Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 212, Section 211: Buffett's Promotion
At this time, the Mohists were not solely focused on handcrafted inventions and creations.

On the contrary, their membership was diverse, encompassing scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. Originally, like Legalism and Confucianism, it was simply a matter of whether or not to utilize their ideas.

However, for the rulers, the Mohist school's belief in and widespread implementation of the electoral abdication system undoubtedly undermined the rule of monarchs in various countries.

Furthermore, the Mohist code of conduct, known as the "Mohist Precepts," is even stricter than the Qin laws, with execution for being three days late! And it only adheres to the Mohist precepts!
Such acts of defiance against the monarch's rule, even with the exceptional skills of the Mohist artisans and their unwavering commitment to keeping their promises, ultimately led to their exclusion from the Seven Kingdoms.

Just like the potters in Minxian County today.

They were merely external members of the Mohist school, having learned some skills. After starting families and establishing careers, they gradually scattered to different places, raising children and no longer able to both obey Qin laws and respect the Mohist school...

In this way, things gradually settled down.

Having received such a large order with a generous deposit, the three of them were not afraid of the other party backing out. They contacted each other and set up camp at the riverbank where they were washing mud to open the kiln. Three days later, they would have no less than 500 pottery kilns!
But in Mrs. Ba's mind, this was far from enough.

Aside from the military households in Minxian, there are quite a few civilian households here. However, although her coal is on the road, it is scattered in various places along the way, and this is the final destination, so there are not many of them.

So far, we can only hope that the promotion goes smoothly and that there will be more orders after the weather gets cold.

Otherwise, they would truly have to use their clan's savings to make up for it, in order to appease the queen.

However, the tribesmen traveling with us, also bundled up in thick clothes, were the first to remark, "It's truly bitterly cold here!"

The summer heat in Xianyang had just dissipated, and the autumn coolness was quite pleasant. Surprisingly, it was already necessary to wear thick clothes here.

The servants carried a simple tin stove and placed it in the hall, but because they were traveling light, it was obviously not enough, so they also lit a basin of bright red coal.

This made everyone feel more comfortable.

As for the Queen's repeated instructions not to keep the doors and windows tightly closed to avoid fire poisoning...

Mrs. Ba didn't even need to look up to feel the cool breeze blowing in from the cracks in the door and bed.

She sighed: "The fact that the Queen cares about this shows that she is a completely different person from the King."

Therefore, he instructed: "In the lecture three days from now, be sure to tell everyone that there must be enough ventilation openings."

“The poor people here are even willing to dig holes to live in, and if the hole is too stuffy, it can be fatal.”

In the past, without honeycomb briquettes in winter, people would often fall asleep while burning charcoal or firewood.

Everyone readily agreed.

The clansmen then asked, "Didn't the Queen say that the border troops must use this coal? Why didn't you go to the military camp to see General Yan first?"

After drinking the hot tea, Lady Ba felt it wasn't as sweet as the steaming hot brown sugar milk tea in the Queen's palace, and shook her head, saying:
How do I get there?

In a military camp, a place of great importance, they came to see me with a letter from the Queen and rashly presented me with thousands of kilograms of honeycomb briquettes—that's not how things should be done.

"Firstly, this son of the Grand Commandant Yan is not an official in the Xianyang Palace, but rather very focused on action. Even if we personally present the Queen's letter, the coal supply has not yet been delivered, so all our efforts will be in vain, and this gift will not be what we truly desire."

"Secondly, many soldiers in the border army have settled down and started families here. We can first promote this in our own homes, and then, after the people have benefited, we can offer it to the army. In this way, the news will spread both inside and outside the army, and everyone will know about it, thus demonstrating the Queen's benevolence."

How to deliver the same gift in a way that maximizes its effect is something that merchant families pay the most attention to.

The tribesman understood: "I'll go and find out how long it will take for the rest of the supplies to arrive."

……

Throughout history, regardless of how developed transportation was, news from the countryside has always been the fastest to spread.

In addition, attending the class also included a bowl of millet. This earthenware bowl was piled high, and when everyone compared it to other bowls, every household felt tempted.

Even wealthy locals, upon hearing that the Queen had come with a decree to preach, would go to find out whether they needed it or not.

Three days later, when Madam Ba randomly chose a post station to check on the situation, she found that the small hall of the post station was already packed with people.

They either stood, leaned, or simply sat on a straw mat on the ground.

There were also some people who were clearly of high status listening upstairs...

Around the post station, the reed mats used to block the wind and cold had already been rolled up and hung down. Although they could not be sealed, they were enough to block the howling cold wind from all directions.

In the very center, in front of the clansmen, there were two large stones of golden millet, and another large earthenware bowl piled high with millet, placed on top of the millet, making it immediately visible.

In front of him were three earthen stoves.

The small, exquisite ceramic stove is supported by three legs. The bottom vent is wide open, allowing air to circulate and the three honeycomb briquettes to burn vigorously. Just a short distance away, one can see the bright red flames underneath.

On top of that was another earthenware pot, inside which hot water had been boiling for who knows how long, bubbling and gurgling.

Thus, whether it was due to the large number of people or the warmth emanating from the ceramic stove, the entire room became surprisingly warm.

The cheeks of the farmers who were nearby were flushed from the heat.

Madam Ba watched quietly without speaking. Then, a member of the tribe first picked up a large bowl of millet, held it up in all directions, and showed it to everyone:
"Everyone, after today's lessons, those who listened attentively and answered my questions correctly can take this bowl of millet home!"

He chuckled, like a country idler; though he didn't appear gentlemanly, he made the common people feel a strong sense of familiarity with him.

"That question is very simple; even a three-year-old could answer it. I just don't know if everyone brought a cloth bag. We only have one big bowl, so we can't carry it back."

Poor families have no need for cloth bags.

Stone jars, bamboo baskets, or even just my own clothes—I'll do whatever it takes to get the grain back!
Then a woman boldly asked, "Is it really that simple?"

"Really!" the other party replied firmly.

"This is a divine object that my Queen of Qin obtained for the poor people of the world; it is the essence of the earth."

"The purpose is to relieve us from the suffering of the cold, and we are also afraid that everyone will not know how to use it or how to save money, so we were ordered to come and explain it to everyone."

"Therefore, please rest assured that we will not deliberately set up difficult problems for you."

"I'm afraid these two bushels of millet won't be enough to go around today!"

The young men in this clan are not old, just coming of age, but they are always eloquent and are quite popular with the elders in the clan.

Now that he's been assigned this task, he's not in a hurry to get to the point, he just sighs and says, "Oh dear, oh dear."
"I never imagined there were so many families in Minxian! If this millet isn't enough, and you're slow to respond, you'll have to wait a little longer before more is sent!"

One person per household, but the post station chief arranged it according to the roster, without any omissions, and would never take advantage of anyone.

His sigh immediately made everyone anxious; for grain like this, it was best to get it into the bag and be safe.

So a teenager readily answered:

"We can wait! We can wait! We're on the border, and the Qiang people often come to invade. We don't have many people, but how can we defend ourselves?"

The border troops didn't always win battles.

Now that the King of Qin is powerful and their border troops have a fearsome reputation, things seem a bit more stable.

But the previous generation also frequently suffered from the ravages of war.

"That's exactly right!" The young man clapped his hands. "The Queen is grateful for the harsh conditions on the border and the hard work of everyone guarding the frontier, which is why she ordered us to send this divine object over as soon as possible!"

Even in Xianyang City, this has not yet been promoted.

Nowadays, people have limited access to information and rarely travel far from home, so they are unaware that it is still autumn in Xianyang City and have no need for this knowledge.

But even if they knew that Shangguan was trying to fool them, they were Qin people, and they had never been fooled before.

I felt extremely happy.

"Is our Queen really such a good person?"

"The Queen is so kind, so why does the King have such a fearsome reputation? Is it perhaps a deliberate attempt to instill fear in people?"

"I dare not say. Didn't they come to the west on a previous tour? But they left in a hurry without even staying. I only know that everyone was trembling with fear, and no one knew what kind of king it was..."

Everyone was talking amongst themselves until a woman who was very close to the stove wiped her sweat and took off her tattered robe.

The people of the borderlands are fierce, and the women are even bolder. Now, she is taking off her clothes in public. Although she is fully clothed underneath, it still makes everyone look involuntarily.

The other person's cheeks were flushed, and he said, "This stove is so hot. I came today wearing my whole family's clothes, and I'm sweating. I'm afraid I'll catch a cold when I go back."

Wasn't what she took off a man's robe?
Nowadays, most families are like this, drawn by a bowl of millet.

But once these words were spoken, everyone realized:

"Exactly! Why is it so warm here today?"

"There are a lot of charcoal braziers, aren't there? Look, there are three here."

"But it's such a small amount. Normally, when we burn manure and firewood, we need a large fire to make the house feel warmer."

The Ba clansmen thought to themselves, "Wonderful!"
He quickly replied, "This is what the Queen wants to tell you about the benefits of earth spirits."

"The essence of this earth contains true fire, so it's naturally warmer than firewood or charcoal. You could put three honeycomb briquettes on a clay stove like this during the day..."

He pointed to the holes in the honeycomb briquettes and showed them off one by one: "If you put an earthenware pot on the stove, you can have hot water day and night..."

Then, he explained everything about the ventilation doors, the holes in the honeycomb briquettes, how to protect oneself at night, and how to handle enclosed spaces. He did all of this in a detailed yet humorous way, which made everyone listen attentively.

He was only thinking about whether this earth spirit was expensive or not.

If we can grit our teeth and buy some, the elderly and children in our family might not freeze to death or get frostbite this winter.

The environment is simple now, and people have never been exposed to this kind of advertising before. Out of curiosity, the lectures are very efficient.

Of course, the day's lectures didn't just cover the ceramic stove, honeycomb briquettes, and various precautions; there was also a lecture on boiling water to kill insects, which surprised and alarmed everyone.

After noon, when the temperature wasn't so low, another curved plow was brought out from behind the hall!
The gleaming plowshare was loaded, and an old ox was led out from the post station to guide everyone up the field ridges!
If the honeycomb briquettes were of little interest to someone from a truly impoverished family, then the curved plow, which was related to food, was something that everyone stared at intently.

This plowshare can be used not only by old oxen, but also by strong men and women in the household to pull it!
The finer and deeper the soil is tilled, the better the millet will grow the following year—this is a simple truth that all farmers understand.

Now, is it really necessary to leave such a curved plow at every post station for everyone to reference and imitate?

Moreover, although this curved plow is large, it only requires some wood. They can find a carpenter to assemble it, and they can make it themselves.

The plowshare ahead gleamed coldly; it was said to be made of refined iron. Although we couldn't afford to use it for the time being, we could make do with it by grinding some stones!
Everyone instantly became excited.

When the cold wind made their cheeks slightly red, they returned to the warm indoors and shivered. Then they realized even more how beneficial the honeycomb briquettes were.

However, what lay before them was not just the pottery stove, but also a pile of black coal dust and a heap of yellow mud.

The young member of the Ba clan who was giving the presentation appeared to be a caring person with the well-being of all people at heart.
"The Queen also said that if some families are truly suffering from poverty and cannot afford honeycomb briquettes, she would advise them to buy cheap coal powder from my Ba's shop."

He held up his finger: "Just six Qin Banliang coins are enough to fill a cart with coal dust!"

The wheelbarrow was pushed out at the right time, and one person could control it!
The coal dust was piled high on top, and it looked like there was quite a lot of it.

"If you buy this, you can add water and yellow clay, pound it into shape, and then poke holes in it, just like I have. It's not as convenient as buying a ready-made product, but it will still work..."

Let me also take this opportunity to promote this unicycle.

They don't sell them, they just display them openly, and families with carpenters are immediately fascinated.

If the pottery stove is mentioned like this, then the potter is bound to make a fortune.

Will carpenters also benefit from this now?

And this car is indeed very convenient!
Even teenage girls timidly approached: "Sir, I, I, I want to try pushing it..."

She only had her mother at home, who was lame and had great difficulty walking.

If I can push this cart myself, wouldn't my frail mother be able to sit inside and walk with me?

If disaster strikes again, I can push my mother along with me. This way, she won't be abandoned again like she was when she was a child, and her legs won't be damaged.

Although she was bold, the Ba clan members were overjoyed when they heard her words!

Unexpectedly, the people of Minxian were so bold and cooperative, and they let the girl step forward.

The other person was pale and thin, clearly from an extremely poor family. His hands gripped the handlebars tightly like chicken claws, looking frail and fragile.

But her face turned red, and it took her a little effort to start, and the wheelbarrow full of coal dust really did rumble forward.

The girl's expression became more and more relaxed. She turned and walked around twice in the hall amidst the exclamations of the crowd, and her eyes were already shining!
After class today, I think I'll put aside the honeycomb briquettes for now, but I'll still need to get the wheelbarrow for the family.

With this item, whether serving in the military or collecting manure and firewood, it is extremely convenient.

Of course, if we can save a few more Qin Banliang coins, then we still need honeycomb briquettes.

After all, as the adults say, drinking unboiled water can cause severe stomach pain and make you sick, burdening your family.

Her younger brother's belly was as big as a drum back then...

She was so young yet she had such thoughts; how could those men and women who were used to managing households not know them?

In an instant, the atmosphere in the classroom became lively.

In this way, every aspect has been taken into consideration.

Even the poorest family, as long as they have a bushel of millet to get through the winter, can afford to take out these six Qin half-ounce coins.

But then again, if they were truly so poor that they had nothing to eat, given Madam Ba's heart as a traveling merchant, it would have been a helpless situation.

Even without food, you won't survive the winter. So there's no need to worry about honeycomb briquettes or anything like that.

Right now, let's focus on those who can survive.

　Here it is!!! It's a little longer than usual...

　　(End of this chapter)