Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 77, Section 76: The Six Seals of the Imperial Carriage
Hearing the iron official's words, Qin Shi just smiled and remained silent.

Your Majesty is ordained by Heaven, but the hearts of the people have not yet turned to you, is that so?

People are categorized by kinship or distance, and feelings vary in depth. She arrived in Qin, and all the generous treatment she received was from the King of Qin; therefore, what she needed to protect first and foremost was his interests.

Otherwise, let alone realizing their ambitions, even survival would be a difficult task.

Therefore, she asked at this moment, "If I had a better forging method, would these master craftsmen be willing to work for Your Majesty?"

The iron official did not trust him.

The artisans from various countries that Your Majesty has brought back today, though not as accomplished as Ou Yezi a hundred years ago, still possess unique skills and techniques.

Such secret techniques, passed down orally from generation to generation, how could they be easily surpassed by others?
However, he possessed considerable emotional intelligence in the workplace, and thus still answered respectfully:
"Now that they have entered my Qin state, whether they are willing or not, they can only work for Your Majesty."

Qin Shi shook his head and said nothing more.

She never underestimated the initiative of top craftsmen.

A person with technical skills who is passionate and strives for excellence can achieve something vastly different from someone who is complacent and unambitious.

Under the scorching sun, the workshop was like an oven and steamer, with water vapor constantly rising from all directions.

Despite being drenched in sweat under these conditions, she still managed to get a look around the key areas of the workshop.

Once they were in the carriage, Wu Zi immediately said with concern, "Lord Qin, please drink a bowl of tea and then change your clothes."

Changing clothes and using the restroom in the blacksmith's workshop was inconvenient, so Qin Shi had been refusing to drink water, and now his lips were so dry and painful.

The tea had already been cooled to lukewarm by the maid, and she gulped it down, completely disregarding her image.

As another wave of sweat broke out, the slight coolness in the carriage gradually faded.

Fu Cai quickly came up to help her with her hair and take off her clothes. When Qin Shi entered the small toilet room in the carriage, she had already prepared warm water and towels so that she could quickly wash her whole body after she came out.

The maids silently continued to get on and off the carriage to tidy up, while Qin Shi finally changed out of his soaked clothes and lay down clean and refreshed.

For the sake of health, the temperature inside the carriage wasn't very cool, but after lying quietly for a while, one could gradually adapt to it comfortably.

She also breathed a sigh of relief: "You all should go and rest too."

She had a tough time, and so did the servants like Wu Zifu and Cai.

Wu Zi knew that this was her nature; she didn't like others pestering her repeatedly. So she also quietly withdrew, and other maids who were waiting for the carriage came up to serve her.

Another half hour later, the carriage began to move.

Qin Shi glanced at his watch—it was three o'clock in the afternoon. If he ate a couple of simple pancakes on the way, he would arrive back in Xianyang around six o'clock.

But at least I saw the actual product, and now I have a solution to the problem!

With one thing on her mind put down, she drifted off to sleep as the carriage swayed gently.

……

Meanwhile, in Zhangtai Palace.

The Imperial Censor Wang Xueyuan submitted a memorial to the throne, which was to prepare for the promulgation of the "Great Qin Code" by Ji Heng. He said that he wanted to present six seals to the king to replace the current Qin king's "Six Imperial Seals".

When the new seal is issued along with the royal decree, it will demonstrate the might and power of the Qin Dynasty.

Now, a scroll of memorials lay on his desk. Ji Heng flipped through it several times, but remained silent each time.

Among the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, the highest-ranking of the Three Dukes was Chancellor Wang Fu, who was the head of all officials and assisted the King of Qin in handling the affairs of the world.

The Imperial Censor Wang Xueyuan was responsible for supervising all officials, assisting the Prime Minister, and managing documents and memorials.

There is also the Grand Commandant in charge of military affairs, formerly General Yan Yun, but now that he is seriously ill, other officials have taken over the position.

Now, Imperial Censor Wang Xueyuan is carrying out his memorial to the throne, but has yet to receive a response from the King of Qin, which makes him somewhat uneasy.

Don't be fooled by Qin Shi's seemingly casual demeanor in front of Ji Heng; it's because Ji Heng is a born emperor with the talent to govern his subordinates.

For seasoned political veterans like Wang Xueyuan and Wang Fu, he needed to use authority more than respect, employing both kindness and severity to make them as easy to manage as his own limbs.

General Yan Yun, who had guided and accompanied him all the way, was loyal to the country, knew his place, and respected him... Therefore, he needed to be more cautious and gentle, but he could not lose his imperial dignity.

Otherwise, General Yan, who came from a military background, would naturally look down on the weak.

Fortunately, he was the same, so Ji Heng would never show weakness. As for Qin Qing…

As Ji Heng thought of this, he suddenly felt an emptiness in his stomach. He was stunned for a moment before he realized what was happening.

Looking down at the officials below the stage, who were still refining the details of the "Great Qin Code" in order to promulgate it to the world at the beginning of the new year, they became increasingly impatient.

He was caught off guard and started making a fuss again.

Ji Heng couldn't help but rub his forehead again.

Rather than watching a strong man argue with an old man, it's better to look at Qin Qing's bright and youthful clothes; at least she's all smiles and her voice is very pleasant to listen to.

He waved his hand to stop the argument: "Let's all take a break."

Then he ordered Zhou Ju: "Take away the snacks and bring up some rice for all of you to enjoy."

Zhou Ju responded in a low voice, then put down his pen and gave instructions. He then glanced at Ji Heng's expression and whispered:

"If I had known there were important matters to discuss today, I would have kept Qin Qing in the palace. Her words were insightful and reasonable, which would have saved Your Majesty from such trouble."

Ji Heng surprisingly nodded in agreement.

He couldn't resist taking out Wang Xueyuan's memorial to the throne and looking at it again—

The colors of the six imperial seals have been changed from white jade to five-colored jade.

The "Qin King's Seal," used to enfeoff vassal states, was still made in white.

The "Seal of the King of Qin," made of white jade and inlaid with gold, was used to bestow gifts upon various feudal lords.

The "Qin King's Seal," used for dispatching troops, was changed to be made of crimson agate.

The imperial seal used for bestowing titles upon foreign countries was changed to gold.

The Imperial Seal, used to manage civil and military officials, was made of a deep blue color reminiscent of mountains.

The Imperial Seal, used for sacrifices to heaven, earth, and spirits, was made of black jade, representing the water element of the Qin Dynasty.

What is all this?!

Could it be that if the seal is printed on the silk scroll, the whole world will know about their reforms?

However, if the emperor were to reject the proposal outright, the ministers might not understand his intentions and would not change the seal at all.

Now, Ji Heng held this memorial in his hands, feeling it was like a chicken rib—tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw away.

However, Prime Minister Wang Fu, being quite old, understood the Emperor's mind quite well. Therefore, seeing that the King remained silent for a long time, he suggested when the attendants brought out the food: "Your Majesty, I think the Imperial Censor's memorial can be revised."

Ji Heng finally became interested: "Oh?"

"Your Majesty, since you intend to be called the Emperor, there is no need to use the title 'King of Qin' for the 'Six Seals of the Imperial Carriage' here. You should simply change it to 'Emperor'."

"What does Your Majesty think?"

Ji Heng's heart stirred slightly; at this moment, he was quite tempted.

However, just like scratching an itch through a boot, he was actually quite satisfied with the titles such as "Emperor" and "Son of Heaven," but he always felt that something was missing.

Therefore, he simply nodded silently and said, "Let's discuss this matter again tomorrow."

Here they come! A bunch of writers are huddled together, scribbling away, but I'm too tired and fell asleep! Damn it! I was a step too late!
The Six Seals of the Imperial Carriage: The Six Seals of the Imperial Carriage were the seals worn by the emperors of the Qin Dynasty.

Imperial Seal: Used to enfeoff various vassal states.

The Emperor's Seal: Used to bestow gifts upon various feudal lords.

Emperor's Seal: Used to send troops.

The Emperor's Seal: Used for bestowing titles upon foreign countries.

The Emperor's Seal: Used to manage civil and military officials.

The Emperor's Seal: Used for offering sacrifices to Heaven, Earth, and spirits.

This system was inherited by the Han Dynasty. However, different historical records contain slight differences regarding the specific uses of the six seals.