Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 299, Section 298: Insulting the Emperor
Huh?
Qin Shi blinked: Ji Heng really falls for this!

Your Majesty is so kind; she will treat you well from now on! Sigh, I forgot to include some small flowers and grasses in my last letter; it's clear I lack experience in expressing my feelings so tenderly for the first time.

As for the newly appreciated mountains and forests...

“Perfect timing. I was just thinking that mountain farming shouldn’t be too intensive, as small-scale farming is scattered in various places. Zhuang, take some men and quickly survey the mountain forests that the King has bestowed upon us.”

The messenger looked up upon hearing this and saw a tall, burly man standing about three zhang away from the Queen. The man's expression was calm, and he merely bowed slightly.
"promise."

Then he opened the letter written by Ji Heng.

Yes, that's very much in the style of the King.

At a glance, it was just a few words.

I am aware of the Queen's tireless efforts.

All talented individuals of Qin may be recruited and placed at will by the Queen, without regard to others.

[The Wutong Academy has neglected its duty to the country, slandered the emperor, cursed the imperial carriage, and shown no respect for the queen. All property belonging to the academy is hereby permanently confiscated.]

Qin Shi: ...

Her expression was complicated.

She didn't know whether to admire Ji Heng's feelings or lament that she wasn't ruthless enough.

She only wanted that person to suffer the resentment and division of his entire family and disciples, but once the king said this, no one in the entire Wutong Academy could stay.

[Having mastered both literary and martial arts, one can then serve the emperor.]

This famous quote, from the Yuan Dynasty play "Maling Road," resonates deeply with people's mindset today—because of the distinction between high and low social status, the right to choose rests solely in the hands of the monarch.

If the Wutong Academy will never employ anyone, what will become of those talented individuals and their disciples who remain here?
With just this one sentence, the academy will surely fall apart and never be seen again within three days.

After a moment of silence, she pushed the scroll aside and said, "Send the King's decree to Wutong Academy."

……

Wutong Academy is located on a small hill in Guanzhong.

It is named Xiuyue Mountain.

This mountain boasts beautiful scenery, with babbling brooks and lush greenery, making it an ideal summer retreat. Establishing an academy here was intended to emulate the ancient Jixia Academy in the state of Qi, to enhance its reputation, and to cultivate more disciples to become famous throughout the land.

Nowadays, this summer resort has lost its former tranquility and peace, and instead appears gloomy and somber.

In the academy's high-lying residence, servants hurried about, their faces somber. Meanwhile, the lady of the house prepared hot water, handkerchiefs, and ointment, instructing the servants to carefully attend to their master.

The ten lashes left Mangosteen in so much pain that she couldn't get up. She groaned all the way up the mountain and is still lying face down on the bed.

His back and buttocks were covered in bruises, making him look extremely disheveled.

The lady beside her wept again: "The Queen is far too cruel. The head of the household only offered a few words of advice, yet she acted so arrogantly, ordering people to administer corporal punishment..."

"Ten strokes of the cane, they're probably trying to kill the mountain lord!"

As she spoke, she wrung out the handkerchief herself and handed it to the servant who was carefully applying the medicine.

In this way, he served her personally without ever taking off his clothes.

Upon entering the academy, the mountain master also vehemently denounced:

"Exactly! This woman is vicious. Not only did she use excessive force, but she also humiliated me in court, claiming that she had never heard of me!"

"Hmph! Throughout the entire Guanzhong region, who doesn't know the name of Master Yuewu of the Wutong Academy!"

As she pondered this, she frowned and asked, "I am so badly injured, why haven't my disciples come to see me today?" "This..." the lady stammered.

"Speak quickly—" he was shouting when he heard servants stumbling and running outside the hall, calling out as they went:

"Mountain Master! Mountain Master!"

The other party was his closest servant, who came carrying a box of silk scrolls. Upon seeing the mountain lord, he let out another sigh of relief, as if he had escaped a calamity.

"Mountain Lord, I have inquired among the tribes and they say that everyone speaks highly of the Queen. If Your Majesty were to come in person and say such a thing, you would surely not survive."

The mountain lord immediately flew into a rage: "If the king himself were here, why would I have said those things! It's not like I'm tired of living!"

The servant sighed, then glanced cautiously around and whispered:

"News just came from Xianyang yesterday that an elder of the Zhao clan, a former noble family of Chu, was dragged away by the palace lady for disrespecting Ganquan Palace. He was beaten three times with a stick, breaking his back, and died from the pain!"

He was both saddened and relieved: “If a lady from Ganquan Palace can act like this, then the Queen only wants to give her a small punishment as a warning. Mountain Lord, we still need to be more restrained in the future!”

If he doesn't restrain himself, his servant might also lose his life!
Therefore, taking advantage of the mountain lord's serious injury, they dared to speak out.

These words shocked everyone present.

Three blows to the back can cause excruciating pain?!

The mountain lord, however, was beaten with ten strokes of the cane and is still full of energy, though the bruises on his waist, back, and buttocks look rather terrifying.

The lady gasped, then looked at the mountain lord with a pitiful and helpless expression:
"My husband!"

Tears welled up in her eyes again, and as she wiped them away, she said with deep emotion, "It's clear that my husband is truly blessed with good fortune and a long life..."

"Indeed!" the servant sighed deeply.

However, from now on, the academy really needs to restrain its actions.

The Queen has only ordered that the three generations of the mountain lord's lineage, including his personal disciples, should not be employed. However, the mountain lord has always had high standards, and he currently has only three disciples, which does not cause any trouble for the other students in the academy.

only……

Thinking of these three generations, including his children, the lady couldn't help but clench her fists.

Then, looking at the mountain lord lying on the couch, a hint of hatred could be seen in his eyes.

She survived countless near-death experiences to give birth to two sons and a daughter, and is now in the prime of her youth.

But if the mountain lord takes action, not only will his son have no future, but he will also have no chance of getting married!
It's even more of a pity about the daughter. She is clearly talented and intelligent, and she is good at managing a household. She is just waiting to find a good husband!
Now that this has happened, how could those families with upright morals possibly want her?
It's all that useless man's fault!
Over the years, she used her dowry to support this academy. Although it was not profitable, it could still bring her some reputation and give her children a better future.

Now... now everything is lost in one fell swoop!

The lady was in a state of utter confusion. If it weren't for the prospect of her unborn grandson, she would have pounced on this man and given him a good fight!

But the mountain lord flew into a rage:
"Does she expect me to sincerely thank her for punishing me with ten strokes of the cane? What wrong have I done with my advice?"

"Look at how ruthless the people in Ganquan Palace are, and how the Queen never forgives anyone. It's clear that women are inherently vicious! Like a hen crowing at dawn! This trend must be severely curbed! The Queen's failure to set a good example is clearly her fault!"

"If everyone managed their households like you, Madam, bearing and raising children, and were praised for their virtue, would I still need to offer these words of advice?"

The room fell silent upon hearing this.

The next moment, someone outside the hall hurriedly echoed:

"The teacher is absolutely right!"

　I'm coming.

　　(End of this chapter)