When people were in Qin, they captured Zhao and questioned Qin.

Chapter 18 Zhao Ji

Once you cross the bridge, you've truly entered the working-class district.

The road had turned into a dirt road, soaked by the spring rain and then dried, leaving deep and shallow ruts, hard and uneven, making it difficult to walk on. There were drainage ditches beside the road, filled with dark mud, emitting a faint smell of decay.

The houses are low and densely packed, and some courtyards don't even have fences. They are just a few stones of different sizes piled up to make a rough boundary, symbolically demarcating a piece of land.

Children chased each other in the courtyard, their clothes tattered; a woman sat on the threshold mending clothes; an old man leaned against the wall, basking in the sun, his eyes half-closed, motionless, like a clay sculpture.

Weifeng Lane is located in the northwest of the city.

The alley was narrow and winding, and the courtyards on both sides looked neater than most houses in the area. At least the fences were intact, the gates were there, and the thatched roofs were thickly covered. But it was only neater; it was still the dwelling of ordinary people, a world apart from the high walls and red gates with copper rings of the noble neighborhood.

There was a proton hospital in Handan city.

According to the established rites, hostages from various states were provided with appropriate accommodations and facilities by the Zhao state, which was considered a respectable arrangement. However, the Qin state was an exception.

When Ying Zheng's father, Ying Zichu (Yiren), was a hostage in Handan, he was in a very difficult situation and was very disappointed because Qin and Zhao had been attacking each other for years.

Later, when Qin general Wang Yi besieged Handan, Ying Zichu, in a panic, didn't even have time to take his wife and children, and fled back to Qin with Lü Buwei. From then on, there were no more Qin hostages in Handan... They had become mortal enemies, who cared about such formalities?

With the situation between Qin and Zhao now somewhat relaxed, the fact that the Zhao court allowed Ying Zheng and his mother a place to stay within the city was already considered a sign of their magnanimity. Even Zhao Ji's maternal family, originally wealthy merchants from Handan, were implicated for protecting the mother and son, their fortunes declined, and they were no longer able to protect them.

Otherwise, Ying Zheng and his mother might be difficult to deal with due to their special status, but surely killing a few mere merchants wouldn't be enough?

Therefore, the mother and son naturally dared not hope to live in any luxurious place. They were already extremely fortunate to have a courtyard in Weifeng Lane to shelter them from the wind and rain.

The sounds of children playing could be heard coming from the alley.

As they approached, they found several children, dressed in tattered clothes and with pale faces, playing in the open space at the alley entrance. They used twigs to draw grids on the ground, picked up pebbles and tiles as game pieces, and played a simple board game.

Upon seeing Zhao Heng and his two companions approaching, the children immediately stopped.

The laughter and chatter abruptly ceased. They timidly huddled together, shrinking behind an earthen wall, peeking out only half their heads, looking around with a mixture of curiosity and fear.

Zhao Heng stopped at the alley entrance.

He glanced at the children, then looked into the alley.

Weifeng Lane is not deep; you can see right to the end. The courtyards on both sides are uneven; some have fences that have been repaired many times, with old and new bamboo strips intertwined in varying shades of color; some have gates that are crooked, propped up by a wooden stick from the inside. Clothes drying in the courtyards sway in the wind; most are coarse linen, patched upon patched, washed until faded.

Zhao Heng then said to Ji Cheng and Luan Ding, "Distribute the millet, coarse cloth, and salt to the families of these children. There are about seven or eight households in the alley; give each household a share, and don't favor one over the other."

Both of them were taken aback.

Ji Cheng said urgently, "Young Master, we must protect your safety; how can we leave!"

"It's only a few dozen steps away." Zhao Heng pointed to the depths of the alley, where it was quiet and the courtyard gates were all closed. "In broad daylight, what could possibly happen? Besides, I'm right ahead; you can come over after you've finished dividing up the goods."

Luan Ding hesitated and said, "Young Master, why don't you go and distribute them yourself? That would be good... so they know whose favor it is."

"If I go in person, it may create discord and cause complications," Zhao Heng shook his head. "You may go, distribute the gifts to each household, and there's no need for further explanation. Go quickly and return promptly."

Before Ji Cheng could say anything more, Zhao Heng, carrying the bag of so-called Xianyang items, turned and walked into the alley.

"Young Master!" Ji Cheng said urgently.

"I'm right in front of you, I can see you." Zhao Heng said without turning his head.

Ji Cheng and Luan Ding exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes. But the young lord's order had been given, so they had no choice but to go to the nearest few houses and knock on the doors, explaining in a low voice as Zhao Heng had instructed. Generally speaking, the men in the house would be out during the day, so an old woman opened the door at the first house, looking surprised and hesitant.

After some polite refusals, seeing Ji Cheng and Luan Ding's sincere attitude and the practical food and daily necessities they offered, the old woman finally accepted them with profuse thanks, her cloudy eyes filled with tears.

Hearing the commotion, several other households in the alley began to peek out. Seeing that it was a gift, they were initially hesitant and dared not approach. However, after Ji Cheng and Luan Ding distributed the gifts in the same manner, speaking kindly, the poor families gradually gathered around, accepted the items, and their gratitude was evident.

The children at the alley entrance watched from afar, their eyes wide open, filled with joy and longing.

Zhao Heng did not turn around.

He carried the package and walked to the middle of the alley.

The courtyards here are neater than those at the alley entrance. The fences are tightly woven, made of uniformly thick bamboo strips, and are taller than those of others. Several single-story houses can be vaguely seen inside the courtyards, with tiled roofs. Although old and the tiles vary in color, they are laid neatly without any gaps or holes.

The gate was made of wooden planks, the paint of which had long since peeled off, revealing the original grain of the wood, but it was tightly fitted and the hinges were not crooked.

As Zhao Heng approached, he saw people in the yard through the gaps in the fence.

But it was a woman with her back to the courtyard wall, hanging clothes to dry.

She wore a plain linen dress, her waist cinched slenderly, tied in a simple knot on the side with a matching cloth ribbon. Her long, jet-black hair was loosely tied back, secured only by a smooth wooden hairpin, with stray strands falling around her neck, swaying slightly with her movements.

She reached out and unfolded an old child's garment. The clothes had clearly been altered, with an added sleeve, the colors varying in shade. She carefully draped the garment over a bamboo pole, smoothing out the wrinkles. As she moved, the sleeve slipped down, revealing a section of fair forearm, which gleamed with a warm, jade-like luster in the spring sunlight, creating a striking contrast with the rough linen.

With each movement, the hem of her skirt swayed slightly, and the curves of her waist were faintly visible.

Zhao Heng paused for a moment, then walked to the courtyard gate and knocked on the door.

The action of hanging clothes to dry in the yard paused.

A moment of silence.

Then, a soft, hesitant female voice rang out, muffled through the door:

"Who is it?"

Zhao Heng said in a clear voice, "Zhao Heng from Handan has come to pay a visit to Prince Zheng."

The courtyard fell silent.

Then, soft footsteps approached. The sound of a latch moving came from behind the wooden door.

"Squeak—"

The door was pulled open a crack.

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"King Zheng of Qin was the son of King Zhuangxiang of Qin. His mother was Lady Zhao, a native of Handan. Zheng was born in Handan and grew up in the streets and alleys, experiencing poverty in his youth. After King Xiaowen died and King Zhuangxiang succeeded to the throne, he returned to Qin at the age of ten." — *Old Book of Zhao*, Volume 31, Biography of King Ying Zheng of Qin