binnovel Chapter 136 Ying Wuyou's First Court Visit
Chapter 136 Ying Wuyou's First Court Visit
Ying Wuyou, standing to the side, quietly gazed at Chunyu Yue, thinking to herself: "This old gentleman, despite his advanced age, still possesses such heroic courage and a strong sense of responsibility; he truly commands my sincere admiration."
Hearing Ying Wuyou's inner thoughts, King Ying Zheng of Qin chuckled inwardly, but maintained a solemn and dignified expression on his face, saying calmly, "If you have nothing else to say, please return to your residences. We will discuss this matter again at the morning court tomorrow."
The crowd shouted in unison, "We take our leave," their voices loud and clear, instantly echoing throughout the vast palace. The King of Qin slightly raised his hand and waved it gently; the others bowed respectfully and slowly withdrew. Only Ying Wuyou remained, sitting quietly, her eyes revealing a mixture of doubt and anticipation.
The King of Qin gazed intently at Ying Wuyou and slowly said, "Jiayang, you will also attend court tomorrow."
Ying Wuyou's eyes widened in surprise. She asked incredulously, "Can I also attend court?" Her tone was full of joy and unease, as if a brand new door had suddenly opened before her.
Seeing Ying Wuyou's reaction, the King of Qin smiled slightly and nodded heavily, saying, "Tomorrow morning court will discuss matters concerning the economic zone. If you don't attend, others will likely find it difficult to explain the details and key points clearly."
Ying Wuyou fell into deep thought. After a moment, she raised her head, her eyes shining with determination, and said, "Thank you, Father. I will definitely attend court on time tomorrow and will not let you down."
Seeing Ying Wuyou's appearance, the King of Qin's smile deepened. He said gently, "Go back and get some rest. Tomorrow in court will not be easy. You must be fully prepared and not let your guard down."
Ying Wuyou nodded obediently, a bright smile on her face, and said, "Your subject understands. Your subject takes her leave." After saying that, she stood up, bowed deeply to the King of Qin, and then turned and left Zhangtai Palace.
The following morning, as the sun rose, in the main hall of Zhangtai Palace, a group of ministers, all dressed in court robes, stood solemnly, their expressions grave. They stood quietly, their gazes fixed ahead, awaiting the start of court.
Just then, a figure quietly appeared in the main hall. Upon closer inspection, everyone recognized her as Princess Jiayang, Ying Wuyou. Today, she was wearing an extremely bright pink dress.
Upon seeing Ying Wuyou's sudden appearance, the once quiet hall erupted into chaos, with everyone whispering and discussing amongst themselves. The spacious hall was instantly filled with a cacophony of sounds, as if countless invisible birds were chirping incessantly.
Before anyone could recover from the sudden sight, or even question Ying Wuyou's attendance at court, a shrill voice pierced the noisy air like an arrow, and the little eunuch shouted, "The King has arrived!"
Upon hearing this, the doubts in everyone's hearts were temporarily suppressed, and they all knelt down and shouted loudly, "Long live the King!" Their voices were loud and powerful.
The King of Qin slowly raised his hand, gesturing for everyone to rise. The little eunuch immediately shouted, "Rise!"
After everyone stood up, before the King of Qin could speak, Shusun Tong stepped forward impatiently and said with a serious face, "Your Majesty, how can Princess Jiayang, as a woman, attend court at will? This is against the rules. I beg Your Majesty to issue an edict to punish Princess Jiayang in order to rectify the court."
As soon as he finished speaking, several Confucian scholars echoed his sentiments, shouting in unison, "We second that proposal."
The atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly tense, all eyes fixed on the King of Qin, awaiting his verdict. The King of Qin frowned slightly, a fleeting, almost imperceptible look of contemplation in his eyes. After a moment, he slowly said, "The matter discussed today is indeed related to Jiayang. That is why I summoned Jiayang to court. Shusun Tong, do you have any objections?" His words carried an undeniable authority.
Upon hearing the King of Qin's voice and feeling his imposing presence, Shusun Tong was terrified but still insisted, "Your Majesty, there has never been a precedent of women attending court. Does Your Majesty intend to disregard etiquette and law?"
The King of Qin said with an unfriendly expression, "When did it become your place to interfere in my affairs?"
King Qin slammed his hand on the armrest of his dragon throne, stood up, and glared at Shusun Tong. "Although Jiayang is a woman, she has something to report to the court. If you dare to spout nonsense again, don't blame me for turning ruthless!"
The entire court was shocked and lowered their heads in silence. Only Shusun Tong was still unwilling to give up and wanted to speak again, but he was interrupted by the King of Qin.
"Alright, that's enough." The King of Qin waved his hand. "Jiayang, what do you have to report?"
Ying Wuyou slowly stepped forward and said firmly, "Your Majesty, I am well aware that the people of the world are currently suffering terribly. Therefore, after careful consideration, I have decided to establish economic zones in the border areas of Qin with Chu, Wei, and Qi. This is a matter of great importance concerning the well-being of all people. If the economy can be successfully developed, it will surely improve the living conditions of the people and free them from the suffering of hunger and cold." After speaking, she solemnly raised the carefully written technical manual for the economic zones high with both hands, her eyes revealing anticipation.
The King of Qin narrowed his eyes slightly, carefully examining Ying Wuyou. A hint of approval flashed in his eyes, and he nodded gently in agreement. Then, he said loudly, "I have carefully reviewed the technical documents of Jiayang. The construction of the economic zone is a major undertaking for Great Qin. My beloved ministers, what are your thoughts on this matter?" These words immediately caused an uproar in the court, with discussions rising and falling incessantly.
Meng Tian strode out of the ranks, his expression solemn, and said, “Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable! Our Great Qin is on the verge of destroying the State of Wei. With the might of our army, Wei will undoubtedly be annihilated next year. After Wei falls, with the strength of our Great Qin, we can easily destroy the States of Chu and Qi within two years. At this crucial juncture, if we were to engage in so-called cooperation with these states, how could our Great Qin’s plan to unify the six states continue? Wouldn’t that disrupt our Great Qin’s strategic layout for unifying the world?” Meng Tian’s words were earnest, his eyes flashing with worry, as if he had already foreseen the various crises that might arise.
As soon as Meng Tian said this, a military general stepped forward to agree, saying, "Your Majesty, General Meng Tian is right. Economic zones are indeed beneficial to Qin, but the most important thing right now is to unify the six kingdoms. Wouldn't it be better to establish economic zones after the six kingdoms are unified?"
Upon hearing Wen Mengtian's words, Ying Wuyou stepped forward and asked, "General Mengtian, you just mentioned that you intend to unify the six kingdoms within two years. Do you really have such confidence?" Mengtian paused slightly, pondered for a moment, and did not answer immediately.