The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 63 The Young Master's Down-to-Earth Approach

The horses were not moving fast, and the procession behind them was also moving slowly, with carts loaded with grain following behind.

Zhang Cang said, "The Qin army conquered city after city and attacked other states. Qin seized the lands of the nobles of those states. They lost their lands and their mansions, but they could use the property they carried with them to support themselves for a while."

The warhorses snorted, their noses feeling uncomfortable from the fine awns of wheat floating in the air.

Zhang Cang continued, "There are also people who host banquets, bringing out their own wine, meat, and grain to entertain the old nobles who want to restore the country. These people may have nothing left, but they still pretend to be the old nobles of yesteryear."

Fusu nodded and continued listening.

Zhang Cang continued, "When these people gather together for a feast, some are just there for a taste of wine and meat, while others are just there to save face after the fall of their kingdoms. But those who truly want to restore their kingdoms are a very small minority, and among them, those with ability and skill are even fewer."

As he spoke, Zhang Cang took out a roll of cloth, holding it in his hand with some hesitation.

Fusu asked, "What is that?"

Zhang Cang said, "It was Lou Jing who presented the plan."

"The teacher doesn't want me to see it?"

Zhang Cang said, "If you, young master, read the strategy he presented, you will realize that Lou Jing is not a famous scholar at all."

Since he had already taken it out, Zhang Cang still handed over the roll of cloth.

Fusu took the small roll of cloth, untied the rope tied to it, and pulled it open little by little, revealing the words one by one.

To be honest, Lou Jing's calligraphy is not very good. Because the strokes of the Small Seal script are complicated, when Lou Jing wrote it on hemp cloth, the ink blurred and became difficult to recognize. It is only vaguely recognizable that Lou Jing advised the relocation of the powerful families and heroes of the six states of Qi, Chu, Yan, Zhao, Wei, and Han to Guanzhong.

This was also a policy of relocating people, bringing local powerful families to Guanzhong and bringing them under control.

But all these years, the First Emperor has been doing this. He has always hoped that the former nobles of the six states would come to Qin, as well as those scholars from Qi and Lu.

This was exactly what the Qin Dynasty was doing, and Lou Jing mentioned it again.

Fusu could understand this; no wonder his teacher said that Lou Jing probably couldn't be considered a famous scholar.

Zhang Cang breathed a sigh of relief, but he felt that if he encountered such a situation again in the future, he would not offer this plan to the young master. With the young master Fusu's talent, he would not even look at such a crude plan... Yes! This is a crude plan.

Fusu rolled it up again and handed it to the teacher who was riding beside him. He then said, "Send him and Mao Heng to Tongguan to assist General Xin. Let the old general keep an eye on these two and make them give up drinking."

It wasn't that Fusu disliked alcohol; he would occasionally drink some, but never to the point of getting completely drunk.

However, if one becomes an official who governs a region or a country, this alcoholism must be treated.

Zhang Cang said, "After I return, I will write a letter to General Xin."

In just a few words, the master and apprentice decided the future of Mao Heng and Lou Jing.

As noon approached, the group found a grove of trees and rested there.

Fusu dismounted, took the water bottle from Tian An, and poured cold water into his mouth.

The procession behind them stopped one by one to rest, and even the livestock carrying the grain lay down on the ground, refusing to go out into the sunlight.

Fusu calculated that they probably wouldn't be able to reach Xianyang before dark, and instructed, "Teacher, send someone to Xianyang to tell the Prime Minister that we will arrive in Xianyang at noon tomorrow."

Zhang Cang nodded and summoned two guards, giving them his orders.

Looking back, Fusu saw Tian An standing behind him with his eyes closed, unsure if he was truly asleep.

The weather in Guanzhong was as hot as a giant furnace, with almost no wind. Zhang Cang pulled several generals in the army to arrange for the men to rest. The grain transport team was very long, and this forest was not enough for them to rest. Zhang Cang had no choice but to send the rear troops to rest in Jingye County, since it was not far from Jingye County anyway.

And there were armored soldiers, their sweat dripping down their faces.

Some people were chewing on dry rations, not saying a word, recovering their strength.

Zhang Han, along with his men, brought a considerable amount of grain from Jingye County. He walked up behind the young master, who was grilling a fish, and bowed, saying, "Young master."

The fish was just cooked, and Fusu placed it on a plate. He picked up his chopsticks, about to eat it, and then said, "Thank you for your trouble, General Zhang Han."

Zhang Han bowed and said, "This humble general should do these things."

As Fusu ate the fish, he instructed, "Keep an eye on the situation in Weinan with Shusun Tong."

"The last general takes orders."

Tian An sat silently to the side, but the young master's unspoken meaning was clear: Zhang Han was to become the prefect of Weinan Commandery, and there was probably no one else who could do the job.

Zhang Han's four years of dedication in Jingye County have not been in vain.

This general certainly had a tough time.

However, the young master is a demanding person, and I'm afraid that Zhang Han will have an even more tiring and difficult life after becoming the governor of Weinan County.

It's like building the Jingye Canal; digging it through seems simple, but maintaining it afterwards is quite a laborious task.

Jingye County runs almost through the entire Weinan area, so it is most appropriate to let Zhang Han, who was in charge of the construction of Jingye County, take charge of the affairs of Weinan, as he knows Weinan very well.

Sima Xin was in Huayin County, Xin Sheng was in Tongguan, and Zhang Han and Shusun Tong were in charge of Dali County. Thus, the foundation of Weinan Commandery was laid.

Tian An knew that the young master was meant to govern the country and could not personally oversee Weinan and Tongguan forever.

As night fell, a cool breeze blew by, bringing a slight relief from the heat.

Fusu gave Tian An a few more instructions, and Tian An got up to relay the message to the men in each team: everyone should rest early tonight, as they would set off for Xianyang before dawn tomorrow.

As night fell, no one cheered or whispered around the campfire; instead, everyone went to bed early.

Fusu lay on the recliner, looking up at the stars in the night sky and the moon. More than two thousand years have passed, and it seems that only the moon has never changed.

After midnight, people gradually woke up. Fusu didn't know how long he had slept, probably an hour or two, before he woke up.

The group needed to continue their journey to Xianyang City.

After Zhang Cang reorganized the troops, Fusu sat on horseback and let the horse walk patiently, trying to make the journey easier for the troops behind.

The group behind them slowly followed. If it were just a few people and a few horses, it would take half a day to travel between Weinan and Xianyang, no matter how fast they went.

However, transporting such a large amount of grain is not a quick process.

As dawn broke, one could encounter many pedestrians, merchants, and warhorses emerging from Xianyang City along the way.

The road gradually became lively. Whenever pedestrians saw the endless grain transport team, they would stop and look. After some discussion, they learned that this was the land tax of Weinan. They also realized that Prince Fusu had indeed grown an inexhaustible supply of grain in Weinan.

For Guanzhong today, there are suddenly 20,000 hectares of fertile land, but these fields are in Weinan, not in their own backyard, which makes them feel complicated.

Inside Xianyang City, the court meeting had just ended, and Li Si was on his way back to the Prime Minister's residence. Wu Gongzheng was beside him reporting, "The young master will arrive at noon."

"Go and greet the young master now."

Master Wu bowed and asked, "Teacher, won't you go in person?"

Noticing the student's gaze, Li Si became somewhat anxious about his stupidity and said, "That is the young master's achievement, what does it have to do with me, Li Si? When you go to see the young master, do not mention me."

Wu Gong bowed and said yes.

The city gates of Xianyang were always bustling with activity. After the court meeting ended, Right Chancellor Feng Quji personally came to welcome Prince Fusu.

In front of the city gate, squads of armored soldiers drove away passersby, creating a relatively open flat area in front of the city gate.

As noon approached, the sweltering heat was about to strike again, and the hottest time of the day was just around the corner. Fortunately, Xianyang City was in sight.

Feng Quji stood in front of the city gate, bowed, and said, "Your subject respectfully welcomes you, sir."

Upon hearing this, Fusu saw the cavalrymen at the forefront disperse and stop, and then he saw Feng Quji standing at the front of the column.

"Right Chancellor".

Fusu dismounted and walked closer to pay his respects.

Feng Quji smiled and said, "It has been half a year since I last saw you, young master. Let's go to Zhangtai Palace to report."

Fusu nodded and followed the Right Chancellor. After entering Xianyang City, the grain transport team behind them was taken over by the Xianyang troops.

They would inspect the grain, take out the vast majority and send it to Shangjun, and leave a portion to be sent to the granaries in Xianyang City.

At the city gate, Zhang Cang watched as squads of soldiers took over the grain, and then he saw a person walking out of the city.

This person was Cheng Miao.

Zhang Cang asked, "Are there no other censors in the Censorate?"

Cheng Miao sighed, "I am now highly valued by the Right Chancellor, and he has been assigned to do all these things." At present, Cheng Miao was here to record the grain that had been transported.

Faced with the dossier handed over by Zhang Cang, Cheng Miao said, "Very well, you've recorded everything, so I won't. I watched these grains grow little by little from the fields, so there's no doubt about it."

Zhang Cang sighed inwardly. Cheng Miao was usually a man of few words, but what he said was true; he had indeed watched the grain grow little by little from the soil.

Following behind the young master and the Right Chancellor, Wu Gong kept thinking about his teacher's instructions, but he could only follow them all the way into the palace. Then he could only stop in front of Zhangtai Palace. Wu Gong stood there and watched the young master and the Right Chancellor walk up the steps one by one.

Inside Zhangtai Palace, Ying Zheng sat at the head of the table, watching two figures appear outside the hall. One figure was the Right Chancellor, and the other was Prince Fusu.

When the two got closer, Ying Zheng noticed that Fusu also had a lot of stubble on his face.

"Father."

Ying Zheng said in a deep voice, "I heard that you have been guarding the fields by the Wei River for half a year without daring to slack off in the slightest?"

This is certainly not an exaggeration; it simply means that living by the Wei River makes it easier to solve one's water and food needs, and also allows one to observe the changes in the river during the flood season.

No, not at all. I dare not slack off at all, but I still slack off to some extent.

Life is truly amazing. As long as you sow the seeds, they will sprout and grow. Fusu simply looked at the fields and wasn't particularly nervous.

Hearing his father say this, Fusu still bowed and said, "I have troubled Father."

Feng Quji bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the army has requested 50,000 shi of grain to be sent to Shangjun."

Ying Zheng nodded, looked at the memorial before him, and said, "Sit down."

Fusu and Right Chancellor Feng Quji each sat down on one side of the main hall, and immediately palace maids brought them wine and water.

Ying Zheng held a scroll of bamboo slips in his hand and said, "There is something I wanted to tell you."

As the Vice Minister of the Imperial Household Department of the Qin Dynasty, although he was not yet among the Nine Ministers, he was still able to participate in state affairs.

After the First Emperor finished speaking, the hall fell into a brief silence.

The eunuch took the bamboo slip from the First Emperor's hand and placed it on the desk of the Right Chancellor, Feng Quji. After the Right Chancellor finished reading it and nodded, the eunuch placed it on the desk of Prince Fusu.

Ying Zheng first looked at the two men, then looked solemnly out of the hall and said, "Some people say that if I love the people of the former lands of the six states, I should travel east to see the people of the six states and see the people of the six states."

Fusu continued reading the contents of the scroll. The scroll stated that the words came from a Qilu doctor, but did not specify which doctor said them. This bamboo scroll came from the records of the Doctor's Mansion, which were the daily discussions of many doctors.

These scholars usually discussed the rituals of the Zhou emperors, which was their common language.

Now, what the First Emperor cares about is unification.

Will it be enough to win the love and respect of the people in the former lands of the six states, to let them know that the First Emperor was there, and to let them see the people of the six states in person?

Fusu wondered where Bolangsha was. It should be in front of Hangu Pass, that is, after leaving Hangu Pass.

Of course, whether the attack on Bolangsha is true is another matter.

Fusu also did not see the saying, "Even if Chu has only three households left, it will surely be Chu that destroys Qin," which was said by Sima Qian.

This sentence was added by Sima Qian after the fall of the Qin Dynasty.

Fusu took all of this as a warning, constantly reminding himself that the Qin dynasty was not yet stable enough and that he needed to govern the country well, always keeping in mind the need for vigilance even in times of peace.

Ying Zheng asked, "How is it?"

Feng Quji asked, "If I were to make an eastern tour, how would I handle the many state affairs?"

Seeing that his father and Feng Quji were both looking at him, did they mean that he would be responsible for so many things after the eastern tour?
Ying Zheng asked, "Fusu?"

Upon hearing this, Fusu stood up and said, "Father, I believe there is no need to rush this matter."

Feng Quji nodded and said, "I second that suggestion."

Ying Zheng's expression suddenly relaxed a little, and he said, "Fusu, I've heard that you have a strong prejudice against the scholars of Qi and Lu?"

Fusu thought of his stubborn homeroom teacher from high school, known as Brother Chen, who had a fiery temper and would rather change others than himself.

After the college entrance examination, Fusu visited Teacher Chen. It was during summer vacation, and Teacher Chen was happily humming Qinqiang opera while pruning potted plants.

Even now, Fusu still remembers that Teacher Chen's Qinqiang opera skills were particularly good.

At that time, the teacher at home was very kind and approachable, a stark contrast to his fiery temper at school.

Later, Fusu learned that Teacher Chen never changed himself. His temperament determined that he would not change himself because of the opinions and discussions of the outside world, which made the old man rarely suffer from mental exhaustion.

Therefore, his spirit was always full and bright.

Looking at the present, the First Emperor has already shown great respect to the scholars from the former territories of the six states by allowing them and the scholars from Qi and Lu to enter Qin. Now, does the First Emperor still need to make an eastern tour because of their opinions?

Fusu asked, "May I ask how many troops are needed to escort the eastern tour?"

Feng Quji hurriedly bowed and said, "Now that the wars between the states have just ended, the former territories of the six states are not wealthy. Just as you asked, the eastern tour will definitely be escorted by troops. With more than 10,000 troops crossing the border, the consumption of food and provisions will be enormous."

Fusu felt that the Right Chancellor's words could have been more radical; the Qi-Lu Doctor's encouragement of the First Emperor to make an eastern tour must have been malicious.

Ying Zheng frowned and said, "I will consider it carefully."

Ultimately, the decision on this matter rested with the First Emperor himself, and Feng Quji could only hear him say "I'll consider it" without daring to disobey.

"You are busy with state affairs, you may leave now."

Feng Quji bowed and said, "Your subject takes his leave."

Seeing his son about to stand up, Ying Zheng said in a deep voice, "Sit down and eat."

Just as Fusu was about to straighten his knees and stand up, his movements froze at his father's words, and he had no choice but to sit down again.

The chimes next to the main hall were struck, and dishes were served, which made the atmosphere in the hall much more relaxed.

Inside the main hall, palace maids took turns serving wine and dishes, their gazes occasionally drifting towards Prince Fusu and the First Emperor.

The current Prince Fusu looks almost exactly like the First Emperor; the prince is just like the young First Emperor back then.

Only the prince's brow seemed to possess a sharper edge than that of the First Emperor, suggesting that his anger would be quite frightening.

"I know you have something to say but haven't said it."

"The Right Chancellor is probably worried that I might say something wrong, which is why he is so eager to explain. He feels that I shouldn't make decisions for Father."

Fusu spoke the truth, and it was all from the bottom of his heart.

The son made no attempt to hide anything, and Ying Zheng naturally understood.

Moreover, this son was open and honest about who he had met and what he had done. In particular, he was very trustworthy, which earned him genuine popular support in Guanzhong.

In the past, when people heard that Prince Fusu was wise and virtuous, it was just that people said this prince of Qin was sensible, nothing more.

Now, this son is gradually winning over the hearts and minds of the people and wants to seize power; all of this is being done proactively by him.

Besides, this son is doing a really good job, almost too good.

Even now, Ying Zheng feels he can make an eastern tour and entrust state affairs to Fusu with complete peace of mind.

His only worry was that once he left Xianyang, his son might impulsively kill a few Shandong doctors.

In the past, Fusu would have been old enough to succeed the King of Qin.

Ying Zheng lowered his voice and said to his sensible and capable son, "Feng Quji is gone, so you can speak now."

"The Prime Minister taught me that I must be down-to-earth in everything I do. I believe that as long as Great Qin is down-to-earth and governs the world in a pragmatic way, the people will naturally support Great Qin. I listened to the Prime Minister's teachings and worked hard to build canals to benefit Weinan. Now I think it has been very rewarding."

Ying Zheng said, "Are you saying that I shouldn't have made the eastern tour?"

"The Eastern Tour is just an Eastern Tour; it has nothing to do with governing the country or winning the hearts and minds of the people."

Ying Zheng asked again, "Did Li Si really say these things to you?"

Fusu picked up a duck leg, took a bite, and then nodded.

The main hall returned to silence, with only the occasional sound of chime bells. Fusu chewed on the meat in his mouth, which was still a bit fishy, ​​tough, and not very oily.

Seeing his father pick up the wine cup, Fusu also raised his wine cup and faced his father, offering a toast from afar.

(End of this chapter)