Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 322 321. Clear inside and outside
Although Princess Wen experiences some adolescent anxieties and hardships, she is essentially a filial daughter.

Therefore, when Qin Shi heard that Lady Zheng and Princess Wen had come, he was surprised and put down his work before seeing the two of them.

Upon seeing it, she couldn't help but chuckle.

Other orders from the palace need to be relayed down through the ranks, but these spies...

The maids she had seen since this morning all had a black line drawn around their eyes.

Some captured the essence perfectly, drawing with great spirit, while others...

But everyone has a desire to look beautiful. What's wrong with women simply wanting their eyes to appear larger?

Therefore, she simply pretended not to see him.

Looking at Madam Zheng now, she already had a face with big eyes, full lips, and a heroic spirit. Now, with her carefully drawn eyeliner, her eyes looked exceptionally clear and bright when she looked over.

That's right...

Qin Shi pursed his lips and pretended to drink tea to keep himself from laughing out loud.

I don't know if it's a personal trait or what, but when others wear eyeliner that's slightly upturned, they always seem to exude a bit more charm.

Madam Zheng, however, had her eyeliner drawn thickly black, and when she stared at people, it seemed as if even her empty head could be seen through.

It's... pretty flat.

As she pondered this, Lady Zheng looked at her with a smile and anticipation: "Your Majesty, does Your Majesty see anything different about me today?"

Qin Shi: ...

Fortunately, she was well-read and knowledgeable. She gritted her teeth, looked intently at the other person, and then slowly offered her assessment:
"Yes, Madam Zheng seems clear-headed and pure-hearted today, making her a delight to behold!"

If one's mind is completely open and free of any cloud, how can it not be considered pure and clear inside and out?

This phrase is a modification of the Medicine Buddha Sutra, which says, "The body is like crystal, clear inside and out, pure and without blemish." But coincidentally, the people of Qin at that time had not yet come into contact with Buddhism.

Therefore, Madam Zheng savored the two sentences carefully and found them very pleasing. Her clear, bright eyes blinked repeatedly, and a blush appeared on her cheeks.

She opened her mouth, but surprisingly became coy.

But in the end, not knowing what to say, he had no choice but to offer his daughter up:
"I...I forgot, it was Princess Wen who wanted to speak with the Queen."

Princess Wen's eyes widened, never expecting that her mother would be so tactless.

At this moment, she forced herself to look up at the Queen, only to see that the Queen seemed to understand, and seemed to be waiting to listen. Her gaze was gentle and slow, but for some reason, it made her eyes redden again.

This time, no glass cup came to catch it, and large tears rolled down instantly, leaving Qin Shi speechless on the high steps.

She had originally wanted to compliment the princess's eyeliner as well—her long, sharp eyes were not particularly beautiful because the eyeliner was applied too thickly.

But now, with tears washing away the stains, the eyeliner has left a sharp, black-and-white furrow on her face... Sigh! This is truly...
"Don't cry, Red Maiden, quickly fetch water to wipe the princess's face..."

Qin Shi could only suppress his emotions and quickly tried to comfort him.

Madam Zheng hurriedly turned her head and saw that her daughter's face already had mottled black and white marks. She took a silk handkerchief and gently pressed it down, but it only made more marks.

"Oh!"

At that moment, she couldn't help but open her mouth, as if she wanted to say something.

Before Qin Shi could hear her say anything comforting, she hurriedly pulled a precious mirror from her sleeve: "Wen'er, you can't cry after you've put on eyeliner!"

Although she carried the bronze mirror with her, she would have it meticulously polished by craftsmen every few days. Now, under the bright sunlight of Ganquan Palace, it reflected Princess Wen's face, revealing every detail.

Princess Wen stared at her ghostly reflection in the mirror for a few more moments. Sensitive and anxious during puberty, and extremely concerned with her appearance, she finally broke down in tears.

"Woo..."

This time, it wasn't even a chasm; it was a silent bow of the head, letting the tears flow freely. Even the traces of eyeliner and makeup were washed onto the disheveled clothes... a mess of disarray.

Qin Shi was immediately distressed.

She's not really good at comforting teenagers.

But in any case, for sensitive people, crying a little more isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Therefore, seeing Madam Zheng helplessly wiping her daughter's face covered in smears, she quickly raised her voice and said:
"No one will spread what happened in the palace today. If the princess feels wronged, she may cry as much as she wants."

Her words made Princess Wen feel even more wronged.

She was brought by her mother and reluctantly asked the Queen for a job.

But now, before she can even speak, tears are streaming down her face, and she's crying so pathetically. How can anyone entrust her with important matters with such confidence?
Thinking about it this way, the tears really couldn't be stopped.

The princess was wailing so loudly that all the palace servants, holding basins of water and handkerchiefs, were at a loss as to how to serve her.

Looking at Lady Zheng, she felt sorry for her daughter crying so bitterly, but the Queen's words also made sense!

Since no one will spread this news anyway, and my eyeliner is already worn out, I might as well cry more.

That's just how people are sometimes. Every now and then, for a few days, she often feels depressed and wants to cry.

Wen'er was probably the same.

So the princess sobbed in the palace, her mother listening quietly beside her, and the queen also remained silent.

Her crying grew increasingly difficult to continue, and she gradually stopped crying.

For some reason, not only could I not lift my head, but my toes were also gripping the soles of my shoes tightly.

Fortunately, the maid was very considerate and helped her to the side room, carefully washing her face with a towel.

When Princess Wen returned to the palace with swollen eyes, seeing the Queen of Ganquan Palace who seemed as if nothing had happened, she suddenly felt a surge of courage:
"Your Majesty, is there anything about Wen that is lacking, so that you have not been able to entrust me with any important matters?"

Qin Shi put down the paper in his hand, then looked at her and smiled slightly:
“Princess, the King actually told you the answer before I became queen.”

Princess Wen was taken aback.

Subconsciously, she recalled the time she was questioned at Zhangtai Palace.

At that time, Qian was in a daze, so his father quickly became disappointed in him and didn't even ask him any questions.

Chenghu was quite intelligent, and more talented in reading and studying than her. However, he was physically weak and not worth mentioning.

And myself...

She was only proud of herself for having carefully read all the classical texts and articles her father had asked her about.

But in the end, all I got was my father's disdain...

At this moment, the Queen's voice seemed to echo the words her father had spoken back then:

“You are the eldest princess of my Great Qin. You want power, you want to satisfy your desires, you want to get more... You have to get all of these yourself.”

"Sitting idly in the palace, filled with resentment, one will gain nothing but premature gray hair."

“Wen’er, how can you concentrate on studying if you are always complaining, feeling sorry for yourself, and hurting yourself? If you maintain this mindset, even if important matters are entrusted to you, you will ultimately fail to grasp them.”

Princess Wen suddenly looked up, her slightly red and swollen eyes staring at the stage, her lips moving.

But with so many thoughts swirling in my mind, I was speechless at that moment!

　Here it comes!!! Ugh, I spent my New Year's holiday making clothes for my friends, pedaling the sewing machine until I was practically oblivious to the world around me… But I also attended some lectures and stored up some knowledge (timed memory), so it wasn't a wasted trip! More tomorrow!
　　(End of this chapter)