Saving My Life By Simping For My Empress - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Even in his sleep, he is so beautiful; his lashes are so thick and long, he’s like a “lash spirit.”

Qin “Master of Time Management” Ji added another item to his already packed schedule: learning archery and horsemanship.

As a prince, the Tyrant should have learned martial arts from a master since childhood. However, the Tyrant had been a rogue—truly a failure in both civil and military arts. He couldn’t even mount a horse, and his figure was never seen on the Qin hunting grounds.

But Qin Ji was an honest man; if something was needed, he truly learned it.

During the morning court, the ministers mentioned that it was time for this year’s “Spring Sacrifice” and asked Qin Ji to prepare early. After court, Qin Ji summoned Gao De to ask about the event.

The Spring Sacrifice was a grand ritual held by the Qin State every three years to worship the Goddess of Spring. Since sowing happens in spring, the ancestors of Qin believed the Spring Goddess was the supreme deity. It was a massive ceremony that could not be handled carelessly.

The ministers were terrified that Qin Ji might snap and revert from a hardworking “salaryman” back to a Tyrant at any moment. However, the Spring Sacrifice was too important; it concerned the spiritual foundation of the entire state. If Qin Ji neglected it, the commoners would surely become resentful, leading to chaos. Thus, they raised the issue early.

The Spring Sacrifice wasn’t new, and the Ministry of Rites had all the standard procedures ready. However, there were many parts where Qin Ji, as the Emperor, had to personally participate: hunting, fishing, plowing, and so on.

Qin Ji, who hadn’t even finished memorizing The Analects: “…” Listen to me say: Thank you…

With no other choice, Qin Ji had to brace himself. Other activities could be faked, but for the hunt, he actually had to learn. His family back home was only moderately wealthy—not rich enough for him to have learned equestrianism as a child. He had never even touched a horse. To ensure the Spring Sacrifice went smoothly and he didn’t embarrass the nation, he had to study.

Consequently, another item was squeezed into his tight routine.

Qin Ji was nearly at his limit. He ate two extra bowls of rice at every meal, fell asleep the moment he hit the bed, and he had visibly lost weight. It made sense; under such high intensity and pressure, it would be a miracle if he didn’t lose weight.

Thank goodness Wei Yu was there to help him. How would he survive without Wei Yu! Truly the protagonist of the novel! So beautiful and kind-hearted!

…

That night, Qin Ji and Wei Yu again shared a bed.

Qin Ji usually slept lightly, but tonight he had a rare dream. He dreamed of the Tyrant presiding over the Spring Sacrifice.

The sacrifice was held at the Royal Hunting Grounds. It was a grand affair lasting many days. The Tyrant went there with countless servants, beautiful concubines, and… Wei Yu.

Unlike the Tyrant, who sat in a wide carriage, Wei Yu was ordered to travel to the hunting grounds on foot. Wei Yu was a scholar; in the Wei State, he had specialized in literature. His physical strength was lacking, and by the time he walked from the palace to the hunting grounds, his feet were covered in blisters.

That wasn’t all. During the ritual, hunting activities were conducted with blunt arrows—the tips were wrapped in cloth to symbolize the hunt without killing the prey. However, the Tyrant drove Wei Yu into the woods used for hunting, making him run for his life like a hunted animal. The Tyrant then shot at Wei Yu with a bow.

With real, sharp arrows.

Of course, with the Tyrant’s zero-level skill in archery, he couldn’t possibly hit Wei Yu. But the Tyrant was shameless! He had people lead his horse and released hunting dogs to trap Wei Yu in one place until he couldn’t move, then fired arrows at him at random.

Wei Yu couldn’t escape the dogs and was toyed with like livestock. The Tyrant truly didn’t care for Wei Yu’s life. When he was finally dragged back to camp, Wei Yu was covered in injuries.

Qin Ji’s heart ached with such fury that he physically woke himself up from the dream. Wei Yu is such a good person; how could the Tyrant bear to treat him so poorly!

Qin Ji pursed his lips. By the light of a single unextinguished candle, he quietly watched Wei Yu’s serene sleeping face. Wei Yu was a refined gentleman, soft-spoken and easy to talk to, and even more handsome than Pan An. In Qin Ji’s eyes, Wei Yu was the best, most wonderful person in the world.

He’s so beautiful even when asleep. His lashes are thick and long, like a “lash spirit.”

Qin Ji’s hands felt strangely itchy; he wanted to touch Wei Yu’s eyelashes. But what if he woke him up? Even if Wei Yu had a good temper, no one likes being woken up during a sound sleep, right?

Qin Ji only thought about it; he didn’t actually do it. In the darkness, Qin Ji watched Wei Yu for a long time, until drowsiness reclaimed his brain and he fell back asleep with a yawn.

Before drifting off, Qin Ji thought: Wei Yu is such a good person; I must treat him well.

He didn’t know that shortly after he closed his eyes, the “deeply asleep” Wei Yu opened his eyes. There wasn’t a trace of sleepiness in them.

Although he had shared a bed with Qin Ji for several days, Wei Yu had not lost his survival instincts. He remained hyper-aware of his surroundings. In his previous life, he had been dragged to the Ziji Palace for torture while sleeping too many times to count. He never slept deeply. Even after he killed the Tyrant and returned to his beloved motherland, he never broke this habit.

Wei Yu knew Qin Ji had been staring at him just now. If Qin Ji hadn’t remained perfectly still—simply looking—Wei Yu would have suspected the “ditz” had lost the fight and the Tyrant’s soul had returned to reclaim the body.

If the Tyrant truly returned, the first person to die would be the person sleeping right next to him. Fortunately, Qin Ji just looked at him and did nothing.

Who knows why this blockhead was staring at me in the middle of the night? What is there to look at? With deep confusion, Wei Yu slowly fell asleep as well.

…

Qin Ji began learning to ride. His teacher was the martial master appointed by the late Emperor—the famous General of Qin, Huang Feihao.

“Your Majesty, come and pick a horse first.” Although Huang Feihao was a military officer, he looked more like a civil official, possessing a scholar’s elegance despite being in his forties.

However, Qin Ji did not dare look down on this general. Gao De had told him that Huang Feihao was the kind of man who could take an enemy general’s head in the middle of a battlefield. Qin Ji felt that hiring such a teacher for a “trash” like himself was a true waste of talent.

“General Huang, can’t I just pick any horse at random?” Qin Ji looked at the tall, well-fed horses and couldn’t tell which was better.

Huang Feihao explained patiently: “A beginner cannot tame every horse. Therefore, it is best to pick one that matches your temperament. This makes the interaction easier, and the horse will be more cooperative during training.”

Qin Ji nodded. He understood—it was about “vibes.” As a beginner, he didn’t have the right to be picky, so he simply went around greeting each horse.

Qin Ji liked a pure white one; it looked very dashing. He rubbed his hands and, following Huang Feihao’s instructions, offered it some fodder to get acquainted.

“Come, let’s get to know each other.” Qin Ji handed over the grass. The white horse opened its mouth and ate. This was imperial-grade fodder; naturally, it was delicious. Why wouldn’t it eat?

Seeing the horse eating happily, Qin Ji tried to pat its head. The horse suddenly tossed its head, scaring Qin Ji into stumbling back several paces. The horse even snatched all the remaining fodder from his hand.

“You’re just taking advantage of me, aren’t you?” Qin Ji didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Huang Feihao remarked: “It seems ‘White Snow’ lacks a certain destiny with Your Majesty.”

Qin Ji still grabbed another handful of grass for White Snow: “Eat, eat. I won’t withhold your food just because you didn’t choose me.” Huang Feihao watched, a faint smile touching his lips.

Qin Ji moved to another horse and tried again. This time was even worse—the horse didn’t even acknowledge him. It wouldn’t even touch the high-quality fodder, firmly resisting temptation.

“Fine, you’ve got backbone.” Qin Ji didn’t give up and moved to the next one. Perhaps animals are sensitive in certain ways; they knew Qin Ji was a novice who looked like he couldn’t ride, so they didn’t want to go with him.

Qin Ji tried many horses in a row, but none “clicked” with him. He felt a bit defeated.

“Your Majesty should try ‘Black Cloud’,” Huang Feihao suggested. He didn’t think Qin Ji was incompetent; he simply kept encouraging him.

Qin Ji psyching himself up: “Alright, I’ll try again.” He didn’t believe there wasn’t a single horse willing to go with him.

A young eunuch led Black Cloud over. It was a pure black horse, looking very robust. Qin Ji looked closely at its hind legs; he felt like this horse could kick him into orbit.

“Black Cloud, come, let’s be friends.” Qin Ji offered the fodder. Black Cloud looked like a very aloof horse. Qin Ji guessed he would fail again. The horse didn’t open its mouth. The fodder didn’t tempt it. It seemed to be sizing Qin Ji up.

Qin Ji: …Am I picking the horse, or is the horse picking me?

“Never mind. Black Cloud doesn’t like me either, so…” Qin Ji withdrew his hand, not wanting to try anymore. He was a human with dignity; he wouldn’t press his warm face against a cold butt.

However, as Qin Ji withdrew his hand, Black Cloud stepped forward, took the fodder, and began to eat. “Huh?” Qin Ji reached out to stroke Black Cloud. The horse didn’t move away.

“General Huang, do you think Black Cloud has taken a fancy to me?” Qin Ji said excitedly. Huang Feihao: “…” Your Majesty, watch your phrasing.

Qin Ji didn’t think he said anything wrong, still immersed in the joy of being chosen by Black Cloud. Huang Feihao suggested: “Your Majesty could try sitting on the horse’s back.”

Qin Ji looked at the tall Black Cloud and let out a slow breath: “Okay, I’ll try.” He fed the rest of the grass to Black Cloud. Huang Feihao held the horse steady and let Qin Ji attempt to mount.

Qin Ji had never ridden before and was nervous. He cheered himself on in his head: Qin Ji, you can do this! Holding the reins firmly, he stepped into the stirrup and swung his leg with all his might!

“Ahhhhhhh!” “Your Majesty!” Huang Feihao was terrified and quickly caught Qin Ji as he tumbled from the horse’s back.

Qin Ji clutched his lower back: “Gao De… call the physician. I threw my back out.”

Damn Tyrant, a body full of flab and no exercise, making me lose face like this.

Huang Feihao breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness it was just a strained back; he’d be fine in a few days.

“Your Majesty, perhaps… we should start with basic physical conditioning?” Huang Feihao offered a friendly suggestion.

Qin Ji: “…”

Some people are dead but still living; others are living but already dead. Qin Ji felt his soul leaving his body.