Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 172, Section 171: The Five Arts of Governing the People
Nowadays, very few people among the general population can read.

Even the village head had only read two books.

The phrase "When the King of Qin dies, the land is divided," which enraged the Xianyang Palace, was, for them, merely a casual remark in their leisure time, even if it were to spread.

The meaning behind it is simply what literate adults say.

The Book of Lord Shang states: "When the people are ignorant, they are easy to govern; when the people are wise, they are difficult to command."

That's the gist of it.

In particular, Shang Yang proposed a national strategy during his reforms, namely the "Five Arts of Governing the People"—

[Weak people], [Poor people], [Exhausted people], [Humiliated people], [Fooled people].

In this way, the Qin state has managed to tame its people like cattle and sheep, and its national strength has grown rapidly and powerfully.

But now, the downsides of this matter have also become apparent.

That is, ordinary people have no sense of social responsibility – they can't even make ends meet, so how can they talk about social responsibility?

In matters of national importance, their first instinct is not to report to their superiors, but to quickly conceal the truth.

All of this was because at that time, powerful people were rampant, and the common people had no room to live. Moreover, Qin law was harsh, and serious crimes were committed at the slightest provocation.

In such an environment where sight and hearing are completely blocked, the mountain people, upon seeing such a terrifying monster in the forest, naturally dared not regard it as a human being.

All that was known was that the other person was wearing burlap, limping and leaping through the woods, waving his arms and legs, and his wailing was unusual.

How is this any different from wild beasts in the mountains?

Yet it somehow seems to have a human-like appearance.

Under the intense heat, my memory was hazy, and I couldn't describe it clearly, so I could only attribute it to the demons and monsters.

Unfortunately, rumors started circulating, and the other party was afraid of being arrested and punished, so they didn't dare to say anything.

If Wu You hadn't personally gone to the villages and counties to oversee the sale of cattle and sheep, he wouldn't have heard these rural folks whispering to their relatives about their terrible experiences in the local language.

He initially treated it as just a strange tale, but now Wang Xueyuan has mentioned it repeatedly.

Although he has not yet dared to go to the meteorite to observe it closely, and does not know what shape it is, he knows that meteorites usually bring fire with them when they fall.

Heavenly fire and scorching bubbles.

Humanoids and monsters.

These connections reminded him of something, and after only a brief hesitation, he immediately gave a detailed report.

Wang Xueyuan suddenly stood up: "Where in Diqiu is that mountain forest? And who are the mountain people from?!"

He ordered, "Quickly send someone to bring him here!"

Before he could finish speaking, he changed his mind again: "Go quickly and report to the prefect, ordering him to send troops to that mountain forest to search for every trace."

At his command, the post station chief was at a loss: "I am only in charge of the Nanle Pavilion..."

They have no right to arrest people in neighboring Diqiu...

As for Wuyou and Madam Ba, their status was even lower than that of the common people, so how could they act in such a way?
Wang Xueyuan had a severe headache.

He now understood why his superiors disliked such overly honest subordinates—they simply lacked any sense of propriety.

He never gave this man any orders!

Fortunately, the servants had been waiting quietly by the side, and upon hearing the master's order, they immediately bowed and obeyed.
"promise."

After this incident, Wang Xueyuan lost all interest in drinking the inferior wine. At this moment, she only looked at Wu You:

“If the prefect has already dispatched troops, you must come with me to Diqiu. You must verify this person’s identity before ordering him to lead his men into the mountains.”

"If we can find even the slightest clue, I will immediately submit a memorial to the emperor in Xianyang, detailing your achievements." Hearing this, Wu You felt both ecstatic and apprehensive.
He was overjoyed because he finally had a chance to make a contribution.

If you gain anything, it will certainly be substantial.

However, I am uneasy because I don't know if this matter is related to the inscription on the meteorite.

Secondly, if he were involved in such a major matter, and if his lord was capricious and prone to suspicion, then he…

But now that he has made it clear to the Censor-in-Chief, he must make sure to fight this battle perfectly!

Therefore, he immediately got up and said, "I will go and make preparations."

Dongjun was in complete chaos.

Meanwhile, in a side hall of Zhangtai Palace in Xianyang, a maidservant was tending a delicate earthenware stove. She lifted the small earthenware pot on top and looked at the three honeycomb briquettes standing upright inside, her eyes filled with delight.
“Prefect Zhou, it has been burning for four hours since last night, and the coal briquette on top is still mostly black.”

Burnt honeycomb briquettes turn a slightly reddish-brown color with a hint of paleness.

Those that haven't been burned are black.

Even now, a night later, the furnace is still warm.

Simply open the damper to boil another kettle of water, and you won't need to get up to add charcoal or firewood at night.

If this item were used in the palace, even if it wasn't used by nobles, but by officials, it would save the servants a lot of trouble.

Only those from the lower classes can truly appreciate the benefits of these coal briquettes and earthenware stoves.

Zhou Ju nodded in thought: This small pottery stove is so durable. If a large one were made, with warm water placed on it during the day, wouldn't it save a lot of trouble for all the nobles of Xianyang Palace to bathe in the evening?

"There is only one point, as Qin Qing once said: When this furnace is being used, remember not to close the doors and windows, as the outside air will not circulate."

"Because its smoke is toxic, if one is inhaled in a closed environment for even a short while, there is a risk of fainting, shock, or even death."

Seeing that he was in a good mood, the maids boldly laughed as well:
“Your Excellency, if the firewood and charcoal basin were like this, it would also bring the same worries.”

"Moreover, there is nowhere in our Xianyang Palace where we can keep the doors and windows tightly closed, except for the national treasury, the king's private treasury, and the cellars."

Zhou Ju was speechless.

At this time, Xianyang Palace was built with towering trees, which were both tall and wide. The wooden doors and windows below were connected by mortise and tenon joints, and the twists and turns of the joints naturally resulted in gaps.

If it were truly sealed tightly, the doors and windows would probably be impossible to open.

It's just that the gaps aren't so obvious because the craftsmen were so diligent.

However, if an ordinary person owns a dilapidated house, it can be considered property.

Unless they lived in caves and cellars, where would they find such a house with its doors and windows tightly shut?
Don't doors and windows use wood?
Skilled artisans are not available to ordinary people.

Despite this, Zhou Ju still dared not be careless.

"These words have been repeatedly emphasized by Qin Qing, and must be conveyed to everyone who uses this pottery stove. You all must also remember them."

"When this news reaches other palaces in the future, we must still remember this matter."

The maids readily agreed, and upon hearing Zhou Ju mention Qin Qing repeatedly, they couldn't help but feel a deep longing for her.

The palace maids and servants communicated among themselves, and they were generally well aware of each other's work.

Then she remembered what the sisters in Lanchi Palace had said: Qin Qing didn't like to employ too many people and had even arranged a work schedule for them, so they didn't have to work every single hour of the day.

Looking at this pottery stove now, I can't help but feel happy again.

With such a kind and benevolent noblewoman as queen, I wonder if their lives will be any better.

The strategies for governing the people outlined in Shang Yang's Book were not only employed by the Qin state, but also by feudal empires for thousands of years to come. The earliest instance of their use was when Jiang Ziya proposed them to King Wu of Zhou.