(Great Qin Alternate History + Do Not Reference + Private Settings)
(Female Protagonist + Career-focused + Political Strategy & Infrastructure + No Harem or Romance)
“Princess, the First Prince proposed in court today that His Majesty burn books and bury scholars alive. His Majesty was enraged and confined the prince to his quarters for half a month.”
“I see.” Ying Qingyue responded without looking up.
Recalling something, she asked calmly, “Any news from Xuan Ye?”
Her personal maid Qinghe shook her head, “No word has come yet.”
“Let’s go see Mother.”
Qinghe hurried forward to adjust the plain silk scarf on Ying Qingyue’s shoulders, softly replying, “Yes, Princess.”
“I heard from the small kitchen earlier that Madame was thinking of your favorite millet cakes when she woke this morning, and specially had a batch steamed. They should still be warm now.”
Hearing this, Ying Qingyue’s fingers paused slightly. Her gaze shifted from the account books spread on the desk, a faint warmth flashing in her eyes.
The magnolia flowers along the corridor were in full bloom, and the wind blew several petals onto her plain dress. When Qinghe moved to brush them off, she raised a hand to stop her. “No need. They look nice where they are.”
On the palace path paved with blue bricks, footsteps approached from afar accompanied by the eunuch’s loud announcement: “His Majesty has arrived—”
Just as Ying Qingyue turned past the white marble balustrade, she saw the black carriage rolling through the morning light.
Seeing this, she quickly took Qinghe to stand by the roadside, bowing her head and arranging her dress, the hem brushing over the newly grown moss on the steps.
The carriage stopped before her. As the beaded curtain was lifted by a eunuch, Ying Zheng’s gaze from beneath the black crown with dangling beads swept over her, carrying the unique severity of an emperor: “Qingyue? Where are you going?”
Ying Qingyue’s fingers tightened slightly, her voice steady and calm: “I am going to pay respects to Mother, Father Emperor.”
Ying Zheng showed no emotion, merely waving his hand: “Very well, proceed.”
Just as the eunuch was about to crack the whip, the sky screen in the air lit up without warning.
It wasn’t the warmth of sunlight, but a golden light with metallic quality, slowly spreading from the top of the palace walls.
Like someone lifting a transparent golden veil, instantly covering the entire sky above Xianyang Palace.
Palace servants gasped and knelt on the ground, even the carriage guards tightening their reins as the horses pawed restlessly.
Ying Zheng gripped the carriage railing, his gaze beneath the black crown with dangling beads turning sharp as he stared at the expanding golden light, his voice low: “What evil is this?””
Ying Qingyue also froze in place. Looking up, she saw what appeared to be fine patterns swirling within the golden light, and she narrowed her eyes almost imperceptibly.
Beside her, Qinghe desperately clutched her sleeve, “Princess… is this… an auspicious sign or…”
Ying Zheng didn’t turn back, but snapped coldly: “Cease this panic!” No sooner had he spoken than the golden light suddenly paused, then slowly began to reveal blurred shadows.
Only the sound of wind rustling through crown beads and clothing remained…
Simultaneously, whether in Xianyang or the recently unified six states, common people everywhere set down their work and knelt.
From Xianyang’s streets and alleys to the base of Yan’s city walls, from Chu’s riverbanks to Qi’s field ridges.
Everyone prostrated themselves toward the golden light. Some wept, begging heaven for mercy; others hoped this was an auspicious sign for the new dynasty.
Only the golden light hung silently in the sky, enveloping prayers in different accents within this sudden anomaly, yet paying them no mind.
“Is heaven punishing us? Could it be that we people from the old states haven’t submitted to the new dynasty, provoking heaven’s wrath?”
“Heaven has shown its might! Heaven has shown its might!”
“We beg you to protect our new dynasty’s stability, let there be no more wars—just give us enough to eat!”
Indeed, human joys and sorrows are never interconnected.
While commoners knelt praying to the heavens, the remnants of the six conquered states were practically setting off firecrackers in celebration.
“Divine retribution!”
“It seems even Heaven could no longer stand by and has delivered punishment!”
“The tyrant is without virtue! This is exactly what he deserves, hahaha!”
Yet in the next moment, their laughter died in their throats.
As the sky screen unfurled like a canvas, the first thing that appeared was a video. Ying Qingyue’s heart sank halfway upon seeing Chen Daoming’s portrayal of Qin Shi Huang.
Seriously, who here is cheating?!
On the sky screen, the monarchically dressed man gazed into the camera, as if peering through the screen at the six-state remnants hiding in corners, and let out a cold laugh.
“A single character actually has nineteen different forms that don’t even recognize each other—extremely inconvenient.”
“After I conquer the six states, and then the other kingdoms, I will abolish all these messy scripts!”
“Keeping only one—wouldn’t that be satisfying?”
At these words, the six-state remnants exploded in fury.
Who else but the current tyrant would dare refer to himself as “this solitary one”?
“Tyrant! You’ve destroyed countless families—have you ever considered that?”
“Sorcery! It must be some trick of the tyrant’s to win over the people!”
Yet no matter how they raged, the sky screen’s footage continued uninterrupted.
In the video, Zhao Gao froze momentarily, the sycophantic smile on his face stiffening briefly before he cautiously leaned forward and asked in a hushed tone, “Your Majesty, weren’t you only planning to conquer the six states?”
Hearing this, the man let out a derisive snort from his throat, his eyes sweeping across the camera as if piercing through time to glare at the six-state remnants. “What are the six states? This solitary one will lead the Great Qin Iron Cavalry to conquer a vast territory!”
“Well said!” Ying Zheng watched the man on the sky screen as if locking eyes with him across time.
Even a fool could tell by now that the figure on the sky screen was clearly portraying the current Emperor.
Zhao Gao hastily bowed and scurried closer, his face plastered with an ingratiating smile, his voice soft and thin: “Your Majesty is sagely and brilliant! The you on the sky screen embraces the world with a spirit that shakes the ages—even the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors would praise Your Majesty’s greatness!”
“Look at this vision of conquering vast lands—does it not align perfectly with Your Majesty’s ambition to unify the six states and pacify the four seas? In the future, when the Great Qin Iron Cavalry treads across all directions, and the entire world becomes Your Majesty’s domain, that will be an unprecedented glory!”
After speaking, he stole a glance at Ying Zheng’s expression and, seeing a faint hint of a smile on the Emperor’s lips, quickly added: “This celestial phenomenon of the sky screen is Heaven’s will—clear proof that Your Majesty is ordained by fate!”
Hearing this, Ying Qingyue rolled her eyes inwardly.
The bootlicker only knows how to flatter.
Let’s see if he can still laugh after the final reckoning.
Hmph.
“Qingyue, you may withdraw for now.”
“Yes, Father.” With that, Ying Qingyue promptly led Qinghe away from the scene.
“Return to Xianyang Palace’s Lanzhi Hall! Summon Li Si and the others for court assembly!”
“At once!”
While Chancellor Li Si and other officials scrambled toward the imperial palace, Ying Qingyue hurried without pause. The moment she stepped into the courtyard of the Zhao residence, she saw her mother, Lady Zhao, sitting by the window twisting embroidery thread, her fingers visibly trembling.
Clearly, discussions about the sky screen from outside the palace had already reached the inner chambers.
“Mother.” Ying Qingyue called softly, quickly stepping forward to hold Lady Zhao’s slightly cold hands.
Madam Zhao looked up and saw it was her, the tension in her expression easing slightly, yet she couldn’t resist glancing out the window again, her voice dropping to a whisper:
“Yue’er, the palace attendants just said… the sky screen showed His Majesty’s likeness and mentioned abolishing the scripts of the six states and expanding our territory—is it true?”