It is said that Qin Shihuang was controlled by a daughter

Chapter 594 A Flourishing Scene, The Real World
Although Lingcheng was once within the territory of the Chu Kingdom, it was part of the Han Kingdom thirty years ago. A little further south is Danyang City.

After Zhao Jia's death, the Secret Pavilion was reopened. In addition to monitoring the nobles of the six kingdoms, it also collected intelligence on the restless forces in the old territories.

Li Xian is now a wanted criminal, and his presence and entourage are far more terrifying than when he took Ying Hehua away to elope.

Because of certain agreements he had reached with Ying Zheng, he could not send news to his father. This led to the scene of Li Si holding his official hat and pleading guilty outside Zhangtai Palace.

Little did Li Xian know that much of the fear and trauma his father had experienced throughout his life was caused by him…

“My unfilial son has committed a heinous crime,” “I cannot shirk my responsibility, but I beg Your Majesty to show leniency and spare my son’s life.”

These words have been repeated at least three times over the years… Not only Ying Zheng, but even Yao Jia is tired of hearing them. Many of Li Xian's crimes are related to Yong'an.

Spring evenings can be quite chilly. Ying Zheng was furious, but he couldn't help feeling sorry for Li Si, who had such a troublesome son...

Although Li Si was quite pitiful, Yao Jia felt a burning desire in his heart. He couldn't help but wonder if, if Li Si were to step down from the position of prime minister, he might have a chance to rise a step higher...

Especially when Yao Jia discovered that after ten days of searching, no one had been found and there was no news of them.

Li Si was truly prepared to offer to retire to his hometown in exchange for the emperor sparing his son's life.

Yao Jia thought the opportunity was right in front of him... but Yao Jia waited and waited, and half a year passed, and Yong'an and Li Xian were still missing... but in the court, there was no indication that Ying Zheng intended to send Li Si back to Shangcai...

On the night Xu Fu brought back news of their disappearance, Ying Zheng only allowed Li Si to enter the main hall to speak.

The candlelight in Zhangtai Palace flickered, and the bronze lamps were lit again and again.

No one knows what the emperor and his minister, who hadn't slept all night, talked about.

That's the most terrifying part.

The emperor's daughter has disappeared. The prime minister's son has also disappeared. They have been taken away by the Mo family, who have been repeatedly banned by the Qin state, and their fate is unknown.

However, they were able to return to normal by the next morning and quickly issued a ban to remain silent about the matter at Mount Li.

After the grand search concluded, they offered a plausible yet absurd explanation for the previous day's events—Princess Yong'an had prayed for the Emperor at Mount Tai. Inspector Li, who held a secret command, then went into hiding in a temple.

Next, they devoted their energy to handling the imperial military and political affairs, keeping the country running smoothly.

Li Si's expression was extremely solemn, and he only allowed one person to see it.

Li Si, supporting his exhausted body and with bluish lower eyes, called out to Meng Yi.

He asked in an unprecedentedly gentle tone, "Lord Meng, please wait. Many things have happened recently. I would like to invite you to my residence for a chat. What do you say?"

……

He's being far too polite.

But Meng Yi loathed that smile, which seemed to have ulterior motives, especially since the person's surname was Li.

Because of the Chang Le Palace incident, Meng Yi has been under constant surveillance by his son in recent years.

Li Xian must have learned it from his father.

As the saying goes, "old ginger is spicier," and in Meng Yi's view, the father is a hundred times more assertive than the son in political affairs.

For example, the Lishan Palace project was originally intended to involve Wang Ben and Feng Quji, but Li Xian was able to make significant concessions under Ying Hehua's persuasion.

But Li Si didn't care how well his old friend Sima tried to persuade him.

He told Ying Zheng not to let Confucianism stand in his way, and soon after, he ordered all the Confucian scholars from Qi to return to Linzi. Li Si then declared that as long as he remained prime minister, Confucian scholars would never be allowed to enter the country again.

In those days, Li Si practically wore his smugness on his face, holding the list of expelled Confucian scholars: His Majesty favors Legalists.

...This kind of behavior was easily replicated by the younger generation.

Meng Yi felt that everything was traceable. The development of Ying Hehua's unruly character was not only due to Ying Zheng, but also partly due to the influence of Li Si and his son.

But now.

Meng Yi sat in the Prime Minister's residence.

He found it quite strange to see a strange sense of guilt on Li Si's face!

During the period of the Six Kingdoms, Li Si maintained relatively amicable relations with them. However, after Li Si was appointed Left Chancellor, he clearly had the opportunity to attack the Wang and Meng families.

Unlike Wang Jian and his son, who relinquished military power to others, Meng Tian personally led the army to conquer the Xiongnu, winning many military achievements and rewards, which aroused the dissatisfaction of Li Si. Li Si even suppressed many matters on the grounds of finance.

Even Yong'an had to put on a show with Li Xian to get Li Si to agree, which shows how obsessed Li Si was with power.

But on this day, Li Si not only talked about some political matters, but also said something very strange to Meng Yi before leaving.

"Even if the rivers and seas collapse and the crisis is imminent, Fengchao, you must not stray far from His Majesty's side."

The Meng family's prominence in the court was no exaggeration. Those of higher seniority and older than Meng Yi were either of equal rank or did not enjoy the same favor as him. Although his colleagues did not avoid him as much as they would an inspector like Li Xian, because he had served Ying Zheng for a long time, few people outside of his family called him by his courtesy name.

Seeing Li Si pull this stunt, Meng Yi wondered what he was thinking.

However, Meng Yi was genuinely concerned about the news from Lishan.

But in his shock, he suddenly realized that Li Xian's words about going to Mount Li before the banquet meant he was prepared to die.

He instructed that Ying Hehua should not see the Immortal Master because he was afraid that the Immortal Master would place the Mirror of Enlightenment in front of her. Why was he afraid that the mirror would be placed in front of Ying Hehua?

"Meng Yi, I know that many people want to ask about what happened last night. Do you want to ask?"

After all, he had worked in an intelligence organization, so it was hard for Meng Yi to believe that this wasn't Li Si setting a trap.

He only said one sentence, "Prime Minister, please wait."

Even if Meng Yi still had many questions he wanted to ask, what could he possibly ask?

At the end of the evening breeze, there is only the chill of early spring!

-

Tao Yao has been away dealing with household registration matters for almost two months.

Her return to Lingcheng foreshadowed their imminent journey to Shouchun.

Tao Yao never expected that the two people, who were used to a life of luxury and ease in the palace, would adapt so well to the real world...

Of course, my aunt didn't know that the normalcy of life had only been set up ten days before she returned.

Under the rule of the Qin Dynasty, people had to pay various taxes such as land rent, straw tax, and poll tax. They mainly engaged in agricultural production and other labor, while also bearing social responsibilities such as corvée labor.

The human world two thousand years ago, in a sense, began to unfold before Xu Zhi.

There are no talented men and beautiful women, nor is there any so-called idyllic life.

After thirty years of official life, Li Xian was stumped by the stone pot and the fish in his hand.

He could make simple grilling dishes, but Xu Zhi and he had been drinking millet and eating grilled food for almost ten days straight. If they continued to eat like this, their injuries wouldn't heal, and they would start getting nosebleeds...

It turns out that cooking also requires talent.

There's no gas stove here; we use an induction cooker to adjust the temperature. Once the firewood is lit, the temperature will rise rapidly in a short time…

As Li Xian approached the process of decocting medicine with the same care and deliberation, he began to proceed slowly and methodically, as if handling an official document on bamboo slips.

Anyone who knows cooking well knows that when someone who isn't very good at cooking tries to cook like they're carving a delicate sculpture, with extremely careful movements... then that meal is most likely doomed...

An hour later.

Two people sat facing each other at a simple wooden table.

A plate of fish and a bowl of millet.

There would never be such simple food in the palace.

Outside the palace, however, the food available to ordinary laborers was something they could only afford to eat once a month, or even once a year. Especially after the Qin state unified the country, all the resources of mountains and lakes were taken over by the state, and people who engaged in fishing were required to pay taxes.

In the Chu region, two crops are sown in late spring, making fish and meat extremely rare and precious during this season.

Returning to Shangcai, Li Xian was able to accept it quickly. After all, the cruelty of death and bloodshed had truly taught him to take a detached view of material possessions like money.

But Xu Zhi's life was built on sixteen years of privilege, and the difference between even the smallest change is obvious.

Even though she wasn't extravagant, the imperial princess possessed a level of luxury and extravagance that others couldn't even imagine.

Wearing pearls, riding in a palanquin, dressed in silk, and eating from six tripods—these were merely her daily routines.

The fees he earned from treating patients without relying on any external help were far less than any gold leaf she had casually given him ten years ago.

However, this was only the first day, and he thought that life should improve within half a month.

The saying goes, "One is so happy that one forgets his worries and does not realize that old age is approaching."

Only when a person sheds their original identity and all external things dissipate can the true nature of their soul be seen.

For example, Xu Zhi never spoils the mood, nor does she think there's anything wrong with this kind of life.

She was probably too nervous about the bizarre and fantastical images that reappeared in her dream.

Her hands were stained with blood, and many wanted her dead. And there would always be a stain of blood, something that could never be grasped, no matter what.

Finally, she will see, at a pass, a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood rushing toward her.

She will hear many sounds—

"...You'll do better than me...I'm too old, I'm afraid I can't help you much..."

'...Go back and tell your father that we should congratulate him on being the longest-living...'

She wants them to come back.

But no one responded.

She didn't know why she burst into tears, but in the stillness of the night, all that was left for her was darkness and confusion.

Fortunately, every morning when she woke up, she would see someone bustling around, bringing her a bowl of medicine and porridge.

She picked up a piece of fish, took a bite, and it was bitter…

She thought he must not understand the proper way to kill a fish and had broken its gall bladder.

She was stunned for a moment... She didn't think she had ever killed a fish before, so who told her that?
"How is it?" he asked, his tone surprisingly tense.

"There's room for improvement." "It's much better than a few days ago," she said.

"Really?"

Li Xian tried picking up a piece, and the bitterness immediately spread.

He had just tasted the soup before the fish was added, and didn't realize the meat was bitter, but Xu Zhi didn't stop eating.

"...It's hard to swallow, don't eat it."

She used to take the pastries and other things she made and give them to this person and that person... But after thinking about it, she never gave any to him.

He harbored resentment and jealousy.

When hatred lingers for too long, one becomes perfunctory about food and never touches the kitchen again.

For the first time, Li Xian felt that there were too many things he couldn't handle.

He failed far too many times.

Xu Zhi was taken aback. Why was he so worried about such a small matter?

She smiled and comforted him, "At least it's not burnt. The kid from the Yan family next door didn't come running to say our house was on fire. Besides, fish gallbladders are good for clearing heat, and they're not as bitter as Chinese medicine. It's still drinkable."

He paused for a moment. Having monitored other officials for a long time, he naturally became very good at finding keywords, and specifically looking for what he wanted.

Our home?
“Ah Zhi is right. Our stove didn’t catch fire this time.” He insisted on repeating the words “our family.”

Xu Zhi was taken aback, but his tone was quite pleased. "...You're pretty good at making things consistent."

Li Xian was exceptionally perceptive, "Then I'll definitely be more careful on stage from now on, just please don't get angry. If you get angry, I..."

He frowned and started to pretend again, deliberately shutting up before finishing his sentence.

Then she took a sip of soup, put down the earthenware bowl, and looked at him. "...If you're going to be even more careful, a meal can take several hours... Oh well. I remember... I remembered a story. There was King Goujian of Yue who endured hardship and humiliation, overcoming difficulties little by little and gradually improving. It's quite inspiring."

Xu Zhi was referring to cooking skills.

Li Xian naturally misheard it, and he was happy to misinterpret it that way.

“Yes. Overcome the difficulties.” He looked at her and smiled leisurely. “We’ll take it slowly.”

At least he's holding her hand now, and she hasn't let him let go.

“You still have a shoulder injury, don’t you?” she said.

"If I could hold your hand forever, it would be like drinking the finest nectar."

If you say he's unrestrained, he's often sensitive and suspicious; if you say he's suspicious, you often hear him sounding incredibly insecure; but if you say he's insecure, he speaks bluntly without hesitation.

Xu Zhi thought to herself that she should think this person was crazy, but for some reason, she didn't feel any aversion to him.

She glanced at him, handed him the soup, and said with a smile, "Jingqian, your nectar is getting cold."

Silk cloth was an important component of the taxes levied on women during the Qin Dynasty. According to the Liye Qin bamboo slips, the Qin Dynasty levied taxes on a household basis, and women were required to pay taxes in kind, such as silkworm cocoons or silk cloth, per household. For example, in the 34th year of Qin Shi Huang's reign (213 BC), 28 households in Qiling Township, Qianling County, Dongting Prefecture, were required to pay 10 jin and 8 liang of silkworm cocoons, averaging 6 liang of silkworm cocoons per household.

Agricultural production: Men are usually the main force in agricultural production, responsible for carrying hoes and leading oxen to the fields to plow the land, sow seeds, weed, fertilize, and irrigate. Women also participate in agricultural activities, such as helping to select seeds. During the harvest season, the whole family works together to harvest the crops, and afterwards, they are responsible for drying, threshing, and storing the grain.

Household labor: Women were primarily responsible for household chores, including getting up early to cook, cleaning, washing and mending clothes, and taking care of the daily needs of the elderly and children. At the same time, some women also engaged in textile work, reeling silkworm cocoons into silk or linen to make clothing or exchange for daily necessities.

Corvée Labor: Corvée labor was heavy in the Qin Dynasty. Men were required to undertake labor such as building the Great Wall, constructing roads, digging canals, and building palaces. In addition, they might be conscripted into the army, and in the event of war, they had to go to the battlefield, where many died.