The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 69 The Perfect Ideal

Tian An placed the scrolls of bamboo slips on the bookshelf, listening to the young master's voice.

"General Wang Jian must be the one who cares least about his posthumous reputation, right?"

Hearing the young master's questioning words, Tian An smiled but did not answer. Not knowing how to respond, he could only remain silent.

Fusu gazed at the thin clouds in the sky, which drifted very slowly.

After finishing his many state affairs, Fusu felt that time was passing very slowly, and a day would feel very long.

It was only when Fusu was governing the country from Zhangtai Palace that he felt the flow of time could be faster.

The remaining time, however, seemed much longer for Fusu.

This year marks his coming-of-age ceremony, and Fusu began to reflect on what he had done in the past four years. In reality, he hadn't done much; he had simply dug a canal, built a bridge, and after being promoted to Vice Minister of the Imperial Household Department and gaining power, he conspired with Chancellor Li Si and Imperial Censor Zhang Cang to initiate a program to relocate people and cultivate land.

Outsiders might think that Prince Fusu and Prime Minister Li Si were in cahoots, and now they wanted to drag Wang Ben into the same boat as well.

Prince Fusu continued to increase his own influence in Qin politics, showing his great ambition.

In his spare time, Fusu would look at the blue sky, think about these trivial things, and then begin to summarize what he had done in the past.

Fusu glanced at Tian An beside him; the old man was taking a nap.

Tian An had a habit of taking a nap. Back in Tongguan, he did this almost every day. However, after coming to the palace, he became too busy to take a nap often.

As Fusu lay on the recliner, he felt that he had accomplished so much in the past four years.

Fusu recalled his childhood in his previous life, when he was studying in the mountains. The first time he went to the home of his volunteer teacher, Teacher Xu, to watch TV, the TV was still black and white back then.

I was crammed together with a group of classmates of the same age. We were all very young then, dirty, and staring at the TV with our eyes wide open.

At that time, I saw people on TV recounting history.

Fusu still remembers asking Teacher Xu back then, "Teacher, is life very short?"

Teacher Xu replied with a smile, "Actually, life is very long."

Fusu still remembers that when Teacher Xu said this, he was wiping his old glasses. His stubble was white, but he had a smile on his stubble-covered face.

My thoughts returned to the present moment. Teacher Xu was my mentor. It was this selfless volunteer teacher who imparted knowledge and enabled one after another of the children in the mountains to go out into the world.

Fu Su thought that if time stood still, then Teacher Xu would still be teaching now.

He taught for most of his life, staying in the mountains without complaint or regret.

Later, the teacher saw the mountains leveled, saw long tunnels piercing through the mountains, and saw highways cutting through the mountains.

The once impoverished mountains have undergone earth-shattering changes. Team after team of workers came to the mountains and transformed a poor place. The workers have unimaginable and boundless power, and they have given the land a brand new look.

But Teacher Xu is still teaching. He is very old, and his hair and beard are all white, but he always has crumpled textbooks in his hands.

Now Fusu understands a little better. Teacher Xu dedicated his whole life to teaching. He taught so many students, which is why he could say that a person's life is actually very long.

Who dares to say that anyone's life is insignificant?

Teacher Xu is the person who influenced my whole life, Fu Su thought to himself. This teacher still lives in his heart. He seems to be right in front of him, still teaching him.

……

After autumn arrived in Guanzhong, the persimmons ripened first this year. Fusu ate persimmons while sitting in Zhangtai Palace, reading reports from various counties in Guanzhong. These reports all concerned the autumn floods this year.

Several areas were flooded, but fortunately the impact was not significant, and the government took the necessary measures.

There were also disappointing things, such as the timber that was placed near Xianyang Bridge and intended to be used to build Xingping County being swept away by the flood.

A palace attendant bowed and said, "Young Master, the imperial family says the sacrificial rites are all prepared."

Fusu nodded and said, "I understand."

The eunuch stood to the side for a moment, and seeing that the young master did not stand up, he remained standing.

After a long while, Fusu finally finished reading the dossier in front of him, then stood up, straightened his clothes, and walked out of the hall.

The main hall remained as quiet as ever, with only the occasional sound of the wind outside.

Tian An stood outside the hall and bowed, saying, "Young Master, everything is ready."

Fusu walked with them into the depths of the palace. Xianyang Palace was very large, and there were many places Fusu had not yet been to. When they arrived at their destination, Fusu remembered the place in front of him.

Xianyang had palaces that housed rare treasures from the six states, as well as palaces for worshipping the Qin kings of past dynasties.

Now, the palace before us is used to worship the Qin kings of past dynasties.

Ying Xi stood outside the hall and bowed, saying, "Young Master, you may enter the hall to perform the sacrificial ceremony now."

This was certainly not the formal coming-of-age ceremony; it was a sacrificial ritual performed before the ceremony, roughly meaning to inform the ancestors of the Qin royal family that Prince Fusu was about to undergo the coming-of-age ceremony.

This ritual is performed once a month and continues until one month before the end of the year.

At times like this, Fusu would imagine himself as a puppet, letting them arrange things as they pleased until the ceremony was over.

Upon entering the hall, Fusu knelt down to pay his respects, and then remained motionless.

Behind me came the sound of my great-grandfather reciting the names of every Qin king throughout history.

After the great-grandfather finished reciting, Fusu completed the kneeling ceremony and sat to the side, waiting for the remaining sacrificial rites to end. Then, bowls of dishes were brought out.

Ying Xi said loudly, "Bitter herbs and strong liquor."

Bowls of strong liquor were poured, and the aroma of alcohol immediately filled the hall.

Ying Xi had three bolts of cloth brought over and asked, "When the young master comes of age, he may choose one of the following attire and crown."

Fusu remained seated, looking at the three types of black fabric in front of him.

After thinking for a moment, Fusu chose one of them. Since they were all the same color, he couldn't tell the difference.

Ying Xi nodded, signaling that the person carrying the cloth could leave.

Fusu took a deep breath, not knowing how much more he would have to do next, so he continued to sit upright and let them "control" him.

After a long while, another person came carrying three hair ornaments. The three styles were almost identical. Fusu glanced at them and chose the one in the middle that was relatively simple.

The royal family's sacrificial ceremony was short, ending just before nightfall.

However, Fusu insisted on staying here and remaining there until dawn the next day.

There were guards outside the hall, and the hall was brightly lit.

Tian An arranged the bed in the corner of the hall and bowed, saying, "Young master, you can rest here for a while, it won't be a problem."

Looking at the rows of memorial tablets of past Qin kings, Fusu said, "How should we spend this night?"

Even just sitting around doing nothing is too torturous.

If these memorial tablets could speak, Fusu would find it more interesting, at least he could complain to these successive Qin kings about the neglect of development in Guanzhong.

But a memorial tablet is just a memorial tablet. Fusu even held onto a sliver of hope, but it was all just a fantasy. Half an hour later, Tian An returned hurriedly. It was raining outside the palace.

When Fusu saw him return, he was still a little wet.

With his back to the guards outside the hall, Tian An smiled and took out a bundle from his bosom. Inside the bundle were writing brushes and ink, several bamboo scrolls, and some large walnuts and raisins presented as tribute from the Western Regions.

Fusu picked up some raisins, put one in his mouth, and then looked up at the outside of the palace.

Tian An added, "It's alright, we've already informed them, we won't tell the imperial family."

Fusu smiled and said, "Go sit by the candlestick for a while. The autumn rain is chilly, so don't catch a cold."

Tian An said, "Sigh."

Fusu saw him sitting by the candlestick, with candles being lit, which would at least keep the old man warm.

The guards outside the hall didn't look into the hall at all. Fusu first picked up some raisins and walnuts and placed them on the sacrificial table, distributing some to the ancestors of the King of Qin.

Then Fusu sat down in his seat, peeling and eating walnuts while looking at the documents sent from Weinan.

Construction in Weinan continues, Tongguan City is still laying its foundation, and the city wall has begun to take shape.

Sitting by the candlestick, Tian An yawned. He glanced at the young master who was focused on reviewing documents, and then closed his eyes slightly.

Fusu chewed on a walnut while writing related annotations on the bamboo slips.

When he finally felt sleepy, Fusu leaned against a pillar and took a short nap. In his dream, he seemed to see the Qin kings of past dynasties. It was truly a case of "what the mind thinks, the dream manifests."

When Fusu woke up, he recalled the dream. In the dream, he, as a prince of Qin, said to the successive Qin kings, "I will do as much as I can. Don't worry about whether what I do is right or wrong. Anyway, you are all in heaven now, so it has nothing to do with you."

Upon realizing what he had said in his dream, Fusu felt that his words had been somewhat disrespectful.

In any case, all the kings of Qin throughout history have exuded domineering power. If I, as a prince of Qin, were to be submissive, I would be lacking in the demeanor of my ancestors.

Ying Xi re-entered the hall and saw walnut shells on the ground. He also saw some raisins on the young master's table, with writing brush and ink beside it.

Ying Xi shook his head slightly, not bothering to argue, and had someone tidy up the place.

The hall was once again clean and tidy, and Ying Xi said again, "Young Master, you may return now."

Fusu smiled somewhat apologetically and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Grandfather."

Ying Xi nodded and waved his hand, signaling the young master to go back.

Fusu walked outside the main hall; the sun was already high, almost noon.

At this point, it would be too late to hold a court meeting, so Fusu simply returned to Gaoquan Palace.

Tian An followed along, still holding the document that the young master had approved the previous night in his arms.

Upon returning to Gaoquan Palace, Fusu learned that during the court council earlier that day, someone had mentioned the matter of Wang Jian sending a golden carriage.

The fact that the old general had gifted three golden carriages to Prince Fusu during his coming-of-age ceremony could not be kept secret, and people were still talking about it at Zhangtai Palace.

Tian An said, "General Wang Ben didn't say a word, letting those Shandong scholars talk about how such a generous gift was not in accordance with etiquette."

Fusu said, "Since the Wang family doesn't care, then it's fine. Those people are just being nosy."

After saying this, Fusu began preparing lunch for the day.

Because he woke up late, Fusu felt there was no need to make breakfast, so he simply made lunch instead.

To make noodles, you need a large table, preferably a wide and large one.

In this way, you can work more freely when pulling and rolling out the noodles.

Fusu is rolling out dough. The dough is made from the new wheat harvested in Weinan this year. This kind of dough is very fragrant when used to make pancakes, and it is also excellent when used to make noodles.

After today's court meeting concludes and the officials leave Zhangtai Palace.

Fusu had several earthenware pots brought to Zhangtai Palace.

At this hour, the emperor should still be dealing with state affairs.

When Fusu arrived outside the main hall, he saw the Prime Minister inside.

Before anyone could announce his arrival, the eunuch standing outside the hall said, "Young master, please enter the hall. There is no need to announce your arrival."

Fusu stepped into the main hall and saw Prime Minister Li Si telling the First Emperor about the current affairs of the world. Li Si spoke eloquently about the progress of the Great Wall construction, the battle situation in the south, and the governance of various places in the Central Plains.

Fusu remained silent and waved his hand, signaling the people outside the hall to bring the pot in.

Ying Zheng asked, "Fusu, how is Weinan?"

"Reporting to Father Emperor, all is well."

As they were talking, Fusu scooped noodles out of the pot, added soybean paste and minced meat, sprinkled on some chopped green onions, took out a hot pancake, placed it in a bowl, and presented it to his father.

Another bowl of noodles and flatbread were prepared and served to the Prime Minister.

Fusu was sitting to the side, eating as well.

The main hall of Zhangtai Palace was briefly quiet again, with only the sound of slurping noodles ringing out.

After finishing his bowl of noodles, Li Si continued to recount the recent developments of the southern expedition.

Fusu ate slowly. He should savor the wheat-scented cakes. Then he heard Li Si mention a man named Ren Xiao.

Ren Xiao was originally a deputy general under Tu Ju. Prime Minister Li Si recommended him to be the Commandant of Nanhai Commandery and ordered him to set up the three commanderies of Nanhai, Xiang, and Guilin.

He took office in a place called Panyu in Nanhai County.

Li Si also said that Ren Xiao was very loyal to Qin and had the ability to govern.

The situation in the south is not actually chaotic. According to what Fusu has learned from reading the military reports from the south over the past year, Tu Ju is in the southwest, Zhao Tuo is in the southeast, Ren Xiao has gone to Panyu, Du Shui Changlu is still consolidating the Lingqu Canal in the rear, and Li You is in Shu to take care of things.

Fusu listened quietly to Li Si's story.

The First Emperor listened attentively.

At a time when many people believed that Li Si was one of the key figures in the rise of the tyrannical Qin Dynasty, Li Si made a suggestion to the First Emperor.

The suggestion was to relocate people from the Central Plains to the south, live together with the Yue people, implement education and culture, and establish a prefecture-county system.

After finishing his noodles, Fusu helped his father and the prime minister clear the dishes.

Seeing that the young master was personally clearing away the dishes, Li Si hurriedly tried to persuade him not to let the young master do it. Before he could finish speaking, Fusu had already deftly taken the dishes away.

Li Si stood there, ashamed.

Ying Zheng said, "Li Si, continue."

Li Si then came to his senses and continued talking to the First Emperor about the affairs of the south.

After clearing away the dishes, Fusu had Tian An take them back first, and then he sat in the main hall, reviewing today's documents while listening to Li Si tell the First Emperor about the progress in the south and future plans.

(End of this chapter)