Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 296, Section 295: Swift and Decisive Measures
Qin Shi received the letter very quickly.

Because Yi Ming knew her habits, his letters were concise and clear.

But this was the first time Lady Chu had made such a serious request, so she spoke in a roundabout and convoluted manner, citing classical allusions and being very careful, which gave Qin Shi a headache.

However, the two men's different demands surprised her.

After a moment's thought, she picked up her pen and wrote a reply without hesitation.

The messenger, who had just finished a simple meal at the manor and hadn't even had a few sips of hot tea, saw the queen's attendants hand back two strangely shaped letters in cardboard.

"This is……"

He looked at the unfamiliar paper with some puzzlement.

But then the servant handed over a packet of coins:
"Please send the reply back."

Sender:? ? ?

Isn't this unreasonable?
How could someone reply so quickly? Did they really take it seriously?

At that time, with long distances and difficult journeys, the transmission of letters was a very serious matter. Even ordinary families would carefully consider their options before asking someone to write a message.

This was especially true of communication among nobles.

The carefree and relaxed attitude that was popular during the Wei and Jin dynasties is now seen as frivolous, and even the writing process has a set procedure to make it seem serious.

But for Qin Shi, letters were merely a means of transmitting information.

Why would they specifically ask the Clippers to deliver the letter? Wasn't it to get an answer as soon as possible?
She had been sending emails and WeChat messages, but the other party wasn't replying, which made her quite anxious.

Putting yourself in others' shoes, replying quickly is never a bad thing.

Before the messenger could leave, a servant hurriedly called to him:
"Stay!"

"There is also a letter here. Please take it to Xianyang Palace and hand it over to Prefect Zhou."

Although these fast boats were commissioned by the common people, they still had the official status of a post station for delivering letters. They were only slower than the Qin King's urgent war reports delivered over 800 li, so they were not considered lowly.

Otherwise, how could they be qualified to relay messages for the palace?

Upon hearing this, the envoy breathed a sigh of relief.

"This is the business we're in. Just wait a little while, and it'll be fine. If you're not in a hurry, I'll send someone to collect the new letters tomorrow and bring them back to Xianyang..."

"No need." This time, however, the attendant offered another gold coin:
"Simply deliver the letter exactly as it was."

……

What Qin Shi was going to write was naturally a letter to Ji Heng.

This was the first time she had been separated from Ji Heng for so long since arriving in Qin. As the queen, she had been busy replying to others while out and about, but had forgotten about her husband—

This is not a good thing.

Fortunately, writing letters is as easy for her as taking a casual stroll and chatting. The only difficulty she faces now is that she still needs to carefully compare some of the seal characters to avoid making mistakes.

Therefore, after a brief moment of contemplation, he can write thousands of words.

From the moment I left the palace, I began to miss it. Then I thought of how mighty and swift the Qin warships were, how well the king managed Su Su Manor and how remarkable he was, and then I thought of the surrounding scenery, the clear sky and refreshing air. I missed my horse Feishuang in Shanglin Garden...

I recalled the heroic figure of the Great King riding his horse through the forest.

Then came all sorts of gossip about the recruitment progress and trends...

The text, a lengthy piece of writing of one or two thousand words, filled a thick tub of paper.

It was carefully placed into a sandalwood barrel, sealed with gold foil and wax, then wrapped in oiled paper, carefully packed into a box, and then cautiously asked the other party to send it out.

Upon hearing this news, Wu Zi was still annoyed:
"Why doesn't the Queen use warships? They would be faster and more cautious."

Qin Shi shook his head: "It just suddenly came to mind, and I felt compelled to express it. If I wait any longer, I won't be in the mood anymore."

In fact, she felt that it would cost an unknown amount of money to send such a warship back and forth just to send a letter home.

Even though she's now a queen, she should be more magnanimous and not act so petty and stingy.

But once you're in charge of a household, you realize how expensive firewood, rice, oil, and salt are, so now you naturally try to save as much as possible.

……

Wu Zi was not mentioned again.

Just keep an eye on it; I'll have to remind the messenger again later to make sure the letter is safe and delivered quickly.

Otherwise, if Xianyang Palace were to blame him, he probably wouldn't be able to bear the consequences, but...

"What makes the Queen so happy?"

She thought about it carefully:

Have you recruited some talented individuals today?
Or is it another powerful force coming to invest with great sincerity?
Qin Shi glanced at her and shook his head:
"At the very end, attracting talent is nothing more than being driven by self-interest."

Commoners want to eat their fill, while the powerful want an auction ticket to pave the way for a bigger future.

But none of this could compare to the joy these two letters brought her.

At that moment, she looked at Wu Zi and suddenly asked:
"Wu Zi, you're so capable now. If you weren't by my side, have you ever thought about what you would do?"

"How could he not be by the Queen's side?"

Wu Zi was surprised: She was both the queen's servant and her subject, and even in the future...

In short, all major events are inseparable from the Queen.

Qin Shi wasn't surprised by her question; he simply smiled and said:

"Do you only want to serve in the Xianyang Palace? Have you never thought about becoming an official or doing something else?"

Wu Zi immediately became shy:

"The Queen always loves to praise me and others, but how can our talents compare to those of the ministers in the court? We dare not have such presumptuous thoughts."

but……

Qin Shi blinked, looking at her with a firm yet gentle gaze: "What you are doing now is no less than that of the ministers in the court." In this world, those who serve as officials for personal gain are either truly talented or simply born into good fortune and happen to have such opportunities and a support system.

However, Wu Zi is still a young woman at the moment, and the idea of ​​becoming an official in the future seems a bit far off.

She smiled, and under the other person's gaze, which was a mixture of shyness, pride, and slight surprise, she brought up the talented individuals she had recruited that day—

Over the course of three days, people from all around Guanzhong who heard the news came one after another, including Wen Xun and his disciples who brought a pleasant surprise.

There were two academies in Guanzhong, and outstanding students from them took the initiative to apply.

There are also some renowned Confucian scholars.

However, these people were not previously recruited by Ji Heng, and now that they are under the Queen's command, they may not necessarily obey her.

Wen Xun had been by her side for a long time and had a good understanding of the Queen's way of doing things. Those with real talent and learning were fine, but the Queen was always tolerant of them.

But if someone is full of outdated ideas and ignorant of people's livelihood, then it's better not to hire such a talented person.

Everyone praised their queen for her kindness and gentleness, but Wen Xun knew that she was sharp-tongued and not without ruthless methods.

As for the methods...

After all, it seems the Queen has never actually taken anyone's life.

But when Wen Xun thought of this on his way, he couldn't help but smile bitterly, and then asked his disciples:

"Is the Queen kind but lacking in shrewdness?"

The disciples glanced at their teacher in surprise:

"The Queen is already of royal status, what need is there for such methods? Just give the order directly if you need anything."

Moreover, although he was kind and benevolent, he was not unrestrained.

Who says that only execution and reward are fair and just?

Is mining really such a tolerant and good thing?
This recruitment drive has seen some fraudulent activities, with some even brazenly claiming to come with loyalty, only to deliver moldy, stale rice and salt mixed with pebbles...

Even the seeds given to ordinary people were moldy and shriveled.

They thought the queen wanted to gain a good reputation, so they spent most of their money on gifts for her.

With that neglected glazed tree in Ganquan Palace before us, what is being sent now are boxes and chests of gold ingots, blatantly revealing our speechlessness.

But even such sincerity only elicited a silent sigh from the Queen, who then issued an order:
"Even when submitting a memorial of sincerity, one must distinguish between perfunctory and genuine sincerity. Such a person is not sincere in doing things and lacks a firm will."

"Such talent is beyond the reach of our Qin state."

"Go and investigate their family's conduct. If this is their usual style, then there's no need to report it. Send my private soldiers to capture them directly and send them to work in the coal mines."

As the weather gets colder, the demand for coal in the Qin state is enormous.

And these heartless and rotten people going to mine properly, maybe they're doing it to accumulate good karma for their next life?
Everyone gasped.

These words were naturally spoken jokingly to the attendants in the inner palace, but while the tone was joking, the order was formal.

In just half a day, without even needing to investigate in detail, one could understand the family's ways from the dazed, weeping, and grieving tenants' tragic state of mind, where their families had been destroyed and their lives ruined.

Then they arrested and confiscated the property one by one.

In an instant, the air in this wealthy estate was filled with the sounds of weeping, wailing and the joyful cries of revenge.

So swift, so decisive.

Before everyone could even recover from the aura of wealth, love, kindness, and gentleness, they watched this scene unfold.

No wonder it's said that the Queen is a Kunlun Immortal Master. As a high-ranking immortal, how could she not have thunderous methods?

No wonder the news from Xianyang said that the Queen was particularly skilled at forging divine weapons that could cut through iron like mud.

When unleashing swift and decisive measures, one must first be fully armed.

……

The events in Tongchuan haven't yet reached Xianyang.

The next morning, Yi Ming received a reply. Looking at his packed luggage and the old servant that Lady Chu had specially assigned to his father, he excitedly unfolded the Queen's letter.

The letter was written very simply.

It's also very much in line with the Queen's usual style.

The faint pencil marks faded slightly with friction on the paper and did not preserve as well as bamboo slips.

Ke Yiming examined it repeatedly, determined to include it in his personal collection. He resolved that if any descendants were to inherit it a hundred years from now, this scroll of letter would be passed down to them.

[Ming, I'm very happy that you have this ambition.]

[Enclosed with this letter are twenty private soldiers. Their food, clothing, lodging, and transportation will all be provided by my private treasury. You can use them with complete peace of mind.]

When traveling, always prioritize your own safety. Only when doctors are healthy and strong can they save more lives in the future.

[Also, when traveling, take some students with you. Pass on your knowledge, teach according to their individual needs, and record your medical experiences.]

In the future, you will be a teacher to all physicians.

Even thousands of years from now, medical students will still study your writings and medical experience.

Yi Ming stared at the letter, standing there for a long time.

Her letters to the Queen were very detailed, from her initial apprehension about the medical books she had acquired, to her insights from studying them, then her concerns after much deliberation, and finally her anxious questions that she dared not voice for fear of upsetting or disappointing the Queen.

She had even already decided who the Imperial Hospital would send to replace her by the Queen's side after she left.

But none of this unease was seen in the Queen's reply; all that was there was her unquestionable support and unwavering determination.

Her belief in the future was even stronger than her own.

　I was so sleepy I slept seven or eight times, but I gritted my teeth and finished writing it.

　　(End of this chapter)