After King Zichu of Qin succeeded to the throne, he did not let Zhao Ji live in the palace where the Queen of Qin used to live, on the grounds that Zhao Ji was in poor health, but instead built a quiet residence for her.
Seeing Qin King Zichu do this, the speculators who gathered around Zhao Ji before Zichu ascended the throne dispersed.
Xia Ji, who had been honored as the Queen Mother, found out that Zichu used the reason that Queen Mother Huayang was her legal mother and her "adoptive mother" to allow Queen Mother Huayang to enjoy a treatment slightly better than herself. She cried for a while, thinking that the child was born in vain. But she also woke up from the flattery and resumed her previous humble and low-key appearance.
Seeing this, the others couldn't help but sigh. Qin Wang Zichu was indeed the Qin King, and he was exactly the same as the previous Qin Kings. They hoped to persuade the harem to influence Qin Wang Zichu's thoughts, but it was impossible.
The kings of Qin were mean and unkind. For example, when the Queen Mother Xuan was strong, King Zhaoxiang of Qin would rule with her and discuss important matters with her when he needed her, and he also supported her in seducing her. When she was no longer needed, he abolished her title and asked her brother and other sons to get out of Xianyang City.
Later, Prince Chu of Qin specifically purged those who had bewitched Queen Mother Xia and Zhao Ji during this period. Zhao Ji's visit went from being crowded with people to being deserted, and the psychological difference was huge.
However, after Zhao Ji became the Queen of Qin, her treatment became much better, and she had more people serving her. She still had some useful people around her.
The palace maids who served Zhao Ji were unwilling to serve an unfavored queen and never have a chance to make a breakthrough, so they came up with ideas to help Zhao Ji and the prince repair their relationship.
Zhao Ji and the prince were mother and son. How could a mother and son hold a grudge? Moreover, the prince took Xunzi as his teacher, and Confucianism attaches great importance to filial piety. Even if he was doing it for the world to see, the prince should act like he respected his mother.
Therefore, whenever Zhao Ji met the prince, no matter whether the prince was willing or not, he had to go as long as Zhao Ji asked him to pay his respects morning and evening, otherwise people all over the world would accuse him of being unfilial.
Although his position as the crown prince was secure, he still had a younger brother. He probably didn't want people to pay attention to his younger brother because of such a trivial matter.
The palace people also understood that the relationship between the Crown Prince and Zhao Ji could never be restored to that of mother and son.
So many years have passed, and the prince has never visited Zhao Ji. He must have no feelings for the mother who abandoned him when he was a child.
But they didn't need the prince and Zhao Ji to be as close as mother and son. As long as the prince showed respect for his mother on the surface, their lives would be much better.
Following an unfavored master, the life of a slave is even more miserable. So they tried their best to encourage Zhao Ji to cry to the prince about her misery and make the prince sympathize with her.
The prince still had no memory of the childhood events. As long as Zhao Ji cried and said that she had no choice, the prince would understand.
At that time, Zhao Ji was fleeing for her life. If she had not handed the prince over to Chang Ping Jun to take care of him, the prince would have probably met with an accident. This is Zhao Ji's motherly love.
Prince Chu of Qin was an ambitious king. Even though he was still in mourning, he could not stay idle in the palace.
The Qin State's ancestral lands of Guandong and Guanzhong also began to implement the New Field Law. Prince Chu of Qin rode on the bumpy road in his carriage every day, personally supervising the implementation of the New Field Law in various places.
Lin Zhi was the person who formulated the new land laws, and Zhu Xiang understood farmers best, so the two of them were dragged along on the bumpy road by King Zichu of Qin.
Especially Zhu Xiang.
Zichu agreed that Zhu Xiang would return to Southern Qin after the spring. Now he had to take Zhu Xiang to inspect the places that needed to be inspected, otherwise he would have to send someone to deliver the letter thousands of miles away.
The three brothers just ran away, leaving Cai Ze to assist the crown prince in regulating the country.
When Cai Ze sent the three people away, his brows were furrowed so tightly that they could kill a mosquito.
He was very worried that if these three people went out together, they would cause him some trouble.
Why doesn't Zhu Xiang leave quickly? If Zhu Xiang doesn't leave, Lin Zhi should go and inspect the country and supervise local officials. Isn't this the duty of the prime minister
Cai Ze never expected that before Zichu, Zhu Xiang and Lin Zhi could cause any trouble, Zheng'er, whom he trusted very much, gave him a severe blow first.
He doesn't know yet.
When Zhu Xiang left, he kept reminding Ying Xiaozheng not to go see Zhao Ji, lest Zhao Ji do something stupid and implicate Ying Xiaozheng.
It is not scary to be hostile to smart people, because smart people know how to protect themselves and their moves are predictable.
What we fear most are stupid people. They have no idea in their heads and no one knows what tricks they will use to harm others and themselves, catching people off guard.
Seeing Zhu Xiang so nervous, Zichu also reminded Ying Xiaozheng that he could use his own order as an excuse, and if that didn't work, he could run to the Queen Mother Huayang and suppress filial piety with filial piety.
Lin Zhi didn't say anything. He thought Ying Xiaozheng was very smart and knew how to deal with it.
Ying Xiaozheng agreed verbally. As soon as his father and uncle left, he followed the palace servants to "pay a visit" to his biological mother whom he had not seen for more than ten years.
Actually, it’s not like we haven’t seen each other for more than ten years.
Ying Xiaozheng and Zhao Ji would meet several times a year to avoid being accused of being unfilial. However, every time Ying Xiaozheng met Zhao Ji, he was accompanied by Zichu or Xue Ji.
Whenever Zhao Ji saw Zichu, she would be so frightened that she could not speak, and Xue Ji would directly insult her with vulgar words.
Although Xue Ji is now the model of a noble lady, the wife of Lord Changping, she was originally a village woman in Zhao State. If she had not been tough, when Zhu Xiang was bedridden, the thatched cottage where she and Zhu Xiang lived would have been occupied by others. Before Zhu Xiang could touch Lin Xiangru's porcelain, the two of them would have gone to see their parents in the underworld.
Even before becoming Lu Buwei's concubine, Zhao Ji had never suffered any hardship. She was well protected by her parents and Zhu Xiang. How could she have seen such a shrew? Later, when Xue Ji was in Xianyang, she claimed to be sick and did not go out, and did not meet with Ying Xiaozheng.
Fortunately, Ying Xiaozheng didn't spend much time in Xianyang, so she didn't have many opportunities to be scolded. If Xue Ji didn't accompany Ying Xiaozheng, she wouldn't go to see her.
As for Zhu Xiang, he was strictly deprived of the "right" to meet Zhao Ji, and even Ying Xiaozheng did not trust him.
Ying Xiaozheng walked to the palace of the Queen of Qin and looked at the palace, which was secluded but very clean and tidy, with a sarcastic look on his face.
His uncle was too kind. Even though he hadn't seen the enemy who almost killed him and his uncle and aunt's family of three for more than ten years, he would not torture him.
Outsiders did not know that Zhao Ji had a grudge against his family of three. In order to prevent Zhao Ji from becoming a "stain" on himself and his uncle, the King of Qin would also treat Zhao Ji leniently in terms of material things.
When his aunt was assisting Lady Huayang, who was then the queen, in managing the Qin King's harem, she would always hold Ying Xiaozheng on her lap and teach him about household affairs and worldly matters according to her old custom.
Although the aunt thought the word "Chunhua" was unlucky, she was also a very kind person and never shortchanged Zhao Ji for food and clothing.
So Ying Xiaozheng knew that except for not being able to leave the yard freely, Zhao Ji lived a very comfortable life.
Zhao Ji herself was also picky, and her daily food and drink were probably more extravagant than those of her uncle and aunt, because her family did not allow waste, and would not throw away the delicious fish and meat after taking a bite, nor would they use silk towels as toilet paper to wipe their hands once and then throw them away.
Ying Xiaozheng stepped into the palace gate.
He thought that perhaps Zhao Ji's life was similar to that of the wives of crown princes and queens in other countries, and was not too extravagant. It was just that their family of three was too simple.
His uncle cooked for him and his aunt sewed clothes for him. It was really simple.
"Zheng'er!" Zhao Ji had taken off her hairpins and jewelry and put on a plain linen dress.
When she saw Ying Xiaozheng come in, she immediately rushed over to him, crying.
Although she was plump and no longer as graceful as before, her skin was delicate due to years of careful maintenance, like a young girl in her twenties. The fingers holding the handkerchief were as slender and white as green onions, which made her look even more beautiful.
There were tears in the corners of her eyes, her eyes were red, her expression was sad, and her voice was as sweet as an oriole. The voice calling Ying Xiaozheng sounded like she was singing a mournful song, full of emotion.
Ying Xiaozheng nimbly dodged Zhao Ji's pounce and the image of his aunt emerged in his mind.
My aunt is not beautiful.
How beautiful can a commoner woman who has experienced hardships be? Beauty requires careful maintenance with money.
My aunt's skin is a little rough. Even though my uncle often uses "skin care products" and "cosmetics" for her, it is still difficult to hide the traces of wrinkles on her face.
His aunt's fingers were particularly ugly, thick, hideous, and covered with calluses. Every time they stroked his cheek, it would scratch his cheek slightly, making him laugh.
My aunt's voice was also hoarse. It was said that she knelt in the snow for too long to beg for food and medicine for my uncle. Her throat became red and swollen and she couldn't speak for many days. When she could speak again, her voice was not pleasant.
But my uncle always said that he liked listening to my aunt talk and sing, even though she couldn't sing.
My uncle likes singing.
"Zheng'er, you still blame me." When Zhao Ji saw Ying Xiaozheng turning aside, her voice became even more shrill, tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes, and she was extremely sad.
The image of his aunt crying appeared in Ying Xiaozheng's mind again.
He has a very good memory. When his uncle went to Changping, his aunt often cried secretly behind his back.
When my aunt cried, her face would always be distorted. Not only would her tears quickly soak her entire face, but sometimes she would even have snot coming out of her nose. She would wipe her tears and snot with her sleeves, and the more she wiped, the uglier she looked.
At that time, I would throw myself into my aunt's arms, open my mouth and cry loudly with her, and my face would be covered with snot and tears.
Now it’s better. He hasn’t seen his aunt cry for many years.
When Ying Xiaozheng was distracted, Zhao Ji had already started reciting what the palace maids who served her had taught her.
Zhao Ji was able to become Lu Buwei's favorite concubine. If she really wanted to please someone, her emotional intelligence was not low. She knew how to arouse others' love and win their favor.
If she was really useless, she wouldn't have stood out from all the singers.
There are countless pretty little girls bought by rich merchants, but only a few of them can actually wear gold and silver and be served by others.
Now, as long as she treated her son as the noble person she once served, Zhao Ji was confident that she could easily win her son's favor.
That's what she thinks.
Zhao Ji started talking about the time she gave birth to Ying Xiaozheng, saying how much she loved this son.
She also talked about how difficult the situation was for her and Ying Xiaozheng when Zichu secretly left Handan.
She said that she secretly gave Ying Xiaozheng to Zhu Xiang to raise, and she led away the pursuers of King Zhao. She did not want to abandon Ying Xiaozheng, but hoped that Ying Xiaozheng would survive.
She said a lot, saying that others misunderstood her.
She didn't care what others thought of her, she just wanted her son to know that she had never abandoned him.
Prince Zheng of Qin had a mother who loved him deeply. There was no stain of being rejected and abandoned by his mother in his life. His life was perfect.
Zhao Ji said that she just wanted to tell her son about this.
Zhao Ji cried so attentively that she even believed what was said.
At that time, Zhu Xiang's situation was indeed good. She was a retainer of Lin Xiangru. Was it wrong for her to give Ying Xiaozheng to Zhu Xiang to raise? Yes, she was the one who suffered. Giving Ying Xiaozheng to Zhu Xiang was to let Ying Xiaozheng enjoy happiness.
Ying Xiaozheng, who was distracted, stood with his hands behind his back and gradually came back to his senses amidst the crying of Zhao Ji.
Although he was distracted, he heard and remembered every word Zhao Ji said clearly.
"Is that all you want to say?" Ying Xiaozheng's gaze finally fell on Zhao Ji's crying face.
Zhao Ji cried for so long, but only received such a cold response from Ying Xiaozheng, which made her so angry that she couldn't help crying and wanted to scold Ying Xiaozheng for being unfilial.
Fortunately, a palace maid kept winking at her, helping her to suppress her anger.
Zhao Ji cried, "You must be blaming me for abandoning your uncle and aunt, but that's not the truth."
Ying Xiaozheng's brows jumped and his expression became gloomy.
Zhao Ji sobbed a few times: "At that time, your uncle was seriously ill, and I sold myself and asked the pawnbroker to give the money to him for treatment. Who knew that the pawnbroker swallowed the money and almost killed him. I have no words to express my pain."
Ying Xiaozheng's brows twitched again.
("That day, Chunhua took away all the valuables and food in the house, saying that she wanted to buy medicine for her lover. I believed her, and she never came back."
"The next day I realized something was wrong and went to the market to look for her. But she hadn't left yet and had put on colorful clothes and painted her face with makeup. She refused to recognize me."
"I begged her to leave her family's property behind, but she told the pawnbroker that she might as well buy me as well. Although I'm not pretty, I can be her maid who makes fire and cooks. I bit the hand of the person who grabbed me, and a few sword-carrying rangers in the market who couldn't bear to see someone being abducted as a slave drew their swords to help me escape."
"I'm sorry, but my aunt only forced you on this matter. I will never forgive her!")
("Sir, I really didn't know there was such a thing in her family. You also know that my family is very rich, and I paid enough money to buy slaves. Why do I need the slaves to bring money themselves?"
"You can ask anyone in my family who knows her. They all know that both her parents have passed away. She is all alone and helpless. I have never heard that she has any brothers. I also gave her the money she earned from selling her body, so that she could use it as pocket money to buy clothes."
"Young Master, think about it, with war raging everywhere, there are refugees everywhere. If I buy some singing and dancing women for my family, they will have much better food and clothing than the refugees. The refugees will rush to come here, so do I still need to cheat them?"
"I really don't know anything about this, I really don't know anything! Right, right! I'll take you to find the pawnbroker who sent her to my house that day! The pawnbroker should still be alive! I'll bring him to see you!")
A smile appeared on Ying Xiaozheng's face, as if he remembered something that made him happy.
That was the first time he killed someone with his own hands.
He killed the old hostage who wanted to forcibly abduct his aunt into slavery.
Even my uncle and aunt didn't know about this. How could he use such a small matter to pollute their ears
My aunt did not tell my uncle that she had found Chunhua at the market, as she did not want him to know that Chunhua had instigated the hostages to abduct her as a slave.
"Are you telling the truth?" Ying Xiaozheng asked with a smile, "Did you sell yourself to treat your uncle's illness that day?"
Zhao Ji cried, "It's true, Zheng'er, it's true!"
Ying Xiaozheng smiled and said, "Do you have any evidence?"
Zhao Ji wiped her tears and said, "So many years have passed, where is the evidence? Lü Buwei and the person who sold me as a hostage must know about it, but they dare not say that they took your uncle's life-saving money alone. They will definitely put the blame on me. I am suffering, so suffering..."
Zhao Ji started crying again and cried for a long time.
Ying Xiaozheng kept smiling as he watched Zhao Ji cry. The scene was so strange that the palace maids all lowered their heads and trembled slightly.
The people serving in the Xianyang Palace are all shrewd people. If they were not shrewd, they would have died long ago.
Ying Xiaozheng's actions were so obvious that they of course noticed something was wrong, but they did not dare to signal Zhao Ji.
If Zhao Ji had not given birth to Ying Xiaozheng more than a decade ago, she would probably have noticed something was wrong. But in the past decade, she was no longer a slave, but had been a superior person for a long time.
When Zhao Ji eloped with the wealthy businessman, she was his wife. Not to mention the numerous servants in her house, she lived a pretty comfortable life.
After returning to Qin, Zhao Ji enjoyed the treatment of Zichu's wife. The so-called loss was only compared with other favored princes' wives, who had more servants around them that they could order around.
So Zhao Ji had forgotten what it was like when she still needed to please others, and she was so stupid that she didn't even notice Ying Xiaozheng's strange smile.
It is also possible that Ying Xiaozheng is her son, and now he is still a teenager who is almost fourteen years old. The past she fabricated is too long ago, and Ying Xiaozheng cannot find conclusive evidence to prove whether she is lying.
Zhao Ji also has a trump card.
She now used the killer moves taught to her by those around her.
"Do you think that my family can raise someone like your uncle? How can I be a bad person?" Zhao Ji sighed, "A female brother is like a mother. My parents are busy working in the fields to support the family. I raised Zhu Xiang... Ah?! You, you dare to hit me?!"
Ying Xiaozheng loosened his hands behind his back, swept them sideways, and hit Zhao Ji's face with the back of his hand.
Compared with his peers, his height is already outstanding, and even slightly taller than the petite Zhao Ji.
"Who allowed you to tarnish my uncle's name." Ying Xiaozheng felt the pain on the back of his hand and felt very happy.
He knew he shouldn't do this. Even when Great Ying Zheng encountered such a thing, he endured it. At most, he just imprisoned her, and then for the sake of a reputation of "filial piety", he forced himself to release her and live a life of honor.
If a son hits his mother, no matter how excessive the mother is, in the end it is the son who is wrong.
His uncle also often warned him that men are naturally stronger than women, so men should not hit women.
Men should not hit women, and sons should not hit their biological mothers. Anyone who does this should be despised by the world.
But he really enjoyed it.
It feels so good.
Why do you want to kill me? Because you are my biological mother and I can't even slap you
Why?!
Ying Xiaozheng's unexpected behavior made Zhao Ji cover her face in disbelief and stand there like a wooden chicken.
When the other palace servants heard the noise and looked up, they also quickly knelt down and put their faces to the ground, trembling with fear as if they were about to fall into the abyss.
The prince actually hit the queen? This matter must not be spread out, so do these people still have a chance to survive? !
"Hmph." Ying Xiaozheng snorted coldly and picked up the porcelain bottle beside him.
When my uncle was studying iron smelting, he also studied how to fire ceramics.
After that, iron production increased and ceramics were also produced.
Good ceramics require a special kind of soil called kaolin, and materials such as ashes must be added, which is extremely valuable. After King Zhaoxiang of Qin replaced the utensils in the palace with ceramics, he could not bear to smash things when he was angry.
But Zhao Ji had a bad temper, and ceramic utensils in the palace were often "broken by servants."
Considering that ceramics were developed by her uncle and the craftsmen, the palace would always replace any things she broke, and they would just scold her a few times. If she broke too many, they would replace them all with solid copper utensils.
Ying Xiaozheng held a thin-necked vase in his left hand and smashed it against the right hand that had slapped his biological mother.
The vase shattered, and his right hand turned red and quickly swelled up.
Ying Xiaozheng frowned slightly and clenched his red and swollen right hand. The fragments cut his palm and fingers, leaving his entire right hand covered in blood.
Zhao Ji looked at the horrific scene of Ying Xiaozheng mutilating himself, opened her mouth and took deep breaths, and stepped back in horror.
"Mother, do you still remember why you abandoned me?" Ying Xiaozheng felt a pain he had never felt since being raised by his uncle and aunt. His brows relaxed and he showed a nostalgic smile.
When he was beaten by his aunt, it was just a lot of noise but little action. After the beating, he would just pull up his pants, wipe his tears, and continue to be naughty. Sometimes he wouldn't even cry, but would just howl loudly.
This kind of pain, I haven't felt it for a long time.
"You don't remember, but I do. I was born knowing it." Ying Xiaozheng's nostalgic smile grew brighter. "Do you still remember that you beat me when I stopped you from hanging out with others? Do you still remember that those servants pushed me into the mud and you sat on the steps and pointed at me and cursed me? Do you still remember..."
Ying Xiaozheng remembered the feeling of hunger when he was a child and licked his lips.
"The servants all looked down on me, and I could only eat porridge every day. I complained to you, what did you say? Oh, if you hadn't been thinking about your father taking you back, you would have strangled me to death long ago. That's what you said, isn't it?"
Ying Xiaozheng pointed his bloody finger at his head: "Didn't you know at that time that I was born with knowledge and had a very good memory? You called me a monster at that time. How come, after more than ten years, you have forgotten that I am a monster?"
"Mother, do you need to find witnesses to disprove your lies? I remember everything you said and did. I remember everything."
"Also, the hostage you mentioned, is he the one you ordered to kidnap my aunt as a slave? I killed him a long time ago. How could I have kept my aunt's revenge until now?"
"If you weren't my biological mother, and if it weren't for my uncle's kindness, would you still be alive today?"
Zhao Ji kept backing away, her body pressed against the wall.
She thought about it and remembered what the boy looked like when he was young.
When ordinary children were still ignorant, her son already spoke very coherently.
Even when he was young, he had already shown signs of brutality, always shouting and killing people around him. He also threatened me and forbade me to get close to other men.
She had not originally intended to abandon her son, because she still thought that the Prince of Qin, who had returned to Qin, would remember her son and take her back to live a good life.
But this son is a monster, so scary.
No matter how she scolded him, no matter how other servants bullied him, he rarely even cried. He just stared at others with hatred in his eyes, as if he really understood the difference between life and death and really wanted to kill those who bullied him.
How can a child have such a look?! If this isn't a monster, then what is it?!
So she was scared and desperate to escape from this monster.
Originally she wanted to kill the monster, but she was afraid that after being killed, the monster would turn into a ghost and take her life.
At this time, she learned that her brother was not dead yet, so she quickly threw the monster at her brother's door and transferred the disaster to her brother's home.
She thought that her brother was related to him by blood, and the monster would definitely regard her brother as her own scourge. She transferred the ghost to her blood relative and she could escape the curse.
At that time, people believed in ghosts, gods, witchcraft, and sorcery. She made all the necessary preparations, not only getting rid of the monster, but also inviting witches and sorcerers to perform rituals at home to ensure that the disaster would be diverted.
Who would have thought that the monster would not only not become a disaster, but also become the crown prince of Qin? His useless brother actually became the Lord of Changping by relying on the son he had finally given birth to, and enjoyed a life of wealth and glory
Zhao Ji hated it!
"You, you're a monster! A monster!"
Zhao Ji was so scared that she frantically reached for the small porcelain water jar beside her and threw it at Ying Xiaozheng.
Ying Xiaozheng did not dodge or evade, and the water jar hit his forehead.
Blood slid down his cheeks and water splashed on his face, mixing with the blood and staining half of his face red.
He knew that the wall of the water tank was very thin, so it would not matter if it was hit.
To completely sever the mother-son relationship with Zhao Ji, but not be bound by the word "filial piety", this little bit of injury is nothing.
"I still remember that when I left, didn't you ask someone to burn talismans at home?" Ying Xiaozheng took a step forward, "You also fed me talisman water, saying that I was possessed by evil spirits and that I would be fine if I drank the talisman water. After I drank the talisman water, you would treat me well and stop beating me. You also promised that you would never hang out with other men again. Let's wait for our father to come back together."
"No, you promised me that when I woke up, you would take me to find my father, and we would flee Handan together, go to Qin, and go to Xianyang."
"I believed you then." Ying Xiaozheng lowered his head and took another step forward. "No, no, it's not that I believe you, but besides you, besides you, my mother, who else can I trust? I can only rely on you to survive, who else can I trust besides you?!"
So he drank the bowl of talisman water and fell into a deep sleep.
When he woke up, he was abandoned at his uncle's door wearing thin clothes.
Zhao Ji was so scared by Ying Xiaozheng's bloody face and hands that she actually started crying.
Ying Xiaozheng is now like an evil ghost, a ghost that crawled out of the grave after being killed once!
She grabbed everything she could get her hands on and threw it at Ying Xiaozheng.
Ying Xiaozheng dodged some of them, blocked some with his hands, and did not avoid or give way to others.
Soon, Ying Xiaozheng's cheek was also cut and blood flowed from his left hand.
"My biological mother wants to kill me, how can I avoid it?" Ying Xiaozheng sighed.
At this moment, the door was slammed open with great force.
Ying Xiaozheng turned around and saw the palace servant guarding the gate being beaten hard by Xunzi with a cane.
"If you are beaten lightly, you will take it. If you are beaten hard, you will run away! Zheng'er, have you forgotten all my teachings?" Xunzi yelled, "Come here!"
Ying Xiaozheng couldn't help but run towards Xunzi, but was held by the hunchbacked Xunzi with his wide sleeves.
(End of this chapter)