bdsm-fiction Chapter 346, Section 345: Only Weapons and Names
Chapter 346, Section 345: Only Weapons and Names
Chapter 346, Section 345: Only Weapons and Names
Qin Shi was helpless in the face of Ji Heng's anger.
It's hard to raise your blood pressure when educating children; this has been true throughout history. She couldn't help but laugh as she looked at Wang Ziqian's boastful words—"If you're not convinced, fight me; if you defeat me, I'll be a military genius"—written on the paper.
That's not wrong.
When a person gains power, great scholars will naturally come to defend him. If Prince Qian were to truly command an army, his retainers and advisors would provide explanations for both victory and defeat.
However, judging from his recent outrageous remarks, Ji Heng doesn't expect him to lead troops into battle anytime soon.
"Alright." Qin Shi gently patted Ji Heng's hand, coaxing him softly:
"Your Majesty, please don't be angry anymore. Look at our Princess Xinming. Even living in seclusion in the palace, she knows that 'an army should move only after its supplies are ready.' Doesn't that perfectly reflect Your Majesty's keen insight?"
She didn't necessarily have to be a saint and raise all of Ji Heng's children.
However, as queen, the power she shared came from Ji Heng.
As Empress Dowager, she will share power with her children.
But the future is too uncertain; even gods cannot predict what will happen. As the Queen of Qin, who can command troops, even if she has no children of her own, Ji Heng's children will still have to share some power with her.
Even in later generations, whether a listed group has an heir or not will still significantly impact its stock price.
Whether her children respect her is also related to the extent of her power and its potential backlash.
For example, Empress Lü.
No matter how useless Liu Ying was, or how much he opposed Empress Lü, his existence meant that Empress Lü could exercise power openly and legitimately.
After Liu Ying's death, the entire Lü clan was executed. Even Emperor Wen of Han, Liu Heng, who was praised by everyone, tacitly approved of the Lü clan's punishment.
It's all about power.
Qin Shi didn't possess such high political acumen, but a great man taught her a valuable lesson:
Politics, in essence, is about maximizing our own numbers and minimizing our enemies.
She is exploring and practicing along the way.
Ji Heng quickly calmed down.
This was because Prince Qian had done many foolish things since childhood, and he had probably developed a resistance to them.
Now I just toss the paper lightly on the table and pretend I don't see it.
He paused, but couldn't ignore it after all, so he gave another order in a deep voice:
"Wang Ziqian is to write two reports on his impressions of this auction. He is not allowed to leave the palace to do any work until he finishes writing them."
Qin Shi couldn't help but laugh.
Wang Ziqian has now received his mission and is practicing with Captain Lin Riri. Soon they will be escorting cultural workers to the countryside for a performance.
He wouldn't be allowed to leave the palace until he finished writing, and his job would be abandoned...
Good boy, now burn the midnight oil and keep writing.
……
The auction is still proceeding smoothly.
Although Xin had never hosted an auction before, she had a natural talent for understanding and manipulating people's emotions.
For every high-priced secret technique sold, several imperial secret recipes followed.
With such a balanced approach, the atmosphere slowly warmed up. Gradually, even the wealthy merchants who had planned ahead couldn't help but get carried away with their enthusiasm and lost their usual sensitivity to money and food.
The bidding in the auction gradually intensified.
"We now have 300 shi of snowflake refined salt, made with the secret recipe of Xianyang Palace..."
"We now have a secret-recipe beverage..."
"Today there is..."
The auction lasted for over an hour, and as the crowd grew increasingly restless, Xin finally announced the final item: "A divine weapon personally approved by the King, customizable with a family crest and surname! Only one such weapon will exist in the Qin Kingdom within three years!"
Starting bid: 180,000 shi of grain!
The moment this item was put up for auction, everyone was in an uproar.
……
Inside the private room, Princess Wen's cheeks flushed red, and she suddenly stood up: "I need to ask my father why such an item was auctioned!"
But once she spoke, no one paid any attention.
Wang Ziqian stared intently at the stage, wishing he could join in and bid a high price.
"For just 18 shi of millet, I can obtain a sword comparable to the Taiwei Heavenly Market? And it can even be custom-made with my name, Prince Qian, inscribed upon it..."
He was so envious his eyes almost turned red!
That's a divine weapon!
Who in the entire Qin state didn't know this?
The Queen obtained the secret method of Kunlun to forge divine weapons, which could cut iron like mud and sever hair with a breath; no one in the world could stop them!
Young Chenghu frowned: "Why is elder sister angry? Since there is an auction, and all the previous things can be auctioned off, why can't we have a divine weapon?"
Princess Wen gritted her teeth, pacing back and forth in the small room:
Have you ever read the Zuo Zhuan?
Cheng Hu hesitated for a moment: "I haven't read much, only a few articles."
He is still young, so it's normal that his learning progress is behind that of Princess Wen.
Princess Wen took a deep breath: "The Queen descended from Kunlun Mountain and does not understand human power. As Zuo Zhuan says: 'Only vessels and titles cannot be lent to others.'"
"Titles and titles, as well as ceremonial objects symbolizing the system of etiquette, should not be easily granted to outsiders, because these are the very foundation of power."
With such a divine weapon, so unique, how could it be unfit to be a ritual object? And how could it be entrusted to someone else in such an absurd way?
She was so angry, but then she saw Prince Qian turn around and ask, "Sister, what are you so angry about?"
“You have never been a king, nor do you possess any titles or weapons; these are things only your father possesses. Naturally, all items in the auction must also be approved by your father.”
"My father said that such a divine weapon could be used as a ceremonial object. But if I obtain it, I will fight bravely in battle; that is what a weapon is."
"The title and the title should be bestowed upon me by my father."
As he spoke these words, a sense of regret lingered in his heart: if he hadn't lost those two hundred gold coins for his sister, he could have saved up another three or four hundred gold coins...
Princess Wen was refuted, and for a moment she couldn't think of any rebuttal, so she just looked at the auction stage and sneered:
“You really dare to dream big—not to mention how to earn those gold coins, just look at the current auction price, how much more is it than the initial 180,000 shi of grain?”
At this auction, grain and gold of equal value can be used interchangeably. The divine weapon with a starting price of 18 shi of millet has not even been obtained yet, but it has already been fiercely contested by many families.
On stage, Xin's bids continued incessantly.
Below the stage, the crowd whispered amongst themselves, their expressions excited, a turbulent undercurrent running through them.
If looks could be used to fight, even a dog's brain would be knocked out.
At this moment, the price has abandoned the cheap grain and is now calculated directly in pure gold.
The voice of the middle-ranking official was loud and intense:
"The Ren family of Yongcheng has offered 6 gold!"
Inside the cubicle, Qin Shi couldn't help but gasp.
Because she had read the report, the total tax revenue of Qin last year, including land rent, per capita tax, household tax, salt and iron tax, mountain and lake tax, and market tax, was only 20 gold.
Now, even though everyone knows that its specifications, toughness, and sharpness are far inferior to the king's sword, this divine weapon, symbolizing nobility and uniqueness, is still highly sought after.
After a brief moment of surprise, Qin Shi suddenly became happy again:
It seems that the wealthy merchants and nobles of Qin still have quite a bit of resources!
The great man's words are from "An Analysis of the Classes in Chinese Society".
The detailed political explanation of "Only Utensils and Names" is recorded in the Zizhi Tongjian.