Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 305, Section 304: Serving as Slaves
Qin Shi finished reading the text in his hand, and now looked at the mother and daughter below the steps, scrutinizing them carefully:

The chances of meeting a beautiful woman are greatly reduced if you stay away from Xianyang Palace.

As for Madam Hu, she was alright, after all, she had suffered a sudden and drastic change, and her appearance was haggard and worn, so she was naturally not considered to have any glory.

He was composed and calm, even sitting there stiffly, he still exuded a sense of tranquility.

Then look at her young daughter, Ayan.

The girl was about sixteen or seventeen years old. Her face still had a childish look, but with careful makeup, she could only be described as a pretty girl from a modest family.

After all, although the class represented by Wutong Academy consisted of scholars, their daily food, clothing and other necessities were still inferior to those of powerful and wealthy families.

Therefore, they probably eat mostly coarse food on a daily basis.

In this situation, teeth need to chew forcefully, and unless there is a genetic advantage, most people's facial lines will not be particularly smooth.

Her nutrition was uneven, and her blood circulation and skin condition were somewhat lacking. Although Ah Yan was wearing makeup and it wasn't very noticeable, but...

She is still not beautiful enough.

Having seen beauties like Lady Chu and Qin Ba Zi in the Xianyang Palace every day, even the unremarkable Dan and Fei Qing had delicate and fresh features.

Not to mention Madam Zheng, so spirited and vigorous, and Qi Ba Zi, so gentle and weak-willed, whose tears flowed before he even spoke…

Thinking about it this way, Ji Heng really ate well!
She drifted off into thought again.

Ah Yan shifted uncomfortably, only to receive a sharp glare from her mother beside her, making her shrink back even more.

She thought to herself that since her mother returned home alone after the divorce, even she and her brother didn't seem so important anymore.

He was filled with anxiety, wondering what the Queen thought of him. Did he really have to go to the Queen's side and serve her tea and water?
Looking at her slender fingertips peeking out from her sleeve, she felt a pang of self-pity.

The queen, who was of higher rank, spoke.

But the question wasn't directed at Ayan, but at her mother:

"Madam Hu, have you thought about the matter that Wu Zi mentioned before?"

Mrs. Hu was taken aback.

She had indeed taken to heart what the Chief Secretary had mentioned earlier.

only……

She couldn't help but look at her daughter again.

The reason for coming here is to seek a better future for my daughter.

Even if she were to serve as a servant or maidservant by Chang's side, she would still need to be separated from Yuewu temporarily.

Otherwise, what future prospects and marriage prospects are there to speak of?

It's one thing if she doesn't have a bright future, but what if Yuewu, in order to curry favor with a powerful person, sends her away to be a concubine or maid...

Mrs. Hu clenched her fists.

These are the kinds of futures a woman can have these days. If she can become a concubine of a nobleman, she might not be unable to accept it if she has no other choice.

But, but Ah Yan's personality is not suited to be subservient as a concubine.

Staying by the Queen's side, even if he marries a palace guard, would still be a way for him to stand on his own two feet.

Otherwise, if she stays by Yuewu's side, she'll have to cook, clean, and gather firewood all by herself in the future...

Since you're going to be doing these menial tasks that are tough and demanding, why not serve a more promising chief clerk?
If you want your daughter to stop doing these things and to eat well, dress well, and have servants, you must continue to provide her with money and gifts.

Because there has never been a daughter who could command servants, and the father had no one to take care of him.

but……

Mrs. Hu clenched her fists secretly.

These words were somewhat unkind and cruel—but she refused to accept them.

The daughter is literate, and the Queen is willing to recruit even ordinary people; if she were to serve the Chief Secretary, she would eventually be of use. Even if the first few years are difficult…

Just bear with it. Didn't she suffer when she first married Yuewu?
With the heart of a parent, Mrs. Hu carefully paved this ladder for her daughter.

But to his utter surprise, the queen had taken a liking to him.

Ah Yan beside her also stared wide-eyed, her face full of disbelief.

Upon seeing this, Wu Zi immediately shook her head inwardly:

According to the Queen, the other party showed no professional skills and was now acting on his emotions.

It seems the possibility that the other party is an overlooked talent has decreased again.

But Mrs. Hu hesitated and said:
"Your Majesty, Yuewu's conduct was improper and his words disrespectful; he deserves this punishment. However, my daughter is in the prime of her youth, and if she stays with her father, her future may be bleak. Therefore, I have come specifically to plead for her..."

She earnestly said, "Even serving tea and water to the Chief Secretary would be enough for me—I beg Your Majesty to be lenient, and I will serve you as a servant in the future!"

She rose and kowtowed.

However, no sound came from above for a long time.

Ah Yan secretly looked up from behind and saw the Queen casually placing the jade cup on the table.

With a crisp click, both the godmother and daughter tensed up for a moment.

Then the other person laughed and casually said, "It's like a batch of goods being delivered..."

Isn't this always the case when buying luxury goods? To buy this bag, you have to buy their scarf first.

Madam Hu did not understand what "cargo matching" meant.

But since she was being treated as a "goods" person, she knew the Queen disapproved of her actions. Sweat beaded on her forehead, yet she pressed herself even lower.

"I beg the Queen..."

Her voice trembled with fear.

Qin Shi was initially somewhat dissatisfied.

Madam Hu did not actually display any remarkable talent; she simply knew that few literate noblewomen were likely to enter the workforce these days, and thus gave her a chance.

Unexpectedly, the other party only had his daughter in his heart.

It seems she is indeed very anxious and wants to separate the father and daughter. Otherwise, if she can be used by the Queen and accumulate some connections in a few years, wouldn't she be able to settle her own daughter?
Qin Shi was originally determined to refuse.

Madam Hu slammed her fist on the ground, her voice trembling, and her loving motherly heart was truly touching.

"That's all..."

She sighed, suddenly realizing that she had grown accustomed to Ji Heng's frequent sighs:
"You have divorced Yuewu, so you are naturally no longer connected with the punishment he has suffered. My use of you is not against the King's kindness."

"As for Yuewu's daughter, she has not achieved any merit or shown any talent. If we rashly employ her, wouldn't that be disobeying the King's decree?"

She casually instructed, "Although you said you didn't mind her serving tea and water to Wu Zi... Wu Zi is also a chief secretary. Serving tea and water to her and taking care of her personally is an opportunity that only high-ranking maids and eunuchs in Xianyang Palace have. Your daughter is not eligible for that for the time being."

"If she is willing, let her go to Ganquan Palace as a junior maid."

Qin Shi laughed.

Although everyone praised her for her kindness, her kindness had its limits.

For example, at this moment: "How your daughter will be promoted in the future depends on what contributions you and your daughter have made to me."

Mrs. Hu felt a heavy weight in her heart, yet within this heaviness, it was as if green shoots were breaking through the boulder, peeking out to receive the sunlight and rain.

Her voice held undisguised joy, and she kowtowed again with great force:
"I am deeply grateful! Thank you, Your Majesty! I bow in gratitude to Your Majesty!"

The young woman behind her, her face filled with shock and embarrassment, was also pulled down by her and kowtowed hard as well.

　I spent most of tonight sneezing, having a runny nose, wiping my nose, and blowing my nose...

　　I was afraid of getting sleepy but didn't dare take cold medicine, so I planned to order a bowl of spicy and sour Yunnan rice noodles after I finished writing, but all the places I wanted to eat were closed...

　　The sky is falling!
　　(End of this chapter)