HCT – Chapter 47 Lin Xiangru’s Ruler

The King of Qin was closely observing whether Zhu Xiang truly held a grudge against Madam Huayang. Whether or not Zhu Xiang bore resentment toward her wouldn’t lower or raise the King’s opinion of him—it didn’t matter. What the King wanted was to use Zhu Xiang’s attitude toward Huayang to decide how he should punish this woman who dared defy his command.

He wasn’t dead yet, and Madam Huayang was already putting on airs as the future empress and Empress Dowager?

That night, the King of Qin stayed up late dealing with official matters he had neglected during the day due to overindulgence in food. The Crown Prince Zhu, who had just picked up a braised duck to take home, was sweating bullets when he was dragged into the palace by the King to help.

The servant the King had left at Zhu Xiang’s residence quickly relayed the secret “three-person discussion” to the King’s hidden guards. These guards dashed over rooftops, stifling their laughter the whole way, and reported the “espionage” to the King.

Even the usually serious Crown Prince Zhu could only hold his forehead and sigh, let alone the King.

Originally, the King had wanted to tease Crown Prince Zhu: “Your son says you’re unfair. Aren’t you mad? Want to beat him?”

But now, he wasn’t in the mood for jokes.

“Zhu Xiang says Huayang may have been manipulated by someone from Zixu’s faction. What do you think?” the King asked.

The Crown Prince didn’t dare sigh anymore. Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, he answered, “This son doesn’t know…”

The King slammed the bamboo slip onto the table. “Then go find out! Your own family’s business, and I have to clean up for you?!”

“It’s being investigated—should have results soon!” Crown Prince Zhu felt immensely wronged. 

He had immediately sent people to investigate as soon as he learned Huayang was throwing a tantrum. But it had only been a single day—how could there be any results already? The King was just making things difficult again!

“No matter whether it’s someone from Chu, Lu Buwei, or your son Zixu, if Zhu Xiang wants them to come apologize, then let them go,” the King ordered.

The Crown Prince was puzzled. “Just an apology?”

The stern expression on the King’s face softened into a faint, stiff smile. “If he only wants an apology, then give it to him. The rest—you and Zichu figure it out yourselves. Zhu Xiang is the virtuous minister I’m leaving to you and Zichu. I won’t intervene anymore. If you two can’t protect him, then you likely can’t hold the throne of Qin either. I might as well pass it to Zheng’er directly.”

Crown Prince Zhu was stunned.

The King… the King was joking with him?

Heavens! Brother! Are you watching me from the afterlife? The King actually joked with his son—how terrifying!

Crown Prince Zhu had a feeling he was going to have nightmares all night.

Elsewhere, Fan Ju—who had kept Bai Qi awake waiting for news from the “three-person secret chat”—finally received word.

He fell silent for a while before standing up and pacing irritably.

Fan Ju, who repaid all slights with vengeance, couldn’t stand people like Zhu Xiang with such soft and yielding temperaments.

If Madam Huayang had truly been manipulated, then someone had just tried to take Zhu Xiang’s life! And his response? Asking only for an apology?

At the very least, he should’ve demanded they bare their backs and plead for punishment! Then Fan Ju wouldn’t be this mad!

“Zhu Xiang is just a commoner. The fact that he dares ask a Qin noble son for an apology is already remarkable,” Bai Qi tried to defend Zhu Xiang.

Fan Ju continued pacing anxiously. “He wouldn’t take revenge just because of his status? He dared go to Changping! Dared to scold the Zhao King! You think he’s afraid of a Qin prince? Just yesterday he was chasing another Qin prince with a sword!”

Bai Qi offered another excuse: “If it really was Zixu behind it, it might’ve just been a test. Since the attempt failed, it wouldn’t be proper to go too far against His Majesty’s grandson.”

Fan Ju stopped in his tracks. “So you believe he spared Zixu after weighing the circumstances, and not because he truly thinks an apology is enough?!”

Bai Qi didn’t dare speak further.

He could see it clearly—if they weren’t still unfamiliar, Fan Ju would’ve already stormed over to Zhu Xiang’s place to scold him to his face. Maybe even give him a beating.

“I finally understand why Lin Xiangru and Xun Kuang always carried a ruler with them,” Fan Ju growled, the irritation in his heart as intense as a modern person reading idiotic online posts. “He needs a beating!”

Bai Qi said, “His Majesty had us stay at Zhu Xiang’s residence to recuperate. Perhaps he also wanted us to teach him.”

Fan Ju: “He needs a beating!”

Bai Qi: “…Yes.”

Although Fan Ju looked ready to beat Zhu Xiang into the ground, Bai Qi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

During the day, he had seen a flicker of jealousy in Fan Ju’s expression and worried he might come to harm Zhu Xiang. Now, it seemed Zhu Xiang’s excessive gentleness had not only erased Fan Ju’s jealousy, but even earned him a bit of goodwill.

People who hold grudges don’t like others who do the same. With that, Zhu Xiang probably no longer needed to worry about offending Fan Ju in the future.

Zhu Xiang went to bed filled with frustration, but just as he was washing up and preparing to sleep, he suddenly saw that Fan Ju’s favorability had risen—with a “pop,” it inflated into a full heart.

He was completely baffled.

Could it be that Lord Ying dreamed about me tonight? And in the dream, he somehow developed more affection?

…Ugh, that thought gave him chills.

Disgusted by his own imagination, Zhu Xiang shivered, lifted a corner of the blanket, and climbed in on the other side of little Ying Zheng.

Ying Zheng had his small fists clenched, his brows furrowed, as if caught in a nightmare.

Zhu Xiang gently stroked his furrowed brows. Ying Zheng mumbled a few incoherent sounds, rolled away from Xue’s arms, and burrowed straight into Zhu Xiang’s embrace—kicking him twice in the process before falling soundly asleep again.

Zhu Xiang rubbed the spot where he’d been kicked, his face twisted in pain.

What a terrible little sleeper, this chubby kid!

In his dream, Ying Zheng was furious and humiliated.

“That’s not me, that’s not me, that’s not me…” Ying Zheng muttered over and over, furiously kicking the shadowy figure of his adult self a few times.

After thoroughly reviewing his memories, Ying Zheng realized that the future assassination attempt was purely a freak accident—not because he’d been reckless or negligent.

Of the two men who brought forward the map, Qin Wuyang had been trembling the entire time, nearly wetting himself; and Jing Ke—with his shaky gait and unimpressive physique—clearly wasn’t any kind of martial arts master. He’d never even considered the possibility of being assassinated.

Later, when he thoroughly investigated Jing Ke’s background, his mind kept replaying the same question: “How did someone like him actually dare attempt to assassinate me?”

He couldn’t help but feel a sliver of respect for Jing Ke.

Why? Because his judgment had been correct—Jing Ke really was a man of mediocre skill, with barely any actual ability. Just a fraud who chased fame wherever he went.

Jing Ke had sought government position through swordsmanship, so he’d gone to challenge renowned swordsmen in hopes of making a name for himself.

It was no different from when Zhu Xiang had tried to gain fame back then—being constantly challenged to debates by groups of people.

But when Gai Nie glared at him during a sword discussion, Jing Ke had been so terrified he fled in his carriage. And when Lu Goujian scolded him during another debate, he also ran away in fright. There was no way to spin this as “staying calm under pressure”—the truth was, his sword skills were poor, and his courage even worse.

When the Crown Prince of Yan finally recruited him for the assassination mission, Jing Ke did everything he could to wriggle out of it. Only under relentless pressure did he finally set out.

And yet, this very man—cowardly, incompetent, all talk—had still found the courage to run after him with a sword. That was… astounding.

“Even someone completely useless can sometimes explode with incredible courage,”
Ying Zheng muttered, after kicking his future self a few more times, finally calming down.

He knelt beside his future self’s shadow and thought of the man who had died for the sake of his uncle—the image of that moment lingering in his chubby little face with a hint of melancholy.

Even commoners… have something admirable within them. They, too, are flesh and blood, capable of love and feeling.

This sudden realization struck Ying Zheng with great clarity. He turned his head—and then noticed something odd.

A mirror had inexplicably appeared in the dream chamber, reflecting his image.

Before, in these dreamscapes, he had only ever seen the phantom of his future self. Now, he could see himself anytime—clearly reflected in the mirror.

Ying Zheng walked up to the mirror, squeezed his soft, chubby belly, and then looked over at his adult self, who stood tall and imposing, propping his chin up with one hand.

“You are me,” Ying Zheng said, “But I’m not you.”

He closed his eyes for a moment, then reopened them with a bright smile.

“You didn’t have an uncle and aunt who loved you. I do have an uncle and aunt who love me!”

With that, he hugged his belly and burst into laughter.

Yep… that’s my childish self, alright. So immature.

Ying Zheng hopped onto the table, sitting with his hands on the surface, facing the grown-up version of himself as he began sorting through the events of the past ten days.

Before, whenever he entered this dream-world room, he would deliberately adjust his behavior to match what his adult self would do.

Serious. Strict. Every word and action had to align with how a proper Qin prince should act.

He had been nine years old when he returned to Qin from Zhao. By that age, Qin princes had already studied for two or three years and were well-versed in etiquette. Although he had begun his education in Zhao, the quality of his tutors there had been far inferior to those in Qin. Even though those other Qin princes weren’t children of the King, they still mocked him relentlessly.

He was mocked as a man from Zhao, ridiculed for being coarse and rude. Some even secretly spread rumors that he was not truly a prince of Qin, but the son of Lu Buwei. So, from that moment on, he harbored murderous intent toward Lu Buwei. Indeed, it was misplaced anger, but so what?

After returning to Qin, he studied diligently and practiced martial arts, rigorously molding himself into the perfect Qin prince, the Qin king. His upright manners and expressions were almost etched into his being.

Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng, was like that — but Ying Xiao Zheng was not. Ying Xiao Zheng was someone who could nestle in old King Qin’s arms and yawn while tugging on his beard. The words and deeds of the Qin prince? He was the Qin prince; his words and deeds were the Qin prince’s words and deeds.

Ying Xiao Zheng pinched his own chubby chin. Actually, his personality now wasn’t much different from when he became the First Emperor, right? Back then, he already disliked excessive rituals and formalities, so he abolished the six-capped ceremony, wore dark robes and red skirts with the Tongtian crown, favoring narrow sleeves.

“Ah.” After summarizing, Ying Xiao Zheng stretched lazily. “My uncle has arrived in Qin and is finally safe. I think my father was quite worried my uncle’s temper was too gentle and might cause him to suffer losses. But he doesn’t know that precisely because of my uncle’s temperament, he is safest under Great Grandfather’s command. Great Grandfather’s temper is just like yours when you got old—the more foolish someone is, the more you favor them.”

“My uncle’s honor, disgrace, safety, and peril all depend solely on the Qin king. With my uncle’s personality, even if three people started a rumor, or the whole court spoke ill of him, Great Grandfather probably wouldn’t suspect him. Instead, he’d suspect that he’s lost control of the court, that the entire court is disobedient.”

Ying Xiao Zheng laughed continuously as he spoke. He was looking forward to someone telling Great Grandfather that his uncle was scheming or power-hungry. He wondered if anyone would be foolish enough to say his uncle was trying to seize the Qin throne and become the power behind the king like Lu Buwei later did.

“If I become the Qin king and someone accuses my uncle of rebellion, that would be truly interesting.” Ying Xiao Zheng laughed more and more. “My uncle rebels, and then the throne is handed over to me? Hahaha!”

He laughed heartily for a while before returning to the studies stored in his memory. Grandfather and Father were both shallow scholars with simple minds, no deep schemes. He needed to absorb the knowledge and experience of his future self as soon as possible to protect his uncle.  Grandfather and Father were hopeless—they couldn’t even control Lady Huayang.

Ying Xiao Zheng thought of the Empress Dowager Huayang in his “memory” and pursed his lips. He then recalled how he respected and admired the lofty father he only lived with for three years, and pursed his lips again. Disdain.

While Ying Xiao Zheng diligently studied in his dreams, Zhu Xiang was dreaming as well.

In the dream, Lin Xiangru was standing with his hands behind his back, smiling at him. “How is it in Qin?” Lin Xiangru asked with a smile. “Has anyone bullied you?”

Zhu Xiang hurriedly said, “Lord Lin, how did you get here? No, who would dare bully me? Old King Qin treats me very well!”

Lin Xiangru’s expression darkened. He pulled out the ruler from his sleeve and struck Zhu Xiang on the head. “How many times have I told you not to speak carelessly! The elderly hate being called old. The Qin king is a fierce ruler. If you dare mention the old king in front of him, he will kill you on the spot!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I won’t say that in front of the Qin king—I always respectfully call him ‘Your Majesty’ even in private!” Zhu Xiang held his head. “I’m not stupid, Lord Lin, please don’t worry!”

“Alas, how could I not worry?” Lin Xiangru put away the ruler and frowned. “No one really bullies you?”

“Really no one!” Zhu Xiang told Lin Xiangru about his experiences after entering Qin.

When Lin Xiangru heard Zhu Xiang skillfully wield the sword against Zi Chu around a pillar, he laughed so hard he couldn’t close his mouth.

“The Qin ministers might not believe the Qin king’s praise of you, but the king having you and Xia Tong perform sword dances publicly is the key move to make all the ministers realize your status alongside Xia Tong,” Lin Xiangru said with a smile. “Given the king’s personality, having you and Xia Tong publicly embarrass yourselves is to let the ministers know you’re truly considered juniors. I’m relieved.”

Zhu Xiang nodded. “Yes, I didn’t expect the king to treat me so well. I’m honestly a bit terrified, worried he might send me to fight next.”

Lin Xiangru didn’t use the ruler again but gently tapped Zhu Xiang’s forehead with his fist. “The king is not old and senile, or he wouldn’t send you to the battlefield. Grain is the foundation of the state; you’re helping Qin harvest plenty. Without needing to fight, countless people from the Six States come to surrender.”

“I’ll say exactly that to the Qin king next time!” Zhu Xiang said he had learned well.

Lin Xiangru tapped Zhu Xiang’s forehead again and asked about Xue Ji, Zheng’er, and Cai Ze.

He heard that the king had titled Xue Ji as Lady of Changping, and she was going to visit Lady Huayang tomorrow, and he visibly relaxed.

He heard that Zheng’er showed extraordinary precocity, courage, and intelligence, daring to act spoiled and silly in the king’s arms, even pulling his beard, and he laughed happily.

He heard that Cai Ze had earned the king’s favor and quickly became friends with Xia Tong, both attacking Zhu Xiang together, and he nodded with satisfaction, saying Cai Ze had a promising future.

Then Zhu Xiang mentioned Fan Ju, Bai Qi, and Crown Prince Zhu.

Lin Xiangru said, “The king really treats you well. Regardless of what he thinks inside, he’s done everything to protect you. Bai Qi is trustworthy, Fan Ju needs to be flattered, and Crown Prince Zhu…”

Lin Xiangru frowned for a moment, then relaxed and said, “As long as you keep advising him well, he probably won’t resent you. Xia Tong can also have a chance to shine.”

Zhu Xiang nodded, took note, and asked, “About Lady Huayang’s matter, I don’t know if it’s Lu Buwei or Prince Zixi. Either way, it can’t be the foreign relatives from Chu. If the Chu foreign relatives intervene, the king will surely send Qin troops to patrol the Chu border again.”

“Lu Buwei is a merchant. He might be blinded by greed, but he won’t harm others to his own detriment,” Lin Xiangru said. “He’s planning a big deal, and before there’s any return, he won’t take any risky moves. I think Lu Buwei will soon bring rich gifts to visit you and be willing to step back and take a lower position than you.”

Zhu Xiang’s confusion cleared: “Lu Buwei is a merchant, so we should judge him as one. Right now, he’s worried about losing everything, not about venting his anger. Even if he’s resentful, he’ll wait until firmly seated among Qin’s ministers before plotting further. So, it’s Prince Zixi?”

Lin Xiangru said, “If it is him, you don’t need to worry. The king is still alive, and the crown prince hasn’t ascended yet. Although he’s a royal grandson and may have ambitions, if he dares to harm the king’s favored minister, he’ll never be a threat to you again. Just wait for him to come personally to apologize, and then generously forgive him.”

Lin Xiangru smiled and said, “If he wants to be king, it’s better to be like Zheng’er, who loudly claims ‘I want to be king!’ every day in front of old King Qin—very ambitious but also not really ambitious.”

Zhu Xiang was proud: “How can he compare to Zheng’er?”

“Indeed.” Lin Xiangru sighed and smiled, tidying Zhu Xiang’s headpiece and robes.

Zhu Xiang looked down and realized he was still wearing the clothes he had on the day he parted from Lord Lin in Zhao.

“The king protects you, the crown prince respects you, Zi Chu and Xia Tong are still here,” Lin Xiangru said with relief. “Zheng’er is clever, Xue Ji is tough, and with Cai Ze’s support, you also have a mind to guard against others. I can finally leave at ease.”

“Lord Lin is going back to Zhao?” Zhu Xiang asked.

Lin Xiangru smiled, patted Zhu Xiang’s shoulder, but said nothing: “Take care.”

Then he turned, smiling gently, and walked toward a soft glowing light.