As soon as we passed through the city gates, the pace of his horse slowed slightly. Everything before my eyes made them sparkle with delight. The broad and well-maintained roads were lined with lush pine and cypress trees at regular intervals. Despite it being early autumn, the greenery was still vibrant. I didn't expect that the greening of the Qin State two thousand years ago was already so impressive, surpassing some modern places.
On both sides of the street, shops stood in clusters, including eateries, taverns, pawnshops, blacksmiths, and jewelry stores, with a variety of goods available. There were also scattered vendors selling trinkets. The streets were bustling with people of all ages and genders, wearing wide-sleeved Qin robes in various colors. Faced with such an authentic world, this living, breathing capital of a thousand years spread out before me, I was filled with a myriad of emotions and found myself momentarily speechless.
"This is Xianyang City," I murmured to myself.
"Our great Qin's capital is naturally magnificent, whether it's people from Yan or Zhao, or foreign tribes, all are inevitably impressed by the grandeur of Xianyang upon entering," he said with a hint of pride in his tone.
"It truly is magnificent, no wonder it was able to unify the six states," I blurted out.
"What?" There was a hint of confusion in his voice.
"Nothing, I said the capital's grandeur surpasses that of the six states' capitals," my heart skipped a beat, I had spoken too hastily. It was only the eighth year of King Zheng of Qin, a year before Ying Zheng would take personal control, and nineteen years before the unification of the whole country. I should confirm the time period to avoid any mistakes from my master.
"So, the current King of Qin is Zheng, right?" I asked, turning my head.
He raised an eyebrow, a fleeting, inscrutable expression in his eyes as he looked at me and said, "You are quite bold to even mention the king's name."
Hearing this, I assumed it was correct, "So it is the eighth year of the king's reign?" I emphasized the word 'king' with feigned sincerity.
His eyes became even more inscrutable, and he spoke in a low voice, "Indeed, what need do you, a woman, have to know these things?"
"Well, it's all because my admiration for your king is as boundless as a river, in my heart, he is like a divine being. If I could meet him, I would definitely get an autograph to take back with me," although my wording was exaggerated, more than half of it was sincere. The first emperor who unified the world holds a pivotal place in world history.
He looked thoughtfully into the distance and actually hummed lightly.
"You should get off now, I have other matters to attend to," he suddenly said, his expression becoming stern.
"Off I go," I leaped off the horse's back, patted my pants, and was about to leave when I suddenly remembered something very important. I stopped him and asked hurriedly, "By the way, do you know where the residence of the Grand Diviner is?"
"The Grand Diviner?" He pondered for a moment and then casually uttered three words, "I don't know."
"Oh... if you don't know, never mind, I still want to thank you. My name is Yvonne." I gave him a bright smile; after all, it was thanks to this person that I didn't have to walk so much.
He nodded, cracked his whip, and was about to leave.
"Wait a minute, isn't it polite to exchange names? Since I've told you, you should also tell me yours."
His face showed a hint of surprise, and a mischievous smile suddenly flashed in his eyes, "If you don't want to be treated as a freak, you should change into a Qin robe as soon as possible." It was then that I noticed the people around me were looking at me strangely; if I didn't change my clothes soon, I might really be captured as a monster...
"Ah, I'll leave now, goodbye!" I hurriedly said.
"My name is——Wen Zheng," he whispered, and as soon as he finished speaking, he spurred his horse and left. Before I could recover, his figure had vanished into the billowing dust.
Wen Zheng? A very——common name.
Never would I have imagined that the attire of the Qin state was so vibrant. The green tops were typically accented with pink or vermilion edges, while the skirts were in shades of sky blue or purple, and even red. Conversely, red tops were often trimmed with green, purple, or sky blue around the collars and cuffs, with matching green skirts. It was evident that this kaleidoscope of colors was the prevailing fashion among the common folk at the time. However, by modern aesthetic standards... I found myself feeling somewhat disheartened. After much deliberation, I finally chose a set of goose-yellow Qin robes.
"Miss, you look so different and much more beautiful in our clothes," the shopkeeper, an elegant woman in her thirties, said with a smile.
I looked at her and suddenly thought that since she was the proprietess of the establishment, she might know where the residence of the Grand Diviner was located.
"Excuse me, do you know where the Grand Diviner's mansion is?"
"The Grand Diviner, you mean Minister Ming? His residence is nearby. Just go straight ahead and then turn right, you will find it."
Ah, so close, that's great, I thought to myself, feeling a sense of relief that my luck wasn't entirely bad.
"Are you also going there to apply as a maid?" her following question took me aback.
"Be a maid?" my speech became somewhat sluggish.
"Yes, I heard that the daughter of Minister Ming is about to get married, so they need to buy more maids." About to get married? Did Xin propose so early? Isn't there still a month before the expedition? I looked at myself again and couldn't help but feel a little disheartened. Did I look like someone who would sell themselves into servitude? Alas, my self-confidence took another hit. However, the daughter of Minister Ming must be Yan, so if I were to serve as a maid in the Ming household, providing round-the-clock protection until Xin returns from the expedition, wouldn't that complete my mission? For the sake of my first task, I would make the sacrifice.
"Actually, you have a good look, especially in the clothes from our shop. I guarantee that the people at the Grand Diviner's residence will take a liking to you at first sight. You might be a maid now, but who knows, perhaps the Master might favor you and take you as his concubine in the future, and then you would..." I abruptly extended my hand, and her incessant chatter abruptly ceased as her gaze fixed on a small object in my hand, stupefied on the spot. "Clang!" I casually tossed it, gave her a stern look, and turned to leave.
Alas, it seemed that a small piece of gold was more effective than my immobilization talisman...
Everything that followed went smoothly. That night, I moved into the Ming residence. It appeared that Minister Ming was not a harsh person. Even the rooms for the staff, though simple, were clean. My roommate was a girl named Lan, who was pretty and amiable. Despite being only sixteen, she had been here for three or four years.
"Sister Yvonne, did you know that Miss Yan is a famous beauty in Xianyang City? The general who proposed, General Xin, is also young and handsome, and the eldest son of the current Imperial Censor. Everyone says they are a perfect match," she chattered incessantly before bedtime, and I couldn't help but smile. It seemed that ancient times were no different from modern times, with gossipy women everywhere. Imperial Censor, that's a high-ranking official, equivalent to a Deputy Prime Minister, right? Xin's background was more formidable than I had imagined.
"Isn't that great? I heard they were childhood sweethearts," I responded.
"Yes, Aunt Lin said that General Xin has been playing with our Miss since they were children, and they have a very good relationship."
"Does General Xin have a younger brother?" My heart tightened, and I quickly took the opportunity to inquire.
"You mean the young master Yue? He is only seventeen this year and has been appointed as a Lieutenant General, a gentle and refined man, and –" a hint of shyness flashed across her face as she said, "even more handsome than General Xin."
A Lieutenant General, as far as I knew, was typically chosen from the children of officials and nobles. On one hand, they served as the emperor's attendants, and on the other, they learned about governance. In the eyes of many, it must have seemed like the daughter of the Grand Diviner was marrying up by marrying the son of the Imperial Censor. Due to the nature of our special business, Sean had us study the histories of various countries from a young age.
Gentle and refined? I couldn't stop thinking about these words. How could such a person commit such an act?
With a hint of doubt, I gradually fell asleep. My first night in another time and space seemed no different from any other.
After two days, I met the beauty famous in Xianyang. She truly lived up to her title, with a beautiful face and a long green dress that swept the ground, her hair coiled into a bun, adorned with two bird-shaped jade hairpins, which made her look particularly elegant and graceful. Like a secluded orchid still carrying morning dew, she exuded a subtle fragrance.
However, she bore almost no resemblance to the modern Lauren. Of course, after thousands of years of reincarnation, how could one maintain their original appearance? The reincarnation of a person is like flowing water, changing with the environment wherever it flows. It is the flow of consciousness, not the body. What Abaoji loved was just that same soul.
"Your name is Yvonne, right?" she suddenly asked me, her voice soft and delicate.
"Yes, I am Yvonne."
"How can you say 'I' in front of a young lady?" Aunt Lin hurriedly winked at me. In the past two days, my relationship with Aunt Lin had become quite good, and I had also obtained useful information from her.
"It's okay, you can change it slowly. Just follow me." She smiled slightly, like a blooming orchid, dazzling and charming. It seemed her beauty was universally appealing.
"Miss, General Xin has arrived."
Upon hearing this, the smile in Yan's eyes became even richer, and a hint of blush quickly appeared on her face. Soon, a tall figure appeared in the corridor, "Yan!" The man shouted and quickly walked over. Was this man the previous life of Abaoji? I stared curiously at the approaching Xin with a trace of curiosity. He was dressed in a dark red bird patterned robe with gold lined cloud sleeves. His eyebrows were upright, his demeanor vigorous, noble with a hint of masculinity, and his valiant appearance was that of a military man.
"Brother Xin, you're here."
Yan's eyes were full of uncontrollable affection, and the two exchanged a smile, with a thousand words and ten thousand words all implied in their unspoken communication. Looking at them, I suddenly felt a sense of happiness and was sincerely happy for them. After all, in this feudal society, there are very few spouses who truly love each other.
"Brother Xin, aren't you supposed to go to court today to discuss the campaign against the rebels with the king?" Yan seemed to suddenly remember something.
"Yes... but..." Xin was a bit hesitant.
"Ah, Miss, he just wants to see you." I couldn't help but interject, seeing that they didn't understand.
Both of their faces turned red, but they couldn't hide the smile at the corners of their mouths.
"Big brother, it's time to go to court. It's getting late." A gentle male voice came from the corner of the corridor. Looking for the sound, a man in purple court clothes appeared in front of everyone. Compared with Xin, this man was younger, with fair skin and eyebrows and eyes that were somewhat similar to Xin. He should be more elegant than Xin, but his noble temperament also had a bit of a moist breath.
"Brother Yue!" Yan was also very happy to see him.
Brother Yue? So this is the one who caused the three lives of love and hatred between Xin and Yan - Yue. But looking at him, it's really hard to associate him with a sex criminal. Could it be that this person has a dual personality, or is he hiding his true nature? I couldn't help shaking my head, people's hearts are unpredictable.
"Big brother, you and Yan are about to become husband and wife. Why are you still like a young man who has just fallen in love?" Yue said with a smile.
"Brother Yue, don't make fun of us." Yan bit her lip, and the blush on her face became deeper and deeper.
"This brother who doesn't distinguish between honor and disgrace, even dares to make fun of his big brother. When you fall in love with someone in the future, it will be my turn to make fun of you." Xin smiled and slapped Yue on the shoulder.
"Big brother, it hurts!" Yue rubbed his shoulder while dodging.
The three of them burst into laughter, and as I watched this scene unfold, the brotherly love and boundless affection were so moving, little could anyone have foreseen the tragedy that would ensue...
I, who had been observing Yue closely, did not miss the fleeting trace of sorrow in his eyes.
Unconsciously, I had already spent six or seven days in the Ming residence. With only about ten days left before Xin's departure for war, every day before heading to the court session, Xin would surely come to the Ming residence to catch a glimpse of Yan. Each time, it was always Yue who appeared to urge him to court. After several days of observation, it seemed that his affection for Yan was indeed genuine; the occasional loss and pain that flickered in his eyes were truly pitiable. But how could he have completely lost his senses later on?
Since arriving in the Qin state, I hadn't had a good look at everything here. Anyway, Xin hadn't set off for war yet, so today, under the pretext of going out to buy rouge for Yan, I took the opportunity to stroll around Xianyang city.
As soon as I stepped out of the residence, the fresh air that greeted me couldn't help but lift my spirits. I walked along the bustling streets, looking around with curiosity. After all, this was my first time traveling through time; I wasn't as numb to it as Phoenix was.