Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 286, Section 285: Recruiting Talented Individuals at the Dock
The queen was teaching men how to mix manure on paper at the farm, while the soldiers, who had received short-term training, set off for the market town in Guanzhong with thick stacks of paper in their hands.

My colleague beside me kept chattering, repeatedly reciting the short phrases we had been given during training.

What kind of people are you hiring?

"We'll hire anyone, as long as they have a skill—farming, mending, raising animals, medicine, strength, sharp eyesight, quick math, carpentry, pottery, baking..."
Why hire someone like that?

"The Queen has many secret techniques, which require these people to perform. Some of the less important ones can be passed on to family members and offspring."

"How much is the salary?"

"Minimum salary of sixty yuan per month, including room and board! Three meals a day, four hours of sleep each night. Exceptional performers will receive even more, with no upper limit! Chicken, duck, lamb, pork, salt, brown sugar, poetry, books, notebooks, and even powerful weapons... all included!"

Where do I register?

"There is a village called Wangzhuang Su Village, 30 li east of Qishui Wharf. Registration is right here! Even if you are not hired, you will still be given a bowl of millet!"

"Is this a good idea? Is there any danger?"

"What danger could there be in mending, planing wood, farming, or raising chickens and ducks?"

Although the soldiers had been reading and writing for some time, their literacy was still limited. It had taken them quite a bit of effort to memorize such a string of phrases.

Fortunately, those who follow the Queen are all outstanding in their studies and culture; otherwise, they would be unable to take on this task because they speak so haltingly.

The more I talked about it, the more excited I became. It was only 60 coins a month! What a high salary! I could buy so much millet!

After repeating this over and over again, my comrades were sick of hearing it.
"Stop carrying me. We've already carried me for three whole hours on the boat. If we keep doing this, I'll start foaming at the mouth."

"But this is my first time working for the Queen. If I fail to find suitable candidates, will the Queen think I am incompetent?"

"Will they still be able to slaughter sheep, chickens, and ducks for us to eat then?"

He pressed his bulging chest again.

"And there's also this bag of salt and this bag of sugar for everyone..."

The hand pressed against his chest tightened even more; if he weren't afraid, he would have really wanted to dig half of the salt and sugar out.

but.

As I said before, this is my first time appearing before the Queen. If I do well, I will have many more opportunities like this in the future.

But if it's not done well...

Thinking of this, the two exchanged a glance and suppressed their thoughts.

but……

but……

The salt was snow-white, the sugar was dark reddish-brown, and they emitted a unique, slightly caramelized aroma. Only the top three finishers ever had the chance to receive them.

The two stood by the roadside, with no one around.

After exchanging another glance, they hesitated.
"It wouldn't be appropriate to tell people about such a wonderful thing later, but not even be able to describe its taste..."

"Exactly! You and I, brothers, are thinking the same thing..."

"Then let's..."

"It's better than..."

"I'll take the salt, you take the sugar."

The two stood on a wide, deserted road, feeling guilty like thieves, and carefully took out a small oil paper packet from their pockets.

The oil paper package was flat, no bigger than the palm of your hand.

Since every soldier gets a share, the amount naturally won't be large.

Now, the snow-white, crystal-clear salt, like powder, shimmers dazzlingly white in the sunlight.

The aroma of brown sugar can be smelled as soon as you open the oil paper package.

The two of them reached out their fingers and carefully plucked a pinch from each other's bags—

"Stop squeezing so much!"

"My brown sugar granules are big, but you've made so many!"

But in any case, they tasted both salt and sugar.

It's salty, so salty!

But the saltiness was so pure, without any astringency, bitterness, or even a gritty feeling; it melted in my mouth.

A slight urge to drink appeared on the tip of her tongue, but the other person kept their mouth closed, unwilling to take another sip.

Then look at the one who tasted the candy; he too is standing there, stunned.

A moment later, he blinked, and a large tear rolled down his cheek.

"I wrote to my mother earlier this month, asking her to give me some more money, because I don't have enough winter clothes..."

He was still wearing a linen shirt from summer and autumn, but he had layered it twice and was also wrapped in leather armor, which was how he managed to get through it.

But I have several brothers at home, and we're so poor, where are we going to get any money?
"My mother is old and has never eaten malt sugar in her life. Even if she digs up grass roots from the ground, she will always tell us to sweeten our mouths first..."

"I wonder when I'll get my due reward and let her taste this flavor..."

After these words were spoken, his comrades fell silent.

The other party's family is in Sichuan, while my family is in a border region.

Not only were there incursions from the Qiang people, but the weather was also extremely cold, making life truly difficult.

This sugar is certainly rare, but in the remote areas, salt is even more scarce!

Their family simply couldn't afford salt.

Each year, I only buy a small amount of salt to soak and boil the salt cloth, and occasionally put it in the soup.

Without salt, he had no strength, and he gradually grew weaker. Of the four or five children in his family, he was the only one who survived...

But things are different now!

After being assigned to the Queen, although there weren't as many opportunities to make merit, it was safer and the rewards were greater. All she had to do was work harder and harder!
When the time comes, I will take all the good things I have saved back to my hometown through the post station. I wonder how happy my father and mother will be!
The two tasted the salt and sugar again, exchanged a glance, and then suddenly, in perfect unison, folded the paper package in their arms back into place.

With such excellent products, they will surely attract many talented individuals to the Queen's court. If even one or two of them prove to be of great use, then they will have made a significant contribution!

Therefore, even though their mouths were already watering and they wished they could dissolve the salt into their water bottles, the two gritted their teeth and quickened their pace, no longer bothered by such distractions.

Many soldiers who radiated out from Tongchuan shared similar sentiments.

Most of the salt and sugar that the Queen brought were given to them, a task so easy that the local guards responsible for security were quite envious.

Meanwhile, the soldiers who had disembarked were heading straight to their destination, the Qishui Wharf market. They had carefully wedged several thin wooden strips into the wall to secure the paper to it.

The wind was strong by the dock, and when it blew, the paper mulberry bark rustled loudly.

If you scrape it any longer, it might get torn.

But it was this strange noise that attracted everyone's attention, and then the white paper, with its soft and lightweight texture, drew many people to stop and look.

Qishui Wharf is a vital transportation hub, and as a place where transportation routes converge, there has never been a shortage of business people.

Once merchants gather and come and go, the number of people increases. After the queen left, the place went from quiet to bustling again.

Now, two soldiers stood quietly guarding the paper, one of them holding a thick stack of the same white paper.

Scholars couldn't help but step forward:
"I am Bai Qiusha, a member of the Bai family of Guanzhong."

"May I ask you two what this is? It doesn't look like sheepskin or silk."

It had only been a short while since the sign was hung up when someone came up to ask about it. The soldier puffed out his chest proudly and said:

"This is paper brought by our Queen. It can be written on, folded, and is easy to preserve and carry. It is an indispensable item for passing down poetry and books through generations and for moving around!"

As he spoke, he took a piece of paper from his comrade's hand and waved it in front of him to show him its frivolous nature.

Then, without hesitation, they folded it once or twice.

Until the huge sheet of paper was folded into a square palm-sized piece, and then placed in the scholar's hands.

After being folded into small pieces, the paper does have a slight weight, but this weight is not even as much as a few fragments of bamboo slips!
Due to the hasty production, the craftsmanship is still somewhat rough, since the best pieces were all contributed to Xianyang Palace.

At this moment, there are still bits of fibrous paper scraps falling from my hand.

but……

That Bai Qiusha from Guanzhong couldn't care less about anything else!
He spoke modestly, but he came from a wealthy family!

The family has a vast collection of books, which they have never discarded despite natural disasters or man-made calamities throughout history. These books are their most important family heirlooms!
However, when disaster strikes, it is extremely difficult to move, relocate, and hide these family heirlooms, which consumes countless manpower, lives, and resources!
But now, now...

Now, their King of Qin is actually using such fine things in the palace?!

His heart burned with excitement, and his hands trembled slightly as he imagined his family members using such paper to pass around letters, answer questions, and write articles...

"But the paper looks so fragile, I wonder how long it can last?"

The soldier couldn't answer either.

But the Chief Secretary said that if you can't answer, just tell the truth.

So he took out another piece of paper, rolled it into a cylinder in his hand, and tied it with a piece of hemp rope!
"I don't know how long it can be preserved, but as long as it's not burned or soaked in water, it should last for several years if it's rolled up like this."
"But aren't bamboo slips also divided into thick bamboo strips that are baked for long-term storage, and thin bamboo strips that are steamed for daily circulation?"

"If you have any important books at home, you should carve a copy onto bamboo slips. You can keep these for daily reading and copying!"

“When we practiced calligraphy in the army, we first wrote on sandboard and then carved it onto bamboo slips. We used this kind of paper for exams and homework.”

Even soldiers of low rank are being used?

Bai Qiusha was extremely shocked.

They said Guanzhong was clearly the hub of the Qin Dynasty, so why did they feel that Xianyang had undergone earth-shattering changes after living there for so long?
With this in mind, the other party made up their mind and looked up carefully at the white paper on the earthen wall.

The top simply has three large characters written on it.

[Recruitment Notice]

After staring at it for a while, he suddenly took a step back, then solemnly cupped his hands and bowed deeply, saying:
"May I ask you two, what kind of talented individuals does this 'Recruitment Order' seek? And who is responsible for the recruitment?"

The scholar's sudden display of such great courtesy drew the attention of many passersby.

Seeing everyone looking at them, the soldiers grew even more arrogant. After exchanging glances with their comrades, they raised their voices and said:
"His Majesty has his own criteria for recruiting talent, and we have come here specifically to recruit for the Queen!"

"The Queen possesses numerous ancient texts and secret techniques, which require the world's wise men to put into practice for her!"

"Come on, come on!"

He shook the paper in his hand again, then took out a paper package from his pocket:

"This is top-grade snowflake salt! It's neither bitter nor astringent, and it's pure and unblemished. Only nobles can afford to use it!"

"And there's also top-quality brown sugar, which is excellent for replenishing qi and blood!"

"Our General of the Palace Guard in Xianyang was once bestowed with a divine weapon by the King! It can cut through iron like mud, and to this day, it has not met its match!"

"These things can be obtained immediately once the Queen is successfully recruited!"

The more the other person talked, the more enthusiastic they became, and their spirits were particularly high, making them even more attractive.

When the crowd that had gathered heard about such a good thing, they all stood on tiptoe and craned their necks to get a better look.

Bai Qiusha, though shocked, was preoccupied with the paper and the various ancient texts and secret techniques...

In this era, even a recipe is a family heirloom for powerful clans, let alone something as readily available as this.

He was about to ask how to recruit them and what the requirements were when he heard the other party recite the entire question and answer in a loud, rigid voice, as if reciting a memorized text!

It lacks literary flair, yet it is very easy for ordinary people to understand. It is no longer those flowery and convoluted words; even a three-year-old child can understand it.

The crowd was growing larger and larger. Bai Qiusha was shocked, but also looked down on this kind of plain language that had no literary merit whatsoever.

But then a poor woman suddenly put down her fish basket, carefully wiped her hands, which reeked of fish, on a tattered burlap, and then asked hesitantly:
"My daughter has good eyesight and can see very far... Would this work too?"

This may sound a bit unreasonable, but the Chief Secretary has made a special request:
I don't know if it will be useful, but I'll bring it to Susu Village first!
Even if they fail, they will not be punished.

But if we miss out on talent and lose out on rewards because of this, wouldn't that be a huge loss?
Therefore, when someone asked, the other party answered without hesitation:

"It can happen!"

But he wasn't really that confident, so he added, "Even if it doesn't work, it's not a loss if your daughter takes a little time to get a bowl of millet."

Yes!

If it doesn't work out, you can still get a bowl of millet!

Bai Qiusha was still weighing things up, but for the poor people, the allure of this bowl of millet was enough to outweigh all the other arguments!

They rushed forward:

"Me! I can chop wood! I'm really good at it!"

"I can do woodworking..."

"My family has an ink line! Our ancestors were even trained in the Mo family!"

"I... I can weave hemp, and I can weave it quickly and well..."

Men and women crowded together. The two soldiers, not bothering with the demonstration, took out their charcoal pencils and began asking basic questions about each person's situation on the back of the paper before making a record.

This charcoal pencil looks very convenient and impressive!
Moreover, with the strength they have developed over the years in controlling the brush, they would never easily break the tip of the brush!
But looking at the characters registered—at this time, the most common script was clerical script, but even so, the other party's writing was structurally questionable, a complete mess, and even contained many misspellings…

Bai Qiusha watched quietly for a while, then suddenly pushed the other person:
"Don't waste such fine paper and pens, I'll do it!"

The soldier was initially bewildered, then overjoyed: "Such a good thing?!"

God knows, writing is much harder than getting them to practice!
The other person picked up the light charcoal pencil, subconsciously wanting to dip it in ink, but then left it hanging in mid-air.

Then carefully write it down on the paper, and after writing just one word, you've already mastered the right amount of pressure for the writing.

Let's take another look at pens that don't drip ink and can be used anytime—

"it is good!"

He raised his head excitedly: "If I join the Queen's ranks, will I really be able to get paper and pen?"

　Here it comes!
　　(End of this chapter)