The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 208 Farewell and Teaching in Rural Areas

Lou Jing really wanted to hang Chen Ping up and whip him for half an hour to get his satisfaction.

However, Chen Ping was only drinking grape wine, which did not constitute a violation of Qin law, and he did not gather a crowd to drink.

Faced with Chen Ping's provocation, Lou Jing gritted his teeth in anger, but still held back.

Lou Jing is no longer as addicted to alcohol as he used to be; if it were back then, he would probably have already gotten into a fight with Chen Ping.

Ju was surprised to find that Brother Lou Jing had become more restrained.

That's to be expected. Ju was happy for Lou Jing's change. Since passing the exam and entering officialdom, his spirit and energy seemed to have improved.

Although Brother Lou Jing still hadn't met Prince Fusu, he had at least become a county official in the Hexi Corridor.

Fortunately, Brother Lou Jing came to the Hexi Corridor, which made Brother Chen Ping's time here less boring.

The two older brothers were still bickering with each other in the county government, but Ju still had a smile on his face. He was very happy that the two older brothers were still the same as before.

This arrangement was the best. Ju walked outside the county government and bought yak meat from a few Western Qiang people.

Yak meat can be dried or freshly slaughtered.

As Ju roasted the yak meat, he said, "After General Zhang Han allowed the Western Qiang people to come here, we had an endless supply of beef. I ate beef once when I was a child, and it was a gift from General Xin Sheng at Tongguan."

After seeing that Brother Lou Jing had cut the beef, he went to receive the documents sent by the army.

Ju looked at Brother Chen Ping, who was gnawing on beef, and whispered, "Brother Lou Jing came back here on purpose."

Chen Ping chewed on the mutton, then took a sip of grape wine, his short beard twitching as he chewed.

Ju said, "During our exam, we saw a question about border construction. Brother Lou Jing said he wrote a strategy for building the Hexi Corridor."

Chen Ping asked, "What strategy?"

"I don't know. Brother Lou Jing said it was all about stationing troops and cultivating land. I wanted to ask more... but he didn't say anything more."

Chen Ping glanced at Lou Jing in the distance; the man was busy approving documents.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Chen Ping and Ju left.

Now that he was reeking of alcohol, it wasn't appropriate for him to go to General Zhang Han's tent. So, he found an oxcart outside the city and had someone take him and Chen Ping back.

Brother Chen Ping fell asleep on the oxcart. Ju told the driver to go back, and then helped Brother Chen Ping to rest.

Today, Brother Chen Ping still lives at the foot of Qilian Mountain, mostly alone, but there are many books in his house.

Brother Chen Ping was still asleep, while Ju was reading a book.

On ordinary days, Brother Chen Ping seems to spend his time drinking and eating, but he still cares a lot about matters concerning the border.

These scrolls contain information collected by Brother Chen Ping over many years. Information exchange is something Brother Chen Ping is most skilled at.

After watching for a while, Ju went outside again and washed up by the stream.

The next morning, food was brought by the Western Rong people, which was what they did every day. Brother Chen Ping had moved some of the Western Rong people to the Hexi Corridor.

Because Brother Chen Ping gave this pasture at the foot of the mountain to the Xirong people.

The sheep were gathered together, and the children of the Western Rong people sat on the backs of the sheep, reading Qin books and learning the Qin language.

This was originally the homeland of the Western Rong people. If the Qin people wanted to make good use of the pastures, they would need to consult experienced herders.

Ju sat by the stream, watching the tranquil scene, and couldn't help but smile. Actually, he didn't want to go back to Guanzhong as much anymore; this place was truly beautiful.

Despite the sweltering heat, the foot of the Qilian Mountains has become a wonderful place to cool off.

You can sit on the grassy bank of the stream at the foot of the mountain all day without feeling hot. No wonder Brother Chen Ping chose to live here in winter. It is truly a wonderful place that is warm in winter and cool in summer.

After waking up, Chen Ping washed his face with the stream water and asked, "Ju?"

"Brother Chen Ping, I'm leaving now."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ping looked up at the young man and asked, "Where are you going?"

Ju sighed, "I took the exam with Brother Lou Jing, but I didn't do well. After that, I registered in Tongguan and have been accepted by the Academy. I'm going to participate in teaching in rural areas."

Chen Ping stared blankly at the young man. Back then, when everyone left Tongguan and came to the Hexi Corridor, they had thought... that Lou Jing would leave and never come back.

Unexpectedly, now... it's this child who has to leave.

Still feeling a little reluctant, Chen Ping patted his shoulder heavily and asked, "When are you leaving?"

"Leave now."

"Have you spoken to Lou Jing about it?"

Ju shook his head and said, "I registered without telling Brother Lou Jing."

Chen Ping nodded. "Okay, I'll explain to him after you leave." "Thank you, Brother Chen Ping."

Chen Ping wiped his face with the cool stream water again and asked, "Where should we go to teach?"

"Sichuan."

"Two years?"

"Yes."

Why don't you come to the Hexi Corridor to teach?

"The quota for volunteer teachers here is full, and we are still short of manpower in Sichuan. The document was delivered yesterday morning, and I have to leave today."

Chen Ping went into his room, took out several fist-sized pieces of gold, and said, "Take all of these."

"No need," Ju declined. "I won't need any money along the way. When I get to Chencang, soldiers will escort me into Shu."

Chen Ping sighed again, beckoned to a Western Rong herdsman to bring his warhorse over, and placed the reins in Ju's hand, saying, "Walking is too slow, and the journey is long."

"Okay, thank you, Brother Chenping."

Having said that, Ju mounted his horse and rode eastward.

“Going south from the Hexi Corridor, bypassing the territory of the Western Qiang, will be closer to Shu.”

This is what the Western Rong herdsman was saying.

Chen Ping said, "He's going to teach in a rural area, not to travel around Sichuan. He needs to submit documents to the county governments along the way."

The herdsman gave an awkward smile, realizing he had spoken out of turn.

Chen Ping wore a proud smile. Although the child wasn't particularly bright and sometimes couldn't understand what he was reading, he was still a good child.

Even if one cannot become an official, one can still teach.

Chen Ping didn't know when it started, but he felt that young people in this era all had their own things to do.

This reminded Chen Ping of his own youth, when he used to travel around aimlessly.

Chen Ping greatly admired the young Ju.

Recalling the past, and with a touch of appreciation, Chen Ping began preparing breakfast for the day.

The transfer of teachers to rural areas was carried out together with the transfer of soldiers, and inquiries were made to local county governments along the way.

Prince Fusu's policy of supporting education in rural areas combined the deployment of teachers and soldiers with county government investigations, making it an integral part of the national machinery.

Chen Ping felt that this was one of the most brilliant aspects of Prince Fusu's strategy for supporting education in rural areas.

At the foot of the Qilian Mountains, Chen Ping lived a leisurely and carefree life, as if he had escaped the strife of the world.

Although the Xiongnu were abroad, the Hexi Corridor guarded by the Qin army was still very peaceful, and many people had moved here in recent years.

This made the place even more lively. Chen Ping boiled some water, sat on Qilian Mountain, took a sip, and let out a long, comfortable sigh.

Unless there was an urgent military report, General Zhang Han would not have wanted to bother him. Maodun was indeed an extremely arrogant and ruthless person.

However, General Zhang Han did not issue a military order to summon him to the main tent for discussion, indicating that the threat from Modu was still far from the Hexi Corridor.

Peace and tranquility are the best outcome, allowing Chen Ping to continue his leisurely life here.

A month after Ju left the Hexi Corridor...

In Sichuan, Ju arrived in Jiangyuan County and met a volunteer teacher named Han Yuan.

Zhang Liang looked at him and said, "My name is Han Yuan."

"I am Ju."

"I heard you came from the army in the Hexi Corridor?"

As he spoke, Zhang Liang wore a gentle smile, but a sense of vigilance crept into his heart. He remembered that it was last month... when the news came from Guanzhong that Prince Fusu had sent people to Dongjun to arrest him.

This was the first time he had heard that Prince Fusu was coming to arrest him.

……

PS: That's all for tonight. I'm still adjusting my sleep schedule, so updates will be delayed.

The missed updates will be made up at the end of the month; Xiao Zhang needs some time to prepare.

Yeah.

(End of this chapter)