The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 143 The Doctor Returns from the North
At this time of year, the people of Guanzhong would also hold sacrificial rites, and the emperor's carriage, escorted by a large army, would leave the detached palace in the northern suburbs.

This year's agricultural ceremony was particularly grand, with the largest number of officials in charge of the ceremony.

Beside a field in Shanglin Garden, Feng Quji was watching the First Emperor performing a sacrifice on the altar.

The sacrificial ceremony lasted until the afternoon. The First Emperor rewarded the soldiers and ministers who accompanied him with food and drink, while Feng Quji accompanied the First Emperor into a small hut.

This is a small house by the fields of Shanglin Garden. Few people usually set foot in this place, but this house is spotless and is regularly maintained.

Ying Zheng entered the small house, looked at the bamboo slips piled up to the side, picked up a scroll and looked at it. It was all about farming.

Ying Zheng recognized the handwriting; it was the handwriting of his son, Fusu.

Feng Quji reported: "The Prefectural Assistant of Weinan Prefecture, Sima Xin, often comes to this place."

"I have heard that after Zhang Han led his troops to Longxi, Fusu appointed another prefectural administrator to Weinan Prefecture."

Feng Quji replied, "I believe that this approach can be adopted in all regions. The power of a prefect is too great, and it is difficult to limit it with a prefectural assistant, but two prefectural assistants can distribute the power among themselves."

Ying Zheng did not reply immediately, but continued to look at the books.

"Should we bring Sima Xin along?"

“No need.” Ying Zheng put down one scroll and picked up another, saying, “Why did Fusu leave these books here?”

"I heard it's because there's no room for all the books in Gaoquan Palace. Actually, it's not just here. The young master also left a lot of books in Tongguan County, all of which were left over from when the canal was dug. Also... when the Xianyang Bridge was being built, a small house was constructed, and books were left there as well."

Ying Zheng looked up at the farmland outside the window and said slowly, "Fusu never hoarded books. He wanted everyone in the world to be able to see them. Not only did he not hoard them, but even when he was in the palace, he often sent books out."

Feng Quji stood silently to the side, while the scholars from Shandong and other places wished they could regard the book as his life's treasure and hide it away.

Only Prince Fusu was determined to send these books out, and not only that, he also sent hundreds of students out every year to teach in various places.

These students were all children of servants in the prince's household. Those servants were sent to Prince Fusu by Prime Minister Li Si on the emperor's orders.

Now, Prince Fusu is using the children of servants bestowed upon him by the emperor to educate the people of various regions.

When future generations talk about this, it will surely be a beautiful story.

Feng Quji smiled and said, "This year, the young master will appoint Shusun Tong as Grand Master, and also said that in the future, children from Guanzhong can go to Tongguan and several counties in Weinan to study."

Ying Zheng said, "Fusu wants to use this method to educate the people of the world, which is why Li Si can't sleep."

With just a hint, the emperor understood.

Feng Quji nodded as well. He had always known the reason for Li Si's insomnia and what Li Si had been worrying about lately.

"Right Chancellor, someone from Beidi Commandery has arrived."

Seeing that the emperor had nodded in agreement, Feng Quji took his leave.

Beneath the high platform for the agricultural ritual sacrifice, a middle-aged man waited anxiously. This man was none other than Zhou Qingchen, a doctor from Shandong who had served as a guard on the Great Wall for many years.

Feng Quji walked closer and looked at the doctor from Shandong.

"Qingchen greets the Right Chancellor and thanks him for his guidance, which allowed me to return from the North."

Feng Quji looked him over and asked, "Having spent so many years on the Great Wall, have you ever harbored any resentment?"

“No!” Zhou Qingchen lowered his stance even further. He said, “I dare not harbor any resentment. It was only when the Prime Minister sent me to the north that I realized how dangerous the Xiongnu threat was. Now I know that everything must be seen with one’s own eyes. Back then, we were young and made the Right Prime Minister and the Prime Minister laugh at us.”

Feng Quji said, "You used to work at the Doctor's Office. In the future, the Doctor's Office will become the Scholar's Office, which will be managed by Prince Fusu. You don't need to go there anymore."

"Where to go next..."

Feng Quji had a minor official hand Zhou Qingchen a garment and a travel document, and instructed him: "You will remain a scholar and go to Qi. Make sure all the scholars still alive in Qi submit to the teachings of Qin."

Seeing the other person's troubled expression, Feng Quji asked, "What? You're unwilling?"

"I am willing."

Feng Quji, with one hand behind his back, whispered to him, "There are many students teaching in rural areas. There are a few of these students in Qi. You can go find them. Once you find them, you will know how to educate the people of Qi."

Zhou Qingchen accepted the wooden tray with both hands and said respectfully, "I accept your command."

After leaving Shanglin Garden, Zhou Qingchen first came to Xianyang City, having not been there for many years.

Zhou Qingchen walked through the bustling and prosperous streets and alleys until he found his old place.

There used to be a courtyard here where many scholars from Shandong Province lived. But now it's empty, just as Feng Quji said, all the scholars from Shandong who went to Qin have left.

Standing here, Zhou Qingchen felt a sense of loss and confusion. He wanted to curse Chunyu Yue, "Chunyu Yue, you are a despicable person!"

But now that the other party is dead, Zhou Qingchen can no longer curse.

He tried to push open the door to his old residence, only to find it bolted from the inside.

The old wooden door creaked, startling an old man in the area. The old man stepped forward and asked, "Are you a scholar who has come to stay here?"

Zhou Qingchen replied, "I am not."

Seeing that this person was dressed in official robes, I thought he was a scholar who had come here. Logically speaking, Prince Fusu had not yet recruited scholars to Xianyang. The old man said, "This place is for future scholars to live in. If you are not a scholar, you should leave."

"Wasn't this place used to be for PhDs from the six countries?" "That was several years ago," the old man explained.

Zhou Qingchen glanced at the place where he used to live, and left Xianyang City with a rather dejected expression.

Looking at the passersby, Zhou Qingchen thought of the fierce Xiongnu, the hordes of cavalry, Meng Tian's march through the snow, the mountains of corpses, and the red-hot bones.

It was probably because the Qin army was more valiant with the addition of stirrups and long spears that Zhou Qingchen once thought that the Qin army with stirrups and long spears would be invincible in the Central Plains.

Having grown accustomed to the cold of the north, Zhou Qingchen found it somewhat difficult to adjust to the springtime in Guanzhong.

Standing there, Zhou Qingchen had an idea. Before leaving Xianyang, he wanted to take a good look at Guanzhong. After seeing Guanzhong, he would decide whether to continue serving the Qin Dynasty and the Right Chancellor.

After much deliberation, Zhou Qingchen walked onto Xianyang Bridge.

The Guanzhong Plain is very busy during the spring plowing season, and Zhou Qingchen walked from February to April.

In Longxi, Zhou Qingchen met an old friend, Zhang Ping, who had once guarded the north with him.

Zhang Ping is Zhang Han's younger brother, and Zhou Qingchen was in high spirits upon seeing an acquaintance.

Zhang Ping looked at his disheveled old friend. If the other person hadn't called out to him, he almost wouldn't have recognized him. The disheveled man with messy hair and dirty, tattered clothes was actually Zhou Qingchen, who used to be quite polite.

"Didn't the people at the inn offer you lodging along the way?"

Zhou Qingchen waved his hand and said, "I didn't know there was an inn. I just walked along and asked someone for food whenever I got hungry."

Anyone else would end up like Zhou Qingchen after two months of living in the open and exposed to the elements.

Unlike when he was guarding the Great Wall, Zhang Ping had grown a beard. After hearing about the other man's experience, he asked, "The post station was set up by the son of the Minister of the Imperial Household Department, Fusu, for officials to stay temporarily. There were no such post stations before. What are you doing here?"

Zhou Qingchen looked towards Xianyang City and stated his purpose, adding, "I have not lived a good life, and for some reason, I really do not want to serve the Qin court."

Zhang Ping laughed and said, "You're still afraid of dying."

"fear death?"

“There was also a cowardly man in the Hexi Corridor who was working for my brother. His name was Chen Ping.”

Who is Chen Ping?

Zhang Ping explained, "Lou Jing said that Chen Ping was afraid of dying, so he ordered all the Western Rong people to leave the Hexi Corridor. Because of this, the two fell out and fought privately several times."

Realizing that these matters were irrelevant to the other party, Zhang Ping changed his mind and said, "Never mind... Come with me to see Young Master Gao and we will discuss this matter further."

"Young Master Gao?"

At a school in Longxi, Zhou Qingchen met Prince Gao, a young man who was the son of the First Emperor and the younger brother of Prince Fusu.

There were many teachers walking around this school, as well as many children from Longxi and even more children from Xirong.

Inside a schoolhouse, someone was telling the story of the old Qin people.

At this moment, Prince Gao was holding a scroll, which was the Spring and Autumn History that he had overseen the compilation of, recording the events of the various states during the Spring and Autumn Period. The Qin Dynasty wanted to seize the right to interpret the history of the various states.

Editing books was one of Gongzi Gao's favorite things to do.

"Young master, this is Zhou Qingchen."

Upon hearing Zhang Ping's introduction, Gongzi Gao put down the book in his hand and said, "I have heard of you. You are the Qi-Lu scholar who was exiled to the north to guard the Great Wall. You opposed the Prime Minister's relocation of people."

Zhou Qingchen bowed and said, "Please forgive my rudeness, young master."

Zhang Ping explained Zhou Qingchen's purpose for coming.

A scholar who guarded the north returned but had no desire to serve the Qin Dynasty, and ended up wandering the country.

The young master asked in a low voice, "Can't you get over your inner conflict?"

Zhou Qingchen said, "I feel uneasy whenever I think of the deceased Dr. Qi Lu."

"But didn't you feel this unease when you were guarding the Great Wall?"

"No," Zhou Qingchen replied blankly.

After a moment's thought, Gongzi Gao found the crux of the problem and said with a smile, "My elder brother loves all people in the world, so we teach all people in the world."

Seeing that the other party was still confused, Gongzi Gao placed a scroll in front of him and said, "When you were guarding the Great Wall, you must have thought about those unarmed people behind you. Weren't you also protecting them? If you also have the people of the world in your heart and can accommodate others, then you are not working for the Qin court, but serving the people of the world."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingchen picked up the book, bowed, and said, "Thank you for clearing up my doubts, young master."

Gongzi Gao said, "Zhang Baichang, take him back to eat something and wash up properly."

"Yes."

It's unclear how much Zhou Qingchen understood, but the next day Zhang Ping told him that when he left, the man was in high spirits.

In Gongzi Gao's heart, he truly believed that his elder brother was a person who loved the world and was a benevolent elder brother.

Therefore, with his elder brother as a role model, Prince Gao was determined to compile history books, and writing good history books was one of the most important things in his life.

(End of this chapter)