The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 199 Longing for the Prime Minister
Xiang Liang genuinely wanted to teach Xiang Yu properly, which is why he reprimanded Xiang Yu so harshly in front of the old master. Although Xiang Yu was often ignorant or got into fights, it was always his uncle who smoothed things over for him.

Seeing that his uncle and the old master had walked away, Xiang Yu shifted his knees, which were kneeling on the ground.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from outside. The old scholar's son rode back, carrying a sword.

"Hey, isn't this Xiang Ji?"

Xiang Yu said with a stern face, "Uncle, let me apologize to the Master."

The master's son joked, "I heard that yesterday you single-handedly defeated more than ten people?"

Xiang Yu said, "Even if a hundred of them attack at once, I am not afraid."

Confucius's son naturally knew Xiang Yu's abilities; the claim that Xiang Yu could fight a hundred men single-handedly was no exaggeration.

He leaned closer and asked again, "How did your uncle punish you?"

Xiang Yu, his face still dark, said, "Beating and scolding, every time my uncle beats and scolds me too much, I just want to go back to my hometown in Xiaxiang."

The Master's son patted Xiang Yu on the shoulder and said, "If you really go back to your hometown of Xiaxiang, you may really only be able to spend your whole life there, using your bravery and strength in the fields for the rest of your life."

Xiang Yu looked at the other party with a somewhat annoyed expression.

In the backyard of the mansion, the old scholar said with a worried expression, "I really can't teach your nephew anymore."

Xiang Liang bowed and said, "Yu'er has been spoiled since childhood, and it is my fault for not disciplining her properly."

As he spoke, Xiang Liang's expression was full of self-reproach.

The old master advised again: "Fortunately, your nephew has you as his uncle by his side. No one in this world can be perfect. Your nephew can't learn the Spring and Autumn Annals well, so there's no need to force him. Besides, he's not a child anymore; he's already twenty years old."

Xiang Liang felt both ashamed and remorseful. He bowed again and said, "Did I really teach him to use a sword?"

With a sigh, Xiang Liang continued, "I did this to temper the child's character. He is too arrogant and has been brave since childhood. He always becomes proud of others' cheers, which is why he is like this."

The old master said, "To learn the Spring and Autumn Annals well, and to learn the Chu etiquette, one also needs to temper one's character. It is precisely because this child is too brave and no one is his match that he is so difficult to temper."

The implication is that the old master respected Xiang Liang, but what use was teaching him if the other party didn't genuinely want to learn?

Because Xiang Yu was too valiant, he created this child, but this will also restrain him.

Even after the old master said so, Xiang Liang remained respectful, bowing repeatedly before leaving with Xiang Yu.

On the way back, Xiang Yu followed behind his uncle and whispered, "Uncle, I know I was wrong."

Xiang Liang said, "You only learn the basics of everything you study. How can you talk about restoring Chu in the future?"

Xiang Yu said, "Uncle, I want to learn military strategy."

"Military strategy? You won't even learn swordsmanship properly, how can you learn military strategy?"

"My nephew wishes to learn swordsmanship," Xiang Yu said in a much softer tone.

For the remaining few days, Xiang Yu studied swordsmanship, but a single sword could not bring out his strength advantage, making the learning process very difficult, and he eventually lost interest.

Xiang Liang admired Xiang Yu's bravery, but was also worried about Xiang Yu's temperament.

However, he was still willing to teach Xiang Yu military strategy, including explaining the military books left behind by General Xiang Yan.

When springtime arrived in the Chu region, it was time for farming. Xiang Yu would go out for leisure with Huan Chu.

Huan Chu knew many heroes from the Chu region, and Xiang Yu was very happy to gather with these heroes; the group often got together.

Huan Chu introduced Xiang Yu to various heroes from the Chu region, including Long Ju, a former general of Chu, Zhou Yin of Jiujiang, and Zhongli Mei of Donghai.

These were all renowned figures from various regions, and Xiang Yu enjoyed associating with these straightforward people.

Every spring, when the rainy season arrived in Kuaiji County, the rain fell on the mountains and fields, and Xiang Yu would get soaked and smell the earthy scent in the air.

Standing in the mountains and forests, I watched the rain falling on the vast fields.

At times like these, he always feels like he's back in his hometown of Xiaxiang.

Xiang Yu loved the rainy season in his hometown the most, and he also loved riding horses with a few close friends on rainy days.

At this moment, he and his group rode through the mountains and forests on horseback, their hearty laughter echoing across the fields.

When Xiang Liang learned about the people Xiang Yu associated with, he did not stop him. He simply felt that Xiang Yu was associating with chivalrous individuals, all of whom had good reputations and character.

Furthermore, Huan Chu was genuinely introducing good people to Xiang Yu; they were all very good people.

These people could all be Xiang Yu's best friends.

When his nephew returned, Xiang Liang, who was reading a letter, asked, "What did you go to do?"

Xiang Yu replied, "My nephew has gone hunting with Zhongli Mei."

Xiang Liang asked, "Did Huan Chu introduce you to all these friends?"

"Exactly."

Now that we have befriended them, we must not let them down in the future.

"Uncle, rest assured, Yu'er values ​​loyalty the most."

Xiang Yu patted his chest forcefully, as if making a vow. Seeing the papers on the table, Xiang Yu asked in confusion, "This is..."

Xiang Liang explained, "This is paper from the Qin people."

"Qin people?"

"Modern Qin officials would write documents and letters on paper to transmit messages."

Xiang Yu picked up the paper, tore it apart with force, and said, "I've heard that this thing dissolves in water and burns in fire. How can we guarantee its transport?"

Paper is still rare in the Chu region, but it is widely used in official correspondence between the Qi and Lu regions.

However, it was not used much in the Chu region.

Xiang Liang was able to obtain these papers thanks to the connections he had cultivated over the years, which led to the acquisition of a batch of paper transported from Guanzhong.

Xiang Liang said, "This item was made by Prince Fusu."

"Prince Fusu?" Even in Kuaiji Commandery, Xiang Yu often heard the name Prince Fusu. It should be said that ever since he accompanied his uncle on his eastern tour from Pengcheng to see the emperor, he had often heard the name Prince Fusu.

Before the emperor's eastern tour, Xiang Yu did not know that the prime minister was Li Si, or that the prince was Fusu.

It was only after the eastern tour that it seemed that Prince Fusu had done many things during the emperor's eastern tour, which made Prince Fusu's reputation for virtue spread far and wide.

Xiang Liang said, "Yu'er, you must remember that if we want to restore Chu in the future, this young master Fusu will be our greatest enemy."

Xiang Yu replied, "Nephew obeys."

Seeing his nephew perform a Chu army salute, Xiang Liang continued, "You think this thing is not sturdy enough, and it cannot be preserved for a long time like bamboo slips, because you do not know Prince Fusu's ambition."

"I would appreciate your guidance, Uncle."

Xiang Liang revealed a conspiracy involving books, a plot orchestrated by Prince Fusu to realize the ambitions of the emperor and Qin Prime Minister Li Si.

Prince Fusu was the emperor's son and a disciple of Prime Minister Li Si. This prince inherited all of Qin's laws.

Furthermore, this prince was the heir to the Qin state, trained to be even more ruthless in order to enforce Qin laws.

In his youth, this young man joined forces with Prime Minister Li Si to drive out the original Prime Minister of Qin, Wang Wan. He also became Li Si's student, studied Qin law, implemented the harsh Qin law, and launched a policy of relocating people to the border that was even more severe than Li Si's.

Since the emperor's eastern tour, he ordered Prime Minister Li Si to destroy the people's shrines at the foot of Mount Tai and to order the people of Qi to follow only the Qin laws, thus destroying the foundation of the local patriarchal system.

The emperor implemented the prefecture-county system, and Prime Minister Li Si divided the former people of the six states, aiming to destroy their identities and make everyone in the world a Qin person under the Qin law.

If Li Si's actions were to erase the traditional etiquette and customs of the six states through his policies, and to brand everyone with the identity of Qin, then...

So Prince Fusu aimed to unify the world's rites and customs from the very foundation of people's thinking, and abolish the old laws and customs of various countries.

In other words, in Xiang Liang's account to Xiang Yu, this Prince Fusu inherited everything from the emperor and Li Si, and would become even greater than the previous Qin kings, implementing even stricter Qin laws.

At the same time, Prince Fusu was also a very ambitious and shrewd person.

As Xiang Liang spoke, he looked at Xiang Yu. There was a hint of relief in his nephew's eyes; he was probably relieved that he could still identify himself as a Chu person.

Xiang Yu looked at the papers in front of him, each one as thin as silk, and his eyes no longer held any contempt.

Xiang Liang continued, “Prince Fusu knew that it would be a long time for him to unify the rites and teachings. Therefore, the Qin people needed more books, and paper was used to make books. It was thinner and lighter than bamboo slips. The Qin people could make thousands of books a day for this reason.”

Xiang Yu thought to himself, "If only the Chu people could have had this paper, but they gave it to the Qin people instead." He sighed inwardly at his uncle's broad knowledge, for he understood Prince Fusu's ambition with just a few sheets of paper.

Xiang Yu said, "The Prince of Qin is such a person."

Xiang Liang smiled but didn't say much. He then said, "Yu'er, you must remember, never underestimate others."

"I will always remember my uncle's teachings."

Xiang Liang nodded in satisfaction and said, "Xiang Zhuang prepared a lot of food today, all of which are dishes from Xia Xiang."

"That's great!" Xiang Yu smiled happily and hurried to find Xiang Zhuang to have dinner together.

Xiang Liang truly raised Xiang Yu as his own son. He was a very good child, a child who hated evil, was brave and kind, valued loyalty and righteousness, and even showed kindness when he went hunting.

Sitting in the hall, Xiang Liang saw Xiang Yu and Xiang Zhuang fighting and scrambling for food in the distance. He smiled silently and could only shake his head at their antics. Yu'er really missed his hometown, Xiaxiang.

Even Xiang Yu, that child, still doesn't study swordsmanship properly, and still refuses to settle down and study the Spring and Autumn Annals.

Xiang Bo returned with a message. After closing the door, the hall darkened, shutting out the laughter of Xiang Yu and Xiang Zhuang.

After listening to Xiang Bo recount the results of this great test.

Xiang Liang pressed further, "How have the reactions been in different regions?"

Xiang Bo said, "Most people think that Prince Fusu is being unfair."

Xiang Liang hesitated and asked, "Doesn't Prince Fusu want to recruit renowned scholars from all over the world at this time?"

“As far as I know,” Xiang Bo paused, then continued, “Li Mu’s grandson, Li Zuoche, was also an old nobleman of the six states, and he was selected.”

Xiang Liang shook his head and said, "Li Mu was an enemy general of Qin, but he died at the hands of the Zhao people. However, Li Mu's descendants have never said that they want to rebel against Qin."

(End of this chapter)