Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 79, Section 78: The Seal of the Dragon Tiger
Those who receive orders from heaven will live long and prosperous lives.

Ji Heng was speechless for a moment, feeling as if these words had instantly etched his ambition and passion into his heart.

The imperial power was divinely ordained, and the throne was legitimate.

May the country be forever secure and the nation's destiny enduring.

The vast and magnificent Qin Dynasty, with its thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, is all contained here.

The ambition and pride that only a ruler of the land could possess, which even the prime minister and the censor could not understand, were now fully displayed and unleashed.

Furthermore, there's Qin Qing's mention of the "Imperial Seal of the State."

What captivating words!
For thousands of years to come, this place will be part of the Qin Dynasty.

All future rulers who ascend the throne should hold this jade seal in high esteem and revere the power and virtue of this unified ruler.

Even Zhou Ju held his breath for a moment.

"By the mandate of Heaven"—what a self-righteous yet domineering statement! Although it's a divine right of kings, it perfectly reflects the king's personality; even flattering Heaven seems so natural.

As for the Qin Dynasty, shouldn't every emperor, starting from the First Emperor, possess a national jade seal?

"By the mandate of Heaven, may your reign be long and prosperous"—shouldn't this be the seal script that the Imperial Seal of the State should have?
Zhangtai Palace was completely silent.

A moment later, Ji Heng suddenly chuckled softly.

His fingers gently caressed the hilt of the short sword, the cool temperature slightly restraining his excited emotions.

Looking at Qin Shi's natural expression, he spoke slowly and deliberately: "What you say makes a lot of sense."

Then his gaze was fixed on her.

Cold and sharp, yet determined to win.

It was as if a hawk atop a snow-capped mountain was coldly watching its precious prey below. For it knew that possessing the prey would bring lasting satisfaction.

Qin Shi noticed something was wrong.

She slowly suppressed her smile and looked back at the King of Qin with equal seriousness.

Their eyes met, and they saw ambition and composure in each other's eyes.

Then she realized that the term "Imperial Seal of the State" was probably unprecedented in the present day.

But isn't this better?

All she relies on now is the King of Qin's open trust.

The more pleasing her words, the more the other person would like her, and the brighter her future would appear. Therefore, she feigned ignorance: "Since that makes sense, could Your Majesty bestow upon me some more pearls, jade, cloth, or furs?"

She seemed like a woman who loved beauty: "The heat of summer is about to pass, and I should prepare some warm new clothes again."

Ji Heng certainly noticed it.

But that didn't matter. He smiled slightly and said, "Of course, I deserve a reward."

Without turning his head, he said, "Zhou Ju, convey the imperial edict of the Grand Censor—"

"I have heard that since the Zhou dynasty, there have been seals and seals, and all the feudal lords were granted fiefs and submitted to the emperor. Now that I have unified the world, I wish to become emperor. Therefore, I am revising the imperial edict to make a seal. I order the palace to use precious jade to make the Imperial Seal of the State, with the inscription 'Having received the mandate of Heaven, may your reign be long and prosperous,' so that future generations may rule for ten thousand years and be passed down without end."

His voice gradually became more impassioned, and Zhou Ju also raised his voice in agreement.

As Qin Shi listened, he tried his best to understand, and a strange sense of pride and joy gradually arose in his heart.

Her eyes shone brightly as she reiterated, "From this day forward, Your Majesty will rule the world, and all people under heaven will obey you."

Ji Heng, his gaze sharp as he looked at Qin Shi, suddenly asked, "I heard that you took a piece of mutton-fat jade from the treasury. Is it engraved with a mark?"

Qin Shi remembered that small white jade.

It felt oily and smooth to the touch, white and lustrous like cream. She had always wanted to carve a small seal, but because she was too busy, she hadn't decided what to carve and had to put it aside for the time being.

When Ji Heng asked her about it, she paused for a moment before replying, "Your Majesty, it hasn't been engraved yet."

Ji Heng responded, "That jade seal is too small and feels cramped, so I'll leave it to Qin Qing as a private seal for him to play with."

"As for the carving..."

He smiled slightly, his cold and stern face softening considerably, yet also revealing a hint of complexity: "Then let's make the dragon-tiger."

Zhou Ju immediately lowered his head, bowed slightly, and clenched his fists.

Qin Shi was taken aback.

But she also had a lot of jade, enough to carve anything, and a dragon-tiger didn't seem out of the ordinary, especially since the king himself had said so. She naturally nodded in agreement: "Yes."

……

I had already planned out how to give the presentation, thinking I'd be working overtime, but the client didn't ask a single question.

Qin Shi returned to Lanchi Palace with a pile of rewards, completely bewildered: "Your Majesty seems to be in a very good mood."

Everyone started paying attention to the mutton fat jade she was holding.

However, at this time, people of status all had seals, so it was normal for her to have one.

The Chi-tiger, resembling a dragon with ears but no horns, must hold a very high status. It seems my flattery tonight still pleased the King of Qin.

Oh!

He's so generous.

Handsome, pleasing to the eye, generous, and magnanimous—even if this magnanimity is just a pretense of a ruler, the feigned magnanimity is still magnanimous.

She was very satisfied.

Having served the King of Qin for a long time, Chi Nu had some knowledge of the matter of seals. But...

Her expression was complicated, but seeing that Qin Shi was still overjoyed, she finally kept quiet.

Then he smiled and said, "Yes, Qin Jun will surely have a bright future and hold great power."

Meanwhile, Qin Shi was already excitedly calling out to Wu Zi, "Where is my mutton fat jade?"

Wu Zi smiled and asked, "Which one is the King of Qin asking about? The King selected thirty-two from his treasury, and tonight he has bestowed sixty-six more."

Is that much?

Qin Shi really admires the wealthy and powerful King Qin!

She was even happier: "The smaller one, the one we're going to engrave."

Wu Zi immediately knew which one it was, and immediately sent someone to fetch it from the treasure vault.

In the candlelight, the precious jade resembled a lump of mutton fat, as if it would slowly melt if held in a hot palm.

Then he asked, "Has Lord Qin decided on the shape and inscription? Should we summon the craftsmen from the Imperial Workshop?"

Qin Shi shook his head: "It's too late. You can give it to the craftsman tomorrow. As for the shape, the king ordered me to carve a dragon-tiger as my personal seal, and the inscription can follow the shape."

For a moment, she couldn't think of what to carve. It couldn't be "By the mandate of heaven," could it?

Wu Zi paused, "The King's Decree—the Dragon-Tiger Seal?"

Qin Shi also looked up and put the mutton-fat jade back into the box:
"What, has the Chi-Tiger Seal overstepped its bounds?"

"No. I have not overstepped my bounds." Wu Zi quickly shook her head, then bowed: "This servant will arrange it immediately."

She walked hurriedly, but her hands, holding the box, pressed it with unusual tension. Qin Shi frowned, becoming even more certain that the seal he had used was an overreach of design.

but.

who cares.

The king has bestowed a favor upon her; if she doesn't accept it joyfully, does she have to follow the rules?

But such deep affection...

She then instructed, "Someone, bring me pen and ink; I need to make a record and plan for today."

We need to work harder!
Moreover, her seal script was really rusty.

Rather than simply recording, it's more like practicing calligraphy, organizing thoughts, and planning all happening simultaneously.

The Red Maiden quickly advised, "Lord Qin, it's already late. Staying up late is bad for your health—the physician once made a facial poultice that can relieve fatigue and beautify the complexion. Why don't you try it today?"

Qin Shi: ...It's hard not to be swayed.

She checked the time again: It's ten o'clock! She really can't stay up late anymore.

Your Majesty, I will try my best again tomorrow!
Here I am! Heading out.

The Chihu is a mythical animal, resembling a dragon with ears but no horns. Using the Chihu as a button symbolizes the absolute authority of the ruler who reigns over the world and subdues his officials.

There aren't many records of the Qin queen's seal, but the dragon-tiger seal was the seal knob of a Western Han empress. This is a borrowing from it.

You all should understand what the king is thinking, right?