Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 319, Section 318: The Mandate of Heaven
The truth about the "Son of the Dragon God" greatly pleased Ji Heng.

With such a difference in social status, he seemed to be able to be more tolerant of those ordinary, corrupt, and dull people in the court.

But as night approached, he helped the extremely tired queen up again:

"Since it is called the Dragon God, it is naturally different from ordinary dragons. Before me, it should not have been like the dragon ridden by the heavenly god Xihe and the spring god Jumang, right?"

Qin Shi was so sleepy he almost fell asleep, but seeing Ji Heng still agonizing over it, he reached out and beckoned him to come out of the tent.

After the maid handed him a cold handkerchief and he wiped his face with it, he slowly uttered the words he had prepared:

"The seven constellations of the Azure Dragon in the East are connected in a way that is called the 'Dragon.' When the dragon's horns are seen rising in the east at dusk, the new year begins."

“In the past, Fangxun ruled the world, and the jade pendant was entrusted to his son. Emperor Chonghua held the reins of power and wielded the balance.”

"Royal power is ordained by Heaven, and the monarch bestows the time."

"Your Majesty, do I need to say more about your identity and background?"

Since he wants to be the son of the Dragon God, then from now on, Ji Heng will be it.

When you're out in the world, you give yourself your identity. The king just gave you a slightly exaggerated one, so what's wrong with that?

Sure enough, Ji Heng removed the cold compress from her eyes:

"Bring warm water."

As the servant carefully handed him the warm handkerchief again, he gently and meticulously placed it back on Qin Shi's eyes, his voice softer than ever before:
"The Queen has revealed a heavenly secret, which I already know—royal power is ordained by Heaven, and the monarch determines the time. This must be the purpose of the month, year, and solar term display on that precious wristwatch you brought."

"You've come to remind me, haven't you?"

The Grand Astrologer borrowed the wristwatch to check the time one by one. Although not a full year has passed yet, the Grand Astrologer has carefully summarized the various displays on the dial according to the seasons and solar terms given by the Queen.

He took a deep breath:

“In that case, I should be bolder and not wait for the solar terms and agricultural seasons to be verified one by one. I will promulgate the new calendar in the spring.”

After centuries of strife following the Zhou Dynasty, he became the new unified monarch and naturally had the power to alter celestial phenomena and agricultural seasons.

If the Queen is willing to remind us of such a secret as her own identity, then her agricultural calendar must be more advanced than the current Zhuanxu calendar.

Given this, with such a great opportunity right in front of him, how could he possibly miss it?

With a warm handkerchief placed on his eyes, the drowsiness that had just subsided returned, and Qin Shi really couldn't hold on any longer.

She turned slightly to the side and snuggled closer to Ji Heng. His warm body held her tightly, enveloping her in a sense of security, and she quickly drifted off to sleep again.

In a daze, all that was heard was Ji Heng's sigh:
"If our Qin state is blessed with abundant resources and full granaries this year, it will be due to the Queen's unparalleled merit."

There is a heavy weight in the shoulder hollow.

He looked down and saw that the queen was fast asleep, nestled close to him.

Ji Heng gazed at her silently.

The queen did not sleep as formally as noble ladies do today, so the brocade quilts with a concave neck area commonly used in the palace were not suitable.

Now, only a large square quilt covers the bed.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a little doubtful:
What kind of identity and background did the Queen have that made her suffer in later generations and meet him here, with her upright yet affectionate nature, knowing when to advance and when to retreat, yet not following the rules in small matters?
But in any case, he knew perfectly well that the Queen was his favorite.

A waning crescent moon hung on the horizon. Ji Heng closed his eyes, reached out to pull the person beside him closer, and then slowed his breathing as well.

……

In any case, this newly staged play has passed muster in front of both the Queen and the King.

Qin Shi pondered on the new workday:

Given Madam Chu's status, it was naturally inappropriate for her to go to the villages and counties to promote this matter to the public—besides, she was extremely proud and would not be capable of doing such a thing.

Zhuang is about to be transferred to Baiyue.

Now that the Grand Minister of Agriculture, Yan Cong, has been sent by the King to take over the Changlu Saltworks, he can be transferred back to Xianyang.

However, his straightforward personality and talent make him unsuitable for publicity and promotion work. Princess Wen is still young and needs more experience to hone her character; she cannot accomplish such a great task alone.

As for Prince Qian...

Never mind, it's not that bad.

After much deliberation, Qin Shi summoned Bai Qiusha, who had just settled in Xianyang Palace.

Publicity always costs money.

Unfortunately, neither she nor the king are well-off right now, so they should make the most of the wealthy young men from rich families who are there to gain experience.

Bai Qiusha was already eager to get started and full of energy.

Although he had only been in Xianyang Palace for a short time, he quickly learned about the various changes brought about by the Queen by using his own persona of being equally wealthy and fond of admiring women.

The formidable weapons of the Iron Official Workshop.

It is said that the king will reward those who are capable.

For example, the General of the Central Army, because of his loyalty and meritorious service in protecting others, possessed a divine longsword that could cut through iron like mud and sever hair with a single breath.

The various secret techniques of the glass workshop are said to be auctioned off separately, and there are countless preparations underway.

There's also the so-called lime and cement workshop currently under the management of the Junior Secretary Xin, which is said to be an extraordinary national treasure.

I've also heard that in the heavily guarded workshops along the Wei River, a highly accomplished master, guided by the Queen, is refining something called the "Nine Heavens Responding to the Origin Thunder God Pill"...

Just listen to this name!

Bai Qiusha felt terrified when she inquired with the palace servants.

He was afraid that he might ask too many questions and break some taboo.

However, the palace maid didn't care at all after receiving the reward:
"The Queen doesn't care about us exchanging these messages."

Even palace servants who wanted to advance in their careers would have a short meeting every morning and evening.

This meeting didn't involve any dry, empty talk; instead, everyone shared their knowledge and resources.

The Chief Secretary would occasionally come to personally explain to everyone the various tasks under the Queen's jurisdiction, the personnel needed for these tasks, and their prospects...

Simply put, it's about announcing positive news about the group to the general public to boost investor confidence.

But nowadays, the more people favor the Queen, the more diligently they work for her. Isn't that a positive thing?

In short, these workshops are heavily guarded by imperial guards, and if you really want to find out, you can find out no matter how hard you try. It's better to just openly display them like this.

If you feel you have gained something and can put it to good use, it is perfectly acceptable to recommend yourself!

Baek Chau-sa was deeply impressed by the Queen's magnanimity and actions.

He also longed to demonstrate his ambitions and let everyone know his abilities.

But after much thought and sitting there for a long time, he realized that his knowledge was inferior to that of Mr. Wen and his disciples.

In terms of being considerate of the emperor's wishes, neither the chief historian nor the junior historian can compare.

I've even heard that the women who received gifts before the queen was officially crowned have all found their own ways now...

Ugh!
Bai Qiusha sighed deeply. Now that the Queen had summoned him, how could he not be in high spirits?

　As I mentioned before, many of the documents here are from research, and I can't remember them in my head at all.

　　But one night, a night without any significant milestones or important writing, I suddenly memorized that sentence in my dream—

　　【In the past, Fangxun ruled the world…】This is from the Book of Northern Qi. I only know this one line, haha.

　　In the past, Emperor Yao ruled the world by offering sacrifices to Heaven and Earth with jade discs and selecting virtuous and capable successors to the throne; Emperor Shun held the Mandate of Heaven, upholding the laws of Heaven and wielding supreme power. The Mandate of Heaven had a clear recipient, supported and upheld by both humans and gods. Yao was Fangxun, and Shun was Chonghua; the principles have remained unchanged from ancient times to the present, and the principles of governance are consistent.

　　(End of this chapter)