Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 71, Question 70: Truly unwise.
No one cared about Zhou Ju's thoughts.

Qin Shi only cared about himself—speaking today was really risky. Since ancient times, child-rearing issues have easily caused disputes. Fortunately, the king knows how to be self-consistent and can calm things down with a few words.

Although he seemed a bit narcissistic, considering that he had already accomplished a great unification at the age of thirty-six, it was understandable that he wanted to take a few steps forward in his mind and spirit.

right?

In short, that was the end of that topic.

Qin Shi remembered another important matter he had come for today, and asked, "Your Majesty, are the lotus seeds presented by Lanchi Palace at noon still fresh and tender?"

Although Ji Heng didn't care about these things, he had a good memory and clearly remembered the stack of lotus seeds that the maid had placed on the table after peeling them.

It is indeed fresh, tender, crisp, and sweet.

Although lotus seeds are bitter, they can reduce internal heat, which just happened to be the right thing for his liver fire at noon.

Therefore, he nodded: "That's right."

Qin Shi immediately laughed: "Then I will present some more to Your Majesty tomorrow. I wonder if Your Majesty could reward me with some water chestnuts?"

She used the flowers to offer to Buddha, and she did so with remarkable ease.

Just as Ji Heng dipped his brush in ink, a drop of ink nearly spilled onto the bamboo slip.

The servants hurriedly came forward to gently wipe the table, but Ji Heng simply put down his pen, raised his eyebrows and said, "It seems that I have not bestowed the Orchid Pond upon Minister Qin?"

He now truly admired Qin Shi's courage.

Not everyone can talk about water chestnuts and lotus seeds without any qualms after arguing or opposing them.

Qin Shi remained unfazed: "Although Your Majesty has not yet rewarded me, I will work diligently for Your Majesty in the future, and sooner or later Your Majesty will reward me."

Living in Lanchi, the burden of supporting her family fell on the King of Qin.

Ice in summer, charcoal in winter, maids and servants, jewels and precious stones—these are now only attainable by those with power and favor.

Otherwise, no matter how immense her wealth, she would probably never be able to leave Xianyang City in her lifetime, so how could she enjoy it?
Even if she could afford it, she wouldn't really want to.

Just a trip to the Wei River takes six hours round trip, and any further away would be too much for her. Therefore, Qin Shi really wanted to stay at Lanchi for a long time.

He spoke with particular confidence, and his boldness and certainty were indeed somewhat reminiscent of Ji Heng's character, so he couldn't help but laugh and say, "Then Minister Qin will have to put in even more effort."

Zhou Ju, however, lowered his head and looked away, secretly sighing in his heart:
Why bother with Lanchi Palace? It's so far from Zhangtai Palace. I'd rather have Ganquan Palace.

This place has always been the residence of queens throughout history, and due to the grand scale of the palace complex, previous queens also lived here. Today, only Lady Jung resides in the side hall of Gan Quan Palace, which is still a 15-minute drive from the main hall.

If Qin Qing were to move in, it would be no less beautiful than Lan Chi.

Moreover, the rear hall of Ganquan Palace is only a quarter of an hour away from Lanchi Pond.

Of course, he only muttered it to himself.

After all, the entire palace complex in Xianyang belongs to the king alone, so why would he bestow it upon a minister?
Qin Qing's efforts were probably just a joke between the emperor and his subject.

But Ji Heng had already begun giving orders: "Have people gather fresh water chestnuts. Not only today, but every day, whenever there are fresh water chestnuts or other fresh fruits, send some fresh ones to Lanchi."

The maidservant beside him bowed silently and then quickly went out to give the instructions.

Qin Shi silently watched her and noticed that ever since she entered the palace, the other person had been so indifferent that it was as if she didn't even breathe.

He'd even maintained that posture with his head bowed and eyes lowered for quite some time now, and then look at the red-haired woman beside him, also with her head bowed—

Compared to serving the King, being by her side may be less dignified, but the level of comfort is clearly higher.

For example, by the candlelight tonight, she could even see the rosy woman's cheeks becoming noticeably fuller.

This extra weight added a touch of childishness to his face. Qin Shi, however, belatedly realized:
Oh!
Because the Red Maiden is always meticulous and thorough in everything she does, and speaks very maturely, she has forgotten that the Red Maiden is actually only sixteen years old.

But sixteen years old is not young these days.

She began to worry again: Chi Nu and Wu Zi had reached the age to leave the palace and wanted to get married. Would she still be able to summon them back to the palace to work?
Now we have to talk about the current Qin laws—although the king is over 1.9 meters tall, with a deep and imposing presence, and is majestic and heroic.

In reality, most of the lower-class people in the Qin state were short, with 1.4 to 1.5 meters being the norm.

But this wasn't a genetic problem; it was purely due to insufficient food and heavy labor.

Although turnip seed oil and hemp seed oil don't taste good, can ordinary people eat them every day?
Rice made with beans and wheat was both bloating and choking, but how could the poor afford it? Not to mention other meats—

Hunting is also difficult because the current system of granting land and titles based on military merit means that many mountain and forest land resources belong to private individuals or the state.

Going into the mountains to cut firewood is considered encroaching on the resources of those in power.

Therefore, Qin Shi was grateful for his good fortune countless times, and continued to work hard.

Because no matter the dynasty, those at the bottom always suffer the most.

The same applies to marriage systems today.

While seventeen was considered the age of adulthood for men, Qin law also had another standard to ensure population survival during years of warfare—

Anyone who is 6 feet 5 inches (1.5 meters) tall can serve in the military and can also get married.

The same applies to women who are six feet two inches (approximately 1.4 meters) tall.

There is even a system that exempts minors from criminal punishment, which is also based on height—those under six feet tall are judged as children.

Chi Nu and Wu Zi are nearly 1.6 meters tall, having been raised in Xianyang Palace.

While such a height would waste fabric, being slightly overweight would make her appear very fertile, and once she leaves the palace at 25, she would likely be sought after by many.

This was also the prevailing philosophy throughout the Qin state.

We need people! We need people! We need people!
She made a note of this, and then focused on enjoying the dishes that the palace chefs had specially prepared for the King of Qin that evening.

A bowl of carefully pounded and selected rice was steamed and served with crucian carp and tofu soup ordered by Qin Shi, tofu with scallions, and various stir-fried meat and vegetables. Although Ji Heng ate without saying a word, it was clear that he was extremely satisfied.

Zhou Ju watched silently, and only after Qin Shi took his leave did he casually say, "Qin Qing is truly a benefactor of our Great Qin. With her around, Your Majesty's meals taste much better."

Isn't this nonsense?

He doesn't care about whether something is delicious or not; it doesn't mean he can't tell the difference or doesn't like it.

Therefore, Ji Heng closed his eyes to rest for a while, then said coldly, "Speak frankly if you have something to say."

Zhou Ju hurriedly bowed: "Your Majesty, I was just expressing my feelings. If the harem were to select beauties, and one of them were as learned and insightful as Minister Qin, I believe she would be able to teach the prince and bring joy to Your Majesty."

Ji Heng remained unmoved: Lao Tzu said, "No fault is greater than the desire to possess."

His ability to find a benefactor like Qin Qing at the brink of death is truly a blessing from heaven. If he were to constantly demand more, wouldn't that be an act of insatiable desire?

That would be unwise.

Regarding adulthood in the Qin Dynasty, age was used as a basis, but not relied upon, because it was too difficult to determine due to war.

The Qin Dynasty bamboo slips, in the section "Legal Questions and Answers," state: "A person named Jia is less than six feet tall and owns a horse that he grazes himself. Now the horse has been ruined by a person and has eaten one shi (a unit of dry measure) of his crops. Should this be punished? No, it should not be punished and the person should be compensated for the lost crops."

Under Qin Dynasty law, people who were less than six feet tall were not criminally liable.

[No sin is greater than desire, no calamity greater than discontent, no fault greater than greed. Therefore, contentment is true satisfaction.]