The story happened after the Zhou Dynasty end in ancient China.
The Qin Dynasty became a powerful empire from a small state after the Reforms of Shang Yang. The new rules rewarded farmers and soldiers if they meet the government policies, punishment the people who broken the law even if he is a prince in the land, freed convicts who work hard for agriculture, and encouraged the immigration of farmers from other states into Qin.
The king of state Qin took in the people from the Zhou Dynasty, left the original land for them to live, but used the Yang’s rules to manage them.
A servant named Lu Zhi who served the royal family of Zhou Dynasty was good at knitting and embroidery. The prince of Zhou Dynasty Ji Heng fell in love with the girl. He asked her to make love with him, but Lu Zhi begged for freedom before that or she would refuse it.
One day the family went for a walk in the country in spring, Ji Heng followed Lu Zhi for one day and asked for it again. Lu Zhi wanted the prince to give her freedom, Ji heng promised to the girl and got what he wanted. Lu Zhi begged for a valuable item to prove her freedom from the family, but Ji Heng didn’t respond to her and slept deeply. Lu Zhi was very sham and regretted what had happened, she suicided right next to him.
Ji Heng felt very sorry for this poor girl and put a jade on her chest but still didn’t give her freedom. He arranged for other servants to bury her and planned to leave the place. A patrolman arrived and found the dead body, he checked the scene and arrest the prince. All immigrants from Zhou couldn’t accept the law and asked for acquittal for their prince, they thought the punishment is only for slaves and farmers in their opinions. But the laws in Qin told them everyone is equal, the prince would be beheaded because he broke his promise and cause the girl to death. Besides that, the family members of the girl would be free from the royal Zhou family.
The rules of Qin redefined the lives of immigrants from Zhou, every conflict can be fixed based on the law. The law is above the crown.
