The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 316 Observing the County Residents

This time, a village woman came to file a complaint, and Chen Ping went to question her in a menacing manner, and Heng also went to the county government.

The county government originally didn't have many staff, but this time it became lively because of the arrival of Imperial Censor Chen Ping.

Chen Ping offered his seat, saying, "Young master, please have a seat."

Heng said, "Imperial Censor Chen, please sit. I'll stand."

Chen Ping then said, "Young Master, please sit down. I dare not let you stand."

"I'll just stand here."

Seeing that the young master's tone had become more serious, Chen Ping smiled knowingly, then sat down and let the magistrate of Lantian County explain the cause of the matter to the old woman in front of him.

Gongzi Heng heard that the cause of the matter was that their jujube tree had grown into someone else's yard, and the two families were separated by a wall.

Because the two houses were right next to each other, you could reach out and pick the old woman's dates.

The old woman told her township head about the matter, but the township head ignored her, so she appealed to the county magistrate, and now she has appealed to the imperial censor.

They argued from morning until afternoon, and just as one issue was resolved, another one came up.

Heng listened patiently until evening before following Chen Ping out of Lantian County.

The local magistrate was still smiling obsequiously as he saw them off.

Chen Ping asked, "Young master, are you hungry?"

Heng snapped out of his daze and said, "I brought some dry rations."

Chen Ping first sent the county magistrate back, and then sat in the carriage with the young master.

As the sun set, a chilly wind blew in gusts.

Heng said, "I didn't expect that Imperial Censor Chen's matter would be so difficult to handle?"

Chen Ping said, "It's not difficult to handle. All we need to do is ensure fairness. Just like that old woman who preferred to cut down the jujube tree rather than suffer a loss, I didn't actually do much. As long as the people of the county feel it's fair, then it's fine."

At this point, Chen Ping continued, "What you may have heard in the Xianyang Palace was the grand principles of governing the country, but what I have seen in the various counties is all these trivial matters, such as a duck, a chicken, or even a piece of land that has been measured incorrectly."

Seeing that the young master remained silent, Chen Ping continued, "I came once last year, and I have come again this year. There are some things in each county that I cannot resolve. I can only try to appease them until the anger of the people in the other county subsides. Because the emperor once issued an order that if the counties are not governed well, the people of the county can appeal to the Censorate or the Prime Minister's Office."

"The matter here is simple in a way. To the young master, it may just be a chicken or a jujube tree, but to the people of the county, it may be their only possessions."

Chen Ping paused, his eyes filled with a sense of vicissitude, and looked into the distance, saying, "Most people in this world are like this. The land in front of their own house and the grain in their house are all they have. How could they dare to have even a little less? They really wouldn't dare."

"For you, young master, governing the country, waging war, or ensuring the smooth implementation of government orders are all important matters that may bring victory and more tax revenue to the country. But for the common people, these important national affairs are too far removed from their lives."

"The Emperor has repeatedly said that he should pay more attention to the county government and that it is essential to take good care of it. This is because the Emperor knows that no matter how complicated the affairs of the country are, they cannot be separated from the people's well-being. Some people say that the Emperor only cares about taxes, population and military service. In my opinion, what the Emperor values ​​most is the lives of the common people. Only when the common people live better can the county live well."

Chen Ping patted Heng on the shoulder and whispered, "Young master, don't think that the old woman or anyone else is bothering us with their trivial matters. We should listen to them more. Their annoying little things, like a dispute over half an acre of land, a tree, or a chicken and a bushel of grain, are actually all they have."

As they talked, Heng became somewhat moved and whispered, "Heng has learned something."

Chen Ping said, "I don't know how to teach you, but the Right Chancellor has instructed you to come with me on this trip."

"Okay, where do we go next?"

Chen Ping said, "Linwei County."

Gongzi Heng said solemnly, "Back then, I met Lou Jing in the Hexi Corridor. Lou Jing said that you, Chen Ping, are a cunning and treacherous villain."

The car was quiet for a moment.

Heng then said, "Now I don't think so. Imperial Censor Chen is a good person."

"Hehehe..." Chen Ping laughed awkwardly, with a faint sound of teeth grinding.

Linwei County is located in the southwest of Weinan Prefecture. It is a newly established county in Guanzhong. The people here are all gathered from a previously scattered township. It is adjacent to Lantian County and Dali County to the north.

In the past, a lot of laborers and resources were used to build Linwei County.

As you drive into the county, you'll see that the houses are relatively new and the roads paved with gravel are relatively smooth.

This county is relatively quiet, with few people moving around, except for some elderly people sitting here.

Chen Ping inquired with the elderly people here and learned that most of the people from Linwei County had gone to work in Jingye County and would not return until night. As for the children, they had all gone to Tongguan to study.

Heng looked at this peaceful county, which was much quieter than the noisy Lantian County.

Chen Ping explained, "I'll say something that you might not like, but once most people go to the workshops, the county administration will be much more relaxed."

Heng nodded. Although Linwei County is a new county in Guanzhong, several counties in Weinan are doing relatively well.

Because of a habit instilled by his father when he was young, Hengxi took notes and followed Chen Ping along the way, recording what he saw and heard.

It allows you to see the best and worst in each county, and to understand the problems people face in their lives.

Heng then saw an old man carrying water. His home was quite far from the Wei River, and he had to carry water back and forth several times a day.

Heng wrote down everything that happened here.

As snow fell once again in Guanzhong, Chen Ping continued to tour the counties with Gongzi Heng.

It was snowing heavily that day. Chen Ping led Gongzi Heng out of Hangu Pass and arrived at Sanchuan County.

When Heng Yuan looked at Luoyang City, which was under renovation, he explained that the city had been under construction for many years but was still not finished. The reason given was that too few laborers were being used to repair Luoyang City.

Since the unification of the six kingdoms, national development has slowed down, corvée labor has decreased, and the age for military service has been lowered.

People were living a more peaceful life, which should have meant a more tranquil life, perhaps even a better one, but their lives seemed to remain just as impoverished.

The Right Chancellor ordered Chen Ping to inspect the counties in Guanzhong, but even if Chen Ping left the counties in Guanzhong and came to Sanchuan County for inspection, there would be no major problem.

Because Chen Ping was originally from Sanchuan County.

Heng followed Chen Ping to a mountain, where they saw a stone house.

Chen Ping pushed open the old wooden door of the stone house and smelled a musty odor.

Whose residence is this?

Upon hearing Heng's question, Chen Ping replied, "This used to be Zhang Liang's residence."

"Zhang Liang? The Zhang Liang who wanted to rebel against the Qin Dynasty?"

“Yes.” Chen Ping sat down by the stone house and said, “He hasn’t come back all these years.”

Here, Chen Ping spoke with Gongzi Heng about Zhang Liang's deeds and how Zhang Liang was determined to rebel against Qin and fight against the Qin army.

These stories circulated in Sanchuan County back then, and as a native of Sanchuan County, how could Chen Ping not have heard of them? Heng asked, "Is Zhang Liang still alive?"

Chen Ping said, "He's still alive, isn't he?"

Where is he?

"I don't know either."

Chen Ping had a guess in his heart, but it remained just a guess, and he did not tell the young master.

Winter has officially arrived in the Central Plains, and despite the heavy snowfall, villages with smoke rising from their chimneys still dot the banks of the Luo River.

Chen Ping led the young master to his former residence, a place so dilapidated it defied description.

This was hardly a home; the walls were all broken, and even the roof had collapsed and rotted on the ground, with only the door frame still holding it up.

“If it weren’t for this official robe, I would be a nobody.”

Heng once again admired Chen Ping.

Feeling the young master's admiring gaze, Chen Ping knew it would be impossible for him not to feel proud.

Afterwards, Chen Ping took Heng to his elder brother and sister-in-law's house.

Upon seeing that Chen Ping had returned, his elder brother and sister-in-law greeted him warmly. When they learned that the young man who had come with Chen Ping was the current emperor's son, they were even more apprehensive and bowed deeply in respect.

Heng followed Chen Ping to Sanchuan County, where he learned about Chen Ping's past.

From a young age, Gongzi Heng was taught by Shusun Tong, and what he learned there was all about guiding people toward goodness.

But following Chen Ping and meeting people from various counties, some good and some bad, Chen Ping explained why some people were bad and some were good.

What Chen Ping taught can be summarized in Heng's theory as being about the human heart.

Human nature has both a good and a bad side. In Chen Ping's view, Gongzi Heng can be a kind person, but he also needs to face the evil in people.

These days, the young master has been staying temporarily in Sanchuan County, and often hangs out with Chen Ping at various banquets.

People celebrated the harvest in winter, a time when food and drink were most plentiful.

During these banquets, Chen Ping would always receive praise from some of the old people from Sanchuan County. Some said that Chen Ping was extraordinary in his youth, others said that Chen Ping would definitely become an official in the Prime Minister's office, and still others said that Chen Ping would become the next Prime Minister of the Great Qin.

Chen Ping beat up the person who said that.

Prime Minister Li Si was extremely important to the Qin Dynasty, and his influence would continue under the laws of standardizing writing and cart axles.

After all, the current emperor has not appointed another prime minister, and he knows the relationship between the emperor and the prime minister well. Anyone who dares to say such a thing would be harming Chen Ping.

So, Chen Ping beating up the person who said that was actually a very polite thing to do.

Heng observed the people at the banquet for a long time, taking in their appearance.

After the banquet ended and the guests had all left, Chen Ping would tell Gongzi Heng about the other side of these people.

Chen Ping patiently taught the young master, helping him understand the evil in people's hearts.

Only by understanding the evil in people's hearts can Gongzi Heng learn to protect himself in future interactions with others.

I stayed in Sanchuan County for a month. The wind and snow would sometimes stop and sometimes fall, and the sky would sometimes be sunny and sometimes rainy.

Guilin County sent a lot of oranges, and the officials sent people to deliver the oranges to Sanchuan County.

These are all tangerines unique to Guilin Prefecture. Heng ate the tangerines while writing letters to his father, the Emperor, and the Right Chancellor.

In his letter to his father, Heng wrote about his observations and experiences during the inspection tour, as well as his own insights. In fact, Lou Jing was right; Chen Ping was indeed a bad person, otherwise he wouldn't have been so aware of the evil in people's hearts. However, everything Chen Ping did was for the good of the country.

In his letter to the Right Chancellor, he mostly sent greetings, inquired about the Right Chancellor's health, and had some tangerines delivered to the Right Chancellor. He also recounted his experiences and observations along the way with Chen Ping.

After writing them, Heng put the two letters into two leather bags and had them sent to Xianyang.

Today, it snowed heavily again in Sanchuan County, and Chen Ping went to see a township head.

Heng and several guards arrived in Luoyang. The former Luoyi was no more; the houses had been demolished and replaced by the city walls.

These days, Heng Zong personally came to see the construction of Luoyang City, just to relax.

A few days later, Heng received another letter from his elder brother Zhang Jing. Zhang Jing had gone to take up a post on the northwestern border and was also given the order to teach at the Imperial Academy. From then on, he taught in the army while guarding the border.

He also helped Shejian expand Wuwei County into Wuwei Prefecture and build Zhangye County to the west.

In the future, the Hexi Corridor will be structured as one prefecture and two counties.

"I wonder when we'll meet again after Brother Zhang Jing's departure."

The generals who guarded the border were different from those who served in the military. The generals were all dispatched by the Grand Commandant's Office, and if they did not have a transfer order, they might have to guard the border for their entire lives.

However, generals could also request permission to leave the border and visit their families.

It requires the approval of the Prime Minister's Office, the Grand Commandant's Office, and the Emperor; the process is very complicated.

The transfer of a general is crucial to the stability of the border army. When Grand Commandant Meng Wu passed away, Meng Tian was still guarding the Great Wall and could not go home to see the old Grand Commandant one last time.

Given these precedents, very few Qin generals actually volunteered to leave the border.

The border defense in the northwest is not too harsh, nor is it as bitter and cold as others say. Heng has personally been to the border in the northwest, so he knows what the northwest is like. After the Qin army took control of the entire Hexi Corridor, they built Wuwei County, and merchants from the Western Regions came and went in an endless stream. In fact, the Hexi Corridor is very wealthy.

Heng also firmly believes that the Hexi Corridor will become more prosperous in the future.

Heng looked at Zhang Jing's letter. He had met with the emperor before leaving, and the emperor had asked him to plant more trees in the northwest.

Upon returning to his residence in Sanchuan County, Heng told Chen Ping about his elder brother Zhang Jing.

Chen Ping said, "The emperor has always had a principle in his personnel selection: if the fathers serve in Xianyang or Guanzhong, their sons must go to the border or be transferred to a more distant place. Zhang Han is the current Inner Minister, so his son naturally cannot serve in Guanzhong."

Heng said, "That's good too. If he stayed in Xianyang, his talents would be buried."

In Heng's opinion, Zhang Jing is very talented, and he excels in both literary and military affairs. A person like him should be sent to build up the border to make the most of his abilities.

After reading the letter, Chen Ping hesitated and said, "Zhang Jing went to the northwest to guard the border, and he also took ten thousand border troops with him."

"Ah."

Heng nodded as he ate the tangerine.

Chen Ping looked suspicious. "The emperor is reducing troops in various regions, but is he only sending reinforcements to the northwest?"

(End of this chapter)