The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 81 Meeting
Huayin County is very busy in the summer. Even at night, some families are just returning from the fields. They go home one after another, and occasionally they exchange a few words along the way.

Sima Xin stopped at the village entrance and quietly observed the villagers for a while.

This is his fourth year serving in Huayin County, and after all these years he is still just a county magistrate.

Whenever Sima Xin thought about this, he would let out a long sigh.

In fact, Sima Xin was quite envious of Zhang Han, who had worked on the canal for the prince for four years and received the position of prefect.

People's circumstances are different. Whenever Sima Xin thought about the expectations his fellow townsmen in Liyang had for him, he always thought he could do better. Liyang used to be the ancient capital of the Qin state, but now Liyang is very desolate.

His fellow villagers in Liyang hoped that Sima Xin could do better and live a better life than the other counties, at least to prove himself.

After thinking it over for a long time, Sima Xin felt that as long as he did his job well for the young master, the young master would give him what he deserved.

At present, Zhang Han has received what he deserved, and Shusun Tong has also received the reward he deserved.

Sima Xin strode towards the county government office, but as soon as he pushed open the door, he saw a figure and the office reeked of alcohol.

Lou Jing! When did you arrive?

Upon hearing this, Lou Jing smiled and said, "Magistrate."

Sima Xin hesitated upon seeing Lou Jing, who was already somewhat drunk, and asked, "You actually came to Huayin County to drink?"

Lou Jing let out a burp and said, "It's been a long time since I've had a drink."

Sima Xin waved his sleeve, feeling rather helpless, and said, "If General Xin finds out, how will you explain it?"

Lou Jing originally taught at Tongguan after entering the pass.

Tongguan and Huayin County are very close, so it's normal for people from both places to visit each other. In addition, Sima Xin would often bring some food to visit General Xin.

Over time, he became acquainted with Lou Jing.

"Do you know that you came to Tongguan to quit drinking?"

Lou Jing nodded, slightly drunk.

Seeing him pick up the wine bowl and drink again, Sima Xin shook his head, walked outside the county government office, and ordered the two county officials, "Men, tie up Lou Jing."

Two county officials entered the county government office. At first, Lou Jing struggled, but in the end he was tied up and dragged out.

Sima Xin led his men toward Tongguan, while Lou Jing, who was already drunk, fell into a deep sleep as the night wind blew on him.

At this moment, there are many stones piled up at the foot of the Tongguan city wall.

Sima Xin informed the garrison commander of his purpose.

Then Xin Sheng quickly walked out.

Despite his advanced age and white hair, this old general was surprisingly strong, lifting Lou Jing with ease.

Seeing the old general come out again, Sima Xin bowed and said, "I am sorry to bother you, old general."

Xin Sheng added, "I thought you would help him keep it a secret."

Sima Xin said, "I dare not hide it."

“I know that you and Lou Jing are good friends.”

Sima Xin said in a low voice, "I can't help him like this, nor can I help him cover it up. If this kind of thing happens once, it will happen again. If I help him cover it up, who will trust me, Sima Xin, in the future?"

Xin Sheng said, "Go back now, I will report the truth."

Sima Xin took his leave and departed.

East, by the sea.

The land of Qi, Jiaodong County, was called Donglai a long time ago, during the Spring and Autumn Period.

In the early morning, before the sky was fully bright, the horizon where the sky met the sea was shrouded in a hazy gray. You could see into the distance, but it was all very blurry.

A middle-aged man, who looked to be around forty years old, was dressed simply, but his hair and long beard were neatly styled. He was thin but had the air of an aristocrat from that era.

The middle-aged man stood on the shore and waved his torch, and soon fishing boats approached.

At this time of year, fishermen often go out to fish before dawn.

The fishing boat was moored at the edge of the cliff, and the person who got off the boat was not a fisherman, but a middle-aged man dressed in Confucian scholar's clothes and wearing a fur robe. He looked to be in his thirties.

"ovary!"

Hearing the call, the man in his thirties slowly looked up and saw the middle-aged man holding a torch.

The other person bowed and said, "Zifang, is it really you?"

The man in his thirties dressed in Confucian scholar's attire was Zhang Liang, a descendant of Zhang Ping, a nobleman from the former Han region.

Zhang Liang greeted the visitor politely, saying, "Uncle Xiang."

As he spoke, Zhang Liang's demeanor and behavior also displayed a noble air.

Xiang Bo looked at the man before him, patted him on the shoulder, and then asked in surprise, "Zifang, why have you become so thin?"

Zhang Liang sighed, "Let's talk on the boat, please!"

Xiang Bo also said, "Please."

The two walked together onto the fishing boat, where a small stove was heating up drinks.

The seawater crashed against the rocks on the shore, drowning out the voices from the boat.

Looking at Zhang Liang's haggard appearance, Xiang Bo slapped his thigh in anxiety, frowned, and whispered, "I heard you were in Huaiyang before, and then I heard you were in Luoyang, where you were almost captured by the Qin army."

When talking about these things, Zhang Liang said calmly, "I did stay in Huaiyang before. After my younger brother passed away, I went to Luoyang to look for old friends from Han."

Xiang Bo asked again in a low voice, "Have you found it?"

Zhang Liang nodded.

Xiang Bo then said, "Then..."

Zhang Liang explained, "I asked them to join me in rebelling against Qin, but not only did they refuse, they also revealed my whereabouts to the Qin army."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Bo slapped his thigh hard in anger once again.

The sea breeze was cold, but fortunately the small stove in the cabin was still burning, providing warmth.

Zhang Liang said, "I came to Jiaodong County to pay homage to the famous scholars of Qi and Lu from that time. I have been staying here for the past few days. Although the Qin army is searching strictly, they did not expect that I had arrived here. I crossed rivers and changed horses along the way before finally arriving in Jiaodong."

Xiang Bo still frowned, his expression showing both frustration and helplessness.

"Fortunately, there were still many old friends from Shandong in the Jiaodong area who helped me. They gave me food and clothing, gave me this boat, and said that I could make a living by fishing here."

At this point, Zhang Liang looked eastward towards the rising sun and whispered, "How can I accept this?"

Xiang Bo remained expressionless, seemingly having only heard Zhang Liang's earlier words and this last sentence, while ignoring the rest of the conversation.

Seeing that Xiang Bo was also in a sorry state, Zhang Liang took out a cloth bag and handed it to him.

Xiang Bo heard the sound of the cloth bag being placed by the stove; it was clearly the sound of copper coins moving.

Zhang Liang said, "This is new money that we exchanged in Luoyang. Use it with confidence."

Xiang Bo was still puzzled by this. How could Zhang Liang, with his extraordinary abilities, manage to escape unscathed after circling around Luoyang and being surrounded by the Qin army?

Moreover, the Qin army might still be searching for Zhang Liang in the area several miles east of Luoyang, while Zhang Liang was already on the Jiaodong coast. And not only that, Zhang Liang was even able to obtain new Qin coins in Luoyang.

Xiang Bo looked at Zhang Liang. What wisdom lay hidden beneath his haggard face and sorrowful eyes, capable of outmaneuvering the Qin army to such an extent?

"No!"

Xiang Bo considered it for a moment but still refused.

Zhang Liang said in a low voice, "These are nothing to me, Xiang Bo, please accept them."

"But Zifang, you..."

"When the First Emperor divided the Central Plains into prefectures and counties, I had old friends in each prefecture who helped me safeguard a portion of my family property. On my way to Luoyang, I made all the necessary arrangements, which is why I was able to arrive here safely."

Xiang Bo's face showed admiration again.

Zhang Liang then said, "I know Xiang Bo is in trouble. The journey back to Chu from here is long and requires money to make way."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Bo no longer refused but accepted the money bag. He then asked, "Zifang, do you know anything about the recent events concerning the Qin region?"

Zhang Liang frowned slightly and said, "I heard about it when I was in Luoyang."

If Zhang Liang truly wanted to serve the Qin Dynasty, he could have done so as early as when the First Emperor invited scholars from Qi and Lu to Qin.

Zhang Liang is still wandering far from home and will certainly not serve the First Emperor.

Xiang Bo pointed towards Xianyang and asked, "Is Prince Fusu of Qin truly so wise and virtuous?"

Zhang Liang said, "They do have some skills."

"Could it be that with Li Si's help, Prince Fusu has such means? Can a single canal really support two hundred thousand people?"

The story of Jingye Canal not only spread throughout Guanzhong and Luoyang, but even Xiang Bo, who was in Chu at the time, heard about it.

The fact that Prince Fusu was so popular with the people naturally made Zhang Liang or other former nobles of the six states worry.

In the ensuing conversation, Xiang Bo still harbored prejudice against Qin. No matter how well Prince Fusu had done, in Xiang Bo's words, the so-called canal construction, relocation of people, and land reclamation were not done by the prince, but were merely credited to Prince Fusu by Prime Minister Li Si.

Zhang Liang knew very well that this was all due to Xiang Bo's shallow understanding. Perhaps because he had never seen a person as remarkable as Prince Fusu in the Chu region, Xiang Bo thought that Li Si was behind it.

After listening to the other person finish speaking, Zhang Liang remained smiling, neither agreeing with nor disagreeing with what the other person said.

Listening to the other party's complaints and determination to rebel against Qin, Zhang Liang added some more firewood to the stove to make the fire warmer.

The rising sun in the east had already shone into the cabin, and a golden hue appeared on the sea. Many fishing boats on the distant coast were also returning one after another.

This was also Zhang Liang's calculation. At this time, Xiang Bo could leave the place by blending in with these fishermen without attracting attention.

The shouts of fishermen could be heard from not far away. Zhang Liang did not seem anxious, but asked, "How is the situation in Chu?"

Xiang Bo sighed again and said, "We travel around the counties of Chu, trying to gather people of ambition from all over the place, but there are many flatterers and few who dare to rebel against Qin. Now, a few of us from the Xiang family are still traveling around."

Zhang Liang nodded slightly, still wearing a polite smile. It turned out that the Xiang clan in Chu had also made no progress.

Seeing that it was getting late, Zhang Liang glanced back at the fishermen coming ashore in the distance. It wasn't appropriate for a fishing boat to remain moored there.

Xiang Bo also realized the time was getting late, and then said, "It is really too much trouble for Zifang."

As they were talking, seeing that the guest was about to stand up and leave, Zhang Liang lifted the cabin flap again, where several fish were stored.

Zhang Liang took two fish from the pile and handed them to Xiang Bo, saying, "Take these with you."

Xiang Bo looked at the fish that Zifang handed him with some difficulty, seemingly troubled by the taste and water of the live fish.

But in front of Zifang, Xiang Bo still gritted his teeth and accepted the two fish.

Zhang Liang kept observing the other party, watching their reactions and speech, and whether they were still maintaining the aristocratic airs of their youth.

Zhang Liang maintained his kind smile.

Xiang Bo carried the fish and quickly stepped off the fishing boat, put on his straw hat, and hurriedly left the shore.

Zhang Liang walked to the shore, looked at the crowd of people on the shore, and then looked at Xiang Bo who had already walked into the crowd.

He remained silent for a long time.

Before long, a young boy came quickly, bowed, and said, "Sir, he went south."

Zhang Liang coughed a few times, then smiled and greeted the fishermen around him. In fact, there were no soldiers or officials here, and the local officials were all his old friends. He had also bribed their families, so this coastline was very safe.

Making Xiang Bo carry fish and pretend to be a fisherman was actually a test for him.

Zhang Liang walked along the coast, heading towards a courtyard by the sea.

The boy followed Zhang Liang closely, pressing him for an answer: "What do you think of that Xiang woman, sir?"

Zhang Liang shook his head.

"Since you are dissatisfied with him, why do you still want to see him?"

Zhang Liang wanted to say that meeting Xiang Bo was not only out of friendship, but also because the Xiang family were descendants of Xiang Yan, and there was also a Xiang Liang in the Chu region.

Xiang Bo may have been just an ordinary person, but Zhang Liang felt that Xiang Liang must have considerable influence in the Chu region.

Zhang Liang recalled something again, a piece of information he had bought at great expense: someone in the Qin court was talking about the First Emperor's eastern tour.

If the First Emperor were to make an eastern tour, Zhang Liang felt it would be an excellent opportunity, as the unification of the world today was all thanks to the First Emperor.

Zhang Liang couldn't understand why the First Emperor had stopped talking about an eastern tour.

Looking at the present, regardless of Xiang Bo's character, Zhang Liang didn't care about Xiang Bo's personality, but only about Xiang Liang behind Xiang Bo. If he could be on good terms with Xiang Liang in the future anti-Qin army, it would be a great help.

Looking around, Zhang Liang returned to the small courtyard by the sea, where some fish were still drying. He then went into a small hut and handed a scroll of bamboo slips to the boy beside him.

"Is the gentleman leaving?"

As Zhang Liang packed his bags, he said, "I'll come back again. When I get back, I'll ask you how your studies are going."

The boy looked up and asked, "When will the master return?"

Zhang Liang gave him a smile and said, "It won't be long."

After saying this, Zhang Liang slung his bundle over his shoulder and walked out of the courtyard. He added, "Tell your parents to come and live here from now on."

The boy nodded and bowed, saying, "Take care, sir."

Zhang Liang gazed into the distance, recalling what Xiang Bo had said. It wasn't all for naught; he had already seen the lands of Yan and Qi, and now he wanted to go and see the land of Chu.

Look at the people of Chu today, and the hearts of the people of Chu.

Should we leverage the prestige of the Xiang clan in the Chu region?
As Zhang Liang walked, he pondered the situation. Suddenly, he realized that he could not associate with the Xiang clan. He whispered, "They are the people of Chu. If I want to restore my kingdom, the people of Chu will not help me."

Not only should they restrain themselves in front of Xiang Bo, but they should also be wary of Xiang Liang.

That's why he deliberately hinted to Xiang Bo that the place was dangerous, so that the other party would be cautious.

Zhang Liang was also wary of Xiang Liang, fearing both being implicated and being feared by the other party.

Zhang Liang couldn't help but smile bitterly. Nobles of various states were always like this; they had the demeanor of nobles, but they were also suspicious and wary of their own kind.

Even after walking a distance, you can still feel the sea breeze blowing from behind, causing the roadside grass to sway and the leaves in the trees to fall.

For some reason, Zhang Liang felt a deep sadness. Alone, how could he possibly restore his kingdom?

(End of this chapter)