The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 147 The Practitioner

Fusu lowered his head and listened quietly.

Old Ju continued, "Fortunately, Prince Fusu truly cares about us and isn't only thinking about Weinan. He had the craftsmen dig this canal, and with this water this year, the fields won't be left barren. Prince Fusu also mentioned that we should now divide the year into twenty-four solar terms, and that this time of year is..."

The old man pondered for a moment, but seemed unable to recall it.

Cheng Miao said, "Prince Fusu divided the year into twenty-four solar terms, and now it is the time of the Beginning of Summer."

The old man smiled and said, "When we taught law in the county before, there was also a start of summer. We had to add another start of summer to the already existing start of summer, which confused everyone."

The Qin legal code includes the solar term "Lixia" (Start of Summer), and the date of Lixia is now confirmed.

After the start of summer, the days become longer in Guanzhong, and with more sunshine, everything grows quickly, making it a season of vibrant life.

Old Ju continued, "Ever since Prince Fusu issued the decree on the twenty-four solar terms, every county has taken out these twenty-four solar terms and made every household read and learn them, saying that by learning them, one can master the farming season. I have fought half my life and farmed all my life, do you think I still can't tell when to plant grain and when to harvest grain?"

“Those county officials are incompetent, but they are eager to curry favor with Prince Fusu. Others may not dare to speak ill of the county officials, but my three sons and five grandsons are all in the army. I am not afraid of the county magistrate.”

The county magistrates in Guanzhong are not all like those in Weinan.

Cheng Miao knew that the young master was disappointed. After the old man left, he bowed and said, "Young master has actually done more than enough."

Fusu said, "Let's change the magistrate here."

Cheng Miao nodded.

Actually, the start of summer is quite easy to identify. In ancient times, we determined the start of summer by observing the stars. The Big Dipper is the best indicator for guiding agricultural activities.

If you are good at observing the Big Dipper, it is not difficult to determine the time of the Beginning of Summer.

Fusu inspected the canals along the way. It was the busy farming season, and there were people working in many fields.

Cheng Miao followed behind the young master and looked around. Most of the land on the Guanzhong Plain was planted with wheat. In fact, the young master had also tried to grow rice in Guanzhong, but rice from the south was not suitable for growing in Guanzhong. In Weibei, millet and wheat were still rotated, and even in Weinan, no southern rice was chosen to be grown.

The endless wheat fields are a sight to behold, bringing happiness just to look at them. Who would have thought that the people of Qin today would be cultivating so much wheat?

Perhaps the current climate is more suitable for growing wheat, and with several consecutive years of bumper wheat harvests, people are increasingly fond of cakes and noodles.

It seems that children who like to eat wheat tend to grow strong, and Cheng Miao noticed that the boys in Guanzhong today are stronger than ever before.

Cheng Miao thought to himself that cakes and noodles were indeed more nourishing.

As the group was walking, a rider came galloping down the straight road, kicking up a cloud of dust along the way.

Upon approaching, the cavalryman dismounted and handed over a scroll, saying, "Young master, the teacher who went to teach in a rural area was driven out, which led to a private fight. He has been apprehended."

Fusu took the scroll and looked at it carefully.

Cheng Miao said, "Young master, some things cannot be accomplished overnight; everything must be done gradually."

"Why, when it's clearly something that benefits the world, and I don't even want any of their money or loyalty, do they still obstruct my efforts to support education in rural areas?"

Yes, the order to support education in rural areas was jointly drafted by the young master and the prime minister. The teachers who support education in rural areas are all selfless; they only want to teach and do not even need to be given food by others.

Cheng Miao stood behind the prince. This was still a constraint left by the old powers of the states. They believed that once their children accepted the teaching assignment, their children would be loyal to Qin, and might even have their children's hearts replaced.

Of course, Fusu was not a hot-blooded youth. Once a person reaches a certain age, they will quickly calm down when faced with a situation and analyze the pros and cons of the matter.

This incident occurred in the Chu region, and even during the eastern tour, it was possible to sense anti-Qin sentiments among the people of Chu.

This incident occurred in Xiaxiang, a place in the Chu region. Xiaxiang was the hometown of the Xiang clan, a noble family of the Chu state.

Fusu thought to himself: Heh, Xiang Liang and his nephew, who are far away in Chu, are you scared? The more you oppose, the more scared you are. The more scared you are, the more I will insist.

Seeing that the young master suddenly laughed again, Cheng Miao was puzzled. What was the young master laughing about?

Fusu put away the scroll and said, "It's alright. Let the teachers who are going to teach in rural areas continue. It's fine if they avoid the counties in Chu. As long as the students who came from Guanzhong can continue to teach, we shouldn't make things difficult for the people in the counties."

The messenger cavalryman, having received the young master's instructions, returned to Xianyang to report to the Prime Minister.

Prince Fusu rarely let his emotions sway him when managing state affairs, which was one of the reasons why Cheng Miao greatly admired him.

In Tian An's opinion, this was always how the young master acted; if the young master wanted someone to die, then certain people would definitely die.

Inside the Prime Minister's residence in Xianyang, Li Si received the message. He first looked at Duke Wu, who had just returned from Beidi County, then at the messenger, and asked, "Is that really what you said, sir?"

"Exactly."

Li Si paced back and forth a few times and said, "Do as the young master instructs."

"Yes."

After everyone left, Li Si noticed the gaze of Right Chancellor Feng Quji and asked, "What? Did you do something wrong, young master?"

Feng Quji said, "Yes, young master did the right thing. It's only the first year of the rural education support policy, so there will inevitably be resistance."

Upon hearing the news that the young master had returned safely to the palace, Feng Quji left Xianyang City and headed towards Linguang Palace in the northern suburbs of Xianyang.

Inside the main hall of Lin Guang Palace, Ying Zheng listened to Feng Quji's report. "It seems Fusu has done the right thing again this time?"

Feng Quji bowed and said, "The Prime Minister did not say much."

Ying Zheng ate a melon and looked at the chessboard in front of him. In the past six months, when he had free time, this emperor liked to play chess and also enjoyed riding horses in the northern suburbs.

Feng Quji was about to bow and leave.

"The position of Grand Master of the Imperial Stud among the Nine Ministers of the court has been vacant for many years. Previously, Wang Ben served as the Grand Master of the Imperial Stud and was in charge of horse administration. In the future, who should be appointed as the Grand Master of the Imperial Stud of the Great Qin?"

"I believe it is appropriate to give it to Prince Fusu."

"Isn't this child carrying too much responsibility?"

Feng Quji bowed and said, "Young Master Fusu is extremely good at governing. Entrusting the horse administration to you is merely a matter of course for you."

Ying Zheng nodded, "Yes, in the past six months, Fusu has handled state affairs without the slightest mistake, which I have witnessed. As you said, after autumn, Fusu will concurrently serve as the Grand Master of the Palace."

"I accept your order."

"Summon Feng Jie."

"Yes."

Every day, Feng Quji would come to report on the affairs of Xianyang to the First Emperor. After leaving the Lin Guang Palace, someone would ride away to summon the Minister of Justice, Feng Jie.

Night had fallen, but Feng Quji did not take a carriage; instead, he walked. He thought about what the young master had done. The emperor and Prime Minister Li Si both wanted to change the world, to promote the standardization of writing and the axle width of carts, and to win the hearts of the people. This was the emperor's lifelong ideal and Li Si's lifelong pursuit.

What Prince Fusu was practicing was the ideal that the First Emperor had pursued throughout his life, and also the goal that Li Si had strived for his entire life.

Li Si is already old with graying temples, and perhaps in a few more years he will be old too.

Prince Fusu is such a good child.

At the foot of Shangyan Mountain in the dead of night, Zhang Cang stared at the solidified liquid in front of him, his eyes bloodshot. He reached out and tore off a piece of the pale yellow, rough, cloth-like substance from the wooden board.

Shusun Tong was eating a bowl of tofu when he looked at this and said, "Is this what the young master wanted?"

Zhang Cang spread it out, picked up a brush and wrote a few strokes casually. Watching the ink seep in, he said, "Is this paper?"

Shusun Tong looked solemnly at the pool, which was filled with liquid. There were people using wooden rafts to drain the liquid and then place it on the side to dry.

This wasn't food, and Shusun Tong was somewhat disappointed, thinking Zhang Cang was going to make something like tofu.

This is something Zhang Cang has been busy with from last autumn to this summer. He said, "The young master once said that if you want to master etiquette, you must collect all the books in the world for your own use."

The croaking of frogs at the foot of the mountain is incessant; they always croak all night long.

Shusun Tong said, "But you haven't collected all the books in the world, young master. You've only collected them a few times."

Fu Sheng retorted, "The important thing is not how many books you have collected, but that you have collected books. That's enough. What others think is irrelevant."

Fu Sheng still speaks with a local accent, having lived in Guanzhong for so many years without being changed by the Guanzhong dialect.

"Young Master also said that whoever controls the dissemination of books controls the dissemination of knowledge." Zhang Cang held the paper high and added, "Let some dry, and place them in front of Young Master at dawn tomorrow."

As dawn broke, someone rode a fast horse away from the huge watermill and headed towards Xianyang City.

Fusu had just finished presiding over the court meeting, and it was already noon. He was having lunch at Gaoquan Palace.

Tian An arrived carrying a package and said, "Young master, this was sent from Weinan."

After saying that, Tian An opened the package, which contained a thick stack of papers.

Fusu picked up a piece of paper. The paper was thick and rough, with many fuzzy fibers on the surface, but it was indeed paper that could be used for writing.

After half a year of hard work, Zhang Cang finally produced paper. Although it wasn't perfect, it was still beyond his expectations.

To others, it might appear as an unformed piece of fabric.
But for Fusu, this was a powerful tool that could be used to govern the country.

"Is Zhang Cang working on the woodblock printing?"

"Reporting to young master, we have made quite a few woodworking workshops in Weinan."

What was the first book he printed?

"Reporting to Young Master, Zhang Cang has never used a woodblock print before."

Fusu whispered, "If Father Emperor knew that the first book printed in Weinan was the Qin Law, Father Emperor would be very happy."

Tian An said, "The Prime Minister will be happy too."

Fusu nodded and said, "First, print out the Qin laws, make a book and present one copy to my father, and another copy to my teacher."

"I'll have someone arrange it."

(End of this chapter)