Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 28 28. Rewarding Beauty
If Madam Chu knew what the king said, she would probably be furious to death!
She could dance for an hour or two straight for the king's enjoyment, so how could she really breathe heavily after every step? But Madam Chu grew up in Chu. When her homeland was still there, slimness was considered beautiful by everyone!
Her father, grandfather, great-grandfather... all served as important ministers to successive kings of Chu. To win the favor of the king, she even went on a diet and bound her waist to stay thin!

She just exercises a lot and eats a lot, but she is used to pretending to be slim and weak. What's wrong with her? She even looks down on the big and strong Qin Guo!
The king was clearly not picky at first and even praised her for being thin and agile. But when she started to feel tired after walking a few steps, the king became impatient.

Later, she accompanied the king to eat a lot, but when they took a walk in the breeze, she would squeeze into the king's arms and shout "I'm so cold", "I feel dizzy", "I feel weak all over"...

What's wrong with this?
It is obviously the Qin State that has the problem!
Later, she gave birth to a prince, but whether it was because she was still trying not to gain weight during pregnancy, or because the State of Chu suffered a series of defeats, she really vomited continuously.

The prince who was finally born was thin and purple, and it took a lot of effort to raise him. Now he is not very skilled in archery and horse riding.

Anyway, Qin Shi devoured the melon with a brown sugar pancake with great relish. At this moment, he exclaimed, "Ouch!" "There's something fishy about what the king eats and uses. Madam Chu was probably just careless..."

Moreover, the infant mortality rate was very high in ancient times. Mrs. Chu was able to raise the child healthily, so maybe she has a good physical foundation!

It's really difficult! The king is obsessed with women, and she has to worry about her future prospects.

The king is not interested in women, but she also has to worry about her future prospects.

Fortunately, there was a full meal and hot soup, which was considered satisfactory. Coincidentally, Zhou Ju also sent a eunuch to report.

Qin Shi was cheered up. He took Chi Nu Wu Zi and the things he wanted to take with him and headed to Zhangtai Palace.

...

Zhangtai Palace was where the King of Qin worked, a distinct departure from the Lanchi Palace, where he enjoyed leisure and banquets. Qin Shi carefully observed it all the way, and no matter how many times he looked, he was still astonished by the greatness and grandeur of the human limits of this era.

When the King of Qin in the hall raised his head from the bamboo slips, what he saw were her sparkling eyes and the excitement and pride on her face.

Ji Heng paused before asking, "Qin Qing, what makes you so happy?"

Qin Shi's eyes sparkled, and he didn't hide his feelings. "Your Majesty, I've never seen a palace as grand as the Xianyang Palace. I think Your Majesty and the craftsmen are truly remarkable!"

"With such people, wouldn't the king be proud?"

Ji Heng was speechless for a moment.

He was just a craftsman, but the entire Shaofu, the entire world, served him alone. He commanded, and they did it. It was that simple.

What is there to be proud of?
But for some reason, seeing Qin Shi's serious expression, as if he was proud of it, although he was a little confused, he seemed to still be able to feel this emotion.

So he nodded and said happily, "I also feel that my Xianyang Palace is unmatched! If you have time, Qin Qing, you can go to the palaces of the six kingdoms to have a look."

After comparing, I realized that the Qin State was the most magnificent and domineering.

Qin Shi also happily agreed: "Yes! Let's go when the summer heat subsides!"

Zhou Ju served beside the King of Qin. After hearing this, he looked at Qin Shi seriously again.

I thought that the other person looked sincere and innocent, but for some reason, every word he said was so pleasant to the ear.

The king's request to her to tour the palace might have been a casual one, but she could immediately give a specific date, as if she was really looking forward to it.

He couldn't help but smile.

After all, if your kindness is given to a fool, it would be a huge waste.

Ji Heng was indeed happier. He asked someone to offer him a seat and then asked, "I heard you have another treasure to offer?"

Qin Shi nodded: "When I first encountered the king's procession on the road, I wanted to offer this treasure, but there were many inconveniences at the time, so I delayed it until today."

"Your Majesty, please take a look."

Chi Nu leaned forward and opened the box in her hand, revealing a wristwatch lying quietly on the silk cloth.

Zhou Ju walked down the steps and held the watch in front of King Qin again.

The other person's slender and powerful fingers slipped out of the wristband and held it in his palm for a closer look. He was surprised by the heavy metal texture and turned it over and over.

The candlelight in the hall was bright, and the cold white light of metal flickered between the other party's fingers and palms. Qin Shi stared at Ji Heng's hands with the same burning eyes. Ji Heng was keenly aware of the other party's gaze.

He thought to himself: Qin Qing's gaze is scorching, so this treasure must be precious.

So he put it back into the box and was about to call her over to explain in detail, but he saw that her eyes were still lingering on his fingers.

He paused, then put his hand back as if nothing had happened.

Then Qin Shi also withdrew his gaze and quietly walked to the steps.

"Why is Qin Qing paying attention to me?" he asked directly.

Qin Shi was stunned for a moment, then he said seriously: "Your Majesty's hands are beautiful."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire Zhangtai Palace fell silent. Zhou Ju's breathing became light and slow. Chi Nu and Wu Zi knelt at the bottom of the stairs, not daring to even breathe.

Qin Shi was telling the truth.

Men's hands naturally have a different kind of beauty compared to women's hands.

Her fingers were slender, with plump bones and flesh, rosy nails and soft fingertips.

Ji Heng's hands were exceptionally large—his knuckles were strong and long, veins were visible on the back of his hands, and some rough calluses could be seen at the base of his palms.

You look so healthy and strong!
Ji Heng, after a brief moment of shock, also looked at his hands. He then burst into laughter, and the cold and majestic look he had at first glance gradually faded, transforming into the reassuring and tolerant monarch:

"Qin Qing is honest, I won't blame you—"

"Zhou Ju, order the Shaofu to select ten handsome men to serve Qin Qing."

Comparing a king to a beauty was truly disrespectful. But Qin Shih's initial naturalness and unrestrainedness were truly impressive. Therefore, her words actually amused the king.

Qin Shi felt really embarrassed now - ten people were too many!
She quickly changed the subject: "My king, let's talk about this treasure."

The brief inspection just now had already given Ji Heng an understanding of this treasure. Now he placed the watch back in his palm, watching the second hand on it continuously advance one tick at a time, and asked, "Is this thing like a sundial or clepsydra?"

Nowadays, observing the time can be roughly divided into three categories. The sundial relies on sunlight to cast shadows and divides a day into twelve hours.

The clepsydra uses the flow of water, and the accuracy becomes more and more accurate with each passing moment.

Inside the city, people mostly use drums to give reminders. The time division is not very detailed, but drums and bronze bells are beaten at different times.

Qin Shi was not at all surprised by the intelligence of a country's ruler. He just nodded and said, "Yes, I call it a clock."

Ji Heng raised his eyebrows. "The gnomon and bronze bell are integrated into one, so the word 'clock' is quite appropriate—but isn't the pointer moving a little too fast?"

As I spoke, the second hand kept moving, and the minute hand also began to advance. But the dial had twelve characters, and the scale between each hour was really too short.

***
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The King of Qin calculated the hours, but we see that the hours go around twice a day.

[Tomorrow, I'll be watching the watch again. It shouldn't be boring, right?]

[The word "zhong" refers to the bronze bell used in chime bells, not a modern term. "Watch" means to display or indicate time. Therefore, the word "clock" is an ancient term.]

During the Qin and Han dynasties, there was little concept of chastity, and widows often remarried to become empresses, queen mothers, or high-ranking officials.

In other words, their "chastity" is not reflected in whether a woman has a man. Instead, it is reflected in whether she is loyal to her family and husband. This kind of "chastity" is respected.

[But, but, but! Qin Shi Huang did have a strong sense of chastity! But it wasn't as strong as during the Han Dynasty. This part of the article is a personal creation.]

These days I wake up around 6am every day and go out, returning home exhausted at night. Add my period and I still have to write early in the morning and late at night.

I'm still alive, it's amazing...