Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 304, Section 303: People of Vision
The hall was silent, and the maids stood there like unnoticed bronze pillars.

But Madam Hu would not truly ignore them.

She knew that everything that happened in the room would eventually be reported to the Chief Secretary, or perhaps—the Queen.

So she took a deep breath, gripped her daughter's wrist tightly, and seeing her daughter wince in pain, she said, word by word:

"Because those honors are what I deserve."

"When I married your father, he was just a penniless scholar. It was I who, with the dowry provided by the clan, supported him, enabling him to travel far and wide to study and learn from renowned teachers!"

“When you and your siblings were born, she took the dowry land and helped him establish the Wutong Academy.”

"Everything related to food, clothing, lodging, and transportation at the academy—from purchasing tenants to managing farms and other trivial matters—is taken care of by me. This includes your and your brother's living expenses and entertaining renowned teachers!"

Her withered hand gripped her even tighter, and the young woman's brows furrowed, tears welling in her eyes. She could only look at her pitifully and whisper:

"Mother, it hurts..."

But Madam Hu stared intently at her, not relaxing her gaze in the slightest, and said again earnestly:
"There are countless wise people in this world, but how many of them can establish an academy, take on numerous disciples, and become famous in their region? Can wealth be obtained so easily out of thin air?"

"Ah Yan, tell me, don't I deserve these?!"

Mrs. Hu did not blink.

The exhaustion of the past few days has made her look more haggard and worn than before, and the lines around her eyes are impossible to hide.

But what those piercing eyes saw was the young daughter lowering her head timidly, her lips moving, yet she didn't know what to say.

He just kept struggling and twisting his wrist:

"Mom, you're hurting me..."

Mrs. Hu suddenly felt deflated.

Known daughter Moruomu.

My daughter has a gentle and kind personality—but that's not a flaw. Who isn't full of tenderness when they're carefree young?
Although the household management staff sometimes struggled with hesitation, they were able to carry out their duties in an orderly manner most of the time.

She was initially very happy, thinking that with more experience, her daughter would be well-suited to manage the family business and establish a new household in the future.

But now it seems...

Mrs. Hu sighed softly, slowly straightened her leaning body, then gently let go of her hand and quietly sat back down.

She stopped talking, and the young woman rubbed her wrist with a grumbling expression, looking at the slightly red mark on it.

She pursed her lips again and carefully observed her mother's expression.

I wanted to say something, but then I kept quiet.

After a while, she whispered, "Mother, please don't be angry. I'll do whatever you say. That's all..."

She gritted her teeth again: "Serving tea and water, being a slave..." As she said this, large tears fell: "I can do it too."

Seeing her daughter's demeanor, Madam Hu was not pleased by her daughter's obedience. Instead, she gritted her teeth, her expression becoming even more resolute.

……

Qin Shi summoned them.

There was nothing else to it; she was simply curious because she had never seen a woman so decisive in divorcing on the spot before.

As for Madam Hu's suggestion to have her daughter stay by Wu Zi's side to serve tea and water, she didn't take it to heart.

To put it bluntly, the maids who had been trained in Xianyang Palace for a long time did a much better job than her young ladies.

Moreover, since the current writing style is no longer suitable for writing, there are other tasks available, so why waste talent?

Another important reason is that while there are some things that require respecting human rights, there are others that she chooses not to.

The fame-seeking Yuewu publicly denounced her as a hen crowing at dawn, attempting to use her reputation and the future of women everywhere as a stepping stone to success—this was utterly disrespectful.

She couldn't bring herself to do it severely. Ji Heng, for the sake of her dignity and the dignity of the royal family, which cannot be violated, therefore punished her in another way. This can also be seen as an act of love and care for her.

If this young lady is truly a person of exceptional talent, then it's one thing for her to make an exception.

But according to Wu Zi's reply, he was clearly just an ordinary person.

Why should she go against Ji Heng's good intentions for someone like that?

Even if he doesn't care about these things at all.

Even if one were to do it, it would indeed only be as Madam Hu said, as a slave or maid.

Ultimately, this lady was not only decisive in her actions, but also quite insightful in understanding the essence of things.

Therefore, it is worth seeing.

……

Madam Hu, accompanied by the young lady, soon moved to the main hall to pay her respects.

"Sit down," Qin Shi said casually.

After the other party respectfully accepted, they looked up and saw the king sitting there on the high platform, holding a teacup in one hand and slowly turning over the dishes on the table with the other.

The new type of paper on the table.

Madam Hu glanced at it briefly, then suppressed her shock and quietly sat down in a corner of the stool.

The young lady, Ayan, stared wide-eyed at the Queen, and then, upon meeting Wu Zijing's gaze, she lowered her head as if stung.

She thought to herself: The queen is beautiful, but she is not a rare beauty in the world! How is she so lucky to have become queen?

There wasn't even any regal bearing; the decorations were so simple and plain, as if the Qin state's strength couldn't support it...

If she had such a status, and dressed up carefully, she would actually be no less than anyone else.

But now, their future of luxury has crumbled overnight. What awaits them now is serving tea and water to the king…

This stark contrast in their social status caused Ah Yan to feel a pang of sadness, and her eyes reddened again.

Coincidentally, Madam Hu also sighed inwardly:
As the Qin state grew increasingly powerful, it heard that the other six states had each sent beautiful women to the palace to win its favor.

But in the end, as the king matured and his methods became increasingly unquestionable, it was this suddenly appearing woman who became queen.

It is said that the Queen was not only kind and loving, but also that she was as beautiful as a fairy.

But now, as she looked at him, the other person was sitting there in a dark green brocade robe, with only a pair of exquisitely crafted cloud-riding divine deer inlaid with glass gold ornaments on the front.

Her black hair was thick and fluffy like clouds, and it was simply tied up, with only a simple pearl hairpin at her temple.

Such attire, in terms of its intricacy and splendor, surpasses even that of the women from local powerful families.

The pearl was large and round, unique to the Xianyang Palace, yet only one was simply set in it…

Madam Hu looked at the two jeweled gold bracelets on her wrist and subtly pulled her wrists back.

The other person had a beautiful and delicate appearance, bright eyes and white teeth, and a calm and composed demeanor, making them truly approachable and unforgettable.

But it wouldn't be accurate to call it absolutely beautiful.

Madam Hu smiled bitterly to herself:
Yes.

Your Majesty possesses the wealth of the four seas; what beauty could not you bring into the palace? Yet, this one became the Queen and received the Emperor's exclusive favor.

It is clear that while a woman's appearance, which men often talk about, can certainly attract attention, her fundamental qualities have never been based on her looks.

　They're here! They're here!

　　(End of this chapter)