“There are truly such divine objects in the world?” The Qin King was overjoyed and hurriedly asked, while even the surrounding princes’ eyes blazed with brilliant light. That day in the battle at Penglai Valley, large numbers of soldiers from the Yan character camp, Eastern Qi, and Southern Chu had entered, and even Western Chuan had sent spies inside. Although they all withdrew afterward under various restraints and Penglai closed its passages with no one able to descend, everyone had naturally heard of the miraculous wonders within. Hearing Qing Xia speak thus, they remembered that among those who had descended earlier was this woman, and she had even been recognized as master by Penglai. Thinking of this, their gazes toward her were no longer simple.
“This commoner woman would never dare deceive the Great King. It’s just that the requirements are truly complex – without five years of work, success would be difficult to achieve. Therefore I request Your Majesty’s patience. If after five years I cannot contribute to Your Majesty’s eastern campaign, Your Majesty may take my head.”
The Qin King was delighted and said with hearty laughter: “Rise and continue with the fourth point.”
Qing Xia stood up with a smile radiant as flowers, her expression free and confident as she raised her head and declared loudly: “This fourth point – everyone under heaven knows it – is that the Great King is wise and martial, with both civilian and military achievements standing as the pinnacle of the realm. You love your people as your own children, with a broad heart, magnanimous virtue and benevolence, your kingly bearing crowning all under heaven. Your grace and authority spread across the four seas, with northern barbarians competing to pay homage – you already faintly possess the bearing of ruler of the realm. Our Great Qin imperial family’s incense burns prosperously with father’s kindness and son’s filial piety. All the princes are young and accomplished, heroic and divinely brave. Heaven places the virtuous in charge, the capable achieve victory, and the accomplished lead. Your Majesty, being such a virtuous, capable, and accomplished sage lord of the world – could you not command the realm, recover the four seas, and ascend the throne of ten thousand prosperities?”
“Haha!” The Qin King’s old heart was greatly comforted as he laughed heartily: “Truly worthy of being Zhuang Dianru’s daughter – broad knowledge and strong memory. No wonder Western Chuan’s Great Emperor personally enfeoffed you as Western Chuan’s female general enjoying princess stipend, while Prince Qi and the Chu Emperor fought over you until their heads nearly broke, repeatedly clashing and nearly inciting warfare. Zhiyan has brought back a good girl, haha!”
“Thank you for Your Majesty’s favor,” Qing Xia knelt on the ground again and said loudly: “Loyal ministers serve wise lords, immortal cranes carry divine beings. This small woman is just an ordinary commoner with a rough life of several ups and downs. Only under a wise ruler like Your Majesty for the ages could someone like me speak freely in the great hall and voice my shallow insights. Only a sage ruler like Your Majesty who loves people as his own children would forgive the past mistakes I’ve made and not treat me as a calamitous demon to be bound and burned on a pyre. A thousand-li horse willingly gallops thousands and tens of thousands of li for its worthy master. Though this commoner woman cannot compare to a thousand-li horse – being just a mediocre ordinary common person – I am also willing to devote all my life’s learning to Great Qin’s revival, spilling my blood and giving my life with complete devotion to repay Your Majesty’s gracious recognition.”
The Qin King was overjoyed. He raised his head to drink a cup of wine, then handed his wine cup to a nearby attendant, smiling: “Little girl, your words are very pleasant to hear. I am very happy, so I bestow upon you my imperial cup. From now on, you may ascend the hall for imperial family banquets and government discussions.”
Hearing this, Qing Xia smiled brilliantly and kowtowed: “Your Majesty’s benevolence is comparable to the moon. Being able to frequently listen to Your Majesty’s profound discourse is fortune cultivated over three lifetimes for this commoner woman.”
Seeing the Qin King raise his cup, everyone else hurriedly raised their cups in congratulation. Qin Zhiyi remained composed and smiling, showing not the slightest embarrassment at having lost ground. Conversely, the Seventh and Ninth Princes looked troubled and gloomy, their faces as ugly as could be. Qing Xia smiled as she received the wine cup delivered by the attendant, stood up and returned to Qin Zhiyan’s seat. When sitting down, she glanced at Qin Zhiyan with a brilliant smile radiant as blooming flowers, reaching down to grasp his hand, only to discover his palm was covered in fine sweat. Her heart warmed involuntarily as she gripped tightly.
Qin Zhiyan turned his head, brilliant splendor flashing in his eyes, reflecting the surrounding lamplight like precious deep-sea pearls. The two smiled at each other, thousands of words contained in their mutual gaze, needing not a single spoken word.
“Father King, with Miss Zhuang’s assistance, the day when our Great Qin leads armies on battlefields to campaign against the four barbarians is not far off.” The Sixth Prince Qin Zhiying said with a smile. Hearing this, the Seventh and Ninth Princes raised their eyebrows with ugly expressions.
The Qin King was in good spirits and smiled: “Since Miss Zhuang is deeply versed in mechanical engineering, she shall henceforth serve at the Capital Construction Bureau. Zhiyan, arrange this later.”
Qin Zhiyan nodded and said solemnly: “Yes, Father Emperor.”
The Thirteenth Prince Qin Zhiyu, who had previously pestered Qing Xia calling her “beautiful young lady,” immediately stood up upon hearing this and called out loudly: “Father Emperor, all my elder brothers can share Father Emperor’s burdens, but only I idle at home daily, wandering everywhere. Previously I repeatedly defied Father Emperor’s edicts, but today hearing Miss Zhuang’s words has been like a thunderclap awakening me, like enlightenment poured over my head, making this son suddenly see the light. Father Emperor, why don’t you also assign me some duties?”
Everyone was greatly shocked to hear this. The Qin King also said puzzledly: “Which direction did the sun rise from today? Our Qin family’s famous playboy young master actually has a moment of sudden awakening and thorough reform. Tell me what you can do, and I’ll consider it for you.”
Everyone laughed heartily upon hearing this. This Qin Zhiyu and the Seventeenth Prince Jiang Hua were the capital’s “Twin Saints,” notorious for philandering and dissolute behavior, famous libertines of the Qin clan. Previously when the Qin King repeatedly wanted them to take official positions, both had avoided them like arsenic poison. Seeing him now voluntarily request a post felt as fresh as snow flying in the sixth month.
Qin Zhiyu slowly stood up, flicked his robe sleeves, and smiled: “This son has been quite interested in mechanical mathematics since childhood. Why doesn’t Father Emperor assign me to the Capital Construction Bureau to assist Miss Zhuang in creating divine weapons and sharp tools for Father Emperor, to help all my brothers attack cities and seize territories?”
Sudden laughter erupted. The Sixth Prince Qin Zhiying pointed at Qin Zhiyu and laughed: “A dog can’t stop eating shit – I knew this boy could never turn over a new leaf!”
The Qin King shook his head in reproach, also with deep smile lines. Qin Zhiyan’s lips curved in a faint smile as he turned to look into Qing Xia’s eyes, gripping her hand firmly in return. The two sat in the great hall with voices bustling around them and sounds clamorous, yet in their eyes it seemed there were only the two of them, as if heaven and earth had stopped together with everything becoming seamlessly clear.
No matter how sword-drawn and bow-bent things had been before, the banquet atmosphere was now completely restored. The Sixth and Ninth Princes were indeed skilled at adjusting the mood. After a short while, the great hall was filled with joy and harmony. Silk and bamboo music rose, dancing girls danced gracefully, and everyone ate, drank, and chatted, gradually relaxing.
Qing Xia poured wine and served dishes for Qin Zhiyan, gentle and virtuous like a truly virtuous and accomplished young lady from a great family. The Qin King presumably knew Qin Zhiyan’s poor health – their wine pot contained flower wine brewed from honey, sweet to drink like modern beverages. Qing Xia drank several more cups without any intoxication, but instead was made slightly flushed on both cheeks by the wine vapors in the great hall, charmingly beautiful beyond description.
Just then, as one round of song and dance concluded, Qin Zhiyi suddenly stood up and said to the Qin King: “Father Emperor, Mother Empress, Song’er has specially prepared a song and dance performance for this family banquet to present to Father Emperor and Mother Empress, congratulating both elders on good health and boundless longevity.”
Empress Chunyu was one of the rare gentle people in the rear palace, a model empress who disliked conflict. Though her son was the Crown Prince, she had always been very harmonious toward everyone in all the palaces and all the princes in court. It was precisely because of her nature that she could stabilize the various concubines in the rear palace, allowing the Qin King to marry one after another and father one after another. Empress Chunyu smiled kindly and said benevolently: “Since Song’er gave birth, I haven’t seen her for a long time. It’s thoughtful of her to have such intentions. Approved.”
The red-clothed woman sitting beside Qin Zhiyi slowly rose. Qing Xia could almost see rouge and powder falling from her face as she moved – truly wondering how Qin Zhiyi endured it. She slowly walked to the center of the venue, bowed gracefully to the Qin King and Empress Chunyu while musicians played their instruments in accompaniment. With silk and bamboo sounds, the woman began dancing gracefully. She appeared only seventeen or eighteen years old, yet unexpectedly had already borne children. This woman’s body was lithe with beautiful dance postures, but since Qing Xia had no good feelings toward her husband, she consequently had no good impression of her either. After lazily watching for a couple of glances, she buried her head in the food on the long table and began eating heartily.
After the song ended, cheers arose from all quarters. Qing Xia was holding a grape in her mouth but also raised her head to clap and cheer along with everyone else. Suddenly she saw the woman coldly glare at her before turning to return to her seat, causing her to start and immediately feel a trace of alertness.
Sure enough, just as the woman named Song’er sat down, the Seventh Prince’s wife rose to offer a song, followed by the Ninth Prince’s female companion who composed and wrote a seven-character regulated poem praising merits and virtues on the spot. If Qing Xia still didn’t realize what was happening at this point, she would have truly lived all these years in vain. She turned to give instructions to an attendant, then sat quietly waiting for the coming storm.
Indeed, half an hour later, the family banquet had practically become a talent show for the Qin clan’s daughters-in-law. Each prince’s household’s leading ladies brought out their special skills – the eighteen types of talents were brilliantly displayed, with the focus soon pointing directly toward Prince Xuan’s mansion.
The Ninth Prince Qin Zhimin was indeed a straightforward person, taking the lead: “We often hear that Master Zhuang was learned in ancient and modern times. Miss Zhuang must also have inner elegance. What talents might you have to open our eyes?”
Qing Xia’s lips curved in a faint smile. She had long guessed what medicine these people were selling in their gourds. Round after round they had sung and danced, composed poetry and painted – they had already performed clean all the talents women should possess. If she performed what they had already used, she would naturally be looked down upon. Not being anxious at the moment, she smiled serenely and said: “This commoner woman has no talent or virtue. How could I compare with all the princesses? Rather than make a fool of myself, it’s better to hide my inadequacies – better not to come out and lose face.”
The Seventh Prince Qin Zhicheng declared clearly: “Where are Miss Zhuang’s words coming from? Do you know that since our Great Qin’s founding, apart from the Third Generation Female Emperor, only the leader of the southern seventy-two naval routes, Flying Lian General Lu clan head Princess Huayang, has had the honor of entering the inner court for political discussions? Miss, receiving such exceptional honor – how could you be a useless mediocrity? Could it be that Miss wants to say Father Emperor judges people incorrectly with dimming old eyes?”