Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 262, Section 261: The Ice-Cutting Family
The emperor's entourage marched forward in a grand procession, with six steeds and horses lined up in a neat row. Ji Heng and Qin Shi sat in a spacious carriage, with Chi Nu kneeling beside them to serve them, as did Zhou Ju.

Qin Shi asked curiously, "Would it be dangerous for me to open the window and enjoy the view now?"

She still remembers the grand procession that this suspicious monarch had during his western tour when she first met Ji Heng.

This was not only for the sake of the emperor's dignity, but also to prevent assassination attempts.

Zhou Ju laughed from the side, "Your Majesty is joking. Shanglin Garden is right next to our Xianyang City. If this place is lost, wouldn't the entire army become useless?"

His words were not an exaggeration.

Although the Shanglin Garden was not expanded to its current size of 2500 square kilometers by Emperor Wu of Han, it is still quite vast.

It is bordered by the Wei River to the west, Xianyang Palace to the north, and Zhongnan Mountain to the south, and has already connected three or five cities.

Not to mention the countless gardens within gardens and palace complexes throughout the area.

If it weren't for such a vast and uniquely endowed garden, a collection of works from the various dynasties of the Qin state, why would Ji Heng have felt that the Xianyang Palace was too small to live in and wanted to build another Epang Palace?

As expected, when this matter was mentioned, Ji Heng nodded with slight regret:

"If the Epang Palace were built in the Shanglin Garden, I would like it to be able to seat ten thousand people above and to be able to see five-zhang flags below. Whether it is military exercises, court discussions, horseback riding and hunting, or tending to flowers and plants... all of these can be done here."

"Even foreign envoys who come to pay tribute do so here."

He gently placed the cloud-patterned jade cup on the table, then sighed, "What a pity."

Qin Shi thought to himself: Of course I know.

When Zhou Julai asked about the name of the palace, she had already seen the preliminary plans—the planned length of the front hall of the Epang Palace alone was 1270 meters, and the width was more than 400 meters.

This is just a front hall.

Such a magnificent palace, now supported entirely by rammed earth and stone foundations and wooden beams, must have required an immense amount of manpower.

But she never spoils the fun.

Therefore, they didn't say anything about wasting resources and manpower, but simply skillfully started making empty promises:

"Your Majesty's virtue and power are naturally worthy of such a palace. However, the population is currently insufficient and the funds are somewhat tight. Let us rest and recuperate, and in a few years, Your Majesty's wish will be fulfilled."

Building houses these days is so hard!
The rammed earth foundation of this enormous palace alone required tens of thousands of people to boil and pound the earth day and night; otherwise, it could not have survived for thousands of years to be excavated.

But what was unearthed was not only of historical significance, but also involved the lives of many more people who died during their service.

Qin Shi was very adaptable in this regard.

When she had the ability, she arranged for jade craftsmen to cast inscribed bronze tripods, comparing oracle bone script and Qin clerical script, thus ensuring the flow of culture and the continuity of civilization.

But if you want this palace to last for ten thousand years, then there's no need to expend blood and tears.

Who knows if, years from now, another "Xiang Yu" will burn down the Xianyang Palace?
Her mind raced with a thousand thoughts, but Ji Heng was clearly pleased by these sweet words, and his expression relaxed considerably.

When Qin Shi opened the carriage window and looked out, he could see the mighty Qin army in all directions.

Unfortunately, with winter approaching, the greenery along the roads is scarce, and there's really not much scenery to see.

She silently sat back down.

The Red Maiden put down the painted lacquer pot in her hand and said, "Is the Queen tired? You can take a short rest here. There has been little rain this winter, and even if there is water to sprinkle on the road ahead, dust is inevitable."

Qin Shi shook his head: This is just a casual little thing that happened during the journey, so it's not worth making a special effort to comfort him.

Then he turned to Ji Heng and asked, "Your Majesty, I wish to learn to ride a horse. I wonder if there is a lady in the Shanglin Garden who can teach me?"

He paused, then added, "It would be even better if Your Majesty could teach me personally."

However, despite saying that, what she really thought was that someone as gifted and energetic as Ji Heng would always learn both civil and military skills with ease.

She is someone who needs immense willpower and an expired membership to stick to going to the gym. If she can't learn it in a short time, wouldn't she leave a stupid impression on Ji Heng?

Therefore, although she said nice things, it would be best if a female ruler could teach her.

As for the king, he should just go and hunt some rabbits and deer. After she's studied for a while, she can enjoy a delicious roast meat. But unexpectedly, Ji Heng was also very interested:

"Since the Queen has presented stirrups and horseshoes, she must be quite knowledgeable in horsemanship and archery. There is a training ground in the Shanglin Garden, where the Queen's private army often trains. We can choose a quiet place and I will personally teach her."

Qin Shi: ...

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I hope you will not find me too dull..."

Ji Heng shook his head: "To give up before things are accomplished is not the way to achieve great things. Besides, no one is perfect, and it is not a big deal if one is not good at riding and archery."

He was full of confidence, and Qin Shi was no longer being modest. At this moment, he still smiled and sighed, "Yes! Your Majesty is right."

But then again, who hasn't dreamed of galloping across the battlefield? This fueled her fighting spirit, and she solemnly bowed, saying, "I beg Your Majesty to teach me diligently!"

Then, with a smile, he asked, "But I wonder how much the tuition fee is?"

Seeing that the King and Queen were enjoying themselves, Zhou Ju and Chi Nu, with their keen eyes, headed towards the carriage door.

Now that everything was safe in the carriage, with only the two of them remaining, Ji Heng laughed heartily and said:
"On my birthday, didn't the Queen already present me with a secret recipe? That's enough."

Although everyone in the Xianyang Palace, including the palace chefs, was at the king's beck and call, Qin Shi still solemnly drafted the recipe and process before sending it over, claiming it was a tribute.

Now that the other party brought it up, Qin Shi became curious:

"Does Your Majesty wish to open a shop in Xianyang City?"

To put it somewhat dramatically, brown sugar and cakes are a game-changer in today's dessert market. Opening a shop with them would be incredibly lucrative.

But Ji Heng shook his head.

“In the past, Meng Xianzi of the State of Lu once said: ‘Those who cut ice do not raise cattle and sheep. I am already rich enough to rule the world, and it would be inappropriate for me to compete with the people for profit.’”

"Although Confucianism did not conform to Qin law, the principles of governing a country were the same."

"Next year, this secret recipe will be handed over to the Imperial Household Department and distributed to merchants in Xianyang City."

If he, as the ruler of a country, were to open such a shop in the city, the nobles who had the ability to open shops would certainly not compete with him for profit.

Ordinary people who don't know the inside story don't have the financial resources.

If this continues, the business will forever belong to him.

Now, the mountains, forests, ponds and lakes all belong to the monarch, and the Qin state follows the principle of governing the family and governing the state in tandem. The Shaofu (Minister's Treasury) has several departments, all of which serve him alone.

However, they only operate farms, fields, forests, and minerals, and do not deal with people's livelihood issues.

Now that the Queen has shown her such goodwill, this is the only deal that can be made.

Qin Shi paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "A nation does not consider profit as its own, but righteousness as its own—Your Majesty's virtue is worthy of being called a sage ruler."

but……

She grasped his hand again and said slyly, "How did Your Majesty know that I would be holding an auction after the New Year, trading away several of the secret techniques of the Glass Craft Workshop?"

　The Queen and the King were both speaking to Meng Xianzi.

　　[Those who raise horses for riding do not concern themselves with chickens and pigs; those who harvest ice do not raise cattle and sheep; those who own a hundred chariots do not employ ministers who amass wealth. It is better to have a thieving minister than a minister who amasses wealth. This means that a state does not consider profit as its primary goal, but rather righteousness.]

　　Families who can afford to own carriages and horses (middle class) do not need to pay attention to raising poultry and livestock such as pigs and chickens.

　　Those who can mine ice do not need to raise cattle or sheep. (Nobles)

　　A household possessing a hundred chariots should not employ retainers who plunder the people's wealth. It is better to have retainers who steal from the treasury than those who plunder the people. (This applies to feudal lords, ministers, and other high-ranking nobles.)
　　In summary, powerful and influential families should also leave a way for ordinary people to survive.

　　The core idea is that a nation should not regard profit as its fundamental interest, but rather morality.

　　[The Qin Dynasty did not have a specific term for auction. There was a similar term, 鬻卖, which referred to the government buying and selling the property of criminals. Therefore, the original term for auction is used here.]

　　(End of this chapter)