Whether it was Chu Li, Yang Feng, or Zhiyan.
Time and again, she had been used by others, simply because they had thoroughly understood her nature. She had fancied herself as others’ savior, yet unknowingly became a chess piece under their control, a suspended sharp blade that harmed both herself and others. Since this was the case, she might as well cast aside those stubborn obsessions and peacefully do what she wanted to do. She had already chosen the path for her future and could no longer look back. No matter how rough the road ahead or how alarming the sounds in the wind, she must walk forward resolutely. All those thoughts that disturbed the heart and shouldn’t exist should be left on the bone-chilling Bailu Plains. Too much attachment ultimately harms both oneself and others. From now on, she was Yima’er, no longer Zhuang Qingxia.
Early the next morning, the Yan Character Battalion left Jinxiu City, took to the official road, and headed all the way toward Xianyang City.
Xianyang in Chinese history was located in the heartland of the eight-hundred-li Qin plains in Shaanxi Province, with the Wei River flowing through the south and Zong Mountain stretching across the north. Both mountains and water faced yang (south), hence the name Xianyang. It bordered Xi’an to the east and Gansu to the north, serving as the first station of the ancient Silk Road. When Qingxia had first joined the army, she had been stationed in Gansu for half a year, dealing with frozen soil in pipelines. During her leisure time, she had also visited this capital that had once served as the imperial seat for thirteen dynasties—China’s first capital. However, the Xianyang before her eyes was vastly different from the one she remembered, sharing nothing in common except the name.
Through a thousand years of historical changes, the ancient city of Xianyang had suffered repeated damage. The Qin royal family had relocated their capital multiple times for various reasons, finally establishing it in the prosperous lands of Jiangnan. It wasn’t until three hundred years ago, when the empire fell apart and they retreated to the northern frontier, changing Chang’an to Xianyang and designating it as their capital, that the magnificent and imposing capital city before her eyes came to exist. Naturally, there would be no historical spectacle like “No one is seen by Weishui Bridge, caressing the high tomb where stone qilin lie.” Qingxia lifted the curtain and gazed at this graceful, dignified, substantial, and heroic capital city, feeling a sense of the absurdity of worldly impermanence surge through her heart. Through the vicissitudes of history and the passage of time, every minute change would cause tremendous alterations in later generations. So then, what kind of changes would her current appearance bring to the future?
A series of thunderous, heavy horn blasts suddenly sounded, with countless horns playing in unison. The rumbling sounds were like wild winds from the northern frontier. Thousands of horses neighed together. Along the official road outside Xianyang, fragrant bathing water lined the route, with common people kneeling in worship, their clothing connecting in an unbroken line, heads surging like waves. At the east city gate, hundreds of officials waited in reception, warriors’ armor gleaming with silver light. Led by a young man in bright yellow robes, they respectfully welcomed the triumphant return of Great Qin’s God of War.
Qin Zhiyan wore silver-white armor, his eyes sharp and penetrating, slanted eyebrows extending to his temples, thin lips and a straight nose. His entire being radiated a fierce, blade-like cold brilliance. At this moment, he had put away all his gentleness and indifference, emanating the proud, world-defying sharpness that a peerless general-king should possess. Mounted high upon his war horse, he slowly advanced toward that tiger-crouching, dragon-coiled, imposing city gate with thunderous, powerful momentum.
Qingxia slowly lowered the curtain, her expression calm, slightly closing her eyes as she quietly awaited the first torrential downpour that Xianyang City would bring.
The two young maids Qing’er and Bi’er sat quietly to one side, listening to the thunderous mountain-shaking cheers outside as Xianyang City’s citizens spontaneously emerged to gather before the city gates, welcoming this most outstanding and excellent prince of Great Qin’s royal family.
The yellow-robed man stood upon a tall dragon carriage, his features clear and handsome, his eyebrows and eyes bearing five or six parts resemblance to Qin Zhiyan. He slowly extended two slender arms toward Qin Zhiyan, who was dismounting and walking over, declaring loudly: “Welcome our Great Qin’s blade! The invincible iron-blooded general! Great Qin’s Prince Xuan!”
“We pay respects to Prince Xuan!”
All civil and military officials knelt together on the ground with stunning momentum. Qin Zhiyan stood a hundred paces before the dragon carriage, crisply kneeling on the ground and declaring loudly: “Your subject-brother pays respects to Crown Prince Your Highness!”
“Haha!” The yellow-robed man laughed heartily as he descended, approaching Qin Zhiyan. He extended his hand to help up this brother whom he had repeatedly tried to destroy but who had repeatedly counterattacked and severely wounded him in return. Vigorously patting his shoulder, he smiled and said: “Third Brother eliminated Bailu Fort on Bailu Plains and forced Xichuan’s royal family to open two trading horse markets, bringing glory to our Great Qin’s military might. You are truly our Great Qin’s God of War!”
Qin Zhiyan smiled and stood up, saying warmly: “Elder Brother, is Father Emperor’s health still good?”
“Good! Father Emperor is vigorous despite his age. He can eat a full jin of beef in one meal, strong and healthy. He just constantly thinks of you, saying you’ve grown up and achieved great things, opening territories and expanding land for our Great Qin. You are his good son.”
Qin Zhiyan raised an eyebrow and was about to speak when suddenly a group of tall, jade-like, gracefully dignified men in fine clothing all crowded forward, calling out “Third Brother” incessantly, intimately hooking arms and patting shoulders with none of the usual ceremonial restraints found in typical royal families.
Qin Zhiyan returned each greeting in turn. Then he saw a purple-robed man slowly walking forward from behind the crowd. Compared to the others, this person’s features bore seven or eight parts resemblance to Qin Zhiyan—their eyebrows, eyes, and facial contours were almost indistinguishable. Qin Zhiyan paused slightly, smiled faintly as he stepped forward, and respectfully bowed: “When did Second Brother return to court? Weren’t you organizing river works in the east?”
The man Qin Zhiyan addressed as Second Brother had a calm expression, his eyes like a frozen quiet lake, concealing their sharpness. He was indeed Prince Yan Qin Zhiyi, the only one in the Qin royal family who could stand as an equal with Qin Zhiyan. He smiled warmly and said: “Today brings favorable weather and good harvests. The eastern officials have performed excellently, with no damage to the waterways. It will surely be a bumper year. Next month on the eighth is Father Emperor’s sixtieth birthday. I returned early to see if there’s anything I can help my brothers with.”
Crown Prince Qin Zhixian interjected: “Second Brother has been organizing administration, clearing waterways, and collecting spring taxes throughout the eastern frontier. He’s handled all matters large and small without a single flaw. Father Emperor is very pleased.”
Qin Zhiyan smiled and said: “Second Brother has always been meticulous in thought and cautious in action. Now that he holds the great power over the eastern frontier’s finances and taxes, it’s truly a blessing for the eastern frontier’s people.”
The Crown Prince laughed heartily: “That’s natural. Speaking of which, Third Brother is two years younger than Second Brother. Second Brother has been managing the northern frontier for over six years, while Third Brother only received his title two months ago—that’s already been our Great Qin’s loss.”
“Elder Brother jests,” Qin Zhiyi said with a calm expression. “Father Emperor wanted to provide your subject-brother with more training. Having six additional years to receive Father Emperor’s teachings at his side was your subject-brother’s good fortune.”
The Crown Prince was slightly startled, then quickly laughed and said: “Well said, well said! That way, it turns out I’m the one who gained the most advantage, being able to stay by Father Emperor’s side all along, haha.”
Everyone chattered and laughed in agreement. The Crown Prince took Qin Zhiyan by one hand and Qin Zhiyi by the other, followed by more than ten princes and royal relatives who hadn’t been sent to external posts, along with numerous collateral Qin clan members, proceeding in a grand procession into Qin capital’s city gates.
Citizens on both sides cheered continuously, with people constantly presenting petitions to Ministry of Rites officials at the rear—all containing praise and glorification of Qin Zhiyan. Wealthy merchants had even made large banners and yellow flags inscribed with Qin Zhiyan’s name, covered with small patterns depicting longevity locks and hundred-year blessing symbols. Qin Zhiyan’s prominence temporarily overshadowed all other princes. Presumably even when the Qin King traveled, he wouldn’t receive such treatment.
Sitting in her carriage, Qingxia gazed through the gauze curtain at the spectacular scene outside, her beautiful eyebrows gradually knitting together tightly. The two young maids Qing’er and Bi’er were innocent and naive, their eyes sparkling with excitement as they occasionally secretly lifted the curtain, pointing and gesturing.
But Qingxia was far from as optimistic as they were. The Qin King was jealous by nature and quite paranoid. It was said that when he first ascended to the throne, to prevent rebellion by external court ministers, he actually established an inner court where everyone from noble family women to servants and grooms in ministers’ households could directly petition the emperor, reporting ministers’ disrespect toward the emperor or strange behavior. Within two years, countless ministers had been mysteriously executed for these reasons, creating an atmosphere of fear throughout Great Qin territory. Scholars would rather teach in rural areas than serve as officials. This policy was only gradually abolished after unanimous opposition petitions from the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers.
From Qingxia’s perspective now, the Qin King probably hadn’t abolished this measure due to pressure from officials, but most likely because the inner court’s expenses were too great, requiring too much manpower, with expenditures exceeding income and finances unable to support it, leaving him no choice but to cancel it. Even so, Great Qin’s spies were the most elusive among the four kingdoms, not inferior to Yan Hui’s elite secret agents, the Swallows, forming a vast surveillance network monitoring every word and deed of powerful figures nationwide. Now that Qin Zhiyan had just returned to the city and received such support and adoration from the people, how could the Qin King not become suspicious? Before he even reached the Qin Taihe Palace, secret reports about Qin Zhiyan had probably already been placed on the Qin King’s desk.
Most soldiers of the Yan Character Battalion were arranged to camp in the Jingji Grand Camp outside the city, with only three hundred iron guards following Qin Zhiyan into the city. They escorted Qingxia and the more than twenty carriages behind to Prince Xuan’s mansion located in the northern part of the city, while Qin Zhiyan accompanied the Crown Prince and various civil and military officials to the Qin King’s Taihe Palace.
As soon as they arrived, a commotion arose from the twenty-plus carriages behind. Qingxia, supported by Qing’er and Bi’er, slowly descended from her carriage to see seventy or eighty lavishly dressed women emerging from the twenty-plus carriages behind, each adorned with flowers and makeup, reeking heavily of rouge and powder. These were precisely the brothel women that Prince Jianghua had given to Qin Zhiyan as a cover.
Although Qin Zhiyan had already told them to either return to their hometowns or find willing men in the Yan Character Battalion to marry, most of the women still chose to remain at Prince Xuan’s mansion. After all, in their eyes, marrying into a royal mansion was a step toward heaven, an opportunity that didn’t fall from the sky every day. As they saw it, if they could just seize the chance to get close to Prince Xuan, they could surely gain his favor and soar to new heights. Even becoming a concubine would be better than being a crude soldier’s legitimate wife. Watching the chattering, gaudily dressed crowd of women, Qingxia couldn’t help but shake her head greatly, deeply disappointed in Prince Jianghua’s judgment.
Lian Zhou, who had been ordered to return and care for Qingxia, hurried respectfully to her side, bowing respectfully and saying: “Miss, please follow me.”