The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 71 The Ancient Capital of Qin
The night wind blew, carrying snowflakes as they fell, and the soldiers gathered in small groups around the campfire to keep warm.

As Fusu stepped down from the carriage, Tian An was baking a flatbread. He stepped forward and said, "Young master, prepare some meat soup and flatbread for tonight."

Fusu nodded and followed Wang Ben into a tent, which was very clean.

Wang Ben packed his belongings and said, "Young master, please rest here tonight. I'll go outside and take a look."

"Thank you for your trouble, Your Excellency."

"It doesn't matter."

After Wang Ben left the tent, Fusu heard shouts and the neighing of warhorses outside, and then the sound of hooves faded into the distance.

Fusu sat in his tent, where a brazier was burning. He was alone, reading a book he had brought from Xianyang. This book was another volume from Lü Buwei's *Lüshi Chunqiu*, which still discussed the rites of the First Farmer.

In fact, Yongcheng is located on the alluvial plain of the Wei River. In the past, people said that "the grain was piled up like hills" to describe the wealth of Yongcheng.

This aligns with Fusu's long-held belief that Guanzhong is a prosperous land with great development potential, not just Weinan, but the entire Guanzhong region. Therefore, the Northwest region in this era was indeed a rich and fertile land.

Returning to Xianyang after the summer harvest, and then setting out again in winter, Fusu realized that he had only spent a short autumn in Xianyang.

When Tian An brought over the hot meat soup, he also brought meat patties.

Fusu took a sip of the meat soup and asked, "How is the army?"

Tian An said, "Everyone has settled down. The army said we can rest before dawn and then break camp after dawn."

"Well, you should also go to bed early."

Tian An nodded and was about to turn and leave when he turned back and said, "Someone else brought news that the Prime Minister will arrive at Qinian Palace before the end of the year."

Fusu nodded. "Yes, I understand."

Tian An then stepped out of the young master's tent, breathing in the cold night air, and began packing the luggage on the carriage.

The soldiers in the camp were rarely moving around; everyone who had been busy all day was resting.

Wang Ben came over and said, "It's late, you should get some rest."

Tian An tied a bundle with a rope, put it into the carriage, and whispered, "Young Master is about to have his coming-of-age ceremony. Alas... Young Master has grown up."

There seemed to be a sigh in his words. Although the light from the brazier was not bright, Wang Ben could see the hot breath coming from the old man's mouth.

He took another stove from the carriage, filled the kettle with water, placed the kettle by the fire, and then sat down by the stove himself.

Wang Ben also sat by the campfire on the ground, warming his hands and feet near the flames.

This place is very close to Prince Fusu's tent. I don't know if the prince is asleep at this hour. Tian An is sitting here so that he can respond immediately if the prince needs anything.

Tian An looked up at the snow falling from the night sky and said, "I didn't expect time to pass so quickly. The young master used to look like a young man. His humble and studious demeanor seems to still be there. Even though his appearance hasn't changed much, he still looks like a child to me. But now he's about to have his coming-of-age ceremony and get married."

Wang Ben's temples were already slightly gray. He said in a low voice, "You watched the young master grow up. You feel the same way I do. I also feel that my daughter is still a child, and in the blink of an eye, she will be marrying the young master."

Tian An looked at the firelight and said, "How wonderful, the young master is getting married."

The two sat outside the tent. After Wang Ben asked a few questions, Tian An started talking again. He began to recount the past, and whenever he talked about the past, the old man could go on and on.

After sitting and listening for a long time, Wang Ben became sleepy and yawned. When he looked at him again, the other person was still recounting the past.

Wang Ben felt a pang of regret; he shouldn't have talked to this old man, who was quite talkative.

But then he thought, the young master is about to marry his youngest daughter, and Tian An is the young master's most trusted eunuch, so he should be on good terms with him.

Until Wang Ben was so tired that he said he wanted to go and check if the soldiers on guard were slacking off.

Feeling awkward, Tian An returned to the young master's tent to rest.

The falling snowflakes formed a snowpack on the roof of the tent, and a troop of soldiers had brought provisions early on.

When smoke rises from the camp, the soldiers pack up their weapons and tents, eat breakfast, and then begin another busy day.

When Fusu woke up, Tian An was still asleep, with a heater beside him, sleeping peacefully.

The old man had always slept quite well.

Fusu did not disturb him, but walked out of the tent and watched as groups of soldiers packed up their weapons and armor, seemingly preparing to travel.

Fusu approached Wang Ben and asked, "Will the Western Rong people raid Yongcheng?"

Wang Ben shook his head as he ate the pancake, but when he saw that it was the young master who was speaking, he quickly said, "Young master, there are no Western Rong people in Yongcheng."

Fusu also took a flatbread from the stove, took a bite, and said, "Hmm, the flatbreads in the army are quite substantial."

Seeing that the young master was also eating the army's flatbread, the officers nearby all smiled upon hearing this.

Originally, they were supposed to break camp early in the morning, and several subordinate generals had come to receive General Wang Ben's orders. When they heard that the young master had also come to eat the army's pancakes, everyone laughed and the atmosphere became much more relaxed.

A lieutenant called out loudly, "Who made today's cakes?"

The voice echoed through the camp, and a burly man stepped out, shouting in a loud voice, "I did it!"

His voice was indeed very loud, making people's ears ring. If such a person rushed into the battlefield, just one roar at the front line would blow away most of the enemy's morale.

One of the lieutenants explained, "The young master said your cake is very thick!"

The burly man clasped his hands in a fist and said loudly, "Young master, you flatter me. A thin and flimsy pancake won't fill you up!"

Fusu, still chewing on a biscuit, said, "Alright, you can go ahead and get busy."

"The last general takes orders."

Laughter erupted again from the camp.

When the golden morning light completely disappeared and the white sunlight illuminated the world, Tian An woke up.

Fusu handed the old man a pancake and said, "This is a pancake made in the army. Try it too."

Tian An took a bite, bowed, and said, "Thank you, young master."

"The pancake is a bit cold and quite thick, so eat it slowly."

Tian An smiled and nodded.

The flatbreads people made were all pretty much the same. In this era when seasonings were very simple, the flatbreads were baked in the oven. Better ones would put some mutton fat or minced meat in the flatbread and sprinkle some salt, while worse ones would just bake the flatbread and only have the aroma of wheat.

Most of the biscuits served in the army have a slightly salty taste, which looks like they are sprinkled with salt on the surface, and they have a sweet aftertaste if you chew them for a long time.

Tian An said, "Freshly baked cakes are still the most fragrant."

Fusu said, "If we are on a military campaign, this kind of cake is a very good dry ration."

After a final cleanup of the camp, the sounds of hooves and neighing horses filled the air. Fusu returned to his carriage, and only after General Wang Ben said it was time to leave did Fusu allow his soldiers to continue their journey.

Wang Ben was waiting at the front of the army. Before long, two scouts returned and reported to Wang Ben.

Wang Ben rode up to the carriage and reported, "My lord, the scouts have scouted the area and there are no ambushes ten miles ahead. We can continue our journey."

Fusu nodded and said, "Let's go to Yongcheng."

Wang Ben announced loudly, "Let's go!"

After a night's rest, the team set off again for Yongcheng, sixty miles away.

Fusu sat in the carriage, looking out the window. He could see the sunlight shining on the snow, making the distant snow even more sparkling.

When the procession passed through a village, the surrounding villagers all bowed to the carriage in the procession. With thousands of soldiers escorting it, and the carriage being so distinguished, it was clear that a great figure from Xianyang had come out.

Fusu's gaze fell on the nearby village. The village seemed to have a large population, but it was clear at a glance that it was a relatively wealthy county.

But in Fusu’s view, all the counties in Guanzhong were pretty much the same; they all looked dark and gloomy.

Once you reach the northwest of Guanzhong, the villages become even darker.

Fusu thought to himself, how wonderful it would be if people lived in a bright village.

Tian An said, "Young master, Chencang County is just ahead."

Fusu looked up and saw a very old city wall. There were quite a few soldiers standing inside. He said, "It seems there are quite a few soldiers guarding this place?"

Wang Ben replied, "Chencang is a strategic location in Guanzhong."

Fusu nodded. "Yes, it is indeed a strategic location."

The closer they got to Yongcheng, the more troops there were along the way, as if they had reached the strategic Guanzhong region.

The team rested here for another night. Fusu often took out the map. In fact, people today have a great deal of knowledge about the influence of geography on warfare.

Like Wang Ben, he could explain the geographical advantages of Chencang, Qishan and Yongcheng in Guanzhong in a very comprehensive way.

The next day, the group set off again, and they were very close to Yongcheng.

Tian An said, “Young master, a long time ago, the earliest Qin people lived a very hard life. They lived in the mountains. Later, after Shang Yang’s reforms, many poor Qin people came out of the mountains. Now, the Qin people live in one county after another. They no longer live in the remote mountains.”

As he spoke, Tian An's gaze drifted to a mountain range, a look of longing that seemed to be searching for something within its forests.

The procession continued on its way. Wang Ben looked up and saw a river in the distance, a tributary of the Wei River. Surrounded by this river was a city, Yongcheng.

Before Wang Ben could come over to report, Fusu had already stepped out of the carriage, stood on the carriage shaft, and looked up.

The Qin people repaired and patched up the city, and the old Yongcheng still stands here today. Before the team even arrived, a troop of cavalry came out of Yongcheng and headed towards the escorting team.

Desertification has not yet begun in the Northwest. There is still plenty of green grass here, and a herd of cattle is leisurely grazing on the riverbank. Warhorses will stop by the river and walk quietly without being led.

The scenery here is especially beautiful. Fusu can now understand why the emperors of the Han and Tang dynasties after Qin always pursued the Hexi Corridor. It turns out that the Northwest is indeed a beautiful place.

Fusu had not yet seen the snow-capped mountains and deserts of the Western Regions, nor the bright moon.

But then I thought of the river drying up and the thunder rumbling in winter.

Tian An said, "In the past, the Qin people grazed and raised horses here. Shanggui County was also the place where the Qin people grazed their horses. Now it is Longxi County."

Fusu said, "This place is really beautiful."

Tian An added, "Winter came early this year. It will be even more beautiful here next winter."

After speaking, Tian An stepped down from the carriage and began talking with the people from Yongcheng.

The man bowed to Prince Fusu and then led his entourage toward Yongcheng.

Ying Xi arrived half a month ago, and he has been here with his men preparing for official matters.

Yongcheng is the ancient capital of the Qin people, where the oldest Qin people live. Although it was not the capital of Qin, and it does not have the grandeur of Xianyang embracing the Wei River, it is still the ancient capital of Qin.

As the young master dismounted and was about to enter the city, Tian An followed beside him and said, "Young master, the old Qin people once said that the Wei River is the lifeblood of the Qin people and Yong Mountain is their bones. This is the place where the Qin people were born and raised."

The city walls of Yongcheng are very high, more than ten feet high, almost two feet high.

Looking around from the corner tower, one can see Qin soldiers standing inside.

The city was heavily guarded because the prince of Qin was about to undergo his coming-of-age ceremony.

Fusu stepped onto this land and entered the city. Beneath his feet were the tombs of many Qin dukes throughout history, including the tomb of Duke Jing of Qin.

Fusu knew they were all at his feet, lying peacefully on this ground.

The coming-of-age ceremony was held on a high platform built south of Yongcheng. Fusu only glanced at it from afar before entering the city under the escort of a group of soldiers, heading towards Qinian Palace.

Qinian Palace is now a detached palace of the Qin Dynasty. It is not large in scale, but it is solemn.

Qinian Palace was both a palace and an ancestral temple of the Qin people, demonstrating the Qin people's unity of palace and temple and their reverence for heaven and ancestors.

This place was probably built by the Qin people when they rose to power during the reign of the Zhou emperor, while the Qinian Palace was built under the supervision of King Huiwen of Qin and was used to worship the Qin dukes of past dynasties.

Fusu walked through the main street of Yongcheng. Two rows of Qin soldiers holding long spears stood on both sides of the street. The whole city was quiet, and even the streets had been cleared.

Ying Xi stood in front of Qinian Palace and bowed, saying, "Young Master."

Fusu smiled and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Grandfather."

Ying Xi, still leaning on his cane, said in a low voice, "Young master, please come with me to the palace."

Fusu nodded and walked towards Qinian Palace with his great-grandfather.

In front of Qinian Palace, there are many ritual objects, including tripods, pots, and some jade and bronze artifacts.

Fusu walked around these ritual objects and entered the main hall of Qinian Palace. The hall was spacious and quiet.

Ying Xi said in a low voice, "The royal family is small and the population is sparse. One of your two uncles is seriously ill and the other has joined the army. They probably won't be able to come."

Grandpa was talking about the small population again, and seemed to be complaining about the two uncles' lack of ambition.

There was nothing that could be done. After the First Emperor assumed power, the infighting within the Qin royal family led to an endless stream of deaths among the relatives of the emperor and members of the royal family. Before the bodies were even cold, the blood in Xianyang City was almost impossible to wash away.

The impact of that time was only a few years ago, so most people probably wouldn't dare to come.

……

Note: In 350 BC, the twelfth year of Duke Xiao of Qin's reign, after the capital was moved to Xianyang, Yongcheng still retained its ancestral temples and mausoleums, serving as a center of clan and political symbolism.

Archaeological findings from Fengxiang Village indicate that the remaining walls of Yongcheng City were 4-8 meters high, with rammed earth layers 5-13 centimeters thick, constructed using rammed earth techniques, and included city gates. In Nanzhihui Village, Fengxiang, 43 large tombs of the Qin Dukes' Mausoleum were discovered, including the tomb of Duke Jing of Qin.

(End of this chapter)