Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 18 18. Cinnabar and White Lead
Zhou Ju's silence was deafening.

Not only him, but everyone around him lowered their heads.

At this moment, the heat wave was steaming. Under the canopy, Qin Shi looked at the black cloth as if nothing had happened, and was amazed that it was not pure black, but a rich purple, so rich that it was almost black.

So much so that Zhou Ju pondered for a long time, and still didn't know whether she said it intentionally or unintentionally.

Until he took a deep breath, he asked carefully again: "Cinnabar and white lead, are they really poisonous?"

Qin Shi withdrew his hand, his expression sincere: "Of course it is poisonous, and it is extremely poisonous."

She ignored Zhou Ju's suddenly dilated pupils and explained, "Cinnabar can cure diseases, but if taken for a long time or in close contact with the body, it can cause damage to the spleen and kidney water, headaches, stupidity, and bleeding, among other symptoms."

"Lead white is even worse—prolonged exposure can cause mania, dullness, headaches, fatigue, and difficulty sleeping. It can also damage qi, blood, bones, and internal organs..."

"Most importantly, if it is used frequently, it can easily lead to infertility or birth defects in both men and women."

Zhou Ju's clasped hands trembled slightly within his wide sleeves.

The current King Heng of Qin is in good health. He believes in the water virtue of the Great Qin and often wears black. He rarely wears red or white. Therefore, he is still in good health.

However, among the sons of the previous king, only the eldest, King Heng of Qin, was still healthy. Of the other dozen princes, only three lived to adulthood.

The survivors of the six kingdoms once said that the disaster was caused by the excessive killing of Qin kings of all dynasties... It's ridiculous!
The kings of Qin, regardless of how many years they reigned, diligently governed the country. What about the six kingdoms? The absurd actions of their rulers are appalling. Could it be that their downfall was also caused by disasters?
But at this moment, he just took a deep breath and bowed again: "Thank you, Qin Qing, for your frankness."

Then, without changing his expression, he stood up and introduced the boxes in the second row to Qin Shi - even though he was now wearing lead-white underwear, and his body felt as if it was burned by fire.

Qin Shi, however, understood this feeling of urgency very well. He shook his head and said, "Mr. Zhou, such a trivial matter as examining the cloth is really a waste of your talent. I see that your clothes are soaked with sweat. Why don't you go and rest first?"

"There are so many servants here. I can just let them take whatever I like."

Zhou Ju hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Qin Shi carefully again, then bowed again: "Qin Qing, please be tolerant. I will go change my clothes now..."

……

In the steaming summer air, the servants spread out cloths of various colors one by one, forming layers of colorful silk walls here.

Qin Shi walked slowly through it, slowly figuring out what he should do and what to say next.

It is known that the King of Qin was tolerant—but limited. This probably did not include servants, attendants, and slaves, as they were not considered human in the eyes of the superiors.

She currently has the merit of offering medicine, but her identity is unknown, which is a plus point here and will increase the King of Qin's tolerance.

In addition, the King of Qin will reward those who have made contributions - the corresponding principle is [those who have made mistakes will be punished].

Her shortcomings also appeared.

Although he believed he could contribute something beneficial to the Qin State, he had no idea of ​​etiquette and rules, and he didn't know how to distinguish between high and low when speaking...

Without saying anything else, just look at Zhou Ju and you will know what the lower-level people should do now?
He never even looked up to meet Qin Shi's eyes!

But his identity is already the most trusted Zhongchefu Ling of the current King of Qin! Yet he is still so cautious in his words and deeds, not daring to overstep the line.

What if she became an even lower person?

Qin Shi couldn't help but frown.

Facing the King of Qin, whose words could decide life and death, all she could do was to maintain the two labels of honesty and usefulness as much as possible.

Among them, "honesty" is more important than "usefulness".

Only by being honest enough can all her non-compliant behaviors seem natural and unrestrained, rather than stupid and disrespectful.

At the same time, you can gain the trust of those in power.

Only on the basis of trust can the word "useful" be effective. She exhaled slowly, even thinking a little further ahead—few emperors lived long lives! How much trust must be accumulated to avoid being buried with them in the future?
As for now.

Qin Qing, who loves beauty, must of course carefully select beautiful fabrics——

After the coarsest linen, the next thing to look at is various silk products.

After Zhou Ju left, an attendant immediately came forward to explain:
"Please look, Lord Qin. This is silk cloth. It is light, thin, and soft, and denser than linen. Nobles often use silk cloth for underwear and summer clothes."

"When Your Majesty practices martial arts, silk will stick to your skin due to sweat, so Your Majesty chooses linen."

Otherwise, considering his noble status, such rough fabrics would never appear in the king's private treasury.

It is indeed soft and light, and it flutters in the wind.

Qin Shi nodded with satisfaction: "Same as before, one horse of each color except red and white."

Next is qi, which has more gorgeous fabric patterns but is slightly heavier.

And brocade with particularly bright colors and more intricate and beautiful patterns.

These are more suitable for making thick coats in autumn and winter. Qin Shi thought about it and decided to take both the red and white ones this time.

After all, it’s not a big deal if you only look beautiful occasionally when going out in autumn and winter, as you’re wearing heavy underwear!

In the Zhangtai Palace, the King of Qin was discussing politics with the three dukes and nine ministers. At this moment, they were still discussing the "Great Qin Code" that was previously prepared for promulgation.

Because the content and terms are extremely detailed, some words and regulations still need to be discussed.

It was at this moment that Zhou Ju quietly stepped forward and happened to hear the guest Cao Dan presenting treasures to the king.

The land of Chu has just sent a troupe of musicians as tribute, who can be incorporated into the variety show and provide music and dance for the king.

At the same time, someone recommended a Taoist priest named Mao Sheng.

"This man is skilled in alchemy, harnessing the energy of the Yin and Yang and Five Elements to create a magical elixir of Ganoderma lucidum, cinnabar, ginseng, gold, and water jade. I have taken it, and instantly feel all my ailments vanish, and my vital energy is overflowing!"

"I present this man to the king! May the king live long and the Great Qin be immortal!"

The King of Qin raised his head and asked: "How could it have such miraculous effects?"

Even though the immortals and gods are noble, they are the emperor of mankind. All temples and shrines in the human world should obey the laws of the emperor.

Ji Heng naturally felt this way.

Now, he has accidentally obtained a miraculous medicine during his western tour, and when he returns to the Xianyang Palace, someone presents him with a Taoist priest who can make elixirs. Could this really be God's blessing?

His brows relaxed and then raised, and he was obviously interested.

Zhou Ju, who was silent and had no sense of existence, couldn't stop his eyelids from twitching wildly after hearing the word "cinnabar".

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[The Dianke is one of the "Nine Ministers" among the "Three Dukes and Nine Ministers", responsible for foreign affairs and ethnic affairs]

【Nine Ministers】
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Fengchang: In charge of ancestral temple rituals, he had a very high status and was the head of the Nine Ministers.
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Langzhongling: in charge of palace guards.
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Weiwei: in charge of palace gate guards.
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Taipu: in charge of the imperial horses and the state’s horse affairs.
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Tingwei: in charge of judicial trials.
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Dianke: in charge of foreign affairs and ethnic affairs.
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Zong Zheng: in charge of the affairs of the imperial family and clan members.
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Zhisu Nei Shi: in charge of rent, taxes, grain and financial revenue and expenditure.
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Shaofu: In charge of taxes on mountains, seas, ponds and lakes that were used exclusively for the needs of the royal family, as well as official handicrafts.

Baixi (a form of entertainment) was one of the main entertainment activities during the Qin Dynasty. It was divided into acrobatics, music and dance, and athletic competitions. It included acrobatics, martial arts, dance, drama, etc. and was very popular at the time.

Here we come!
Qin Shi Huang in history: To pursue immortality is to pursue immortality. To be polite is to be polite.

But, in heaven and on earth, I am the boss.

(End of this chapter)