The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 84 The Returning People

Upon hearing Li You's words, Zhang Han was somewhat dazed and incredulous. After a moment's thought, he realized it was only natural.

Three years have passed, and in any case, the fighting in the South should be over by now.

Zhang Han frowned as he looked at the Jingye Canal not far away. Thinking of the repeatedly collapsing underground canal, he wanted to ask the Water Conservancy Commissioner if he could come and help Jingye County.

Having made up his mind, Zhang Han summoned several armored soldiers and ordered them to wait for Du Shuichang at the main road in Nanshan.

Once Du Shuichang reaches the foot of Nanshan Mountain, he will escort people to Guanzhong, and it would be best to bring them to see Jingye Canal.

A heavy rain has just fallen in Sichuan, and the entire region is damp.

Du Shui Changlu led a group of people out of the mountains and forests.

This place faces the Sichuan Plain across the river, and many Sichuan people working in the fields also saw this army that came out of the mountains and forests.

The number of soldiers was not large, probably three to five thousand.

These people don't look like the original southward-bound army.

Not only were the people in this "army" very thin, but most of them were also dirty, dressed in tattered clothes, and didn't have a decent piece of cloth.

Many of them were even barefoot.

The farmers in the fields stood there in surprise, while some had already run off to inform the troops stationed in Shu.

After the Qin army marched south, troops were stationed in Shu to provide support to the Qin army.

Recently, the people of Shu have heard that the southward-bound troops are about to return, but they have yet to see them.

Now, seeing this defeated "army," the people of Shu in this area are full of suspicion.

Lu paid no heed to the people's suspicions and led them to the riverbank to wash them with the river water.

Subsequently, more and more people came forward, sat by the river, and washed their hands and faces with the river water.

Their faces, which were originally covered in grime, and their hands, which were covered in black grime, became bright again after being washed by the river water. Even their eyes regained their light.

They all knew that once they returned to Sichuan, they would soon be going home; having arrived in Sichuan, their journey home was not far off.

Some people sit by the river with their feet on the rocks by the water. There are many broken skins on the soles of their feet, and some of the broken skins are even covered with rocks. While cleaning the wounds, they wash away the debris and even break open the scabs, causing some blood to flow out again.

"People are coming!" someone shouted, and everyone looked up to see soldiers approaching.

The warhorses came treading on the river water, and there were only five riders.

Upon reaching him, the man dismounted and called out loudly, "Is Commander Du Shui here?"

The young men who had come with Lu made way for him. In the crowd stood a middle-aged man with a tangled beard and a somewhat disheveled appearance. He bowed and said, "I am their Chief of Waterways."

The arriving cavalryman glanced at the group and, seeing their disheveled state, saluted and said, "Gentlemen, please come with me to Shu County to rest."

The scenery in Sichuan was beautiful. While admiring the scenery, the group carried their belongings and followed each other across the shallows of the Minjiang River.

When the Shu people in the fields saw the procession enter Shuzhong County, they stopped looking and continued to work hard in the paddy fields.

The Qin army here served Du Shui Changlu and his entourage returning from the south with rice, noodles, various meats, and fruits from Shu.

The group wolfed down their food. They had traveled from Guilin County to Sichuan, crossing mountains and valleys, and following the Lingqu Canal northwards. Finally, they arrived in Sichuan.

Then their rations were long gone, their clothes were tattered beyond recognition, and all that was left was skin, with many wounds on their skin.

This clearly shows how much hardship they endured.

After finishing the bowl of noodles and feeling the warmth and fullness in his stomach, he bowed to the generals before him and said, "Thank you all."

The generals smiled politely, especially politely, which was also what Guanzhong had instructed them to do.

The First Emperor is currently enjoying the summer heat, and state affairs are being managed by Prince Fusu and Chancellor Li Si. A special document has been sent from Guanzhong, instructing that all troops returning from the south be well taken care of.

The group enjoyed a hearty meal there, and then thoroughly washed themselves, even managing to scrub off a thick layer of mud.

If they were outside, who would guess they were Qin soldiers?

On the third day after returning to Sichuan, the newly arrived team changed into clean clothes, their faces regained their vitality, and they looked much healthier.

Some people are already seriously ill, or their wounds are rupturing and they need medical treatment.

Among the people heading south, some ignored the instructions and, due to extreme thirst, drank some untreated water and fell ill.

Another reason is getting sick from mosquito bites. Some people are fine on their own but get sick from their companions, and those who get sick or injured make up half of the total.

Fortunately, many of the physicians here came from Guanzhong, and it seems that Prince Fusu had anticipated that people returning from the south would fall ill.

Many people experienced diarrhea after using the medication, but it did help a lot.

Some people have open wounds that require scraping away the necrotic tissue, and they often scream during the treatment of external injuries.

As Lu left the camp, he discovered that this place was also built along the river, with the river flowing from the Min Mountains passing through the Yulei Mountains.

Two rivers flow outside the Sichuan Plain, creating the vast fertile plain.

Right next to it is Yulei Mountain, and there is a plank road on Yulei Mountain that winds its way up.

Lu met an old farmer and asked him about the present-day Sichuan region.

The old farmer then spoke of the Shu region of yesteryear, saying, "The Shu region of the past was never this good. It was plagued by droughts and floods year after year. It was a Prefect Li who tamed the river and gave the people of Shu such good land."

The old farmer continued, "In the past, to control the river, we had to carve through Yulei Mountain. But the rocks in Yulei Mountain were too hard. I was young then, and I only remember that my parents burned the mountain with firewood and then poured snow water on it. After that, the mountain could be carved through."

The old farmer is very old, and what he is talking about now are all things from his father's generation.

"That prefect is incredibly powerful. He tamed the river, allowing us to cultivate the land and feeding so many people. We people of Shu all worship that prefect."

As he spoke, the old farmer was visibly excited, and Lu was also deeply moved.

As the old farmer spoke, his cloudy eyes seemed to be searching for something at the foot of Yulei Mountain. He seemed to see the people who were digging Yulei Mountain forty years ago, when there were many torches flickering even at night.

People carved out Yulei Mountain by using fire to boil water and then carving it open.

The river was divided into the outer river and the inner river.

After Li Bing passed away, his children spent more than ten years managing the river.

Lu listened to these words with longing in his eyes. He thought of the wisdom of Li Bing and his son, which benefited the people of Sichuan and made Sichuan a great granary.

The old farmer asked, "Are you a general leading troops?"

He shook his head and said, "I am not a commander."

"If you're not going to fight, what are you doing over there?"

The old farmer's words were tinged with surprise.

Lu respectfully replied, "I am the Chief of Waterways of the Great Qin."

"Du Shuizhang? What kind of official is that?"

"As the head of the water management department, I was responsible for water control. I went south to build a canal, and I built one in the south."

"Repair the canal?"

"That canal is called the Ling Canal." The old farmer asked in surprise, "You know how to manage water?"

"Yes, you could say that. Actually, there was a man in Xianyang who was good at controlling the waters. He was Prince Fusu, the son of the First Emperor."

The old farmer nodded slowly.

After returning to the camp, Lu began writing documents, detailing the various processes involved in the construction of the Lingqu Canal.

Heavy rain started falling again in Sichuan, forcing everyone to stay put.

With the arrival of rain, the river flowed swiftly, and the local garrison commander observed that this water chief often climbed Yulei Mountain from the plank road.

The Minjiang River can be viewed from Yulei Mountain.

It rained for a day, and then the weather in Sichuan was sunny for two days.

At dawn, two armored soldiers left their camp early. They had followed Du Shuichang all the way from Guilin County to Shu.

Guilin Prefecture doesn't yet resemble a prefectural city. When they left Guilin Prefecture with Du Shuichang, it was still mostly villages.

One of the men came to the riverbank, looked at his reflection in the water, and whispered, "If I go back now, will my parents still recognize me?"

After all, it's been three years since I left home. I was only seventeen when I left Guanzhong, and now that I'm going back, I'm already over twenty.

When the man turned twenty, he had grown a short beard on his chin. After spending three years in the south, he had completely changed.

Upon hearing this, the armored soldier standing nearby laughed and said, "How tall were you when you were three or five years old? You're only three years older now, how could your parents not remember you?"

"Ugh……"

The soldier sighed and said, "I'll probably get married when I get back to Guanzhong. I wonder if my parents have found me a wife yet."

The younger man laughed and kicked him.

The soldier, who was sighing and feeling somewhat sad, and who was talking about his upcoming marriage, was kicked and lost his balance, falling into the shallow river.

The clean clothes I had just changed into suddenly became wet again.

When he walked to the shore again, groups of soldiers in twos and threes came out of the camp. Today was the day they were to set off back to Guanzhong.

Listening to Du Shuichang's instructions, everyone realized that compared to the hardships and difficulties they had experienced in the mountains and forests of the south, they had lived like wild men back then.

Now, they are doing much better, and they all have shoes to wear and clothes to change into.

Before leaving, Du Shui Changlu expressed his gratitude to the garrison commander here several times.

In fact, the garrison commanders were all acting under orders.

Then, Du Shuichang looked at the children who were about to return to Guanzhong with him.

When they first came out of Guanzhong, they were indeed just teenagers.

Looking at them now, they all have scars on their faces, thick hair and beards, and some even have grown quite a few beards.

Three years can really change these children. The timid children are now much bolder, and the impulsive children are now much more mature.

Difficulties can temper people, and these children will surely achieve great things after returning to Guanzhong.

A series of horse-drawn carriages were also pulled out of the camp.

Du Shuichanglu led his troops towards Guanzhong.

Along the way, it was the season when fruits and melons in Sichuan were ripe. As the group walked along the mountain path, they startled a flock of birds and saw many people picking fruits on the mountain.

The group traveled for three days and was only a few miles away from Zhongnan Mountain.

A troop of soldiers had been waiting here for several days. The troop was not large, and the general in charge was named Chen Ai.

Chen Ai is the name of a kind of herb. Mencius said: "For a seven-year illness, one should seek three-year-old mugwort."

This is the origin of the name Chen Ai.

The general idea is that children with this name will be free from illness and pain, and even if they do get sick, they will recover quickly.

"General, there is a troop of soldiers coming from Shu."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ai, who had been lying in a haystack at the foot of the mountain, immediately perked up and asked, "Are they really soldiers from Sichuan?"

"Yes, I can't be mistaken."

Chen Ai straightened his armor and ordered the dozen or so men around him to tidy up as well.

Then Chen Ai did not ride on horseback, but stood by the roadside leading the horse.

Half an hour later, a team finally appeared in the distance.

The other party also sent someone to inquire.

Chen Ai explained her purpose, and the other party went to report back.

The two teams met on this road, and Chen Ai stepped forward and asked, "May I ask, are you Du Shuichang?"

Lu stepped forward and said, "That's right."

"This humble general is Chen Ai, a subordinate general under General Zhang Han. I have come here to welcome Chief Water Conservancy. General Zhang Han has ordered me to take Chief Water Conservancy to see the Jingye Canal in Jingye County."

Upon hearing this, Lu asked, "Which canal is on Shangyan Mountain?"

"Exactly."

"Was that canal really completed?"

Chen Ai replied, "It took four years, tens of thousands of laborers were conscripted, and 200,000 people were relocated from various parts of the Central Plains to Guanzhong. In the past two years, we have built canals and reclaimed wasteland, which has added tens of thousands of hectares of fertile land to Guanzhong."

Lu exclaimed in amazement, "General Zhang Han is indeed remarkable."

"Please, Chief Du, go to Shangyan Mountain first."

Upon hearing this, Lu hesitated for a moment and said, "I must go to Xianyang first to report to them."

Chen Ai, still bowing with great humility, said, "Of course. This humble general will escort Commander Du to Xianyang. After Commander Du has finished his affairs of state and family in Xianyang, he can then go to Weinan."

"Weinan?"

"General Zhang Han is now the governor of Weinan Commandery. Du Shuichang knows everything once he arrives in Guanzhong."

Lu looked expectant. It turned out that after he left Guanzhong, Prince Fusu was still in charge of the canal construction. He dug up the Luo River to build the Jingye Canal, and also relocated 200,000 people to Guanzhong and reclaimed tens of thousands of hectares of wasteland.

Prince Fusu actually did such a great thing.

The group headed towards Guanzhong. Lu felt that he had been fed mosquitoes for a year in Shu and for two years in Guilin County. He never expected that there would be people in Guanzhong working hard to dig canals.

There were also people who had been building up Guanzhong, which made Lu feel a sense of camaraderie. Governing a country was never just about killing someone today or how many people to kill tomorrow.

Lu recalled the first time he met Prince Fusu at Shanglin Garden. He remembered that it was freezing rain at the time, and Prince Fusu came to inquire about the construction of Xianyang Bridge in a very humble manner.

After leaving Zhongnan Mountain, the group entered the Guanzhong Plain. It was late July, the harvest season for grain in Guanzhong.

(End of this chapter)