The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 260 Qilian Snow Mountain
After learning the other party's identity, Qingbi led him into the house.

The master craftsman's house wasn't actually that big; a couple also lived there.

The man stepped forward and asked, "Who is this?"

Qingbi explained, "He is Chen Ping, Ju's friend."

The burly man looked at Chen Ping and said, "I am Ju's elder brother."

Chen Ping bowed politely again.

Later, during his conversation with the other party, Chen Ping mentioned Ju's time in the Hexi Corridor in the Northwest. Qingbi said, "That time, after he came back, he talked about you. He also said that Brother Chen Ping is a very capable person."

Chen Ping then spoke with the other party for a while.

It wasn't until the day after Chen Ping left that Qingbi learned the visitor was now the Imperial Censor.

After Qu Su, the anti-Qin criminal, left, all that was left was to wait for news.

It may take a year to receive this news, or it may only take six months.

"One must be patient when using stratagems," Chen Ping replied to the Minister of Justice, Feng Jie.

The emperor's western tour has lasted for half a year. During this time, Guanzhong has remained busy. Prince Fusu ordered the counties in Guanzhong to carry out another round of population relocation.

This migration led to a greater concentration of population and farmland in Guanzhong.

When the population is concentrated, people's productivity and government orders can be implemented more effectively.

With more concentrated farmland, irrigation efficiency can be improved, dry land can be separated from paddy fields, and crops can be categorized.

In the Hexi Corridor, at the foot of the Qilian Mountains, the emperor's carriage arrived at this place and stayed temporarily.

Li Si was preparing to climb Mount Qilian with the emperor, but when he saw the letter from Guanzhong, he realized that Prince Fusu was not someone who would let the people rest.

In the prince's view, not only should the people not be allowed to rest, but more of their strength should be mobilized.

Those in power should further centralize authority.

The strength of the people is the foundation of a country. The success of Shangyan Mountain and Weinan proves that the creation of a prosperous life is never the fantasy or dream of those in power, but the result of the sweat and hard work of countless ordinary people.

This world has never been a place where those in power can simply sit back and reap the rewards of others' labor by saying they want the people to rest.

If Prince Fusu truly believed in allowing the people to rest and recuperate, then the prince or the ministers of the prime minister's office could indeed have chosen not to build the Great Wall, not to defend against the Xiongnu, and allowed the old nobles of the six states to continue to cause trouble, without having to manage floods, reclaim wasteland, maintain a large army, or fight the Xiongnu.

And then, in that environment, to fantasize that the country will get better and better?
Ever since he became prime minister, Li Si has hated those who advocate stopping corvée labor, reducing taxes, and halting military service.

They are not in positions of authority, nor are they the ones governing the country.

Li Si was also very glad that he hadn't listened to those people's advice back then.

Upon receiving the letter from his disciple Wu Gong and learning of the changes in Guanzhong, Li Si was very pleased, knowing that Prince Fusu had been doing what he believed was right.

As for what people will say in the future, that's irrelevant.

The emperor unified the six kingdoms, unified the south, won a great victory in the northern expedition, and standardized the written language and cart axles throughout the land.

As for those Shandong PhDs who insist on arguing right and wrong, who can't live without right and wrong, then let them be.

As the emperor and Prince Fusu said, there are too many people in the world who oppose Qin to be caught or killed.

At least the world now has a Qin Dynasty, a unified nation.

At least, Li Si went from studying hard in his youth to feeling dejected in middle age, and then to becoming the prime minister of Qin.

Compared to the students of the Jixia Academy back then, Li Si's life was fulfilling.

These days, Li Si is trying to change himself, trying to adapt to no longer paying attention to state affairs, and starting to chat with his peers about everyday things. He even went fishing with General Zhang Han.

Li Si, whose hair and beard were all white, often stood by the river, watching a flock of water birds perch on the bank. He always wondered why he couldn't catch any fish, and even once doubted that there were no fish at all in the river.

But if there are no fish, how will the water birds find a place to roost? When Li Si saw a water bird carrying a bright white fish, he was always puzzled and once felt that his fishing rod was useless.

After giving up his hobby of fishing, Li Si often played chess with Lou Jing, the magistrate of Wuwei County.

Lou Jing was a very boring person, and his chess skills were just as bad.

Afterwards, Li Si even often discussed the beauties of the Western Regions with General Shejian. People from the Western Regions would often send the most beautiful women from the Western Regions to the Hexi Corridor.

"Prime Minister, it's time to climb the mountain."

Li Si put away the letter in his hand and his previous thoughts. He quickly walked outside and saw that Zhang Han had arranged a large army to firmly surround the foot of the mountain. The Qin army was stationed on both sides of the mountain road. Even if a bird tried to disturb the emperor's ascent, it would be shot down mercilessly by the Qin army.

Together with the emperor, they stepped onto the stone steps and walked up the mountain step by step.

Li Si recalled his experience climbing Mount Tai, during which he was unable to walk for almost three days after descending, a memory still vivid in his mind. Fortunately, the Qilian Mountains are not very high these days.

It was just the time of year when autumn was approaching in the Hexi Corridor. The wind was strong on the Qilian Mountains, and further west, one could see snow-capped peaks all year round. It was another long and arduous journey.

Li Si glanced at Zhang Han walking beside him, gritted his teeth, and followed the emperor's footsteps.

Since climbing Mount Tai, Li Si had not walked such a long mountain path in a long time.

After walking for an hour, the group sat down to rest on the mountain. Ying Zheng took a sip of water and said, "Li Si, can you still climb up with me?"

Li Si looked up at the distant snow-capped peaks and said, "Yes."

"Alright." Ying Zheng handed him the water and said, "No matter how far I go, you will follow me."

"I accept your order."

Ying Zheng smiled silently.

After resting for a while, the emperor and the prime minister continued climbing the snow-capped mountain.

It is said that men over fifty are still the main labor force in farming families, but Li Si aged faster than the emperor, and his hair turned whiter.

When they reached the mountainside of the Qilian Mountains and looked down from there, Ying Zheng said, "Li Si, look."

Li Si leaned on a tree branch he had somehow acquired as a cane, following the emperor's gaze. To the north of the Qilian Mountains lay a valley, lush with vegetation, crisscrossed by rivers, dotted with flocks of sheep, a newly constructed road, a few houses, and three large cities.

The entire valley is long and narrow, looking like a corridor guarded by two large mountains.

Ying Zheng said, "Why would Fusu name this place Hexi Corridor? That child has never been here before."

Li Si said, "Young Master, you can find this place just by looking at the map. Back then, you planned for the Hexi Corridor for many years. Now, this valley really does look like a corridor. Your name is quite good."

The emperor and the prime minister talked about the past, while Zhang Han stood aside without saying much, but instead recalled many past events.

From the moment Wang Ben sent rhinoceros armor to the Hexi Corridor to exchange for warhorses with the Western Rong people, Prince Fusu began to scheme against the Hexi Corridor, like a child eyeing his toy for many years.

In the past, the Western Rong, Yuezhi, or Xiongnu people would often come to the Qilian Mountains and perform sacrifices facing east in the mountains.

When the emperor walked on this sacrificial platform, there was a valley on the other side of the platform where the bones of the sacrificial animals could be seen.

Ying Zheng looked at it and said, "Was this made by the Xiongnu?"

Zhang Han replied, “In the Xiongnu language, the Qilian Mountains are their sacred mountains. Back then, the Yuezhi people and a part of the Xiongnu people built a small country called the Black Water Kingdom. The Black Water Kingdom wanted to call the Qilian Mountains sacred mountains. The year-round snow was their source of water, which sustained their livestock and allowed grass to grow on the land.”

“In the past, the Xiongnu Chanyu would return here every year to offer sacrifices. The crowns of the Yuezhi people were also engraved with the words of the Qilian Mountains. They faced the east of the Qilian Mountains to worship. In the following ten years, this place was cut off by the Xiongnu Chanyu Modu. The Yuezhi people could only offer sacrifices at Mazong Mountain. In the Yuezhi language, the Qilian Mountains are called Tengri, which is the Heavenly Father Mountain of the Yuezhi people.”

Ying Zheng said, "Bury this pit, smash this altar, and build the Qin army's command platform here."

Zhang Han bowed and said, "Your subject obeys."

As the emperor was about to leave, Li Si followed him and looked back at Zhang Han.

Among the many generals Li Si knew, one of the most learned and talented was Meng Tian, ​​and now there was another, Zhang Han.

Once Zhang Han caught up, Li Si whispered, "Does the General know anything about the Xiongnu?"

Zhang Han said, "Back then, I had a strategist named Chen Ping. He spent many years associating with people from the Western Regions and heard about this matter. I also heard about it. This Chen Ping was good at making friends, and he always used these things to show off his achievements to me."

Li Si walked on and said, "The general has done a good job. Although Qin can stop the Xiongnu and Yuezhi from coming to Qilian Mountain to offer sacrifices, their Tengri will still remain in their hearts."

Zhang Han nodded and remained silent.

As a general, one must be mindful of one's words. When faced with Li Si's questions, one should remain silent if one cannot say too much.

Li Si was a politically astute but ruthless man. This prime minister would erase the patriarchal traditions of the Qi-Lu scholars and the identity of the Yue people, nipping any signs of division in the bud.

Now, when the Prime Minister mentioned Tengri of the Yuezhi people, Zhang Han felt that the Prime Minister's words had gone too far, and that it was unrealistic to want to eliminate Tengri in the hearts of the Yuezhi people.

Just as Meng Tian swept away the Xiongnu in the northern desert but retreated to the southern desert, even if the people of the Central Plains occupied the north, they could not live like the Xiongnu. Qin could educate the former Western Rong people and turn them into farmers who cultivate the fields.

But the people of the Central Plains could not leave their fields and go north to live like the Xiongnu.

Meng Tian's approach was correct. The Central Plains could not do without arable land and the grain grown there. Once they lost their land, the people of the Central Plains would have no choice but to flee.

Therefore, after clearing the northern desert, Qin troops were stationed there, but the people were not relocated.

Now, Tengri is the belief that keeps the Yuezhi people alive. As long as the Yuezhi people are herders, they will continue to believe in Tengri.

The borderlands are not the Central Plains, and the Prime Minister's methods may not be applicable there.

Zhang Han did not reveal his thoughts, but continued walking on the mountain path.

(End of this chapter)