Chapter 132: The Current King of Qin, Qin Zicong, is the eighteenth son of the previous emperor, Qin Mugong. He was born to a concubine who was not favored and did not stand out in his youth. In fact, even Qin Mugong himself often forgot that he had such a son. Throughout the history of the Qin imperial family, there were many children and grandchildren. The previous emperor, Qin Mugong, was more courageous than the current King of Qin and ruled for twenty years, having forty-seven sons and countless daughters. Additionally, the Qin imperial family's precautions against external vassals led to the various princes being enfeoffed in different regions, resulting in a division of power. Eventually, during Qin Mugong's later years, a massive internal conflict broke out in Qin, with over twenty powerful princes competing for power and almost destroying the hundred-year foundation of the Qin state.

  Mantis stalks cicada, yellow sparrow behind. The turmoil lasted for three years, and several princes who were originally favored by the country people fell one after another. Instead, Qin Zicong, who joined the battle last, got the position. Qin Zicong spent his first half life in the turbulent war fire and cunning calculation, naturally forming his view of human nature.

  Heart's defense. The chariot was stopped more than three miles away from the Taihe Palace and was only allowed to pass after a thorough investigation by the wheels.

  It wasn't easy to arrive at the Taihe Palace's Xuanwu Gate, where four groups of people were already waiting to inspect her. Qing Xia wore a cyan and white brocade robe, with her hair styled in a high bun, looking elegant and refined as she stood under the majestic gate. Her face was calm, but inside, she was seething with anger. Step by step, under the watchful eyes of the palace staff, she walked towards the inner palace. She had once been so disgusted with the imperial palace that she would have risked her life to escape, but at this moment, enduring the inhumane gazes and rude treatment, she willingly stepped into this grand and luxurious prison.

  If the heart is confined, every place in the world is a prison; if the heart is at peace, even a thatched cottage can be a paradise.

  Qing Xia stood expressionless in the palace, as four old women with wrinkled faces and sharp eyes stripped off her clothes to check if she was carrying any weapons. They almost tore off all her clothes, and one of them even removed her hairpins, searching every inch of her body as if a sword or dagger could be hidden in her hair. Qing Xia's chest rose and fell, her eyes half-closed, silently enduring the ordeal. Finally, after the thorough search, the old women found nothing, seemingly disappointed and unwilling to help her put back on the clothes they had removed.

  Qing Xia dressed herself, smoothed her hair in front of the mirror, straightened her neck and bowed to several old ladies-in-waiting. Her eyes swept across their faces before she turned to leave. As a nameless and lowly woman brought back by Xuan Wang, her status was lower than that of any seventh-grade maid in the palace. With someone hinting at it, these people naturally wouldn't put Qing Xia in their sights. Just as she was about to exit, an old lady-in-waiting suddenly called out loudly: "Wait!"

  Qing Xia slowly turned around and walked in. It was the first time he spoke after entering, his voice low as he said: "I don't know if Nanny has anything else to say?"

  Qing Xia had always been in the military, her hands stained with blood, every move and word exuding a strong aura of killing intent. At this moment, she merely raised an eyebrow, and a cold glance was enough to make the old woman tremble with fear. However, remembering her own powerful backing, she immediately regained her confidence and shouted loudly: "Take off your shoes, we're going to inspect."

  Qing Xia's eyes turned cold, and she pursed her lips, slowly sitting down in the chair with a relaxed posture. "Please excuse me, I was seriously injured in my chest and abdomen recently, and even now I still can't bend over. If you want to check, you might as well do it yourself."

  "What?" Another old woman stared and shouted: "What is your status, how dare you let us take off your shoes for you?

  Qing Xia smiled faintly and said slowly: "What my current status is, you all naturally understand, but what my future status will be, not everyone can predict. You are all at an age, doing things, still leaving some room for yourself, making things convenient for others and yourself, so as to avoid regretting later on and having no way to complain."

  "What a sharp tongue!" A woman in her mid-twenties, dressed in a bright red satin with peacock embroidery, suddenly emerged from behind the screen. She was elegant and refined, with painted eyebrows and a cold smile. "I've met countless people, but I've never seen a woman as arrogant as you before she's even gained power," she said. "If you really do rise to prominence in the future, will there still be room for the empresses of the three palaces and six courtyards?"

  Qing Xia remained unmoved, having already heard the voices in the room. It was clear that this palace woman had come to see her humiliated. Qing Xia had never had a good impression of these psychologically twisted palace women. Since they had made it clear that they wanted to make things difficult for her, retreating would only lead to more bullying. It was better to resolve this recurring trouble once and for all.

  With that thought, she suddenly stood up and shouted sternly, "How dare you! In the imperial harem, there is only one true empress, Empress Shunyu. What are these three palaces and six courtyards you speak of? You yourself speak nonsense, disregarding hierarchy and respect. What qualifications do you have to be so arrogant here?

  "I've often heard that the women of the imperial family's side chambers are virtuous, benevolent, and magnanimous, gathering the cream of the crop from all over the world, setting an example for the virtues of ordinary women. How can there be someone like you?"

  "Who are you?" The woman flew into a rage, stretching out her delicate white hand to point at Qing Xia and shout: "What status do you have, daring to speak to me like this?"

  "What identity do you have?" Qing Xia said coldly: "Your fingers are tender and white, but the tips of your fingers have a thin callus, obviously from playing the zither all day. Your figure is slender, but unfortunately, your feet are floating, and your calf muscles are thick and strong, obviously from frequent dancing. Although your makeup is thick enough, there is still a small hole on the side of your nose that can be seen, obviously from wearing a nose ring. You wear a red palace dress, pretending to be a noble imperial concubine, but unfortunately, the silk fabric is coarse and has no luster, the phoenix tail is already frayed, the shoulders are wide and do not fit, the shoes are too big in front, even the shoes don't fit your feet. The hairpin is high-end, but unfortunately, it's not placed correctly, all hanging down, obviously you came here on foot, not by carriage. I really can't imagine which imperial concubine of the second rank has the qualifications to wear this palace dress and sneak into the outer three halls to peek at me, a small commoner, from behind the screen?

  "You... you... how dare you?" The woman exclaimed loudly, her face pale and her breathing rapid. Qing Xia slowly sat back in his chair, picked up the teacup beside him, and gently stirred the tea leaves with the lid. He blew on it lightly and said calmly without looking up, "You're just a common palace dancer from the folk, and you haven't even been in the palace for long. You don't even know how to behave properly, yet you dare to come before someone you don't know and shout at them rudely. Do you know that not knowing your place and wearing the queen's clothes is a serious crime? If I were to kill you a few times over, it still wouldn't be enough. You don't even understand this basic principle, yet you want to survive here?" Qing Xia raised his hand, and with a "whoosh" sound, he poured all the hot tea on the bamboo screen in front of him. The scalding water poured through the fine gaps, and several shrill cries came from inside. Qing Xia seemed not to notice and smiled faintly as he stood up. He said to the old ladies-in-waiting who were staring at him with wide eyes, "This tea tastes terrible. You ladies are delicate and refined, how could you drink something like this? After I return to my residence, I'll send someone over with a few packages of fresh Longjing tea as a gift."

  He glanced at the pale-faced woman in red and smiled, saying: "A dog that doesn't bark may still bite, where there is no flag, there are often hidden enemies, go change your shoes, or your feet will be crushed."

  "Ladies, this woman is impersonating the empress and must have violated palace rules. You'll be busy dealing with her, I'll take my leave." With that, she turned around and walked out of the room, following the eunuch towards Concubine Yao's residence, Shuiyao Palace.

  Not far from leaving, a chaotic noise came from behind, Qing Xia's mouth corner was cold and raised, thinking to herself "I'd like to see what other tricks these women have up their sleeves", letting out a cold snort, her icy gaze continued forward.

  For three years, Zhuang Qingxia, this femme fatale, has repeatedly stirred up conflicts among various countries. Even the extraordinary and unconventional King Xuan of Qin, who holds the military power of Great Qin, was not immune to her charms. It is only natural that she would pique the interest of the women in the harem. Women are born enemies of each other; how much more so for someone like Qingxia, who lacks a solid family background and has a notorious reputation, having switched sides from Qi to Chu and then to Qin? As soon as Zhuang Qingxia entered the palace, she must have instantly become a thorn in the side of the women who consider themselves superior, who would send their servants to teach her a lesson and show off their power.

  Originally, Qing Xia didn't want to stir up trouble, so as not to affect Qin Zhiyan's career. Unfortunately, it had become a habit for her to put a dagger in her boot, even when she was in the palace of Southern Chu, she never parted with her knife. If she really took off her shoes obediently just now, it would have caused a big commotion. It's better to take advantage of the situation and make a scene, so as to put an end to these women's endless probing.

  All the way, there was no wave, and after passing through three courtyards, they arrived at the gate of Di Shui Yao Temple. A row of palace attendants were waiting at the door, with more than 30 people, including low-ranking maidservants and doctors carrying medicine boxes. Qing Xia's eyebrows rose slightly, knowing that the second test had begun.

  According to the palace rules, ordinary people entering the palace must have a certificate of no infectious diseases issued by the medical office under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Qing Xia was suddenly summoned and didn't have time to go to the clinic for a check-up, so she naturally wouldn't have any proof. Yao Fei thought it through thoroughly and even sent a palace doctor to diagnose her outside the hall. Qing Xia's heart was burning with anger, but on the surface, she couldn't help but suppress all her thoughts. Qin Zhiyan's warm face melted away her resentment and anger like snow water in early spring.

  Only the low-ranking maids pulled up the layered canvas and placed a large wooden bucket inside. The water had already lost its heat during the prolonged delay at the front, and in the chilly early spring air, it emitted a cold aura. A maid with a wooden expression walked forward and said in a low voice, "Take off your clothes, wash and clean up first, then you can be examined by the doctor."

  Qing Xia walked to the center of the canvas, only to see four old women inside, each with an unpleasant expression looking at her. Qing Xia took a deep breath, slowly removed her clothes, and when she lowered her head, she quickly hid the dagger under the wooden bucket. Then, completely naked, she walked into the bucket.

  Since being poisoned, Qing Xia's body had become increasingly weak. The icy water was bone-chilling, and goosebumps covered her entire body. She clenched her fists and straightened her back, sitting in the wooden tub with a pale face devoid of any blood color. Several old women approached her, each holding a brush, rolled up their sleeves, and began scrubbing Qing Xia's chest and back with all their might. Red marks appeared on her fair skin, slowly oozing out tiny threads of blood that dispersed in the cold water. The water grew colder, and Qing Xia's face turned as white as paper, covered in red marks from head to toe. She no longer felt any pain, her body numb from the freezing air. After what seemed like more than an hour, the torture finally ended. The old women cackled and left, and Qing Xia stiffly got out of the tub, almost falling over. She dressed herself, put away the dagger, and walked out.

  A group of palace eunuchs took all the wooden buckets and towels that Qing Xia had used, and burned them on the spot, as if she really had some kind of illness.

  Seven or eight medical officers came forward, and Qing Xia, due to her lower status than these fourth- and fifth-rank medical officers, had to kneel on the ground to receive their diagnosis. They took turns examining her, asking questions, and feeling her pulse. After another hour passed, they finally decided on a prescription. Qing Xia knelt on the stone floor, waiting for them to brew the medicine. Half an hour later, she drank a bowl of bitter medicinal soup, and was then told that if there were no red rashes on her body after three hours, it would mean she didn't have any infectious diseases, and she could enter the palace.

  Then, all the medical officers and palace attendants retreated, leaving only two gate guards watching over Qing Xia, who was kneeling on the ground and needed to wait quietly for three hours.

  The sky gradually darkened, and the palace lanterns were lit one by one. The faint sound of silk and bamboo instruments drifted in from the front hall, and Qing Xia knew that a banquet was being held in the main hall to welcome Qin Zhiyan, which had probably just begun. The night wind grew colder, blowing on her thin and weak shoulders, her face as pale as snow, and she seemed like a solitary chrysanthemum in the darkness. The hard stone slab had already made her legs lose their sensation, and the two eunuchs standing guard at the gate stared at her without blinking, waiting for her to collapse so they could punish her for being disrespectful. In the distance, outside the palace gates, there was a noisy commotion, and Qing Xia knew that it was a group of idle palace servants who had gathered to watch the excitement.

  She didn't respond either, quietly kneeling there, thinly dressed, frail and thin, but seemingly like a monument, not moving at all.

  She knew that this was just the beginning, and the real crisis was still ahead in this seemingly warm, rich, and magnificent palace. They took advantage of Qin Zhiyan's recent return to Beijing and being summoned by the King of Qin for a banquet, leaving no room for him to intervene or pass on messages. With all their might, they attacked themselves, simply to get rid of this woman who was known as an unvirtuous and ignorant rural woman, so that they could properly expel her from Qin Zhiyan's side. If she had previously been able to seize the opportunity to counterattack, now facing the long-standing palace rules, she had no room for rebuttal.

  She slightly tilted her head, her eyes coldly staring forward, firmly kneeling there, without a single tremble.

  Throughout the ages, kings and nobles have vied with each other, what a bloody and cruel struggle this is. The twists and turns in this are even more shocking than those of modern politicians. One careless move could lead to a situation where one ends up dead without even a place to be buried. That night in the White Deer Plain camp, she had already seen through everything. Since she had voluntarily entered the Xianyang Palace, she had already steeled herself to endure anything. If she couldn't even enter this small palace gate, then what qualifications did she have to stand by his side?

  The palace lanterns shone brightly, a gentle snowfall slowly descended, the drums beat loudly, and only then did a proud eunuch slowly emerge from inside. He raised his dust-covered head and shouted in a shrill voice: "Her Majesty has issued an edict, summoning Zhuang Qingxia."

  Compelled by her status, Qing Xia couldn't help but knock her head to the ground, not daring to let others find any fault with her. In a low voice, she said: "The subject has received the imperial edict." The old eunuch cast a glance at her and said in a shrill tone: "Follow me."

  Qing Xia supported herself with both hands on the ground, slowly moving her body, and gradually stood up. She took a slow breath, her eyes sharply gazing at the distant noisy palace gate. The humiliation she suffered today was deeply etched in her mind, and one day, she would return it all, without leaving out a single bit. The pale woman bit her lower lip, turned around, and respectfully said to the old eunuch: "Thank you, sir."

  The fragrance wafted, warmth struck the people, and the northwest Da Cang carved screen was lifted. The old eunuch hurriedly bowed his body and fawned, saying: "Slave actually An An, brings Min girl Zhuang Qingxia to pay respects to Your Ladyship, may Your Ladyship be forever safe and sound."

  After a while, a lazy voice inside said, "Come in!"

  Lu An hastily gestured for Qing Xia to follow him in, and they saw that the entrance led to a spacious main hall. In the center of the hall stood an enormous incense burner, emitting wisps of fragrant smoke. The floor was covered with soft, luxurious carpets, and the four corners were illuminated by bright palace lanterns. Two yellow-robed palace maidens stood in one corner, their languid voices drifting from within. A woman's voice, faintly heard through the layers of beaded curtains, spoke indifferently: "Wasn't it this morning that you were summoned? Why have you only just arrived now? Lu An, is it because things didn't go smoothly for you, and so you delayed your arrival?"

  Lu An hastily knelt on the ground and said loudly: "I beg to report to Your Highness, we have done everything according to the rules of the palace, and there is no intention to delay."

  "Oh?" Yao Fei gave a faint cold smile and said: "That's just someone intentionally stalling, no wonder. Come in."

  Qing Xia stood up, the maids on both sides lifted the curtain, and Qing Xia walked in, without raising her head, directly knelt down and said in a low voice: "Commoner's daughter Zhuang Qing Xia, pays respects to Concubine Yao."

  There was no expected sound from above, and Yao Fei seemed to have forgotten that she was the one who had called someone in. She directly started discussing Su embroidery with several maids beside her. Qing Xia knelt on the thick carpet, which was much better than being outside. She didn't make another sound, just calmly knelt there. As a special agent who had borrowed a corpse to return to life, her patience far exceeded that of most people. She had once waited motionlessly for many days without supplies in order to snipe a high-ranking base officer. This small scene in front of her was naturally something she could handle with ease.

  As expected, it didn't take half a time before the imperial concubine Yao seemed to have just discovered that she was kneeling there, and asked in a light voice: "Are you Zhuang Qingxia, the Da Huang's announced-to-the-world Consort of Southern Chu?"

  Qing Xia also didn't get annoyed and calmly said: "It's indeed a commoner girl."

  "Lift your head and let me take a look."

  Qing Xia raised her head, and her eyes looked past without any fear. She saw the woman in front of her wearing a dark green cloud-patterned shirt, with a slender figure, a delicate face, and a pair of eyes that were slightly upturned at the corners. Her hair was drawn back into a bun, revealing a full figure that rose and fell gently. Her skin was fair and tender, and it was impossible to tell that she had given birth to four children. A woman in her forties looked almost as young as Qing Xia.

  "It's not that serious, how can it lead to war between Qi and Chu, and the suffering of both countries? Are all the women of Qi and Chu dead?" A red-dressed girl suddenly said in a crisp voice beside her.