The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 159 Baiqu and the Suspicion Between Generals and Ministers

The soldiers in the camp were eating mutton and drinking wine, and Feng Jie was also sitting among them, happily gnawing on mutton.

Feng Jie had just swallowed the mutton he was chewing and taken a sip of wine when he noticed the young master sitting to his side.

He hurriedly bowed and said, "Young Master."

Fusu didn't eat the mutton on the table. Instead, he picked up an autumn pear, took a bite, and asked, "Why is the Minister of Justice here?"

Feng Jie explained, "I have encountered some issues and have come here specifically to report to the Prime Minister."

"What is it that you need to report to during the autumn hunt?"

Feng Jie thought for a moment and decided it wasn't a big deal, so he replied, "Back then, Lord Xinling of Wei had a retainer named Zhang Er."

"Zhang Er?"

Feng Jie continued, "Back then, Zhang Er was an official of the State of Wei. At that time, the emperor sent troops to search for Zhang Er. Now, news has come that Zhang Er's whereabouts have been discovered in Huaiyang. This Zhang Er has changed his name and surname and is hiding in Chen County. I have informed the Prime Minister, and perhaps soon news will come from Huaiyang that Zhang Er has been captured."

Feng Jie was a very meticulous person, so meticulous that he would carefully consider every decision before making any criminal case.

Zhang Liang remains at large and his whereabouts have not been found. In addition, Zhang Er, who has been wanted for many years, has only recently been found. It is still unknown whether Zhang Er will be able to be found.

The local officials' weak search and arrest capabilities were related to the development of the local grassroots, not to Feng Jie's personal abilities.

In an era when even messengers needed to travel at breakneck speed, it took time for the Qin court's decrees to reach the local areas, let alone for the development of the Qin's grassroots communities.

After finishing a pear, Fusu asked again, "Is Zhang Er an anti-Qin figure?"

Feng Jie said, "This person is likely to rebel against Qin. I believe he will most likely join forces with Xiang Ji of Chu."

"That's great, it'll save us trouble if we catch them all at once."

Feng Jie nodded thoughtfully.

After speaking, Fusu noticed Feng Jie, who was looking at a general. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the general was Dong Yi.

Dong Yi now has a short beard, and he still serves as a military officer in Xianyang.

Feng Jie leaned slightly closer to the young master and said, "I heard that the Prime Minister's disciple, Lord Wu, has been back for three years?"

Fusu nodded and said, "I know. It was I who recommended him to my teacher, which led to Lord Wu taking up a post in Sanchuan County."

It was the Prime Minister's idea to bring Wu Gong back, probably because the Prime Minister was worried that if Wu Gong stayed in the north, it would arouse Meng Tian's suspicion.

If a discord were to arise between the generals and ministers of the Qin Dynasty, it would indeed be a major headache.

In Fusu's view, Meng Tian's control of a large army in the north aroused the suspicion of Prime Minister Li Si. Wouldn't Meng Tian have been suspicious of the Prime Minister when Wu Gong stayed in the north for so long?
There are already signs of discord between the generals and the ministers; once the seeds of suspicion are sown, they will not be easily dispelled.

Feng Jie continued, "I just reported to the Prime Minister about Zhang Er of Huaiyang. I heard the Prime Minister advise the Emperor to send Dong Yi to the north to assist Meng Tian in leading troops."

Fusu frowned and wiped his hands. When did Dong Yi become the Prime Minister's man?

Wu Gong had only been back for three years when the Prime Minister sent another person north, just to check Meng Tian.

Furthermore, Dong Yi alone might not be capable of restraining Meng Tian. It's more likely that the Prime Minister was simply warning Meng Tian to be careful, as Xianyang would be keeping a close eye on him.

In the camp, the prime minister raised his cup to congratulate the year's bumper harvest, and the ministers raised their wine bowls together.

The autumn hunting camp was filled with laughter and chatter until nightfall when the braziers and bonfires were lit, illuminating the Dragon Head Plain brightly in the darkness.

Fusu rarely stayed out overnight; even when it was late at night, he would rush back to Xianyang City under the stars.

As midnight approached, Tian An drove the young master back to the city of Xianyang. The city's garrison asked a few questions and, after confirming that it was indeed the young master Fusu who had returned, opened the city gates.

“Young master, they believe that since it’s autumn hunting today, you will definitely not return to Xianyang tonight.”

Fusu sat inside the carriage, gazing at the night view of Xianyang without saying much, surrounded by the footsteps of armored soldiers and the creaking of the carriage wheels.

"How is Lord Pinyang doing lately?"

"I'll have someone go and ask about it tomorrow morning."

"Okay." Fusu nodded.

Upon arriving at the palace gate, Fusu alighted from the carriage and headed towards Gaoquan Palace.

Because of the entrustment made by the Duke of Pinyang back then, Prince Fusu has always treated his wife very well, which is probably also the prince's response to the Duke of Pinyang.

Duke Pinyang doted on his granddaughter who married Prince Fusu; otherwise, he wouldn't have promised to give everything in the old Pinyang County residence to Prince Fusu and his wife after his death.

The Duke of Pinyang also has a grandson named Wang Li, who is currently stationed in Shangjun. Wang Ben has never mentioned letting this son return.

The lanterns in Gaoquan Palace were still lit, and before Fusu even reached the front of the hall, a small figure ran out.

Fusu picked up his son who had run towards him, frowned, and asked, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Wang Tang'er was tidying up the toys scattered on the floor. She said, "This child won't sleep until you come back."

Fusu gently patted his son's back, put him down, and said, "Go to sleep."

Only then did the child go to rest, satisfied. Wang Tang'er knew that her husband would read documents for a while before going to bed, so she had someone prepare candlesticks and some snacks. She said, "These steamed rice cakes were just heated up. He must be hungry to be back at this hour."

Fusu nodded and took the steamed rice cake that his wife brought him. Steamed rice cakes were rarely eaten in the palace, and people would only make some for festivals.

It was the beginning of autumn, and the wind was strong outside.

Fusu sat at the desk, with the east window to his left. A few drops of rain fell on the windowsill, followed by a downpour.

The night was already quiet, but when the rain started, all that remained was the noisy sound of the rain.

Fusu turned around and saw that his son was sleeping even more soundly in the rain, so he continued to look at the documents.

Qin engineering projects were all subject to lifelong responsibility. Under Qin law, any tool or project made by a craftsman had to be of guaranteed quality and quantity.

The person primarily responsible for the construction of the Baiqu Canal was myself, the Shaofu Ling (Minister of the Imperial Household Department), followed by Shaofu Cheng Zhang Cang, then the master craftsman Qingbi, and then Cheng Miao.

In the event of a major engineering accident or poor engineering quality, the consequences range from dismissal from office to execution.

Under the strict Qin law, it was essential to clearly identify who bore the responsibility and who the key figures were.

If any section of the canal breaks down, the person responsible for its construction must be identified.

Under this system, the preservation of information is of paramount importance. Although paper is convenient, the Qin court still uses bamboo slips for preserving information.

Fusu also wanted to write the construction data on bamboo slips for preservation.

Tian An wiped the ground after the young master had played. Despite his advanced age, he was still quite efficient. After wiping the ground, he saw that the young master was still focused on writing documents. Tian An said in a low voice, "Young master, the Right Chancellor sent someone to ask you something during the autumn hunt today."

Fusu continued writing on the bamboo slips without pausing, and asked, "What is it?"

"The Right Chancellor asked if Young Master Heng has a tutor?"

After Fusu finished writing a scroll and waited for the writing on the bamboo slips to dry, he replied, "Does he want to teach Heng?"

"Yes."

"Alright, when Heng is a few years older, the Right Chancellor will tutor him." After saying this, Fusu went to rest.

Tian An smiled and nodded, helping the young master to handle the remaining documents.

Prince Fusu was a person with a very stable daily routine. No matter how late he went to bed, he would wake up an hour before the morning court meeting. In the morning, the prince would spend half an hour running and the other half an hour bathing and eating before going to the court meeting.

The emperor and the prime minister are out hunting in the autumn. Today's court meeting will be presided over by Prince Fusu and Right Prime Minister Feng Quji.

Fusu explained the construction of the Baiqu Canal and handed the completed construction documents and roster to Feng Quji, saying, "Right Chancellor, have someone erect a stone tablet with inscriptions by the Baiqu Canal."

Whenever there is a project, a monument must be erected and inscribed. Feng Quji accepted the document, bowed, and said, "Your subject obeys the order."

"Your Majesty, I would like to ask the Imperial Household Department Director: the Imperial Academy has been vacant for many years. What should be done with it?"

Fusu stood in the hall facing the assembled officials and explained, "From now on, the position will be overseen by the Grand Master of Guanzhong, Shusun Tong. However, he is currently serving as the Prefectural Assistant in Weinan and is not yet able to come to Xianyang to take up his post."

"I would like to ask you again, my lord, will the Academy be staffed solely by Shusun Tong from now on? I have also heard that Shusun Tong is skilled at using donkeys."

Fusu frowned slightly and looked at the person who asked the question; the person looked young.

"Your subject is Sima Yi, the Commandant of the Garrison of Xianyang."

The Qin court today is mostly composed of veteran Qin officials. After the Fengshan ceremony, the scholars who came to Qin in those years have all left. Therefore, compared with previous years, the atmosphere of court discussions is particularly good now, with a strong sense that everyone is working together to build the country better and better.

As for what the other party said about Shusun Tong, Fusu said: "Shusun Tong liked to eat tofu, so he was also good at using a donkey to grind tofu. He was also good at teaching."

The other party's problem is that the Academy should not be left empty; it should be put to use.

Fusu certainly shared this idea; now, the assessment is just one step away.

When considering whether to recommend Shusun Tong for the selection of scholars, Fusu rejected the idea of ​​recommendation from the outset.

With the introduction of rural education support programs, the country can have another avenue for talent selection: examinations.

The Academy seems to be gathering the most learned people, similar to a Grand Scholar, but Fusu wants to separate scholars and officials as much as possible, dividing them into two categories: scholars are scholars, and officials are officials.

According to the principle of specialization, professionals should do what they are good at. Whether it is craftsmanship, water management, or geography, these are all talents needed by the country, and talents should enjoy salaries along with officials.

For example, Zhui, a person who can teach, is able to enter the Imperial Academy, but his resume and experience are not enough to be used as an official. Later, he can serve as a Grand Secretary and participate in the compilation of books.

Moreover, Fusu was waiting for his younger brother Gao to return from the Northwest...

In just a few words, Fusu thought of many things.

Back to the present, Fusu was discussing his father's autumn hunt with Right Chancellor Feng Quji.

Today's court meeting ended briefly, and everyone left the hall in twos and threes, chatting amongst themselves. Fusu then spoke with Feng Quji about the children.

“I had an agreement with Shusun Tong that the Right Chancellor would take Heng as his disciple, and I cannot keep this from him.” Fusu looked somewhat troubled and said, “But I also don’t want my child to lose such a good teacher as the Right Chancellor.”

(End of this chapter)