The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 53 Swords and Fire
A cool breeze blew into the room, and Fusu continued to look at the document in his hand. Cheng Miao's document described the living conditions of the two hundred thousand laborers.

Weinan is located in the eastern part of Guanzhong, which is an area with an excellent geographical location. Fusu believed that Weinan should be able to support a million people.

It just looks very barren right now.

Fusu then came across an article written by Cheng Miao, which was quite interesting. The First Emperor not only hoped for a unified written language but also for fairness throughout the land.

That day, the First Emperor talked with Li Si for a long time, and afterwards the First Emperor wrote the four characters "天下公平" (fairness under heaven).

The original standard of thirteen liang to one jin, set by Lu Ban, was modified to sixteen liang to one jin in the Qin Dynasty, meaning half a jin equals eight liang.

Fusu remembered that this was the system of weights and measures that had been used for more than two thousand years in later generations: half a catty is eight taels.

Fusu smiled as he read Cheng Miao's account of the matter. Cheng Miao was a very simple person, so he wrote down even the rumors in a simple way.

The book also states that the First Emperor decreed that merchants throughout the land must not shortchange customers in their transactions.

This is what fairness in the world means.

Haha, what a classic topic, so similar two thousand years ago to now.

Sitting at Tongguan by the Yellow River, Fusu thought about how the First Emperor and Prime Minister Li Si were still pursuing their great ideals and doing great things to change the world.

Actually, there aren't that many trivial matters in this era. People in this world are simply a bit silly, and there aren't that many ridiculous things to hold them back.

Although people live a hard life, many people also strive for their dreams.

Everything has its good and bad sides. Although people in this era live a pure life, they live a life of material scarcity.

Thunder rumbled outside, and another thunderstorm looked imminent.

Is the young master here?

Voices came from outside, followed by questions from the guards outside.

Tian An glanced outside and said, "Young Master, Shusun Tong has arrived."

Fusu nodded and said, "Let him in."

As soon as Shusun Tong entered the house, a thunderstorm began outside. Fusu gestured to Tian An to bring a bowl of hot water.

Shusun Tong took the hot water and drank it down in one gulp, then bowed and said, "Thank you for the gift, young master."

Fusu looked out at the heavy rain. The windows of this small house were very large. Tian An didn't like houses with large windows, saying that it was easy to catch a cold.

However, Fusu was the opposite.

Shusun Tong bowed and said, "Your subject recommends a person to the young master."

Fusu said, "I am indeed short of people. May I ask who you would recommend, sir?"

Shusun Tong straightened his back slightly, appearing very serious, but when he heard the young master say that he was short of people, he didn't see the young master go out to recruit others.

Now, he was the only guest among the young master's guests.

Shusun Tong took a deep breath and replied, "The person I recommend is my good friend, Fu Sheng."

Fusu recalled the old gentleman who had borrowed the book and returned it after a long time. Among the doctors in Qilu, there was also a relatively young middle-aged man named Fu Nian.

Fu Nian was probably a more radical group of Qi-Lu scholars, similar to Chunyu Yue.

However, Mr. Fu Sheng rarely moved around in the court, and as a scholar from Shandong, he rarely participated in court discussions.

Fusu ate a peach and said, "Old Master Fusheng must be quite old."

Shusun Tong bowed and said, "Compared to me, it's only been a little over ten years."

Fusu nodded and said, "Old Master Fusheng can go to Jingye Canal to teach."

Shusun Tong bowed once more.

"Let's wait until the rain stops before we leave." Fusu took a few more scrolls from the bookshelf and instructed, "Please give them to General Zhang Han."

Shusun Tong packed everything into his bundle, then had lunch there before leaving after the rain subsided.

On the straight road from Tongguan to Huayin County, although the rain had lessened, it hadn't stopped. Sima Xin's straw hat was still dripping with water. His gaze fell on a donkey cart that had just left Tongguan, and Shusun Tong was sitting on it.

Sima Xin then looked towards Tongguan in the distance and whispered, "The former nobles of the six states..."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a county official came running up and shouted, "County Magistrate! People from Xianyang have arrived!"

Sima Xin turned around somewhat displeased, intending to see who had bothered him, but when he saw that the person was an imperial censor, he quickly bowed and said, "Sima Xin greets the imperial censor."

The imperial censor handed over a scroll of documents and said, "The Prime Minister has learned that the current magistrate of Huayin County is not handling any affairs of the county. From now on, the position of magistrate of Huayin County will be handed over to you."

Sima Xin respectfully raised both hands and held up the document.

The censor added, "This is a document that Prince Fusu requested from the Prime Minister."

Sima Xin bowed once more and said, "Your subject obeys."

After speaking, the censor rode away.

Sima Xin, who had been standing still for a long time, suddenly smiled. The young master had not underestimated him.

Sima Xin took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, his resentment disappearing. He recalled the various annotations in the book that the young master had returned to him.

Sima Xin turned around and quickly walked back to the county government office.

Most of the county officials in Huayin County thought that Sima Xin must be very proud at this moment.

Sima Xin, who had risen through the ranks from Liyang, was on the verge of giving up several times. He felt that Qin could not see his dedication to his duties, but now Prince Fusu had.

This was something that the county officials who had followed Sima Xin since Liyang had witnessed and deeply understood.

Sima Xin returned to the county office and once again took out the scroll that the young master had given him. There were some very small characters on the scroll, which were the young master's annotations.

From now on, whatever you say Huayin County should be like, that's what the county should be like.

Sima Xin instructed, "Go and invite a few teachers to educate the children in the county, and have the able-bodied men in the county do more land reclamation and build more houses. The roads in the villages should also be cleaner..."

The new magistrate issued various demands as soon as he took office, as if he wanted to build Huayin County into a county like Jingye County.

After visiting the young master, Shusun Tong returned to his residence in Jingye County.

An elderly man was already waiting there. Shusun Tong first invited the old man into the house, saying with a smile, "Please have a seat, sir."

Fu Sheng asked, "Young Master, you've agreed?"

Shusun Tong nodded.

Fu Sheng sighed, "Alas..."

This sigh was quite meaningful. Shusun Tong asked, "Does the old gentleman not wish to associate with the likes of Chunyu Yue?"

Fu Sheng sighed, "I've come here to hide for a while, hoping that Young Master Fusu can take me in for a short time."

"They have always opposed the First Emperor, and I do not want to be coerced by them."

"Is it because of that 'half a catty, half a tael'?"

Fu Sheng lowered his head and remained silent.

The two of them entered Qin together. After entering Qin, they met many people, but their circumstances and the people they interacted with were different.

Fu Sheng said in a low voice, "I was thinking that I would like to hear about their classical studies, but these people don't talk about classical studies."

In Shusun Tong's memory, the old gentleman Fusheng was a book fanatic. He once lent Prince Fusu a book, and the old gentleman cherished it for a long time.

Such a bookworm would certainly not be able to stand being among the likes of Chunyu Yue.

Looking at the relaxed Shusun Tong, Fu Sheng asked, "You saw through their true colors long ago, which is why you left?"

Shusun Tong waved his hand and said, "Actually, I didn't see through anything either. I just really like this place."

Fu Sheng looked out the door; the sky in the distance was still covered with dark clouds.

Shusun Tong took water from the bucket at the door, poured it into a ceramic pot, and then placed the pot on the stove, saying, "This is the rule here; you absolutely cannot drink raw water."

"unboiled water?"

Shusun Tong further explained: "It means that the water must be boiled before it can be drunk."

"Why?"

"I don't know either, but the children in this village all follow the young master's rules, and they rarely get sick or have stomach aches."

Seeing that Fu Sheng remained silent again, Shusun Tong continued, "The old gentleman will teach here; the young master agrees."

Fu Sheng looked at the flames burning in the stove and said in a low voice, "Young Master seems to never associate with the likes of Chunyu Yue."

Shusun Tong explained, "Perhaps the young master is unwilling to associate with them."

Fu Sheng was about to ask another question.

Shusun Tong interrupted, "Young master's study is right next door. If you want to read, please feel free to go there."

"Yes...really?"

Shusun Tongdao said, "Actually, you don't understand the old nobles of the six states, nor do you want to understand what kind of people they are."

Fu Sheng nodded, agreeing with this point.

The young master had never recruited any of the former nobles of the six states, and being busy with his own affairs, he wouldn't bother to inquire about them—at least, that was always the case in Shusun Tong's view. Shusun Tong led the old gentleman to the study next door. Pushing open the door, he saw a bookshelf embedded in the entire wall, filled to the brim with books.

Shusun Tong added, “What you care about is people’s lives. If those nobles from the six states really want to destroy the peaceful life that people have finally achieved, they will surely anger you.”

As the old gentleman entered the study, Shusun Tong said in a low voice, "Prince Fusu is not the First Emperor. In fact, the prince is not a very kind person. When the First Emperor governed the six states, he invited the nobles of the six states to Qin. If it were the prince facing the old nobles of the six states who were plotting rebellion, the only thing the prince could probably offer would be swords and fire."

Fu Sheng entered the study and quietly read a book.

The old gentleman would often read for an entire day, and Shusun Tong let him read like that, while he put his straw hat back on and walked into the drizzle.

The mulberry trees on the mountain are growing very well, and some small mulberries have even started to grow.

Zhang Han was carrying a hoe and walking down the mountain, with a group of half-grown puppies behind him.

Whenever he saw these puppies, Shusun Tong felt particularly at ease. These puppies had been trained very well by Zhang Han, and they would guard the house and the village.

Recently, Fusu has also read a lot of books. Now Tian An is organizing the books here, all of which were brought from Lü Buwei's former residence in Xianyang.

Fusu is steaming glutinous rice from Chu, sticky rice from Hedong, dates from Lantian, and red beans from Shu.

While steaming, Fusu looked at a scroll of arithmetic in his hand. This scroll was also brought out from Lü Buwei's former residence. However, some of these books really talked about the Spring and Autumn Period, while others talked about some obscure topics.

When he had nothing to do, Fusu would flip through the scroll. The one in his hand was a rather obscure mathematical text, and it was about calculating the solar terms.

This mathematical manual was unnamed, but it was likely one of Lü Buwei's three thousand retainers.

Teacher Zhang Cang was quite insightful in arithmetic. In fact, apart from his teacher, Fusu felt that his arithmetic skills were among the best in the world.

Moreover, Fusu possessed a skill that the creator of this book did not have.

Fusu knew that there were twenty-four solar terms in a year, so he could deduce them from the result.

Throughout history, various schools of thought have contended, resulting in numerous opinions and interpretations. There has been much debate about the calculation method and the number of solar terms.

Previously, Fusu believed that governing a county required both focusing on productivity and, more importantly, on moral character.

Now that he was to govern a prefecture, Fusu felt he had too much to do.

"Young master, young master!" Tian An came in a hurry and said, "The red bean paste is ready."

Fusu tasted the red bean paste and nodded, saying, "Hmm, it's very good, but it could be made a little finer."

As they spoke, the master and servant looked outside and saw that the imperial carriage sent by the First Emperor to escort them to Xianyang was still there.

Fusu cut a piece of steamed glutinous rice cake, spread a layer of red bean paste on it, tasted a piece himself, nodded in satisfaction, and while eating the slightly hot steamed glutinous rice cake, said indistinctly, "Indeed, as long as the ingredients are good, this steamed glutinous rice cake is delicious."

"Try it too."

Tian An also tried a piece, and his eyes widened as he nodded repeatedly, finding it delicious.

Fusu put the remaining steamed rice cakes and red bean paste into a food box, then boarded the carriage bound for Xianyang, with Tian An driving.

The road leading out of Tongguan is much better than the one we came on; it has been under repair for two months and is now smooth.

The carriage passed through Huayin County, crossed the bridge, and headed towards Xianyang City.

Fusu, thinking it should be around the Dragon Boat Festival, asked, "Do you think the people of Chu still eat zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) these days?"

Tian An, still holding a riding whip, asked again, "Young master, what is a zongzi?"

"So you didn't know that."

"This old servant is ignorant and narrow-minded."

Fusu frowned in thought.

Upon arriving in Xianyang, Fusu dismounted from the carriage. The carriage was moving very fast, and the ride was quite bumpy.

Fusu got out of the carriage and helped Tian An down as well, saying, "You're already this old, don't rush the carriage."

When Tian An laughed, his wrinkles covered his eyes. He said with a smile, "Please excuse my rudeness, young master."

The master and servant hurried toward Zhangtai Palace.

In the eyes of the palace guards, Prince Fusu seemed to have grown taller overnight. Now, not only was he taller, but his aura had also changed. He had gained a more resolute air, which was the kind of aura that only military generals possessed.

Although the young master was dressed in a scholarly manner, experienced generals could still tell that the young master's transformation was definitely due to his training in the army, as he now possessed a robust physique beneath his clothes.

A young man like that could make many girls his age blush with just a glance.

Fusu walked ahead, while Tian An followed behind carrying the food box.

In the main hall of Zhangtai Palace, Li Si stood to one side and bowed, saying, "Young Master."

Fusu took the food box from Tian An and walked into the main hall, saying as he went, "Teacher, I've made some food. Let's eat together."

"This……"

Li Si hesitated and stood still.

Fusu added, "If we make too much and can't finish it, Teacher and Father can share it."

Seeing that the First Emperor nodded, Li Si understood and replied, "Yes."

Fusu opened the food box, spread red bean paste on a whole piece of steamed rice cake, and then divided it into two pieces, saying, "This big piece is for Father, and this small piece is for Teacher."

A plate of steamed rice cakes spread with red bean paste and jujube paste was placed in front of him. Fusu said, "I wonder if it's too sweet? Father, please try some?"

Li Si picked up his plate and started eating. He finished a piece of steamed rice cake in a few bites and was still savoring it, saying, "Delicious."

Ying Zheng took a breath, savored it carefully, and nodded slightly in agreement.

Fusu naturally helped clean up the plates that his father and teacher had used.

Li Si sat down again.

Ying Zheng sized up his son, whose eyes seemed much sharper than they had been apart for half a year. He said in a low voice, "Have you been practicing military skills with Xin Sheng lately?"

Fusu nodded and said, "I exercise every morning. The old general said that it's fine to use a sword, but I prefer to use a long spear or a heavy halberd. It's tiring, but I get used to it after using it a lot."

At this point, Ying Zheng looked at Li Si.

Li Si received a look and asked seriously, "Will Weinan be able to pay its land tax on time and in the correct amount this year?"

Fusu said, "That's fine."

Li Si then said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the craftsmen the young master requested can be provided."

Ying Zheng nodded once again.

Fusu bowed and said, "Thank you, Father Emperor."

Li Si added, "Shangjun is short of grain and fodder. With the grain and fodder support from Weinan, the north can finally breathe a sigh of relief."

Ying Zheng said in a deep voice, "Fusu, the matter between Wang Jian and Li Si has nothing to do with you."

"I will definitely return all the provisions given to me by my teacher and the old general."

Ying Zheng nodded once again.

Li Si hurriedly bowed and said, "I dare not accept this."

Ying Zheng did not look up at Li Si again.

It basically means you decide what to do.

Li Si bowed and said, "Your subject takes his leave."

Fusu had finished packing the food box. After Prime Minister Li Si left, without his father saying anything, he sat down and began to organize the documents in the palace. He also picked up the documents that had not yet been approved and began to review them.

"Many people say that it is not a good thing to relocate 200,000 people to the Central Plains at every turn, leaving nine out of ten houses empty."

Fusu paused briefly while writing and replied, "Father, the people that the teacher moved were all poor people from the six kingdoms who had no land or homes. They had no land to cultivate, so how could nine out of ten houses be empty?"

Ying Zheng said, "I should think about this carefully."

Fusu raised his head and said, "Father, it was already difficult for the various states to govern their own lands back then. Now that the Great Qin has unified the Central Plains, it will be extremely difficult to govern the combined lands of the six states, which is the entire Central Plains."

Seeing that his father's expression had become even more resolute.

Fusu lowered his head again and continued to review the documents.

Inside the main hall, silence returned. Outside, the sky changed from azure to red, then from red to grayish-blue, until it was pitch black.

Fusu put down his pen and stood up to sort and organize the many documents on the table.

Looking back, I saw my father resting his head on his fist with his eyes closed.

Fusu summoned the guards in front of the palace and instructed them, "Send out these urgent documents first."

"Can……"

The guards in front of the palace glanced at the First Emperor, who was taking a nap. They hesitated because the emperor was resting and they did not grant permission.

"From now on, I need not concern myself with such matters, lest we delay military intelligence at the border."

A stern voice came from behind him. Fusu turned his head and saw that his father had woken up.

(End of this chapter)