Chapter 6: The Leisurely Life in the Qin Dynasty

Thus, on Sunday, he struggled to rise from his sickbed, casting a lingering glance at the beautiful wife of Zhao Gao, and then resolutely set forth on the path to search for foot-binding cloth.

"The 'Huanghuo' refers to Mars, while 'Xin' is one of the twenty-eight lunar mansions, specifically the Heart Mansion, which consists of three stars. These three stars represent the emperor and the princes, whereas Mars symbolizes disaster. The current situation is that the disaster-representing Mars is wandering near the royal-representing 'Heart Mansion.' In contemporary times, this might only attract the attention of astronomers, but during the Qin Dynasty, it was seen as an omen of the royal family's demise. Upon witnessing this omen, the great leader Qin Shi Huang became quite unsettled. Furthermore, at the same time as the appearance of 'Huanghuo guarding Xin,' a stone fell from the sky, commonly known as a meteorite. This meteorite bore inscriptions, the content of which was unknown, but it stated something akin to 'Qin Shi Huang is to perish, the Qin Dynasty is to split.' Most importantly, there was no signature on this inscription. (A meteor fell in Dongjun, landing as a stone, and the common people inscribed on it, saying 'When the First Emperor dies, the land will divide.' — "Records of the First Emperor of Qin") The absence of a signature was a serious matter, prompting Qin Shi Huang to send officials and scholars to investigate. After inquiring, no one admitted to it. (A meteor fell in Dongjun, landing as a stone, and the common people inscribed on it, saying 'When the First Emperor dies, the land will divide.' — "Records of the First Emperor of Qin") The absence of a signature was a serious matter, prompting Qin Shi Huang to send officials and scholars to investigate. After inquiring, no one admitted to it. Ultimately, the great leader Qin Shi Huang became furious, and in his wrath, he executed all those around the meteorite, thereby destroying this meteorite, which held significant scientific value. (Upon hearing this, the First Emperor dispatched inspectors to question, but no one complied; he executed all the residents near the stone and subsequently burned the stone. — "Records of the First Emperor of Qin")

However, the matter of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's inspection tour is related to Zhou Tian, who is still waiting for the foot binding cloth from Qin Shi Huang. Although Zhou Tian's historical knowledge is not particularly impressive, he does have some recollection of the significant historical event of Qin Shi Huang's death. Upon confirming that this was Qin Shi Huang's fifth inspection tour, Zhou Tian became somewhat restless.

Although I have mastered quite a bit of information about Qin Shi Huang and have some understanding of his temperament, I am still not Zhao Gao himself. Serving the emperor, especially one known for his brutality like Qin Shi Huang, is a highly challenging task that I estimate I would not be able to accomplish.

Thus, this matter reached the ears of Qin Shi Huang. While others were unaware of who "Ancestral Dragon" was, how could Qin Shi Huang not know? How dare someone curse me to death? This matter must be investigated thoroughly. Upon investigation, the results startled Qin Shi Huang.

The task of collecting the foot-binding cloth of Qin Shi Huang is not something that can be accomplished in a short time. According to the secret records of Zhao Gao, the time for Qin Shi Huang to change his foot-binding cloth was fixed, typically every half month. (Look, look, the emperor changes his socks every half month; what does it matter if I change mine once a week? From now on, no one is allowed to use my socks against me.) Moreover, there were designated personnel responsible for the destruction of the discarded foot-binding cloth. Ah, even the items worn by the emperor, even if it is just a piece of foot-binding cloth, are not something that ordinary people can touch. Normally, it is changed every half month (Look, look, the emperor changes his socks every half month; what does it matter if I change mine once a week? From now on, no one is allowed to use my socks against me.) Furthermore, there were designated personnel responsible for the destruction of the discarded foot-binding cloth. Ah, even the items worn by the emperor, even if it is just a piece of foot-binding cloth, are not something that ordinary people can touch.

Of course, as the most distinguished among the eunuchs, obtaining a piece of foot-binding cloth is not particularly difficult. However, it has only been three days since the last time Emperor Qin Shi Huang changed his foot-binding cloth, and previously, Zhao Gao did not have the habit of collecting such cloth. This means that if I want to acquire a fresh piece of foot-binding cloth, I will have to wait at least a dozen days.

After two such incidents occurred consecutively at mhetushucom.com, Qin Shi Huang was already quite unfortunate (his misfortune index rivaling that of our comrade Zhou Tian). However, the misfortunes did not end there. One day, a messenger who enjoyed wandering around happened to arrive in Huayin, where he was suddenly stopped by a mystic (also referred to as an immortal) holding a piece of jade. The mystic handed the jade to the messenger and, in a rather pretentious manner, proclaimed, "This year, the Ancestor Dragon will die." Finally, amidst the astonished gaze of the messenger, he waved his sleeve and vanished into the vast night.

Upon seeing this, the envoy thought to himself that he had encountered a celestial being, which was quite a remarkable event. Reporting this could potentially elevate his position.

Qin Shi Huang was also a cautious person. Since there are two methods available, it is better to adopt both as a form of double insurance; if one fails, the other can still hold up.

Within a short span of a few days, three significant events occurred consecutively. The first was the ominous sign of "Mars guarding the heart" in the heavens

Thus, Zhou Tian dramatically fainted in the Qin Palace. After a diagnosis by the imperial physician, it was determined that Minister Zhao had fainted due to excessive fatigue while working on the front lines.

The matter of relocating the populace is naturally handled by designated personnel, and it has nothing to do with the current situation of Zhou Tian, who is pretending to be ill and is utterly idle.

During this period of feigning illness, life has naturally been quite enjoyable, with meals, drinks, and casual conversations. The only regret is not being able to witness a grand scene like the "Burning of Books and Burying of Scholars".

Taking advantage of these days of feigning illness, one should truly enjoy life. After all, Zhao Gao is part of a privileged class, and it goes without saying that he eats well and drinks well. More importantly, I have the time to engage in some "meaningless chatter" with Zhao Gao's beautiful wife. Although I can only look and not touch, it is still pleasant to feast my eyes.

Thus, Qin Shi Huang issued two commands: the first was to relocate thirty thousand commoners to Hebei, and the second was to prepare for the fifth inspection tour.

The illness can no longer be concealed. If one does not follow Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the warm foot bindings will be unattainable, and it is likely that even the cold ones will be out of reach. Moreover, it is certain that Emperor Qin Shi Huang will die on his journey. This means that the foot bindings changed along the way will be the last few pieces in his life. If one does not act quickly, there will truly be no opportunity left.

After confirming that he and Hu Hai were not glass, Zhou Tian finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although Qin Shi Huang had summoned him this time, he did not say much to him, which could be considered a narrow escape.

How should I spend these past ten days? On Sunday, I made a decision: to feign illness. If I don't pretend to be sick, I surely won't be able to endure these days. Who knows, one day, if Emperor Qin Shi Huang is in a bad mood, he might just eliminate me.

This time, it was quite the situation; the three matters combined finally overwhelmed the fragile psyche of Qin Shi Huang. In desperation, this theistic ruler insisted on his views and sought someone to divine a fortune. The result, of course, was ominous (if the diviner had predicted something auspicious, it is likely that Qin Shi Huang would have executed him). However, despite the ominous prediction, it did not mean there were no solutions. The diviner, adhering to the principle of devising solutions even when none seemed possible, proposed two unwise suggestions to Qin Shi Huang: the first was to relocate the populace, and the second was to embark on a tour for refuge.

After a joint examination by three treasure appraisal experts from the Qin Dynasty, it was discovered that the jade in question was, in fact, the very piece that had been thrown into the river ten years ago to intimidate the Water God

While life here in Zhou is quite pleasant, the entire state of Qin is in disarray