The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 93 Serious People
When the First Emperor performed the agricultural ceremony, it was early spring. Everyone in Guanzhong remembers that a heavy snow fell in Guanzhong at that time, and the snow lasted for several days.

Strangely enough, the grains planted by the First Emperor during the agricultural ceremony did not freeze to death in winter, but sprouted and were reportedly harvested in early summer this year.

Therefore, people once speculated that the land in Shanglin Garden must be different.

Sima Xin also had doubts about this.

But later, Sima Xin heard that during the heavy snowfall at the agricultural ceremony, it was Prince Fusu who was taking care of the crops planted by the First Emperor.

After all the scallions in the fields were sold, Sima Xin had someone calculate that a total of 8,600 coins had been sold.

It's a pity we didn't plant enough back then. If we had gritted our teeth and planted more, we might have been able to make more money.

Sima Xin was struggling with this dilemma when night fell.

The gates of the county government office were pushed open, and an old man with white hair and beard walked in. The man was none other than General Xin Sheng, who had built Tongguan City.

A roasted rabbit was placed on the table, and Xin Sheng took out a cloth bag containing tea eggs.

Sima Xin was somewhat surprised to see the tea eggs.

Xin Sheng explained, "I also had someone find some tea leaves to boil these eggs."

As he spoke, Xin Sheng tore off a rabbit leg and handed it over.

Sima Xin took the rabbit leg and took a bite.

Huayin County is very close to Tongguan. In the past two years, the people of Huayin County and Tongguan have been very close on ordinary days. Xin Sheng and Sima Xin also got along very well. This relationship was thanks to Sima Xin escorting the drunk Lou Jing to Tongguan.

As Sima Xin ate the rabbit leg, he remembered something else. He quickly put the rabbit leg aside, picked up his pen, and began to write. He wanted to ask Zhang Cang about it.

Xin Sheng ate the rabbit meat by himself, and left after finishing.

Sima Xin had the letter sent to Xianyang overnight.

The following day, Zhang Cang did not send a letter.

Inside the quiet county government office, clerks hurried back and forth, still basking in their earlier joy. The scallions from Huayin County had been sold, which naturally made them happy; at least their efforts over the past six months had not been in vain.

Only Sima Xin remained worried.

"Magistrate, we also need to plant scallions in several pavilions."

Sima Xin simply nodded slightly without saying anything more.

After that, Sima Xin would often wait by the bridge between Huayin County and Dali County. For several days in a row, whenever a letter came from Xianyang, he would go up and inquire about it. However, the people coming and going were not going to Tongguan, but had other matters to instruct him on.

After waiting for five days, Sima Xin met Zhang Han again.

Zhang Han often traveled around the counties. This prefect was never aloof and waited for others to come to him. Instead, he often inspected the counties, pavilions, and townships.

If Zhang Han caught even a village headman misbehaving, he would be severely punished, the lightest punishment being flogging.

Therefore, it has been said that being an official in Weinan is the most difficult job.

Upon noticing Zhang Han's arrival, Sima Xin bowed and said, "Prefect Zhang."

Zhang Han looked at the thin man in front of him, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Your Huayin County has been doing very well lately, why are you waiting here every day?"

Sima Xin then recounted his story.

Zhang Han said, "Du Shuichang said he was going west, and Prince Fusu also has many things to arrange, so he's probably busy."

Sima Xin bowed once again.

Zhang Han then said, "However, since you are curious about the Shanglin Garden, why don't you go and see for yourself?"

"I cannot enter Shanglin Garden."

“You are doing things for the people, how could the people of Shanglin Garden refuse?”

"Can……"

Seeing that Sima Xin was still hesitant, Zhang Han patted him heavily on the shoulder and sat down beside him, watching the millet in the field. In two more months, the millet would be ready for harvest.

Sima Xin greatly admired and respected Zhang Han. In his view, Zhang Han had walked step by step with a perseverance that ordinary people did not have.

Zhang Han was born into a prestigious family, but according to rumors, he came from a once-noble family that had fallen on hard times.

Yet he possessed not a trace of the air of nobility or aristocracy.

Sima Xin asked, "How is Jingye County doing lately?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Han sighed.

"What? Is it bad?"

Sima Xin's tone became more hesitant.

Zhang Han explained, "Prince Fusu said that Shusun Tong could recruit all the eligible children in Weinan as his disciples, but Shusun Tong also set a price: ten dou of rice per disciple, and ten dou of rice per year."

Upon hearing this, Sima Xin raised an eyebrow and said, "Indeed expensive."

“I’ve tried to persuade Shusun Tong, but he doesn’t want to change. I don’t know why he’s so stubborn. He has his reasons, and I’ve gotten used to it.” Zhang Han sat on a rock and said in a low voice, “I don’t have Shusun Tong’s wisdom. If I do things the way he does, I will find that what he said and did was right.”

Sima Xin said, "Actually, Huayin County isn't much better..."

The two sat together and talked about their difficulties. One had been promoted to county magistrate, while the other was the current prefect of Weinan, who was enjoying great influence.

But when they sat together, they looked like two disillusioned middle-aged people pouring out their grievances to each other.

Sima Xin was worried that the scallions wouldn't grow well, and he was also worried that the people in his county would grow too many scallions and stop growing grain. This was absolutely unacceptable; the land was meant for growing grain, and that was not to be changed.

Huayin County can only plant more scallions after it has met its annual grain production target.

Conversely, if Huayin County stops growing grain, Guanzhong will lose a large portion of its grain production. If this is investigated, Sima Xin will likely be the first to be executed by being cut in half at the waist.

Zhang Han was also under great pressure. Weinan was to be developed, but in the past two years there had only been some progress, so little that he felt ashamed.

The two shared their grievances, and after hesitating for a long time, Zhang Han left.

It wasn't until nightfall that Sima Xin returned to the county office and stared at a scallion on the table for a long time.

The next morning, just after dawn, a thick fog descended on Guanzhong in early autumn. When the door was opened, the fog rushed into the room, and people could not see more than a few steps away. The county steward was feeding the horses in the stable with hay.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me, and the footsteps sounded very hurried.

The magistrate turned around and saw the county magistrate, Sima Xin.

As the other person approached and passed by, the steward noticed the magistrate's haggard appearance.

Then, the magistrate led a horse out of the stable, mounted it, and rode out of the county office.

After watching the magistrate leave, the steward even thought that the magistrate's health condition... would most likely prevent him from living to forty.

The steward then told other people in the county about it.

The thick fog persisted in Guanzhong. Sima Xin spurred his horse toward Xianyang, and the fog thinned as he got further away from Mount Hua and the Qinling Mountains. Sima Xin rode his horse as if breaking through a thick fog, his clothes soaked through, until he arrived outside the Shanglin Garden.

There were no guards outside Shanglin Garden, so it was easy to enter. Sima Xin could even see children picking persimmons outside Shanglin Garden.

Their baskets were full of persimmons; there were so many persimmons here that they couldn't possibly eat them all.

Sima Xin dismounted and led the horse without disturbing the children.

These children come from surrounding villages and counties; it seems they come here every year to pick persimmons.

Sima Xin originally thought she would be questioned upon entering, but to her surprise, she found it to be very easy to enter.

When they arrived at the edge of a field, Sima Xin found several plots of land, and finally someone came up to ask him about them.

Sima Xin explained his purpose, also considering that the other party might refuse him entry.

Unexpectedly, the people here agreed so quickly. The few small houses not far away were where Prince Fusu once lived.

Sima Xin asked, "Did the young master give prior instructions?"

“Yes,” the guard said lazily as he ate a persimmon. “In early spring this year, when the young master left, he told us that if anyone came to inquire about the farming here, they should be allowed to come in.”

"Young Master made these arrangements more than half a year ago?"

The guard nodded.

Sima Xin composed himself. Even though the guard nodded, he still felt that he knew in early spring that Sima Xin would come to Shanglin Garden in the autumn to inquire about agricultural matters.

This area should also be considered as prepared for others.

Sima Xin asked, "Am I the first person to arrive here?"

The guard replied, "Normally, few people come to Shanglin Garden. Most of the time, it's just children playing here, but we've chased them away."

Sima Xin tied his horse to a tree nearby and walked to the edge of the field, where a lot of millet was planted. It seemed that the guards here grew it for their own use, because they didn't seem to put much effort into it.

Then, Sima Xin saw a warehouse. He pushed open the door and entered. The warehouse was empty, with only shelves inside.

The shelves were empty, with only a little bit of soil on them.

Sima Xin walked around the area but didn't find anything useful.

It was already noon, and the thick fog had long since dissipated. In this season of autumn rain in western China, it was a wonderful thing to have a few days of sunshine.

Sima Xin arrived at another room and pushed the door open to enter.

The first thing you see is rows of neatly arranged bamboo slips. Pick up one of them and unfold it on the table. You will see lines of text, including some records about predicting a cold snap in early spring.

Sima Xin pushed aside scroll after scroll of bamboo slips, only to discover that the young master had recorded the characteristics of the late spring cold snap, as well as the wind, rain, sunshine, and temperature of each day before and after the agricultural ceremony, in response to his fears.

As night fell, Sima Xin lit an oil lamp and continued watching.

The autumn rain only stopped briefly for two days before it started falling again on the second day, shrouding the entire Guanzhong Plain in a curtain of rain.

The next day, after dawn, Sima Xin sat under the eaves, looking at the scrolls left behind by the young master.

From last night until now, he has only eaten what was necessary, and spent the rest of the time reading the bamboo slips. He said to the guard who had also come to take shelter from the rain under the eaves, "Could you bring me some writing brush and ink?"

Before the other party could speak, Sima Xin took a cloth bag from his waist and handed it to him; it was full of copper coins.

The guard took the money bag and left. When he returned, he brought ten pens and some ink.

The guard explained, "Ink and brushes are expensive in Xianyang. I used the remaining money to buy meat."

"Thank you." Sima Xin smelled the alcohol on the other person and realized that he had used his money to eat and drink, but that didn't matter. After all, he had asked him for help, and having pen and ink was the most important thing.

For half a month, the magistrate of Huayin County did not return to Huayin, but stayed here to read books and write records.

As the month drew to a close, Sima Xin walked out of the room, leaving with a bundle in his arms.

When the guards came back to check, they found that the room where Sima Xin had stayed was still very clean, because Sima Xin had been sleeping under the eaves these days and had not gone inside to sleep.

"What a strange magistrate," the guard remarked, then ignored him and closed the door to the room again.

On his way back to Huayin, Sima Xin made great progress at Shanglin Garden. He not only resolved his inner confusion, but he also came to understand the cause of the continuous autumn rain in Guanzhong.

This is because the cold winds from the north move south, and the warm and humid air from Sichuan and the southwest of the Qinling Mountains moves north. After the cold and warm air meet, a long autumn rain is formed in Guanzhong.

After just two days of rest, Guanzhong finally had a rare sunny day.

Fusu stood in front of Xianyang City, about to see Du Shuichang and his entourage off.

This is the second time I've seen you off.

“Young master, there’s really no need for us to see you off,” Du Shui Changlu said, bowing.

More than ten elderly farmers from Guanzhong followed behind him.

It's different from before; last time, Lu left alone with the army.

Now, Du Shuichanglu left with his wife and children, along with a group of old farmers, and was escorted by a cavalry unit.

Fusu and he sat down in front of the city gate of Xianyang and talked about the future situation in Longxi.

“The cost of raising horses is very high. In fact, there are not enough grasslands in the northern suburbs to raise horses. That’s why the Imperial Household Department was in a hurry to send the warhorses north to Shangjun.”

Hearing the young master's words, he nodded and said, "What you say is true. Thousands of warhorses are indeed a huge burden in Guanzhong. We still need the Hexi Corridor."

Fusu said, “Father said that even if Meng Tian clears the north, he still cannot cure the Xiongnu problem. In my opinion, even if the Great Wall is built, a huge amount of manpower and military force will still be needed to guard it. This will still be a huge burden for the Central Plains. In my opinion, obtaining the Hexi Corridor to contain the Xiongnu is the most urgent thing.”

Zhang Cang nodded in agreement. "We need to eliminate the threat of the Xiongnu, control them, and, more importantly, find a route that can deter them."

Fusu bowed to Du Shuichang and said, "I'll leave the journey to Longxi to you."

"I accept your order."

Fusu bowed and saw them off, watching the army head towards Longxi.

Zhang Cang stood at the back and whispered, "Young Master, Sima Xin has returned to Huayin."

"I didn't expect Sima Xin to be so serious about his work."

Zhang Cang said, "Having such a person assisting you, young master, is not a bad thing."

"Of course, the more people like that, the better."

“Young master, if Sima Xin can really grow scallions in winter, then Huayin County will truly become rich.”

Fusu asked, "How are the millet plants growing?"

"Zhang Han sent a document saying that the millet was growing better than expected."

(End of this chapter)