The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 392 The Journey to the West: Three Thousand Miles from Longmen Taoist Temple to the Tiger and Wolf Pass
Inside the Longmen Taoist Temple in Guanzhong, incense smoke curls upwards as an important arrangement concerning the spread of Taoism is underway.

Qiu Chuji, dressed in a faded yet impeccably clean gray Daoist robe, sat upright on a futon in the Sanqing Hall, his gaze sweeping over the disciples standing solemnly within.

As a disciple of Wang Chongyang, the founder of the Quanzhen School, and now the only survivor among the Seven Masters of Quanzhen, his status in the Taoist community is already as lofty as Mount Tai.

He had more than 30 direct disciples, hundreds of registered disciples, and tens of thousands of his students and their descendants, who were spread throughout the Central Plains.

"This journey to the Western Regions is not for personal preaching, but to spread the doctrines of Quanzhen Taoism in the Western Regions. It is a great responsibility."

Qiu Chuji's voice was not loud, but it carried a penetrating power: "Daojian, you are my personal disciple, steady and reliable. I will entrust the Central Plains lineage to you."

"We must protect the Taoist temple and continue to preach and pray for the people. We must not slacken our efforts just because our master has gone far away."

Standing at the forefront, Zhao Daojian immediately bowed and saluted, raising his hands above his head, and said firmly, "Master, rest assured."

"This disciple will certainly safeguard the foundation of the Central Plains, awaiting Master's glorious return with the Daoist teachings."

Qiu Chuji nodded slightly and turned to his disciples behind him: "I will select twenty personal disciples to serve me, and three hundred registered disciples to accompany me. We will preach the doctrines along the way and look after each other."

Historically, Qiu Chuji went west to see Temujin with only eighteen disciples, solely to discuss health preservation and dissuade Temujin from killing.

Now, going to the Western Regions is to spread the teachings, so we need more people.

"Disciples obey!" the crowd responded in unison.

Three days later, Qiu Chuji led a team of more than 300 people on their journey westward.

The group included both direct disciples dressed in Taoist robes and holding whisks, as well as young grand-disciples carrying bags and scriptures. The group walked westward along the official road with steady steps and in good order.

Upon entering northern Guanzhong, Qiu Chuji had no choice but to rein in his horse.

The scene before him was completely different from what he had seen in Guanzhong two years ago.

In the fields, golden waves of wheat rippled in the wind, and people were busy working in the fields. Some were wielding sickles to harvest, while others were carrying sacks of grain. Everyone had a satisfied smile on their face.

What surprised him even more was that the people's morale had improved so much.

No longer as thin and emaciated as before, they all have rosy complexions and their eyes are full of long-lost vitality.

"Master, look at this wheat, it's going to be another good harvest this year."

An old farmer who was resting on the edge of a field saw Qiu Chuji stop and look around, and took the initiative to greet him.

The old farmer was about sixty years old. He was wearing a coarse cloth shirt. Although his hands were covered with calluses, he had a ruddy complexion and was in good spirits.

Qiu Chuji dismounted and stepped forward, bowing respectfully: "Greetings, sir. I am Qiu Chuji. I am delighted to see the people here living in peace and prosperity. May I ask you why Guanzhong is so prosperous today?"

The old farmer quickly stood up to return the greeting, and said with a smile, "So it's Master Qiu. We people of Guanzhong have all heard of your great name."

"These good days are all thanks to the new dynasty!"

He pointed to the fields in front of him, his voice full of gratitude: "We were all honest and hardworking tenants, working for the landlords. We toiled all year round, but in the end, we still went hungry."

"Things changed after the Qin people came. They gave us land, hehehe, now we're all Qin people too."

"Anyway, the Commandant said that as long as you are registered in the Qin state, regardless of whether you were a vagrant or a tenant farmer before, you can rent land from the government."

"After paying 20% ​​of the land rent and 20% of the taxes, the remaining grain is all ours."

"I've lived most of my life, and this is the first time I've ever had so much food left over."

At this point, the old farmer's eyes reddened slightly, and his voice choked with emotion: "Last autumn harvest, my family's five mu of land yielded eight shi of grain, and after paying rent and taxes, we still had more than five shi left."

"That night, my wife steamed a big pot of white wheat cakes. When I picked up the cakes, my hands were shaking. I couldn't bear to eat them."

"In the past, let alone white flour pancakes, even mixed grain porridge with wild vegetables had to be consumed sparingly."

"Now it's great, not only can we eat our fill every meal, but we can also get some meat during holidays. This life is like a dream."

Qiu Chuji followed the old farmer's gaze to the field, where he saw several children chasing and playing on the ridge, holding toys woven from wheat straw, their laughter ringing out.

Overwhelmed with emotion, he nodded gently: "This move by the Qin state truly benefits all people."

"The greatest blessing in the world is when the people can have enough to eat and wear."

"you do not say!"

The old farmer continued, "In the past, we were afraid of war and famine. Now, the Qin state has guarded the border firmly, and the government even organizes us to dig rivers and build canals."

"Look at that waterwheel over there. It was built by the government. It makes watering much more convenient. Life now is more than ten times better than it was under the Jin Dynasty."

"Back then, the Jin Dynasty only cared about collecting taxes and didn't care about our lives. In years of drought, we had no harvest but still had to pay rent, so many people fled to escape famine. It's nothing like now, where we can farm peacefully at our doorstep."

Qiu Chuji looked in the direction the old farmer pointed and saw several wooden waterwheels standing by the field. Water flowed slowly into the farmland through the wooden troughs, saving time and effort. He felt even more approving of the Qin state's governance.

Just then, a series of chaotic footsteps suddenly came from afar.

As everyone looked up, they saw a large group of ragged, emaciated people coming down the official road to the east, led by a dozen or so garrison soldiers in leather armor, staggering toward them.

These people were all hunched over, some carrying tattered bags, looking utterly wretched.

Qiu Chuji looked puzzled. Hadn't the Qin state divided up the territory?

Weren't the people satisfied with Qin's governance? Why are there still so many disaster victims?
The old farmer sighed and said, "Taoist priest, these must have fled from the east bank of the river."

"I heard that Hedong suffered a great disaster, with drought and locusts everywhere, and many people died. Many people could not survive. They heard that life was good in our Qin State and that they could have food to eat, so they secretly came to our Qin State."

Qiu Chuji's heart sank; he already knew that the Central Plains had suffered a famine.

The disciples of the Quanzhen Sect in the Central Plains also sent back news that he had specially prepared silver to send to the Central Plains to distribute porridge and relieve the disaster victims. However, in the face of such a large-scale famine, that little bit of silver was just a drop in the ocean.

He couldn't resist walking towards the group of disaster victims, wanting to find out what was going on.

The garrison soldiers responsible for leading the disaster victims saw a group of Taoist priests approaching and immediately stepped forward warily, their hands on the swords at their waists, and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you?"

Just then, a man dressed in official robes stepped forward and took out a token with special patterns engraved on it from his pocket.

He said in a deep voice, "This is Master Qiu Chuji of the Quanzhen Sect. He has been invited by the King to go to Longcheng to discuss matters and is now on his way west."

"I just felt sorry for these people and wanted to ask them a few questions."

Qiu Chuji's journey to the west was personally invited by Li Xiao, and Gao Zhongyi naturally arranged all the details of the trip perfectly.

He not only specially assigned two officials to accompany him, but also to be responsible for contacting and maintaining relationships with local officials along the way to ensure a smooth journey.

He also ordered that military post stations in various places prepare food and lodging for them, showing meticulous care and consideration.

As for safety issues, there's no need to worry about them.

This procession was large and impressive, with more than three hundred Taoist priests accompanying them.

Ordinary petty thieves, seeing such a scene from afar, would not dare to provoke it.

Furthermore, the Taoist sect has always emphasized health preservation, and its disciples exercise year-round, resulting in physiques far superior to those of ordinary people.

Even though Qiu Chuji was quite old, he was still vigorous and had extraordinary skills.

If a fight were to break out, even two or three strong men would probably be unable to get close to him.

The soldier took the token and examined it carefully. He then looked up and sized up Qiu Chuji, and his expression immediately became respectful.

He was originally a surrendered soldier of the Jin Dynasty. After joining the Qin army, he underwent reformation and fought alongside the Qin army against the Jin army, proving his loyalty.

Having risen to the ranks of the garrison through his military achievements, he had long heard of Qiu Chuji's reputation as a "living immortal." Now that he learned that the person before him was Qiu Chuji and had been invited by the king, he dared not be negligent.

The soldier quickly returned the token with both hands, saluted Qiu Chuji with his hand on his chest, and said in a loud voice: "Wang Buzheng, the captain of the third battalion, second detachment, and third squad of the first garrison regiment of Tongzhou, greets Master Qiu."

Qiu Chuji didn't put on airs; instead, he smiled warmly and nodded slightly in return, saying, "Captain Wang, there's no need for such formality."

"I am merely curious, are all these people from Hedong?"

"Yes, Master."

Wang Buzheng nodded in agreement: "They all fled from Hedong. They suffered a lot along the way and finally managed to cross the Yellow River to reach our Qin territory."

"Where are you taking them?" Qiu Chuji asked again.

Wang Buzheng explained, "The farmland in Tongzhou has already been distributed, and there may be many more disaster victims coming later. We simply cannot support so many people."

"The governor has ordered that they be taken to Gansu, where there is still a lot of wasteland. Once there, they will be able to get land and settle down."

Then, Qiu Chuji walked into the crowd of disaster victims, where a woman of about twenty years old was holding a thin child.

Seeing Qiu Chuji approaching, his eyes were full of vigilance.

Qiu Chuji softened his tone and asked gently, "Female benefactor, you came from Hedong. What is the situation there? How are the people living?"

Upon hearing this, the woman burst into tears, her voice choked with sobs: "Master, please don't mention it."

"The east bank of the river suffered a disaster. The crops in the fields were all eaten up by locusts, and even the grass roots and tree bark were dug up."

"The government doesn't care and keeps pressing for taxes, so many people are starving to death... My husband tried to steal grain from the government to save me and the children, and he was beaten to death..."

An old man next to him wiped away his tears and said, "My wife and grandson starved to death on the way." "We heard that there was enough to eat in Qin, so we grabbed a piece of wood and risked our lives to swim across the Yellow River."

"The Yellow River is so fast, many people have been swept away. I survived thanks to God's blessing!"

"Yeah yeah!"

Another young man continued, "Although the Jin army controlled the Yellow River crossings, the Yellow River is so long that they simply couldn't manage it all."

"We swam here secretly at night."

"The situation in Hedong is terrible, and I've heard it's even worse in Shandong, where they've even started eating children."

When Qiu Chuji heard the phrase "exchanging children to eat," he felt a sharp pain in his heart.

These four words are only mentioned briefly in historical records, but he knew they were real and had witnessed such a tragic scene firsthand, deeply understanding the despair and pain involved.

He sighed softly and comforted them, "Don't be afraid, benefactors. Once you get to Gansu, you will be allocated land. Farm hard, and life will gradually get better."

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the disaster victims lit up.

Although they were still disheveled and emaciated, their eyes were filled with hope for the future.

It was the Qin state that gave them a chance to survive and a chance to start over.

Qiu Chuji was filled with emotion as he watched this scene.

Subsequently, Qiu Chuji decided to travel west with this group of disaster victims, so that he could take care of the people along the way and take this opportunity to preach morality to the disaster victims and spread the Taoist ideas to more people.

Along the way, he often sat under a makeshift thatched hut, explaining to the disaster victims the principles of "following the way of nature and being diligent and pragmatic," and teaching them how to maintain hope in adversity.

The disciples helped the disaster victims carry water, start fires, and distribute the dry rations they carried.

The initially fearful and uneasy hearts of the disaster victims gradually calmed down with Qiu Chuji's guidance and the help of the Taoist priests, and they began to have more expectations for the future.

After a two-week trek, the team finally arrived at Wushaoling, the dividing line between Longxi and the Hexi Corridor.

From a distance, the mountains on both sides of the canyon are steep and the rocks are jagged. There is only one narrow road at the bottom of the valley, making the terrain extremely dangerous.

At the mouth of the valley, a magnificent pass stands, which is the Tiger and Wolf Pass built by the Qin army.

The accompanying official introduced to Qiu Chuji: "Master, this Tiger Wolf Pass has made great achievements. Back then, our Qin army used less than 10,000 soldiers to resist the attack of the Xia army of 100,000, and guarded the gateway to the Hexi Corridor."

"Now the Hexi Corridor has become the heartland of our Qin state. Although the defensive role of Hulang Pass has diminished, it has become an important trading post."

"Now that our Qin state is thriving in commerce, there are more and more caravans traveling between Guanzhong and the northern frontier, and we can collect a lot of tax revenue here every day."

Qiu Chuji stepped forward and carefully examined Hulang Pass, feeling a surge of emotions: "Although this pass is not as famous as Hangu Pass or Tong Pass, it is still extremely dangerous. No wonder they were able to win with fewer troops."

"The fact that the Qin state was able to make full use of it shows the effort it put into governance."

After undergoing routine checks at Hulang Pass, the team entered Gansu Province.

Not long after entering the pass, Qiu Chuji saw a sizable caravan coming towards him, with the words "Hexi" prominently displayed on the caravan's flag.

He knew in his heart that this was the Hexi Merchant Guild, which had official backing from the Qin state and was very powerful.

It does all the business that other businesses can do, and it also does the business that other businesses cannot do.

It monopolized special industries such as salt, iron, grain, and military equipment, and undertook some of the functions of the Qin State's Shaofu (Minister of the Treasury), making it a very important entity.

What intrigued Qiu Chuji was that the caravan's wagons were carrying more than a dozen strange animals.

They are pig-shaped and can make pig noises, but their fur is snow-white and they look somewhat like sheep, which is completely different from the black pigs he usually sees.

Qiu Chuji couldn't help but step forward, cup his hands in greeting to the caravan manager, and ask, "Manager, I am Qiu Chuji. I have noticed some unusual animals in your caravan. May I ask what they are?"

The caravan manager initially paid no attention to the group of Taoist priests.

Most people from northern Xinjiang are not religious; they only believe in the Yellow Emperor and their ancestors, and they don't have much reverence for Taoism or Buddhism.

Some radical generals even scorned these religions that offered unearned wealth, wishing they could wipe them all out, return all the land to the public, and have the Taoist priests and monks return to being ordinary people working in the fields.

Therefore, religion was completely ineffective in the heart of the Qin state.

However, when the accompanying officials stepped forward to explain that Qiu Chuji had been invited to Longcheng by King Li Xiao of Qin and was a guest of honor at the king's seat, the steward's attitude immediately became respectful.

He quickly cupped his hands and replied, "So you are Daoist Qiu. My apologies for not recognizing you. This beast is actually a pig, which we bought from Ningfu in the Jin Kingdom."

The pig mentioned by the steward was the "Huining White Pig".

Huining Prefecture, which is the later Erbin City.

Huining white pigs mainly live in such extremely cold places, and are little known in the Central Plains.

The Book of the Later Han Dynasty describes "there are pigs in Liaodong, whose offspring have white heads," and the History of the Khitan State, compiled in the Southern Song Dynasty, also mentions "many white pigs among the Jurchen beasts."

These Huining White Pigs were specially sourced from Liaodong by Li Xiao. Although their meat production was far less than that of the later Large White Pigs, they were planned to be used for crossbreeding with other pig breeds.

Li Xiao has arranged for people to establish a breeding pig base in Guanzhong, intending to take advantage of the robustness and high meat yield of North China pigs, combined with the advantages of the short breeding cycle and large number of piglets of Southern Song Taihu pigs.

They bred new pig breeds that grew quickly, produced more meat, and had strong reproductive capabilities to meet the Qin state's growing demand for meat.

These secrets concerning the development of animal husbandry in the Qin state were naturally not mentioned to Qiu Chuji by the steward.

Qiu Chuji initially thought it was just a rare breed of white pig. After studying it for a while, he marveled at it and then continued his journey westward with his disciples.

Upon entering the heart of Gansu, the scene before Qiu Chuji was even more astonishing.

In the fields, people are busy cultivating the land, and newly built irrigation canals meander through the fields, bringing river water into the farmland.

Some courtyards even had rabbits and chickens kept in captivity, presenting a vibrant and thriving scene, which stood in stark contrast to the tragic state of the disaster area in Hedong.

In the afternoon, the group arrived at Wuwei City.

Gansu Governor Zhang Xinghua personally came to greet them.

He already knew the significance of Qiu Chuji's journey to the west to spread the Dharma, and without being impolite, he not only arranged accommodations for him but also specially hosted a banquet to entertain him.

During the meal, Qiu Chuji mentioned the disaster victims from Hedong who had come with him and asked Zhang Xinghua to make proper arrangements for them.

Zhang Xinghua smiled and said, "Don't worry, Daoist Master."

“We have large tracts of wasteland in Gansu that need to be reclaimed and are in dire need of people. These disaster victims have come at just the right time.”

"I have arranged for people to count the number of people, and we will organize them according to the household registration system, allocate land to them, lend them seeds, and send agricultural technicians to guide their cultivation to ensure that they can live a stable life."

Qiu Chuji felt greatly relieved upon hearing this.

Then, he talked about the livestock farming he had seen along the way and asked Zhang Xinghua curiously, "Lord Zhang, why do people in Gansu so commonly raise rabbits and chickens?"

Zhang Xinghua put down his wine cup and explained, "Daoist, you may not know this, but this is the King's order."

"The King often says that all the people of our Great Qin, whether they are farmers or soldiers, should eat more meat and eggs."

"Think about it, in the past, people often couldn't afford meat, and they were all pale and thin. They didn't have the strength to do farm work, and they couldn't handle even a minor illness."

"The children in my family are not growing tall, it's heartbreaking to see."

"If people could eat meat every meal and have eggs every day, wouldn't they be physically strong? The children would grow tall and strong, and they would be good candidates for farming or joining the army in the future."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious, "As you know, our Great Qin will have to fight tough battles in the future. To recover Guanzhong and take over the Central Plains, we will have to rely on our soldiers to charge into battle."

"Now we're having everyone eat more meat and eggs so that they can grow strong and healthy. When the young men join the army in the future, they'll be big and strong, with extraordinary strength, so they can charge into battle and carry the loads. That's how our Qin army can become stronger and stronger."

"Therefore, the king decreed that the whole country should vigorously raise livestock."

Pastoral areas are naturally rich in cattle and sheep, so there's no need to worry about them. In agricultural areas, the focus is on encouraging the raising of pigs, chickens, and rabbits, as these animals have low breeding costs, grow quickly, and can rapidly supplement meat and egg protein.

Zhang Xinghua continued, "Now, not only are ordinary people raising livestock themselves, but the government and major merchants have also built large sheds for centralized breeding."

“Take the Hexi Trading Company for example. Their chicken farm in Ganzhou can produce tens of thousands of eggs every day. In addition to supplying the army and government, they also sell them to the people.”

Upon hearing this, Qiu Chuji felt even more admiration for Li Xiao's governance philosophy and repeatedly praised him, saying, "Your Majesty's actions truly show your concern for the people."

“Using livestock to improve people’s livelihood is both practical and effective, and I admire it.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xinghua quickly put down his wine glass, a look of respect on his face, and nodded with a smile: "Daoist Master, you've hit the nail on the head."

"We dare not take credit; it is all thanks to Your Majesty's foresight."

"His Majesty often tells us officials that governing a country means keeping an eye on the people's food supply. Only when the people have meat in their bowls and grain in their pots can they feel at ease, and only then can the foundation of Qin be stable."

"We, as your subjects, are merely carrying out Your Majesty's orders and putting these matters into practice."

"In the end, it's all for the people of Qin and for the prosperity of Qin."

Qiu Chuji nodded slightly, his admiration for Li Xiao deepening even further: "With such magnanimity and foresight, how can Great Qin not be strong? How can the people not be at peace?"

"This journey to the west has been so rewarding to witness such a well-governed world. It has truly been worthwhile."

(End of this chapter)