Chapter 131

  A candle burns high, one lamp is like a bean.

  The heavy wooden door creaked open, and the woman sitting with her legs tucked under her slowly turned around, smiled brightly, and stood up to greet him.

  "Has Director Liu left?"

  "En." Qin Zhiyan obediently took off his outer robe and handed it to Qing Xia, pulling her back to sit beside the table, holding her hand, but feeling a chill of icy coldness, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, saying: "Why is it so cold, have you taken medicine?"

  Qing Xia nodded and pointed to the white porcelain bowl on the table: "Just finished eating, also drank a bowl of honey water, so bitter."

  "Good medicine tastes bitter," Qin said with a smile, "this is what's good for your illness."

  "I know." Qing Xia smiled and said, "I'm not a kid, what's there to be afraid of taking medicine? But Mr. Bai Shi's medicine is indeed bitter to death, it seems like he did it on purpose, to avenge the old ginseng that was stolen by Da Huang the other day."

  Qin's flames splashed and she smiled, her pampered nose hung for a moment, saying: "Mischievous!"

  Qing Xia smiled and poured a cup of tea for Qin Zhiyan, and the two chatted casually about some unimportant things. As the sky gradually darkened, Qin Zhiyan stood up to leave, and Qing Xia got up to see him off, without any hint of awkwardness.

  "Yima'er." Even if he was as calm as Qin's flames, he still couldn't help but turn around and say softly before leaving: "That matter, don't worry about it. I will definitely..."

  "I know." Before Qin Zhiyan could finish, Qing Xia hastily interrupted him and smiled: "I know you'll handle it properly, I'm not worried at all."

  Qin's flames slightly stunned, and then a big smile floated on his face. He smiled and stroked Qing Xia's soft long hair, saying: "That's good, go to bed early, we still have to rush tomorrow."

  "En." Qing Xia nodded, watching Qin Zhiyan walk out the door, the smile on her face slowly disappearing. She sat heavily on the bed, her head starting to ache violently. Da Huang whimpered and bit at her hem, wagging its tail lightly, a white jade pendant hanging from its neck, dispelling the cold chill. The last few words merged together, revealing that man's name.

  Is this where his name comes from?

  A child who has never received a bit of love from his parents, indeed even the name is so lonely and cold, destined to be a bumpy road for life.

  If it was said that the earthquake on that day gave herself and Chu Li a chance to be alone, shattering the crazy plan of Zhuang Dianru who completely destroyed the inner hope of the king. Then is she now, isn't she again cruelly walking this old road? Qing Xia smiled faintly, her past self had thought that relying on her own thin strength could turn the world upside down, but didn't know that it was just pushing him into another deeper abyss. All along, it was her self-righteousness and overestimation of herself that controlled everything around her, she believed too much in her own power, worshipped her own abilities too much, always taking the lead and competing to be the strongest, which would push herself, and the people she cared about most, into a difficult situation time and time again.

  Whether it's Chu Li, Yang Feng, or Zhi Yan.

  She was used by people time and again, simply because her nature had been thoroughly understood. She thought she was the savior of others, but unknowingly became a pawn in someone else's hands, harming both herself and others.

  Since that's the case, she might as well abandon those stubborn obsessions and wholeheartedly do what she wants to do. The path ahead has already been chosen, so there's no going back. No matter how bumpy the road or howling the wind, she must press on resolutely. Those disturbing thoughts that shouldn't exist can stay on the cold, bone-piercing White Deer Plain. Being overly attached will ultimately harm oneself and others. From now on, she is Yima'er, no longer Zhuang Qingxia.

  The next morning, Yanziying left Jinzhoucheng and took the official road, heading towards Xianyang.

  Xianyang in Chinese history is located in the Qin River Valley of Shaanxi Province, with the Wei River running through the south and the Zhongshan Mountains stretching across the north. The city's name "Xianyang" literally means "west sun". It borders Xi'an to the east and Gansu to the north, and was a stop on the ancient Silk Road. When Qing Xia first joined the army, he was stationed in Gansu for half a year, dealing with frozen pipes. In his free time, he also visited this city that had once been the capital of 13 dynasties, but at that time Xianyang and the Xianyang before him were vastly different, almost to the point where they shared nothing in common except their name.

  In the midst of a thousand years of historical changes, the ancient city of Xianyang suffered repeatedly, and the Qin royal family moved its capital multiple times for various reasons, finally settling in the prosperous land of Jiangnan. It wasn't until 300 years ago that the empire collapsed and fragmented, with the northern region becoming isolated, that Chang'an was renamed Xianyang and designated as the capital, giving rise to this magnificent city before our eyes today. Therefore, it's only natural that there wouldn't be such a historical spectacle as "no one in sight on the Wei River Bridge, with majestic tombs and sleeping unicorns". As I lift the curtain of time, gazing at this stately, dignified, and grandiose capital city, I suddenly feel a sense of absurdity about the impermanence of worldly affairs. The passage of historical time has brought about tremendous changes, and every minor transformation will lead to enormous changes in the future. So, what kind of transformation will its appearance today bring about in the future?

  A loud and sonorous long horn suddenly sounded, tens of thousands of horns sang in unison, the sound of wailing echoed, like a fierce wind from the northern border. Tens of thousands of horses neighed in unison, on the official road outside Xianyang, incense and fragrant steam rose along the way, civilians knelt and worshiped, their clothes connected, people's heads surged forward, outside the east city gate, hundreds of officials welcomed, warriors' armor shone with silver light, under the leadership of a young man in a bright yellow robe, they respectfully welcomed the triumphant return of the great Qin war god.

  Qin's flames wore a silver-white helmet, his eyes were sharp and piercing, his eyebrows slanted into his temples, his thin lips and straight nose, his entire body was filled with a sharp and cold aura like the edge of a knife. At this moment, he put away all his warmth and indifference, emitting an unparalleled general's majestic aura, sitting high on his warhorse, slowly walking towards the thick and heavy city gate with a thunderous momentum.

  Qing Xia slowly lowered the curtains, her face calm and serene, her eyes slightly closed, quietly waiting for the torrential rain brought by the Xianyang city.

  Two young maidservants, Qing'er and Bi'er, sat quietly to one side, while outside the sound of cheering erupted as the people of Xianyang spontaneously gathered before the city gate to welcome this outstanding prince from the great Qin imperial family.

  A man in a yellow robe stood on the high dragon carriage, with a handsome face and five or six points similar to Qin Zhiyan's eyebrows and eyes. He slowly stretched out his two slender arms and loudly said to Qin Zhiyan who was walking down from his horse: "Welcome our Great Qin's blade! The invincible iron-blooded war general of the world! The Grand King Xuan of Great Qin!"

  "See Duke Xuan!"

  All civil and military officials knelt down on the ground, with a shocking momentum. Qin Zhiyan stood in front of the dragon carriage, one hundred steps away, and knelt down loudly, saying: "Your subject pays respects to Your Highness!"

  "Haha!" The man in the yellow robe walked down, laughing loudly, and came to Qin Zhiyan's side. He stretched out his hand to help up this brother of his who had repeatedly tried to kill him but was instead severely injured each time. He patted Qin Zhiyan's shoulder heavily and laughed as he said: "Third Brother cleared the White Deer Fortress on the White Deer Ridge, forcing the Western Chu imperial family to open two commercial horse stables, spreading the great military might of our Great Qin! You truly are the war god of our Great Qin!"

  Qin's flames smiled and stood up, saying warmly: "Big brother, is Father Emperor's body all right?"

  "Good, Father Emperor is getting stronger with age, one meal can eat a catty of beef, strong and healthy, always thinking of you, saying that you grow up and make progress, for the great Qin to open up territory and add land, is his good son."

  Qin's eyebrows rose slightly, just as he was about to speak, when a group of tall and slender men in magnificent attire suddenly gathered before him, calling out "Third Brother" and "Third Young Master" without cease, warmly clapping each other on the back, completely devoid of the usual restraint and etiquette found in imperial courts.

  Qin Zhiyan returned the courtesy, and saw a man in purple robes slowly walking up from behind the crowd. Compared to others, this person's face was surprisingly similar to Qin Zhiyan's, with seven or eight out of ten similarities in terms of eyebrows, eyes, and facial features. It was almost impossible to tell them apart. Qin Zhiyan slightly paused, smiled faintly, and walked up to greet him, bowing respectfully: "Second Brother, when did you return to the capital? Weren't you supposed to be overseeing the river repairs in the east?"

  The man, called Second Brother by Qin Zhiyan, had a calm face and eyes that seemed like a frozen lake, with no sharp edges showing. He was none other than Yan Wang Qin Zhiyi, the only one in the Qin imperial family who could rival Qin Zhiyan. With a warm smile, he said: "Today's weather is fine, the officials in the east have done an excellent job, and the rivers are undamaged. It must be a year of great abundance. Next month on the eighth day is Father's sixtieth birthday, I came back early to see if there's anything I can help my brothers with."

  The Crown Prince Qin Zhi said, "My second brother is in the eastern border area rectifying government affairs, dredging rivers, collecting spring taxes, and handling all matters big and small with precision, making Father Emperor very pleased."

  Qin Zhiyan smiled and said: "Second brother has always been meticulous in his thinking, cautious in his actions. Now that he is in charge of the heavy responsibility of managing the finances of the Eastern Territory, it is truly a blessing for the people of the Eastern Territory."

  The Crown Prince Lang smiled and said, "That's natural. To say that my third brother is two years younger than my second brother, my second brother has been in charge of the Northern Territory for more than six years now. My second brother's ascension to the throne two months ago was a loss for our Great Qin."

  "Big brother is joking," Qin Zhiyi said calmly: "The emperor wants to train his younger brother more, and it's a good fortune for my younger brother to have six more years by the emperor's side to listen to his teachings."

  The crown prince was slightly stunned, then hurriedly laughed and said: "That's right, that's right. In that case, it would be me who is most benefited, being able to stay by the emperor's side all the time, haha."

  The crowd burst into laughter and followed, the prince holding Qin Zhiyan with one hand and Qin Zhiyi with the other, behind him were more than a dozen royal princes who had not yet been granted land, as well as a group of collateral descendants of the Qin family, grandly entering the city gate of Qin.

  On both sides, the common people shouted in unison, and from time to time, tens of thousands of people presented petitions to the officials of the Ministry of Rites at the back, all of which were words praising Qin Zhiyan's merits. Even some wealthy merchants displayed yellow flags with Qin Zhiyan's name written on them, filled with intricate patterns depicting longevity locks and centenarian officials. The popularity of Qin Zhiyan surpassed that of all other princes for a time, and it was likely that even if the King of Qin were to travel, he would not receive such treatment.

  Qing Xia sat in the carriage, gazing out at the grand scene through the silk curtains. Her beautiful eyebrows gradually furrowed together. The two little maids, Qing Er and Bi Er, were innocent and excited, their eyes shining with smiles as they occasionally lifted the curtain to gesture and point.

  Qing Xia was far from being as optimistic as they were, Qin Wang was very jealous and had a severe case of paranoia. It is said that when he first ascended to the throne, in order to prevent rebellion by court officials, he actually set up an inner court where anyone, from the wives of noble families to the carriage drivers and servants of high-ranking officials, could directly petition the emperor and report any disrespect or strange behavior by officials towards the emperor. Over a period of two years, countless officials were beheaded without clear reason, causing everyone within the borders of Qin to live in fear for their lives. Scholars would rather go to rural areas to teach than become officials, until finally, after repeated petitions from the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, this policy was gradually abolished.

  From the perspective of Qing Xia, King Qin should not have abolished this measure under pressure from officials. It is likely that the inner court's expenses were too high and required too many people, resulting in financial difficulties. Although this was the case, the scouts of the Great Qin were indeed the most mysterious and elusive among the four countries, rivaling the elite spies of Yan, such as Yanzi. They formed a vast surveillance network, monitoring the words and actions of powerful officials across the country. Now that Qin Zhiyan has returned to the city and received such support and admiration from the people, how could King Qin not be suspicious? It is likely that reports about Qin Zhiyan were already on the king's desk before he even entered the palace.

  Most of the soldiers in the Flame Character Camp were stationed outside the city at the Gyeonggi Daeyang, with only 300 Iron Guards following Qin Zhiyan into the city. Accompanied by Qing Xia and more than 20 horse-drawn carriages behind him, he went to the Xuanwang Fu located in the north of the city, while Qin Zhiyan followed the Crown Prince and a group of civil and military officials to the Qin Wang Taihe Palace.

  As soon as they arrived, the more than 20 horse-drawn carriages behind them erupted into a chaotic din. Qing Xia got down from the carriage with the support of Qing Er and Bi Er, only to see 70 or 80 magnificently dressed women emerge from the more than 20 carriages, each one made up in a resplendent manner, reeking of thick powder and perfume - they were the courtesans sent by the Seventeenth Prince Jiang Hua to distract Qin Zhiyan.

  Although Qin Zhiyan had let them return to their hometowns or marry someone in the Flame Character Camp, many of the women still chose to stay at Xuanwang Fu. After all, being able to marry into the royal family was a wonderful thing that didn't come along every day. In their opinion, as long as they seized the opportunity and got close to King Xuan, they would surely be favored and rise to prominence overnight. Even if it meant becoming a concubine, it was better than being the wife of a rough and unrefined soldier. Qing Xia looked at the chattering women with their elaborate hairstyles and couldn't help but shake her head in disappointment at Jiang Huawang's taste.

  Lianzhou returned with orders to take care of Qingxia, and hastily came to Qingxia's side with a respectful bow, saying: "Miss, please come with me."

  The Xuanwang Mansion is located in the north of the city, covering a vast area. Although Qin Yi was an unassuming person, he still had to put on a show on the surface. The entire mansion exuded grandeur and elegance, with 300-400 servants standing at the entrance, waiting for Qing Xia's inspection.

  "Miss, this is the king's steward, Uncle Xiang. He has been serving in the palace for over ten years and is also the husband of the king's wet nurse."

  Qing Xia nodded and bowed: "Uncle Xiang."

  An old man in his fifties wearing a long gown, with an honest look on his face, hastily returned the courtesy and said: "Don't be polite, miss, just call me Li Xiang."

  Lianzhou continued pointing at the man in his thirties who was ranked second, saying: "This is Uncle Xiang's son, now he is the external procurement officer of the Wangfu, and is the second master."

  The young man was tall and straight, although he was wearing a servant's clothes, but it was hard to hide his refined appearance. Upon hearing this, he quickly understood the situation and paid respects to Qing Xia, saying: "Zhen Tuo greets Miss, wishing her good health and eternal youth."

  Qing Xia covered her mouth and smiled, saying: "Offering congratulations to Big Brother Li."

  Then there were the three managers and four managers of the Wang Mansion, Qin Zhiyan's wet nurse, the female servants of the Wang Mansion, and the lower-ranking servants of each house and pavilion.

  Then, Qing Xia was arranged to live in the Qing Luan Pavilion, which was adjacent to Qin Zhiyan's main bedroom. As for Qing Xia's personal belongings, they were directly moved into Qin Zhiyan's bedroom. From this point on, those servants and the women from the brothel who had accompanied her finally knew Qing Xia's identity. No matter what kind of background this woman with mediocre looks had, being able to receive such arrangements and treatment from the prince must mean that she was undoubtedly the mistress of the palace. The group of women from the brothel were both happy and worried; they were happy because a woman with ordinary looks could gain the prince's favor, so shouldn't they have an even better chance? They were worried because originally, it was said that the palace had no female occupants, but now that they had just arrived, such a favored woman appeared out of nowhere, which made them feel like they were not in sync with the times.

  Qingxia's dress was spotless, her face was elegant and refined. Amidst the diverse and all-encompassing gazes, she slowly walked into the grand hall of Qingluan Pavilion, which represented the status of the mistress of Xuanwang Fu. Turning around, she slowly sat down on a soft chair carved with intricate flowers made of sandalwood.

  "Miss," Xiang Shu slowly walked up, presenting a golden tray with a red cloth cover, saying: "This is the deed of the Wang Fu's land, house, and property, account books, receipts and expenditures of the eighteen shops outside, financial records of the Ministry of Finance, keys to each room, official seal of the Imperial Household Department, imperial decree of share allocation, and list of all servants, everything is here."

  Qing Xia was taken aback for a moment, holding the tray in her hand. The tray wasn't very heavy, but Qing Xia felt as if there was a heavy weight pressing down on her hands. At the same time, a warm feeling enveloped her heart like a handful of fire. She knew that this was not only Qin Zhiyan's home, but also his full trust in her. Perhaps from now on, this place would be her home too. The woman smiled faintly at the corner of her mouth, lifted the red cloth, and quickly scanned it before finishing counting. She raised her head and smiled at the old man, saying: "Thank you, Uncle Xiang. I will carefully check it later."

  Xiang Shu smiled kindly and said, "Miss, you're being too serious. We've all been looking forward to the young master bringing home a mistress to help him manage this vast household. Now that you're here, it's really great."

  This simple old man had already taken Qing Xia as Qin Zhiyan's wife, and Qing Xia did not refute it, but accepted it gladly.

  Xiang Shu said: "If you have any questions or don't understand something, you can ask me or my son."

  Qīng Xià nodded, "I understand."

  At this time, Li Xian suddenly called out from outside the door: "Qing Jie, the letter pigeon from Penglai." He rushed in hastily.

  Ban Boer and Na Ke Duo were northerners after all, and they had been thinking of avenging their mother. When they left the White Deer Plain that day, they refused to follow the Flame Character Camp back to Xianyang. Qin Zhiyan was helpless and could only write a letter to the commander of the Northern Frontier Camp, asking him to take care of the two and arrange for them to join the army. Li Xiantian was very intelligent and had read many military books. He quickly grasped what Qing Xia taught him. To prevent Qing Xia from feeling lonely, Qin Zhiyan brought him along as his personal bodyguard. Because they came to the imperial capital, the "Xian" character in Li's name was the same as that of the Crown Prince, so he changed his name to Li Ye to avoid taboo.

  Qing Xia took the pigeon from his hand, unfolded the letter and saw that in the past half month, Zhu Yuanqing had finally broken through the collapsed place of Hong Tian Shui's prison, but he did not find Yang Feng and Qi Shu Yao Nu Lie Yun Ji. The two seemed to have vanished into thin air, with no signs of life or death. The people of Penglai were baffled and suspected that there was another secret passage underground, which they were currently searching for.

  Qing Xia felt relieved after looking around, there were no large ferocious beasts underground. Since they didn't find any bodies, it meant the two hadn't died. Yang Feng's martial arts skills were exceptional, and Qi Shu's poisonous techniques were unmatched. Being cautious by nature, she must have found another secret passage to escape. She quickly wrote a reply letter, telling Zhu Yuanqing to continue searching, and also to close off the passage, being careful not to let outsiders sneak in. Then she released the carrier pigeon.

  The White Deer Plain War, the reputation of Penglai Xian Valley was loud and clear, revealing itself to the world, with dignitaries from various countries taking notice. Fortunately, Penglai's terrain is treacherous, and only those with identities like Tan Suoying or bodies as resilient as Qiuxu's can reach the bottom of the valley. Now that Zhu Yuanqing is in power, he is cautious by nature, so the chances of internal response are small; even if a powerful person were to descend into the valley, eight or nine out of ten would not affect the overall situation.

  "The young lady should take her medicine." Bi'er walked in with a bowl of medicine, and Qing Xia took it and drank it all at once. Before she could even wipe the corner of her mouth clean, someone rushed in from outside and whispered something to Lian Zhou, who was standing outside. Qing Xia slightly raised an eyebrow as Lian Zhou walked in with a furrowed brow and said in a deep voice, "Young lady, we have received an order from the Taihe Palace, instructing you to enter the palace immediately."

  "Enter the palace?"

  Qing Xia's eyebrows rose slightly as he said in a low voice, "Who issued this edict?"

  "It is... " Lianzhou thought for a moment and said in a low voice: "It is the edict of Concubine Yao."

  "Yao Fei?" Qing Xia slightly furrowed her brow, completely unaware of what Yao Fei's identity was or why she had been summoned.

  Lianzhou reminded: "Princess Yao is the birth mother of the prince."