Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 80, Section 79: The Queen's Throne
After Qin Shi left, Zhangtai Palace fell silent once more.

The eunuch immediately sent a message to the Imperial Censor, who, being an even more unfortunate laborer, rushed to Zhangtai Palace under the cover of night. By then, the waning moon was already high in the sky.

Wang Xueyuan felt deeply that her life was miserable, but the king's urgent summons must be of great importance—

"Mandated by Heaven, long life and prosperity?!"

He murmured the words repeatedly, and a moment later a deep sense of regret welled up inside him: Why weren't such amazing words his own?!

There's also the term "Imperial Seal of the State"...

Oh!

If he weren't in front of the king, he would have sighed deeply at this moment.

However, it must be said that this is more prestigious and domineering than the Six Imperial Seals.

As a subject, one fears both that one is not as wise as the king and cannot share his burdens, and that one is more wise than the king and will arouse his suspicion.

Therefore, he sighed inwardly, but still flattered, "Your Majesty is indeed destined by Heaven! The seal script on this jade seal is truly exquisite and divine, it is truly captivating!"

But Ji Heng had already heard some better words.

My emotions had already been stirred long ago.

He merely raised his eyes slightly.

“Since it is so good, you may order someone to do it yourself. When the ‘Great Qin Code’ is promulgated, I will present the Imperial Seal of the State before the spirits of our ancestors.”

Wang Xueyuan gladly accepted the task.

At this moment, Ji Heng instructed: "If there are extra pieces of the Imperial Seal, carve another seal with a dragon and tiger knob, and inscribe it with seal script. I will consider it and then decide."

Wang Xueyuan was taken aback, then exclaimed in surprise: "The Chihu Seal? Is the King going to appoint a Queen?"

The Chi-Hu resembles a dragon but is not; it has ears but no horns. It represents the ruler of the world, commanding respect and authority over officials; it was the seal of the queens of Qin throughout history.

Now that seal carving has suddenly begun, why haven't we heard a single word about it from the highest officials and nobles?

His mind raced, and he quickly recalled that the king had brought back a noblewoman from a foreign land during his western tour. The king trusted her greatly, summoning her daily and even granting her residence at the Lanchi Palace, where she was frequently showered with gifts of gold, silver, pearls, jade, and silk.

He couldn't help but frown at that moment.

Ji Heng raised his eyes and looked at him calmly: "What? Do you have something to report?"

As the Imperial Censor, Wang Xueyuan naturally had something to report!
Your Majesty is now in your prime, and the fate of the world is uncertain, yet the Qin state has still not established a crown prince!
Furthermore, there are only two princes in the palace, neither of whom currently possesses the qualities of a ruler, nor are they any like the King.

If the mountain collapses one day, where will the people go?

And then there's the position of Queen of Qin. If one day... she could rule the country and lead the army for the new king! Your Majesty was delayed in taking personal control of the government because of the many obstacles posed by the Queen of Chu. How perilous was the path to destroying the six states!

Now, are we going to make the Crown Prince of Qin repeat the same mistakes?

More importantly: who exactly is that noble lady from Lanchi Palace?!
After the King returned from his western tour, all the generals and officers remained tight-lipped, not uttering a single word. Wang Xueyuan, as the Imperial Censor, had clearly received news of the King's serious illness, yet now…

He then cupped his hands and asked again, "Your Majesty, may I ask who holds the Dragon-Tiger Seal of the Queen of Great Qin?"

Ji Heng looked up at him, his expression cold and stern: "Noble Lady of Lanchi Palace. How do you feel?"

What can they do? They've never even met this important person!
Therefore, he asked again, "Is your esteemed lady a noblewoman from one of the six kingdoms in the past?"

The calamity caused by the Queen of Chu must never be repeated.

If they are truly descendants of the six former kingdoms, then it would be better to leave the position of queen vacant.

Only the crown prince of the country...

He was deep in thought, and for a moment he thought of Prince Qian and Prince Chenghu. At this moment, he felt that the Qin Dynasty was about to collapse, and he hoped that the king would live a long life of a hundred years!

Ji Heng slightly curled the corners of his lips: "Qin Qing is a descendant of my Qin state."

Wang Xueyuan frowned slightly, not understanding the deeper meaning, but since he was a Qin citizen, he felt a little more relaxed.

only……

"The position of Queen is of great importance, and I hope Your Majesty will consider it carefully before acting."

Ji Heng replied calmly, "Does my ability mean I must be so timid and hesitant before the Queen?"

Wang Xueyuan was speechless. What could he say?

What they feared was not the king's timidity towards the queen's power, but rather the fact that the crown prince of Qin was still nowhere to be found, and what if one day...

Damn!

Such a major event is something he simply cannot bear alone!
Therefore, he simply bowed and said, "I alone cannot fully consider this matter, and I fear it may jeopardize the future of Great Qin. This matter is of great importance; perhaps we should summon the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers to discuss it tomorrow?"

This was already quite a thoughtful statement, but after waiting for a moment, Ji Heng didn't even raise his head: "In that case, you may go."

The implication is that there's absolutely no need for discussion or debate.

After all, she was his queen, and naturally, she held absolute power. The fact that he spoke to the Censor-in-Chief was merely to instruct him to prepare the seal.

The Zhangtai Palace was heavily lit with candles, and Wang Xueyuan was taken aback:
Why wouldn't the king allow him to stay in the side hall so late at night?

These days, he travels back and forth under the stars, only getting a short nap before heading back to the palace. His hurried comings and goings, how could his loyalty not please the king?

He felt wronged and silently withdrew.

At the higher levels, Zhou Ju silently shook his head inwardly:
Alas! Even the Imperial Censor cannot match Qin Qing's eloquence!

It seems that it's not that he lacks ability, but rather that all the officials in the court are like this, so it's not his fault!
But after the Imperial Censor left, Ji Heng also put down his pen again, and then his expression became solemn.

He was not unaware of what Wang Xueyuan had left unsaid.

However, the princes in the palace are now truly unreliable.

He was over thirty-six years old and had no other ideas but to select beauties.

However, the ladies in the palace were also selected, and it was still unknown whether they could give birth to a prince to his liking after another round of selection.

How could these mediocre people compare to Qin Qing?
Who but Qin Qing could know his ambitions, pride, and aspirations?

more importantly--

Someone like Qin Qing, no matter what, he would never allow him to leave Xianyang Palace!
The other party is naturally unrestrained and doesn't understand etiquette, yet they still possess a natural sense of respect.

If one day a new emperor were to treat her rudely, judging from his words and actions, she would certainly not be willing to tolerate it!

If he leaves in a fit of anger, and the new ruler is powerless to stop him or decisively kill him, he will fall into the hands of the rebels of the six states...

Ji Heng closed his eyes deeply and stroked the hilt of his sword again.

—Then the only option is to kill him immediately.

Zhou Ju, who was standing by, held his breath and watched as the king slowly opened his eyes; at this moment, he too couldn't help but tense up.

"Your Majesty, it is late at night, why don't you rest?"

He pondered Ji Heng's thoughts and tentatively asked:

"Qin Qing was rewarded with a dragon and tiger seal today, but I think she doesn't understand its meaning. Tomorrow she will probably have to come and report on the Ironworks to His Majesty."

"May I give you a hint?"

Ji Heng rubbed his forehead, then said in a low voice, "Let's wait a little longer."

Let's wait a little longer and let him think it over and investigate further.

Although he didn't care much about romantic love, he knew that there was no logic to romantic love.

I am the ruler of all under heaven. If you, Qin Qing, were to become empress, you would surely hold great power.

If one day she were to be filled with fear because of love, she would find that her temperament and intelligence far surpass those of ordinary people...

What will become of the Qin Dynasty then?

Here we are. We're exhausted, but everyone still persevered and came back to write...

What a miserable group of people!

And this is all I managed to write after struggling for hours!

This chapter reveals the king's inner conflict and the helplessness Qin faces...