Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 293, Section 292: The Frail Prince
Madam Chu had absolutely no interest in the elders' ideas.

She's too busy!

Rehearsals have been going on for two months, and the lyrics have been revised again and again, now they are so explicit that they are outrageous!

If this still doesn't work, how will we explain the upcoming winter tour to the Queen?
After all, the other party had repeatedly instructed that during the current off-season for farming, it was imperative to spread the word about the king's achievements!
During the busy farming season, even if you send millet directly to the fields, you probably won't be able to get anyone to come.

For this reason, Madam Chu was so busy that she barely had time to rest. Now, she was helplessly waiting for the clan elder to enter the palace, which she already felt was a huge waste of time, let alone having time to think about anything else.

However, after she watched the rehearsal again, her maid came to report:

"Madam, the clan elder has arrived."

Madam Chu had initially intended to maintain a haughty demeanor and ask the other party to wait, but since the matter had just come to an end, waiting any longer would only waste her own time, so she turned around.

"Then let's go see him."

To everyone's surprise, she moved swiftly, while the maid stood frozen in place, then stammered:

"Madam, the clan elder... he didn't come alone; he brought other members of the clan with him..."

Hurrah!

Madam Chu gave a cold laugh.

When Chenghu was unwell, she wanted to ask Lady Zhao to find a folk healer to recommend to the palace so that she could try to treat him.

But the clan kept making excuses, saying that bringing people in would make them easy targets for exploitation, and that there were no reliable miracle doctors in the folk...

In short, it just won't work; I didn't bring it!
Even private communication had to be minimized to prevent anyone from using it against him and displeasing the King of Qin.

At that time, the State of Chu had not yet been destroyed, and the Zhao clan was an extremely prominent noble family in Chu.

Now, things are really messed up. The Chu state is gone, and the Zhao clan is insignificant. Only after the queen was appointed did they feel threatened, and they even dared to bring people over!

"Fine, I'll bring it."

Madam Chu gave a cold snort, thinking haughtily:

"The physician appointed by the Queen to attend to Chenghu was responsible for his health and education every day. Although it delayed his studies, it did reduce the frequency of his illnesses."

If the clan were to bring a renowned healer to curry favor, she would absolutely not accept it.

After all, every doctor has their own ideas and methods, and it's not good to change them rashly.

The maidservant behind her was so anxious that her back was slightly sweaty, but Madam Chu came and went in a hurry. She was no longer the delicate woman who was frail and breathless with every step. She was no longer going to pretend.

She had no choice but to lift her skirt and jog a few steps before hurriedly catching up.

Upon arriving at the main hall, Madam Chu was stunned.

There were two delicate women standing there with their heads bowed, besides the white-haired and white-bearded elders below the steps.

She was so angry she almost laughed.

Upon seeing the clan elder, he didn't even offer a greeting, but coldly gave the order:

"How come I didn't know there was such a beauty in the clan? Raise your head."

The two women were taken aback, and then timidly raised their heads.

Regardless of the character of the Zhao family, as men, they certainly had a knack for choosing women.

The two women below the steps look alike, yet each has her own unique style.

Her bright eyes looked over, as black as ink.

Her eyes are round at the corners, giving her an innocent and pure look, yet her hesitant demeanor also carries a touch of allure.

Moreover, they were in the prime of their youth, radiant and beautiful. In terms of appearance, they were in no way inferior to Lady Chu in her prime.

Madam Chu should have been furious, but for some reason, her first thought upon seeing the two of them was:
If she were to play the lead role in her play, wouldn't she be even more eye-catching than the one currently chosen?
Then he came to his senses.

But after being distracted earlier, I couldn't even muster the anger to do anything right now.

She breathed slowly, and then sat down leisurely:

"Elder, you must be tired from your journey. Please have a seat."

Her attitude was casual and frank, and although her words were polite, according to the clan elders, it was extremely disrespectful. However, she was still the wife of the Prince of Qin on the surface, and women are prone to jealousy; it was common for her to get angry when she saw someone who was superior to her.

At this moment, he could only suppress his anger and put on a kind face:
"Fangxi, you have been in the palace for many years and have only one prince under your care. It is inevitable that you will feel lonely over time."

"Look, these are your two cousins ​​from the same clan. Now that they are getting older, they can stay in the palace and keep you company."

"is it?"

Madam Chu smiled enigmatically, then glanced at the two young women with their heads bowed, as if she were seeing a reflection of herself from years past.

but--

"I'm sorry to have worried the elders, but the Queen has given me some instructions, so I don't feel lonely at all. On the contrary, I'm so busy every day that I don't even have time to rest."

"I would be very happy if my two cousins ​​were willing to assist me—but I wonder what they are good at?"

"I am currently lacking a palace servant to keep accounts, a general manager to oversee all matters, and one or two backup personnel..."

What on earth is this all about?!

The clan elder only partially understood what he was hearing, but the meaning he was conveying was exceptionally clear—

Madam Chu was not happy with their arrangement.

The elder frowned and asked, "Fangxi, are you saying this because you're unwilling?"

Lady Chu's appearance and temperament resembled a helpless white lotus in the wind, but in essence, she was a resilient woman who had been disciplined for many years and had endured the hardships of dance training since childhood.

Now that her mindset has changed, she remains completely unfazed by the elders' doubts:
"Yes, I don't want to."

Forgot to say.

Although the Zhao family understood men well, they did not understand King Heng of Qin.

If such a woman could gain favor in the palace, couldn't Qin find someone even more outstanding? Couldn't the nobles of Qin offer her such a beauty?

Or perhaps, when I was just as young, why wasn't I favored?

Lady Chu gave a mocking smile:
King Heng of Qin cherished two things most in his life: his empire and himself.

Women were merely tools for him to maintain the empire's perpetual existence.

Although I don't know why the queen is so favored, the fact that she, a queen of such high status, still has to travel all the way to Guanzhong for matters of the fields tells me this—

Their queen was essentially the same kind of person as King Heng of Qin.

However, the queen loved herself more than the people of this vast empire.

The elder, unaware of the turmoil in her heart, was now seething with anger, but ultimately suppressed it, and reluctantly offered some words of advice:
"Fangxi, I know you are jealous and resentful. But you have been in the palace for many years, yet you only have a weak prince, and it is uncertain whether he will live to adulthood."

Madam Chu clenched her fists instantly, her long, rounded nails digging into her soft palms.

But the clan elder did not look up and continued to speak at length.

Instead, the two young women sensed something was wrong and cautiously looked up.

Upon meeting Madam Chu's icy gaze, they instantly shrank back.

Why do adults talk like that?

Let alone such a distinguished person, even a peasant woman in the countryside would probably fight to the death if she spoke of her child like that to her face.

Not to mention, she was one of the ladies in King Heng's palace!

The clan elders were completely unaware.

In his eyes, the frail Chenghu wouldn't live past adulthood—a fact that had been discussed countless times.

"Besides, even if you don't consider the prince, shouldn't you at least consider your father?"

"Now your father is in Shu and has fallen seriously ill, beyond the reach of medicine. He has already been sent to Xianyang. If you do not take this opportunity to lay the groundwork for yourself and for the prince, how can your father be at ease?"

"Where in the future will our tribe be so devoted to planning for you?"

(End of this chapter)