binnovel Chapter 38 The King of Qin issues an edict
Chapter 38 The King of Qin issues an edict
Ying Wuyou led several carriages, forming a long, impressive procession into the palace. This magnificent scene, like a beautiful sight, attracted the attention of many. However, Ying Wuyou seemed oblivious, walking lightly straight towards the Qin King's Zhangtai Hall. The imperial guards, seeing this, hurriedly stepped forward to stop him, but when they recognized Ying Wuyou, they all made way.
Ying Wuyou entered the Zhangtai Palace and piled chests of silver like small mountains before the King of Qin. He then knelt down and performed a grand salute. The King of Qin stared in astonishment at the scene before him, his mouth agape. He asked, "Jiayang, what is this...?" Ying Wuyou respectfully replied, "Father, your son has raised 800,000 taels of silver through donations from 109 people." Upon hearing this, a look of disbelief flashed in the King of Qin's eyes. He then pressed on, "So much money?" Ying Wuyou's lips curled into a sly smile as he answered, "Father, these merchants, hearing that they could achieve lasting fame, are all vying to give you money like hungry tigers." The King of Qin was overjoyed and said, "I will immediately draft an edict appointing you to be fully in charge of the construction!" After expressing his gratitude, Ying Wuyou left the Zhangtai Palace.
The King of Qin summoned his prime ministers Wang Wan, Li Si, and Feng Quji. Once the three arrived in the hall, the King of Qin took out a pre-prepared edict and handed it to them.
Wang Wan received the imperial edict, opened it, and saw that it read: "Princess Jiayang is hereby appointed to be in full charge of the road construction."
Wang Wan was somewhat surprised and turned to look at Li Si and Feng Quji beside her. The two of them were also looking at the imperial edict with shock, clearly not expecting the King of Qin to make such a decision.
Wang Wan spoke first, saying, "Your Majesty, is this not a suitable move? The princess has not yet entered politics; how can she shoulder such an important responsibility?"
Li Si echoed, "Indeed, Your Majesty, the construction of this road concerns the fate of the nation. Isn't it too hasty to entrust it to the princess?"
After a moment of silence, Feng Quji spoke up, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe the princess is too young, and being a woman, how can she shoulder such a heavy responsibility?"
After listening to the three men's words, the King of Qin simply waved his hand and then revealed a mysterious smile, saying, "I suppose you've all heard about Jiayang raising funds in the western city today, but do you know how much money Jiayang raised?" His voice carried a hint of pride and anticipation, as if he held an astonishing secret in his hands.
The three men exchanged glances, each secretly speculating. Although they had heard of Jia Yang's activities in the western city, they knew nothing about the specific amount of funds raised. Hearing the King of Qin's question, they couldn't help but show expressions of curiosity.
Looking at their reactions, the King of Qin nodded in satisfaction and then said, "Let me tell you, Jiayang raised a staggering 800,000 taels of silver in the western city today! That's a huge sum!" His words were filled with amazement and admiration.
Eight hundred thousand taels! This figure shocked everyone present. They stared wide-eyed at the King of Qin in disbelief, momentarily at a loss for words.
Wang Wan asked, "Your Majesty, is this true? Princess Jiayang actually raised 800,000 taels of silver?"
The King of Qin wore a bright smile, his eyes revealing a hint of pride and smugness. He slowly said, "My dear minister, what I say is true. Jia Yang's abilities are truly remarkable! You may not know, but that magical paper was made by Jia Yang himself!" With that, the King of Qin waved a piece of paper in his hand.
"What?!" the three exclaimed in unison. They never expected that the magical paper was invented by Princess Jiayang.
At this moment, their gazes toward the King of Qin were filled with admiration and astonishment.
“Your Majesty, since the princess possesses such talent, perhaps we should give it a try,” Li Si broke the silence first.
Wang Wan and Feng Quji also expressed their agreement.
Upon seeing this, the King of Qin laughed heartily: "I knew you would support my decision. Although Jia Yang is a woman, her wisdom and courage are in no way inferior to those of a man. I believe she will be able to accomplish this task."
After saying this, the King of Qin added, "This matter is settled. You should assist Jiayang in making preparations as soon as possible."
Wang Wan and Li Si exchanged a glance, their minds perfectly clear, secretly plotting Princess Jiayang's road-building project. They decided to neither actively cooperate nor obstruct it; they simply wanted to see if Princess Jiayang could truly complete the road.
Not long after Ying Wuyou returned to Chaohua Palace, she received an imperial edict. She accepted the edict and expressed her gratitude, secretly delighted.
She knew full well that the road before her was not just a simple path, but a broad avenue to success. Once the road was completed, she would be able to implement her other plans more smoothly. This road construction was merely the first step in gaining the attention of the court officials; the future would surely be filled with endless challenges and opportunities.
A determined light shone in Ying Wuyou's eyes. She believed that as long as she kept going step by step, she would eventually reach the other side of success. In this turbulent era, she had to use her wisdom and courage to overcome all difficulties and lead the Qin Dynasty to glory.
The following morning, as dawn broke through the clouds, illuminating the earth, the magnificent palace was bathed in light. The courtiers entered in turn, standing solemnly in the hall, awaiting the arrival of the King of Qin. Once the King ascended the throne, he did not hesitate and immediately ordered a eunuch to read the imperial edict: "By the mandate of Heaven, the King of Qin decrees: Princess Jiayang is hereby appointed to oversee the construction of the main road west of Xianyang City. All matters concerning the road construction shall be managed by Princess Jiayang, and the Prime Minister shall dispatch officials to assist her. This is the imperial decree!"
This imperial edict was like a boulder thrown into a lake, causing a huge uproar. The court was immediately thrown into turmoil, with everyone discussing it animatedly. Princess Jiayang was not even nine years old; entrusting such a heavy responsibility to a little girl was truly incomprehensible. Even more surprising was that the King of Qin had actually ordered the Prime Minister to send officials to assist him.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the court became tense and heated. The ministers could no longer suppress their doubts and worries, and they stepped forward one after another to express their views frankly. The ministers, led by the Confucian scholars, earnestly remonstrated, stating that it was absurd to have Princess Jiayang in charge of road construction. They emphasized that Princess Jiayang was too young, lacked experience and knowledge, and was simply incapable of undertaking such a difficult project. Furthermore, road construction required specialized skills and experience and should be entrusted to capable officials. Therefore, they implored the King of Qin to rescind his decree and reconsider the matter.
However, the King of Qin was determined. He firmly believed that Princess Jiayang was capable enough to handle the task and insisted on giving her a chance to try. Everyone turned their attention to Chancellor Wang Wan and other ministers, hoping they could persuade the King to change his mind, but the Chancellor and the others remained silent. Everyone knew that this meant the King had already discussed the matter with the Chancellor and the others and reached a consensus. Faced with this situation, everyone understood that further persuasion would be futile, so they all kept quiet.