherwise, where would their resources come from?

Bai Qiusha nodded: "I understand."

only……

"How many people from the clan will be sent to participate in the Queen's recruitment of talented individuals?"

The Bai family head pondered for a moment: "Although news has come from Xianyang that the Queen is highly favored by the King, it is unclear how this recruitment of talents relates to the court."

"While we should be proactive, we shouldn't be too eager."

What is too easily obtained is not easily cherished.

“Qiu Lang, you are the most outstanding member of my clan. You are learned and young. You should go and test your abilities with the Queen.”

"If it really comes in handy, this will be your opportunity."

"If you are not useful, when the time is right, someone will recommend you to the king."

Sending the talented young master of the clan to the queen already demonstrates the sincerity of the Bai family, doesn't it?
Bai Qiusha was not unwilling at all.

Just as the head of the household said, he is young and it is the time for him to love these new and exciting things.

Not only does he have paper and pen by the Queen's side, but he's also said to possess various secret techniques. His swordsmanship is also quite good; if he performs meritorious service, he can exchange it for a divine weapon…

The young man was full of vigor, his eyes and brows brimming with longing for success and fame.

……

But in this world, there are many powerful and noble families, but very few who share the same ideals as the Bai family.

The Queen's departure for Guanzhong was no secret in Xianyang. Meanwhile, Lady Chu in the palace was so busy she barely had time to grumble, when she overheard a maid whispering a report:

"Madam, the clan elder has something to say."

"Can't you see you're busy?"

After listening to the plain language lyrics for a long time, Madam Chu felt her head was spinning and her vision was blurry, but in reality, she also became much more straightforward in her own speech.

Now that the words were out, he felt they weren't quite right, so he repeated in a more refined tone, "How could I possibly have such leisure time? Let's talk about it later."

She paused for a moment, then realized what she meant: "You mean... the clan elder?"

The maid nodded.

Madam Chu immediately became expressionless.

She naturally missed the State of Chu very much. Although life in Chu wasn't necessarily that good, everyone has their homeland in their heart, and she was no exception.

Once she entered the Xianyang Palace, with her dowry and the help of her family in Xianyang, she lived a rather comfortable life, especially after giving birth to a prince.

Earlier, they had various expectations for the future of Chenghu.

Later, when they discovered that Chenghu was physically weak, they persuaded her to have another child.

During that time, the king was busy attacking the six kingdoms and never had a moment to rest. If she hadn't offered to dance, she wouldn't have had a chance to see the king even once in three months.

Where can they find someone to have a second child?
and……

Madam Chu was filled with fear.

Childbirth is so painful.

There was blood, and he was struggling helplessly, defecating and urinating all at once...

She never felt like a lamb to the slaughter in her entire life...

But saying this aloud would be too shocking, so she kept this fear to herself.

Therefore, although she wanted to please the king, she was not particularly enthusiastic about serving him.

Fortunately, the king didn't like her type, which made her feel disappointed and frustrated, but also secretly relieved.

As for what happened next...

Later, those tribespeople no longer had time to worry about themselves, because—

The State of Chu is gone.

This fact dealt them a heavy blow, and the tribe remained in a slump for a long time.

After regaining his strength, he put the heavy burden back on Chenghu's shoulders.

Poor thing, her body was too weak to bear such a burden!

Even the Queen first sent a physician to attend to her, and various treatment methods were tried...

Thinking of this, Madam Chu couldn't help but feel resentful.

What good things did the State of Chu lack? Many things were even inferior to those of the State of Qin.

Throughout history, the kings of Chu have led chaotic lives, yet this has not prevented them from maintaining good health.

If that's the case, how come you can't even come up with a method to care for a tiger?

Now that the king has appointed a queen, they should have settled down, so why are they acting like this again...?

Thinking of this, and then looking at the table full of work, she felt a surge of irritation.

Why am I so busy? Why am I still so busy even though I'm no longer favored?!

Is she really going to be the king's wife?

If you didn't know better, you'd think she was the Queen's chief secretary!
Just as he was filled with resentment, his personal maid came running in, beaming with joy:
"Madam, I ran into the sisters from Ganquan Palace. They said that the Chief Secretary is taking inventory of the newly presented silks!"

"One of them is dyed an exceptionally hazy pink, even more beautiful than the peach pink of spring! I heard it's meant to be a gift for the lady!"

what? !

Madam Chu was immediately delighted!
A hazy pink, what kind of color is that? And what kind of dress should be made from it?

Oh dear, during their vacation at Shanglin Garden, the Queen sent craftsmen to make some minor alterations to the palace. Now the palace is so warm and cozy that even if you were to dance gracefully in just a light dress, you wouldn't feel cold!
Thinking about this, the work on my desk suddenly became much more appealing.

But then I thought, what about that clan elder who offers no benefits and only makes demands...?

She was immediately sullen.

On her small, oval face, her slender, willow-leaf eyebrows drooped instantly, revealing not only a loss of expectation but also utter weariness.
"If you have something to say, then say it—what exactly does the clan elder have to say?"

The maid hesitated for a moment:
"The clan elders said that the lady has not summoned her family members for a long time, and it is time to do so."

Madam Chu's brow twitched!
What a courage!
Over the years, aside from sending some people to the palace, they've always made excuses about safety for everything else they do. How come they're safe now?!
Thinking of this, Madam Chu felt a wave of unease.

Even so, we must still meet them. What if they do something foolish and the King grows tired of riding the tiger?

and many more!

Lady Chu suddenly realized—"Was that pink cloth a gift from the Queen or the King?"

The maid looked somewhat bewildered: "Has His Majesty ever handled such matters before?"

Madam Chu immediately became expressionless.

That makes perfect sense. In the past, when Your Majesty offered a reward, it was often just a single word.

The one who figured out the emperor's intentions and arranged the rewards was Prefect Zhou Ju. Therefore, whenever there was something going on in the palace, they would diligently speak with Prefect Zhou.

Now...

The maid said, "Those were intended for the Queen, but the Chief Secretary said that the Queen has requirements for the clothes each season. Apart from some precious items and spares, the rest will inevitably lose their color if left for too long. It would be better to reward them to the ladies who have worked hard and made great contributions."

Nowadays, cloth is not durable for storage.

When storing them in boxes, you need to protect them from insects, moths, and mold. You also need to be careful with daily care to prevent them from losing their color.

If left too long, it will inexplicably age and fall apart at the slightest touch...

Of course, with the careful tending of many palace servants, the textiles were still able to be preserved for some time in Qin, where textile production was just beginning to take shape.

But, there is no need.

After Qin Shi learned that natural plants were not durable enough, he suddenly missed industrial products and thus established this rule.

While she may not be frugal, she is also not prone to waste, reflecting the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation.

As for the remaining words of praise and encouragement, those are not things that sisters would talk about in casual conversation, and even the maids wouldn't say them.

Even so, while feeling a pang of jealousy, Madam Chu also felt a strange sense of comfort and confidence.

In fact, the king doesn't care about her. Even if the tribe does something foolish and upsets the king, as long as she works harder, the queen will still reward her.

Her riding the tiger wouldn't be a problem, would it?

Anyway, he's in poor health, so even if the king values ​​him, there's nothing he can be assigned to do.

Thinking about this, the work piled up on the table suddenly became enjoyable again.
Lady Chu straightened her back and announced magnanimously:

"Just see your family, don't act so furtively. Go and inform the Chief Secretary that I haven't seen my elders in a long time and they have some things to discuss. Could you arrange for them to be received tomorrow...?"

After a pause, he added, "It seems that Qin Bazi is in charge of these matters now? You should go and inform her as well."

The maid paused, wondering why Madam Chu had suddenly become so proud, but she remained obedient.
"promise."

The Chu state—oh, the family of the former Chu nobles who remained in Xianyang—was the ancestral home of Lady Chu.

Her name is Fangxi.

The family is the Zhao clan.

The head of the Zhao family is completely different from the head of the Bai family.

He was admiring the plum blossoms in the courtyard at that moment. To keep warm, charcoal braziers were burning around him, and thin gauze curtains were used to slightly block the wind.

Why not use coal?

The charcoal must be of the finest silver wire quality. Coal... not to mention that honeycomb briquette cakes are utterly unattractive, even commoners could buy and use them, so how could they be worthy of his noble status?
Moreover, he had lived in Xianyang for a long time, and his clan had businesses in various trades, with firewood and charcoal being a major part of them.

But now...

"Has the Queen been away from the palace for two days now?"

He discussed with the clan elders: "When we go to the palace, we should also tell Lady Chu to put in more effort. When the Queen is here, she can't win any favor. When the Queen is not here, we haven't heard any good news from her."

The elders were not satisfied with her.

After going through countless hardships to be sent to the Qin state, she not only failed to gain absolute power like the Queen Dowager of Chu had before, but she also failed to receive any favor from the king.

They finally found a prince, who was originally a contender, but unfortunately, the prince's health failed them.

She was a mother, yet she refused to consider the prince's future and bear him several more younger brothers to support him...

That's really short-sighted.

It's no wonder that the clan doesn't allocate resources to them; they haven't achieved anything significant, so giving them resources would be pointless.
Now, after all the hard work, the fruits of my labor have been stolen by this queen of unknown origin.

Everyone says the Queen is some kind of celestial messenger from Kunlun, or that she was raised by some reclusive powerful clan...

Judging from the perspective of the Zhao family head, given the King of Qin's character, the fact that he was willing to generously reward five private armies suggests that this queen has no powerful clan supporting her.

Fragrance is utterly useless!
Despite her noble birth, she was still inferior to the mysterious queen in the Xianyang Palace.

With the King of Qin creating momentum, the couple seemed to be taking a balanced approach, using the Queen to enhance their reputation.

With all these secret techniques being passed down, how could anyone not be tempted?
These are divine weapons; the king has ordered them to be strictly guarded, so there's no need for further thought.

Perhaps the colorful stained glass windows, the finest brown sugar for nourishing blood and qi, and the snowflake crystal salt…

Now everyone in Xianyang is saying that Fangxi is a lady of high status and has been in the palace for many years, so why hasn't she revealed even the slightest bit of information?

The patriarch's expression turned slightly displeased upon thinking about this.

"Fangxi...you must be getting old."

A woman is only beautiful when she is young and full of life; as time goes by, she inevitably fades like a yellowed pearl.

It's useless to keep it, but a pity to throw it away.

Even if the King of Qin, as the ruler of a country, were not interested in beautiful women, his harem should still be filled with more beautiful and charming women.

Now...

"Have the two young ladies prepared in the clan been properly trained?"

The clan elder quickly replied, "Like morning dew, so beautiful, it brings joy to anyone who sees it—tomorrow, when I enter the palace, I will have Lady Chu meet her cousins ​​whom she hasn't seen for many years."

"Women always have something to talk about, so just summon them often to serve them in the future."

Patriarch Zhao nodded and said, "Tell them that since there is no crown prince in the palace yet, it is best to give birth to a prince first, no matter what!"

No matter how you look at it, the King of Qin is indeed awe-inspiring, but he is already thirty-seven years old!

At thirty-seven, after enduring a few more years of hardship, even the mighty lion must grow old.

Their opportunity only began then.

The clan elder frowned: "Fangxi's father fell seriously ill in Xiang County, and his family has now brought him back—should we inform them?"

The head of the Zhao family hesitated slightly.

Now that two "cousins" from the clan have offered themselves up, should Fangxi be asked to devote herself entirely to managing this matter?

But then I thought of the other person's dullness and inability to be improved.

In the past, when it came to matters concerning himself, apart from a frail prince, he hadn't managed to achieve any significant results.

In that case——

"Even if they haven't done anything particularly meritorious for the clan, they've certainly worked hard, and our Zhao family will naturally not treat them unfairly. Tell her not to worry, and if she's really feeling down, she should ask her cousins ​​to talk to her and help her have a son or daughter..."

Thinking of this bright future, a hint of joy crept into his eyes and brows:

"If she could gain a foothold in the palace and have someone to help her, and hold more power, it would put her father at ease."

"Back then, the late Empress Dowager was so powerful that even our King of Qin had to be controlled by her for a long time."

　Here it comes! My period is here, time to lie down.

　　(End of this chapter)