Qin Shi: I only work eight hours

Chapter 357 Zhao Ji's Pain

The next day.

The territory of Zhao State, the residence of Jing.

The surname Jing itself suggests that the Jing family was quite well-off many years ago.

However, as time passed, the family fortunes declined, something Jing's father was unwilling to recall.

After waking up hungry, Jing's father dragged his tired body to the cellar.

I was so hungry that I still felt very tired even after waking up.

There was a small bag of grain in the cellar, which he had intended to use as seeds, but plans don't always go as expected.

When Jingtian and her mother woke up, her father had already prepared the meal.

Each person received a large bowl of thick millet porridge.

Am I dreaming?

Jingtian looked in the direction of the sound and was startled.

She hadn't eaten such thick porridge for months; it seemed like the last time was several years ago.

Then Jingtian pinched her cheek hard.

It hurts!

Not a dream?

Didn't we run out of food at home a long time ago?

Where did Father get so much millet?

Confused, she blinked her big eyes and looked at her father.

"Eat first, and I'll explain after you've eaten."

Jing's father waved his hand.

Jingtian hesitated for a moment, then took the bowl and began to eat heartily.

Although the millet was coarse, she still ate it with relish.

Jing's mother ate less than half a bowl before putting the bowl down.

"Sweetie, I'm not too hungry, you can eat the rest."

"You are at the age where you are growing."

Jing's mother tried her best to control her emotions.

She already guessed what was going on.

Sweetie's meal felt like her last meal before her execution.

Clearly, Tian'er's father had made up his mind.

"One big bowl is enough for me."

Jingtian immediately refused.

Although she came from a poor background, she had a good personality and was very well-mannered.

When Jing's mother saw this scene, she almost burst into tears.

To avoid being discovered by Jingtian, she turned her head away, then stood up while holding onto the table, and left the bedroom under the pretext of going to the toilet.

After Jing's mother walked away, Jing's father coughed twice, took out a letter from his pocket, and handed it to Jing Tian.

As a father, he couldn't bring himself to say those words.

But now he has no other choice.

If we don't send Tian'er to a brothel, she will starve to death; if we do, she will have a glimmer of hope.

"Sweetie, I'm so sorry."

"It's a low voice," Jing's father said.

After saying this, he left the bedroom, unable to hide his frustration.

Jingtian remained silent and continued eating.

She was mentally prepared for this, so she acted very calmly.

Since the outcome will be the same regardless of whether one is calm or not, it's better to be calm.

As the saying goes, a mother's love makes her strong. In Jingtian's view, she must be strong in order to survive.

After finishing her meal, Jingtian washed the dishes and then looked intently at the contents of the letter.

The letter said that someone would come to pick her up in three days, and that as long as she behaved well, not only would she not starve to death, but her parents would not starve to death either.

"When a person dies, everything comes to an end."

"Whether it's a place of pleasure or being someone's concubine, what's the difference between it and farming or doing business?"

"Isn't it all just about surviving?"

Jingtian smiled and comforted herself.

Then he walked straight out the door.

Seeing that even the grass in the courtyard had been eaten, she smiled even more brightly.

Perhaps this is the best choice for her right now.

……

the other side.

Handan, the capital of Zhao.

Zhao Ji, dressed in a long purple dress, is serving Xu Lin.

"When does the Empress Dowager intend to return?"

Xu Lin asked.

It is said that Li Mu is on his way to Handan, where a major war between Qin and Zhao is about to break out. If he doesn't leave soon, things will get very complicated.

If it were just him alone, it wouldn't be a problem. The problem is that he also has Zhao Ji with him.

"I...I want to go to Dai...Dai."

Zhao Ji spoke haltingly.

She wasn't suddenly stuttering; she was eating. "Dai Di?"

"It is said that famine is rampant in the Dai region, and plague is raging. Is the Empress Dowager not afraid of contracting the disease?"

Xu Lin frowned.

He had no interest in the land.

At this moment, all he wanted was to return to Xianyang and lie drunk on the lap of a beautiful woman.

After not seeing them for several days, he missed Mingzhu, Honglian, Jingni, and the others.

Even if Zhao Ji is beautiful, she would get tired of eating the same dishes every day.

Even if this dish can be prepared in various ways—steamed, cold-dressed, stir-fried—it still won't work!

This won't work for Xu Lin.

Xu Lin is someone who needs novelty.

"I am naturally afraid of catching the disease, but don't I have a teacher?"

Zhao Ji was as alluring as water.

Xu Lin remained silent, rubbing his fingers as he fell into deep thought.

As far as he knew, the King of Zhao did not care about the lives of the people in Dai, which might be an excellent opportunity for Qin to win the hearts and minds of the people in Dai.

For people on the verge of death, survival is more important than anything else.

Thinking of this, Xu Lin smiled and patted Zhao Ji hard.

"It's a pity the Empress Dowager is a woman, otherwise she could have been the Imperial Advisor!"

Xu Lin said loudly.

Then he wrote a letter to the assassins in charge of the Zhao state's Luowang, instructing them to immediately prepare dozens of cartloads of grain and go to Dai with him the next day.

Dozens of truckloads of grain certainly won't solve Daidi's food shortage problem, but this is only the first batch.

After the Zheng Guo Canal was completed, the Qin state had no shortage of grain.

Of course, Xu Lin did not intend to tell Ying Zheng about this for the time being.

Xianyang is too far away; a round trip would take at least half a month, which could easily cause delays.

Therefore, he could buy grain from Wei and Yan, as well as from Handan and other places. It was not that Zhao was without grain, but that the King of Zhao was unwilling to provide disaster relief, or that the King of Zhao was simply unaware of the true situation in Dai.

……

The next evening.

Xu Lin met with the person in charge of Luo Wang in the Zhao Kingdom.

To prevent people from recognizing that the woman beside him was Zhao Ji, Xu Lin wrapped Zhao Ji up very tightly, not only wearing a mask but also not even exposing her ankles.

Because summer was approaching, Zhao Ji felt very hot.

Xu Lin explained that this was to prevent Zhao Ji from contracting the plague after entering the Dai region.

"By combining kindness and severity, even barbarians can be used by us."

"What about the common people of the Zhao state and the Dai region?"

Xu Lin smiled calmly.

Then they got into the carriage.

Zhao Ji, wrapped up like a zongzi (rice dumpling), followed closely behind.

After getting into the carriage, Zhao Ji immediately took off her mask.

Zhao Ji was drenched in sweat, her beautiful hair clinging to her neck in clumps.

Zhao Ji wanted to complain to Xu Lin that her clothes were too thick, but before she could even open her mouth, Xu Lin rejected her.

Xu Lin pointed to the car's location, indicating that there were ears on the other side and it was not appropriate to speak.

This caused Zhao Ji immense suffering.

If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have said she was going to Daidi.

She's not allowed to speak and has to wear such thick clothes; is she here in Zhao to suffer?

Although there are few female assassins in the Luo Wang organization, seeing that Xu Lin was with a woman, a woman was still driving for him.

"Your Majesty, there are benefits to being hot."

Xu Lin said sarcastically.

Zhao Ji was covered in sweat, as if she were in a sauna.

"What are the benefits?"

Zhao Ji's face was full of coquettish anger.

All she wants now is to tear Xu Lin to pieces!

So what if she reveals her true identity?

Would these assassins from the Luo Wang organization dare to speak recklessly?

"You can experience what it feels like to suffocate."

Xu Lin smiled broadly.

Then he had Zhao Ji lie down.

……

Two days later.

Xu Lin arrived at the destination.

Although Zhao Ji was still sweating, she was gradually getting used to it.

Moreover, Zhao Ji really liked the feeling of suffocation, no, to be precise, the feeling of dying.

Zhao Ji had never experienced this feeling before.

"Your Majesty, I remember telling you before that pain is pleasure."

"Do you understand now?"

Xu Lin asked in a gentle voice.

He used his internal energy to create an invisible barrier, so only Zhao Ji could hear what he was saying. (End of Chapter)