Chapter 10 Lü Buwei (Part 1)

  Qin Yi wore a brocade robe, wrapped thick and warm, with soft-soled boots on his feet. He leaned against the wall, half-closing his eyes, basking in the sun, feeling warm all over, as if he had a small sun tucked away inside him.

  " Warm, warm, really warm." Qin Yiren shouted in his heart.

  It's been only two days since he became a strange person in Qin, and he has experienced many things that have left an indelible mark on his heart, making them unforgettable for the rest of his life.

  Recalling the miserable state he was in when he had just become Qin Yi, Qin Yi's heart skipped a beat. Hunger and cold were the main difficulties he faced at that time.

  Now that we have warm clothing, we no longer need to fear the cold, although the problem of keeping warm and having enough food has not been solved, it is still a huge success, a huge progress.

  "Master, this is the warmest we've been in three winters." Meng Zhao walked over quickly and sat down beside Qin Yi, leaning against the wall and basking in the sun with a look of extreme comfort.

  His words were full of joy, but when Qin Yiren heard them, they were sour in his heart.

  For three years, Qin Yiren and his family had not eaten their fill or worn warm clothes, suffering greatly. It was a miracle they could endure it. Although Qin Yiren only experienced two days of such bitter cold and hunger, he already knew that Meng Zhao's hardships were beyond description.

  "Master, let's save some food." Hei Bo came to Qin Yi Ren with a worried face and said: "Although we have three days' worth of food, after three days, we'll be hungry again. Let's save some food and eat one meal a day, just enough to fill our stomachs."

  Robbing Zhao Ping and his men, Qin Yiren got three days' worth of food, which made people happy, but this was water without a source, once it was consumed, there would be no more.

  Zhao Ping and his family learned their lesson and no longer left food in the courtyard. Even if Qin Yi wanted to steal again, it would be impossible now.

  Once Qin Yi and his men are exhausted from hunger, Zhao Ping's revenge will surely come, and it will be exceptionally ferocious. For three years, Zhao Ping and his men have never suffered such a great loss, and they cannot swallow this grievance.

  The most pressing task at hand is to keep food in front of us and hold on for a few more days.

  Compared with the past, having one meal a day and being three-tenths full is still a heavenly life for Qin Yiren and his family.

  "Alright." Qin Yiren was extremely unwilling, but had no choice but to face reality.

  Qin Yiren closed his eyes and stopped talking, but in his heart, he began to think: "The cold problem has been solved, how can the food problem be solved? If there is no food, I will starve to death. Without life, all ambitions are empty fantasies. Surviving is the most important thing at present. How should this be resolved?"

  Survival is more important than anything else, only by surviving can I return to the Qin state and ascend to the throne of the Qin king, this is the top priority at present.

  The problem is, from Qin Yi's perspective, solving the problem of food and clothing is even more difficult than ascending to heaven.

  "Oh, what about Lü Buwei?" Qin Yiren suddenly remembered that it was the great merchant Lü Buwei who had rescued him from his predicament and helped him return to the country and ascend to the throne of the King of Qin.

  "What should I do if Lü Buwei comes? Should I accept his help or not?" At this time, Qin Yi was in dire need of help. If Lü Buwei was willing to assist him, it would be extremely beneficial for Qin Yi.

  The problem is that some things are really hard to accept, such as picking up Lv Bu's "broken boots" or wearing a green hat, which is something a man cannot accept.

  XXXXXXXX

  The sound of wheels rumbling, hooves clattering, a luxurious carriage drove into the alley.

  This carriage is extremely luxurious in terms of materials, workmanship and decoration. At a glance, it's clear that this is the vehicle of someone with high social status, the owner must be either wealthy or noble.

  Behind the carriage, four tall and sturdy guards followed closely, each with a physique like an iron tower, wearing expensive silk brocade clothes, with swords at their waists, exuding a sharp and heroic aura all over, one glance would reveal that they were skilled fighters.

  The person driving the carriage was an elderly man in his fifties, dressed in extremely luxurious attire, far surpassing that of the guards. This old man had a spirited and radiant complexion, with fair skin, and at a glance, it was clear that he held a high social status.

  "Is it here?" A thick male voice came from inside the car.

  "Master, it's right here." The old man who was driving the carriage replied cautiously, "Master, I've inquired clearly and Qin Yiren lives right here."

  "Living here? It's clearly house arrest." The thick voice of the man in the car sounded again, saying: "Just one look and you can tell Qin Yi has suffered a lot. A prince like him ending up in such a state is really pitiful."

  The words seemed to be sympathizing with Qin Yi, but in fact there was not a shred of sympathy. The man's tone suddenly changed and he said: "This is great! This is great! The more difficult it is for Qin Yi, the greater the possibility that my plan will succeed."

  "What a clever master!" The old man praised, raised his whip, and the carriage turned into a small alley, heading straight for Qin Yiren's courtyard.

  The sound of the carriage wheels was heard, and soon the carriage arrived in front of the small courtyard. Zhao Ping had already led several red-clad attendants to stand at the gate, their eyes gleaming fiercely as they shouted: "Who comes here? This is a restricted area, no one is allowed to enter without permission, turn back quickly!"

  "Please calm your thunderous anger, sir." The old man smiled and jumped down from the carriage, lifting up the curtain.

  A middle-aged man emerged from the carriage, Zhao Ping's mouth was wide open in shock.

  This middle-aged man is about forty years old, with a fair complexion, as if he had applied powder, extremely handsome, bright eyes, and particularly spirited. He wears a jade crown on his head, and a golden brocade robe on his body, which is well-tailored and exquisitely crafted, and at first glance, it can be known that it is a high-quality product.

  If it were just this, it wouldn't have surprised Zhao Ping. What surprised him was the jade pendant on the middle-aged man's body.

  "Jade inlaid with gold!" Zhao Ping's shocked expression was even more severe.

  Pendant jade is a long-standing tradition in Chinese clothing. From the Three Dynasties to the Spring and Autumn Period, people carved and polished jade into various ornaments for wear, which was a common custom among the people. The upper-class nobles had many types of jade decorations, and wearing jade pendants was also a symbol of status. Even ordinary people often wore simple jade accessories such as jade fish, jade tigers, and jade drops on their bodies.

  In the Warring States period, etiquette was greatly simplified, and the wearing of jade ornaments also became relatively simple. The large long strings of jade pendants that were hung all over the body during the Spring and Autumn period were no longer a necessary ritual object for the nobles, and single-piece jade pendants began to become everyday decorations. Various jade objects such as jade bi, jade huang, jade ren, and jade swords became auspicious display devices with implied meanings.

  Although the ritual of jade has been simplified, with the advent of the Iron Age, the tools for carving jade have made great progress, and the production of jade is more delicate than that of the Spring and Autumn period. The craftsmanship is also more diverse, and some techniques are even ingenious.

  The most valuable ones are gold-inlaid jade and jade-inlaid gold. Among these two techniques, jade-inlaid gold is the most difficult one. Any jade ornament made with this technique is extremely valuable, worth hundreds or thousands of gold.

  The jade ornament on this middle-aged man's waist is made of gold-inlaid jade, and whoever has such an ornament must be a person of extremely high status, either from a wealthy family or a noble.

  A middle-aged man got down from the carriage with the support of an elderly person, stood on the ground, his body straight as a spear, and his whole demeanor was extraordinary.

  "Ah, Mr. Zhao." Zhao Ping hastened to welcome him, quickly stepping forward to greet the middle-aged man with a bow, and asked: "May I ask, sir, what brings you to this place?"

  "In the following is a visit to an old friend." The middle-aged man glanced at Zhao Ping, his eyes moved towards the gate: "My friend is the son of Qin Guo Yi Ren Gongzi."