The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 52: Hoping for Food
In Zhangtai Palace, Ying Zheng remained seated on the throne, holding a scroll in his hand, reading without saying a word.

On either side of the main hall, Li Si and Wang Jian sat facing each other.

"Three years?" Wang Jian muttered to himself.

Li Si took a deep breath and said, "The old general shouldn't have doubted the young master's determination back then."

Wang Jian appeared weak, coughed twice, and said to the First Emperor, "I am old and foolish. Li Si has set a trap for me."

Ying Zheng, seated at the head of the table, remained silent, only slightly frowning as he looked at the documents.

Wang Jian lowered his head, coughed weakly twice, and said, "Prime Minister, how dare you ask the young master to return it?"

Li Si smiled to himself, thinking that this old fellow was still pretending to be so frail and old. If this weren't Zhangtai Palace, he would probably have stormed off.

Wang Jian then said, "This old minister does not want these 100,000 shi of grain."

Ying Zheng nodded slowly.

Seeing that the First Emperor nodded, Wang Jian stood up, bowed, and was about to walk out of the hall.

"I can do without these 100,000 shi of grain, but I'm afraid you'll want to return them."

Upon hearing this, Wang Jian stopped in his tracks, his hand holding the cane seemed to tremble slightly, as if he was angry. He then said in a low voice, "That's your business, Li Si, it has nothing to do with me."

After saying this, Wang Jian continued walking out.

The Zhangtai Palace remained quiet, and Li Si, without even blushing, sat upright to one side.

After leaving Zhangtai Palace, I walked down the steps and arrived at my home in Xianyang City.

The general's mansion in Xianyang was far smaller than Pinyang's hometown. Pinyang's hometown had a huge farm, which belonged to the old general.

Normally, only Wang Ben lived in his mansion in Xianyang City, while Wang Jian rarely came.

Today, as Wang Jian entered the mansion, his pace quickened considerably, and he said in a deep voice, "Take my grain to do Li Si a favor, and I'll thank Li Si in return."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Jian pushed aside the things on the table.

Bamboo slips, writing brushes, ink, ceramic bowls, wine, and various prepared foods were scattered on the ground.

The servants in the mansion were so frightened that they all knelt down in submission.

Wang Ben glanced at them briefly without saying anything, then waved his hand to signal the servants to leave.

Just as Wang Ben was about to get up to comfort his father, he suddenly heard his father speak again.

"Li Si! You old fox, I'll get my revenge on you sooner or later."

Wang Ben, who was about to get up, sat back down, thinking that it was nothing serious and that his father didn't really want to make enemies with Li Si.

Since handing over military power and sending Wang Li to Shangjun, the Wang family is actually living quite comfortably now.

Although Wang Ben missed his son who was far away in Shangjun overseeing the construction of the Great Wall, he also knew that the overall situation should take precedence. He thought it would be good for Wang Li to go to Shangjun to experience some hardship and learn more from Meng Tian.

Perhaps the Wang family will produce another general in the future. He doesn't need to be outstanding; being a subordinate general who can provide some support to Meng Tian would be enough.

As for the Wang family, it was fortunate that the father did not suffer the same fate as Bai Qi and Wei Ran.

The First Emperor offered a way out, and the Wang family father and son had no choice but to accept it.

Wang Ben said in a low voice, "Knowing that Li Si is cunning, why provoke him?"

Wang Jian's beard and hair fluttered in the wind, and his breathing was heavy, much like that of an old and raging tiger.

Wang Ben stepped forward and patted his father on the back, soothing the "fierce tiger," and whispered, "I will definitely ask Li Si for it another day."

Upon hearing this, Wang Jian, who had been angry, slowed his breathing and calmed down. He reached out and grabbed his son's arm, looking at his son whose temples were now slightly gray, and said, "Send whatever Prince Fusu needs, even if it's just to do Li Si a favor."

Wang Ben nodded and said, "Father, rest assured."

Wang Jian then whispered, "We are giving Li Si face now, but in the future, we will need your help to get it back for our Wang family. You have always been generous in rewarding those who work for you, just like the villagers of Jingye County."

After speaking, Wang Jian left the mansion, leaning on his cane.

Wang Ben's temples were not only slightly frosted, but even his short beard was covered with white. His father was saying that the young master was a man of clear rewards and punishments, and that serving the young master would surely bring him great rewards.

Watching his father's retreating figure, Wang Ben stood frozen in place. His father was getting older and older, and his eyes were becoming increasingly cloudy, but his heart was becoming brighter and brighter.

His father had long understood the situation in Xianyang, and Wang Ben was also surprised to realize that the young master had never been stingy with his rewards when the Xianyang Bridge was being built.

At the time, I just felt that the young master was still young and the reward was a bit excessive.

But looking back at the construction of the Jingye Canal, the events of the past years flashed through Wang Ben's memory time and time again.

Prince Fusu was a person who respected rules very much. At first, it was thought that the prince did this in order to win over the Legalist faction led by Li Si.

But my father thought the opposite.

It was precisely because of Prince Fusu's character that people like Li Si supported him.

That's 100,000 shi of grain, and it was an agreement made under the witness of the First Emperor. If the First Emperor hadn't been there, my father wouldn't have dared to make such a big promise to Li Si.

Therefore, it is clear that the First Emperor also hoped for the completion of the canal.

Wang Ben watched as his father boarded the carriage to return to Pinyang and said to the people around him, "Send another 100,000 shi of grain to Prince Fusu, and say that it is sent by the Wang family on behalf of the Prime Minister."

The servants in the house hurried off to carry out their tasks.

At Tongguan, Fusu received another 100,000 shi of grain. The Wang family's servants delivered the grain and left a message saying that it was delivered on behalf of Prime Minister Li Si.

Listening to Tian An's account, Fu Su wondered if the Prime Minister and General Wang were having a tiff.

However, Fusu stopped thinking about it. Everyone was a reasonable person, and they were willing to provide food and supplies for the great cause in Guanzhong.

Fusu was overjoyed; how could he possibly refuse?

"The teacher knew I would definitely run out of food. I thought that if I gritted my teeth and relied on the supplies from Jingye County and the surrounding counties, even if the food was not good, I could get through it as long as I didn't starve to death."

Fusu sighed again, "Alas, Teacher and General Wang have gone to great lengths."

General Wang's meaning was clear: his Wang family did not lack the 200,000 shi of grain, nor did they need to borrow Li Si's face. The previous 100,000 shi did not need to be repaid by Prince Fusu, but Li Si still owed the Wang family 100,000 shi of grain.

If they had to send Prince Fusu from the beginning, even if it was 200,000 shi of grain, the Wang family could afford it.

But your share, Li Si, will be calculated separately, and it has nothing to do with Prince Fusu.

That's about it...

Both of them were cunning old foxes with profound experience.

The food was given away, so I accepted it without any guilt. If I didn't accept it, it would be a waste of the elders' good intentions.

During the busy farming season, Fusu had some free time. With nothing to do, he set up several sand tables in front of his house. The largest sand table was the layout of the entire Weinan Prefecture, and each of the smaller sand tables represented a county.

Fusu is currently laying out the future appearance of Tongguan. There is an old saying that without Tongguan, there would be no Qin, Han, or Tang dynasties.

Beside Tongguan, there is a narrow path, a path only wide enough for one cart and one horse to pass at a time, with a natural barrier as formidable as Hangu Pass.

Fusu wanted to develop this place into a strategic location in Guanzhong, and also into a key trading port for trade between Guanzhong and Luoyang.

Tian An was standing to the side, boiling water for the young master.

Fusu said, "In fact, Sima Xin's idea is not wrong. The Weihe River port can indeed be used as a trading market. But he is wrong. This place is not in Huayin, but in Tongguan."

Tian An sat to the side, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan. It was still a bit hot in the afternoon after the Grain Rain season. After two or three spring rains each spring, the Guanzhong Plain would enter its dry season.

When summer and autumn arrive, and the Central Plains region enters a relatively dry autumn season, Guanzhong will experience the unique Huaxi Autumn Rain, which often lasts for half a month.

The Yellow River is currently at a low water level, and the water level in the lower reaches of the Luo River is even lower now that the Jingye Canal has been completed.

In the afternoon, the warm afternoon still felt a bit hot for young people, and they would start to sweat after half an hour in the sun.

But for Tian An, an old man of this age, the afternoon sun was just the right amount of warm. He waved his palm-leaf fan less and less, and his eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Most likely, the young master's newly built recliner was too comfortable. When he was completely relaxed, sleepiness came over him.

Breathing in the air by the Yellow River, when Tian An slowly opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the twilight on the horizon.

He quickly sat up and looked around. He was still by the Yellow River, but the evening breeze was much cooler. He calmed himself down and looked up again, where he saw the young master sitting by several sand tables, still reading a book.

Tian An felt much more at ease. He stood up, rubbed his eyes, and looked around. The stove in front of him was still burning, and the water in the pottery kettle was newly added cold water, which must have been added by the young master.

He remembered that he should prepare dinner, otherwise the young master would be hungry.

Fusu kept his eyes on the book, but out of the corner of his eye he also noticed that Tian An looked a little flustered when he woke up.

"Having a nightmare?"

Upon hearing the young master's question, Tian An replied, "The reclining chair you made is so comfortable, this old servant has been sleeping for a long time since I lay down on it."

Fusu said, "If you like it, prepare one in Gaoquan Palace in the future, and build an even better one."

Tian An waved his hand and said, "Young master, there's no need to make any more. This one is perfect." With that, Tian An left.

Fusu continued to look at the county annals of each county. These annals contained records of the counties in recent years, which were sufficient for him to do some preparatory work.

When Tian An returned, he was carrying a Yellow River carp, some river clams, and small shrimp.

These must have been obtained by Tian An from the villagers in exchange for grain; a small bag of grain was all it took to get these river delicacies from the villagers.

People who grew up by the Yellow River have excellent swimming skills, and they almost never return empty-handed from their trips.

The river delicacies they caught then became their meal.

The noodles that Tian An gave them were the villagers' favorite, and they were willing to exchange better river delicacies for the noodles.

They enjoy delicate foods like noodles, and their children enjoy them even more.

After Tian An returned, he started making noodles. In Jingye County, there would always be people coming to watch when he made noodles, but in Tongguan, there weren't as many people watching.

Tian An's noodle-pulling skills became more and more proficient, and he increasingly resembled a master noodle-pulling expert.

Fusu began cleaning the small shrimp, clams, and Yellow River carp in front of him.

To remove the fishy smell from the Yellow River carp, Fusu took a small knife and stabbed it into the gill root, then hung the fish upside down to bleed it.

Then, take out scallions and ginger to prepare the river clams and small shrimp.

Tian An was also preparing the staple food, and the wide strands gradually took shape.

After bleeding the fish, Fusu began to scrape off the scales and cut open the belly, handling the entire process with ease.

If an outsider witnessed this scene and knew that the person killing the fish was Prince Fusu, they would most likely find it hard to believe.

In less than half an hour, a platter of fresh river delicacies was ready. The shrimp were being fried in a small pot to extract their oil, and the river clam meat was steaming hot as it was grilled.

Fusu took the bowl of noodles from Tian An, ate the noodles, and then picked up a piece of river fish to eat.

Sitting by the Yellow River for a meal, with the evening breeze blowing in our faces, the sky gradually darkened into night, and the setting sun finally sank below the horizon.

The next day, Fusu woke up early and practiced swordsmanship with the old general by the Yellow River, using simple slashing and thrusting techniques.

Originally, the same was true for long spears and heavy halberds, and now the same is true for long swords.

In the words of the old general, on the battlefield, as long as you are strong enough and react quickly enough, you can kill more enemies.

When the sun shines directly on the entire Tongguan County, the whole county comes alive.

Although it was the busy farming season, General Xin Sheng was still able to spare some manpower to build the Tongguan Pass. He could find thirty to fifty villagers from Tongguan County.

Every morning, I would practice until the back of my shirt was soaked with sweat before I would stop.

At this time, county officials from various counties in Weinan sent their reports.

Fusu also began his workday.

Today, Tian An brought a scroll with him. "Young Master! Imperial Censor Zhang has sent a letter."

Although Zhang Cang is in Luoyang, Tongguan is not far from Luoyang, and they can correspond. I sent a letter to my teacher three days ago, and only now have I received a reply.

The sound of the Yellow River still echoed in his ears. Fusu opened the letter and read its contents. The letter had inquired about how to build a prefecture.

In the teacher's reply, he described the responsibilities of the Junior Chamberlain, including his subordinate workshops and weaving workshops, as well as the construction of palaces and even the provision of food and clothing.

To be honest, up to this point, Fusu has not yet properly learned about the specific functions of the position of Junior Chamberlain.

After reading the teacher's reply, I finally understood something.

In short, does the teacher expect me to fully utilize the power of the Junior Chamberlain?

After thinking for a moment, he first wrote a letter and sent it to Xianyang, arranging for some craftsmen to come to Tongguan to assist in the construction of the city gate.

In fact, once Fusu used his power, he found that he had quite a few resources at his disposal. These days, Fusu had been familiarizing himself with his sphere of authority and the position of Junior Chamberlain.

Apart from the Shangfang's weapons manufacturing and imperial tomb repair, all other craftsmen could be mobilized.

Of course, how many people can be mobilized depends on the Prime Minister's decision.

Fusu was quite confident about getting past the prime minister.

After writing the letter, Fusu instructed Tian An to deliver it to Xianyang.

Then he began to review the documents from various counties, which were all about the progress of the construction. In fact, the content was similar to yesterday's. However, Cheng Miao had settled 200,000 laborers very well.

Huayin County now has a population of 60,000, and the newly merged Dali County has a population of 80,000. Including Jingye County and the counties east of Chongquan, the total population is 140,000.

Including the 200,000 laborers, the entire Weinan region has a population of just over 300,000.

If it weren't for the 200,000 people who migrated here, the total population would only be around 100,000.

Fusu looked at the sand table not far away, and it was almost noon.

In front of the small house by the Yellow River, the master and servant had lunch and then quietly went about their own business.

In the afternoon, Tian An would doze off.

After Fusu finished organizing the documents, he sent them to Xianyang City.

Looking back, he saw that Tian An was also asleep, so Fu Su simply closed his eyes and lay down on the bamboo chair.

The master and servant slept very peacefully. Although he was asleep, his eyes were half-closed, and he would wake up immediately if anyone approached.

During the remaining days and the month he spent in Tongguan, Fusu also developed the habit of taking a nap. If he didn't take a nap, he would be listless for the entire afternoon.

That day, Fusu was sitting by the river, grilling and eating fish.

Tian An would always tear off extra noodles and give them to the children who were being held back by the soldiers.

So much so that now, when Tian An pulls noodles, a group of children watch eagerly.

Today is no different. Fusu said, "Send a few people to Jingye County to teach them how to make rice and flour."

Tian An nodded and went to give the instructions, and then distributed the extra noodles to the children.

Fusu sighed as he ate the pancake. In fact, Tian An was a very kind old man. He never scolded those rude children; on the contrary, he took good care of them.

Fusu sat by the Yellow River and saw Tian An walking over as well.

Reflected in the calm Yellow River, Fusu saw himself sitting on the bank and Tian An standing beside him. For the past month, the two of them seemed to have depended on each other for survival.

"The crops haven't grown yet."

“Reporting to Young Master, the grain will be harvested in the summer. It looks like we have to wait a long time, but it’s actually not that long.” At this point, Tian An thought for a moment and continued, “Back when Jingye County was reclaiming wasteland, they were all waiting for a rain. Later, Young Master said that it was time for rain, and then it really did rain, and the fields survived.”

Fusu picked out the fish bones, put a bite of fish in his mouth, and said while eating, "Well, it won't take long. Just wait and the harvest will be plentiful."

“Young master still has many things to do, but this old servant is different. This is all I have to do in my life.”

Perhaps it was because he had grown accustomed to seeing grains grow and be harvested, and each time grains were sown in the fields, it meant that he had grown another year older.

Tian An is kind, and he also cherishes this world.

If he were to actually die, he would most likely be the most unwilling.

"I think life is very long, so you should never say that you are insignificant."

Tian An nodded, tears welling up in his eyes again.

Fusu stood up and said, "Teacher should be back from Luoyang by now. He should have finished what he needed to do there."

Tian An replied, "I sent someone to inquire earlier. There are still many things to take care of in Luoyang. I should be back by the time I finish these two weeks."

"It's been five days. As the Vice Minister of the Imperial Household Department, I have been conscripting craftsmen from Xianyang. The Prime Minister should be sending word by now," Fusu said in a low voice, gazing in the direction of Xianyang.

"I'll send someone to ask the Prime Minister again."

"No need. Both the South and the North are busy these days, and the teacher and the government are busy running back and forth. They probably can't take care of me."

Tian An really wanted to ask Li Si, but since the young master said so, then so be it.

A night passed, and it rained a little last night, leaving the ground damp. There was still no news from Xianyang today, except that Cheng Miao had someone send a scroll of documents.

Cheng Miao is currently organizing various personnel, and he and Shusun Tong are arranging the land reclamation and resettlement of people.

Fusu looked at the contents of the document, which stated that when the harvest was plentiful, the people who had moved there would all want to pay homage to Prince Fusu.

Tian An stood aside, looking at the scroll without making a sound. What the young master saw was probably about governance, but what Tian An saw was the hearts of two hundred thousand people.

(End of this chapter)