The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 92 is related to agricultural rituals.

Gongzi Gao stood by the canal, gazing at the carriage in the distance, and said, "I haven't learned enough."

Shusun Tong said, "Once you have learned more, I will surely be able to persuade Master Lu Li to accept you as a disciple."

Gongzi Gao shook his head and said, "I shouldn't think of myself as someone who can only learn from one particular school of thought."

Shusun Tong walked behind, half a step behind the young master, watching the young master's back.

“I want to study all the schools of thought, not to make Mr. Luli think that I have studied a lot or studied diligently, but because I want to make something of myself. In terms of knowledge alone, there is no distinction between high and low. Only tangible achievements can be seen, like these 20,000 hectares of land in front of me.”

Shusun Tong nodded and said, "Young master has a very good elder brother."

"Teacher, if my brother were here, he would definitely advise me to be down-to-earth and take things one step at a time. Only when I have enough strength should I strive for something."

After seeing Prince Fusu as an example, Shusun Tong also felt that Prince Gao was very intelligent.

Actually, to be precise, Prince Gao should also be considered a precocious child, but his talent was overshadowed by Prince Fusu's earlier achievements.

Shusun Tong could see that if Prince Gao were placed among a group of ordinary children and kept away from Prince Fusu, he would also become a person of outstanding talent. Moreover, this prince also had remarkable ambitions.

Given Gongzi Gao's current vision and talent, it's unlikely he can surpass Gongzi Fusu, but it's truly admirable that this child has the ambition to catch up with Gongzi Fusu.

Does Prince Gao also intend to follow in the footsteps of Prince Fusu, distancing himself from his peers and associating with those of greater talent?

Those who associate with Prince Fusu are all figures like Li Si, Zhang Cang, and the Right Chancellor.

After returning to Jingye County, Gongzi Gao met Li You again.

Gongzi Gao looked around and asked, "Where is General Zhang Han?"

Li You, sipping a bowl of mutton soup and chewing on a flatbread, explained, "He took his wife and children to Xianyang early this morning."

Gongzi Gao also took the cakes and soup that his sister brought him and sat down to eat them.

Compared to Li You's eating habits, Gongzi Gao's eating habits were much more proper.

Li You had lived in Sichuan for many years, and he always ate very casually. He would finish a flatbread and a bowl of meat soup, and then let out a hearty burp.

"Commander Li?"

Just as Li You put down his chopsticks, he heard Gongzi Gao ask him a question, and he replied, "Your subordinate is here."

Gongzi Gao hesitated and said, "I heard that Commander Li plans to go to the western Rong people's territory in the future."

"How did you know, young master?"

"Prefect Zhang said so."

Li You explained, "Originally, the young master wanted me to go and check on the west, but I have military duties and have to go to Xianyang City on duty every day."

Gongzi Gao had gotten used to Li Youlai eating here; the rules in Jingye County were very strict.

Li You needs to pay sixty coins every month as his food expenses.

Because the grains from Jingye County are of high quality and taste good, they are a bit more expensive.

Seeing that the young master was deep in thought, Li Xiaoling whispered, "Does the young master also want to go to the west?"

Young Master Gao nodded emphatically.

"Why?"

"I want to help my elder brother and father govern the country."

Li You pondered for a moment, but still couldn't figure out how to reply. He then picked up his sword and left.

After having his meal, Prince Gao went to the fields to check on the millet crop after autumn.

Shusun Tong continued eating, without Li You speaking beside him, without Li Nu'er's gaze, and without Zhang Han.

The environment was very comfortable, and Shusun Tong cherished this moment.

In this bustling Jingye County, it's truly rare to find such a quiet dining environment.

Shusun Tong ate very slowly, methodically, chewing each bite carefully.

The sound of footsteps behind me grew louder as they approached.

Shusun Tong was still patiently eating his meal, enjoying this rare moment of tranquility.

"Reporting to the Prefectural Magistrate, Prefect Zhang and the Chief of Water Conservancy have arrived."

Upon hearing this, Shusun Tong finished his meal, stood up, and looked back. He saw Zhang Han leading a man in official robes to the scene.

Zhang Han brought none other than Du Shui Changlu.

Shusun Tong was also surprised. Zhang Han had been moving around Xianyang for several days in a row, but he hadn't expected that Zhang Han would actually invite this person.

He sat in front of the study, watching Du Shuichanglu and Zhang Han walk toward Jingye Canal, chatting and laughing.

Zhang Han returned as night fell.

Shusun Tong asked, "How did the talks go?"

Zhang Han first took a sip of water and said, "He's leaving."

Shusun Tong hesitated and asked, "Has he returned to Xianyang?"

Zhang Han waved his hand and said, "He is not going back to Xianyang, but leaving again. He said he is going to Longxi and Shanggui County."

Shusun Tong hesitated and asked, "What are we going to Shanggui County for?"

As the two were talking, Gongzi Gao also came over to listen.

After that, not only Gongzi Gao came over to listen, but also Gongzi Jianglu.

Zhang Han didn't mind the two young masters overhearing. He whispered, "Do you know why Prince Fusu is thinking about the valley of the Western Rong people, the place that the young master calls the Hexi Corridor?"

The name Hexi Corridor was first coined by Prince Fusu. However, the Qin Dynasty has not yet acquired that place. Once the Qin Dynasty conquers that valley, it will most likely give it an official name, namely Hexi Corridor.

Shusun Tong retorted, "What does this have to do with Du Shuichang? Does he think he can lead troops into battle?"

Gongzi Jianglu whispered, "Could it be that my brother sent the commander of the waterways to train the troops?"

Zhang Han sighed helplessly. Even if Prince Fusu sent Prince Li You to Shanggui County to train troops, he would not send Du Shuichang. Besides, Du Shuichang is now one of the Five Great Masters of Qin, a person who can be exempted from corvée labor and has a noble title.

Such a person did not want to stay in Xianyang, but instead wanted to go to Shanggui County in the northwest.

Shusun Tong said, "Please, Prefect Zhang, speak frankly."

Zhang Han said in a deep voice, "Du Shuichang said that we can open up orchards in the northwest and cultivate grapes in Longxi County."

"Wait a minute," Shusun Tong interrupted, "Is he going to Longxi to build a canal?"

Zhang Han shook his head again and said, "Instead of building a canal, Du Shui Changlu wants to build a large orchard."

Shusun Tongdao: "This is a good thing that benefits the local people."

One can imagine Du Shuichanglu's life afterward. He could sit leisurely in the orchard, eating the endless fruit, surrounded by a group of children. What a wonderful life that would be.

The young master slapped his forehead; he remembered—this was something Li You had once said, that Li You aspired to a life of leisure in Shu in his later years. Although Shusun Tong said it was a good thing that would benefit the region, he also envied such treatment.

Zhang Han said, "Young Master also sent Du Shuichang with dozens of old farmers from Guanzhong to go together."

Gongzi Gao frowned and said, "The Northwest has always been used for raising horses."

The Northwest is now rich in water and grass, making it an excellent horse breeding ground. If Du Shuichang is going to build horse pens at this time, everyone will understand.

Zhang Han laughed and said, "You are all short-sighted. How many years did it take Prince Fusu to build Weinan?"

Gongzi Gao immediately replied, "It has been five years since then."

Zhang Han said, "The young master has given Du Shui Changlu four years to build orchards in the northwest..."

Prince Fusu's plans usually take several years to complete. Next, Zhang Han told them about a very ambitious plan, whether it was to plant orchards in the Northwest or to build Shanggui County.

In reality, their ultimate goal was to seize control of the Hexi Corridor, and this matter also involved the deployment of troops.

Gongzi Gao suddenly realized something during this plan, and he said, "Brother, you want to take over the Hexi Corridor. Is the so-called orchard construction also a way to establish military farms?"

Zhang Han nodded.

Gongzi Gao then said, "So, brother, you've already concluded that in the battle between the Xiongnu and the Western Rong, the Western Rong will undoubtedly be defeated?"

Upon hearing this conclusion, Shusun Tong leaned back slightly. He had also thought of it. Only if the Western Rong people were certain to be defeated could the policy of military farming and orchard construction in Shanggui County be of any use. Otherwise, what would be the point of military farming?
Du Shuichang was skilled at canal construction; he oversaw the construction of the Ling Canal. He must have also been involved in canal construction and land reclamation in Longxi.

“I heard that the upper reaches of the Wei River are in Shanggui County, and that the lake in Shanggui County is very magical. It is said that the water level does not increase or decrease in winter or summer. People say that it is heavenly water, and the old Qin people used to go there to worship.”

Shusun Tong became increasingly satisfied with Gongzi Gao.

Zhang Han only said this much, and in fact, Du Shui Changlu also only said this much.

“Prefect Zhang,” the cat-like creature sitting to the side arranging cloth asked again, “May I ask, General, didn’t you invite the Chief of Waterways, Lu, to Jingye County to repair the canal?”

Speaking of this matter, Zhang Han's expression turned serious, unlike his previous demeanor when discussing with the others. He said, "The water chief said that as long as we add a few more water outlets in the underground channel, it will be safe. These water outlets can only be built during the dry season of next year."

The autumn rain drizzled down, and the strong wind whipped up patches of raindrops as they fell.

Sima Xin walked along the edge of the field, looking at the millet growing there. The millet had already sprouted, and even with the continuous autumn rain, the grain was still growing very well.

After autumn, another harvest can be made. Although the harvest is not much, it is worthwhile and necessary for impoverished Weinan.

Sima Xin, wearing a straw hat, looked at a cluster of houses in the distance. In his view, the people of Weinan were indeed poor.

Sima Xin was holding a scroll of letters, which had been sent by Zhang Cang.

Even Zhang Han was unaware that Sima Xin had already made contact with Prince Fusu through Zhang Cang.

This was not a direct contact between Sima Xin and Prince Fusu, but rather Sima Xin asked Zhang Cang a question, and Zhang Cang relayed the words to the prince.

After receiving the young master's reply, Zhang Cang delivered the letter again.

Standing in the rain, after much deliberation, Sima Xin also wanted to contribute to the Qin Dynasty. He firmly believed that Prince Fusu would not mistreat a minister as hardworking as him.

At least, the young master did not let Zhang Han down.

Therefore, Sima Xin now firmly supports Prince Fusu and wants to serve as a good county magistrate in Weinan.

Sima Xin held the bamboo scroll in his hand. The reply in the scroll was written by Zhang Cang, who had asked Prince Fusu about it.

In Zhang Cang's reply, Weinan was newly built, and the 200,000 migrants who came to Weinan had nothing. This means that the initial 200,000 migrants did not bring wealth to Guanzhong until they used their labor to cultivate the land and grow food, which is when they created wealth.

Even so, Weinan only accumulated wealth in the past two years, and its wealth still cannot compare with that of most families in Guanzhong.

In the vast majority of families in Guanzhong, there were military merits. They were awarded land for their military merits, and it was normal for a family to have more than 20 mu of land, not to mention decades of accumulation.

Even though the population of Guanzhong has dwindled in recent years, each person still owns a considerable amount of farmland.

But what about Weinan?

Don't be fooled by the fact that Weinan supports 200,000 people; if each household has ten mu of land allocated to each person, that's considered very good.

Moreover, the population is increasing. It can support 200,000 people now, and it may support 400,000 people in the future.

What you said, young master, was not a joke, but rather a matter that was urgent.

This is also the sense of crisis that arose in Sima Xin's heart after seeing this scroll of letters.

Two years of accumulation is far too meager.

This is how Prince Fusu evaluated Weinan. Weinan Prefecture was still very poor, so the officials of Weinan Prefecture could not be too lax.

Therefore, the young master always emphasized the diversity of crops in Weinan and the need to cultivate more crops that could be sold for money, gradually finding the foundation for Weinan Prefecture's survival.

Sima Xin naturally didn't want to be laughed at by the counties outside Weinan. Holding the bamboo scroll in his hand, he looked up at the rain and secretly decided that he must live a remarkable life so as not to disappoint the elders of Liyang.

"Magistrate!"

Upon hearing this, Sima Xin turned around and saw a ten-year-old child.

The child ran up barefoot and said, "Magistrate! Someone wants to buy scallions."

Upon hearing this, Sima Xin's expression relaxed. He put away his previous worried look and asked, "How much did you buy?"

The boy replied, "Our scallions sold for three thousand coins, all of which were sold to merchants in Xianyang City."

"That's great." Sima Xin led the child back to Huayin County in a hurry.

The boy continued, "They also said that the scallions in Huayin are too expensive, but they searched all over the mountains for wild scallions and couldn't find this many. So they came back to buy our scallions, saying that many people in Xianyang love to eat scallions now, and the better the mutton sells, the better the scallions sell."

Sima Xin asked, "Do you know who told us to plant scallions?"

"Isn't he the county magistrate?"

Sima Xin shook his head and said, "You must remember, it was Prince Fusu who told us to plant scallions."

"it is good!"

The little boy responded loudly.

Sima Xin walked back to Huayin County, where he saw bundles of scallions being loaded onto trucks and transported to Xianyang City.

Meanwhile, people were harvesting scallions in the fields, and merchants coming and going from Xianyang were constantly passing by.

Sima Xin inquired with several merchants before he understood the reason for the matter. It turned out that a new way of eating pies had become popular in Xianyang City, and the most indispensable ingredient for these pies was mutton and scallion filling.

This way of eating has become popular in Xianyang, leading to a shortage of scallions in Huayin County.

It was as if a huge fortune had fallen from the sky, but Sima Xin was not prepared to receive it.

Immediately, Sima Xin, sitting in the county government office, calmed down. He thought about how to plant two more seasons of scallions at this time of year.

It's still early autumn now, so if we hurry, we can still plant another season of scallions. But what about after winter?

Sima Xin frowned, and for some reason he suddenly remembered a rumor that was related to the First Emperor's agricultural rites.

(End of this chapter)