I traveled back to the Qin Dynasty, and the First Emperor begged me to become his empress.

Chapter 65 Heart-to-Heart Talk with Fusu

Fusu strolled in the courtyard, pondering everything that had happened recently. He was troubled and unsure how to deal with this complicated situation. Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching.

Fusu turned around and saw the old steward standing respectfully to one side. He couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Li, is there something you need?" Uncle Li quickly bowed and said, "Young Master, Princess Jiayang has arrived." Fusu looked surprised and asked in astonishment, "Jiayang? Why is she here? Where is she?" Uncle Li quickly replied, "Princess Jiayang is waiting in the front courtyard." Fusu nodded slightly and said as he walked, "Very well, I understand."

Not long after, Fusu stepped into the front courtyard. There, on a stone bench, sat a petite figure, with two maids standing beside her. Fusu hurried closer and asked, "Jiayang, what brings you here?"

Upon hearing the voice, Ying Wuyou turned around and saw a tall, refined young man dressed in brocade robes. Ying Wuyou naturally recognized him as Prince Fusu. Ying Wuyou smiled and replied, "Brother, is it not allowed for me to come to your residence?"

Fusu hurriedly said, "I can come, I can come. But I rarely see you at my brother's residence. What brings you here today?" Ying Wuyou replied, "I have a treasure to give to my brother." As she spoke, Cui'er placed a box in front of Fusu. Fusu immediately took the box and asked, "Oh? Then I'd like to see what this treasure is!" The box was opened, and Fusu took out a wooden object from inside, asking, "What is this? Why have I never seen it before?"

Ying Wuyou smiled and said softly, "This is something I specially commissioned to be crafted. It's called 'Nine Linked Rings,' and it's a gift for my brother to play with."

Holding the Nine-Linked Rings, Fusu's expression was solemn. He said in a deep voice, "Jiayang, do you have something to ask me?" Ying Wuyou smiled as before and said, "There is indeed a small matter, and I hope that you can help me, elder brother." Fusu asked, "Please speak freely. If I can help, I will do my best. If I cannot help, there is nothing I can do."

Ying Wuyou beamed and said, "I can definitely help. I just want to ask you to write a sign for me!" Upon hearing this, Fusu asked with great curiosity, "Write a sign? What sign?" Ying Wuyou replied, "I recently opened a restaurant, and I was thinking of asking you to write a sign for it."

Upon hearing this, Fusu breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that Jiayang, asking for his help for the first time, wouldn't be able to do it as her older brother. But hearing that it was such a small matter as writing an inscription, Fusu finally felt at ease. He said, "Alright, that's simple. But why don't you ask your father to write an inscription for you? Wouldn't his calligraphy be even better? Besides, your father dotes on you so much, he certainly won't refuse your request."

Ying Wuyou said coquettishly, "Brother Fusu, how can Father's calligraphy be given away so easily?" Fusu nodded and said, "Jiayang is absolutely right. I am ashamed of my own inferiority." Ying Wuyou said sweetly, "Brother Fusu is the best brother in the world!"

Fusu smiled and gently stroked Ying Wuyou's head, saying, "Your brother Fusu is quite useless!" Ying Wuyou asked curiously, "Eh? Is something troubling brother Fusu? Why are you suddenly saying this?"

Fusu asked, "Do you know that your father intends to send troops to the Yan Kingdom?" Ying Wuyou nodded and said, "I have heard a little about it."

Fusu frowned, his tone revealing confusion and doubt, and said, "Jiayang, why do you think Father always wants to wage war? War only brings destruction and death. Isn't there any other way to solve the problem?"

Ying Wuyou looked at Fusu earnestly, her eyes firm and confident, and replied, "Brother, although war is cruel, it is also one of the means to achieve peace. Only through unification can we end the conflicts between countries and establish a stable world. If we are not unified, even if we don't fight today, war will break out tomorrow. This is the inevitable trend of history, and we cannot escape it."

Fusu shook his head helplessly, a trace of pain flashing in his eyes, and said, "But war kills people! Every war takes countless lives and brings endless grief to families. Can't the six states sit down and talk things out? Wouldn't it be better to resolve disputes through diplomatic means?"

Ying Wuyou patiently explained, “Brother, war does cause casualties, but unification is to avoid endless war. The war between the six kingdoms has lasted for hundreds of years. Negotiation and compromise are only temporary, and war will always break out again. This cycle will only make more people suffer, and the people will live in war and never be able to live in peace and prosperity.”

Fusu sighed deeply. He knew his sister was right, but he still felt uneasy and conflicted. He said, "I also know that unification is the right path, but can't we send envoys to persuade other countries to surrender? Through diplomatic efforts, we might be able to convince other countries to surrender and thus avoid war. This way, we can protect the lives of our people and achieve the goal of unification."

Ying Wuyou frowned and asked softly, "Brother, do you think the Six Kingdoms will surrender?" Fusu remained silent for a long time, seemingly lost in deep thought.

Seeing this, Ying Wuyou quickly comforted him, "Brother, I know you care about the people, but the current situation forces us to stop the war with war. Only by completing the great cause of unification can we truly realize the benevolent rule you desire."

Fusu nodded slightly and said with emotion, "Jiayang, you are truly very intelligent. You can see through these issues at such a young age. In fact, I understand everything you have said. However, whenever I see countless soldiers sacrificing themselves on the battlefield, they are also someone else's sons, husbands, and fathers. Many families are torn apart because of this, and their relatives are heartbroken. As the prince of Qin, I am powerless to change all of this, and I feel extremely pained."

Ying Wuyou responded gently, "I can understand your feelings, brother. I feel the same way. Although we cannot control the situation on the battlefield, we can at least do our best to make people live a better life in our daily lives."

Fusu looked at Ying Wuyou with a puzzled expression and asked, "How can I help?"

Ying Wuyou replied seriously, "What the people care about most is nothing more than food, clothing, shelter and transportation. We must first solve their problem of food and clothing, so that they can have enough to eat and warm clothes. Only in this way can we stabilize the people's hearts."

Fusu frowned and said helplessly, "Qin has been at war for years, and all the grain has been supplied to the army. The taxes on the people are too heavy. It's hard for them to even avoid starving, let alone have warm clothes, let alone have enough to eat."

Ying Wuyou's gaze was firm, and she said resolutely, "But these things always need to be done by someone, don't they? Brother, if everyone can make a small contribution, maybe a family can be saved, or even more."

Fusu looked at Ying Wuyou thoughtfully and asked curiously, "Jiayang, do you already have a plan?"

Ying Wuyou looked at Fusu earnestly and said softly, "Brother, I've heard that there's a magical product in the Baiyue region that can yield three harvests a year." Upon hearing this, Fusu's eyes widened, and he asked in surprise, "What? Is what you're saying true? The Baiyue region actually has such a crop?" Ying Wuyou nodded and replied affirmatively, "Of course it's true. However, it's a pity that Great Qin doesn't have the opportunity to attack Baiyue right now, but we can try to establish trade relations with them."

Upon hearing this, Fusu frowned and said worriedly, "Doing business? Those merchants are often only interested in profit; we can't trust them!" Ying Wuyou smiled slightly and explained, "Brother, we can select some trustworthy people to form a caravan and go to the Baiyue region to conduct trade. The people there don't care much about crops; they can even survive by simply scattering a handful of seeds. Therefore, the price of grain there will definitely be low, and we can buy a large amount of grain for only a small amount of money."