Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 62, Section 61: Upright but Unforgiving

In the corner, the imperial censor was writing furiously, the brand-new bamboo slips being unfurled one by one, making a crisp sound.

Qin Shi closed his eyes in anguish, unable to bear the sight of the three princes' pained expressions.

King Heng of Qin was truly a ruthless monarch.

He not only ruthlessly and accurately attacked his own children's weaknesses, but he was equally merciless in attacking his own.

That's right, how could tigers and wolves empathize with rabbits and sheep?

As a youth, he was patient, resilient, and assertive; as an adult, he was bold, decisive, and shrewd.

Now in his prime, his word carries immense weight in the Qin state.

Thunder and rain, all are the Emperor's grace.

He was thirty-six years old, but his children were nothing like their father.

While his words struck at his children's sore spots, he himself gained nothing.

Now, Prince Chenghu trembled, tears welling in his eyes; clearly, his frail body was a hidden pain in his heart.

He is ambitious and has inherited his mother's intelligence and wisdom, but in a country where martial spirit prevails, he has a body that is always panting and unable to mount a horse to draw a bow.

The more he acts this way, the less he can be happy.

The more depressed and overthinking one is, the more harmful it is to one's health.

Although his father did not reprimand him severely, but only asked a light question, he could not help but tear up and a tear fell from his eye.

Qin Shi, sitting opposite and witnessing it firsthand, was filled with a sense of melancholy.
The boy riding the tiger was only seven years old.

Thousands of years later, what family's seven-year-old child could recite the Analects, Zhuangzi, and the Book of Changes from memory, and answer questions fluently and with a thorough understanding...?

Parents will probably be overjoyed, proud and proud, hugging and kissing their precious baby, giving them everything they could want.

But now, Ji Heng only closed his eyes briefly, let out a long sigh, and made no other move.

Qin Shi: ...

She saw the tiger-riding man opposite her tremble again, probably because the king's sigh had dealt another heavy blow to his sensitive and thoughtful heart.

Qin Shi couldn't help but rub his forehead.

Ji Heng has no suitable heir. This is not the fault of the ladies in the harem, nor is it the fault of the children's lack of character and temperament...

The king is simply not qualified to be a father!

Not qualified!
An educational approach that suppresses, attacks, and hurts the most is something that would have prevented Li Bai from ever writing another poem in his entire life!
Then look at the bewildered Prince Qian, who was still cowering and confused, and Princess Wen, who was trying hard to suppress her pride but still couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile.

Qin Shi thought to himself: I originally thought that Princess Wen had inherited the intelligence of the King of Qin, unlike her mother and brothers.

Yet this foolishly confident demeanor, free from internal conflict, actually embodies the essence of Madam Zheng's resentment, pride, and stubbornness in asserting her larger and more robust physique.

Girl, if you don't pull yourself together soon, your father will be the next to deal with you.

as predicted.

Ji Heng then swept past Prince Qian in the middle and looked at Princess Wen: "Since you answered the question so fluently, then, Wen'er, where is your [Martial Virtue]?"

What about your loyalty, steadfastness, decisiveness, courage, and indomitable spirit?

If there were any, it wouldn't be that he doesn't dare to say a word now: "Father, your son also wants to discuss politics!"
"Do your actions and words trap you in your own self-imposed prison, thus inviting thieves and bandits?"

She tries to be thorough in everything she does, but in this world, is there such a thing as thoroughness? If something is not thorough, should she not do it at all?

Offending Qin Qing was not a big deal. Prince Qian could still be indignant, and Princess Wen could help him out. He could also apologize frankly and speak frankly, or the siblings could act together openly and forcefully.

She is trapped in the quagmire she herself created, and this is the root cause of her downfall.

Princess Wen's face was pale.

Her sharp features had lost their former spirit, and the childlike arrogance that once graced her face had vanished.

That was her philosophy of life, but the King of Qin shattered it with just a few words.

How cruel!
Qin Shi sighed. Looking at the King of Qin's expression, he saw him sitting behind the table, his face gleaming, and he even waved for the food that had just been served to be removed.

Judging from his words and actions, it is clear that he once placed high hopes on Princess Wen.

Although he had no intention of having her inherit the throne, he was clearly willing to let her participate in politics and grow into a pillar of the Qin Dynasty.

Prince Qian, who was nestled between his siblings, waited anxiously at first, but after a while, he realized that his father had no intention of testing him, so he became happy again.

But in an instant, that joy turned into confusion.

—A deep sense of inferiority.

Because compared to his siblings who could find fault with him, he, as the eldest prince, was no longer worthy of a single word from his father.

Even a poor student can't stand being ignored by their own father.

...

The hall fell silent once more.

In the corner, the censor was sweating profusely, his pen flying across the paper, and he had already produced several volumes of records.

Qin Shi slowly exhaled, raised his head again, and said sincerely, "As expected of the princes and princesses of my Qin Kingdom."

Feeling the gazes focused on her, she exclaimed sincerely, "Prince Chenghu is already able to recite so many articles at such a young age. I imagine Your Majesty must have been just as gifted in your childhood."

"Prince Qian is a young man of great talent and outspokenness. Perhaps one day he will be able to conquer the Qiang, Hu and Baiyue tribes for our Qin state and become a great military god of Qin like General Yan."

"Princess Wen is even more remarkable. She is quick-witted, loves her brothers, and has the demeanor of an elder sister. Moreover, she is also able to recite and read, and is exceptionally intelligent."

"A gentleman is upright but not inflexible, and is neither indifferent to right nor wrong."

"The king says this is Princess Wen's weakness. But I think it is precisely her strength."

She smiled, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Ji Heng, but a sigh of regret and reverence escaped her lips:

"Heroes are rare, appearing only once or twice in a thousand years. There is no longer a monarch in the world as decisive, domineering, and heroic as Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, with such outstanding offspring, wouldn't it be even more remarkable if they were allowed to hone their skills in the court for a few years?"

These words were the boldest and most frequent statements she had made recently.

But then Ji Heng looked at her with deep, unfathomable eyes:

That makes perfect sense.

None of the rulers of the six kingdoms possessed a temperament and magnanimity like mine. The princes and princesses are still young; surely we cannot force them to grow up too quickly?
That being the case——

He nodded: "Have you all listened carefully to what Qin Qing said?"

Before Princess Wen could even process her surprise and slightly awkward gratitude, she instinctively replied:

"I've remembered it."

Ji Heng's expression gradually relaxed, and his previous agitated and depressed mood vanished completely.

“Zhou Ju, set up a table in the side hall of Zhangtai Palace, and order the princes and princesses over the age of seven to come here every day after finishing their studies at the Grand Tutor’s place, and to read in depth the memorials submitted by various parts of our Great Qin.”

Princess Wen's eyes were slightly red, but she quickly replied, "Yes!"

The prince riding the tiger was also overjoyed, and so it should be.

Only Prince Qian, who spent his free time playing, practicing, and lingering in the martial arts arena, looked pale and miserable.

[A gentleman is steadfast but not rigid: From the Analects of Confucius, Wei Ling Gong. This means that a gentleman adheres to the right path and follows principles, but is not inflexible. He is adaptable and not bound by trivialities.]

[“Neither acceptable nor unacceptable”: From the Analects of Confucius, “Wei Zi”: “I am different from these people; I am neither acceptable nor unacceptable.” Confucius said that he was different from some recluses who each adhered to their own principles, while he was “neither acceptable nor unacceptable,” meaning he was not biased or rigid, possessing both firmness in adhering to principles and flexibility in adapting to changing circumstances.]

The above two sentences were excerpted from the text when I was a child.

[Today's Highlight] My modern farming life story is also very good, new friends should check it out!

Records of Song Tan