It is said that Qin Shihuang was controlled by a daughter

Chapter 576 The wind stirs the heart, a flickering flame

Yu Xing'er has been at Zhilan Palace for two months.

In early spring, the forsythia blooms, its pale yellow blossoms quite beautiful.

During this time, Ying Hehua went through the books from previous years and asked Azhi to categorize them one by one.

Fortunately, she kept in mind the lesson of Lü Buwei. In the years before her father forbade her to go to Zhongnan Mountain, she gradually moved Mo Qi's books to Zhilan Palace.

Although Xu Zhi received a modern education, her knowledge was too broad, and her reserves of knowledge in ancient books were far inferior to Mo Qi's extensive knowledge and prodigious memory. Although Mo Qi's records left behind over the years were incomplete, most of the things had an outline. If research continued along this bibliography, there would definitely be significant improvements based on the existing foundation.

Mo Qi lived in a divided era where war and diplomacy were the top priorities, and agricultural and industrial reforms were not yet on the agenda.

Fusu was ordered to inspect the Chu camp with his imperial insignia. He would set off from Hangu Pass and head south, and Han Fei would accompany him.

When Han Fei left, he gave her a big gift.

She looked at the three heavy boxes in front of her, which were undoubtedly Mo Qi's painstaking work.

She instructed, "Send the first volume of 'Tiangong Kaiwu' to the Grand Minister of Agriculture, and the second volume to Prime Minister Li's residence."

"What about this box?"

Xu Zhi squatted down and opened a roll in the woven box. "I want to take the woven box with me."

The first part includes grain and cotton/hemp cultivation, silkworm rearing, silk reeling, dyeing, food processing, salt production, and sugar production.

The middle class includes manufacturing bricks, tiles, ceramics, and steel tools; mining and refining lime, coal, and sulfur; and papermaking.

The second part includes metal mining and smelting, weaponry, gunpowder, pigment manufacturing, and pearl and jade mining and carving.

What will she be like in three years? She doesn't know if she will be able to or even want to return to Xianyang... So, with mixed feelings, she decided to see Fusu.

That day, Xu Zhi asked Meng Yi to get her a set of robes for a minor official.

"Why is Your Highness dressed like this? What are you going to do today?" Meng Yi asked, his face showing a deadpan dissatisfaction as he brought her the clothes.

However, while you might say he was unwilling, he did a very good job when asked to do things.

Xu Zhi quickly tied her hair up, snatched the hat from his hand and put it on her head, then, holding her clothes, stepped into his study and raised her hand to close the door.

He said no.

Bang.

Meng Yi failed to guard the gate.

"If it weren't for Lord Meng being the Minister of Justice, and if it weren't for my father's favor towards you, I wouldn't have come looking for you." The woman's voice came from behind the door.

...The word "honored" sounded strange to Meng Yi.

“If Your Highness simply followed the rules and regulations, there would be no need for you to come to my place… The reason you gave is too far-fetched. Tian Dan sent someone here, but he didn’t find your jade pendant…”

"If you don't want to discuss this trivial matter, do you expect me to talk to you about the revision of the Qin Dynasty's laws?"

However, back in Fuqiu Palace, Ying Hehua held Li Si, who was then the Minister of Justice, in high esteem... Unless she is different now and advocates tolerance and harmony, perhaps he would be willing to talk to her.

At that moment, Meng Yi heard the sound of her jade pendant hitting the chopping board, and the rustling of her clothes also rang out.

His body stiffened instantly. She really had no airs at all, but how could she change clothes in his study? It was as if the door was fire, and touching it would burn his hand... He suddenly withdrew his hand that was about to knock on the door and clenched it into a fist in his sleeve.

The voice persisted, "Your brother mentioned it a few days ago. He had military affairs with the Xiongnu back then, and he was in a hurry to go to Shangjun so he didn't thank me in person. If I need anything, I can just contact you."

……

In those two minutes, he felt like he was a lunatic too.

Meng Yi was worried that the people from the Court of Justice's residence would see her coming, so many people dispersed.

He should have stood calmly outside the door, but his mind was in turmoil, and he was even more terrified than when he was dealing with official documents.

He felt that she was a very strange person.

Why can you argue so fiercely with him, yet speak so highly of him to others?

He recalled what Wei Liao had told him a day earlier: Yong'an said she was willing to give you the insights she had gained over the years at Fuqiu Palace, and hoped that Lord Meng would not find them offensive.

Conversations between secret officials were recorded on silk scrolls, which could save their lives if necessary.

It was a thick stack, and quite heavy.

"So many, and they're all stamped on both sides. Why didn't she give them to Prime Minister Li?"

"Perhaps it's out of gratitude for Lord Meng's outspokenness when she was in prison. She said that no matter what, she believes in you and your brother more than anyone else."

"...Did she really say that?"

Wei Liao waved his hand, took a sip of wine, and recalled the conversation during the eldest son's marriage. He couldn't help but laugh at himself, "How would I know if Yong'an was being sincere or not? I really don't understand what you're thinking... I heard His Majesty say that before Yong'an was six years old, you were always by her side? But when the marriage was arranged, you insisted on telling Wang Wan that you would rather die than marry her."

……

Meng Yi is seven years older than her.

He often accompanied his brother to the palace and frequently saw Consort Zheng's youngest daughter picking a white flower.

Before she was six years old... she did spend a lot of time with him.

Perhaps it was for this reason that Ying Zheng felt that Ying Hehua and Meng Yi were childhood sweethearts, and that his daughter should have liked Meng Yi since childhood.

That day, spring flowers were in full bloom, and Ying Hehua called out to him, "Brother Meng Yi, will you take me out of the palace to play?"

Meng Yi regretted squatting down; a little child was hugging his neck, and he didn't want her to let go. "Your Highness, the eldest son said you can let..."

"No." Ying Hehua's eyes were brimming with tears. She looked into his dark eyes, as if trying to draw him into her memories. "Please tell Father to take me out of the palace to play, okay?"

“In a few days, Minister Li’s youngest son will enter the palace. He spends most of his time outside the palace and may know many interesting places. Perhaps we should wait a little longer?”

“I will have another chance to see him in the future... but Brother Meng Yi, right now I only trust you.”

Later, he and his elder brother went to visit their grandfather and left Xianyang for a period of time.

When he returned, around the time Han Fei entered Qin, everything was different.

It would be many more years before Meng Yi suddenly realized that, in the moments before dawn, a world had already awakened.

Meng Yi waited outside the door for a couple of minutes, which seemed a bit long. Why hadn't she come out yet?

"I believe Your Highness is not suited to be here..."

"Huh?" Xu Zhi was confused.

As Meng Yi turned around, he suddenly met her dark eyes. They were so close, and the rare brilliance in them made him gasp for breath.

"What?" She was dressed in a scarlet robe, raised her chin, and looked at him with raised eyebrows. "It's just borrowing a robe. Does my lord not listen to General Meng?"

Sunlight slanted across the simple, unadorned crimson fabric.

The official hat on her head was visibly too big. Coincidentally, the wind blew from behind her forward, and a strand of long hair peeked out from behind her ear and floated in the air. She raised her hand to hold the hat, and her sleeve slipped down halfway, revealing a coral bracelet on her wrist, the red and white contrasting brightly.

……

Why does the wind have to move?
She didn't notice Meng Yi's unusual behavior, but when she saw a court official looking in their direction from not far away, she grabbed his sleeve and pulled him a step into the study.

He even stumbled.

She lowered her voice and said seriously, "Meng Yi, didn't I tell you on the way here? This is for the purpose of creating a celestial prophecy. I can't openly appear too close to my brother. I need to make people with ulterior motives think that my relationship with my brother is very strained, preferably like oil and water."

"Why?"

"Does Lord Meng know astrology?"

"...I am not proficient in this."

Xu Zhi didn't want to talk to him too much, but then she thought that no one else knew about her meeting with the immortal master except Yao Jia and him.

"I saw someone observing the stars, and that person said there would be a celestial phenomenon soon, which might be Mars guarding the heart of the sky..."

Meng Yi was shocked and exclaimed, "Who said that? Such a strange celestial phenomenon could never occur in our Great Qin!"

"Asking about the mountain. I also think what he said is false. But I've read the classics... and Zhang Liang taught me how to observe the stars before..."

The conjunction of Mars and Antares is no ordinary celestial phenomenon. Mars governs "war, turmoil, and death," while Antares governs "emperors, the imperial court, and the royal family." The meeting and "conjunction" of these two stars was interpreted by the ancients as an ominous sign of a malefic star offending its master.

Why did she mention Zhang Liang?

Little did she know that His Majesty the Emperor's eyes and ears were far more discerning than those of ordinary people.

In a moment of haste, Meng Yi raised his hand to cover her mouth, telling her to stop talking.

Her lips touched his palm, and Meng Yi felt as if he had been electrocuted, releasing her hand as if he had been shocked.

He held her shoulders, staring at her, sweat beading on his forehead. "The celestial phenomena are unpredictable and cannot be foreseen. Your Highness's words are truly treasonous and must not be spoken again."

“Meng Yi.” She looked up. “The celestial phenomena cannot be changed, but human affairs can be predicted and plans can be made in advance.”

Meng Yi is different from Li Si.

He had long since come into contact with some strange things... like the red stone, like the great shaman.

He was very concerned about sacrifices and reverence for the gods.

When Meng Yi heard her ask about someone, he asked, "I haven't seen Li Xian since the banquet. Did he go to Lishan first?"

Meng Yi murmured.

“He’s always been unpredictable, which I think is normal. But this time, I just feel like something’s not right.”

Meng Yi had no way of lying.

"As the princess guessed, Inspector Li had already gone to Mount Li two months ago."

Upon hearing this answer, Xu Zhi assumed that Li Xian had some kind of transportation business.

She bid farewell to Meng Yi.

Xu Zhi changed her clothes and went to Fusu's residence in Xianyang.

She waited for a long time, and it was almost dusk, but she still didn't see Fusu.

A young man called himself 'Hong'.

"Auntie? What are you doing here?" Four-year-old Hong stared at her, looking her up and down, holding a very distinctive straw-woven horse in his hand.

……

How could she forget!

Two years ago, when she went to Wang Heng to get a pistol model to make blueprints, she saw her nephew several times by her side, except that he was still being held in her arms at that time.

Xu Zhi didn't say anything. Logically speaking, he had never seen her before, so how could he recognize her?
Is this horse, and this weaving style, the work of Han Xin?