The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 182 Respect
Zhang Liang left the huge Tongguan city with Lü Matong. The whole city was full of children studying. Although it was noisy, it was a very pleasant place to be around.

Young Master Heng and Zhang Jing, the son of Zhang Han, just happened to pass by Zhang Liang.

“Young Master, you’re perfectly fine by the old master’s side, why do you insist on eating with us?” Zhang Jing is eleven years old this year, four years older than Young Master Heng.

Heng said, "It's fun here with lots of people."

Zhang Jing shook his head helplessly and said, "If the old master finds out that the young master has run away again, he will most likely get a beating when he gets back."

Heng said, "The old master never hit me."

Seeing the young master smiling, Zhang Jing felt bitter inside.

Heng asked, "Will the old master hit you?"

Zhang Jing said, "The old master won't hit me. He'll make me grind tofu before dawn."

Heng exclaimed, "The old master is truly kind."

“My brother wrote to me, and I was thinking of having someone in the army send some food from Guanzhong to the Hexi Corridor.”

"Your younger brother Zhang Yehui can write letters now?"

"Hmm." Zhang Jing nodded as he ate a pancake in the restaurant.

Heng frowned as he ate a bowl of noodles and said, "Send some dates and persimmons to him. I'll have Old Master Pinyang send some to him."

Zhang Jing shook his head and said, "No need, there are plenty in Jingye County, more than we can eat."

General Zhang Han had two sons, Zhang Jing and Zhang Ye. Their names were taken from the Jingye Canal, meaning "respectful and dedicated."

Heng ate his noodles half-heartedly, glancing around at the other children his age.

Following Zhang Jing in Tongguan means you can do whatever you want. With Zhang Jing's strength and skills, he is almost unmatched among the children in Tongguan. Even adults would give way to him when they see his terrifying muscles.

Therefore, Zhang Jing can act arrogantly in Tongguan, and even if Gongzi Heng doesn't reveal his identity, he can still act arrogantly here.

Heng was eating noodles when he saw Zhang Jing, who had just finished eating pancakes, pouring vinegar into his bowl.

Every time Zhang Jing eats noodles, he has to have vinegar with him. He pours a lot of vinegar into the bowl, until it's almost like soup, before he can eat the noodles. He also has to have garlic with him.

Brother Zhang Jing has always had a strong preference for strong flavors, no matter what he eats, he always adds a lot of ingredients.

Brother Zhang Jing has been studying with the old master since he was a child. Don't be fooled by his muscular physique; he is actually very knowledgeable, far more so than his peers.

He was the most learned among all the children of his age in the entire Weinan Prefecture.

As for his muscular physique, he developed it by frequently helping the old master grind tofu.

The old master often said that as long as Zhang Jing ate a piece of cake, he could grind a bucket of tofu.

Moreover, the old master truly raised Zhang Jing as his son, making him his most outstanding disciple to date.

Zhang Jing's knowledge was comparable to that of those who had completed their studies in rural areas, and even the old master sometimes had nothing to teach this child.

It must be said that General Zhang Han had a good son.

Heng admitted that he lacked talent and could not compare to such a gifted person.

A six-year-old who can grind tofu must be exceptionally gifted. What child can pull a millstone at six years old?

Not to mention his knowledge far surpasses that of his peers; he's truly a monster.

When Heng was with his elder brother Zhang Jing, he always maintained a learning attitude towards others. His father once said that not all people from the Confucian school were good people, but the words of Confucius should still be learned. For example, the Analects says, "When three people walk together, there must be one who can teach me." This is a humble attitude of learning.

For example, it is said that time flows like a river, never ceasing day or night.

Or, to put it another way, one can take away the commander of an army, but one cannot take away the will of a common man.

These words were also taught by the old master. Sometimes Heng was also very emotional, saying that many people outside said that the students of Guanzhong only studied the Mohist and Legalist schools.

In fact, it was Master Shusun Tong who cared a lot about the teachings of Confucius.

The various prejudices from the outside world can be seen in the old master's previous letters.

After the meal, Gongzi Heng and Zhang Jing returned to the school together.

The children here have all developed the habit of taking a nap. Every day after lunch, they have an hour for a nap, and everyone will go back to their seats and fall asleep without prior arrangement.

It was only when the bell rang that everyone would wake up and perk up to listen to the lesson.

The lesson taught by this teacher was one that Heng had already learned long ago. Although he could not surpass his elder brother Zhang Jing in learning, he was still far ahead of other children his age.

This is not because of my own talent. Heng felt that he was the least talented child and the dumbest disciple in the old master's eyes. It was only because his elder brother Zhang Jing was so much worse that the old master said that he was the dumbest child he had ever taught.

As for his knowledge surpassing that of his peers, it was simply a matter of diligence making up for his shortcomings. He started learning earlier than his peers, and some of the knowledge he had learned was already taught to him by his father at Gaoquan Palace. His father also taught him some knowledge that the old masters would not teach.

Aside from his poor handwriting, Brother Zhang Jing is perfectly fine.

As night fell, Zhang Liang and Lü Matong arrived at the South Mountain in Guanzhong. After crossing the South Mountain, they would enter Shu.

Zhang Liang was very curious why Lü Matong, a captain, was always alone.

While resting at the county government office in Nanshan, Zhang Liang heard news that a grand examination would be held next autumn in Xianyang City to select the most talented people in the land. Lü Matong said, "Why don't you give it a try?"

Zhang Liang shook his head and said, "I don't have that ability."

“You teachers are always like this, always valuing the cause of teaching in rural areas more than your own lives, even giving up such a good opportunity.”

Hearing what the other person said, Zhang Liang looked at the flickering oil lamp in front of him and asked, "Are there many such volunteer teachers?"

Lu Matong said, "Of course there are many, which is why you are the most respected."

Zhang Liang indeed sensed this. Even the people in the county government didn't have a good impression of Lü Matong, who ate so much grain, because this captain was really too big for his brutes.

On the contrary, I, the volunteer teacher, am treated very well here, and they are afraid that I will not have enough to eat.

Zhang Liang also offered his bowl of thick porridge to Lü Matong, saying, "I don't eat much."

"Thank you." Lu Matong picked up his bowl and started eating again.

Zhang Liang then looked at the notice posted in the county government office. This was another Qin law document that described the solar terms and the season. Under the meticulous guidance of the Qin law, people's production and life were related to the solar terms and the Qin law.

In truth, Zhang Liang only entered the pass through Hangu Pass this time, and only caught a fleeting glimpse of the scenery of Guanzhong, which was different from the outside world.

Zhang Liang recalled the children and people he had seen in Tongguan City. If there was any difference between the people of Guanzhong and those outside, this was probably the only hope.

Those people all had hope in their eyes, while those outside seemed somewhat desolate and numb.

Only the lives of the people of Guanzhong have hope.

Zhang Liang also witnessed the prosperity of Sanchuan County. In fact, the young master's vision extends far beyond Guanzhong; he is determined to govern the entire country.

Judging from various government decrees, Prince Fusu intended to use the program of supporting education in rural areas to determine his path to officialdom.

To govern the realm, Prince Fusu would need even more manpower.

Having just arrived from Tongguan, Zhang Liang only glanced at Guanzhong before understanding Prince Fusu's ambition.

This was a new decree. Emperor Ying Zheng wanted to unify weights and measures to make the world fair, and Prince Fusu wanted to take this fairness to the next level.

Only in this way can people from all over the world participate in the governance of this huge country.

The Qin state was so vast that after unifying the Central Plains and launching northern and southern expeditions, its territory exceeded the combined land area of ​​the previous six states.

Such a large country needs more tax revenue to support it and more officials to govern it.

Clearly, Prince Fusu chose the latter first; he wanted more officials.

On a night when Lü Matong was snoring loudly, Zhang Liang looked at the books he had brought from Tongguan. The books filled three carts, and this was the first time he had seriously looked at the latest paper books printed in Guanzhong.

Many of the arguments in these books were things Zhang Liang had never seen before, and their content was full of the ideas of the various schools of thought of that time.

There is a legend that when the emperor made his eastern tour, Prince Fusu collected all the books in the country.

Now, Prince Fusu has incorporated the doctrines of famous schools of thought throughout the land into his own teachings and compiled these books to instruct the world.

Zhang Liang closed the book in his hand. It turned out that the teachers who went to rural areas to teach were not officials. They were a very special kind of people who traveled all over the country, not for themselves or for the emperor, but for their great cause and selflessness.

It is precisely because of this selflessness that teachers who volunteer to teach in rural areas are respected wherever they go.

However, in some more remote areas or in the Chu region, there is a strong resistance to volunteer teachers.

Zhang Liang understood that Prince Fusu had done something great. Some things can be passed down from generation to generation, and now the world knows about the cause of supporting education in rural areas.

As long as Prince Fusu performs well enough, even if the emperor changes in the future and the world is no longer the Qin Dynasty, people will remember this system and continue to use it.

This spirit and ideal made Zhang Liang feel ashamed, as he felt that his ideal of restoring the country was so petty and selfish.

But now is definitely not a good time to raise an army to restore the country. Zhang Liang decided to use this identity to lie low and avoid being tracked down by the Qin army.

They lie low and observe the situation.

In just half an hour before going to sleep, Zhang Liang figured out his plans for the future.

When it was bright that day, Lü Matong asked the local magistrate for a lot of dry food, and the two of them went into the deep mountains together.

Lu Matong said optimistically, "The mountain road is difficult to travel, but once we get past this section, we will be in Sichuan."

Zhang Liang asked, "Have you been here before?"

"I've never been here before," Lü Matong replied truthfully. "I've heard from people who came from Sichuan that the road is a bit difficult, but it doesn't take too long."

The two had only known each other for three days, but they were already talking like old friends.

Lü Matong was a very cheerful person, and Zhang Liang had never met anyone as talkative as him. They had endless things to say along the way.

For some reason, Zhang Liang felt that his physical condition had improved.

Along the way, Lü Matong saw a black and white bear. Seeing the bear run into the deep mountains, he said, "Following this bear will take us into Sichuan."

After saying that, the two hurriedly followed.

(End of this chapter)