The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 43 Digging Through

The young master's words echoed faintly in the main hall.
Tian An glanced at the father and son who were handling state affairs in the palace. His Majesty no longer asked any questions, and the young master focused on handling state affairs.

He withdrew his gaze, walked to the steps to the side, lit the clay stove and waited for the water to boil. He stood guard outside the hall, closing his eyes to let his aged body bask in the sunlight.

Lately, this time of day is when Tian An feels most relaxed, without having to worry about the trivial matters of Gaoquan Palace or running around for the affairs of Jingye County.

However, what Tian An misses most is the time spent by the Xianyang Bridge, when he watched the young master catch fish, or accompanied him in organizing documents, and saw the young master sitting alone by the Xianyang Bridge in the sunset.

Although that period was short, it allowed him to focus wholeheartedly on everything he did, without any distractions or haste. There were no affairs of the court to bother him, nor any matters of Jingye County to distract him.

Tian An felt that those six months passed very quickly.

If one day in the future I am too old to serve you, Tian An thought he would rebuild the little house by the Xianyang Bridge and die there slowly.

Before long, a eunuch brought a message, followed by one eunuch after another.

The reports were all about discussions concerning the Censorate, the Imperial Academy, and the Prime Minister's Office.

Tian An carefully selected the most important and urgent points from these words.

The pile of fossils was being dragged away by the guards one by one. These things would most likely be stored in Xianyang Palace for many, many years.

Outsiders will only leave behind rumors, some of which may be true and some false.

After sitting for a while, Tian An poured out two bowls of boiled water, let them cool slightly, and then placed them on a wooden basin. He held the basin with both hands, and the basin contained two bowls of boiled water.

Having taken off his shoes, he walked silently. Tian An's steps were neither fast nor slow. He first served a bowl to the First Emperor and placed it aside, then handed another bowl to the prince.

"Young master, Chunyu Yue from the Doctor's residence is discussing today's events."

Fusu, who was writing with a pen in one hand, asked, "What did he say?"

Chunyu Yue said that everything today was arranged by the Prime Minister, including those who pointed out the auspicious dragon bones.

Fusu nodded slightly and said, "Tell these words to the Prime Minister."

Tian An bowed again, then stepped back outside the hall. He summoned a eunuch and whispered a few words to him before the eunuch quickly left.

In the Prime Minister's residence, Zhang Cang was helping Li Si approve the allocation of grain supplies for the southern expedition when a minor official rushed in with a palace eunuch.

Zhang Cang put down the scroll of documents in his hand and saw the eunuch whisper a few words to the prime minister before leaving.

After exchanging only a few words, Zhang Cang noticed that the Prime Minister's expression had darkened, probably because he had heard something unpleasant.

However, with so many things to do right now, Zhang Cang couldn't think about all that.

After tidying up all the documents in front of him, he stood up and said, "Prime Minister, the arrangements for the allocation of provisions needed for the southern expedition have been made."

Upon hearing this, Li Si's expression softened slightly, and he said, "Yes, thank you for your trouble."

Looking at the dossier Zhang Cang handed over, it became clear that Zhang Cang was extremely skilled in arithmetic and had never made a mistake. He said he needed a certain amount of grain, and that was exactly the amount.

Li Si glanced at it only once before sending someone to give the order.

Zhang Cang said, "Now that the southern expedition has begun, this war will most likely not end within a year. I think the burden will be very heavy in the next few years."

Li Si placed one hand on the table and said in a deep voice, "You help the young master arrange the canal construction and relocation of people. Next year, those fields must be planted with grain."

"Go here."

Zhang Cang bowed and left.

It was afternoon, but the wind outside felt even colder.

The story of Jingye County unearthing auspicious omens while digging a canal only circulated in Xianyang for a short time.

For the First Emperor and Prince Fusu, knowing this was enough; as for the truth, that was just hearsay.

After winter arrived in Guanzhong, another heavy snow fell, and the Xianyang Palace suspended court again.

After the autumn harvest comes winter storage, and people begin to hibernate.

On this day, Zhang Cang looked at the heavy snow and breathed a long sigh of relief after learning that the court had suspended its operations. He then spent another year in Xianyang.

Entering his house, Zhang Cang looked at the scrolls on the table. Today, the young master had spoken about land and taxes again.

The young master always seemed to enjoy asking these questions, pressing for answers time and time again.

A bamboo scroll was spread out on the table, on which were written the young master's new questions, which were once again inquiries about land distribution.

Today, Zhang Cang doesn't have enough energy to deal with these matters. He still needs to go to Jingye County to arrange the Prime Minister's instructions.

In Zhang Cang's memory, he recently saw a document in the Prime Minister's residence. It was from someone who had heard that auspicious omens had been unearthed in the Jingye Canal and hoped for a tax reduction. This document was sent to Zhangtai Palace, but there has been no reply so far.

Zhang Cang extinguished the oil lamp on the table, put on an overcoat, and walked to the door through the snow in his yard.

Zhang Cang reached out and pushed open the gate, and saw the bustling city of Xianyang, still vibrant despite the snow.

This is the off-season for farming. Families with enough food mostly stay at home to hibernate, while those with insufficient food or many children mostly go out to find work.

Zhang Cang carried a bundle containing scrolls of books on his back as he walked down the bustling street.

Just as Zhang Cang was about to leave the city gate of Xianyang, he saw a cavalryman riding towards him, who shouted, "Good news from the southern expedition!"

Zhang Cang watched as the messenger soldier quickly ran into Xianyang City, heading towards the Xianyang Palace.

Having just stepped out of Xianyang City, Zhang Cang looked towards the direction of Xianyang Bridge. Since the bridge was built, more people have come to Xianyang City from the west, making the city more prosperous.

The young master once said that Guanzhong is not big enough, nor good enough.

Outside Xianyang City, Zhang Cang found an oxcart and instructed, "Go to Xianyang Bridge."

Seeing Zhang Cang dressed in fine clothes, the old man driving the ox didn't dare to ask any questions. He waved his straw whip to make the ox walk faster.

Xianyang Bridge is located on the West Wei River. Zhang Cang discovered that he hadn't had a proper look at the bridge since it was completed. There were always pedestrians and merchants on the bridge, and some people were even leading camels and hawking their wares as they walked.

Children ran from one end of the bridge to the other.

The West Wei River has a rapid current, but the bridge is very stable.

Zhang Cang got off the oxcart, stepped onto the bridge, walked back and forth several times, and nodded in satisfaction.

This bridge is very sturdy. To build it, the young master spent an entire summer guarding the riverbank.

The Xianyang Bridge can now serve as the main road for the army to advance westward. Zhang Cang once felt that Guanzhong was incomplete without the Xianyang Bridge, meaning that Guanzhong lacked a road to the west and was therefore never complete.

Next year, many more people may move into Guanzhong, and many officials will be sent to various parts of the Central Plains.

This has always been the case over the years.

In Jingye County, a number of skeletons have been unearthed in the past two days. Shusun Tong has ordered them to be preserved and presented to Xianyang later.

It had been almost a year since Zhang Cang last mobilized manpower in Jingye County to dig a canal.

When Zhang Han saw Zhang Cang again, the Prime Minister had sent Zhang Cang once more. With the assistance of the capable Zhang Cang, Zhang Han felt more confident.

Zhang Cang politely replied, "I cannot stay here for long; I still need to visit several counties downstream."

Zhang Han nodded and asked, "Is it about relocating people to cultivate the land?"

Zhang Cang added, "I also want each county to allocate manpower to dig canals."

As they walked and talked, they learned that there was nothing to be told in Jingye County. The entire county was working for this canal, regardless of age or gender, and everyone worked around it every day.

Zhang Cang checked the progress of the canal construction and the condition of the underground channel, then sat on a donkey cart, intending to travel to the villages and counties downstream.

Just as he was about to leave, Shusun Tong rushed over and asked, "Imperial Censor Zhang, is anyone still concerned about that auspicious omen?"

Sitting on the carriage shaft, Zhang Cang held a scroll of bamboo slips in one hand and replied, "The old gentleman's quick wit has greatly helped the young master and the prime minister."

Shusun Tong sighed, "It's good that no one cares anymore."

Zhang Cang stayed in Jingye County for an hour, gave a few instructions, and then headed downstream along the Luo River.

Shusun Tong turned back in the cold wind and walked towards the canal. The cold wind made his beard and hair flutter. What he really wanted to ask was that no one cared about such an auspicious event.
He wanted to ask if any Confucian scholars had criticized him, Shusun Tong.
The court and the public must have known about the auspicious omen, and many scholars who have come to Qin must be discussing him, Shusun Tong.

In particular, Chunyu Yue would likely believe that his uncle, Shusun Tong, was actually helping to protect the tyrannical Qin dynasty.

Could such a trick as the so-called auspicious dragon bone fool ordinary people, and even Chunyu Yue?
Shusun Tong had seen countless people and encountered many capable individuals in the Qin court, including Li Si, Zhang Cang, Feng Quji, Wang Ben, and Meng Tian…

Even though Wang Jian was old, those who stood in the Qin court of the First Emperor were all outstanding figures who had survived to this day.

With these people around, the Qin court will not fall easily.

His uncle, Shusun Tong, did indeed defend the Qin court because of the auspicious dragon bone incident.

Perhaps the scholars in those academies will feel that Shusun Tong has betrayed them.

Because Chunyu Yue and others always criticized the tyrannical Qin Dynasty, including accusing it of excessive conscription of laborers.

The cold wind was blowing, and his robes were fluttering in the wind. Shusun Tong found a clean, large rock and sat down on it.

He couldn't understand why he would take the initiative to protect Qin Ting, or why he would cover for Qin Ting.

The laborers were rewarded, and it was to be called a joyous occasion.

Shusun Tong saw the children running towards him, and he saw their smiles.

When I first arrived here, the children were very thin, but two years later, they have grown so strong and healthy.

And the people here are different from those outside. When the children here started school, Shusun Tong noticed a light in their eyes.

The people here accepted and respected Shusun Tong. This respect was not because he was a student of the Confucius family. These villagers had no idea who Shusun Tong's teacher was, nor did they care about the level of his scholarship. They simply felt that since Shusun Tong could teach their children, he must be a person worthy of their respect.

To be honest, deep down, Shusun Tong felt that he was doing very well here, better than in the Kong family or in Xianyang.

He lives better here than anywhere else.

Shusun Tong wiped his eyes with his sleeve, so when the culvert had an accident, he didn't even think twice before going to Xianyang City.

Even after arriving in Xianyang, Shusun Tong was only thinking about seeing Prince Fusu or the Prime Minister. He never considered leaving or going to see Chunyu Yue.

Because the people here dug canals, the irrigation from these canals improved their lives and led to a bumper harvest.

Therefore, Shusun Tong was willing to maintain it. In his heart, Shusun Tong was not maintaining the Qin court, but maintaining the people here and the environment in which they live. He wanted the canal to continue to be dug so that they could continue to live like this.

This time, however, he stayed and protected the place, and from then on, Shusun Tong felt that his fate was intertwined with this little world.

Shusun Tong spent most of his life as a disciple of Confucius. Even when faced with infighting among his fellow disciples, he never felt that he was as upright and confident as he is now.

This feeling of having a clear conscience made Shusun Tong feel as if he had been reborn.

Protecting the peace and tranquility of the local people and enabling them to live better lives—does this really require careful consideration of the situation? It's about stepping forward.

Shusun Tong felt that he had changed, and this change should be related to the county's unique governance approach, which advocated labor and creation to obtain wealth.

"Master, it's time to start the lesson."

A slightly older boy came running quickly.

Seeing this, Shusun Tong quickly wiped his eyes to prevent the child from noticing anything amiss, and then took him to give the lesson.

As night approached, people who had been busy all day finally returned.

Shusun Tong and Zhang Han were drinking together.

Zhang Han looked at the room and said, "This used to be the young master's study."

Shusun Tong took a sip of wine and said with a smile, "Young master said that if needed, I can use this study and read the books here."

Zhang Han sat cross-legged with his hands on his knees and said with a smile, "Well, the young master also said that he has reserved a room for you in Lü Buwei's old residence in Xianyang. You are a guest of the young master Fusu, so you can return to Xianyang at any time, and it will be reserved for you alone."

The light from the oil lamp shone on Shusun Tong's slightly drunk face as he whispered, "I have met Xunzi."

"Xunzi?"

Shusun Tong raised his head and said, "At that time, Xunzi was still at the Jixia Academy in Qi. I had already become a disciple of Confucius and was able to exchange a few words with Xunzi. Originally, I did not like some of Xunzi's views, especially since Xunzi's ideas were the opposite of Confucius's."

"I've studied Confucius for half my life, but I can't learn anything from him. The only thing I can learn is the Mohist concept of universal love that you mentioned, where people should love themselves first and protect themselves before loving everyone else. Xunzi wasn't wrong, and neither was universal love. It's all right; it's people who have changed..."

Shusun Tong's voice grew softer and softer as he leaned against a bookshelf, clearly drunk.

Zhang Han helped the old man lie down on his side, then covered him with his outer garment and cloak, allowing him to sleep peacefully.

The next day, when Shusun Tong woke up, it was already fully light. He looked at the sun outside the study and thankfully it wasn't time to start his lecture yet.

"Master, Master!"

Hearing voices outside, the voices must be those of children reading, one of whom is Li Nu'er.

Shusun Tong got up and opened the door, where he saw three or five children. Li Nu'er pointed in the direction of the canal and said, "General Zhang Han said that a lot of laborers have come and asked the teacher to go there."

Feeling a bit thirsty after waking up from the alcohol, Uncle Sun Tong drank two mouthfuls of cool water before being surrounded by the children and led to the canal.

Zhang Han came over and said, "Zhang Cang ordered each county to conscript another 5,000 laborers to dig canals, and our county was allocated another 1,000 men."

Shusun Tong clicked his tongue and said, "Another thousand men! This grain is really..."

"There is no need to worry about food; it will all be provided by the imperial court."

Shusun Tong hesitated and said, "No wonder Zhang Cang looked worried when he came here yesterday."

Zhang Han nodded heavily.

The children watched a group of laborers eating flatbread, their little faces all looking glum. How much grain must they be consuming...?

These children were unaware that Jingye County would no longer need to provide grain for the construction of the canals.

……

This winter, the wind and snow came early and seem to be getting increasingly fierce.

For half a month, Zhang Cang traveled to more than ten counties, lobbying in various counties along the Luo River, and conscripted nearly 50,000 laborers to reclaim the river canals.

I heard that he even traveled all the way to Ningqin County at the mouth of the Luo River to find laborers who could dig canals.

Zhang Cang went door-to-door to visit each household in order to secure this canal.

At this moment, Zhang Cang stood in the county government office of Ningqin County. It was here that the young master had taken shelter from the rain before going to bring Wang Jian back.

Looking out from here, you can still see groups of laborers hurrying along on the open plains, led by a troop of Qin soldiers, on their way to dig canals.

Zhang Cang stayed there for two more days, then wrote a document and had it sent to Xianyang.

The heavy snow hasn't stopped yet, so Zhang Cang stayed in Ningqin County to avoid the snow.

"Let's go back to Xianyang after the snow stops."

Hearing what the others were saying, Zhang Cang said, "That's exactly what I was thinking."

The man bowed and said, "I am Sima Xin, the county magistrate of this place. I have come to greet Imperial Censor Zhang." Zhang Cang looked at the snow falling all around him. He had never heard of Sima Xin before. He was just a county magistrate, so he didn't care. Seeing that the man was about the same age as him, he said, "The people here are quite nice."

"Back then, King Huiwen of Qin named this place Ningqin. The old Qin people said that the King of Qin already had the intention to expand eastward. Later, the King of Qin really did want to expand eastward."

Zhang Cang sat by the brazier to warm himself, handed a scroll of documents to Sima Xin, and said, "Send people to build more houses for those laborers, along the riverbank construction site."

Sima Xin respectfully accepted the document and had it sent out.

Zhang Cang remained seated by the brazier, occasionally taking a sip of the boiled water.

Sima Xin looked at Zhang Cang, who was an imperial censor of the Qin Dynasty, with a respectful and admiring gaze.

Thinking to himself, Sima Xin wished he could become an imperial censor.

He picked up the hay from the warehouse and fed it to the horses in the stable, and then fed some of the hay to the five sheep next to him.

After tidying up the stables and sheepfold, Sima Xin brushed the weeds off his clothes and said, "It's a pity that I wasn't an official here when Prince Fusu came here."

Prince Fusu's reputation for virtue spread far and wide, but there was also much criticism of him. Sima Xin had heard of this long ago, but he was simply unlucky. When he first came here to serve as the county magistrate, Prince Fusu took the old general back to Xianyang, and he missed the opportunity.

Now, Prince Fusu's teacher, the current Imperial Censor Zhang Cang, has arrived at this place.

Seeing that the other party was only looking at the documents and didn't even glance at him, Sima Xin continued, "I used to be an official in Liyang. When I was a child, Liyang was a very good place."

As he spoke, Sima Xin sighed and said, "Xianyang City is getting better and better, but Liyang County is becoming more and more desolate. After so many years of fighting, we are almost wiped out. Fortunately, the court and the public have always treated the old people of Liyang very well, so even someone like me can come to Ningqin County to serve as a county magistrate."

Zhang Cang remained silent, still looking at the book in his hand.

Sima Xin felt awkward and stopped talking, staring blankly at the heavy snow outside the door.

The snow continued intermittently. Just as the sun began to shine in Guanzhong, teams of laborers were digging canals. Exhausted, they breathed heavily, exhaling warm breaths into the cold air.

Just half a month later, in the underground canal of Jingye County, a laborer pressed his ear to the soil and heard digging sounds from the other side. He exclaimed with delight, "Quickly, go and invite the general here!"

"it is good."

In the dimly lit ditch, the crowd whispered among themselves, the firelight illuminating their mud-covered faces.

Zhang Han approached with his body bowed and asked, "What did you dig up?"

A laborer who was squatting down said, "The general is about to break through."

Zhang Han was stunned for a moment.

The laborer said, "General, come and listen."

Zhang Han leaned closer and indeed heard a muffled digging sound and voices coming from the other end. He then said, "Bring a wooden shovel."

Taking the wooden shovel handed to him by the laborer, Zhang Han used force to dig out the mud, and then dug several more times. The mud slid down and shone with a little light.

Several laborers pushed hard, pushing away all the remaining soil, and a gust of cold wind carrying fresh air came towards them.

Another team of laborers who were digging a canal were so frightened by the sight of several heads emerging from the ground that they froze on the spot.

Then one by one, people crawled out of the hole.

After a man dressed in armor, who looked like a general, came out, more and more laborers emerged from there.

The captain guarding the area was about to step forward to inquire when he saw that it was Zhang Han. He immediately saluted and said, "Captain!"

Zhang Han had just come out of the canal and said somewhat disheveledly, "The underground canal has been dug. You guys reinforce the entrance to the passage."

"The last general takes orders."

Zhang Han patted the young captain on the shoulder as a sign of praise, and then left the place with his laborers.

They dug from one end of Shangyan Mountain to the other, and from the upper reaches of the Luo River. It took thousands of people three whole years to dig.

Walking from the culvert to this side of the mountain felt quite close, about sixty zhang.

Taking the roundabout route around the mountain took half an hour, and the group suppressed their emotions the whole way. Only when they returned to the village did the villagers cheer.

Three years of hard work have finally paid off.

Although the culvert collapsed several times during the operation, fortunately no one was injured and everything went relatively smoothly.

Then another soldier rode up on horseback, saying, "The Prime Minister has ordered the Commandant to oversee the construction of the remaining canals."

After speaking, the man remained seated on his horse, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and then pulled the reins, causing the horse to turn and depart once more.

Shusun Tong was still teaching and lecturing to children.

Three days later, after the reinforcement of the underground canal's outlet and inlet was completed, Zhang Han announced loudly, "Open the canal!"

The upstream canal was dug open, and the rushing river water entered the canal, washing away the current as it flowed downstream.

A group of children ran along the canal following the rushing water until it flowed into a culvert.

Then, on the other side of Shangyan Mountain, hundreds of laborers were at the other end of the underground canal, one of whom was lying by the canal, listening intently.

Finally, the man's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed excitedly, "The water's here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, water flowed out from the underground canal, heading towards Linjin County, flowing for over a hundred miles, and then returning to the Luo River at the next canal mouth.

The water level in the canal rose higher and higher, but it did not overflow the vertical well. After the water level stabilized, the villagers of Linjin County cheered.

An elderly farmer in Guanzhong stretched out his hands and scooped up the still murky river water from the canal. He said tremblingly, "There's water here now. We can irrigate now and plant crops!"

For a moment, tears welled up in the eyes of some old farmers. For generations, they had lived on the southern slope of Shangyan Mountain. There were no ditches here. In the past, if they needed water to irrigate their fields, they had to carry water for dozens of miles to the Luo River to fetch water, and then walk dozens of miles back to their fields.

Zhang Cang stood not far away, watching the cheering people. Next spring, they would not only be able to irrigate their own fields, but they would also no longer have to carry water for dozens of miles. In fact, they would be able to obtain thousands of acres of fertile land. From then on, they would not have to live such a hard life, and their descendants would be able to eat more healthily.

Jingye County spent a year digging canals and reaped the rewards.

Three years later, it affected several surrounding villages and counties, turning previously barren land into fertile fields.

Now that the underground canal has been dug, it is the second phase, affecting hundreds of households east of the Luo River.

These people will surely remember Prince Fusu's heroic deeds, and they will surely become his most steadfast supporters.

Now, Zhang Cang understood somewhat. He understood what the young master had said: Guanzhong should be a more prosperous place. It is not good enough or beautiful enough now; it should be more beautiful.

Looking across the 800-mile stretch of the Qin River Valley in Guanzhong, Zhang Cang understood what the young master meant by building the Xianyang Bridge and constructing canals. The beauty of the young master's words was that he wanted to develop Guanzhong.

Upon seeing Zhang Cang, Zhang Han rode up and said, "Imperial Censor Zhang."

Zhang Cang stood there, looking suspicious. Could it be that the young master wanted to emulate Shang Yang, the Grand Chancellor of the past?
Zhang Han patted Zhang Cang heavily on the shoulder and said, "Thank you for reporting the grand occasion here, Imperial Censor Zhang."

Zhang Cang waved his hand, pointed to a group of cavalry that had already gone far away, and said, "They went to report."

Zhang Han withdrew his hand, gave an awkward smile, and sighed, "Three years... these three years have been too tough."

Zhang Cang said slowly, "The people here only have to work hard for three years, but it will enable their descendants to have fertile land for generations to come."

As far as Zhang Han could see, there were cheering people everywhere.

Children were playing by the canal, a woman was wiping away tears as she looked at the water, and a man was laughing and already planning how to farm next year.

The elderly people held their grandchildren and laughed heartily, knowing that next year they would be able to grow enough food to feed their entire families.

Most of the laborers conscripted by Zhang Cang were like the people in front of him, laborers whose homes only had dry land.

Therefore, these people are the easiest to persuade, since Jingye County has received tangible benefits, and these laborers have no reason to remain indifferent.

Zhang Cang popped a jujube into his mouth, chewed it slowly, and looked at the vast expanse of arid land, thinking that he would turn it into fertile land in the future.

The young master has never spoken of his ambitions; if he truly had any, they would be like this.

Transform barren land and impoverished people into prosperous people and abundant grain.

People cheered for a whole day, and the news quickly spread throughout the counties of Guanzhong. The long-impoverished north and south of Shangyan Mountain was about to become prosperous.

The news reached the ears of people in almost every county.

The Guanzhong region is neither too big nor too small, but news travels very quickly.

The route and design of the canals were all planned by the young master. The most difficult part was the underground canal. Now that the underground canal has been overcome, the remaining well canals should be much easier.

Today, Shusun Tong arrived at the official residence by the Luo River. This is the residence of the Director of the Workshops, which belongs to the Shaofu, one of the Nine Ministers of the court. Now, Prince Fusu is the Assistant Director of the Shaofu.

Zhang Cang, who held the positions of Director of the Workshop and Imperial Censor, oversaw the construction of the canal here.

Upon seeing that it was Shusun Tong, Zhang Cang asked, "What brings you here, Master?"

Shusun Tong handed over a jar of pickled radishes, saying, "These are from the children in the village."

Zhang Cang lowered his head and said, "I haven't been in the county for long, do the children still remember me?"

“I remember, you taught them to write, so they will remember. They still remember Li You. The children wrote letters and I had them sent to Shu. I hope Li You can see them.”

Zhang Cang nodded and placed the jar of pickled radishes aside.

A gust of wind blew by, causing the oil lamp's light to flicker.

Shusun Tong put down the jar of pickled radishes, put his hands behind his back, and left.

On a cold winter night, Li Si repeatedly looked at the document sent by Zhang Cang. Another section of the canal had been completed. This was another great event this year since he issued the decree to standardize the written language.

I haven't even thought about executing Chunyu Yue in the marketplace recently.

The servant stood aside as the prime minister looked at the scroll of documents repeatedly, seemingly never tiring of it.

The next day, Li Si woke up holding the scroll; he had been awakened by his servant.

"Prime Minister, His Majesty summons you for a meal at Zhangtai Palace."

Li Si dressed in his finest clothes and hurriedly left the palace. When he entered the palace gate, he discovered that His Majesty had summoned all the civil and military officials, including the scholars who had come to Qin, among whom was Chunyu Yue.

Seeing that the other person was looking right at him, Li Si smiled in response. He had been so happy lately that he wanted to smile at everyone he saw.

Chunyu Yue's face turned cold when he saw Li Si's smile.

After a brief "confrontation," the group entered Zhangtai Palace.

At this moment, the sound of bells and music rang out in Zhangtai Palace. The First Emperor had not yet arrived. The officials were invited to take their seats by the eunuchs, and then wine and food were served on the table.

The officials sat on either side of the hall. When Li Si saw Chunyu Yue sitting opposite him, he still had a big smile on his face, giving the scholars who had come to Qin a victorious smile with a completely triumphant air.

In that year, the written language was standardized, the Xianyang Bridge was built, the southern expedition was launched, and canals were repaired...

Li Si was undoubtedly the clear winner.

Among these scholars who went to Qin, people like Chunyu Yue, who did not want to praise the Qin Dynasty, could only feel sorrow.

A group of palace maids entered the main hall and danced to the sound of bells and music.

Li Si popped some walnut kernels into his mouth and ate them with relish.

When the First Emperor entered the main hall, his ministers rose and paid their respects.

Ying Zheng, dressed in a black robe, sat down and glanced at everyone present, saying, "The news of our victories in the southern campaign has been frequent. I will drink with you all."

Li Si was the first to raise his wine cup, stand up and bow.

Then the other officials all stood up and bowed.

After the wine was consumed and the First Emperor put down his wine cup, everyone took their seats again.

After one group of palace maids finished their dance and left, another group entered the hall to dance. The two groups of palace maids had different dance styles. If one observed carefully, one would find that the first group of palace maids was dancing the dance of the State of Qi, while the second group of palace maids was dancing the dance of women from the State of Wei.

Ying Zheng scooped a bowl of noodles from a pot and looked at Fusu.

After understanding the situation, the eunuch served the noodles to Prince Fusu.

The ministers witnessed the father and son's actions, and then turned their attention to the palace maids' dance in the hall. The ministers, led by Li Si, naturally smiled even more broadly.

Prince Fusu remains the First Emperor's most beloved child. Moreover, this year the prince has built the Xianyang Bridge, constructed canals, and assisted in managing state affairs, so he has naturally made great contributions.

In terms of merit, the next one is Prime Minister Li Si.

Next is Zhang Cang.

This banquet was simply to celebrate our victory; there was no other purpose.

While freezing rain fell outside the palace, the singing and dancing continued inside.

The banquet didn't end until night.

The Emperor was a little drunk, so he went to rest early, and the officials in the hall also began to leave.

Fusu stood up and said, "Father has decreed that since winter has arrived, court will be suspended this year and will resume next spring when it is warm."

Upon hearing this, everyone bowed and took their leave.

Li Si looked out of the hall and saw that Chunyu Yue was the first to leave. He smiled as expected, bowed, and said, "Your subject congratulates you on the completion of the canal."

"Teacher is joking. Fusu only said a few words; everything was arranged by the Prime Minister."

Fusu walked out of the hall. "The canal will continue southward. I am not very familiar with the situation in each county. I hope you can help me later."

Li Si followed in their footsteps and said, "Your subject dares not slacken his efforts."

After the officials had all left, the area outside the palace became much quieter. Fusu saw off Prime Minister Li Si and stood outside Zhangtai Palace, still pondering. He looked at the old documents and realized that in order to expand eastward and absorb more people, the Qin state, at the suggestion of Shang Yang, had issued a decree that all those who came to submit to the Qin state would be exempt from three generations of corvée labor and taxes. Within the four borders of Qin, the hills, slopes, and marshes would not be taxed for ten years.

In those days, many people from various states were constantly migrating. When they learned of the conditions offered by the Qin state, they were naturally willing to move there.

The next day, inside Gaoquan Palace, Fusu was preparing breakfast, killing a fish and putting it in a pot to cook.

Tian An noticed that the young master was preoccupied again. Whenever the young master was preoccupied, he would kill an extra fish.

Normally, the young master only eats one fish per meal.

Mingming, there was a celebratory banquet at Zhangtai Palace last night.

Why does the young master still have something on his mind today?

The plum trees in front of the palace have stopped blooming again, even though it is the dead of winter.

Tian An stood outside the hall, feeling annoyed just looking at them, and thought about cutting down the two plum trees.

These two plum trees are strange; they don't bloom in the cold winter, but they do bloom when the warm spring arrives.

Moreover, even when it does bloom, it only opens two flowers perfunctorily, seemingly unwilling to open even one more, showing great stinginess.

Tian An gazed at the plum tree, his expression still conflicted.

Inside the palace, the young master was quite relaxed today. After having breakfast, he patiently fed the fish, watching their reflections on the water and observing how the fish in the pond were getting fatter and fatter.

(End of this chapter)