The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 123 Cold Snow

Everyone rested in front of the old patriarch's house in Langya Yue. Even though they had been given a piece of jade and were talking, the Yue people here remained very wary.

Having heard about the past experiences of the Vietnamese people here, one can understand why they are wary.

People must first get to know each other before they can become friends.

Qin needed capable people. These capable people could be farmers skilled in farming, fishermen, craftsmen, or people with great strength.

In short, Fusu's approach to interpersonal relationships was, in principle, to increase the number of friends and decrease the number of enemies.

According to Lang, in the past, the Yue people needed to pay the Qi royal family an annual tribute of 100 hu of pearls in order to be allowed to live here. One hu was roughly equivalent to ten dou.

You should know that even ordinary families in Guanzhong had to grit their teeth to afford to send their children to Jingye County to be taught by Shusun Tong, which required them to spend fifteen dou of grain a year.

As night fell, Fusu and Lang walked along the beach.

"Can they really produce a hundred bushels of pearls every year?"

Lang continued, “In the past, this sea did indeed have many pearls, but even decades ago, the amount of pearls harvested in a year could not exceed one bushel. Year after year, they never produced a hundred bushels of pearls. The Qi royal family certainly knew that the people here simply could not produce a hundred bushels of pearls.”

Fusu sensed a bad mood in Lang's words and replied while feeling the sea breeze: "That's why, in order to better seize their profits from the sea, they proposed the condition of an annual supply of one hundred bushels. It's an unreasonable and absurd demand."

Lang said, "That's why the Qi royal family could take away the Yue people's earnings from their sea voyages under the pretext of less than a hundred bushels."

Fusu said, "This is also why they are still poor despite having the best boating skills and swimming abilities."

Lang nodded slightly and said, "They said that in the past, there were quite a few pearls in this sea, but pearls became fewer and fewer as they were harvested. In some years, they had to go to more distant seas to harvest pearls. Because of this, almost every year there were young men with excellent swimming skills who never returned after risking their lives to harvest pearls. Later, the Yue people made a rule that they would resist going to distant seas."

This can be corroborated by Xu Fu's own words, which state that the Yue people were very resistant to going out to sea.

As for why Xu Fu would be beaten by adults if he found weapons in the sea when he was a child, one reason was that ordinary people were not allowed to carry weapons, so they were thrown back into the sea. Another reason was that it had become a custom for the Yue people not to go far out to sea, and they would rather live in poverty than have their people die.

There are fewer than a thousand households of Yue people here, and the 30,000 households of Yue people that the Prime Minister mentioned being relocated should not only include the Yue people in this area.

Fusu spent the night there and heard Lang tell him about his recent experiences.

Lang did indeed meet Zhang Liang, but only once. Later, he went to the Chu region, but did not stay there for long. He came to Langya County, where he stayed for half a year.

Now, Lang can speak fluent Vietnamese.

The reason he ended up here can be traced back to Lang's warm-heartedness and kindness.

Lang was such a person; even when facing Zhang Liang, he could show goodwill and was willing to travel with Zhang Liang.

When Tang Lang left the Chu region, he saved a sick child on his way to Langya County.

And this child was a Yue person, so Lang was accepted by the Yue people.

It was precisely because of this kindness that Lang taught wherever he went, like planting seeds unintentionally in various places, without asking these seeds to do anything for him.

Therefore, he would not require his students to follow him to Guanzhong.

The following day at noon, Lang was discussing matters in Vietnamese with several Vietnamese men.

Fusu couldn't understand the Yue language, but he could learn what they were saying through Xu Fu.

Xu Fu said in a low voice, "The old clan chief has agreed to see the young master."

With Lang's introduction, Fusu entered the small wooden house and saw a gaunt old man inside.

Li You observed all of this and felt that the young master was being too courteous to scholars.

Fusu felt that winning people's hearts was both difficult and easy. Was the way the Qi royal family treated the Yue people back then right?
To be precise, this is the home of the Yue people. Hundreds of years ago, even before the Wu and Yue kingdoms, the Yue people have lived here for generations. This is their home, and they deserve to live here.

Fusu felt that the Qi royal family should not have treated the Yue people in this way.

But how could the Vietnamese people fight against a powerful nation with weapons and a large army?
In order to survive, the Yue people could only make concessions step by step in the bargaining with the Qi royal family, losing their voice and the power to bargain.

The feudal lords during the Zhou Dynasty all used similar methods of governance, often neglecting common interests or only taking without giving back. Fusu believed this was a wrong approach.

Fusu felt that as a prince of Qin, he should take the initiative to talk to these Yue people, establish contact with them, or build friendship and trust with them, whether it was to share common interests.

The State of Qi had fallen, and the last King of Qi had starved to death.

The Qin dynasty now unifies the world.

There was a strange smell of herbs inside the cabin. This smell wasn't caused in just a day or two; it must have been from the daily brewing of medicine that had permeated the cabin with this odor. This smell was ingrained in the structure of the house, and no matter how long it was ventilated, the smell of herbs would still be faintly present once the door was closed.

Fusu bowed to the old clan chief inside the wooden house.

The old clan chief, dressed in tattered robes, asked in a low voice, "Are you Young Master Qin?"

The old clan chief was not speaking Yue language, but rather the language of the Qi state and Qi region.

Fusu understood and replied, "Greetings, Elder Clan Chief."

The old clan chief sighed, "Is Lang the young master's disciple?"

"He is not my disciple, but Shusun Tong's disciple. Shusun Tong is Doctor Qin."

The old clan chief clearly didn't understand what Dr. Qin meant, but he still said, "Lang said that after this year he will leave here to go to the Great Wall in the north to guard the frontier and defend against the Xiongnu."

Fusu nodded.

"Does he really have to leave here?"

Judging from his tone, the old clan chief hoped that Lang would stay.

Fusu said, “Lang is still young. He is only nineteen years old this year. He is a resident of Jingye County. He was already enlisted in the army when he left home. This year it is his turn to join the army. This is his duty.”

Seeing that the old clan chief was bowing his head and not speaking, Fusu continued, "Does the old clan chief think that Lang should stay here and stay here for the rest of his life? But he is at the prime of his life and has not yet seen such a vast world."

"Will those who guard the Great Wall be able to fight?"

"Yes." Fusu gave an affirmative answer, and added, "The Xiongnu are still lingering on the northern border. They have been accumulating strength. One day the Xiongnu will move south and cross the Great Wall. If the Great Wall is not guarded, the Xiongnu will go straight into the Central Plains and plunder everything there. Someone needs to guard the border."

“Building the Great Wall was not just for defending the border; we also wanted to launch a northern expedition.”

"Northern Expedition?"

“We are going to attack the Xiongnu. My teacher is the Prime Minister of Qin. He said that Qin and the Xiongnu will have a great war sooner or later, and it won’t be long before it happens.”

The old clan chief had never been to the north; he had lived here his whole life and knew nothing about the Great Wall or the Xiongnu people. Now that he did, he knew that Lang would definitely be taken away by this young master Qin. Moreover, Lang also had a family; the child had said that he missed his parents.

The old clan chief liked the child very much. He taught the Vietnamese people a lot and also told them what the outside world was like.

"What is the emperor doing here?"

"In governing Langya, we hope that the Yue people can move to Langya County to live. From now on, you will be the same as the county residents and only need to pay the same taxes."

Fusu, speaking in the Yue language he had just learned from Lang, said, "There's no need to offer pearls every year anymore." The prince of Qin uttered a sentence in Yue language that he was not fluent in.

The area inside and outside the wooden house became noticeably quieter, indicating that everyone had understood the Vietnamese phrase.

The old clan chief waved his hand, signaling for this young master Qin to leave first.

Fusu left the wooden house, and then many Vietnamese people entered the house and began to discuss things.

With just a few words, Fusu felt that it would be impossible to persuade the old clan chief.

For the remaining days, Fusu stayed here. Almost every day, Yue people would come to ask him what the emperor wanted from them and what would happen to them in the future.

And Fusu would patiently answer all of them.

Fusu received a pearl from Xu Fu. The pearl was only about the size of a bean, and it was indeed very beautiful.

"Where did the King of Qi use all those pearls he acquired?"

Xu Fu replied, "The Qi royal family is extravagant; they are the wealthiest royal family among all the states."

The sound of the waves remained the same. Fusu placed the pearl aside, since the Qi royal family was no longer around.

"Young master, someone has come to see you."

Lang stood outside the door and reported.

Let them in.

The visitor was none other than Lord Wu, whom the Prime Minister valued most.

He stood outside and asked, "The Prime Minister has already dispatched troops and ships to relocate the Yue people from Huyi Mountain. He has sent me to inquire about the situation of the Yue people in this area."

Fusu said, "Please inform the Prime Minister that the Yue people here are all well, and the matter of relocating them is under discussion."

After receiving the message, Wu Gong left.

The Prime Minister sent someone to urge him on. Xu Fu knew that the young master was very patient and good at persuasion, but the Prime Minister was different.

The Prime Minister didn't have that much patience. He just wanted to know whether the Yue people would comply with the order to relocate to Langya County.

The Yue people here have suffered oppression for hundreds of years, and now Fusu wants to give them something: a true home.

First and foremost, we need to give them a home.

Secondly, give them sufficient preferential treatment, but of course they also need to make contributions.

Fusu put the Prime Minister's question out of his mind and continued to live with the Yue people for the rest of the days, even going out to sea to fish with them.

When the Prime Minister actually sent troops to Huyi Mountain to relocate the Yue people to Langya, Fusu still calmly helped the Yue people improve their boats.

Fusu and the Yue people built a lighter boat.

As the weather grew colder, the First Emperor stayed at Langya Terrace for more than a month.

Fusu divided the difficulties of fishermen's lives into three conditions: frequent maritime disasters, perishable catches, and inefficient tools.

The first two cannot be resolved, but assistance can be provided regarding the third condition.

When the Prime Minister sent Wu Gong to inquire for the second time, Fusu finally gave an answer, allowing the fishermen to continue living there and incorporating this area into the household registration of Langya County.

Half a month later, Fusu came to Langya Terrace again, bringing with him the petitions of many Yue people before his father, the emperor.

It is difficult for others to speak up for the people, but it is easy for Fusu.

Standing inside Langya Terrace, Fusu shared his thoughts with his father and the prime minister.

Li Si finished reading the document submitted by the young master; to be precise, it was a document submitted by the Minister of the Imperial Household.

Ying Zheng said, "There is still a lot to be done in repairing Langya Terrace, and I need you, as the Chief of the Imperial Household Department, to take charge."

"My son, please retire."

After the young master left, in the quiet Langya Terrace, Ying Zheng asked, "What do you think?"

Li Si put down the bamboo slips and said, "Adapting to local conditions, your plan to re-establish Langya County... may be more beneficial."

Prince Fusu has only been the Minister of the Imperial Household for a year. He is currently twenty-two years old and still very young. In addition, the affairs of the Qin state have always been heavy.

Li Si was also worried that the prince was incapable of making plans, and even prepared to teach the prince how to accomplish national affairs while also fulfilling his role as prime minister.

It's just a bit tiring, but it's not a big deal. Right now... to Li Si's surprise, the young master is clearly a very thoughtful person. Not only does he have a long-term vision, but he also knows how to win over a group of people and use those people to influence more people, thereby gaining more support.

Furthermore, the young master also appointed officials for Langya County, who were directly dispatched by the Minister of the Imperial Household Department.

Documents from Langya County could be sent directly to the Prime Minister's Office in Xianyang, allowing Langya County to bypass the prefecture and directly connect with the Prime Minister's Office.

This was clearly an initiative to build the Great Wall, but the young master used it in Langya County.

Ying Zheng said, "Fusu's move is aimed at both winning popular support and gaining benefits. He wants to turn this place into a second Weinan Prefecture."

The First Emperor saw through the prince's true purpose, which he hadn't written down in the document.

This young master wants the hearts of the people, he wants their support.

Upon hearing this, Li Si felt that the First Emperor had discerned Prince Fusu's ambition from this document.

Li Si saw in this document Prince Fusu's long-term plan for the next few decades.

Seeing that the First Emperor suddenly smiled,

The prince is capable, ambitious, and knows how to use power. He doesn't hide anything from the First Emperor. Li Si is genuinely happy for the First Emperor. He is an ambitious prince who is good at using his methods.

The First Emperor did not care that his son Fusu built a second "Weinan Prefecture." For him, making the country strong was what he truly pursued.

"You must help Fusu in this matter."

"I understand."

A sea breeze blew into the main hall of Langya Terrace, while outside, heavy snow began to fall again.

Winters in Qi County are very cold. Today, a cold, flurry of snow, a peculiar occurrence in Qi County, fell. Strong winds howled through the night, waking the child who was sleeping in the cradle.

Fusu, who was sitting at his desk writing the Qi County plan by the light of an oil lamp, quickly put down his pen and picked up his child.

After some coaxing, the child stopped crying.

So as not to wake his wife, Fusu held the child in one arm and continued writing with the other.

(End of this chapter)