The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 144 Whips and Instruments of Torture

After Zhou Qingchen left Longxi, Wu Shilu came to Shanggui County in Longxi Prefecture.

Just as Prince Gao was about to go with Zhang Ping to see Zhang Han, an official from Xianyang handed over a document, forcing them to stop and bring along a Western Rong man.

Upon seeing the young Prince Gao, Wu Shi Luo bowed respectfully.

"The army sent you here to persuade those Western Rong people?"

Wu Shi Luo nodded.

After reading the document sent from Xianyang, Gongzi Gao said, "Those people are all at Wushaoling now, but we are going there too. We can take you with us on the way."

Despite his young age, Prince Gao is Prince Fusu's younger brother.

In Xianyang, Wu Shi Luo met Prince Fusu, who was a rather cautious and astute man, not someone easy to trust.

During the half-month he lived in Xianyang, he was interrogated by soldiers every day, who wanted to draw a map of the Western Regions trade routes and even identify the royal families of Jingjue, Loulan, or other small Western Regions countries.

Even if you confess, those in high positions of power will not easily trust you.

Facing this young prince, Wu Shi Luo dared not be careless at all. Those who had accompanied him along the way had said that among Prince Fusu's younger brothers, Prince Gao was the best one.

After everyone had tidied themselves up, the young master sat in the carriage, and the group headed towards the Wushaoling camp.

Prince Gao sat in the carriage, looking at the book in his hand. Since the eastern tour, his elder brother had collected books from all over the country. After his brother returned to Xianyang, another six months passed, and people continued to send these books to Xianyang.

His elder brother transported many events and records from various states to him, and Prince Gao spent the entire year reading these books.

In fact, his elder brother never asked him to do anything; he simply gave him many choices and then chose to write history.

Among the choices given to me by my elder brother, such as developing the Northwest and building Longxi, these were not things I was good at. The Jixia Academy was no more, but the books of the world remained.

Gongzi Gao felt that he was not yet capable of teaching more students, and among many options...

I thought writing history was the easiest thing to do, but when I actually picked up the pen and started writing, I found it very difficult.

In the past, he would have thought that writing history books should be entrusted to the scholars of the six states.
But now that the Fengshan ceremony has been performed, it's unlikely that anyone will be willing to write history books anymore.

Sitting in the carriage, Prince Gao was completely clueless. Everyone had different opinions about the kings of the various states, such as King Wuling of Zhao, whose reputation was divided.

The group traveled for a day and didn't reach Wushaoling until nightfall.

Inside the camp at Wushaoling, Ju was guarding the outside. He used the arrowhead to poke a hole in his boot, threaded a hemp rope through it, and then sewed the sole back up.

Upon seeing that it was Centurion Zhang Ping leading his troops to the front of the camp, Ju quickly stood up to greet them.

As the convoy entered the camp, Ju was about to sit down when he saw Brother Chen Ping arrive.

"Brother Chen." Ju bowed respectfully.

He held Chen Ping in the highest esteem because when they first arrived at Wushaoling to build their camp, General Zhang Han had not yet arrived in Longxi. Ju led a few teachers and rashly entered the territory of the Western Rong people.

Afterwards, he was detained by the Western Rong people. Later, it was Brother Chen Ping who rode his horse to the rear of Longxi to meet General Zhang Han.

When General Zhang Han arrived at the Wushaoling camp, Chen Ping led several soldiers into the territory of the Western Rong people and rescued himself and the other teachers.

That was when Brother Chen Ping negotiated with the leader of the Western Rong people.

Even General Zhang Han's entry into their valley was persuaded by Chen Ping.

During this period, Lou Jing also arranged many things, but Chen Ping was always in charge.

Back in Tongguan, Ju didn't know Chen Ping was so capable; he only realized his abilities after leaving home.

Chen Ping first looked around the camp. There were quite a few people moving around inside, and even more braziers had been added. His gaze fell on Gongzi Gao's carriage. He patted Ju on the shoulder and then walked into the camp.

Since Prince Gao and Zhang Han arrived here, the entire Longxi region has been bustling with activity.

Just like he did in Weinan, the first thing Zhang Han did upon arriving in Longxi was to eliminate all the idlers in Longxi, so that everyone would have something to do and participate in production.

Even the idlers who tried to escape were all captured and brought back by Zhang Han's men.

In Longxi under Zhang Han's rule, not a single idler could leave this place.

Chen Ping walked into the central command tent of the Wushaoling camp and immediately saw Zhang Han sitting at the head of the table, followed by Gongzi Gao.

Chen Ping sat down next to Lou Jing. From the perspective of a strategist, his status was even higher than Lou Jing's.

Sitting in the far corner was Rong Shang Wu Shi Luo.

After reading the document handed over by Prince Gao, Zhang Han said in a deep voice, "Does the prince hope that we will use this person to win over the hearts of the Western Rong?"

Gongzi Gao replied, "That's what the letter said."

Wu Shilu was about to speak with a smile when Zhang Ping spoke first: "Brother, the Grand Commandant said that this man knows about the trade routes in the Western Regions."

Seeing this, Wu Shi Luo sat back down.

Lou Jingdao said, "It is too early to plan for the Western Regions at this time. We should focus on winning over those Western Rong people."

Upon hearing this, Wu Shilu was about to stand up and speak again.

But then someone asked bluntly, "What does Du Shuichang think?" Wu Shilu had no choice but to sit down again. These things were all related to him, but he couldn't say anything now, and no one even asked him what he thought.

Helpless, Wu Shi Luo continued to sit in the corner, behaving as obediently as could be.

What else could they do? Meng Tian's horse farm was about to encroach on his pasture. Wu Shi Luo had seen the fate of the Xiongnu. If he didn't listen to Meng Tian and didn't offer up his entire fortune to Meng Tian, ​​would the Qin army let him go?
Wu Shi Luo knew very well that such a rich pasture could not be allowed to exist on the edge of Qin territory.

The person who just spoke was Li You, the Commandant of the Imperial Guard.

Du Shuichanglu said in a low voice, "I don't understand these things."

Lou Jing added, “Why not drive these Western Rong people out and let them find a place in the Western Regions or the North, outside the Great Wall, and allow them to live there? Even if they serve the Yuezhi or Loulan people, it will be none of our business.”

The camp was quiet, and Gongzi Gao felt that Lou Jing's method was a bit too simplistic.

"None of these people can leave Longxi."

General Zhang Han finally spoke.

Lou Jing then said, "General, the fifty thousand Western Rong people are consuming far too much food."

Zhang Han was not Meng Tian after all. It is said that Meng Tian dug a mass grave in the north and buried tens of thousands of Xiongnu people in it. His decisiveness and ruthlessness in killing and exterminating people were terrifying.

Zhang Han would not do what Meng Tian did; Zhang Han wanted to keep these people here.

Zhang Han said in a deep voice, "I need people. I want to build cities in the Hexi Corridor and open up farmland in Longxi. These people are useful. Moreover, the army also needs to recruit people from the Western Regions."

Chen Ping asked, "How many people does the General need?"

After a moment's thought, Zhang Han said, "I need another 30,000 men."

Upon hearing this, everyone present fell silent.

A soldier came with a military report, and Zhang Han said, "Go back, we'll discuss this later."

Everyone came out of the main tent. Lou Jing waited outside the tent for a while before Chen Ping finally came out.

The camp was bustling at night, and it was quite cold in Longxi after nightfall, even though it was early spring.

Upon seeing Chen Ping, Lou Jing shivered from the cold wind and followed him, asking, "Giving the General advice again?"

Chen Ping said, "I told the General that I have a better way to increase the population."

"The general did not use your strategy."

Lou Jing seemed to have known this outcome beforehand, and muttered something under his breath.

Chen Ping did not deny it, but nodded and said, "The General said my method is too slow, and he does not do anything to deceive people."

Lou Jing could now roughly recall the strategy Chen Ping had just discussed with General Zhang Han in the camp: to deceive the Western Region people into entering the Hexi Corridor, and then have them work to build the city.

Unfortunately, General Zhang Han did not approve of Chen Ping's strategy.

Having witnessed the previous back and forth, Zhang Han knew Chen Ping's character; although he was intelligent and resourceful, he was not upright enough.

As for General Zhang Han, such a righteous general, he would not adopt Chen Ping's bad strategies.

Lou Jing then asked, "How do you think General Zhang Han plans to subdue the Western Rong people? Is he going to do what General Meng Tian did, dig a mass grave and bury them all?"

Chen Ping shook his head and said, "General Zhang Han comes from Weinan. He is extremely loyal to Prince Fusu. If he really killed these Western Rong people, he would be betraying Prince Fusu's orders. He would never do that."

"What about that?"

Chen Ping stopped and looked at the Western Rong people's camp, saying, "I heard that General Zhang Han used convicts to dig canals in Weinan County before?"

Lou Jing, with a look of recollection on his face, said, "That is indeed true."

“General Zhang Han is extremely strict in his military discipline. If we treat these Western Rong people as convicts, put them in shackles, and whip them, they can still work. What the general wants are people who can work. As for whether these Western Rong people will really be loyal to Qin, it is not important.”

At this point, Chen Ping pondered for a moment and then said, "Although I cannot resolve the General's inner conflict, I can make his plans twice as effective with half the effort."

Lou Jing then asked, "What about the population we're short of?"

Chen Ping said, "Let's go rob them in the Western Regions."

"Rob?" Lou Jing was speechless for a moment. Could it be done like that?

Upon further reflection, Lou Jing belatedly realized that there were plenty of slaves in the Western Regions anyway.

Just rob them directly. The people of the Western Regions and the Xiongnu are unreasonable. What you rob belongs to you. They have always been fond of conquest and plunder. The Qin army was just doing as the Romans do.

The next day, General Zhang Han ordered squads of armored soldiers to drive the Western Rong people to work.

Under Chen Ping's observation, he selected several relatively obedient tribes, gave them better food and warm clothing, and provided them with houses to live in.

The Western Rong people soon became divided.

These things were too simple and too easy for Chen Ping.

Under the fundamental requirement of not damaging the reputation of the Qin army, Zhang Han tacitly approved of his actions.

(End of this chapter)