Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 321, Section 320: Matters of Prayer
Princess Wen was furious when she received the message!

She was throwing a tantrum in the palace, and at that moment she picked up the glass cup presented by the maid and was about to throw it on the ground!

However, upon moving his hand and seeing the colors changing under the firelight, he sullenly put it back.

Glass is precious; this was a gift from the Queen to the various palaces during the New Year, so there are only a few pieces in her vast palace. If she were to throw it away…

She sat back down, feeling wronged.

Why?

Prince Qian had important matters to attend to, and it was also said that the young men from the unknown family that the Queen had brought back from Guanzhong had also been given positions.

There were also the many people recruited by the Queen in Ganquan Palace.

I heard that even illiterate peasant women and children are among them, so they will obviously be entrusted with important responsibilities in the future.

Despite being a princess, she has accomplished nothing.

The Queen wouldn't even entrust her with official duties as she would with the concubines in the harem.

Just as he was feeling sad, he saw Madam Zheng walking over with a brisk, cheerful stride.

"Wen'er, take a look at your mother's makeup today—how is it? Isn't it incredibly radiant and beautiful?"

Princess Wen looked up and saw that Madam Zheng's usually bright eyes seemed to have been enlarged and thickened, with the black and white eyeliner slightly upturned, making her look even more heroic and charming.

Madam Zheng, having assumed her pose, was completely unaware of the different atmosphere in the hall. Instead, she happily took a piece of eyebrow pencil from the maid's hand.

“Wen’er, look! It’s not in vain that your mother has been diligently praying to Heaven every day. The Queen said that everything is going exceptionally well, and therefore she has rewarded me with many things.”

She said smugly, "Mother doesn't have to be as busy and hardworking as Lady Chu to please the Queen—Mother only needs to offer a few prayers and sacrifices, and the Queen is already overjoyed."

Qin Shi: ...No, not really.

Although she now believes in metaphysics, she doesn't rely on it excessively. It's just a basic practice to give some good things to the various palaces when she has many employees under her command.

But Madam Zheng didn't think that far ahead.

The gifts came so frequently and in such large quantities; it must be because the Queen adored her!
Otherwise, why didn't the king bestow such a reward upon us back then?
She said smugly, "The eyeliner the Queen has taught us must be the same way the Kunlun fairy maidens draw theirs! Someone as talented as Mother can understand it just by listening and looking. Come, Wen'er, let me draw a pair of big eyes for you too!"

As she spoke, glancing at Princess Wen's gloomy face, she couldn't help but say regretfully:
“I have such big eyes, which neither you nor Qian have. My eyebrows and eyes are so like the king’s, and sometimes I look so fierce when I look at people.”

She talked on and on, clearly overflowing with joy and self-satisfaction.

It is precisely because of Wang Ziqian's confidence and cheerfulness that even his scatterbraininess seems somewhat endearing.

Only then did Madam Zheng notice her daughter's sullen mood. She felt a pang of heartache as she withdrew the eyebrow pencil and sighed.

"Wen'er, why are you unhappy again?"

Princess Wen's grievances and self-restraint could not be suppressed after this sentence.

At this moment, my eyes reddened, and tears welled up in my eyes:

“Mother, Qian has received a new important task from the Queen! But I consider myself talented, yet I haven’t been entrusted with even the slightest task.”

"Were the praises my tutor and mother gave me in the past just empty words?"

Madam Zheng frowned deeply, utterly perplexed and extremely astonished:
"Wen'er, you don't work, yet the palace still provides you with precious items like glass cups. You are both leisurely and happy. Isn't this a sign of the Queen's favor?"

Fearing her daughter might not know of the Queen's favoritism towards her, she quickly explained:
"Like her mother, the Queen also loves her very much, and even the current matter of prayer is done with the Queen's understanding."

"Otherwise, if I were to be as busy as Madam Chu every day, I really wouldn't be able to handle it." It's not a matter of physical strength. Madam Zheng can still wield a spear and stick, so her physical strength is actually much better than Madam Chu's, and she's much stronger.

But, oh dear!

"But I can't do those things, and I don't want to."

"You've just become so carefree now!"

The envy and satisfaction in his words were particularly evident.

Princess Wen looked up at her mother, whose mind was equally blank, and finally, large tears streamed down her face. She sullenly sat back down.
"Doesn't Mother feel threatened?"

Everyone in the palace has important duties and power, but Mother only has a task of praying and petitioning, which seems to be something she is just casually given to get by.

She had wanted to tell her mother about the task when she first heard about it, which shows that her mother went from being puzzled to overjoyed, but was afraid of hurting her feelings, so she held back in the end.

But after hearing her mother's hurtful words, she couldn't help but whisper them out.

But clearly she didn't manage to stab Madam Zheng.

The other person blinked their large eyes, which were lined with bright eyeliner, then said proudly:
"Wen'er, you don't understand."

"Your mother has grown up without suffering any hardship, including giving birth to you and your siblings. This is a testament to my great blessings!"

"Even the Queen was amazed. Otherwise, why would I have been chosen to perform this prayer task?"

Her high spirits never waned, and now she even steered the conversation back to square one:
"Look! How beautifully Mother's eyebrows are drawn! She used the eyebrow powder that the Queen bestowed upon her!"

"If my prayers had not been effective, and if everything had not gone smoothly for the Queen, she would not be so happy."

Damn!

Madam Zheng was filled with pride and joy, even managing to suppress the slight upturn of her lips, and found it difficult to even care about her daughter's grief and indignation.
“The things you mentioned can be accomplished by entrusting them to others. But this matter of prayer requires that Heaven also perceive my good fortune and sincerity.”

"The Queen is the Kunlun Divine Envoy; how could her arrangements be wrong?"

Princess Wen stared intently at her mother, on the verge of tears.

When her daughter shed tears, Madam Zheng was at a loss.

She opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say, so she just stayed silent.

But after watching quietly for a while, as Princess Wen's weeping grew increasingly sorrowful, he suddenly ordered a servant to bring the glass cup:

"Wen'er! Your eyes may not be big, but your tears are exceptionally large!"

As he spoke, he placed the glass cup under her chin, waiting for a tear to fall with a soft thud.

Princess Wen's sobs abruptly ceased.

Caught completely off guard, she even let out a particularly embarrassing burp.

This filled her with both shame and anger. Just as she raised her head to say something, Madam Zheng grabbed her hand.
"If you want a job, just tell the Queen!"

"The Queen is so kind and generous. She also inquired in detail about the work arrangements for everyone in the harem."

“Otherwise, if you just keep crying like this, even your mother won’t know what you’re trying to do.”

After saying this with a mixture of heartache and sincerity, Madam Zheng took her hand, carefully examining her daughter's slightly reddened eyes, and couldn't help but sigh again:
"Wen'er, your eyes look even bigger now that they're swollen—should we draw a more vibrant eyeliner?"

　Here it comes!
　　(End of this chapter)