Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 42 41. Pearl Shoes
Qin Shi returned to Lanchi Palace with a huge team.

It was a little after two in the afternoon, and the surface of the Orchid Pond was steaming with a hot and humid air, and the scorching heat was hard to dissipate.

But Chi Nu and Wu Zi were delighted, because the King of Qin had received another reward from the King, and the people behind him were there to present the reward.

"Your Majesty... No, Your Majesty is so happy today, it's all thanks to Lord Qin."

The red girl was proud of it.

Kneeling in the Zhangtai Palace, they were as inconspicuous as weeds in the cracks of the rocks. Thus, they witnessed with their own eyes how the King of Qin, with just a few words, could make the King happy.

Afterwards, he presented countless golden cakes, mutton fat, pearls, silk and brocade as rewards.

If this is not the king's love, then what is it?

The master has a bright future, so they, the servants, are naturally very happy.

Qin Shi thought about this and slowly let out a breath.

Yes, the life-saving medicine is just an introduction, and the subsequent food and clothing are just supplementary.

But the fact that they share the same political ambitions is the basis for her gaining the king's trust.

From now on, she can be even bolder!

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel cheerful, and then ordered: "I am not familiar with the palace, so you should still be cautious in your words and actions."

"Yes," Chi Nu bowed in response. Wu Zi reported from the side, "Lord Qin, the king has given you so many treasures. Would you mind calling in craftsmen to make gold, jade, and pearl ornaments? We have some new clothes and fabrics in the clothing department. Would you like to try them today?"

Qin Shi nodded.

"There's no need to rush to summon the craftsman. Let me take a look at the current fashions and then study the patterns."

"You can try on the new clothes. His Majesty has ordered it—well, the decree hasn't been issued yet, so you can still call me 'Your Majesty'."

"The king has ordered that I be taken with him to the general's residence tonight. If new clothes are ready, put them on immediately."

The general is already seriously ill. If she still goes there in strange clothes to show off, and the general misunderstands that the king is looking for immortals, I don’t know whether he will accept it.

It’s better to show more respect.

Wu Zi wrote them down one by one. When she returned to Lanchi Palace, her maid led the slaves to serve King Qin. Her task was to count and store the king's rewards one by one.

The personnel and financial arrangements of Lan Chi Palace are not complicated nowadays. If Qin Shi is willing, he can make a list in minutes and make it clear.

But, is the list on silk, sheepskin, or bamboo slips?
She thought about it and put it aside for the time being.

Now entering the palace, the surroundings were icy and cold, and the maids gently fanned the room, bringing a cool breeze. Fu Cai was already waiting nearby. Seeing Yi Ming approaching with eagerness to serve tea to Qin Jun, it was obvious that he had already made a good impression on the master.

This made her quite anxious.

But it's okay.

Fu Cai regained her spirits and thought confidently: her strength lies not in serving Qin Jun, but in dressing him up.

Seeing the group helping Qin Jun wipe his sweat and change his clothes, Fu Cai stepped forward and asked softly, "Qin Jun, would you like to try on your new clothes and shoes?"

Qin Shi was actually quite looking forward to it, but she didn't want to reveal this expectation in advance, so as to avoid her subordinates urging her to speed up the construction.

If any slaves were punished or died because of this, she would probably feel guilty.

At this moment, he nodded reservedly: "Let's give it a try - it's only been a day, are you ready?"

Fu Cai said proudly, "I have been able to thread a needle since I was three years old. Lord Qin just said to keep it simple. No embroidery or rubbing, just cutting and sewing. One day is more than enough."

She wasn't exaggerating.

The garments of nobles were not only embroidered but also embroidered with a variety of beautiful patterns. Whether printed, dyed, or heavily embroidered, the meticulous craftsmanship of a single garment could take months, even years. But the Lord of Qin was considerate and kind, saying that during the scorching summer, and since we didn't have such a cool mirror, why would we force ourselves to embroider and thread the needle?
Besides, it was hot in the summer, and she didn't like clothes that were heavy and cumbersome, so she just had them simply tailored.

When this news came out, all the servants who were working for the Shaofu Clothing Department breathed a sigh of relief. In order not to disappoint such a kind and benevolent master, they naturally became more diligent.

Although it was only one day, they took turns to rest all night. Now, what they presented to Qin Shi, in addition to three sets of clothes made of different materials, there were also three extra pairs of shoes.

This kind of efficiency is simply amazing!
The first thing Qin Shi saw was the shoes.

Including the night work, it would take no more than 40 hours to complete. But now, these three pairs of shoes are well made and very beautiful.

Yes, beautifully done.

What caught her attention first was a pair of pearl-shaped shoes in the style of shallow-mouthed single shoes.

Nowadays, shoes are not called "shoes" but "lu". There is no distinction between left and right, and two pairs are the same.

But now, the pair of pearl shoes in my hand unexpectedly has the vague outline of bilateral symmetry.

A large pearl, a tribute from Nanhai Commandery, presented as a gift by the King of Qin, was truly set into the rounded toe of the shoe. The upper was made of light blue linen, with a thin layer of silk of the same color sewn inside.

And the soles of the shoes are actually thousand-layer soles that are still in use thousands of years later!

Qin Shi exclaimed: "This workmanship is so detailed."

The only drawback is that these shoes are not made of elastic material, so they are easy to fall off after wearing - this is also the reason why many rich ladies in ancient literary works cannot run fast and are prone to losing their shoes.

Fu Cai saw her admiring expression and breathed a sigh of relief. "Mr. Qin, these are silk and linen shoes."

She explained, "A nobleman should use leather and brocade, inlaid with pearls, jade, and embroidery. But I, your servant, took the liberty of looking at your immortal shoes. I also saw that you had selected a large quantity of silk and linen from the king, so I took the liberty of using starched coarse linen for the soles, sewing them layer by layer to create a thicker sole."

They were also afraid that the coarse linen would rub the soles of the nobleman's feet, so they sewed a layer of thick silk on top.

The same goes for the upper: fine linen is crocheted with simple patterns on the outside, goldsmiths melt gold and inlay pearls overnight, and fine silk is used as lining on the inside.

She was very careful and wanted to show off her skills, so she carefully observed Qin Shi's shoes. She found that the left and right shoes were different, so she boldly tried them.

Today, such a pair of shoes, which are considered plain in mainstream aesthetics because they lack embroidery and sufficient gold and jade decorations, are, in Qin Shi's view, the embodiment of the craftsman's extraordinary meticulousness and craftsmanship.

"very nice."

She praised generously, looking at Fu Cai seriously with her eyes, and praised her without reservation: "Fu Cai, you are really smart, so amazing."

Fu Cai's efforts to maintain a reserved expression finally failed. At this moment, a blush suddenly appeared on her cheeks, and her eyes were as bright as stars.

Even the servants holding shoes and clothes had blushing cheeks and were very happy.

However, this is not the ultimate in consideration.

She took down two more light yellow brocade ribbons from the table and said, "I have seen your fairy shoes and found that they have ties on them, which will prevent them from falling off when you wear them."

"Mr. Qin is a healthy man who travels a lot, so he was worried that these silk and linen shoes wouldn't be strong enough, so he created a slit in the bottom layer of the shoe."

She thoughtfully threaded the yellow brocade ribbon through the invisible gap above the sole of the shoe: "When Mr. Qin steps on the shoe, I will thread the brocade ribbon through the middle and then tie it around the instep of Mr. Qin's foot."

She smiled and said, "Mr. Qin, do you want to try it?"

Trust and respect need to be accumulated. Being able to align with Ji Heng's political ambitions is the foundation of one's life. That's why I spent so much time and effort to describe this.

[The Qin Dynasty had embroidery, which is often seen on unearthed cultural relics]

Before the Tang Dynasty, shoes were called "lu" (lü), "xue" (xie), etc., and only in the Tang Dynasty did they become known as "xie" (xie). Leather boots were invented by Sun Bin—yes, that Sun Bin. Shoes with thousand-layer soles date back to the Zhou Dynasty, and before that, shoes were not distinguished by left or right. And sandals and single shoes were already common in ancient times... I won't go into detail here, but it's too long.

It is unreasonable for those in a higher position to make demands. Being considerate of others is an effort to cherish human life.