The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 254 Weibei and Weinan
The water source of Baiqu mainly comes from Jinghe River. A stone weir was built at the head of the canal to divert floodwater and discharge sediment. A main canal and sluice gates were also added, which is similar to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.

The people of Guanzhong pursued food to the point of exhausting their resources.

But when faced with the choice between being well-fed and starving, people often choose to be well-fed, arguing that it's like draining a pond to catch all the fish. If people are living in increasing hardship, what is the point of building a country?

At least for now, Prince Fusu wants the world to live a better life.

For Prince Fusu, water management was a constant theme in the rise and fall of this agrarian civilization. For thousands of years, this civilization prospered because of water management, and it also fell into chaos because of it.

No matter how the world changes, even more than two thousand years later, people still dedicate themselves to controlling floods.

The emperor's carriage passed through the north of the Wei River and traveled eastward along the Bai Canal from here.

After the emperor's carriage had gone far away, Xiao He led the county residents to stand up and let them go home.

Cao Can said, "It's a pity that the emperor didn't come to Jingyang to visit."

Having been in Guanzhong for so many years, Xiao He had never seen the emperor, let alone Prince Fusu. Hearing Cao Can's words, Xiao He knew that he had recently become somewhat complacent.

After thinking for a moment, Xiao He instructed, "Go and take a look at the few houses in Yunyang that haven't been built yet."

Just as Cao Shen was about to leave, he took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and said, "This is a letter from Liu Ji."

Xiao He took the letter and then signaled to Cao Shen that he could leave.

Seemingly sensing Xiao He's displeasure, Cao Can put away his previous smug expression and quickly headed towards Yunyangli.

Xiao He opened the paper in his hand. It contained a letter from Liu Ji, but the handwriting was so rough that it didn't seem to be written by Liu Ji. After reading it, he saw the last stroke of the pen and realized that it was written by Liu Ji's son, Liu Fei.

Liu Ji said that Prince Gao had arrived in Chu and was living with Master Jing. He also said that after two more years, when Liu Ying was two years older, he would send the child to Guanzhong.

After reading the letter, Xiao He put the paper away. He had previously told Liu Ji to try taking the exam, and in recent years, more and more people have been taking the exam and entering officialdom.

If Liu Ji had been able to take the exam in Guanzhong, his life would have been completely different.

However, Liu Ji refused in his letter, saying that he was not well-educated, did not know many characters, and had no other skills besides farming and hanging around in the village.

The selection of officials is based on their abilities, and Liu Ji did not have such great abilities.

While refusing, he still sent his son to Guanzhong. In two more years, Liu Fei will be ten years old.

Xiao He knew Liu Ji's character. What he was worried about was the old brothers of Sishui Pavilion. What would happen if the old brothers of Sishui Pavilion were bullied by the new pavilion chief after Liu Ji left?

Liu Ji was a man who valued brotherhood, and Xiao He understood this.

Therefore, even though Liu Ji's family affairs were a complete mess, Xiao He still felt that Liu Ji was a person worth befriending.

After returning to the county government, Xiao He wrote another reply. This time, he did not persuade Liu Ji to come to Guanzhong again, but told Liu Ji to send the child over with peace of mind, as he, Xiao He, had already established a firm foothold in Guanzhong.

After writing the letter, Xiao He handed it to Wu Bo, who would arrange for someone to deliver it to Sishui Pavilion.

Night had fallen, and after the emperor's carriage left Jingyang County, it traveled all the way to Pinyang.

Upon learning of the emperor's arrival, Wang Li waited outside the county to welcome him.

The emperor did not enter Pinyang County, but instead ordered Zhang Han to stop at a distance and set up camp to rest.

After the winter solstice, it is a time for rest and relaxation, and there are no state affairs to attend to.

Even when there were state affairs, Zhang Cang and Cheng Miao were in charge. Li Si felt that he, as the prime minister, would have to leave the prime minister's office one day, and that the important state affairs should be handed over to Prince Fusu.

The brazier was lit, and warmth finally arrived. Li Si stood with his hands tucked in his sleeves, deep in thought in the cold wind, which ruffled the prime minister's beard and hair.

Li Si sat leaning against the carriage shaft and saw Zhang Han sitting to the side eating a pancake.

"This bread must be quite hard," Li Si said. "The rabbit meat will be cooked soon."

Zhang Han said, "I'll have enough with just the flatbread."

Li Si picked up the roasted rabbit, tore off a leg, and handed it to Zhang Han, saying, "In Guanzhong, rabbits are at their fattest in winter."

Faced with the Prime Minister's kindness, Zhang Han accepted the rabbit, took a bite of meat and chewed it. He was also thinking that he had heard that Prime Minister Li Si had recently entrusted many state affairs to Prince Fusu.

But when Zhang Han heard what the Prime Minister and the Emperor said, he realized that the Prime Minister was clearly aware of the national policies, and even knew exactly how the Prince would govern the Wei River region, when the bridge would be built, and where the name of the bridge came from.

The prime minister is still the prime minister; he is clear about the affairs of the country down to the smallest detail.

This is to be expected. The Prime Minister has been highly regarded by the Emperor for so many years, so naturally he should understand the country he governs, as well as every key aspect and every county within it.

Therefore, Prince Fusu was also such a person, and he was even able to adapt to local conditions and implement water management.

After listening to the Prime Minister's words today, Zhang Han felt that Prince Fusu was very skilled at flood control.

There was another person in the Qin Dynasty who was skilled in water management; this person was Du Shui Changlu.

Li Si said, "General Zhang." Zhang Han swallowed the meat in his mouth and replied, "Your subordinate is here."

Li Si cut rabbit meat with a small knife, put it in his mouth and chewed, saying, "The emperor is going to Weinan."

"The road from Weibei to Weinan is not far. I will go and make preparations now."

Seeing that Zhang Han was about to leave, Li Si said, "The emperor has said more than once that he would like to visit Longxi. It has been several years since the last western tour. It is time to go and see it again."

Zhang Han stood still, bowed, and said, "I will obey the Prime Minister's orders."

Li Si said, "I will write a letter to you, young master, and you will continue to oversee the escort mission to the west."

Upon hearing the Prime Minister's promise, Zhang Han replied, "Yes."

After Zhang Han left, Li Si smiled. He knew that he couldn't bribe Zhang Han with a rabbit leg. If Zhang Han was so cooperative, it must be because he was the young master's teacher.

The weather was so cold that the roasted rabbit meat, which had just been taken off the fire, cooled down after being exposed to the wind for a short while.

Li Si had no choice but to distribute the remaining rabbit meat to the guards nearby, and then, wearing a cloak, went into the tent to rest.

The following day, the emperor's entourage traveled south from the north of the Wei River, passing by Shangyan Mountain.

Zhang Jing and his two young sons were on Shangyan Mountain when they saw the emperor's carriage in the distance.

From afar, the emperor's carriage moved quietly and slowly southward across a snowy field, its black flags fluttering in the wind, exuding a sense of solemnity.

Both Gongzi Heng and Gongzi Li were unfamiliar with this grandfather. During their childhood, they would only see him with their father on major holidays.

Gongzi Li sat on a rock, resting his chin on his hands, and asked, "Will Father also inspect Guanzhong like this in the future?"

Heng said, "In the future, we will travel the world with Father."

Li said, "Father said that when Grandfather and Father went on their eastern tour, they consumed a lot of grain and manpower. Now, Great Qin needs to recuperate its national strength."

At this point, Li added, "Brother, when we grow up, we must help Father govern the country, just as Father helped Grandfather."

Heng said, “The old master often said that I was the dumbest of all the disciples he had ever taught. I was far inferior to my father. Grandpa Tian said that I was exactly the same as my father when I was a child. But Grandpa Tian never said that our father could recite the Analects at the age of ten, write down the famous works of Mencius, Mozi and many other famous authors at the age of twelve, and was well-versed in the works of the Hundred Schools of Thought at the age of fifteen, helping Li Si become prime minister.”

Li lowered her head again, her little face full of frustration. This was nothing compared to what she had just received.

What kind of person could memorize the entire Analects at the age of ten?

Both children felt that their father was too strong, so strong that he seemed like an unreal person.

In comparison, both children felt that they were mediocre and had not inherited their father's and mother's talents.

Zhang Jing felt that the two young masters were already very outstanding, no worse than himself.

It's just that people with extraordinary talents are rare. If everyone had extraordinary talents, what would become of the world?
Li then asked, "Brother?"

Heng asked, "What is it?"

Li then asked, "Are we not studious enough, not diligent enough?"

Heng said, "Yes, we should work harder."

The emperor's carriage passed through Shangyan Mountain and entered the territory of Weinan. It traveled along a wide road and saw fields of fields.

The weather was still very cold, and the snow from the winter season had not yet melted, so it was still a vast expanse of white snow in the distance.

Although it was quiet in front of me, smoke was rising from the village in the distance, and the aroma of people's food could be smelled from afar. It smelled wonderful, with the aroma of meat, rice and noodles.

Ying Zheng asked, "How is the construction of Weinan progressing?"

Li Si replied, "Since the completion of the Jingye Canal, Weinan has always been like this. Afterwards, the prince devoted a great deal of manpower and resources to the construction of Tongguan City. Tongguan City is the most important work that Prince Fusu left in Guanzhong."

"Throughout this journey, what I have seen most are people."

The emperor spoke slowly and in a low voice, and Li Si listened quietly with his head down.

“I remember that there weren’t so many people or houses in Guanzhong before. Twenty years ago, Weibei was still a desolate place. You could walk from Weibei to Weinan for thousands of miles without seeing a single person. They said it was because the weather was too cold and people were staying indoors to hibernate. I was young then and I really believed them.”

"Li Si, look now. Coming from the north of the Wei River, there are houses in clusters and fields stretching as far as the eye can see. How much better Guanzhong has become! There are more people in Guanzhong now, and there is life even in winter. There are villages every six miles and counties every ten miles. The population of both the north and south of the Wei River is abundant. With Guanzhong like this, I am at ease."

The emperor's words came through the carriage curtain, and Li Si knelt on the carriage shaft, quietly bowing his head.

“I know this is Fusu’s hard work. These things couldn’t have been done without you, Li Si. Over the years, you, Zhang Cang, and Wang Ben have all suffered a lot. If Fusu were here, he would probably say that the people here have a hard life.”

Li Si said, "I have done all this willingly."

(End of this chapter)