Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 61, Section 60: The King of Qin's Questions
The Zhangtai Palace was silent.

Only Zhou Ju lowered his head slightly, understanding something in his heart.

His Majesty's power subdued the four seas, destroyed the feudal lords and the six kingdoms, and ultimately unified the world. His vision and ambition are probably beyond the comprehension of mediocre people.

King Heng of Qin, who held sway over the entire world, also had his own standards for the future successor of the Qin Dynasty.

Zhou Ju dared not speculate on the specific standards.

But how could the king of a pack of tigers and wolves hand over the throne to a sheep?

Even if this sheep has a sweet bleating voice and jumps with great energy.

At that moment, Ji Heng took a deep look at Princess Wen.

The lamplight cast deep shadows on the upper floor, and he sat in an even higher seat. With a slight movement of his body, the shadow cast on the wall appeared as if a fierce tiger was poised to pounce.

But he turned to Qin Shi, neither angry nor pleased: "Is Qin Qing pleasing to me?"

Qin Shi was stunned.

Although this was unrelated to the previous topic, it didn't prevent her from responding emotionally, so she smiled brightly without hesitation:
"I am extremely pleased! I am deeply grateful to Your Majesty and hope to repay Your Majesty in the future by serving the country and receiving even more of Your Majesty's favor."

Unsurprisingly, the three siblings opposite them looked even less pleased.

Princess Wen, in particular, couldn't quite process her earlier surprise, and even the forced smile on her lips looked rather strained.

As Ji Heng turned his head, Princess Wen, who was below the stage, met his deep gaze and couldn't help but lower her head abruptly, as if she would have her throat bitten off by a beast if she had been a step slower.

"Wen'er," he asked in a deep voice, "have you read the Book of Changes and the Analects of Confucius, which I inquired about at the beginning of the year?"
Princess Wen took a deep breath and then replied, "Father, I have memorized it thoroughly."

She was frantically reciting it in her mind at that moment—could it be that there was some profound meaning that she had not yet understood, which displeased her father?

It is related to whether one can discuss politics, yet the Grand Tutor never mentioned it.

Prince Qian hurriedly replied, "Your subject has also recited it a hundred times."

Although he memorizes things slowly, he really tried his best to memorize them.

The younger Chenghu also obediently said, "Mother ordered me to recite it three times, and then asked the Grand Tutor to read it aloud. I can now write and recite it."

Gongzi Qian glanced at him silently, recalling the essays that were often brought up by the Grand Tutor, and felt resentful: Why are both siblings better at reciting than him?

Qin Shi sighed silently: It's one thing to read the Analects to elementary and middle school students, but is the Book of Changes really too profound?

The I Ching is obscure and complex; many of its principles cannot be understood without a certain age and experience.

But Ji Heng didn't care what others thought.

He simply nodded: "Since you have already recited it, Wen'er, what is the meaning of 'advancing and retreating, benefiting the integrity of a warrior'?"

Princess Wen replied without hesitation: "This is the text of the first line of the Xun hexagram. When one hesitates between advancing and retreating, one must be like a brave warrior, upholding the right path and acting decisively, in order to gain an advantage."

Ji Heng then asked, "What is the meaning of 'Waiting in the mud will lead to the arrival of the enemy'?"

"The hexagram 'Need,' line 93. Your servant interprets it as: Waiting in the mire will invite the arrival of bandits."

Wang Ziqian listened silently, his mind a complete mess, before finally managing to retrieve a vague impression from his memory.

He silently lowered his head and shrank back, his energetic youthful appearance vanishing, wishing he could shrink into a crevice.

Instead, Cheng Hu's pale face flushed, and he looked eager to try. Clearly, he could answer all of Ji Heng's questions.

Princess Wen's earlier timidity had vanished; now she stood tall and proud, her gaze shining as she looked back.

Ji Heng remained silent.

Qin Shi sat opposite him, sighing silently.

She understood why Ji Heng did not allow the princess to discuss politics.

If a woman wants to seize power, she must fight against millions of people in the world, and even the rules and laws of the world must be opposed with the courage and decisiveness to do so.

In other words, she needs to be more resolute, more magnanimous, and more decisive than her brothers. It doesn't matter if her nature is even a little more fiery.

Steadfast and domineering, incomparably powerful, he worries about the autumn and winter snow even when spring flowers are in full bloom; only in this way can one hold great power!
Otherwise, how could a woman wield power and contend with all the powerful figures in the world? Would she have to compromise and negotiate to achieve everything?

If one day, the other party points his sword at the throne, and she has nowhere to retreat, what should she do?

Princess Wenming also disliked Qin Shi. As a princess, she commanded guards, and few in the Xianyang Palace could stand against her.

Despite this, she remained tactful and indirect, lacking both the magnanimity to apologize to the more powerful party and the courage and decisiveness to confront them directly.

She is a princess of the Qin Dynasty!
He clearly longed to participate in political discussions, but seeing his younger brothers already qualified, he didn't even have the courage to express his desire directly, nor did he dare to fight for it.

If Ji Heng had asked her about marriage, and she had simply said, "I don't want to get married, I only want to share my father's burdens," the King of Qin would probably have been secretly delighted.

However, she felt sorry for herself, even though she was hardworking, talented, smarter than her brothers, and had a better voice...

So what?
Sexual nature is innate, but behavior is taught.

Princess Wen's nature is already set; only a radical overhaul can change it.

Even now, in the mighty Qin state, Ji Heng, the ruler of the world, still faces numerous difficulties.

How can we create a completely different opportunity for her?
Even if she were to truly hold power, with her methods and nature, could she really control all directions?
Who will succeed him in the future?

Will her son, who is not her biological child, truly have a peaceful end with her? It seems he will end up marrying into another family.

If she were to give birth as an emperor, given the current medical environment, her pregnancy would be fraught with danger, and childbirth would be entirely at the mercy of others.

Decades of effort were spent nurturing the next emperor, but this event caused his untimely death, and the world was likely to be filled with heroes rising up and the country divided into four factions.

If everything goes well, but the child dies—

For men, the harem is readily available, and the children are not conceived by them. The pain is temporary, and they can quickly recover.

But for women, nine times out of ten, it is difficult to abandon their children, as it would cause them pain and harm, and would be of no benefit to the country.

It is not only men who can accomplish great things, but also those who are ruthless.

Qin Shi understood all this, and his heart ached.

Ji Heng slowly looked at the crowd below the steps. Princess Wen still did not reflect on her actions, but instead wore an arrogant expression.

Prince Qian was as timid as a quail, brave but lacking in strategy, and his nature was not yet fully developed!

The prince, riding a tiger, was eager to try it out. Although young and weak, he was exceptionally intelligent.

However, Ji Heng still frowned: "Chenghu, you have been intelligent since childhood. Can you read Laozi and Zhuangzi?"

Cheng Hu's cheeks flushed even more deeply: "Father, I have read it through!"

He was practically radiating anticipation.

Ji Heng then asked, "If that's the case, how do you explain the saying, 'The mind of a sage is like a mirror, neither anticipating nor welcoming, responding without clinging, thus able to overcome things without being harmed'?"

Cheng Hu said happily, "This saying comes from Zhuangzi's 'Responding to Emperors and Kings'."

The Grand Tutor explained: A person of high moral character has a heart like a mirror, responding to external things as they are, without accumulating too many distracting thoughts and worries in their heart.

"Only in this way can one transcend external disturbances, avoid being harmed by various external factors, and attain inner peace and freedom."

His frail body straightened, and his pale face flushed red, clearly eagerly awaiting Ji Heng's response.

However, Ji Heng asked, "Riding a tiger, can your body hold all things?"

This chapter was a bit difficult to write, so it took me a lot of time and is a little late.

The corresponding classical Chinese texts already explain their origins and meanings within the chapters, so there's no need to repeat the annotations. (Explanations are derived from books and online searches. The meanings of the I Ching often relate to the affairs of heaven and earth and current events; interpretations vary depending on the context.)

I know this chapter is difficult to understand, but it conveys the intended meaning. I hope that if you are in the mood, you can read it carefully twice.