The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 82 Regarding Zhang Liang
Summer has officially arrived in Guanzhong. At this time of year, Xianyang is desolate, as most people have left the city to escape the heat in the suburbs.

The northern suburbs of Xianyang have always been a popular summer resort. This place is called Lingguang Palace, where the First Emperor came to escape the summer heat.

The elevated buildings here are quite beautiful, offering panoramic views of the Wei River and providing a refreshing breeze.

Many important national events are also sent here.

When Fusu arrived at Linguang Palace, he saw the Minister of Justice Feng Jie and the Prime Minister Li Si discussing something.

Fusu stepped forward and heard the two talking about Zhang Liang.

Hearing what the Court of Justice said, they sent many men to search for Zhang Liang, but so far they have found nothing.

Li Si simply smiled and said, "Bring all the men back."

Upon hearing this, Feng Jie bowed once more, then turned to leave, only to see Prince Fusu standing a few steps behind him.

Feng Jie bowed once more, then bowed his head and quickly left.

Li Si looked at the sky with some distress and said, "This scorching heat is the same every year."

Fusu asked, "Is Master sending the Minister of Justice to find Zhang Liang, who wants to rebel against Qin?"

Li Si continued walking towards Lin Guang Palace, saying, "He's just a nobleman who wants to rebel against Qin; he's nothing to be afraid of."

Fusu countered, "Really?"

Li Si nodded and said, "Young master, there is no need to worry about such trivial matters. There are too many things to do in governing the country and the world. Don't waste your energy on these things."

"The teacher is right."

Fusu followed Li Si and was about to reach Linguang Palace.

After walking a few more steps, Li Si stopped and asked, "I have recently heard of a man named Lou Jing who associates with Mao Heng."

Fusu was puzzled that Li Si had only just found out, and asked in a low voice, "Teacher, didn't you know before?"

Li Si continued, "I had someone ask Zhang Cang about Mao Heng's recent situation, and that's how I learned about Lou Jing from Zhang Cang's letter."

It's unclear whether Prime Minister Li Si truly didn't know, or whether Zhang Cang hadn't told the Prime Minister beforehand.

Given Zhang Cang's nature, he wouldn't say anything unless the Prime Minister asked.

Fusu explained, "Mao Heng went to Luoyang earlier, and perhaps he met Lou Jing. Lou Jing is quite talented, and we want to invite him to teach in Weinan."

"However..." Fusu sighed, "I originally wanted Lou Jing to quit drinking, but he kept relapsing. I had no choice but to have General Xin keep an eye on him. There was a time when he was kept under guard in Tongguan for three months, but he couldn't resist and went to Huayin County to drink again."

"Fortunately, it was captured by Sima Xin of Huayin County, and now it is under the supervision of General Xin to repair Tongguan City."

As they spoke, they arrived in front of Lin Guang Palace. The two stopped talking and went into the main hall.

Ying Zheng was sitting in the hall, where a bronze vessel contained many blocks of ice, which were emitting a chill despite the sweltering heat.

Upon seeing that it was Li Si and Fusu, Ying Zheng put away the bamboo slips in his hand.

Then the prime minister began to report on the farming situation in various parts of the Central Plains this year.

Spring plowing began as early as spring in the counties and prefectures of the Central Plains, with production and labor being the top priority.

The exchange of documents takes time. For example, documents sent from Yan should have arrived this spring, but by the time they reached the Prime Minister's residence, it was already summer.

After the Prime Minister finished his report, Fusu began to report on the waterways in Guanzhong this year.

The Shaofu (Minister of the Imperial Household Department) was responsible for river construction, palace building, farmland reclamation, and village and county development.

By the time the report was finished, it was already noon.

When the eunuchs and maids brought out today's meal, Fusu ladled out the hot noodles, rinsed them with melted ice water, mixed them with some radishes and vegetables, and then poured on some of the meat sauce he carried with him.

A bowl of cold noodles was ready, and Fusu placed it in front of his father.

Ying Zheng looked at the cold noodles in front of him with some suspicion. He picked up some noodles with his chopsticks and put them in his mouth. Suddenly, he found them quite delicious.

The amount of meat sauce brought was not much, only enough for one section of bamboo tube. Fusu also served the Prime Minister a bowl of cold noodles.

The three sat in the hall eating cold noodles and then began to talk about state affairs.

There was no one else inside the hall. Occasionally, a summer breeze would blow into the hall, bringing a bit of coolness. Looking out the window, one could see a grove of trees swaying in the wind, like undulating waves.

When Li Si mentioned the southern expedition, Fusu became animated.

If all goes well, Du Shui Changlu should return by the time winter arrives this year.

The Prime Minister also mentioned some things that happened in the south. One of the troops under Tu Ju's command went deep into the southwest, but one of the troops contracted a plague after entering the mountains.

As Fusu listened to Li Si's description, he learned that after Tu Ju's army established Xiang County, it could no longer go southwest. If it were to go any further, Tu Ju would have to fight off all its troops.

Tu Ju's army eventually marched as far as the southwest, crossing the Yue River to establish Xiang County, and then ceased its southward advance.

We'll only know for sure once the military report arrives in Xianyang and the map is delivered.

Fusu believed that Xiangjun should be located in northern Vietnam. After fighting for three years, reaching this area, Tuju was truly exhausted.

After finishing his meal, Li Si finished recounting the southern campaign and then waited for more battle reports to arrive from the south.

After bidding farewell to his father, Fusu followed him out of Linguang Palace.

Li Si lagged half a step behind the young master and said, "It seems that the young master is very concerned about the war in the south."

Fusu said, "It's not just me who's worried; the whole of Xianyang is worried."

The First Emperor wanted to unify Lingnan, and this was a very necessary matter for him; it seemed to be something he had to do.

No one could oppose the First Emperor on this matter.

Moreover, Fusu looked at his teacher walking beside him. Even his teacher would firmly stand on the side of the First Emperor in this matter.

Li Si said, "I've heard that Wang Ben has entrusted many matters of the Imperial Household Department to you, young master?"

Fusu replied, "Yes."

Li Si then said, "I often read the reports from the Nine Ministers of the court, and matters concerning the Imperial Household Department are always handled very well. It seems that this is also due to you, my lord."

Fusu nodded and said, "This is also because Prefect Wang has managed things well."

They were already quite far from Lin Guang Palace when Li Si continued, "Young Master, you can do more things."

"What the Prime Minister means is..."

Li Si said in a low voice, "Help Wang Ben do more things, and the Assistant Minister of the Imperial Household can also assist the Chief Minister of the Imperial Household in overseeing all matters of the Imperial Household."

Fusu felt that his teacher thought he, as a disciple, was not making enough progress.
Do you still think it's a bit unreasonable for me, their disciple, to be merely a Junior Assistant Minister of the Imperial Household?
Fusu thought for a moment and then asked, "Does Master hope that I can replace Wang Shaofu and take charge of the entire Shaofu?"

Li Si smiled awkwardly and said, "I had no such intention."

After speaking, the prime minister boarded the carriage to return to Xianyang.

Fusu stood there seeing off the prime minister, but suddenly felt that his teacher's words carried a hint that he should "usurp the throne," take over his father-in-law's position, and take control of the power of the Imperial Household Department.

Tian An stood beside the carriage and asked, "Young master, are you returning to Xianyang?"

Fusu nodded without saying a word and got into the carriage.

Tian An personally drove the horse, making it run as fast as possible so that the young master sitting in the carriage could feel the cool breeze.

Fusu looked up and saw the vast Guanzhong Plain in the distance, its scenery somewhat distorted by the sweltering heat. The carriage traveled for half an hour, arriving in Xianyang City from Longshou Plain.

At this moment, there were hardly any people in Xianyang Palace. Many palace servants had found places to escape the summer heat and would not come out until evening.

Fusu returned to Gaoquan Palace and began his summer retreat.

The fish pond was enlarged, and more ice was prepared.

Now, Takasen-gu has a new mistress, the prince's wife.

More than three months after their marriage, Fusu discovered that his wife really liked sour plum drink.

She was usually cared for by the Wang family's maids, who had grown up with her since childhood. They were not only maids but also her playmates from childhood to the present.

Therefore, Wang Tang'er did not find living in Gaoquan Palace boring; on the contrary, she had many interesting experiences.

While Fusu was looking at the documents, they chattered away beside him.

Gaoquan Palace was never this lively before. Now that he has this wife, Fusu finds the place much more vibrant.

During the summer vacation, there are actually not many state affairs to deal with. Even if there are, there are only one or two minor matters. Most matters are sent to the Prime Minister's residence.

The First Emperor went to the Linguang Palace in the northern suburbs to escape the summer heat, and the court suspended its sessions.

As instructed by the First Emperor, many state affairs were entrusted to Chancellor Li Si and Prince Fusu to jointly manage state affairs and matters both inside and outside the court.

Unless it's something particularly urgent, the prime minister probably wouldn't get involved too early and would likely wait until autumn to deal with it.

During his leisure time in the summer, Fusu usually liked to sit by the fishpond reading or writing, such as about the development and construction of Weinan and the teaching materials needed in Weinan.

These were all written during my leisure time, and after I finished writing them, I had them sent to Weinan.

During the sweltering summer, Tian An preferred to take a nap. He would often sleep from noon until evening. In addition to arranging many matters at Gaoquan Palace in the morning, he would also personally prepare meals. Unless necessary, he would not be active during this hot summer.

Today, Fusu wrote several scrolls of bamboo slips and sent them to Weinan. Meanwhile, two sika deer arrived here.

A doe and her fawn arrived at Takasen Palace, and they were drinking water by the fishpond.

These were originally deer kept in Xianyang Palace. Logically, they should have been taken to the northern suburbs by the Emperor. How come there are two left in the palace?

Fusu stepped forward to observe them, and they did not shy away from people.

Wang Tang'er walked over, lifting her dress, and said, "This deer is really beautiful."

Fusu said, "If you like it, keep it here."

"Okay."

At dusk, Fusu went to the Prime Minister's residence again and placed the recently processed documents on the bookshelf there.

The Prime Minister's residence is usually deserted, and after Fusu arrived, only Feng Quji was there.

Feng Quji smiled and said, "I have come here to pick up some books."

Fusu bowed and said, "I also placed some documents here so that I wouldn't forget them later."

Feng Quji and Fusu walked out of the Prime Minister's residence together.

"I have heard that the canal dug in Weinan has become a summer resort in Guanzhong."

Fusu smiled and said, "I've heard about it too."

Feng Quji continued, "If someone is willing to spend a lot of money to escape the summer heat in the underground canals of Weinan, why is Zhang Han stopping them?"

Fusu said, "It's not safe."

The two parted ways in front of the Prime Minister's residence. When Fusu returned to Gaoquan Palace, Tian An had already prepared dinner for the evening.

In July in Guanzhong, the fields were already full of wheat. Earlier at Lin Guang Palace, Li Si heard a name from the prince's words. This person was called Sima Xin.

When the young master spoke of Zhang Han, Li Si paid no attention. Now, Zhang Han is the governor of Weinan.

Now, farming in Weinan is going smoothly, and the young master is now talking about Sima Xin.

Li Si wanted to see if Sima Xin had the same potential as Zhang Han.

As the carriage headed towards Huayin County, Li Si asked a servant standing nearby, "What kind of person was Zhang Han before?"

"Reporting to the Prime Minister, this man is skilled in farming."

"What I'm asking about is how a person should be."

"He is honest and kind, but also a bit naive."

Upon hearing the servant's words, Li Si slowly shook his head. Was Zhang Han really a fool?

He is clearly a very persevering and hardworking person. Even if he were in the military, he would not be too bad. He just hadn't been noticed before.

Furthermore, Shusun Tong was a scholar from Shandong, but after teaching in Jingye County, he seemed to have become a different person.

Li Si added, "I've also heard that Kong Fu is quite dissatisfied with Shusun Tong. Among the scholars from Qi and Lu who come to Qin, there are both good and bad ones, but Shusun Tong became the prefectural governor after just one trip to Guanzhong."

Upon arriving in Huayin County, Li Si alighted from his carriage and scanned his surroundings, his gaze immediately landing on a county government office.

Soon someone would go and inform him. Sima Xin left the county government office in a hurry, and looked at the other party with utmost respect.

Li Si was still somewhat displeased because when he left Lin Guang Palace, he had instructed Prince Fusu that he could replace Wang Ben, but the way to replace Wang Ben did not necessarily have to be to sit in the position of Shao Fu Ling.

With your abilities, could you win people's hearts and minds, and then use some extraordinary skills and abilities to take control of both the people's hearts and the political affairs?

Wang Ben could neither do anything to the prince nor say anything.

In any case, as long as the young master works under the Shao Fu Ling (Minister of the Imperial Household), Li Si believes that the position of Shao Fu Ling will eventually belong to the young master. He is truly dedicated to the young master's well-being and hopes that the young master can take charge independently and become the Shao Fu Ling.

However, since their long conversation outside Lin Guang Palace, Prince Fusu has remained silent and, as before, seems to lack any ambition.

Li Si shook his head and sighed. He truly meant well for the young master.

In the brief moment that Sima Xin approached, Li Si pondered many things.

"Sima Xin, the magistrate of Huayin County, greets the Prime Minister."

Li Si sized him up and asked, "A native of Liyang?"

Sima Xin bowed and said, "That's right."

"Lou Jing said that to govern the country, the nobles and powerful families of the six former states should come to Qin, and the local areas will be stable. Do you agree with this?"

Before coming here, Li Si had already learned about many things that had happened in Weinan. In fact, he only needed to send someone to inquire with Zhang Han to find out everything.

Moreover, Zhang Han tells everything and doesn't hide anything from anyone.

Sima Xin replied, "Lou Jing did indeed have this intention, but Lou Jing's plan still has some omissions."

"Is that so?" Li Si suddenly smiled and said, "Go ahead."

Sima Xin bowed again and said, "Inviting the nobles and powerful families of the six states to Qin to weaken their prestige and control over the various counties seems like a good idea, but Lou Jing forgot that since Qin has invited them to Qin, the nobles of the six states will put forward conditions."

"These conditions are related to their previous aristocratic life. If Lou Jing's policy is implemented and the local areas do not respond, the situation in the local areas will not only not improve, but the resistance in the local areas will be even stronger."

(End of this chapter)