The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 46 It turns out we knew each other many years ago

The hardships endured by the people of Qin should not be forgotten. The Qin state faced immense difficulties back then, and the only way to survive the conflicts among the various states was to reform and strengthen itself.

The spirit of the Qin people must be remembered at all times. This is the first principle that children who have been taught in Jingye County should keep in mind. Gongzi Gao, who studies in Jingye County, should not only study well himself, but also make sure that his younger siblings learn the spirit of the Qin people.

As for why he was learning this, in Gongzi Gao's understanding, it was because his elder brother hoped that people could not be afraid of setbacks and be brave and fearless.

At the other end of Xianyang Palace, Fusu boarded the carriage that was leaving Xianyang City.

However, the carriage stopped as soon as it left the city gate.

"Young master, the Prime Minister is here."

Upon hearing this, Fusu lifted the carriage curtain and saw Tian An still holding the reins, the black horse pulling the carriage impatiently stamping its hooves.

Fusu glanced to the side and saw that Prime Minister Li Si was standing with Feng Jie.

One was formerly the Minister of Justice of the Qin Dynasty, ranking among the Nine Ministers, and is now the Prime Minister.

One of them is Feng Jie, the Minister of Justice, one of the current Nine Ministers of the Qin Dynasty.

The sight of the two standing together gave Fusu the feeling that they were plotting to harm someone.

It would be too easy for a prime minister and a court official to join forces to deal with one person, such as a certain scholar from Qilu.

However, Fusu quickly abandoned this idea. His teacher wanted to deal with someone and also join forces with the Court of Justice.
That's just too low-level.

If the teacher really wanted to deal with Chunyu Yue, then Chunyu Yue's death would be quite spectacular, without needing to join forces with the Court of Justice, and there would be no need at all.

Fusu smiled and said, "Fusu greets his teacher, Minister of Justice."

Li Si looked up at the young master who was still standing on the carriage shaft and had not yet dismounted, and asked, "Is the young master going to supervise the construction of the canal?"

The teacher's voice was actually quite loud, probably to let those around him know that this was Prince Fusu, and that was his teacher.

The wise Prince Fusu is going to repair the canal, and the Prime Minister of Qin is seeing him off.

Of course, many eyes were looking over from all around.

Fusu was also willing to grant his teacher's wish and replied, "That's right."

Many pedestrians around nodded, while others whispered among themselves.

Li Si looked up at the young master and said, "If you need anything, please feel free to give the order."

The teacher practically said that with just one word from him, everyone in the government and the public would come to his aid.

The special treatment given to the Prince of Qin goes without saying; what difference would it make if outsiders saw it?
Fusu then returned to the carriage and told Tian An to continue driving.

Following behind were two carriages carrying the furniture and books the young master wanted to take.

The carriage traveled further and further away along the official road, and Li Si continued to stand at the city gate, watching the departing carriage go.

Feng Jie stood aside, cooperating with the Prime Minister.

The passersby had all dispersed.

Now that's good; it probably won't be long before everyone in Xianyang knows that Prince Fusu went to repair the canal today.

Originally, the story of Prince Fusu repairing the Xianyang Bridge had already spread throughout Xianyang and even Guanzhong, and perhaps Luoyang in the east would also know about it.

However, the mere presence of Prime Minister Li Si at the city gate would give people the impression that he was helping Prince Fusu.

Feng Jie followed behind Li Si, looking thoughtful.

After leaving Xianyang, the carriage sped up and sped along the official road.

Fusu looked at the dossier in his hand, while the sound of warhorses' hooves could be heard on both sides.

The escort was still the old general Xin Sheng.

The thunderous sound of hooves on both sides indicated the escorting cavalry, showcasing the power of the Qin Dynasty's iron cavalry.

Winter is not over yet, and the wind in Guanzhong is still very cold. As early as late autumn, Guanzhong was hit by a heavy snow that lasted for several days.

Tian An drove the carriage at a leisurely pace, heading towards the western part of Ningqin County, which is roughly the end of the Jingye Canal.

Zhang Han was upstream of the Jingye Canal, Zhang Cang was in the middle section of the Jingye Canal, and I was going to the last section.

If all goes well with the construction, then the last section of the canal should now be excavated. Once it connects to Linjin County, the entire canal will be officially completed.

Fusu looked at the dossier in his hand. This time, more than 30,000 laborers were conscripted to dig canals. They were all transferred from various counties, and the vast majority of them were from dry land families on the southern slope of Shangyan Mountain. Two thousand people were transferred from that dry land alone.

This includes teenagers as young as fourteen or fifteen, and even elderly people aged fifty or over sixty can be considered as able-bodied laborers.

Among them, 16,000 were laborers drawn from Luoyang. Since these laborers were conscripted into Guanzhong, they would certainly settle there in the future. This was part of the migrant population.

In fact, no matter how you look at it, this is a very worthwhile investment. The cost of 30,000 to 50,000 people can cultivate tens of thousands of hectares of fertile land, grow enough food to feed hundreds of thousands of people, and continue the lineage from generation to generation.

Isn't this a good deal?
Only with fields can there be grain.

With food comes people, and land prospers because of people.

Land without people is worthless.

Fusu then opened the bundle beside him, which contained notes copied from the Imperial Censorate, totaling more than ten volumes.

These are all county annals from various counties in Guanzhong. Guanzhong needs more farmland to absorb more people and allow more and more people to live and settle down in Guanzhong.

Only in this way can Guanzhong become strong.

Since the beginning of the Warring States period, all countries have rushed to reform in order to become stronger. The purpose of reform was to become stronger and more powerful.

If we do not change our laws and strengthen ourselves, we will be swallowed up and devoured by other countries.

The people of Qin deeply understood the humiliation of the other states wanting to divide and take away Qin's land.

Therefore, whether the Qin people pass it down by word of mouth or not, at least this spirit should not be forgotten.

The county annals recorded in the dossier all concern population changes, which is also one of the main subjects of Fusu's recent study of state affairs.

In fact, the current population of Guanzhong is not even comparable to its peak before the Qin state expanded eastward.

In addition, given the current situation between the North and South, the population is still insufficient.

Fusu looked out of the carriage and saw the vast Guanzhong Plain, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

After the Zheng Guo Canal was dug, the population of Guanzhong increased once, but it was also lost again due to war.

To this day, it has not yet recovered.

To stabilize the foundation, we cannot just wait idly; we must actively attract more people.

During the period of warring states, people migrated frequently, and this migration became a habit.

As long as this trend continues, Fusu believes that with the talents of the Prime Minister and Zhang Cang, increasing the population of Guanzhong by another 500,000 should be no problem.

In this way, Guanzhong had a population of one million.

Gradually, it won't be difficult to make Guanzhong the center of the world.

As long as the grain reserves in Guanzhong can feed a million people.

For the mighty generals of the Qin Dynasty, as long as there was enough food to feed a million people, the northern expedition to wipe out the Xiongnu was a piece of cake.

By the time we were almost at Ningqin County, it was already night.

The carriage slowly came to a stop, and the sound of hooves on both sides also ceased, with only the occasional snorting of the horses in the cold wind remaining.

Fusu alighted from the carriage and saw a group of people waiting to greet him.

After asking the questions, the old general Xin Sheng came forward to report: "Young master, this is Sima Xin, the county magistrate of Ningqin County."

"Your subject, Sima Xin, has come to welcome the young master!"

The other person's voice was very loud. Fusu looked around and said, "Is this part of Ningqin County?"

Sima Xin clasped his hands together, bowed deeply, and said with his head down, "Young master, this place is not within the territory of Ningqin County, but of all the counties, Ningqin County is the furthest from here."

The Luo River flows right beside the road, and the sound of its water is quite pleasant, especially at night.

Fusu stood in the cold wind and sighed, saying, "Thank you for coming here to greet me in this freezing weather."

The young master spoke calmly, in just a short sentence.

Sima Xin and his men from the county were still standing aside, unsure how to respond.

Even Sima Xin felt that he had made a mistake and should not have come here to greet the young master.

Even before the court adjourned, officials had handed over the route along the Jingye Canal to the various counties.

Sima Xin heard that Prince Fusu was coming here, so he came early to prepare.

Looking up again, they saw the young master and a general who was escorting him setting up camp.

The young master might think that Sima Xin is too eager, too eager to gain merit, and too eager to curry favor.

But so what? Sima Xin had witnessed Liyang County go from prosperity to desolation, and more and more people went to Xianyang.

Sima Xin felt that people have even fewer opportunities to change their fate in this lifetime.

He needs to seize every opportunity.

Even though the young master ignored her, Sima Xin still stood by the carriage, waiting for him to speak.

"County Magistrate, it's getting late."

Sima Xin glanced at the county officials who were shivering in the cold wind and said in a low voice, "You should all go back. When you go back, tell the county magistrate that I will be back in a few days."

Behind them, a group of county officials and tax collectors looked at each other in bewilderment.

In fact, it didn't matter whether Sima Xin went back or not, and there was no need to inform the county magistrate. During the winter season, people were unwilling to come out, and the county was also quiet.

If they hadn't been dragged here by the county magistrate, they wouldn't have wanted to travel during the winter months.

After discussing it for a while, the group left one after another, leaving Sima Xin standing alone by the carriage.

As the night deepened, the wind grew stronger.

Many tents were set up around the area, and the young master stayed in the tent with the brightest firelight.

Before long, a tall eunuch strode over.

Seeing that the other party seemed to be heading towards him, Sima Xin took half a step back.

Then the tall eunuch entered the carriage and took out a package full of documents.

As soon as he stepped out of the carriage, Tian An noticed the person standing behind him and asked, "Where is the others?"

Sima Xin bowed respectfully and replied, "It's cold at night, so let them go back first."

Tian An, carrying the bundle in one hand, said, "Come on, young master, you may see me."

Sima Xin nodded slightly, straightened her clothes, and followed.

Upon entering the tent, Sima Xin felt much warmer. He saw rows of wooden boxes filled with bamboo slips.

He looked up again and saw the tall eunuch whispering a few words in the young master's ear.

Sima Xin noticed that the young master's expression was serious, without the slightest hint of joking, and his gaze was scrutinizing.

Fusu said, "Ningqin County has been well governed recently."

Sima Xin bowed and said, "I have only been serving in Ningqin County for a short time, please forgive my rudeness, young master."

Fusu picked up an almond, put it in his mouth, and chewed it.

Sima Xin then said, "My lord, Ningqin County is located behind Hangu Pass and is also a strategic pass for entering Guanzhong. I believe that Ningqin County should become a prosperous county."

Fusu chewed the almond in his mouth, then picked up the hot water next to him and took a sip, before giving Tian An a look.

Tian An understood and handed Sima Xin a stool and a bowl of hot water, saying in a low voice, "County Magistrate, have some hot water to ward off the cold."

"Thank you, sir."

After speaking, Sima Xin bowed first, then drank a mouthful of hot water. He took out a scroll from his bosom and said, "I have a plan to offer to you, my lord."

Tian An took Sima Xin's file.

Looking at Prince Fusu again, he was still sitting and reading a book, chewing almonds.

Tian An added, "The army has arranged accommodations, and the county magistrate will stay here."

Sima Xin nodded and bowed once more.

Hesitantly leaving the young master's tent, Sima Xin followed a lieutenant general to a camp.

Several armored soldiers were lying in the tent. The adjutant who brought him there said, "This is the only place we can rest."

Sima Xin looked around the tent and stood there without saying a word for a moment.

The adjutant added, "You can also go back to Ningqin County and come back tomorrow."

Sima Xin glanced at the young master's tent again, gritted her teeth, and said, "Thank you."

The adjutant nodded and left.

“At least it’s better than freezing outside.” Sima Xin walked into the tent and lay down on his side.

There were three armored soldiers sleeping there, and as soon as I lay down, all sorts of smells assaulted my nostrils.

Sima Xin closed her eyes, frowned, and endured the smell, continuing to lie on her side.

After a sleepless night, Sima Xin woke up early, washed her face with river water, and then wiped her face with her sleeve.

As the chilly morning breeze blew, Sima Xin regained his spirits. He felt that as long as he seized this opportunity, his life would be different.

Everyone says that Prince Fusu is wise and virtuous, and the governance plan he submitted last night is the culmination of his years of hard work.

Once the young master has seen it, he will surely see me again.

The sky began to lighten, and the eastern sky gradually took on a white glow.

The white light first emerged from the mountains of Xiaoshan, and then turned golden, slowly illuminating the entire Guanzhong Plain.

Sima Xin met the young master again. The young master, Fusu, was being escorted by a troop of soldiers to the camp where the canal was being dug.

Sima Xin, standing still, was a little puzzled. Did the young master not read his strategy?
With growing anxiety, Sima Xin paced back and forth in place.

However, the young master went to the canal where the laborers were working, and they waited until noon but he did not return.

Sima Xin simply sat there and waited, hoping that the young master would return by nightfall.

What happened next left Sima Xin at a loss. The few soldiers who remained there all went to the canal construction site, and even the young master's carriage and tent were taken away.

"Is the young master returning to the palace?" Sima Xin asked as she stepped forward.

The soldiers ignored him and instead left the area with their cartloads of goods.

Seeing that the other party wouldn't say anything, and feeling it wouldn't be right to wait there alone.

Sima Xin looked back in the direction of Ningqin County. He thought of what had happened last night, gritted his teeth, and mustered his courage to follow the armored soldiers at a distance.

The armored soldiers weren't walking very fast. Sima Xin heard them clearly; it seemed that they would be able to eat the delicious food bestowed by the young master tonight.

Sima Xin was suspicious. So, the young master hadn't returned to the palace at all.

The fortifications along the canal were indeed not far from Ningqin County; it was only five li away. Five li south of here, the final section of the Jingye Canal would be dug.

The entire canal project was divided into three sections. General Zhang Han supervised the construction of one section, while Imperial Censor Zhang Cang oversaw the construction of the middle section.

Prince Fusu was to oversee the construction of the final section. After the three sections of the canal were dug from north to south and connected together, they would form the complete Jingye Canal.

When Sima Xin arrived here, he saw a house under construction in the distance, where the armored soldiers who had escorted the young master were also located.

“Since you have accepted the books, you will definitely see me. If you are unwilling to help me, you will not even accept the books.”

If you, my lord, are confused about the strategy, Sima Xin can explain it to you.

Sima Xin stroked his short beard with one hand, looking into the crowd.

"County Magistrate?"

Hearing voices beside him, Sima Xin, who was standing on tiptoe, immediately snapped back to reality.

It turned out that, without anyone noticing, this tall eunuch had been standing beside them.

Sima Xin bowed respectfully and asked, "Does the young master have any instructions?"

Tian An handed over the book, saying, "This is the book you gave to the young master last night. He read it, made some revisions, and wrote many instructions. His intention is that he hopes the county magistrate can be down-to-earth and study how to govern the people's livelihood well. Great Qin will not let down every official who is dedicated to his duties."

Sima Xin took the book in a daze.

After saying this, Tian An left, as the young master had only instructed him to say this much.

Sima Xin was filled with confusion and doubt, but after a long while he opened the bamboo slip and read through its contents sentence by sentence.

Although it was a sunny day, the cold wind continued. Sima Xin had been standing still for an hour, his clothes fluttering in the wind, holding the bamboo scroll in his hand, staring at the words.

In the end, Sima Xin stared with bloodshot eyes, reading word by word. The young master dissected the entire piece, analyzing all the insights from the inside out.

The young master not only explained each of his writings, but also pointed out the errors.

Sima Xin's expression showed more pain. He read it over and over again countless times, and after careful consideration, he suddenly felt that what the young master had written seemed to be correct.

In particular, one sentence states that building a city or region is not something that can be accomplished with a few words of empty talk and a lack of practical skills.

Sima Xin pondered the sentence repeatedly, and for a moment she felt blush and even ashamed.

A cold wind blew by, and Sima Xin looked up and sighed, realizing that all his learning in his life was inferior to that of the young master.

Late at night, the gates of the Ningqin County government building were slowly opened. The steward, who was feeding the horses, saw the newcomer and, after a careful look, confirmed that it was his own county magistrate.

He hurried forward to ask, but saw the county magistrate holding a scroll in his hand, walking into the mansion with a blank look in his eyes, and then weakly returning to the house and closing the door.

The steward looked at the figure illuminated by the lamplight; that figure was none other than Sima Xin, the county magistrate.

The county magistrate was acting very strangely today. The steward was worried that the magistrate might commit suicide, so he stayed by the stable all night, checking on the magistrate Sima Xin from time to time.

When dawn broke once again, rumors began to circulate in Ningqin County.

An old woman whispered to a minor official, "Didn't Prince Fusu take your county magistrate's money?"

"Sigh..." The clerk sighed first, then looked around the county government building and whispered, "What kind of person is Prince Fusu? Why would he take a fancy to him?"

The curious woman found out the details and left satisfied, wanting to tell her neighbors the news.

During the cold winter, the people of Ningqin County stayed indoors all winter. They were very idle and didn't know what to do, so the affairs of the county magistrate, Sima Xin, became their topic of conversation.

As the cold winter passed and the weather warmed up slightly, people in Guanzhong felt that the cold winter was over, as there had been no snow for half a month.

Some elderly people were calculating the time, and the county government had also posted notices, indicating that the spring of the new year had arrived.

Although it hadn't snowed for half a month and the Guanzhong Plain had been sunny for half a month, freezing rain has started falling again now.

Winter has indeed passed, but the spring planting season is far from over.

This winter was unusually long; even the old farmers in Guanzhong felt it was unusually long.

However, recently, news came from Ningqin County that the county magistrate, Sima Xin, has been frequently visiting various households to inquire about their situations. He has almost visited all eleven pavilions in the county.

No one knew what this county magistrate was doing. Later, people discovered that the county magistrate, Sima Xin, sat in his room all day, writing incessantly, and rarely went out except to eat or use the toilet.

This made the people in the county start to worry, fearing that the county magistrate might fall ill.

To the east of Ningqin County.

The Jingye Canal is still being dug, and the vertical shafts are beginning to take shape.

On the banks of the Luo River, Fusu was practicing halberd fighting under the tutelage of General Xin Sheng.

Fusu swung his halberd and cleaved it with force, the sound of the halberd striking echoing in the air.

Xin Sheng said, "Young master, you don't need to hold back. When you strike the enemy, you must use all your strength."

Upon hearing this, Fusu thrust forward again with both hands, piercing the straw figure through.

Xin Sheng stroked his beard, smiled, and nodded, asking, "Why did you change the halberd to this shape, young master?"

Fusu put it away and explained, "It's more convenient to use this way, and it's easier to exert force."

To be precise, this is indeed neither the original halberd nor the spear of the Qin state.

Fusu modified it; it was actually a horse lance, a heavy cavalry long-handled weapon.

Xin Sheng took the lance and wielded it for a bit, saying, "Hmm! It's indeed easy to handle."

Cavalry duels often involved heavy weapons, and the lance once played an important role among the weapons of heavy cavalry.

In fact, the craftsmanship of the Qin state was very good, especially in the craftsmanship of weapons.

Therefore, this lance was actually made by modifying the halberd of the Qin state.

Xin Sheng held the horse spear and stabbed the straw man a few more times. After hitting the straw man, he pushed it forward, repeatedly experiencing this technique.

Fusu sat down to the side and poured cooled water into his mouth.

Tian An strode over, "Young Master, Sima Xin..."

Listening to Tian An recount Sima Xin's recent actions, Fu Su said, "I understand."

Tian An stood aside and continued to watch the water boiling in the stove. The young master disliked scheming ministers, but preferred down-to-earth ministers. He disliked flattering ministers, but preferred ministers who could do practical things for the country.

As Fusu watched General Xin Sheng wield his spear, he pondered to himself, "Sima Xin said that Ningqin County is backed by Mount Hua, located to the north of Mount Hua. The county borders the Yellow River to the north and Hangu Pass to the east."

Despite the proximity to the Yellow River, arable land is scarce. He wanted to build a market in Ningqin County, taking advantage of the Yellow River and the ancient road that was the only way to go east.

Sima Xin was too presumptuous, assuming that he could make Ningqin County prosperous simply by building a market.
The development of Jingye County alone is enough to give Fusu a headache.

Not to mention that they also had to supervise the work of tens of thousands of laborers and ensure their logistical support.

Fusu truly lacked the energy to pay attention to Sima Xin's "lofty ideals," and finally pointed out the problem, throwing it back at him. As for what he could accomplish, it was entirely up to his own fate.

If this person really intends to join Xiang Liang, then let the Prime Minister eliminate him first.

The Prime Minister will be happy to serve.

After finishing his morning exercise, Fusu would begin his day's work.

As a prince of Qin, holding the important position of Junior Chamberlain, he was very close to becoming one of the Nine Ministers of Qin.

Fusu believed that as long as he did his job well, he could gain more power.

General Xin Sheng's officers are supervising the construction.

However, as soon as the construction began, various problems arose: some people fell ill, some fought amongst themselves, some fought over food, and some even concealed their illness.

Fusu looked at these trivial matters, holding a calligraphy brush in one hand and rubbing his forehead with the other.

The laborers here are not servants of Shangyan Mountain. Some of them are local ruffians from various villages and counties, while others may be close relatives of county officials or have powerful connections.

Xin Sheng had a lieutenant standing beside him, holding a lance in one hand. He really liked this weapon because it was so handy. If he were in the army, he would be happy to be the halberd bearer outside the old general's tent.

Xin Sheng took the report handed to him by the young master, glanced at it, and nodded.

The old general took out a scroll from it and instructed, "Listen carefully."

The adjutant carrying the halberd stepped forward and said, "Your subordinate is here."

The old general placed the roster in his hands and said in a deep voice, "There are nineteen people on this roster. The nineteen people had a private fight while building the canal. The military commander arrested them, dragged them out in front of everyone, and whipped them fifty times. If they cause trouble again, they will be sent to Xianyang for imprisonment."

Xin Sheng then took out another list and said, "Disperse the people in this list and give it to Zhang Cang, the censor in charge of the Linjin County construction. The remaining seven people will be given to Zhang Han."

"Is the old general worried that these laborers might band together and cause trouble?"

"Gatherings of people from the same hometown are most likely to cause trouble."

"You will finally understand."

“There’s more.” He took out another scroll and instructed, “This scroll contains fifty people. These fifty laborers have all performed very well in repairing the canal. Send an extra three bushels of grain to their families.”

"The last general takes orders."

The canal construction suddenly stopped, and people looked at each other curiously. One of them was the one who had fought in the morning. He didn't know what had happened and looked around.

Suddenly, a pair of large hands reached out, lifted the person out, dragged them for a while, and then pinned them to the ground.

Immediately afterwards, the sound of whips cracking rang out.

One by one, people were dragged out, whips were lashed down, and cries of agony filled the air.

Tian An watched the scene from afar and said with a smile, "The old general is still as strict in disciplining his troops as ever."

Xin Sheng said, "Alas, I am old and not as good as I used to be."

Upon hearing this, Fusu, who was looking at the roster, stopped chewing almonds. He suddenly realized something from the details of their conversation.

It turns out that Tian An and the old general Xin Sheng had known each other for many years.

Upon closer inspection, Fusu became even more suspicious. It turned out that... Tian An and the old general were of similar age.

(End of this chapter)