The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 96 Lang and Zhang Liang
The people of Qi loved Cuju (ancient Chinese football). In those days, the State of Qi was famous for its Liubo (a type of board game) music and dance, and Cuju was the most popular sport among the people of Qi.

Zhang Liang saw a group of children playing Cuju (ancient Chinese football) in the distance.

He did not leave Di County in Qi, but moved to another place to live.

An elderly couple took Zhang Liang in.

Zhang Liang said to the two old men, "Thank you both for taking me in."

The old man asked, "How did you offend Tian Heng?"

Zhang Liang said, "They wanted me to serve them and join them in rebelling against Qin, but I refused."

The old man said, "Tian Heng has a lot of influence in Di County, and he's not someone to mess with. You should leave quickly... leave."

Zhang Liang bowed and said, "Thank you."

The old man smiled as he saw Zhang Liang off.

In this county, Tian Heng was naturally all-powerful, but not everyone respected him, nor did everyone advocate against the Qin dynasty.

Some families had also been bullied by Tian Heng.

Zhang Liang exhaled a breath of warm air in the cold wind; the land of Qi was particularly cold this year.

Tian Heng had bullied that old man's son before, which is why the old man's son is still afraid to go home.

After leaving the county, Zhang Liang finally reunited with his three guards, and the four of them were together again.

The guard said, "Sir, you have excellent skills."

Another guard bowed and said, "Yes, Tian Dan thought that you had escaped, but he didn't expect you to have been hiding in the county for half a month."

"Sir, we should hurry up and leave, lest Tian Dan's spies see us."

Zhang Liang said, "Let's go."

When Zhang Liang left Di County, he could still see the demeanor of the Qi nobles in the three brothers, Tian Dan, Tian Heng, and Tian Rong.

To be precise, it should be the prevailing social atmosphere. The social atmosphere among the nobles of Qi was actually not good. As Mozi once said: "Duke Huan of Qi liked purple clothes, and the whole country wore purple."

What he was referring to was a competition of extravagance and ostentation, with everyone vying for the most luxurious clothes and headwear.

Of course, the nobles of Qi did have the confidence to compete in extravagance, as the saying goes, "They pursued fishing and salt, and sought official robes and belts."

Guanzi once said that cutting down firewood and boiling it in water to make salt is the same as making fish salt.

Therefore, the people of Qi were skilled in literature, textiles, fish, and salt, and could acquire wealth through these means. In addition, Linzi was a prosperous city at that time... the wheels of carriages clattered and people rubbed shoulders.

As Zhang Liang walked along the road, he saw families drying fish, which were covered with a thick layer of salt.

Zhang Liang said to the guards beside him, "Is winter coming soon?"

"Sir, winter will arrive in another half month."

Zhang Liang nodded slightly. He had fled from Luoyang to Qi, but he never expected to stay there for half a year.

I had hoped to arrive in Chu soon so that I could properly entertain Mr. Luli. However, half a year has passed, and there is probably not enough time to build a tavern or a secluded spot in the mountains to entertain him.

Having no other choice, Zhang Liang hurried on his way to pay the visit.

After traveling for more than ten days, just as he was about to leave Qi, Zhang Liang arrived at a village and used his fake identity document to ask the village head for food.

The false verification could only work temporarily, but it was enough for Zhang Liang, as this was the first time he had used the false verification.

This time, Zhang Liang and his three companions disguised themselves as soldiers rushing south, so the village head treated them with great courtesy.

When the village head went to the county government office and inquired there, Zhang Liang had already gone far away.

Suddenly, they heard someone speaking loudly. The speaker was a young man who looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old.

"Self-love is also self-respect. If others invite us to do something wrong, we must refuse. That is self-respect."

A group of children listened attentively.

Zhang Liang frowned as he looked at the speaker, who in turn looked in his direction.

Then, Zhang Liang saw the other person walk over.

The village headman enthusiastically introduced them to Zhang Liang: "These are people from Qin. They are heading to the Southern Garrison."

Zhang Liang ate his pancake without speaking, but instead had his guards bow.

This man was Lang. He smiled and said, "I come from Jingye County. I am from Weinan Prefecture."

"We come from Di County."

Lang laughed and said, "I was in Di County before."

Zhang Liang remained calm, instructing his guards to continue talking to the man while he continued eating.

Lang then said, "I also want to go south, why don't we travel together?"

Upon hearing this, the guard who had been speaking looked troubled.

As they were talking, Lang added, “I have brought my own provisions, and I have credentials and documents from Weinan. People from all the counties have been very kind to me. We can travel together, eat and stay together, and you don’t need to keep submitting credentials.”

Zhang Liang's mind raced. He suddenly realized that traveling with this person would save him a lot of trouble, and with his official documents, he wouldn't need to produce a fake certificate.

Looking to the side again, I saw that the village head was walking towards the county government office.

Zhang Liang put down the bowl in his hand and said, "I've heard of you in Di County."

Lang added, "Well, I stayed in Di County for a day, and the people there weren't very friendly."

Zhang Liang asked, "I heard you've been taking on disciples lately. Where are your disciples?"

Lang explained, “They are my disciples. I have taught them and given them books. I will come to see them again later. When they are older and willing to travel with me, we will make further plans.”

Zhang Liang asked, "Who is your master?"

"Shusun Tong".

As night fell, Zhang Liang and Lang talked for a long time.

To Lang's surprise, this soldier named Zhang Liang knew so much.

Lang felt that he benefited greatly from talking with him.

As night fell, the group shared a room.

The next day, just as dawn broke, Lang was fast asleep when the door was kicked open and a group of soldiers burst in.

Lang then came to his senses and stared blankly at everyone.

A Qin soldier in armor entered the room and demanded, "Where are they?!"

Lang asked, puzzled, "Who?"

The person you live with.

Lang replied, "Huh, where is everyone?"

For a moment, he didn't know how to explain it. Only after Lang was taken away by the soldiers did he learn that Zhang Liang was an old nobleman who had rebelled against Qin.

This taught Lang a lesson; no wonder the other party was so eloquent.

The Qin army dared not make things difficult for Lang, and the leading general was even very polite to Lang, because Lang came from Guanzhong and had documents from Weinan Commandery as well as documents from the Shaofu Ling (Minister of the Imperial Household).

When people like Lang left Guanzhong, the Shaofu Ling had already sent their names to the armies of various prefectures.

These people came from Weinan, which was established by Prince Fusu. In fact, Lang was Prince Fusu's man.

Of course, we can't afford to offend them.

In a mountain forest, Zhang Liang sat resting by a pond. This was the first time he had encountered people from Weinan. If the Qin army hadn't been searching for him, he really wanted to go to Guanzhong and see Weinan. He had heard that Weinan was now a magical place.

"Sir! Just as you predicted, the Qin army has arrived."

Another person said, "These Qin soldiers are really troublesome. It's been a year, and they still won't let go!"

Because of his past relationship with Han Fei, the prince of Han, Zhang Liang knew that Li Si would not let him go.

Zhang Liang thought of the young man named Lang again and felt a little guilty towards him. Lang would most likely be captured by the Qin army and interrogated several times. He had lived with anti-Qin people, so one could imagine what had happened to him.

"Sir." A man returned and reported, "Sir, Lang is alright. The Qin army even released him and invited him to drink and eat meat."

Zhang Liang was momentarily stunned, but quickly understood.

Lang was a disciple of Shusun Tong. Connecting Shusun Tong, Weinan, and Zhang Han, we find that he was Prince Fusu.

Prince Fusu may have already informed all the regions.

Through Lang's words, Zhang Liang could discern some clues about Prince Fusu.

Lang once said that the attitude towards life he learned from childhood was to blunt one's sharpness, resolve one's disputes, harmonize one's light, and mingle with one's dust.

This is what Lao Tzu said. Zhang Liang knew that Shusun Tong was a student of Confucius, but he did not expect that the knowledge taught by Shusun Tong was so different from others.

Zhang Liang shook his head and remained silent. He had no choice but to stop thinking and, after resting for a while, quickly left the place.

Back when Han Di was still alive, he would have thought about those words carefully.

But now, Zhang Liang is already exhausted from just dealing with the Qin army.

Zhang Liang led his men on their way, and when they came to a fork in the road, they headed towards Yishan.

"Sir, aren't we going to the Chu region?"

"Mr. Luli was meeting with friends in Yishan, not in Chu."

The three guards were stunned; even they believed that the gentleman was going to the Chu region.

Unexpectedly, it wasn't like that at all.

Zhang Liang said, "Tian Dan may not pursue the matter, but Tian Dan's two younger brothers each have their own power and are filled with resentment and jealousy. These people are plotting great things and will definitely eliminate anyone who stands in their way."

Zhang Liang continued walking forward, saying, "I shouldn't be so suspicious of them, but I have to be careful."

"Sir, your foresight is admirable."

Zhang Liang looked at Mount Yi in the distance and finally smiled with relief.

The sun was shining brightly today. As we walked to the east side of Yishan Mountain, we could see the towering peaks. Zhang Liang pointed into the distance and said, "Back then, the State of Qi built the Great Wall against the mountains to defend against enemies. We can live under the Great Wall here."

The group arrived at the east side of Yishan Mountain, where a bright and open view suddenly appeared before them.

Under the sunlight, the Yi River shimmered, and although it was late autumn, it did not feel cold.

For the remaining days, Zhang Liang hid in Yishan Mountain, frequently sending people to gather information.

"Sir!" his guard reported, "Sir, your plan was brilliant! Tian Heng indeed sent men to Chu, and the Qin army also went to Chu to capture you. In just three days, the Qin army ran into the men that Tian Heng had sent to ambush and assassinate you."

"Those people have now been captured by the Qin army, and a lot of ironware, including knives and bows and arrows, has been found."

Zhang Liang smiled but did not answer.

“Sir, your move is truly brilliant. The Qin army is currently searching for the three Tian brothers, and they are too preoccupied with protecting themselves to deal with you.”

Zhang Liang waved his hand and said nothing more.

After staying at Yishan for a few days, Zhang Liang finally saw a horse-drawn carriage arrive at the foot of the mountain.

After confirming that no one was following him, Zhang Liang saw an old man coming down from the forest. The old man was sitting by the Yi River.

Zhang Liang then quickly stepped forward, came to the riverbank, bowed, and said, "Greetings, sir."

Mr. Lu turned to look at the young man and smiled, "Zifang."

Zhang Liang said, "Zifang had no intention of disturbing the old gentleman's meeting with his friends, but..."

"It's alright, it's good that you came to see this old man."

Zhang Liang bowed once again.

"You still think that the First Emperor and Li Si won't let me leave Guanzhong?"

Hearing the old man's words, Zhang Liang maintained his bowing posture.

Looking at this pitiful child, Mr. Lu felt pity. In his eyes, Zhang Liang was indeed a very pitiful child, whose relatives were no longer alive.

While in Luoyang, the old nobles of Han even wanted to hand Zhang Liang over to the Qin army.

Mr. Luli said, "Child, you've had a tough time."

Zhang Liang maintained his respectful bow and replied, "I apologize for making you look foolish, sir."

“My child, you are living such a miserable life.” Mr. Luli continued, “I did not see the First Emperor on my trip to Guanzhong, but I did see Li Si, Zhang Cang, and Prince Fusu.”

Zhang Liang slowly raised his head to look at the old man, who actually had a smile on his face.

Master Luli asked, "Do you know what kind of person Prince Fusu is?"

"I've heard he's a wise and virtuous young man."

Mr. Luli continued, “I have met that child. He is more than ten years younger than you, but he is a very studious child. He respects the sages of the past, especially the doctrines of Mencius, Xunzi, or the doctrines of universal love or Han Fei.”

"He was an exceptionally studious child. It was said that he was precocious. Prince Fusu was a diligent learner, yet he was not easily deceived. Prince Fusu was wise and knew how to conduct himself appropriately. He was a studious yet reserved child..."

Zhang Liang listened quietly. From what Master Luli said, this young master Fusu was deeply loved by the people of Guanzhong.

In response, Zhang Liang felt that Prince Fusu appeared to be a kind person to outsiders, but in reality, he was an extremely cunning person. A prince who seemed to have no desires, his ambitions... must be hidden very deeply.

Then, we listened to Mr. Luli's account of the changes in Weinan Prefecture, and he also mentioned a child named Gongzi Gao, as well as the marriages of Shusun Tong, Zhang Han, and Gongzi Fusu.

This gave Zhang Liang a strange sense of crisis. Qin had such a prince, and beside him were Xunzi's disciples such as Li Si, Zhang Cang, and Mao Heng serving him.

Not to mention, Prince Fusu befriended Li Si and even married into Wang Jian's family, demonstrating his considerable shrewdness and skill.

Mr. Luli said, “You have read ‘Yanzi Chunqiu’ and ‘Seven Chapters of Mencius’ since you were a child, as well as my own knowledge… Why don’t you also take a look at the knowledge of Guanzhong?”

After he finished speaking, a young boy beside Mr. Luli brought over a scroll of books.

"I obtained this from Zhang Han, the prefect of Weinan, when I left Guanzhong. Fortunately, I have this piece, which I can give to you."

As they were talking, an oxcart came from afar. When it got closer, an old man was sitting on the oxcart. The old man also had white hair and beard.

Mr. Luli greeted his old friend with a smile, saying, "It's been many years."

When Zhang Liang saw the person who had come, it was none other than Cui Huanggong.

Cui Huanggong chuckled and said, "Isn't this young Zifang? Here to seek knowledge again?"

Thinking back to his youth, when Zhang Liang traveled thousands of miles to seek out renowned scholars and sages to acquire knowledge, he smiled in astonishment.

Then, Zhang Liang bowed and paid his respects.

Mr. Luli sat by the Yi River and told Cui Huanggong about his experiences in the Qin region.

The eight-hundred-year Warring States period has come to an end, and both elders feel as if it were a dream.

Zhang Liang flipped through the scroll in his hand. It was a book for children's early education, filled with the words of various philosophers, including Xunzi's "accumulating soil to form a mountain, accumulating water to form a sea," and Mencius's "those who follow the Way receive much help, while those who stray from the Way receive little help."

This surprised Zhang Liang. He discovered that Prince Fusu was truly indiscriminate in imparting knowledge to people, as if he were scrambling together the various schools of thought and teaching children sentence by sentence.

(End of this chapter)