The Moon in the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 7 Can I go back whenever I want?

Zhao Ji interrupted Ying Zheng and asked:
"Zheng'er, mother hears what you mean. Can't we go back to Qin in a short time?"

"Your father and Lu Buwei were able to escape back before. Now Handan is more lax than before. Can't they rescue us and return to Qin?"

Ying Zheng held Zhao Ji's hand with his small hand and comforted her, "You can't go back in a short time, but your life is definitely not in danger."

He then explained to Zhao Ji: "It's not that father doesn't want to rescue us and return to the country, but he has no say in this matter."

"The hostage left behind in Zhao should have been my father. It was wrong for him to sneak back."

"My grandfather had more than 20 sons, and my father was not valued by my grandfather, not to mention that he had no weight in the eyes of my great-grandfather, the current King of Qin."

"If I hadn't recognized Madam Huayang as my mother and Madam Huayang had asked my grandfather, Lord An Guojun, to protect my father, he might have been sent back."

"Now that Qin has lost its hostage in Zhao, how can we ask Qin to send another royal family here? Who would be willing to come?"

"The other royal children who live in Xianyang all year round are definitely closer than the two of us who have never met."

"Father just returned home and wants to find a royal family to exchange us back. Don't even think about it. He can't even make such a suggestion."

"Qin is strong and Zhao is weak. As the saying goes, a son must pay for his father's debts. As a direct descendant of the royal family, I am barely qualified."

"My great-grandfather will definitely go with the flow and let me be the proton. If this happens, we will definitely not be able to go back in the short term."

Zhao Ji asked weakly: "Can we escape back like your father did?"

"No, absolutely not. Not to mention that we don't have the support of Qin, we, an orphan and a widow, can't afford to go back. Even if we escape back, our lives will never be easy. It will only affect my father and Lu Buwei's plans in Qin."

Ying Zheng then comforted Zhao Ji:

"Don't worry, mother. We will be fine. I don't think there will be another war to destroy the country in the short term. Qin and Zhao both need to recuperate."

"As long as there is no war to destroy the country, we will not be in any danger. Qin is strong and Zhao is weak. The King of Zhao will not want to kill the hostage unless he is pushed to the limit."

"As for whether we live well or not, it depends on whether my father is in Qin."

"Father has just returned home, and everything still needs to be done slowly. We must not hold him back."

"Fortunately, my father became Madam Huayang's son, and everything is going well."

Even though Ying Zheng tried to persuade her gently, Zhao Ji couldn't help crying: "Every year I say I will return to Qin, but every year I can't go back. It's really like year after year, and the years never end."

Ying Zheng quickly wiped Zhao Ji's tears and then comforted her: "Don't cry, mother. Don't you still have Zheng'er to accompany you?"

"The suffering now is for the happiness in the future."

"Your Majesty is now seventy years old. People often say that seventy is a rare age."

"When grandfather ascends the throne, father will have a chance to become the crown prince as long as he serves Madam Huayang well. Then, father can find a way to take us back."

Zhao Ji wiped her tears:
"Humph, you and your son are of the same lineage, and you are both so reasonable. How can you always be right? I just want to see when you can reunite our family of three in Qin State."

"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore, Zheng'er, just tell me what you need mother to do."

Ying Zheng smiled, which earned him a reproachful glare from Zhao Ji.

"Mother, you need to write a letter to King Zhao in advance as my father's wife, and express your respect for him in the letter."

"The general meaning is very simple. It is to say that there was chaos and war, and that I, an orphan and a widow, had many difficulties, so I pretended to stay at a friend's place for a while."

"Now that the war has ended, my father was a hostage. Now that he has returned, for the sake of friendship between the two countries, it is natural that my son will take the position of hostage. King Zhao is a benevolent monarch, so please arrange for the hostage's residence."

"That's all. Give King Zhao a way out, and he will step down."

"We need to go back to the original courtyard first, so as not to sell out the owner of this place."

"There's no rush now, wait a few more days."

"After the Wei-Chu coalition forces retreat, the King of Zhao will be calmer."

"It's probably just a few days. Zhao can't afford to supply nearly 200,000 soldiers with horse feed."

"Moreover, the King of Zhao is not afraid of allowing such a large number of foreign troops to stay within his own borders. His own Zhao State is still relatively weak.

"In the next few days, the King of Zhao will definitely hold a grand ceremony to reward the troops, and then quickly send the Wei-Chu coalition forces back to their respective countries with courtesy."

"When everything is settled, King Zhao will surely be calm. At this time, King Zhao will surely just want to be left alone and will not want to cause any more trouble. Then you can hand over the letter."

"Also, write a letter to your father and ask the owner here to help post it. He will be happy to do so."

"Remember not to blame father in the letter, and don't mention that you left us and Lu Buwei alone to escape. Write that we are safe now, or father will feel guilty."

"The letter should first thank Lü Buwei and his good friend. The friend we entrusted to take good care of us. We are not in any danger, and all our daily needs are available."

"They have served us attentively for so long just for this. We should be grateful and write more good things about them. Who knows, we may need their help in the future."

"You should also write a separate thank-you letter to the owner of this place to express your gratitude."

"Tell my father that the King of Zhao has forgiven the past and the crisis is over. He will arrange for me to be his hostage in Zhao State instead."

"But we will inevitably lack money and servants in the future. Please ask him to send some gold and silver. Money is very important. We are in a foreign country and without money, we can't do anything."

"Also, it's time for me to learn enlightenment. If possible, ask father to send a top expert to protect us and teach me some self-defense skills."

"Also, send a teacher from the School of Legalism. Legalism is the foundation of our Great Qin. As a member of the Qin royal family, I must learn it." "Finally, ask my father to ask my grandfather to write a letter of thanks to the King of Zhao for his care, and ask the King to submit a letter of credence to confirm my becoming a hostage."

"It's better for us to let our father bring it up ourselves than for someone else to bring it up."

Ying Zheng asked: "Mother, have you written everything down?"

Zhao Ji nodded seriously: "I've written it down. I'll write it down later."

"From now on, we are Qin's hostages. We are in an enemy country, and our every move represents Qin."

"Don't be too aggressive, or you'll get yourself killed."

"But you must not be cowardly. If you are weak and can be bullied, firstly, you will be bullied; secondly, among all the princes in the world, Qin is the strongest. Even if you are a hostage, you can be killed but not humiliated."

"Thirdly, our performance in Zhao will determine our father's reputation in Qin, which will also determine what kind of life we ​​will have when we return to Qin."

"We must be firm but polite. We must know that behind us is the most powerful Qin State."

"Moreover, if we are appropriately tough, they will respect us more, and we can live better in Zhao State."

"But stay away from the common people. Ordinary common people hate Qin, and they won't think too much. If we come into conflict with them, no matter the result is good or bad, it will be disgraceful."

"It's fine for me as a child, but the main thing is you, my mother. You should go out less in the future. You are too pretty and outstanding, and it's easy to cause trouble."

Zhao Ji nodded repeatedly and held Ying Zheng in her arms. She felt that with Ying Zheng she had found a backbone.

As long as Ying Zheng is around, he is not afraid of anything. His son is a genius and nothing can stump him.

Although there are some things I don’t quite understand, since my son is smart, I will listen to him. Mother and son are the closest people in the world, and a son will never harm his mother.

A mother wouldn't harm her son. A normal mother.

"Mother will listen to you." Zhao Ji said, and couldn't help pinching Ying Zheng's serious little face.

Not satisfied with just pinching, he held the entire little face in his hands and kneaded it like dough.

Zhao Ji laughed out loud at the sight of this serious and cute little face changing into strange shapes in her hands.

Ying Zheng was helpless and did not stop it with his eyelids drooped.

Zhao Ji was a playful person to begin with. Ever since the Battle of Changping, the situation had been critical. Until now, she could not go out and could only play with the children at home. She was already feeling very uncomfortable.

But she is my mother, so I can only make her happy.

Zhao Ji didn't have a big heart, she was just an ordinary little woman.

No matter how beautiful she is or how special her identity is, she is ultimately just an ordinary little woman psychologically.

Over the past six months, even though Ying Zheng often comforted her and tried to make her happy, Zhao Ji still lost a lot of weight during this period.

She always pretends nothing happened in front of Ying Zheng, but her acting skills are terrible.

It's not easy to be a mother.

She was held hostage in a foreign country with a sword hanging over her head. Her husband fled alone, leaving her and her widowed mother in the vortex of life and death.

My son is less than three years old; even if he is a genius, even if he is smarter.

But a mother must always take responsibility because she is the mother of the child.

The next day, Zhao Ji summoned Chang Lu and Qing Qin and gave each of them ten gold coins.

I thanked you solemnly, "I have relied on your protection during this period of time to ensure my safety. Now that I am short of money, I will give you ten gold coins each. I will ask my husband to thank you more generously in the future."

The two of them hurriedly thanked him.

Zhao Ji then told the two men: "The situation has been determined. Staying here for a long time is not a long-term solution. There are many inconveniences."

"Besides, the young master and I have a special status. After much thought, we still have to ask King Zhao to allow us to return to the hostage house. I have already written a letter and am ready to ask the owner of this place to send it to Qin State, changing the young master to Qin State's hostage."

"My mother and I are in a foreign country, and there is no one we can trust."

"I wonder if you two are willing to continue protecting my mother and me?"

"But protecting the proton is dangerous in an enemy country. If you two have concerns, I will not force you."

"You two can go back to Qin with the messenger. I can write a letter to ask my husband to thank me for the generous reward. What do you think?"

Chang Lu and Qing Qin looked at each other.

"Madam, you are so kind! We dare not take credit for the safety of you and the young master."

"During this period of time, firstly, Madam and Young Master are blessed by heaven; secondly, they rely on the Lord to make friends and provide protection, and we two have not contributed a single bit."

"Madam is a kind and benevolent person. She has rewarded us with large sums of money many times. Now that Madam values ​​us, and Madam does not despise our low abilities, how dare we disobey her orders?"

"We two are willing to serve you and protect you till our death."

Zhao Ji bowed and said, "You two are loyal to me. I won't say much. My mother and I will be in your care in the future."

After the two men left, Zhao Ji called the steward again and expressed her gratitude to him with a warm smile.

(End of this chapter)