The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 252 Legends of the Western Regions
However, compared to matters of governing the country, the anti-Qin figures who fled abroad or the Xiang family members who were determined to oppose Qin but ended up hiding abroad to avoid the Qin army seemed insignificant.

They are indeed insignificant; as long as the country remains stable, they cannot cause any trouble.

After the court meeting concluded today, Fusu and the Prime Minister returned to the Prime Minister's residence, only to learn that Zhang Han had already taken documents to various counties to inquire about the troops.

Zhang Han was a very proactive person when he served as the Commandant of Weinan, and he is still the same after returning from the Hexi Corridor.

Fusu had just sat down and was looking through the tax records compiled by Chen Ping and Zhang Cang.

The Minister of Justice, Feng Jie, approached and handed over a scroll, saying, "Young master, these are the documents for the search and arrest of rebels in various places this year."

Fusu took the document, frowned as he looked at its contents, and said, "Still no trace of the Xiang family?"

Feng Jie replied, "We are searching for him. Xiang Liang is cunning; we've almost caught him several times, but he's always managed to escape."

Seeing that there was still no news of Zhang Liang on the document, Fusu said, "Alright, I understand."

Feng Jie bowed and took his leave.

Fusu looked at Chen Ping and Zhang Cang in front of him again and said, "This year, the taxes in Qi and Lu have not increased. List the counties where taxes have decreased instead of increased. Zhang Cang, have the Right Chancellor send someone to inquire about them."

Zhang Cang said, "I will go to the Imperial Censorate to see the Right Chancellor immediately."

Fusu glanced at Chen Ping again and asked, "Imperial Censor Chen?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ping lowered his bow even further, and Fusu whispered, "You should go too."

"Yes."

Chen Ping hurriedly followed Zhang Cang's footsteps.

Li Si observed the young master's words and actions. Some things need bad people to do, and some bad people need even worse people to grind them down. Chen Ping didn't seem like a good person at all.

If you, young master, were to change the tax system, it would be best to entrust this matter to Chen Ping.

As Li Si walked out of the Prime Minister's residence, he was still thinking about how the young master had mentioned the matter of changing taxes to him several times, but such a matter could not be decided in just a few words.

After leaving Xianyang Palace, Li Si had a carriage driven to the northern suburbs.

Inside the detached palace in the northern suburbs, the chimes of the chime bells rose and fell, and the emperor lay on his side with his eyes closed, seemingly dozing.

A palace attendant hurried into the main hall and whispered something to the emperor.

The emperor did not open his eyes, but only frowned slightly, as if he was annoyed by being disturbed.

"Let him into the hall."

Upon hearing this, the eunuch hurriedly left.

The person who entered from outside the palace to disturb the emperor's rest was none other than Prime Minister Li Si.

Ying Zheng sat up, and then slowly stood up.

The chime bells stopped ringing.

Ying Zheng raised his head and asked, "What has happened?"

Li Si said, "Your Highness has brought up the matter of tax reform with me again."

Ying Zheng paced back and forth, seemingly indifferent to the matter, and casually asked, "How does he intend to change the taxes?"

Li Si replied, "Your Highness said that the country is now very large. To govern such a large country, more officials are needed, and to support more officials, more taxes are needed."

"He wants to increase taxes?"

Li Si then said, "According to your idea, sir, it is hoped that the poor commoners can pay less land tax, while the rich can pay more land tax."

Ying Zheng countered with a question: "How do you define poverty and wealth?"

Upon hearing this, Li Si fell silent again; the emperor's question had hit the nail on the head.

This is also what the young master has repeatedly asked.

As prime minister, Li Si was tasked with solving problems for the country, but when faced with issues that even he found difficult to handle, he considered retiring to the emperor. Ying Zheng said, "There is no perfect solution to everything, Li Si..."

"The minister is here."

“Fusu understands very well. He knows that everything has its advantages and disadvantages, and there is never anything in this world that can be perfect. Do you understand?”

"Your subject understands." Li Si bowed and said, "Your subject takes his leave."

Ying Zheng slowly nodded.

As Li Si walked outside the main hall of Lin Guang Palace, a gust of cold wind made him feel much more awake. He recalled the emperor's words: there is no perfect solution to everything, and there is never a win-win situation in this world.

Yes, after unifying the six states, Qin wanted both scholars from the six states to come to Qin to support Qin and to abolish the old laws of the six states.

How could the scholars of the six kingdoms agree to this? And how could no one object to abolishing the old laws of the six kingdoms?
Back then, I thought I could achieve the best of both worlds, but things didn't go as planned, and after the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai, the whole thing failed completely.

Fortunately, Qin still had a prince named Fusu.

Prince Fusu was a very clear-headed person; he never considered things that could satisfy both sides.

This young master has always been down-to-earth and practical in his work.

Even if it takes years or even decades to complete one thing, it remains the same.

Thinking of this, Li Si realized that he had been too arrogant back then.

Fortunately, neither Prince Fusu nor the emperor ever blamed his prime minister for the failure of that year.

On the winter solstice of the thirty-ninth year of the First Emperor's reign, as in previous years, Fusu came to the Temple of the Supreme Emperor to preside over the day's sacrifice.

This year, Prince Fusu is once again the only one performing the sacrifice.

The young master's most valued younger brother, Prince Gao, is currently traveling in the Chu region, while the other young masters are all in the army in the northwest. As for the young master's sisters, they are all being taken care of by his wife and Princess Yinman.

Prince Fusu, dressed in a black robe, faced the memorial tablets of past Qin kings and bowed respectfully.

Among the emperor's sons, Prince Fusu was probably the only one who could preside over the sacrificial rites and knew how to perform them.

"Young Master, this is the New Year's decree. The Emperor has ordered that you, Young Master Fusu, may supplement it."

Fusu looked at the contents of the edict and wrote on it that the north had won a great victory this year and that Modu had been beheaded, thus bringing peace to the north.

Fusu then said, "Alright, inform all the prefectures and counties."

The eunuch carefully kept the imperial edict and sent it to the Prime Minister's residence, where officials copied it and distributed it to various regions.

For Guanzhong, the winter solstice is the first and most important day of the year.

Chen Ping was the last to leave the Prime Minister's residence. For Chen Ping, the month he spent in Guanzhong was the busiest month of his life.

Looking at the gloomy sky, Chen Ping wanted to tell Prince Fusu that he, Chen Ping, disdained doing these hard and tiring jobs. Anyone could do these things. He, Chen Ping, could do great things for Prince Fusu.

"Chen Ping? Want to go for a drink?"

Upon seeing Zhang Cang standing in front of the Prime Minister's residence, Chen Ping asked in surprise, "Let's drink."

Zhang Cang added, "It's at Grand Commandant Wang's residence."

Chen Ping did not refuse, nor did he dare to refuse, for fear of missing the opportunity to befriend Grand Commandant Wang.

Entering Grand Commandant Wang's residence with him, Chen Ping took a sip of the very authentic Guanzhong bitter wine, let out a long sigh of relief, and said, "The Xiongnu's mare's milk wine is awful."

"Haha!" Wang Ben laughed heartily.

Chen Ping took another swig of bitter wine down his throat and slowly exhaled the alcohol, only then did he feel that he had truly integrated into Xianyang.

This was Chen Ping's first visit to the Grand Commandant's residence. Faced with the Grand Commandant's various questions, Chen Ping recounted his exploits in the Hexi Corridor, as well as the beauties of the Western Regions, the fine horses under the snow-capped mountains, and the jewels and grapes of the Western Regions.

(End of this chapter)