The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 162 Indispensable (One more chapter to be added tomorrow)
The wall, built of rubble, has collapsed in many places. Because this place is located by the Yellow River, it is also the place most affected by wind and rain. Whenever the Yellow River overflows during the rainy season, it often floods the front yard of this house.

The surrounding area was a wasteland overgrown with weeds, but there were no weeds around this house, which suggests that someone regularly cleans it.

The two were standing in front of the courtyard when an old woman walked towards them and asked, "Who are you?"

The old woman probably couldn't see people clearly and didn't realize that the two people in front of her were wearing official robes.

Zhang Cang said, "It's been a long time since I've been back, so I came here to take a look."

The old woman faced the room and said, "Back then, when Prince Fusu wanted to build Tongguan City and dig the Jingye Canal, he lived here for a year. My child often saw Prince Fusu. At that time, the prince loved the river delicacies here the most. My child would catch fish and present them to the prince. He said, 'It was the prince who built a new home for them.'"

Zhang Cang stood still without saying a word.

The old woman continued, “Our family used to be destitute. Young master let us live in a beautiful house in Tongguan City and even gave us a job as bricklayers. Every summer harvest season, people from Weinan would come here, and this house would be filled with grain, all to express their gratitude to young master.”

As she spoke, the old woman sat down in front of the courtyard, as if she were guarding the place, watching out for Zhang Cang and Cheng Miao, afraid that the two of them would go in.

Fishermen from all around gradually turned to look. It turned out that it wasn't just this old woman; fishermen here, including those from Xinmin in Weinan across the river, were all protecting this courtyard.

Cheng Miao and Zhang Cang left this place. Prince Fusu was so popular in Weinan that his popularity was almost beyond measure.

Really... Cheng Miao no longer doubts that as long as Prince Fusu raises his arms and calls, hundreds of thousands of people in Weinan will really risk their lives for Prince Fusu.

Because no one has ever loved the people so much, and no one in power has ever treated them so well.

After Cheng Miao and Zhang Cang finished dealing with the remaining matters in Weinan, they returned to Xianyang to meet Prince Fusu.

This year's autumn rains spoiled the emperor's enjoyment of the autumn hunt, and also dampened Prince Fusu's enthusiasm for wielding power.

Originally, Fusu was in charge of state affairs, but after the emperor returned, much of the power returned to his father's hands.

The autumn rains seem endless, but national affairs are progressing smoothly.

This year, Zhang Han's land reclamation in the Hexi Corridor is progressing smoothly. In the north, Meng Tian has extended the length of the imperial road and rebuilt Yunzhong County. The imperial road in the northern suburbs of Xianyang leads directly to Yunzhong County in the north. This imperial road is 1,800 li long and is an unprecedented military imperial road since the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

What Zhang Han is doing is unprecedented: he plans to develop a million acres of farmland in the Hexi Corridor and build cities.

This agrarian civilization has never changed, even in the still somewhat barbaric Qin Dynasty. Reality has repeatedly proven Fusu's idea: the age of this land is too long, hundreds or thousands of years is insignificant to this land.

Even if some projects were implemented hundreds of years earlier, the returns would still be substantial. This civilized land is the most honest; the Hexi Corridor is still a place with abundant water and grass, capable of cultivating millions of acres of fertile land.

As long as there is a sufficient population, construction can be carried out. The pinnacle of agrarian civilization was built step by step by people's own hands.

Fusu led Zhang Cang and Cheng Miao into the scholar's residence. The residence was dimly lit, with cobwebs covering the tables and dust everywhere.

The autumn rain outside the mansion continued, making it an unsuitable time to clean the place.

Fusu looked at this place and said, "I should have given my younger brother a coming-of-age ceremony last year, but he was far away in the Northwest. I had someone send him a hair crown. He was not worried about the delay in the ceremony. On the contrary, he thanked me for letting him have the ceremony and for giving him the hair crown."

Hearing what the young master said, Zhang Cang did some calculations. The young master should be twenty-seven years old now, and he had known the young master for twelve years.

Zhang Cang felt that these twelve years were very long; they were the busiest and most tiring twelve years of his life.

Fusu said, "There is something I haven't told my teacher yet. I plan to hold an exam next year, and I want to inform all the counties and prefectures in the world about it."

Cheng Miao felt that Prince Fusu was getting a little anxious, so he glanced at Zhang Cang.

Fusu then said, "I will discuss this matter with my father, Zhang Cang..."

"The minister is here."

"I'll leave this place to you for now."

"I accept your order."

After saying this, Prince Fusu left.

Even after the young master had walked far away, Zhang Cang and Cheng Miao remained standing in the same spot.

"Do you think the young master is being too hasty?"

"Are you in a hurry?" Zhang Cang asked in return.

"What do you think?" Cheng Miao asked again.

Zhang Cang frowned solemnly and said, “Young Master’s purpose in sending people to teach is to educate the people of the world. However, the people of the world who accept the teaching need a goal. There are many books written by Young Master in Jingye County. In Young Master’s books, the word ‘motivation’ has been mentioned. The people of the world who accept the teaching need a motivation. Now Young Master has given them a motivation. This motivation is to take the exam and enter officialdom.”

“In the past, Qin soldiers exchanged land for military merits, but now there are not as many wars as before. A major war can take several years to complete. Teaching in rural areas is different. People know that they can enter officialdom through exams and change their fate, so they will actively support teaching in rural areas. Do you think that by then, the people of Chu will still oppose teaching in rural areas?”

Cheng Miao suddenly realized and said, "It's because the people of Chu opposed the idea of ​​sending teachers to Chu that you did this, young master. If someone actually passes the exam and enters officialdom, the people of Chu might arrest those who opposed the idea and hand them over to the government."

Zhang Cang gave Cheng Miao a look that said, "How come you only just found out?"

Cheng Miao was still moved. The young master's shrewdness was too deep. How could someone as simple-minded as him see through it... "Prefect Zhang." Someone stood outside the scholar's residence at some point.

Noticing that it was a clerk serving the prime minister, Zhang Cang said, "I will go with you to see the prime minister."

Since the Northern Expedition, Zhang Cang has not returned to Xianyang. Now that he has returned, he must go to see the Prime Minister.

Cheng Miao and Prime Minister Li Si were not close, but judging from Zhang Cang's expression, he was probably unwilling to meet the Prime Minister this time.

Prime Minister Li Si wanted to win over Zhang Cang in order to maintain his relationship with the young master.

Just as Zhang Cang reached the door, another person rushed over in the rain, bowed, and said, "Prefect Zhang, Grand Commandant Wang invites you to drink."

Zhang Cang stopped in his tracks. Before him stood one of the prime minister's men and the other of the grand commander's men.

The two men met and their expressions were quite unfriendly; they were almost about to fight to decide whether Zhang Cang should go to see the Prime Minister or the Grand Commandant.

Zhang Cang pointed to the Prime Minister's men and said, "He arrived first."

Wang Taiwei's men were stunned for a moment, then chuckled dryly.

Zhang Cang's implication was that since the other party arrived first, if you defeat the Prime Minister's men, he can go see Grand Commandant Wang first.

Wang Ben's men did not take action on the spot, but said, "If I cannot invite Prefect Zhang, I will have no face to go back to see the Grand Commandant. Our Grand Commandant will not make things difficult for the Prime Minister. Prefect Zhang, go see the Prime Minister first, and I will wait outside the Prime Minister's residence."

Zhang Cang nodded and then left with the others.

The autumn rain continued. Zhang Cang saw that Prince Fusu had left two umbrellas in front of the scholar's residence. The umbrellas were a new thing in Xianyang City, and nowadays only the palace had them.

Zhang Cang took one of the umbrellas; the other was most likely reserved for Cheng Miao.

"Let's go." Zhang Cang held the umbrella in one hand and gestured for the other to lead the way.

After leaving the scholar's residence and exiting the palace gates, Zhang Cang went straight to the residence of Prime Minister Li Si. Before entering the Prime Minister's residence, Zhang Cang looked back and saw that Wang Taiwei's men were indeed waiting at the door, looking like they wouldn't leave until they saw him.

"Prefect Zhang?"

Hearing the other party urge him on, Zhang Cang entered the mansion.

In the main hall of the mansion, Li Si was watching his seven-year-old grandson write.

Zhang Cang entered the main hall, bowed, and said, "Prime Minister."

Li Si asked, "Have you gone to see the young master?"

"I've seen it before."

Li Si first dismissed his grandson from the main hall, then said, "This child is now learning clerical script. Everyone in Tongguan is learning clerical script now. The characters in clerical script are neat and tidy, and the emperor likes them too."

Zhang Cang bowed, unsure how to respond, so he simply remained silent for the moment, waiting for the Prime Minister to ask other questions. He would answer one question at a time.

Li Si said, "Feng Quji said that the young master agreed to let him teach the young master. Hehe... There are countless people who want to serve the young master."

At this point, Li Si asked, "What did you and the young master discuss? Is there anything I can do to help you?"

The Prime Minister will do his best to satisfy whatever the young master needs. In all these years, the Prime Minister has rarely opposed the young master's decisions.

Zhang Cang bowed and said, "Young Master said that an exam will be conducted."

"take an exam?"

"Yes."

Li Si fixed his gaze on Zhang Cang, his eyes sharpening, and asked again, "How will the exam be conducted? How will it be conducted?"

Zhang Cang said, "Young Master only said that he would discuss it with the Emperor first, and he will most likely inform the Prime Minister afterward."

Li Si looked to his side, and the person next to him hurriedly replied, "After leaving the Scholar's Mansion, the young master returned to Gaoquan Palace. He did not go to Zhangtai Palace."

Upon hearing this, Li Si nodded again. He felt that he needed to be prepared and get involved in the prince's plans earlier than Feng Quji and the others. This was another opportunity to help the prince seize power and get one step closer to becoming emperor.

Only when Prince Fusu truly becomes the next emperor of Qin can Li Si feel at ease sleeping soundly.

What do you think of the young master's strategy for taking the exam?

Zhang Cang said, "I think... since there is a teaching support program, an examination is inevitable. Teaching support must have an examination. Teaching support without an examination is like a cavalryman who has lost his bow and arrow. He can only gallop but cannot kill the enemy. As far as examinations are concerned, only by implementing teaching support can we put all the students in the world to an examination and thus enter officialdom."

It was still raining outside, and the sound of raindrops falling on the roof could be clearly heard inside the main hall.

Li Si said, "In that case, teaching and examination complement each other and are indispensable... They can even determine what kind of people can enter officialdom, as well as their household registration and ancestral identity."

(End of this chapter)