The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 61 The Wheat Stalks Turn Yellow Before the Summer Harvest
Wu Gong stood outside the courtyard and saw Tian An approaching. He handed him a scroll of documents.

Tian An took the document and asked, "Does the Prime Minister have any other instructions?"

Wu Gong replied very respectfully, "The Prime Minister said that after you have approved it, I should send it back."

Tian An nodded and walked into the courtyard.

Fusu was sitting in the courtyard eating a flatbread, with a bowl of mutton stew in front of him.

Tian An's skills in making pancakes are getting better and better; he has a perfect grasp of the heat.

While eating, Fusu took the document handed to him by Tian An, which contained information about King Fuchu of Chu.

King Fu Chu of Chu had a nightmare in which the people of the Xiang clan came to kill him. King Fu Chu was terrified by this, and his madness worsened.

"General Xin?"

Xin Sheng, who was picking out which pancake to eat from the oven, looked up when he heard this.

"General, how did Xiang Yan lose back then?"

Xin Sheng walked over while eating a pancake and said, "I don't know either. You should ask Wang Jian about this."

“Wang Jian…” Fusu pondered for a moment and said, “General Wang is living a life like an immortal in Pinyang. It would be inappropriate to disturb him.”

Xin Sheng sat down to the side, took a bite of the biscuit, and frowned as he chewed, seemingly considering the young master's words.

Then the old general nodded, probably agreeing with the young master's words.

Wang Jian is now living a life of leisure and would certainly not want anyone to disturb him.

Fusu was also pondering this question.

As he was pondering this, Fusu remembered an article he had read before the college entrance examination. The article was about civilization, and it argued that the development of a human civilization must be related to people. The article firmly believed that people created civilization, and that the early stages of a civilization must be full of suffering.

The article then begins to recount a series of wars, and as readers progress, the main theme of the article becomes a story of civilization and war.

Now, Fusu can no longer recall the full text of the article he read in his previous life; he can only remember some fragments.

The courtyard was quiet. Xin Sheng finished a pancake, wiped his mouth, and said, "This pancake tastes even better with meat filling."

After eating the flatbread, Xin Sheng felt full and stood up, saying, "This old man knows some things about the Chu region..."

Fusu listened to what had happened in the State of Chu.

Outside the courtyard, Wu Gong was waiting with a warhorse in his hand, and overheard the old general's words in his conversation.

The old general was just recounting some old rumors. At that time, the Qin state sent Li Xin to attack the Chu state, but Li Xin was defeated.

Afterwards, the Qin state sent Wang Jian and Meng Wu to attack the Chu state once again.

At that time, some people within the State of Chu advised the King of Chu to cede territory and seek peace with King Zheng of Qin.

Xin Sheng said, "I remember that the Xiang family were the ones who opposed seeking peace. After the Qin army won, the First Emperor established Jiujiang Commandery and Changsha Commandery."

Wu Gong listened to these words with great suspicion. After Wang Jian returned, he had a long talk with the First Emperor. The secrets of the Chu state were probably only known to the First Emperor and Wang Jian.

What the old general is saying now is actually something that has similar rumors in Qin, so it's not exactly a secret.

Some things can be known, and some things cannot be known.

Wu Gong patted the neck of the warhorse beside him, which was snorting impatiently.

The courtyard was quiet for a while before Tian An came out carrying a scroll of documents, handed it to Wu Gong, and instructed, "Give this to the Prime Minister."

Lord Wu rode his warhorse back to Xianyang City. He handed the document to the Prime Minister's residence, and the people there hurriedly took it to Zhangtai Palace.

Inside Zhangtai Palace, the chime bells were being struck rhythmically, and a group of women were dancing in the main hall.

Ying Zheng sipped his wine with a smile and said, "The wine from Chu is quite good."

Li Si looked ashamed, because both the First Emperor and he knew that Li You had secretly started a family outside the palace and had even gotten a woman pregnant.

"I am but a commoner of humble origin. It is not bad for Li You to marry a woman from Shu."

Ying Zheng nodded and said, "Yes, very good."

In fact, it was precisely because Ying Zheng and Li Si had such a tacit understanding that the ruler and his minister trusted each other so much.

Because neither Ying Zheng nor Li Si valued social status, they did not care about the background of the people they employed.

When Li Si and Ying Zheng thought back to Li You's matter, they could both accept it.

Ying Zheng raised his wine cup and said, "I should congratulate you."

Li Si lowered his head and said with a smile, "Your subject is ashamed."

The emperor and his minister drank it all in one gulp, and tonight they should celebrate.

A palace guard reported, "Your Majesty, a letter from the young master."

Ying Zheng waved his hand, signaling the palace maids in front of him to step back. The music from the chime bells stopped, and the palace maids left.

The entire hall returned to silence and emptiness.

The eunuch hurried over, carrying a letter from Prince Fusu in both hands.

When the letter arrived, Ying Zheng took it, frowned as he read it, then relaxed a little and said, "Li Si, you take a look too."

Li Si stood up and took the letter from the eunuch's hand.

Before opening it, Li Si glanced at the First Emperor's expression, as if confirming something, before finally opening it.

The letter was simple, roughly meaning that as long as troops were sent to protect the residence of King Fuchu of Chu, he would bow and pay his respects to the First Emperor at Zhangtai Palace.

Neither the First Emperor nor Li Si received the answer they wanted.

But facing the First Emperor's gaze, Li Si still explained, "Your Highness believes that the King of Chu has value to be used."

Ying Zheng said, "What? Do you still think that the State of Chu can be restored? He's just a mad King of Chu."

The First Emperor's original answer was most likely to kill the King of Chu and then win the hearts of the old nobles in Chu who despised the King of Chu.
But I'm afraid Prince Fusu doesn't want those people's hearts.

Sometimes Li Si also felt very tired, having to be caught between the First Emperor and Prince Fusu, and had to be very careful with his words and actions.

Li Si pondered for a moment and said, "Back then, everyone in the world knew that after the King of Qin unified the six states, he would treat the rulers of the six states well."

Ying Zheng nodded without denying it.

Li Si stood inside the main hall, where many more candlesticks had been added, making the hall even brighter.

"For the people of the world, it is understandable that the First Emperor took care of the King of Chu in order to fulfill his original promise. Prince Fusu's advice to treat the King of Chu well was also the same."

Ying Zheng suddenly laughed and said, "Those old nobles in Chu wish Fu Chu would die."

Li Si nodded.

However, after King Fuchu of Chu was captured, Xiang Yan supported another state of Chu, but it was destroyed by Wang Jian, and Xiang Yan died in battle.

If Xiang Yan had stopped supporting a Chu king and continued to resist Qin, perhaps fewer people in the Chu state would have died.

Therefore, some nobles gathered by the Xiang clan did not recognize King Fuchu of Chu.

Therefore, Fu Chu's madness and nightmares are due to the lingering shadow of Xiang Yan in his heart.

Ying Zheng asked, "Do you want me to arrange things according to Fusu's wishes?"

Li Si bowed and said, "Prince Fusu, like Your Majesty, has never wanted the approval of a few people or the flattery of a few individuals. To win the hearts of the people and to govern the world, one must always make sacrifices. Both Prince Fusu and the First Emperor need to give up a part in order to gain the majority."

Ying Zheng put down his wine cup and said, "You always put it so beautifully."

Li Si said, "My lord understands very well that one cannot have both fish and bear's paw. My lord is not only well-versed in Xunzi, but also in Mencius."

Ying Zheng said, "Alright."

The following day, squads of Qin soldiers surrounded the residence of King Fuchu of Chu.

Fu Chu did not open the door, but continued to hide in the yard.

"By order of the First Emperor, we have come to protect the King of Chu."

As soon as he finished speaking, silence returned outside. Fu Chu climbed up the wall and looked shakily at the Qin army standing in neat rows outside. Then he climbed down the ladder and stood in the courtyard of the mansion.

Afterwards, King Fuchu of Chu actually bowed and paid his respects to the First Emperor at Zhangtai Palace.

Upon hearing this news, Li Si was in a good mood and didn't even blame Li You for having started a family outside the home.

The heat in Xianyang was still unbearable, and Li Si was still handling documents here.

"Prime Minister, ice has been sent from Zhangtai Palace."

Li Si stepped forward, opened the lid of the bronze vessel, picked up a piece of ice, and chewed it.

The sky was overcast again. Li Si looked up at the sky and said, "I'm afraid it will rain heavily again today."

Wu Gong replied, "The First Emperor is in a very good mood today, and has bestowed so much ice upon us."

Li Si had always been dissatisfied with this disciple, and upon hearing his words, his expression showed even more displeasure. He asked, "Do you even read books normally?"

“I have been frequently studying Buddhist scriptures lately.”

"Also, read more classic works from other authors."

Wu Gong nodded and said, "I will read it."

Li Si sat down again and asked, "Go to Jingye County and check the canals; it's likely going to rain heavily again."

Only then did Wu Gong notice that the dark clouds in the sky were very thick. Although it was noon, the sky looked as if it would turn into night in an instant. The dark clouds made people feel inexplicably depressed.

Li Si chewed on an ice cube and said, "Go."

Wu Gong nodded belatedly and began to walk out step by step.

Looking at his dull-witted disciple, Li Si shouted again, "Run! Once you're out of the city, ride a horse!"

Upon hearing this, Lord Wu quickly ran away from the Prime Minister's residence.

The people of Xianyang also noticed the thick, dark clouds covering the sky. It was the flood season in Guanzhong, and with such sweltering heat, a sudden downpour was not uncommon.

People packed away all sorts of utensils and brought them home. Following his teacher's instructions, Wu Gong ran around Xianyang City. Fortunately, most people in Xianyang City had gone to the surrounding villages and counties to escape the summer heat.

The city of Xianyang now seemed deserted. Wu Gong ran along with almost no obstruction. After running for a while, he stopped and gasped for breath. Exhausted, he could only stagger towards the city gates.

A few drops of rain fell, and then large raindrops fell on the ground in twos and threes. In just a few breaths, a torrential downpour began.

Wu Gonggang ran to the city gate and stood under it, watching the torrential rain pouring down. Even the grooms outside the city were leading their horses into the city to take shelter from the rain.

People in twos and threes gathered under the city wall to take shelter from the heavy rain.

Mr. Wu was a little confused as to whether his teacher's words today carried any other meaning.

He first asked the groom for a warhorse, gave the groom a silver bean, mounted the horse, and rode into the rain, heading towards Weinan.

In Jingye County, whenever there is heavy rain, the people sit at their doorsteps.

"There's been so much rain today, we haven't been able to use our water cellars at all. Grandpa Tian said the young master really likes the rice from Sichuan. Can we grow rice here?"

Shusun Tong listened to Li Nu'er's words, stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Rice can be grown in Guanzhong, but the harvest is mostly not as good as in Shu, nor as good as our wheat."

The fox counted the grains of millet in her palm and said, "If only we could grow rice."

Shusun Tongdao: "I wonder if this heavy rain will wash away the canals again."

"Don't worry, Master. General Zhang Han has had thatched huts built every mile along the canal. Each hut is guarded by two laborers. If any of them collapses, someone will come to report to General Zhang Han."

The cat then asked, "Old Master, is the Great Wall in the north like this too?"

Shusun Tongdao: "I have never seen the Great Wall."

"Yeah……"

Li Nu'er was somewhat disappointed.

Shusun Tongdao said, "I have a few friends who are building the Great Wall in the north. I can write a letter to them and ask them for you."

In fact, Shusun Tong really wanted to win the favor of this little girl. She was very clever and was also a child that Tian An trusted.

Having Tian An's trust is equivalent to having the young master's trust.

"No need." Li Nu'er ate the millet grains in her hand, not wanting to waste a single one.

The rain lasted for two hours, then the intensity decreased, turning into a light drizzle.

Zhang Han stood at the inlet of the canal, his gaze fixed on the still-stable riverbank. This section of the embankment was newly built and quite sturdy. Wu Gong, drenched in the heavy rain, had ridden his horse all the way here, and by the time he arrived, the rain had subsided considerably.

"The Prime Minister sent me to inquire whether Jingye Canal is well?"

“Very good,” Zhang Han said without looking up.

"I'm going to go downstream and take a look," Wu Gong shouted again.

Based on Zhang Han's understanding of the area, if everything is fine upstream, then the downstream area is most likely to be fine as well.

The person sent by the Prime Minister doesn't need to make another trip.

Watching the man swim downstream, Zhang Han said to the laborers behind him, "Go home."

Several laborers cheered and went home, because they wouldn't have to stand by the canal feeding mosquitoes tonight.

In Dali County, Zhang Cang and Cheng Miao sat in the county government office, while a laborer described the conditions of various sections of the canal.

Cheng Miao continued writing, even though his handwriting was already quite good.

Cheng Miao may seem indifferent to county affairs, but he can still think about other things while writing.

After listening to the laborer's report, Zhang Cang asked, "Has the Prime Minister sent someone to inspect the canal?"

"Yes, it is."

Zhang Cang was a very strict person, and he had dealt with several disobedient laborers in Dali County.

"Whom will the Prime Minister send to inspect the canals?"

"The person who came only said he was from the Prime Minister's residence, but didn't say who he was. However, he was dressed very well and looked very wealthy."

Hearing this, Zhang Cang could roughly figure out who the visitor was. It was most likely Wu Gong, the prime minister's disciple, who was the only one who loved to flaunt his wealth.

Zhang Cang looked at a scroll of files and said, "Isn't he going to come to the county to see him?"

"They didn't say they were coming; they said they were going back to Xianyang."

Cheng Miao said, "If we go back at this hour, it will probably be curfew when he arrives in Xianyang."

Zhang Cang continued looking at the names on the dossier. These were the names of the new residents who had moved to Guanzhong, recording their original places of origin and names.

Just registering these new residents was exhausting enough; knowing that the canal was alright was enough for Zhang Cang, and he didn't have time to worry about anything else.

He then asked, "How many laborers will you need to build Tongguan, young master?"

Cheng Miao pondered for a moment and replied, "Young Master... then it's most likely that you'll take as much as you can."

Zhang Cang asked knowingly, "How much grain does the young master have? How many laborers will he need to feed?"

Cheng Miao nodded and said, "Then let's see how much grain we have."

Zhang Cang stood up, looked at the bookshelf next to him, picked up a scroll and carefully flipped through it.

If Prime Minister Li Si helped his disciple Wu Gong, or gave Wu Gong more convenience, then Li Si was acting for personal gain.

If Li Si's son, Li You, were to rise higher and higher in the Qin court, he would inevitably be accused of nepotism.

If Li Si were to offer all his assistance and support to Prince Fusu, then he would be fulfilling his duty and being loyal to the Qin Dynasty.

Now, Wu Gong has only been a minor official in the Prime Minister's office for many years, delivering documents, while Li You, who was assigned to Shu, is still just a school inspector.

Only Prince Fusu was appointed as the Vice Minister of the Imperial Household Department, which was just short of being ranked among the Nine Ministers.

As it turned out, Prime Minister Li Si was indeed a very loyal person to the Qin Dynasty.

Today, Fusu made a slingshot from a rhinoceros sinew, picked up a pebble, pulled back the slingshot, and aimed at a fish that was slowly swimming by the river.

Fusu loosened his grip, and the pebble flew out and fell into the water.

But the moment the pebble fell into the water, the force was absorbed by the surface, instead startling the fish and stirring up a patch of sand, making the water murky, and the fish could no longer be found.

Fusu put away the slingshot and handed it to Tian An, who was standing nearby, saying, "Give this to Gao."

Tian An took the slingshot and said, "Zhang Cang sent someone to ask if it's time to prepare laborers?"

The harvest is not yet plentiful, but it will be soon. We need to consider what to do after the harvest even before it's finished. Fusu nodded and said, "Let him make the arrangements first."

Tian An nodded.

Zhang Cang was very good at arithmetic. He could tell how much grain Jingye County needed, how many laborers it required, how long it could support them, and how long the construction would take.

Just like when the Xianyang Bridge was built, Zhang Cang was in charge of arranging the grain budget, and now Zhang Cang is also in charge of handling it.

Looking at the grain growing in the fields, Tian An was very happy. He had made great contributions by opening up canals, relocating new people, enriching Weinan, and cultivating fertile fields.

Moreover, what made Tian An happiest was the support of the 200,000 people of Weinan.

The wheat in the field was not yet ripe. Fusu picked a few grains of wheat and examined them carefully in his hand. "I've heard that the wheat seeds from the north are better."

Tian An said, "There aren't as many wheat ears in the north as in Guanzhong."

Fusu saw an old farmer not far away wielding a hoe and irrigating the paddy field, and went up to ask him about planting grain.

There are many experienced farmers in Guanzhong, and they all have similar farming experience. Fusu asked them for a long time and found out that the old farmer came from Chu.

After talking with the old farmer, Fusu walked along the edge of the field, his expression thoughtful from time to time.

Tian An asked, "Young master, is something on your mind?"

Fusu said, "I'm wondering where Tuju has reached in the southwest, and whether Zhao Tuo's troops have successfully reached the south."

"We frequently receive military reports from the south, so you can rest assured, young master."

"Would it be appropriate for me to have Tu Ju and Zhao Tuo bring some rice seeds from the south?"

“Of course it’s suitable.” Tian An said in a low voice, “Even if the young master asked Tu Ju to capture a group of live rhinoceroses, he would be willing to do it.”

Fusu said, "I will write a document and have it sent to Guilin."

After speaking, Fusu walked into the courtyard, wrote two scrolls of documents, and said loudly, "Old General."

Xin Sheng, who was taking a nap at the courtyard gate, immediately sat up, as if his mind had not yet woken up but his body had. Then, the old man opened his big, round eyes, walked into the courtyard, and bowed, saying, "Young Master."

Fusu handed over a scroll and said, "I would like to trouble the old general to have someone in the army deliver these two scrolls of documents to General Tuju, who is currently developing the southwest, and General Zhao Tuo, who is heading south."

Xin Sheng took the document, walked outside the courtyard, and whistled.

Soldiers immediately rode up on fast horses.

Xin Sheng gave a few instructions, and then the man rode away with the documents.

This small courtyard not only has a wall, but also has scallions, ginger, and garlic planted inside.

Originally, Tian An wasn't someone who knew how to grow flowers, so he only grew edible things.

Moreover, living by the Yellow River and frequently eating river delicacies means one cannot do without scallions, ginger, and garlic.

Seeing Qingbi pacing back and forth at the courtyard gate, Tian An went up to ask him.

Back in the courtyard, Tian An reported again, "Young Master, someone is sick."

Fusu put down his pen and looked at the still blazing sun. The sweltering heat hadn't subsided yet. These past few days, the temperature had dropped slightly, and Qingbi was eager to lead his men to work.

“A fortified city cannot be built overnight or in just a few months. There’s no need to rush.”

Qingbi bowed and said, "It was my fault for being anxious. It was my fault for not following your instructions, young master, and for taking people to work on my own..."

Fusu said, “A living person can bring me great value, but a living person who can build the city wall is even more valuable to me. I don’t want to see anyone die in this kind of thing, nor do I want to see a small mistake ruin the whole plan.”

Noticing the severity in the young master's words, Qingbi raised his hand to slap himself.

Just as he raised his hand to slap himself in the face, Tian An grabbed his wrist.

Tian An said, "Young Master also dislikes those who do not respect themselves."

Qingbi lowered his arm and said, "Young master, I know I was wrong."

Fusu has walked to the edge of the construction site, where wooden stakes mark the locations where the city wall will be built.

There were three people lying on the ground right in front of me. Fortunately, they were still conscious and looked like they had heatstroke.

Fusu had them moved to a shady spot, helped them remove their clothes to cool off, and poured cool water on them, but only a little.

Watching Prince Fusu treat the craftsmen, Qingbi felt increasingly guilty.

Tian Anze stood aside, looking relaxed. He felt that this kind of thing was no challenge for the young master.

Seeing that Prince Fusu had returned, Qingbi stepped forward and asked, "Prince, what about them...?"

Fusu washed his hands with river water and said, "It's alright now. I'll feel much better after a night's rest, and I'll be fine after a couple more days of rest."

By nightfall, Qingbi discovered that the three people who had received the young master's treatment had recovered considerably.

Tian An came to visit again, confirmed that the person had recovered, and then left.

Tian An discovered that Prince Fusu had a special ability: if the prince stayed in a place for six months or three to five months, he would leave behind a great many books in that place.

Now, this small courtyard in Tongguan is filled with many books, and bamboo slips are piled up on one wall, layer upon layer.

Every volume was written by the young master.

Just like the books in Gaoquan Palace, a large part of them were written by the young master, but he could not finish reading them or understand them.

The next day, Tian An was tidying up the books written by the young master. He sighed and said in a low voice, "Young master, you should have built a bigger courtyard back then. Now it can hardly hold all these books."

There was no response from the young master outside the door; he was eating his meal.

The young master usually doesn't listen to or respond to these complaints.

A short while later, footsteps could be heard again.

Tian An turned around and saw Xin Sheng had arrived.

Xin Sheng walked up to a pile of files, picked up one of them, glanced at it, and was about to take it away.

Tian An frowned and asked, "What have you learned from the young master's books?"

Xin Sheng stroked his beard and said, "As long as you've gained something from reading it, that's enough."

Outside the courtyard, Fusu looked up at the sky. There had been no rain in Guanzhong for the past few days, which was a good thing, as the harvest was about to be plentiful. It was best if there was no heavy rain.

The grains in southern Guanzhong ripen earlier than those in northern Guanzhong.

Seeing that the harvest was nearing its end, Fusu was in a good mood. He gave Qingbi some medicine to relieve the heat and didn't hold it against him.

If Weinan experiences overcast and rainy weather during the autumn rains in western China as autumn approaches, it can easily lead to lodging of crops and pests and diseases.

Therefore, harvesting grain in early August before autumn is neither too late nor too early.

Fusu thought of Teacher Xu, the volunteer teacher who came to his hometown in his previous life.

Back then, I was still clumsily following behind Teacher Xu in the mountains, reciting my lessons.

Fusu still remembers that he was the dumbest child in Teacher Xu's class back then.

Teacher Xu said he really likes a folk saying from Guanzhong: "When the wheat turns yellow, the daughters go to see their mothers."

This proverb means that married daughters will rush back to their parents' home when the wheat turns yellow, to harvest the grain with their parents.

Fusu still remembers that although Teacher Xu, the volunteer teacher, was not from Guanzhong, he loved the Great Northwest.

Now, Fusu sat in front of the courtyard gate, listening to Tian An scolding Xin Sheng for only knowing how to read books, saying that Xin Sheng was old and didn't know how to fight anymore, only knowing how to read books.

Fusu watched the children running by in twos and threes. These were all children from Tongguan. They used to be afraid of the soldiers here, but the soldiers had been in Tongguan for more than half a year.

Even if they were strangers back then, they now know each other, and the soldiers here already know each other well, which child belongs to which family, and how many children each family has.

"A letter from the young master of Shangjun."

Fusu took the letter handed to him by the armored soldier, opened a section of bamboo tube, and took out a scroll of bamboo slips.

The letter was delivered by Meng Tian, ​​who was in charge of building the Great Wall in Shangjun. Meng Tian said that the scholars from Qi and Lu, led by Zhou Qingchen, had become accustomed to life by the Great Wall and were even willing to let their families move to Shangjun as well.

Meng Tian was an efficient person, so his letters were also very brief, containing only this one thing.

Fusu held the bamboo slips behind his back, gazing towards Xianyang. He thought that if the scholars from Qi and Lu, such as Chunyu Yue, were in Xianyang, they would know that Zhou Qingchen had become the most steadfast supporter of the First Emperor's policy of building the Great Wall.

He wondered what he would think. Thinking about this, Fusu realized he was overthinking it. Given the connections among the doctors from Qilu, Chunyu Yue might have already known about this.

(End of this chapter)