Chapter 1 - Transmigration to the Warring States, I Am Ying Ji

Unwavering warriors of Old Qin, united we face our nation's peril.Our blood shall flow until no more, our war shall cease only in death.In the west rises mighty Qin, blazing like the ascending sun.A century of national grudges, deeper than the boundless sea.The world falls into chaos, where can peace ever dwell?Qin possesses elite sharp soldiers—who dares stand against our might! In the era of the Zhou Son of Heaven, the ancestors of Qin were granted land and founded the State of Qin for their loyal service. Built upon military might, Qin thrived for over a century as successive rulers strove to strengthen the realm. Yet as Qin grew powerful, the six eastern kingdoms grew envious. They sent spies to sow internal strife, plunging Qin into four generations of political turmoil and steady decline. Amid this turbulent age, a heroic ruler finally ascended: King Xiao of Qin.Upon his coronation, King Xiao appointed Shang Yang as Prime Minister. He enacted strict laws, prioritized farming and weaving, forged diplomatic alliances to divide rival lords, and executed countless corrupt officials. A new elite army was forged, dominated by ironclad cavalry and supported by seasoned infantry. Old barbaric customs were abolished, official systems from eastern kingdoms adopted, immigrants encouraged, and land cultivation maximized. Agriculture flourished, boosting Qin's strength further. Winning successive wars against Wei, Qin reclaimed eastern territories and the Hexi Corridor, astonishing the six eastern kingdoms. Henceforth, Qin was named the "Tiger-Wolf State," its army the "Tiger-Wolf Legion." After King Xiao died, his son Ying Si—King Huiwen of Qin—took the throne. Years prior, Shang Yang had ordered Ying Si's tutor mutilated and exiled the young prince to remote Longxi wilderness for decades. Bearing bitter resentment, King Huiwen dispatched troops to attack Shang Yang's fief. Shang Yang died in battle, and his corpse was torn apart by chariots posthumously. Before his death, King Huiwen decreed his most talented son Ying Ji as heir. Yet Ying Ji lacked court support and military control, sparking a brutal succession struggle. Ultimately, Queen Dowager Mi Shu—King Huiwen's wife—installed her son Ying Dang as King Wu, publicly tearing apart the imperial edict. Princes Zhuang and Yong, both commanding massive armies, coveted the throne. Seeing the crisis, Queen Dowager Mi Shu recklessly opened Hangu Pass, summoning troops from her home state Chu into Qin. A devastating civil war erupted, draining the national wealth accumulated from Shang Yang's reforms. Mi Yue, a concubine of King Huiwen and Mi Shu's half-sister from Chu, once shared close bonds with Mi Shu. Both Chu princesses supported each other, gaining great influence in the royal palace. Yet jealousy festered as Mi Yue won the king's favor, severing their friendship. Once the favorite granddaughter of the late Chu king, Mi Yue fell from grace after his death. As a secondary consort's daughter, she possessed no power or status—an easy target for Mi Shu's malice. Eventually, Mi Yue and her young son Ying Ji were sent as hostages to Yan, one of the seven warring states. ... On a bustling street in 21st-century China, a middle-aged man in a tailored suit walked casually. A sudden streak of light streaked across the sky, hurtling straight toward him. He barely let out a scream before vanishing from the world forever. And thus, our story begins... Cold northern winds howled in the depths of winter. Thick snow blanketed the vast land, draping the world in white. Along a narrow snow-laden path, a few shivering figures in tattered winter clothes trudged forward. Frigid gusts cut to the bone. This remote nameless village belonged to Yan, one of the seven powerful warring states. Inside a dilapidated mud house, a frail woman in coarse linen clothes clutched a young boy, weeping bitterly. "Ji'er, my poor Ji'er… how could you leave me alone? How shall I survive without you? All blame falls on Mi Shu! If not for her, you would never be sent to Yan as a hostage at just sixteen. She chose every other prince yet singled you out—and now you've lost your life here!" "I'm useless… a mere secondary consort from Chu, powerless to protect you. Forced to suffer in this cold barren land… I'm so sorry, my son. I hate Mi Shu to my core!" "Heaven above! Why treat me so cruelly? Why take my only flesh and blood? Give me back my Ji'er! Give him back!" She sobbed heart-wrenchingly, pressing her body tightly against the boy's cold corpse, as if trying to warm him back to life. Despite her thin clothes, her graceful figure remained striking. Her face looked haggard yet breathtakingly beautiful—her tearful gaze stirring endless pity. The young boy in her arms was equally handsome and noble, a born genius. Yet his purple frozen lips and icy body proved he was dead. This grieving woman was none other than Mi Yue, concubine of King Huiwen of Qin—the future Queen Dowager Xuan who pioneered female regency in Chinese history. And the boy? Ying Ji, King Huiwen's most talented son, destined to be King Zhaoxiang of Qin. Suddenly, the cold corpse in Mi Yue's arms twitched faintly, slowly regaining warmth. Overjoyed, Mi Yue cried tears of relief. "You're alive! Ji'er, you're safe! I thought I'd lost you forever!" Ying Ji coughed weakly in response. Mi Yue's eyes lit up with hope. "Mother… I'm thirsty… water…" Ying Ji whispered, opening his eyes weakly. "You've woken at last! I'll fetch water right away!" Mi Yue helped him sit on the bed, then rushed outside—only to freeze halfway. Ever since relations soured between Qin and Yan, hostages from both states faced harsh discrimination and abuse. A month prior, Yan guards stationed at this village cut off their water and food supplies. They survived briefly with savings brought from Qin, yet the money soon ran out. The greedy guards even robbed their remaining coins outright. Stranded in freezing Yan winter, all water had frozen solid—where could she find liquid water? Gritting her teeth, Mi Yue resolved. "For my Ji'er, no hardship is too great." Grabbing a clay jar, she braved blizzards and bitter winds to fill it with snow, then hurried back indoors. Pressing her cold hands against the snow, she used her body warmth to melt ice into water—all to quench her son's thirst. Her fingers turned red and numb, yet she persisted until a third of the jar held melted snow. Such boundless maternal love. On the bed, Ying Ji watched quietly, sighing inwardly. "Ying Ji… how fortunate you are to have such a kind mother. You've passed away, but I'm here now—I won't let her suffer alone." "From today onward, I am Ying Ji. She is my mother. I will protect her with all my life—even if she becomes the ruthless Queen Dowager Xuan ruling Qin for forty years." He swore silently. This revived Ying Ji was a transmigrator. In his past life, he was an orphan who fought relentlessly to succeed: lawyer, PhD scholar, web novelist, entrepreneur. Nearly forty, he became the richest man in Province Z, featured in major media—even a 30-second CCTV segment honoring his rags-to-riches legend. Just as he planned to start a family, a mysterious ancient dragon jade pendant streaked down from the sky, striking him dead. Waking up, he found himself reborn as Ying Ji, Prince of Qin, with Mi Yue as his mother. Though life as a hostage in Yan was miserable, he knew the future truth. Mi Yue's half-brother Wei Ran—his uncle—would secretly ally with his mother. After King Wu died from lifting an enormous tripod, they would dispatch Bai Qi, one of the Four Great Military Gods of the Warring States, to escort him back to inherit the Qin throne. He understood Mi Yue's forty-year regency was never selfishness, but protection. How could a teenage prince deter the six eastern kingdoms or command officials? Even her rumored affair with the Yiqu King was a political scheme to gain military support for his ascension—she eventually executed the Yiqu King without hesitation. Once Ying Ji matured, she returned full power and purged all Mi clan officials to avoid consort clan interference. She was truly a great mother. As an orphan who never knew maternal love in his past life, Ying Ji cherished this bond deeply. "Whoever dares harm my mother will face my ruthless wrath. Yiqu King, watch your actions. If you dare seduce her as in history, I'll execute your entire clan and inflict all ancient tortures upon you." "Drink some water, Ji'er." Mi Yue handed over the snow water. Ying Ji took the jar, enduring the piercing cold to drink it all. "Mother, I will protect you forever. No one shall ever hurt you again." Touched by his maturity, Mi Yue smiled gently, stroking his hair. "My Ji'er has grown up, knowing how to cherish and protect his mother. You will become a true hero someday—like your grandfather, who turned weak Qin into the strongest state feared by all eastern kingdoms." Ying Ji knew she referred to King Xiao, who adopted Shang Yang's reforms to strengthen Qin. Yet Mi Yue sighed inwardly. "I hold high hopes for my son, yet escaping Yan to return to Qin feels impossible with Mi Shu as our enemy. I care not for my fate, but Ji'er is a genius skilled in strategy and diplomacy. He could achieve great deeds as Qin's king—yet now he suffers harsh hardships." Reading her sorrowful expression, Ying Ji roughly guessed her worries yet said nothing. Words were useless; time would prove everything.