How to Cultivate a Ten-Thousand-Mile Empire for the Young Emperor Qin?

Chapter 100: Bamboo shoot pigeon porridge

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"The Lord is actually coming." Meng Wu held his head in his hands.

"Why doesn't the prince stop the king... Well, the prince can't stop the king." Li Mu held his forehead with one hand.

Zhu Xiang sighed, "It's hot and humid in the south. What if Your Majesty can't adapt? Even if Your Majesty adapts to the climate here, the journey is so long. What if Your Majesty gets too tired and gets sick?"

Ying Xiaozheng glanced at the adults who showed useless expressions when they heard that Grandfather Zeng was coming, and said, "It's no use complaining now. Grandfather Zeng is on the way and will arrive soon. Instead of complaining, you might as well think about how to welcome him."

Zhu Xiang lifted Ying Xiaozheng to his knees and rubbed them: "What you said makes sense, but we should still complain when we should. This is a way to relieve stress."

Ying Xiaozheng said: "Then you continue to complain."

Zhu Xiang looked at the gap between Ying Xiaozheng's front teeth when he opened his mouth, and said depressedly: "Zheng'er, you are talking so limply now, why are your words still so clear? I was waiting for Zheng'er to speak unclearly so that I could laugh at you."

Ying Xiaozheng twisted his uncle's arm hard, and it was a rare occasion that Zhu Xiang was actually hurt.

Li Mu put down his hand: "Zheng'er is right, there is no time to complain, we must first build a palace where His Majesty can live."

Meng Wu frowned: "It's too late to repair it now."

Zhu Xiang said, "It's simple. Just build a courtyard with white walls and green tiles. I'll move in and let the Lord live with me."

Li Mu and Meng Wu: “…” What does this have to do with whether you can live in it or not

Ying Xiaozheng thought about it and understood what his uncle meant: "It is unlikely to build a palace for Grandfather Zeng to live in Wucheng in a short period of time. We can only renovate other people's houses, which are not as good as the palace. But since they are not as good as the palace, it is better to give up the splendor and make the courtyard more comfortable, so that Grandfather Zeng will live comfortably."

Seeing that Li Mu and Meng Wu still didn't understand, he explained more clearly: "Since we can't cultivate the palace, why not let Grandfather Zeng live with me and my uncle like he did in the villa. My uncle and I will move in first. This idea was proposed by my uncle and me. Grandfather Zeng won't think that others will treat him badly."

Li Mu and Meng Wu finally understood what Ying Xiaozheng meant.

Zhu Xiang treated the King of Qin as an ordinary elder, so if he renovated a comfortable and elegant small courtyard for him to live with the King of Qin, the King of Qin would not blame others for treating him poorly.

Rather than racking one's brains to build a weird palace, it would be better to make the King of Qin's incognito visit appear more "incognito".

"So, under whose banner did Your Majesty come here?" Meng Wu asked, "It's not written in the secret decree."

Although everyone in Xianyang knew that the King of Qin had left the palace, the people here did not know that the King of Qin was visiting, so the King of Qin still made a private visit in disguise.

Zhu Xiang said: "Your Majesty said that we will know when we get there."

Li Mu held his forehead with his hand again: "Your Majesty is really..." Can he consider his own identity and age

Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "Back then, the King of Qin secretly came to Yewang to recruit soldiers and supervised the battle in Changping. Now at least the King of Qin comes after we have finished fighting."

Li Mu's mouth twitched slightly, and in his heart he felt a little more respect for this monarch.

"Although the King of Qin is now incognito, his identity is easily exposed and might attract the Chu army." Li Mu changed the subject, "Even if the Chu people gave up the land of Jiangdong, they may not stop sending troops when they heard that the King of Qin was coming."

"That's right." Zhu Xiang said, "The task of protecting the king and guarding against the Chu people can only be done by you two. Zheng'er and I will only be responsible for accompanying the king to eat, drink and have fun, right, Zheng'er?"

Ying Xiaozheng knew that his uncle was being naughty again, and he smiled with a smile on his face, dimples on his face, and said, "Yes!"

Looking at the extremely similar malicious smiles of the uncle and nephew, Li Mu and Meng Wu sighed at the same time.

Why are the elders not here? Zhu Xiang wants to be punished again!

After learning that the King of Qin would come, Zhu Xiang was panicked for a short while, and then went about doing what he had to do.

Seeing that Zhu Xiang wanted to leave all the matters of receiving the King of Qin to him and Meng Wu, Li Mu and Meng Wu immediately carried Zhu Xiang to the courtyard where the King of Qin would soon live, and asked Zhu Xiang to be responsible for supervising the repair of the courtyard.

"Your disciples have become proficient in instructing farmers in farming, and someone is already in charge of water conservancy matters. The courtyard where His Majesty will soon live is the most important, and you must personally supervise its construction." Li Mu put a high hat on Zhu Xiang and forbade him to run around.

Ying Xiaozheng followed Zhu Xiang around the construction site for a few days and felt too bored, so he went back to his room to read.

The disciples of the Xianyang Academy summarized their gains along the way and wrote manuscripts while working. Ying Xiaozheng was "checking" whether there were any "forbidden words" in their manuscripts.

For example, a disciple in the academy recorded Zhu Xiang’s remarks and wrote something like “Zheng’er has short legs and is fat”. It must be burned!

By the time the courtyard was repaired, the spring ploughing in Wucheng had ended, and the King of Qin finally set foot on the land of Wucheng.

When Zhu Xiang saw a person being carried off the boat, tears immediately rolled down his cheeks. He rushed over and said, "Jun... Mr. Ji, are you sick? Are you okay?"

An old man next to the stretcher looked up: "Ah? I'm fine, not sick." This guy actually dared to call me by my name!

Zhu Xiang stopped and wiped away tears: "Ah?"

Zichu gnashed his teeth and said, "It's only been a short time, and you can't recognize my face?"

Zhu Xiang took a closer look and said happily, "It's not that I didn't recognize you, it's that I didn't see the face under your fur collar. Hahahaha, Zheng'er, come and see, your father is sick again!"

Zichu: “…” What sin did I commit to deserve such a hateful friend

Ying Xiaozheng blinked: "Thank you for your hard work, father."

Zichu glanced at Ying Xiaozheng with mixed feelings, because he saw the genuine concern in Ying Xiaozheng's eyes.

His son, who was originally emotionally cold, began to worry about him, while his best friend just stood there laughing.

"What should I call you?" Zhu Xiang ignored Zichu, who was lying down with a ruddy face, and approached the King of Qin and asked in a low voice.

The King of Qin lowered his voice and asked, "Don't you call me Ji Weng?"

Zhu Xiang said, "Isn't that calling you by your name? Isn't that a bit bad?"

The King of Qin rolled his eyes at Zhu Xiang. "You've already called it out, and you still say it's not good?"

The King of Qin said, "I am Ji Weng, the retainer and teacher of Prince Zichu. They don't know which 'Ji' I am, so it's not my name."

Ying Xiaozheng immediately said sweetly, "Ji Weng, Zheng'er misses you so much!"

The King of Qin smiled and picked up Ying Xiaozheng: "Ji Weng also misses Zheng'er. Alas, Zheng'er has changed his teeth and is about to grow up."

Ying Xiaozheng grinned and pointed at his teeth, saying, "Four have already fallen out, and they will all be replaced soon. Zheng'er will grow up quickly!"

The King of Qin praised: "How amazing! You are worthy of being Zheng'er!"

The great-grandfather and grandson walked forward with smiles on their faces. The King of Qin held the chubby little Zheng'er in his arms without even breathing hard, as if he had not experienced any fatigue from the journey.

Li Mu and Meng Wu, who didn't know how to salute, came over and saluted one by one after hearing the King of Qin introduce himself.

The King of Qin gave Zhu Xiang a look that said "Go take care of Zichu" and started chatting with Li Mu and Meng Wu.

Zhu Xiang poked Zichu's face and said, "Look at Ji Weng. Aren't you ashamed?"

Zichu gritted his teeth and said, "I'm not sick, I'm seasick!"

Zhu Xiang laughed silently, his mouth almost reaching his ears.

Zichu took a few deep breaths and said, "Help me up."

Zhu Xiang helped Zichu up and said, "Since you can walk, why do you have to lie down?"

Zichu said weakly, "My limbs are weak."

Zhu Xiang was speechless: "Then why did you get up? Lie back down."

Zichu muttered, "Shame on you."

Zhu Xiang said happily: "Aren't you embarrassed now? But it is indeed more embarrassing to lie down."

He squatted down: "Come up."

Zichu: “Ah?”

Zhu Xiang turned around and said, "I'll carry you on my back to the carriage. It's more respectable than being carried by others. When we get home, I'll make you a wheelchair before you go out."

"Just go back and have a rest. There's no need for a wheelchair." Zichu thought about it and felt that being carried on someone's back was indeed more honorable than being lifted up by someone. So he lay on Zhu Xiang's back with the help of his servants.

Zhu Xiang could carry a basket of millet, so carrying Zichu was no problem for him. He even felt that Zichu was lighter than the millet.

"Ji Weng, you guys can chat slowly. I'll take Xia Tong back to rest first." Zhu Xiang said bluntly. Who made the King of Qin not the King of Qin now

The King of Qin held Ying Xiaozheng in one hand and waved his other hand: "Take good care of Zichu. When Zichu is well, take him around. I have Li Mu, Meng Wu and Zheng'er to accompany you. Don't worry about me."

"Zheng'er, take good care of Mr. Ji." Zhu Xiang said.

Ying Xiaozheng hugged the King of Qin's neck and nodded seriously, "Don't worry, uncle. Take good care of yourself, father."

Zichu had already lost face, and was too lazy to show off, so he said weakly, "Okay."

So, surrounded by the local Wu Yue nobles who had no right to come forward, Zhu Xiang carried Zichu out of the crowd and got on the carriage amidst the regretful looks of the Wu Yue nobles.

Zhu Xiang carried Zichu on his back because there were too many people welcoming him and the dock was blocked. Many people were speculating about who the distinguished guest was that the three high officials of the Qin State came to welcome in person, and wanted to take the opportunity to show their faces and have a chat.

Instead of carrying Zichu out from the crowd, it would be better for Zhu Xiang to carry him out personally, so that he could save face a little.

"Why are you here?" After Zhu Xiang carried Zichu to the carriage, he felt Zichu's pulse and looked at his eyelids, frowning, "Didn't you tell the King of Qin that you are seasick? Severe seasickness can kill people! Are you trying to save your life?"

When Zichu saw Zhu Xiang close the carriage door, his face changed immediately. Then he realized that Zhu Xiang's "ridicule" just now was because he didn't want the King of Qin to see Zhu Xiang's complaint.

He immediately explained: "I didn't have symptoms of seasickness before. I felt a little uncomfortable after the weather got hot. I also sat on the boat for too long, so I felt a little seasick. But it's not serious, don't worry."

"After I arrived in Qin, every time we met after a long separation, you were sick. Last time you went to Rongdi, you were carried back. This time you came to Wucheng, you were carried out again. How can I feel at ease with you?" Zhu Xiang cursed in a low voice, "How many times have I told you that you have lost your life, and now everything you pursue is gone, but you just won't listen! Don't you have any idea about your health? The King of Qin asked you to come, and you followed him?!"

Zichu smiled bitterly: "It's really just a little seasickness... Can you take a pulse?" He quickly changed the subject.

Zhu Xiang handed Zichu the dehumidifying tea and said, "I have learned a little bit, and I can barely deal with some simple diseases, so that I can provide first aid when I feel unwell."

Zichu said, "You really can learn anything."

Zhu Xiang scolded, "They say that long-term illness makes one a doctor. Can you learn a little?"

Zichu: “…” The attempt to change the subject failed.

He sighed, drank the dehumidifying tea, and listened to Zhu Xiang scolding him all the way.

If it was to other people, Zichu could have given many explanations, but to Zhu Xiang, he didn't dare to quibble at all.

The King of Qin chose him to go out with him, not only because his identity could provide the best cover for the King of Qin, but also because of considerations on the succession to the throne.

The worst consequence of the King of Qin's trip was that he would die of illness on the way. Although the Crown Prince Zhu was in Xianyang and held the power of regent, the King of Qin was very suspicious and still wanted to prevent him from dying in a distant place and someone forging his will to provoke a fight for the throne.

The throne of Prince Zhu was definitely stable, but the next two heirs, Zichu and Zhenger, who he had chosen, were not necessarily stable. Therefore, the King of Qin wanted to keep Zichu by his side, so that he and Prince Zhu could quickly stabilize the situation when he died unexpectedly.

So don’t say that Zichu really had no signs of seasickness before. Even if he did, Zichu would lie down and come along.

With Zhu Xiang's intelligence, he would naturally realize this very quickly, so Zichu had nothing to say. He really followed him here.

The purpose of the King of Qin asking him to travel with him was to further consolidate his right of succession. If he fell ill, it would be putting the cart before the horse. He could use his illness as an excuse to stay, and the King of Qin would find another way, such as letting Meng Wu or Zhu Xiang take on his role.

When Zhu Xiang was thirsty and was trying to drink water, Zichu said, "I feel much better after drinking some tea. You can hear my voice is full of energy when I speak."

Zhu Xiang rolled his eyes at Zichu and said, "Zheng'er hasn't lost weight even when he's out, but you've been taking good care of yourself in Xianyang, and you've become nothing but a bag of bones again."

"First of all, Zhu Xiang, you only said that the scales fell off when you were talking about piglets." Zichu saw that Zhu Xiang had calmed down after scolding him, and his tone became casual, "Besides, I just couldn't eat when I was on the boat, so I lost a little weight."

"I collected some non-toxic mushrooms and dug up spring bamboo shoots to make you a refreshing appetizer." Based on his limited medical knowledge, Zhu Xiang observed that Zichu was probably suffering from seasickness due to excessive moisture and physical discomfort. He would first use fresh vegetables and cook them with ginger, garlic and vinegar to remove moisture and stimulate appetite. As for the chili peppers, it would depend on whether Zichu can tolerate it.

"Okay, that makes me hungry." Zichu complained, "I don't want to eat fish anymore. Your Majesty goes fishing every day, and he catches fish every day. I really want to vomit when I smell the fish."

Zhu Xiang said, "It seems that you are seasick, and you have lost your appetite because you are tired of eating fish every day. Don't worry, there will be no fish on the table. Do you want shrimp?"

Zichu waved his hands vigorously: "I don't want to eat anything in the water."

Zhu Xiang said: "Kelp and seaweed can still be used for seasoning, and they are very delicious."

Zichu said, "Don't eat anything that smells fishy, and you can eat anything else as you like."

He rubbed his hands and complained, "I shouldn't have learned to cook from you. The Lord didn't trust others to cook the fish he caught, so he insisted that I watch the chef cook together."

Zhu Xiang's stern face finally showed a little smile: "Then your hands must have been marinated by the fish. I'll go back and find you a few bottles of Zheng'er's hand and face ointment to rub. How come your Majesty doesn't get tired of eating fish every day?"

Zichu looked hopeless and said, "I also want to know the reason."

Zhu Xiang's anger came and went quickly. When he got off the carriage, he was no longer angry with Zichu.

He knew Zichu's desire for power and the difficulties he faced on his way to becoming the King of Qin. Zichu took every step carefully on the road to becoming the King of Qin. Even though he had already gained a great advantage, he was afraid that one wrong step would lead to a complete loss.

Even compared to Ying Zheng in history, Zichu's path to becoming the King of Qin was more difficult.

Therefore, when Zichu thought he could hold on, even if he would get sick or injured, he would definitely take the most "correct" route. If Zhu Xiang did not calm down quickly, he would have been angered to death by Zichu.

Fortunately, my own Zheng'er is not like Zichu.

"This courtyard is quite unique." Zichu fell in love with it as soon as he entered the courtyard where he lived.

"Only near Su...Wucheng can you see such scenery." Zhu Xiang introduced, "Small bridges and flowing water, white walls and green tiles, lush green bamboos, don't you feel relaxed just looking at it?"

The small courtyard "decorated" by Zhu Xiang used some of the framing techniques of Suzhou gardens that he had seen in later generations. It emphasized a small and unique style, and used many plants that are only found in the south, giving the King of Qin who came from the Qin State a little "exotic shock".

Zichu's aesthetic taste is not much different from that of the old Qin King. If Zichu is satisfied, the old Qin King will definitely be satisfied too.

Zichu pulled at the bushes and said with a smile, "I knew you would grow vegetables on the flat ground in the yard."

Zhu Xiang supported Zichu and said, "That's right. The vegetables I grow can be considered rare plants, and they can be picked and eaten anytime. Aren't they fresher than the vegetables shipped from other farms? You take a rest first. When you can walk by yourself, I will introduce them to you."

Zichu said, "Okay."

The water had already been boiled. Zhu Xiang ordered someone to help Zichu take a bath. He rolled up his sleeves and made some porridge for Zichu to fill his stomach.

Zhu Xiang looked through the ingredients in the kitchen and discovered that the person who delivered the bamboo shoots had actually picked a rare wild mushroom - bamboo fungus.

Bamboo fungus looks like a white plastic net. It is a rare fungus that grows mostly in bamboo forests and tastes very delicious. When Zhu Xiang ate bamboo fungus in later generations, he usually drank bamboo fungus and cucumber soup directly to bring out the delicious and light taste of bamboo fungus to the extreme.

There were no cucumbers here, so Zhu Xiang thought about it and made a broth with pigeons, added bamboo fungus and bamboo shoots, and stewed until soft, then took out the pigeons.

Zhu Xiang put on cotton gloves that had been scalded with boiling water, tore off the pigeon meat and cut it into minced meat.

He then filtered out the pigeon soup, picked out the intact bamboo fungus and bamboo shoots, washed them and chopped them into small pieces.

Afterwards, Zhu Xiang took out a casserole, put in minced pigeon meat, chopped bamboo fungus and bamboo shoots, poured in the filtered pigeon soup, grabbed two handfuls of rice, covered it with a lid and simmered it over low heat.

When the porridge in the clay pot boiled, Zhu Xiang added salt into it and stirred it clockwise to prevent the porridge from sticking to the bottom.

When Zichu came out of his bath, the porridge in the clay pot was already cooked.

Zhu Xiang took out a handful of green vegetables from the jar, cut them into shreds, mixed them with a few drops of sesame oil and chili oil, and served them out together with the clay pot porridge.

"This pickle tastes different from the pickles you sent me." Zichu, who did not care about talking while eating or sleeping in front of his friends, said this while drinking porridge with pickles.

Zhu Xiang introduced: "What I sent you is dried pickles, and this is kimchi. Although they are both pickled with salt, the taste is naturally different due to different pickling methods. I put ginger, chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns in this kimchi. I took it out and ate it after soaking it for a few days. It is not soaked too much, and it tastes especially refreshing."

Zichu said, "No wonder the tip of my tongue feels numb. This red oil doesn't have the bitterness of dogwood oil. Is it the chili oil you mentioned?"

Zhu Xiang said, "You are not used to eating chili peppers. I will give you another stack."

Zichu protected the kimchi: "I'm used to it."

Zhu Xiang was suspicious: "Could it be that the imperial physician told you to avoid spicy food? You haven't eaten spicy food for a long time?"

Zichu immediately said, "No taboos!"

Zhu Xiang understood that the imperial physician must have told Zichu to avoid certain foods.

It was just a few drops of chili oil, which wouldn't be a problem. Seeing that Zichu was enjoying the meal, Zhu Xiang pretended to be cheated.

As long as you can eat, the consequences of swallowing a few drops of chili oil will not be too serious.

After eating his fill, Zichu felt that he finally had strength in his body.

He slept too much on the boat and couldn't fall asleep for a while, so he took a walk with Zhu Xiang and asked him about his experiences after leaving Xianyang.

Although Zhu Xiang sent a letter back to Xianyang, what was said in the letter would naturally be different from what Zhu Xiang said after the meeting.

For example, Zhu Xiang would not write in detail in the letter how Zhang Ruo, Meng Wu and Li Mu were almost scared to death when Zheng'er lost his tooth for the first time.

Zichu smiled and said, "Even Zhang Qing has become your friend?"

Zhu Xiang rubbed his nose and said embarrassedly: "He is an elder, not a friend."

Zichu said, "I read your previous memorial and it is clear that you are not very satisfied with the governor of Shu."

Zhu Xiang said, "I'm not talking about people, but about the matter. Shu County does have many unsatisfactory aspects, but it's also true that Zhang Gong has done the best he can. In the past, Shu County needed a governor like Zhang Gong who could lead troops to fight, and now Shu County needs a governor like Li Bing who can build infrastructure and comfort the people. There is no difference between them."

Zichu said, "You are lying. You clearly think Li Bing is more powerful."

Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "I can only say this after Li Bing has repaired the diversion dam."

Zichu asked: "Is this also a way of dealing with the matter rather than the person?"

Zhu Xiang said: "Yes. How can you not eat seafood when you come to the seaside? When you no longer hate the smell of fish, I will take you to eat seafood. Zheng'er especially likes to eat a kind of worms on the beach..."

"Stop!" Zichu scolded, "Stop taking Zheng'er to eat weird things all the time!"

Zhu Xiang spread his hands and said, "Xia Tong, you should learn from Zheng'er and eat everything. Only in this way can you grow strong. I think if Zheng'er grows up a few more years, he will be able to lift you up with one hand and carry you on his shoulders."

Zichu's mouth twitched: "What kind of unfilial son is it to lift his own father up and carry him on his shoulders?!"

Zhu Xiang asked, "When you were fleeing?"

The corners of Zichu's mouth twitched even more: "I was about to be carried on Zheng'er's shoulders to escape, why didn't you say that Qin was destroyed?"

Zhu Xiang said seriously: "Xia Tong, don't worry, you will not live to see the fall of the Qin State."

Zichu could no longer bear it and raised the sword together with the scabbard.

Zhu Xiang dodged: "You are still a weakling now, be careful not to hit me, or you will fall down first... Hey? You don't believe it, right? Watch this!"

He rolled on the ground and picked up a wooden stick that might have been thrown on the ground by Ying Xiaozheng after playing, and fought with Zichu.

The two men started fighting, and the King of Qin, who was hungry and went home to eat, saw this scene.

He laughed and scolded, "If these two get together, they will age like Zheng'er!"

Ying Xiaozheng held his grandfather's hand and said dissatisfiedly: "Zheng'er is more mature than my father and uncle!"

The King of Qin nodded in agreement: "Yes, Zheng'er is much better than these two bastards."

Meng Wu said to Li Mu, "Every time I see Prince Zichu and Zhu Xiang fighting, I think of Zhu Xiang's own evaluation of him: two weaklings fighting each other."

Li Mu sighed and said, "He knows it all, but he just refuses to learn sword properly."

Meng Wu said: "Is it possible that both Master Zichu and Zhu Xiang have worked very hard to learn swordsmanship, but their talents are just too poor?"

Li Mu said: "I think they must have some talent, so it's not like that."

Ying Xiaozheng turned around and said, "Teacher, my father and uncle can't hear me, so there's no need to comfort them."

The King of Qin laughed.

Only after hearing the King of Qin's laughter did Zichu and Zhu Xiang stop.

Zichu's legs went weak and he almost fell to the ground, but was supported by Zhu Xiang.

"Mr. Ji, I made some porridge. Let's fill our stomachs first and then eat delicacies!" Zhu Xiang said, "I only made Mr. Ji's porridge. You are not allowed to drink it! Especially you, Zheng'er!"

Ying Xiaozheng was so angry that he jumped up and down: "What do you mean, especially you, Zheng'er!" The King of Qin smiled and said, "I am happy to let Zheng'er drink with us. Come on, Zheng'er, take Ji Weng to drink porridge."

Ying Xiaozheng made a face at Zhu Xiang, and took the King of Qin to the kitchen in a heroic manner.

Zhu Xiang continued to yell, "Mr. Ji, don't let Zheng'er drink. If he drinks too much, he won't be able to eat dinner!"

Ying Xiaozheng said: "I can eat it!"

The King of Qin said, "You take good care of Zichu, and I will take care of Zheng'er."

After the King of Qin left, Zhu Xiang muttered to Meng Wu and Li Mu who stayed behind: "You are in charge? You made Zheng'er as thin as Xia Tong?"

Li Mu supported Zichu's other shoulder: "Are you okay?"

Meng Wu whispered, "You are still ill, why are you angry with Zhu Xiang? You are really angry, so let us help you. How did he offend you?"

Zhu Xiang said first: "I said he would not live to see the fall of Qin, but he got angry. It's really inexplicable."

Zichu: “…” Damn, he wants to draw his sword again!

The four friends finally got together again, and they chatted around the table for a while before King Qin came back.

Zichu was very interested in the details of Li Mu's battle. Li Mu described it modestly, but Zichu laughed at him and said that it would be better if he was not modest, because the more modest he was, the more pretentious he would be.

The King of Qin followed Ying Xiaozheng's example and drank his fill of porridge in the kitchen before swaggering to find Zhu Xiang.

He could hear the four young men's energetic conversation and laughter from a distance, and a kind and relaxed smile appeared on his face.

The King of Qin sighed, "I haven't heard such a voice for a long time since Zhu Xiang left Xianyang."

Ying Xiaozheng said: "Of course, my uncle is too noisy."

The King of Qin looked down at Ying Xiaozheng and said, "Zheng'er is finally growing up and has already started to grow taller."

Ying Xiaozheng raised his chin and said proudly: "I will be able to catch up with my father and uncle soon."

"That may take some time." The King of Qin asked, "Have you studied hard since leaving Xianyang?"

Ying Xiaozheng said: "Not only do you study hard, but many people also write books for you. The students at Xianyang Academy said they want to compile a collection of quotations for your uncle. Your uncle has written many mythological stories, which are very interesting."

The King of Qin was surprised and asked, "They have all started to compile a book for Zhu Xiang?"

Ying Xiaozheng nodded: "My uncle also read it and said it was very interesting. It looked like it was written by someone he didn't know, and he didn't remember saying most of the words."

The King of Qin was stunned at first, then smiled.

Ying Xiaozheng shook his head and sighed repeatedly: "My uncle may not remember because his memory is not good enough, but it is difficult for different students to record the same words and deeds of my uncle at the same time. It is really interesting to read. I will also compile a book of my uncle's quotations in my memory. The first sentence is, 'I didn't say this.'"

The King of Qin pressed Ying Xiaozheng's swaying head and said with a smile, "Okay, Zheng'er will also compile a book in the future."

The King of Qin sighed and said, "Compiling a book. If I have time, I would like to follow Zhu Xiang's advice and gather talented people from all over the world to compile and copy the rare books from various countries together to preserve the classics for future generations. I will definitely leave my name in the future."

Ying Xiaozheng said: "Grandfather Zeng has done so many things to leave his name in the future generations, this one is not a big deal."

"Call me Ji Weng. Now I'm used to calling you that, so I won't make a mistake when I'm out there." The King of Qin pressed Ying Xiaozheng's head again. "People are always greedy and won't be satisfied with their current achievements."

Ying Xiaozheng said pitifully, "Ji Weng, you should do less. You have done all the things that will leave a name for future generations, so what should Zheng'er do? Let Zheng'er do the book editing."

The King of Qin pinched Ying Xiaozheng's nose and said, "There are so many things you can do, and this one won't make a difference."

"Mr. Ji! Come and play mahjong! Make up for my absence!" Zhu Xiang stood up to greet him, "Zheng'er will teach you, I'll go cook."

The King of Qin was puzzled: "What is Mahjong?"

Zhu Xiang said: "It's a kind of chess and card game. As for why it's called Mahjong... I just picked it up at random, and called it Sparrow Cards, or Hanging Cards will also work."

When the King of Qin approached, he saw that the four people were chatting and laughing at the table, and playing a kind of chess and card game that he had never seen before.

He asked in confusion: "Zi Chu, how come you can do that too?"

Zichu said, "He returned after a few rounds of fighting."

The King of Qin showed some interest: "Okay, I'll give it a try. Zheng'er helps Ji Weng."

Ying Xiaozheng sat upright in the arms of the King of Qin: "Leave it to me! I will beat my father, teacher and Uncle Meng to pieces!"

The King of Qin pinched Ying Xiaozheng's lips, turning his mouth into a duck's: "Don't talk like your uncle."

Before Zhu Xiang left, he said jokingly: "I raised him, if he doesn't learn from me, who else can he learn from?"

It's so exciting to run away after being poor.

King Qin shook his head and sighed: "I thought he would be more stable after going through so much. Why is he still so erratic?"

Ying Xiaozheng said in a dignified manner: "My uncle's character may never change in his lifetime. Oh, it really makes me worry."

Zichu glanced at Ying Xiaozheng who was pretending to be mature.

After not seeing each other for a long time, Ying Xiaozheng is more adept at pretending to be a child than when he was young.

The King of Qin learned how to play mahjong; Zhu Xiang prepared a feast of wild delicacies and used up all the wild mushrooms he had picked.

On the second day, the old but strong King of Qin continued to go out with Li Mu, Meng Wu and Ying Xiaozheng. He, as a retainer, wanted to inspect the navy camp on behalf of the sick Prince Zichu.

Zichu, who was left behind, slept soundly for half a day. When he woke up, he heard that the King of Qin had left. He was so embarrassed that his face turned red.

"You are the king's grandson. The king cares about you. Why are you embarrassed?" Zhu Xiang peeled the orange and gave half to Zichu. "Why? Are you not used to being someone's grandson?"

Zichu almost crushed the orange. Zhu Xiang was getting better and better at talking, and any random sentence from him could make him want to draw his sword and chop someone.

Zhu Xiang insisted that Zichu was in poor health, had hormone imbalance, was easily irritable and angry, and needed to drink more Coptis chinensis.

Zichu almost fought with Zhu Xiang again.

Because of the special care given by the King of Qin, Zichu had to stay in the courtyard and rest for a whole day.

The King of Qin did not come back that night, probably because he stayed in the military camp.

Zhu Xiang couldn't help but sigh, look at the King of Qin, he is in great health and has great energy.

On the second day, Zichu could not rest any longer and asked Zhu Xiang to take him to visit Wucheng.

It was his first time to come to a city with a dense network of waterways, and he was very curious.

"I heard you say that snails in the water can cause water poisoning, and mosquitoes can also spread diseases?" Zichu observed the small river in the city, "If we pour filth directly into the river, it will easily cause drinking water pollution?"

Zhu Xiang said: "Yes, so when building a new city, you must pay attention to the sewer system. Even if you are discharging sewage, you must always pay attention to the pollution in the river."

Zichu said: "It is difficult to lay sewers throughout the city. When Xianyang City is renovated, we can try it near the palace first."

Zhu Xiang sighed, "I know it's impossible to build a complete sewer system for the entire city. Qin doesn't have the manpower and material resources to afford it, and the technology is not up to the task. We can only do our best. For example, keep the streets clean, build public toilets on important streets, and don't allow people to urinate or defecate at will. The feces in public toilets can be sold, which is quite profitable."

Zichu looked disgusted and asked: "Who will sell it? Should we let the government sell it?"

Zhu Xiang winked and said, "Don't be disgusted. Do you know that in ancient times, there was a king of a small country who monopolized the transportation of feces in the capital and became the feces tyrant in the capital?"

Zichu was even more disgusted: "Even if they are competing with the people for profits, it should be done by officials in the name of the government, and the money earned should go into the treasury. Why does the king personally send people to do this? Does the king still need this little money?"

Zhu Xiang said: "Maybe there really is a shortage? Hahahaha."

Zichu spread his hands: "If there is a real shortage, there is nothing we can do. It's really embarrassing."

Zhu Xiang laughed again, and it was really funny to complain about the emperors of later generations to the monarchs of previous generations.

He also complained about the outrageous urban construction practices of other emperors in later generations, such as Qin Shihuang.

Qin Shi Huang did not know what urban capacity was, so he moved all the rich people in the world to Xianyang and built it into a super-large capital. The area around Xianyang could not meet the needs of the population, so he had to mobilize a large amount of materials from other places, resulting in excessive corvée and waste.

Zichu once again scolded the small king of some unknown country for being such a clumsy king who didn't even consider this.

Ying Xiaozheng, who was trying to please the old King of Qin, sneezed several times and rubbed his nose. He always felt that someone was saying bad things about him.

While Zhu Xiang and Zichu were discussing city construction and epidemic prevention in the city, the King of Qin boarded the "flagship" of Li Muzhou's division - the tower ship.

He gently stroked the flagpole of the tower ship, feeling a great sense of heroism in his heart, and ordered Li Mu to find a painter to paint the tower ship.

Ying Xiaozheng sneezed and flattered him, saying that he should paint "The King of Qin Inspecting the Boatmen". He couldn't paint it now without revealing his identity, and when he returned to the palace, he would let the court painters polish it based on the paintings brought back from here.

"Is this the Thunderbolt Chariot that Zhu Xiang made with gunpowder?" The King of Qin circled around the Thunderbolt Chariot several times.

Li Mu immediately said, "I did it. Zhu Xiang only used gunpowder to blast mountains, and he never made weapons."

The King of Qin looked at Li Mu in silence, his eyes were gloomy and his mouth corners turned down.

Li Mu clasped his fists and said, "Mr. Ji, please ask the craftsmen. It is indeed my credit. How dare I compete with Lord Changping for credit?"

The King of Qin was silent for a long time. When Li Mu's hunched back was already wet with cold sweat, he said, "The King will not let Zhu Xiang go to the battlefield. General Li is worrying too much. Continue to tell me about this Thunderbolt Chariot."

Li Mu said respectfully: "Yes."

(End of this chapter)