Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 307, Section 306: A Clever Mind
At the beginning of the new year, there are many things to do.

In the twenty-fourth year of King Heng of Qin, a new calendar was to be promulgated throughout the land before the spring plowing season.

However, Ji Heng kept in mind the "Twenty-Four Solar Terms" on the wristwatch worn by the Queen that the Grand Astrologer had mentioned. It was said that such a detailed calendar could make the agricultural seasons more accurate, and that increased production and a bumper harvest were very likely.

In the Qin state today, nothing is more important to Ji Heng than food and the army.

The introduction of paper has inevitably disturbed the interests of powerful clans, and recently, in all matters large and small at the court, there have been those who have taken advantage of the chaos.

There's also salt and sugar, glass, divine weapons, and the legendary elixir of immortality supposedly refined on the banks of the Wei River...

Furthermore, there were still unrest in various parts of the six kingdoms that he had brought under his control. He spent most of his time each year to tour the country, in order to suppress these people and lands that had not submitted to his cause.

In short, when there are countless things to deal with, if you encounter a few fools, or even real fools pretending to be fools, Ji Heng quietly listened to the people below him presenting their reports in Zhangtai Palace, his hand already stroking the hilt of the Taiwei Sword beside him, which could cut through iron like mud.

As he tightened his grip, the veins on the back of his hand bulged slightly, and his expression was somber, like the approaching storm—

Zhou Ju's heart skipped a beat, knowing that the king intended to kill him. He quickly stepped forward, bowed, and replied:
"Your Majesty, the Queen has sent a letter."

Although the sound was soft, Ji Heng quickly turned his head.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Ju quickly placed the box on the table and opened it with great care.

A cool, fragrant aroma wafted towards me.

Zhou Ju is a meticulous person, and after checking, he tried his best to restore the situation.

Inside the box, red, yellow, and green leaves were lightly laid out, with a roll of paper supporting them.

Beside this paper, a small branch. Two yellow wintersweet blossoms, covered with dense buds, were slowly blooming.

Ji Heng gazed at it quietly for a moment, then picked up the plum blossom with his slender fingers and examined the branch, turning it over as well.
"good."

He lowered his eyes and gave a curt comment, as if it were just a perfunctory praise.

But Zhou Ju, who was standing to the side, had already beckoned to the eunuch next to him to bring over a palm-sized, slender-necked blue glass bottle that was already filled with water.

The glass bottle was placed on the table. Ji Heng glanced at it and then casually put the plum blossom inside.

A faint, cool fragrance lingered around my nose, seemingly calming the restlessness in my heart. Looking at the fool waiting below, he wasn't so unbearable after all.

Zhou Ju quickly smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the court assembly has been going on for quite some time. The officials are working hard and worrying about the country. Why don't you take a short rest?"

Ji Heng glanced at him, then said without revealing his emotions, "In that case, let's rest for a quarter of an hour."

The courtiers below all breathed a sigh of relief.

After the king left, they realized that in the warm and cozy Zhangtai Palace, the reprimands and arguments had left them with a cold sweat on their backs.

Now, they got up in twos and threes to go outside the hall to feel the cold wind, and their minds instantly cleared up.

After regaining consciousness, I couldn't help but shiver again.

Oh!

How dare they! How dare they challenge the King! It's no wonder Zhangtai Palace is so warm; my head is spinning from the heat!

Ugh!
……

Meanwhile, Ji Heng, who was also resting briefly in the side hall, had already opened the paper in his hand.

【Your Majesty——】

Having been away from Xianyang for many days, I missed it dearly. Today, during my leisure time, I took a walk in the mountains. With frost and snow approaching, most of the mountainside was bare and desolate, except for a few patches where red and green leaves intertwined, making the scenery all the more magnificent.

[Unfortunately, I am the only one who appreciates it. Therefore, I have carefully selected several uniquely colored maple leaves, wishing to share the autumn and winter scenery of my Great Qin land with Your Majesty.]

[There is also a branch of pure white winter plum blossoms, fragrant and lovely. Palace affairs are numerous and complicated; I fear Your Majesty may become angry and harm your health. If you are feeling troubled, take a few more glances at it—Your Majesty, your Queen will be returning soon…]

[...Although the headmaster of Wutong Academy was a dull and mediocre man, his wife was extremely experienced in handling trivial matters and had long since divorced her husband.] [This decisive nature was indeed rare, so I temporarily appointed her to manage the affairs of Su Su Manor, working alongside the two manor managers to await orders... However, this Madam Hu, deeply devoted to her daughter, earnestly pleaded with me to forgive her daughter...]

The queen kept rambling on about trivial matters.

Even the maple trees in the mountains are so unique, and the small wintersweet is so fragrant; even a wild rabbit encountered in the forest is swiftly pounced on and caught by Zhuang...

Then there's the personnel appointments and removals, and the addition of an insignificant maid to the Xianyang Palace...

Ji Heng read them one by one, and was speechless with astonishment.

This was the second time he had received a letter from the Queen, but as always, she wrote about everything, big and small, in a long and rambling manner.

He could vaguely understand.

The queen clearly cared for herself, but for the sake of Qin's future, she had to travel far away to Guanzhong, which made her feel truly lonely and tormented...

Write it!

With this paper, writing becomes exceptionally easy and effortless.

This was probably hastily written again, with a few typos crossed out and some poorly written calligraphy...

Ji Heng stared at the paper several times in silence: "Bring me the vermilion brush."

Zhou Ju quickly handed it over, and saw the king pick up his brush, dip it in vermilion ink, hesitate slightly, but still draw a red circle heavily on the paper.

Zhou Ju's brow twitched.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the circled area contained a misspelling that the queen had not noticed.

Zhou Ju sighed—

The Queen is incredibly cunning in manipulating the King! She even goes so far as to deliberately misspell words, knowing full well that the King is intolerant of the slightest imperfection, yet she chooses to do so in a way that is memorable...

Wonderful!

The Queen is truly a woman of exquisite wisdom!
……

Qin Shi, who was already preparing to board the warship, wrapped his cloak tighter around himself and looked at the vast river, completely unaware that his cunning had improved once again.

Isn't it normal to make typos?

She didn't learn clerical script or seal script from elementary school.

Moreover, she noticed two mistakes while writing and corrected them in time. How could she have known that there were still some that had slipped through the net?

At this moment, I simply took a deep breath, inhaling the rich moisture in the air, and finally let out another sigh:
"If only His Majesty could travel by warship whenever he goes on his inspection tours."

In this way, she wouldn't have to endure the hardships of traveling by carriage, and she could also come along to see the vast land of Qin.

But the reality is that, thinking back to those three days when he first arrived and followed the king back to Xianyang, Qin Shi had already begun to feel dizzy and in pain.

Rubber wheels, shock absorption systems, and concrete roads are truly essential and urgently needed transportation technologies in modern times!

Only when people can move around easily can they drive the flow of resources.

But now, more than matters concerning people's livelihoods, she is worried about the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai in April. The entire journey from Xianyang to Mount Tai is by land.

Qin Shi sighed and decided that after returning to Xianyang, he would have Fei Shuang brought from Shanglin Garden to the training ground so that she could practice riding horses properly every day.

Alternating between carriage and horseback riding will always be much better.

　I don't have many monthly votes... but I've already reached 70 words! Wow! I'm amazing!

　　(End of this chapter)