The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 72 Sword
Fusu was led into Qinian Palace by his great-grandfather. The old man's hands were very old, like withered tree bark, and one could feel the strength coming from the joints of his thin fingers.

Holding his great-grandfather's hand like that, Fusu didn't feel the warmth of his great-grandfather's palm, but he could feel the great-grandfather's deep respect for the descendants of the Qin royal family.

Fusu could sense that his great-grandfather had expectations of him and cared about him.

"Young master, you will be staying here for the next two weeks. Your food and clothing will be provided. We hope you will not leave without permission."

"Fusu will follow his great-grandfather's arrangements."

After saying this, Fusu saw Tian An standing outside the palace. As long as Tian An was still standing outside the palace, his food, clothing and shelter would not be too bad.

Ying Xi also noticed Tian An standing outside the hall, and could only give him a silent warning with his eyes.

Ying Xi also knew that Prince Fusu was the First Emperor's most beloved child and the first prince who was capable of assisting in state affairs and was about to get married.

As for the First Emperor's other children, they are all still young.

Seeing that the other person had his head down and looked unwell, Fusu asked, "Is something on your mind, Grandfather?"

There was no one else there, only the grandfather and grandson. Ying Xi said in a low voice, "Young master, I have seen too many things in the past and witnessed the deaths of many people. Many people have experienced ups and downs in their lives, but in the end, they cannot escape death. I will also die. I should have died long ago."

Fusu asked, "Grandpa has done so much in his life."

Ying Xi slowly turned his head to look at the child who was about to undergo his coming-of-age ceremony, and said in a low voice, "This old man did not do a good job."

Those things from back then are all in the past. Whether it was my great-grandfather losing to Lü Buwei in the struggle for the throne of Qin, or the various chaotic things that happened in Qin after Lü Buwei took power, my great-grandfather still had some lingering resentment in his heart.

But at the most crucial moment, the great-grandfather stood up and led the Qin clan to support the father emperor, and supported the father emperor in assuming power, helping the father emperor to perform the coming-of-age ceremony and preside over political affairs.

For the remaining twenty years, this great-grandfather helped his father protect the royal family of Qin and the ancestors of Qin.

The Qin clans all supported the First Emperor, and Fusu could feel his great-grandfather's expectations. As long as the current prince Fusu could complete his coming-of-age ceremony here and gain the recognition of the Qin clans, he would be able to achieve his goal.

Then the clan will support me in the future, and I need to walk my path well from now on.
Ying Xi patted Fusu on the back and said, "You are the First Emperor's eldest son and also his most sensible child. I won't live for many more years. After helping you with your coming-of-age ceremony, I will go back and wait to die."

Fusu bowed and said, "Grandfather, rest assured, your grandson will definitely be obedient and sensible."

Ying Xi took a few steps with his cane, and then said as he walked, "Young Master, please rest early."

After his great-grandfather left Qinian Palace, Fusu saw that his great-grandfather seemed to have said a few words to Tian An before leaving.

It seems that the great-grandfather had given Tian An permission to enter Qinian Palace.

Fusu stood inside the hall, looking at the jade artifacts displayed there, all of which were used for sacrificial rites.

Tian An entered the hall, bowed, and said, "Young Master, the army has sent your belongings and clothing to the rear hall, and the main force in the city has also withdrawn."

Fusu said, "Grandfather is still worried about the infighting among the imperial clan."

Tian An stood to the side, eyes closed and silent.

Ying Xi is already this old, so what happens to him is no longer important. Back then, Ying Xi lost to Lü Buwei when he was vying for the throne of Qin.

However, Ying Xi later led the royal family to support the First Emperor, which was the most correct thing he did in his life, especially considering the First Emperor's current achievements.

Ying Xi could even die proudly for it.

Now that he's helping another young master of Qin to undergo his coming-of-age ceremony, the old man has lived a fulfilling life.

Fusu walked towards the back hall. Thinking of his younger siblings, who were still innocent and at the age of learning to read and write, he suddenly smiled.

Upon reaching the rear hall, some eunuchs were tidying up various utensils. They bowed once again upon seeing the young master arrive.

The rear hall contains the memorial tablets of the Qin dukes of past dynasties, and it looks like someone comes to clean it every day, so it is very tidy.

Tian An was scolding several eunuchs who were incompetent in their work.

A military guard strode to the outside of the hall, bowed, and said, "Young master, a letter from Xianyang."

Fusu took the letter; it was written by Prince Gao.

Tian An asked, "Young master, is this a letter from the Prime Minister?"

Fusu replied, "The Prime Minister will bring Prince Gao with him to Yongcheng."

Tian An said, "Judging from the delivery speed, Gongzi Gao should arrive in Yongcheng three days before his coming-of-age ceremony."

"Yeah, I think so too."

The letter didn't mention any Qilu doctors traveling with him, but Fusu thought about his teacher's character; given his teacher's temperament, even if he were escorting someone, he would bring a group of Qilu doctors to Yongcheng.

Such an important coming-of-age ceremony for the Prince of Qin was something that the scholars from Qi and Lu had to attend, whether they wanted to or not. Once they arrived, they had to accept the Qin rites; otherwise, they would most likely not be able to leave Yongcheng alive.

Fusu was well aware of Li Si's methods.

The nights in Yongcheng are very peaceful. It is very close to Shanggui, which is also very close to Xirong.

After nightfall, Tian An went out for a while. When he returned, he brought with him the county annals of Chencang County and the previous records of Yongcheng.

Fusu flipped through the volumes of county annals, wanting to understand the interactions between Yongcheng and Shanggui over the years, as a strategic location in Guanzhong.

And whether Shanggui had mentioned any battle reports concerning the Western Rong.

Fusu felt that he really wanted the Hexi Corridor, which was a huge pasture.

This ranch can raise cattle and sheep, train warhorses, and grow grain.

So much so that tonight, after entering his dream, Fusu dreamt of a large army advancing westward along the Hexi Corridor.

When he woke up, it was just dawn. After washing up, Fusu sat outside the palace eating breakfast and asked, "Where is the Minister of the Imperial Household?"

Tian An replied, "Young Master, the Minister of the Imperial Household took over the defense of Yongcheng last night. The five thousand armored soldiers in the city are under the Minister of the Imperial Household's command. The Minister of the Imperial Household personally patrolled and kept watch in the city last night, and should have just gone to sleep now."

Fusu nodded and said, "Yes."

Then someone handed over a scroll and bowed, saying, "Young master, this is a book that the clan elder sent to deliver."

Fusu took the scroll and looked at the records of etiquette on it. Before King Huiwen of Qin became king, the sacrificial rites of the successive Qin dukes were very complicated.

Later, King Huiwen of Qin, under the auspices of the Zhou emperor, became king.

Qin rituals largely followed Zhou rituals, but were simplified to some extent due to the pragmatic approach of successive Qin kings.

For the next few days, almost every day someone would bring him books about Qin etiquette. Fusu read one book after another, making up for his lack of knowledge about etiquette.

When he had nothing to do, Fusu felt that time was passing very slowly. While idly throwing arrows at a pot, he would do a sport called pitching.

People today live according to the rhythm of the four seasons.

For example, the autumn harvest and winter storage mean that people are much less active in winter, which is what the Qin people called "hibernating in winter".

The Qin people have a long history of wintering, and wintering is also a custom of the Qin people.

"It hasn't snowed these past few days, so we haven't even had a chance to see a snow scene," Fusu said in a low voice, throwing an arrow at the mouth of the pot. A sound came from the pot as the arrow landed steadily inside.

The game of pitch-pot was tedious and boring, so Fusu simply returned to the inner palace and decided to read books about etiquette instead.

Five days before the end of the year, at dusk, as the cold wind was howling, a troop of soldiers arrived in Yongcheng. Fusu met Prince Gao and Yin Man, who had come from Xianyang.

"Brother!" The brother and sister bowed together.

Fusu said, "Yinman has grown taller again."

Yin Man's cheeks were red from the cold, but she grinned and said, "My sister has been studying with her teacher, Fu Sheng, lately."

Gongzi Gao said, "Teacher Fusheng has read many, many books, including those from the Hundred Schools of Thought. He has read all the books that have been passed down to posterity, and he can even write them down."

Yin Man nodded happily, "Mm."

The brother and sister kept sharing what they had learned, which was a very interesting and worthwhile process to listen to.

Fusu asked, "Didn't the others come?"

Gongzi Gao said, "They didn't come. I told them to stay in Xianyang with Father Emperor." Yin Man stood by the stove, her hands, red from the cold, warming them. Once her hands were warm, she covered her ears, which were almost numb from the cold, with her palms.

Tian An has already asked someone to prepare hot water.

Gongzi Gao then said, "Brother, Li You has returned."

"Ah."

Seeing his brother's calm expression, he added, "Li You also brought a woman from Shu, who was holding a child in her arms. He said it was Li You's son."

Fusu suddenly smiled and asked, "Has the Prime Minister arrived?"

Yin Man replied, "The Prime Minister's entourage is behind us; they will arrive a day later."

Fusu could imagine that the current prime minister's feelings must be very complicated, so complicated that his son had returned, but had given him a grandson.

Gongzi Gao said, "Brother, Li You suffered a lot in Shu. He has lost a lot of weight and has grown a lot of beard. We didn't recognize him when we set off from Xianyang."

Seeing Tian An come out, Fu Su said, "The hot water is ready. You two go and wash up first, and then come and have dinner."

The brother and sister obediently left.

Li Youzhen is back, and not only that, he brought his child and wife with him. This guy is quite courageous.

After Gongzi Gao and Yinman took a bath, the two children were much more energetic. After eating, they went to sleep.

The journey from Xianyang to Yongcheng takes about two days by carriage.

The next day, the Prime Minister's carriage arrived, accompanied by many officials.

As expected, the Prime Minister brought along those scholars from Qi and Lu, as well as some who appeared to be former nobles from the six states.

Prince Gao stood in front of the city gate to greet the prime minister and many officials.

He bowed very respectfully and said, "Greetings, Prime Minister."

Li Si said, "Greetings, young master."

“My elder brother is about to undergo his coming-of-age ceremony and cannot leave Qinian Palace, so I am here to greet the Prime Minister.”

Li Si said, "It is my duty to come and observe the ceremony as ordered by the First Emperor. There is no need for you to make such an arrangement, Your Highness."

"The Prime Minister must have much to say to his brother. Come with me."

Li Si followed Gongzi Gao's footsteps, gesturing with his eyes for Li You to follow as well.

Li You instructed his wife and children to follow along.

Inside the Qinian Palace, Fusu was teaching his younger sister Yinman how to play chess.

The little girl frowned, staring at the chessboard, deep in thought.

Footsteps came from outside the hall. The footsteps were frequent, not heavy, and somewhat hurried.

The first person to appear was his younger brother, Gao, followed by the Prime Minister.

When Fusu saw Li You again, he almost didn't recognize him.

But the other person's simple and honest smile has never changed.

Li Youhei is now thinner and has a thick beard, which is common among most generals in the army.

Li Si handed over a wooden box and said with a smile, "Your subject congratulates you, young master."

Fusu naturally wouldn't be polite to his teacher. He took the wooden box, opened it, and examined it. It was a jade pendant the size of a palm, with cloud patterns on it. The cloud patterns symbolized the connection between heaven and earth and auspiciousness.

"Thank you, teacher."

With a kind smile on his face, Li Si continued, "The First Emperor ordered me to inspect the defenses of Yongcheng and to write a report back to Xianyang..."

"It's alright, teacher, please go ahead with your work."

"My minister retire."

Li Si naturally knew that Prince Fusu and his son had a lot to talk about, having not seen each other for three years. Before leaving, he gave Li You a meaningful look.

Once Li Si had walked away, Li You finally breathed a sigh of relief and said with emotion, "I am grateful to you for covering for me all these years."

"Stop calling me 'this humble general' all the time. Are you going back to Xianyang to continue serving in the army?"

Li Youdao said, "I can only follow my father's arrangements."

Fusu nodded in understanding.

“However,” Li You changed his tone, “my ambition is not to be an official.”

Fusu then saw Li You's wife, who was holding a child and standing behind him with her head down.

Li You explained, "My father had a grandson and no longer wanted to take care of me. He said that if I left the grandson in Xianyang, I could leave."

What are your plans for the future?

Li You sat down to the side and said in a low voice, "I originally wanted to stay in Shu for a few more years. There's nothing wrong with being in the army. I've been to the north and I've also been to Shu. I'll rest and recuperate in Guanzhong and then go out to see the world again. I can go out and take on some disciples. I also want to write down the places I've been to. Now I want to write down the current situation in Shu."

Fusu said, "I thought you would be thinking about leading troops to fight and expand territory."

Li You laughed and said, "I know my own abilities. I'm not good enough to be a general. In the past three years in Shu, I've only helped with the mobilization of troops."

"I've suffered these past three years."

"What am I? I'm doing fine in Shu. It's the soldiers who went south who suffered. I saw soldiers returning from the south whose feet were almost covered in scabs. The mountains and forests in the south are very difficult to traverse. They didn't have a single piece of cloth on their bodies; they were covered in tattered rags. When they returned, they were almost unrecognizable."

Li You said in a low voice, "Some of the people who died in battle were also transported here, but only a few were able to be transported; most of them remained there."

Fusu listened as he recounted another side of the South, how the war was still brutal.

Two nights later, Qinian Palace remained brightly lit until late at night, and even at dawn, people were still hurrying around the palace.

Today is the Laba Festival, and Prince Fusu will be having his coming-of-age ceremony today.

Fusu put on the clothes for his coming-of-age ceremony today and looked towards Yongcheng from Qinian Palace. He was about to set off from here to the sacrificial platform in the south of the city.

The streets have been cleared, and the entire city of Yongcheng is under martial law.

Fusu stood in front of Qinian Palace, waiting for the appointed time to walk to the coming-of-age ceremony altar.

Ying Xi held a sword in both hands and bowed, saying, "Please wear this sword, young master."

Fusu looked at the bronze sword, still somewhat hesitant.

Ying Xi said in a low voice, "The Prime Minister handed this sword to me on the day he came to Yongcheng."

Upon hearing this, Fusu remembered that the Prime Minister had visited him at Qinian Palace and then left in a hurry. It turned out that he had gone to deliver the sword to his great-grandfather.
This sword is three feet long, which is typical of Qin bronze swords. There are also inscriptions on the scabbard.

Ying Xi said in a low voice, "I do not know the name of this sword, but in the past... I have seen the First Emperor often carry this sword when he went out."

After saying this, Ying Xi personally hung the sword on Prince Fusu's waist.

Then someone began to loudly recite the sacrificial text in front of the Qinian Palace.

After the sacrificial text was read, Ying Xi, leaning on his cane, said, "Young master, you have come with me. It's time to go to the altar. When we arrive at the altar, the Prime Minister will lead you up to it."

Fusu, with one hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist, followed in his great-grandfather's footsteps.

Yongcheng remained silent. To the soldiers standing on both sides of the main street, Prince Fusu's steps were firm as he followed Ying Xi.

At this moment, a group of officials who should have been in the Qin court gathered in the south of Yongcheng. Some were there to record the events, some to observe the ceremony, and others to supervise everyone.

(End of this chapter)