The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 67 Banquet
After the young master left the main hall of Zhangtai Palace, Wang Ben continued to tell the First Emperor about the affairs of the Wang family and the family's relatives and friends.

Fusu walked down the steps and looked back at Zhangtai Palace. Wang Ben was one of the Nine Ministers. The father and son had high ranks and were highly respected in the army.

If Chancellor Li Si represented politics, then Wang Ben represented the military.

The politics of Qin were not solely Li Si's, nor could the military of Qin be attributed solely to Wang Ben.

It's just that these two are more significant.

As Fusu walked through the palace, he continued to ponder what would happen next.

After returning to Gaoquan Palace, Fusu was writing documents to be issued and outlining the future development plans for the three counties of Wugong, Xingping, and Fufeng.

Weinan is located southeast of Xianyang. It has favorable advantages in terms of water and soil conditions and population development. Furthermore, it is connected to Hangu Pass by Tongguan Pass and can connect to various parts of the Central Plains through the ancient Xiaohan Road. Therefore, Weinan has unique advantages in agriculture and population mobility.

In contrast, the relocation of Wugong, Xingping, and Fufeng counties to the west of Xianyang Bridge was intended to expand development west of Guanzhong, extending to Qishan and connecting to Longxi.

It's true that we should be down-to-earth in everything we do, so Fusu first selected the manpower and then made plans.

In the remaining days, after each court meeting, Fusu would keep Chancellor Li Si and Zhang Cang behind to discuss construction matters.

Construction began westward from Xianyang, following the Xianyang Bridge, passing through Xingping County, Wugong County, and Fufeng County. Behind Fufeng County lies Qishan.

Strengthening the relationship between western Guanzhong and Xianyang City around Xianyang Bridge was also aimed at making Xianyang the power center and enhancing the center's control over the entire eastern and western Guanzhong region.

Of course, Fusu had his own selfish motives in making this plan, and the First Emperor, Prime Minister Zhang Cang, and others probably guessed it.

However, it was never mentioned in public that the construction of these three counties also had wartime uses. Only when the rear areas were full and the population and labor force were sufficient would it greatly help the future westward expansion.

Everything should be done step by step, and Fusu was willing to give Prime Minister Li Si and Zhang Cang ample time.

National affairs can never be accomplished with just a few words.

The Nine Ministers of the Great Qin Dynasty included the Commandant of the Guards, the Minister of the Imperial Clan, the Minister of Justice, the Grand Master of the Palace, and the Minister of the Imperial Treasury...

The Shaofu (少府) was in charge of managing the monarch's private property and the use of the land.

As the Vice Minister of the Imperial Household Department, Fusu felt that he had some relevant authority, and the Prime Minister had no objection.

Furthermore, Wang Ben, one of the Nine Ministers, was their relative by marriage.

Fusu was very confident that Wang Ben would not only not object, but would also do his best to help him.

However, Prime Minister Li Si and Zhang Cang will be very busy after autumn arrives this year.

At Zhangtai Palace, the First Emperor left early today to deal with matters concerning the imperial clan, leaving only Prince Fusu in the main hall to handle state affairs.

Fusu was still sitting in a seat on one side of the main hall, with stacks of documents and files next to him.

Today, only Prince Fusu was in the main hall, so it was unusually quiet. Even the guards standing outside the hall could hear their own breathing.

Inside the main hall, Fusu patiently looked through scroll after scroll of documents. He learned that the old magistrate of Wugong County had once again clashed with Zhang Cang and his group. The old magistrate had even contacted General Meng Wu, saying that he wanted to resign from his post as magistrate.

The Qin people are naturally loyal to the Qin Dynasty and wholeheartedly support it. However, when their own interests are harmed, these Qin people are extremely difficult to deal with, especially when the other party binds them together in one place using clan interests.

Although it is a tricky matter, Fusu can resolve it gradually.

Fusu said, "Send this scroll to General Meng Wu."

Upon hearing the young master's words, a palace attendant hurried over, took the documents, and then quickly left.

As dusk approached, Fusu finally finished dealing with all the state affairs of the day, which was much better than when he was reviewing the records from various places in the Imperial Censorate.

Only when sitting in Zhangtai Palace could Fusu truly understand the state of this country, and the merits and demerits of its officials.

Of course, the world is still ruled by the Emperor. As the Prince of Qin, I can't really make any big changes. At present, I can only participate in political affairs and assist in state affairs.

But this is already very good; at least in the future, we can have a clear understanding of the situation.

As soon as the young master left Zhangtai Palace, Tian An followed behind.

Fusu asked, "What should we eat tonight?"

Tian An looked at the young master walking ahead, stretching his shoulders and neck, and said with a smile, "General Wang has sent a lot of venison."

Fusu said, "Venus meat is indeed a rare find."

Lately, I've gotten used to eating mutton, so it's rare for me to have venison.

After finishing a day's work on state affairs, Fusu still had time to do some things for himself.

The plum trees in front of Gaoquan Palace are still there. Whenever Tian An sees these two trees, his mood will be a little worse. He has gotten used to it. If they were gone, he would feel a little uncomfortable.

Fusu spread out a large gray roll of cloth on the floor inside the Gaoquan Palace. The roll of cloth was so large that it almost covered the entire floor.

While Tian An was stewing the venison, Fu Su picked up a brush and began to draw on the cloth.

A group of palace maids and eunuchs would occasionally peek into the hall, wondering what the young master was drawing. They could only see that he held the brush very steadily and then drew an undulating line on the cloth.

Ignoring the gazes from outside the palace, Fusu focused intently on drawing a map of Guanzhong, which might also be a sketch of Guanzhong's future development.

"Young master, the venison stew is ready."

Fusu then walked outside the palace.

A small table was placed under the eaves outside the hall. Fusu sat at the table, eating freshly stewed venison and talking quietly with Tian An.

When the young master recounted some interesting things he had seen at Zhangtai Palace, Tian An would smile.

Fusu then asked, "When General Wang sent the venison, did he say anything?"

Tian An shook his head and said, "They didn't say anything else. The person just placed the piece of venison outside Gaoquan Palace and then went back."

Fusu swallowed the meat he was chewing and said, "He won't make any more demands, will he?"

Tian An said, "General Wang is a loyal and upright old minister, he would never do such a thing."

Fusu, holding chopsticks in one hand and a bowl in the other, said, "Well, the Wang family is the richest family in Guanzhong. General Wang probably doesn't want anything."

Tian An whispered, "My great-grandfather came to the palace again today to see the First Emperor."

Fusu nodded and said, "I know, there must be a lot of things to arrange within the imperial clan."

Tian An nodded.

As they were talking, another eunuch hurried over. He stopped in front of the hall, bowed, and said, "Young Master, the First Emperor has decreed that court will be suspended and a banquet will be held tomorrow."

Fusu replied, "Understood."

After the eunuch finished his report, he quickly left. Fusu looked at the pot of venison in front of him again. The venison in the earthenware pot was still steaming.

Tian An sat on the steps below, eating a bowl of noodles while popping garlic into his mouth.

The following day, the court was closed for the day. Zhangtai Palace began to bustle with activity in the morning, with eunuchs and palace maids frequently coming and going, some carrying ceremonial utensils and others carrying bowls of food.

Fusu usually goes to bed quite early.

Tian An had already started working with his team early on.

Fusu watched as the old man personally changed the water in the fishpond and found several fat and large fish to present to Zhangtai Palace as delicacies for today's banquet.

Seeing that the young master had woken up, several palace maids stepped forward and said, "Young master, these are the clothes that Grandfather ordered. Please change into them."

It was still August, and Fusu was dressed rather lightly, wearing only an undergarment. He took the clothes and changed into them himself without the help of the maids beside him.

Today's banquet is special. It seems that members of the imperial family will be returning, and General Wang will also be coming. Otherwise, my great-grandfather wouldn't have asked someone to bring clothes.

It has a strong sense of an engagement banquet.

After putting on his outer robe, hair ornament, and belt, Fusu ate breakfast and headed towards Zhangtai Palace.

The clothes that my great-grandfather sent were black and gray, simple in appearance but still possessing the solemnity that the royal family of Qin should have had back then.

On his way to Zhangtai Palace, Fusu noticed that there were still many palace maids and eunuchs coming and going.

Fusu climbed the steps to Zhangtai Palace, and as soon as he arrived outside the main hall, he saw his great-grandfather waiting there.

Ying Xi, still holding his cane in one hand, bowed slightly and said, "Young Master."

Fusu walked to the side and said, "Grandpa, is today's banquet for the engagement?"

Ying Xi nodded and said, "It is time for the young master to undergo the coming-of-age ceremony. After the imperial clan decides on the ceremony, the First Emperor will issue an edict to allow the young master to get married."

"Fusu, there's no rush."

Ying Xi said, "According to the Zhou rites, it is proper for a man to undergo a coming-of-age ceremony at the age of twenty."

Looking at the young man's expression, Ying Xi said in a low voice, "Many of the Qin state's rituals are derived from the Zhou rituals. The Qin state was in chaos back then, and your father was twenty-two years old when he had his coming-of-age ceremony, which was delayed for two years. We can't delay you now."

As Fusu listened to his great-grandfather's story, he noticed that his great-grandfather spoke as if he were giving instructions, unlike the typical great-grandfather in other families. His great-grandfather's tone suggested that he was fulfilling his mission, as if he were simply waiting to be laid to rest after completing it.

Fusu thought to himself that after his great-grandfather was buried, he would probably give Lü Buwei a good dressing down.

Ying Xi added, "After the coming-of-age ceremony, the young master will be able to assume the power of governance, military command, and ancestral worship."

"Your grandson will remember this."

Fusu pondered his grandfather's meaning. More importantly, after the formal coming-of-age ceremony, he would be qualified to succeed to the throne.

Ying Xi said, "The Qin royal family is now dwindling in number, and there are hardly any guests left. It's truly pitiful and lamentable..."

The old man shook his head and walked towards the main hall, then waved and said, "Young master, please take your seat as well."

Inside the main hall, the First Emperor had not yet arrived.

Wang Jian and his son Wang Ben were already inside the palace.

Fusu followed Ying Xi to the other side of the main hall, where he could see the Wang family father and son when he looked up.

Ying Xi sat down and looked at Wang Jian sitting opposite him.

Wang Jian, whose hair and beard were also white, nodded slightly.

Fusu shifted his gaze from General Wang to a woman behind him. The woman had an ordinary appearance and skin that suggested she was a typical Guanzhong girl.

She sat with her head down and her hands clenched into fists, clearly very nervous.

Fusu noticed her hair ornaments again. The ornaments were made of gold, and it seemed that she had dressed up specially for today. Perhaps she didn't have much experience in dressing up, because her hair ornaments were not very neat.

If I'm not mistaken, Fusu thinks she is the one who will become his wife.

Under his gaze, the girl seemed to sense it and froze, too stiff to move.

When the First Emperor entered the hall, Wang Jian and Wang Ben also stood up to pay their respects. Fusu followed his great-grandfather Ying Xi to pay his respects as well. The rest of the attendees were relatives of the Wang family, along with two uncles from the imperial clan brought by the great-grandfather.

Only two members of the imperial clan were able to attend this banquet. Fusu now understood what his great-grandfather meant by the thinness of the imperial clan, which was both sad and lamentable.

This clearly demonstrates that the struggle for power among the royal family members of the Qin state throughout history, and the mutual harm between the maternal relatives and the royal family, was even more severe than in other states.

Ying Zheng said, "Please take your seats, no need for formalities. We are here for the marriage between our two families."

Wang Jian bowed and said, "This old minister is old and has heard that the young master is about to undergo his coming-of-age ceremony. Since I have nothing else at home, I specially ordered someone to bring three golden carriages to give to the young master."

Upon hearing this, Fusu's brow twitched.

Ying Xi frowned even more.

Wang Jian added, "That carriage was carved by the best craftsmen and took five years to cast. The golden carriage can carry people and transport goods, and it is very spacious."

Fusu knew that General Wang was incredibly wealthy, so wealthy that it was unbelievable. He gave away three gold carriages for a wedding, so General Wang simply gave away gold instead.

Fusu also realized that this was just a congratulatory gift for his coming-of-age ceremony.

As Fusu looked at the wine, meat, and dishes before him and listened to the chime bells ringing out one after another, he suddenly remembered that the old general's family owned the most fields in Guanzhong. The reward his father had given him was more than the entire county of Pinyang could provide for his fiefdom.

When the Qin state conquered the six other states in the east, all the wealth of the world was concentrated in Qin.

It's unknown how much other treasure General Wang acquired during his campaigns.

Fusu felt that anything was fine as a gift, as long as it wasn't rhinoceros hide like before.

Afterwards, Fusu listened as his great-grandfather Ying Xi and General Wang discussed matters related to the coming-of-age ceremony and the wedding.

Although the royal family were subjects, Ying Xi still showed sufficient sincerity, without the airs of a superior, and engaged in a detailed conversation with the old general under the First Emperor's gaze.

Fusu then looked at the woman behind the old general. She slightly changed her posture, but her gaze was slightly raised.

Fusu happened to see her eyes, and she happened to see this side as well.

After their eyes met for a moment, she quickly lowered her head again.

With just a fleeting glance, Fusu thought the woman's eyes were very beautiful and bright.

Ying Xi took out a scroll and presented it with both hands, saying, "This is the month chosen by the imperial family for the coming-of-age ceremony."

A palace attendant took the scroll and hurriedly handed it to the First Emperor. Ying Zheng opened the scroll, looked at it, and said, "Then let's set it for the Laba Festival."

Ying Xi stroked his beard and nodded.

Fusu understood. The Laba Festival was the day when the Qin people worshipped their ancestors at the end of the year. According to the current Qin people's ancestral worship season, Fusu deduced that it was the third Xu day after the winter solstice in later generations.

Fusu picked up a pancake from the side, took a bite, and looked at Wang Ben.

The other person also smiled back.

Afterwards, Fusu felt that as long as he sat in the main hall, he was involved. As the protagonist of such a matter, he didn't actually have much say.

Just sit here and wait for the banquet to end; Grandpa will take care of everything before and after.

Fusu recounted that after finishing his business with me, my great-grandfather would probably have to deal with Gao and Yinman's business as well.

My great-grandfather always mentioned the phrase "the imperial clan is small," and he was probably the one who cared most about the prosperity of the imperial clan.

Once both parties have agreed on the terms, the coming-of-age ceremony will be held on the last day of the year, followed by the Farmer's Day ceremony the following year, after which the marriage will take place.

The Rites of the First Farmer were also Zhou Rites. Fusu read most of the many classics of Lüshi Chunqiu left by Lü Buwei. Lüshi Chunqiu said that the emperor personally carried the plow and hoe.

This is the origin of the practice, and subsequent emperors continued this tradition of "personally tilling the land."

After the banquet ended, everyone bid farewell to the First Emperor.

Fusu helped his great-grandfather to his feet and whispered, "Don't worry, great-grandfather, I will get married as scheduled."

Ying Xi patted the young master's hand and said, "Alright."

General Wang left the main hall with his granddaughter, and Fusu helped his great-grandfather out of the hall.

"Fusu has something he would like to ask his great-grandfather for help with."

"Please speak frankly, young master, and I will certainly help you."

“There is a political matter recently concerning the reconstruction of the three counties along the West Wei River. It seems that the Prime Minister has encountered some difficulties in this matter. Grandfather also knows that some county officials in Guanzhong are old ministers from back then. They should give Grandfather some face.”

At this point, Fusu added, "It's not that I'm worried about offending anyone, but I don't want things to look bad. I've already spoken to my grandfather about this matter. If they still try to shirk responsibility, then I and the Prime Minister will show them no mercy."

Ying Xi nodded and said, "I understand."

"Fusu sees off his great-grandfather."

"Young master, there's no need to see me off. They will help this old man."

The two uncles that Grandpa was referring to helped Ying Xi down the steps one by one.

Fusu stood on the steps, watching his great-grandfather walk down the steps with a somewhat unsteady gait, and then saw Wang Ben putting on his shoes beside him.

"Wang Shaofu."

Upon hearing the young master's call, Wang Ben pulled up his heels and bowed, saying, "Young master."

Fusu hesitated and said, "Next year, you and I will be related by marriage."

Wang Ben said, "My youngest daughter is unruly, and the older children in the family take good care of her."

Fusu said, "Your Excellency is overthinking this."

The two walked down the steps together, and Fusu asked again, "Li You has been in Shu for three years now. Should we let him return?"

Wang Ben replied, "Previously, the Grand Commandant said that Li Xiaoling would most likely not be allowed to return to Xianyang until the southern expedition was over."

So far, the southern campaign is going quite smoothly. Fusu escorted Wang Ben to the palace gate and said, "Take care, Minister Wang."

Wang Ben bowed once more.

Half a month later, the magistrates of the three counties sent a message to the Prime Minister's residence, saying that they were willing to lead the villagers to relocate to the west of Xianyang Bridge.

Li Si granted them permission to relocate, but after the matter was completed, he still stripped them of their positions as county magistrates.

This reminded the people of Xianyang of Li Si's character once again. Recently, Prince Fusu had been frequently assisting the First Emperor in handling state affairs, so the prime minister had become much more lenient in matters of state.

If anyone dared to defy him, Li Si would revert to his original demeanor, giving his opponent no room for maneuver.

Zhang Cang felt that since the three old county magistrates had made concessions, the matter should be dropped.

Unexpectedly, the prime minister not only failed to appreciate their concession, but also stripped them of their county magistrate positions.

(End of this chapter)