The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 343 Liu Fei's Farewell
In the eyes of the students, Xu Fu had white hair and beard, and was still very thin, but his eyes were still very bright.

"There are no fairy mountains or immortals overseas..."

Xu Fu said this, and that concludes today's lesson.

The students started discussing it again, while many other students were listening outside the school building.

Xu Fu repeatedly emphasized that there were no immortal mountains or immortals overseas, but students always asked him the same question.

Xu Fu would repeat the story over and over again.

Looking at the children before him, Xu Fu packed up his books and turned to leave the study.

Children always have fantasies; in their minds, overseas must be a wonderful place, and some students even make plans to go to sea together.

Xu Fu felt he had made himself perfectly clear: there was nothing overseas; once your ships had sailed far enough, all you would see was the boundless sea. Your water supply would be your only guarantee of survival, and you would have to be very careful with your food supplies.

When a person is starving to the extreme, it is already quite remarkable that they can still uphold their humanity.

Therefore, Xu Fu did not encourage these students to go to sea, and he would never go to sea again in his life.

In one corner of Tongguan City, there was another set of residences, which the prefect had allocated to many scholars.

Many of them were scholars. The scholars of the Great Qin were a very special group. They did not participate in state affairs and spent most of their time teaching here.

The emperor established the Academy of Scholars in Xianyang, which was converted from the former Academy of Doctors. It is said that no one lives there to this day.

Being a scholar is an honor, unrelated to official rank, but one will be supported by the Qin court for life.

Xu Fu stayed there. After arriving at his residence, he asked someone to cook him a bowl of noodles and a clove of garlic.

About half a month ago, when he had just arrived in Xianyang, Xu Fu couldn't eat anything, especially the smell of fish made him want to vomit.

Xu Fu's favorite food now is a bowl of noodles and a clove of garlic. This is the most comfortable way to have a hearty meal.

When Fan Zeng, who was a neighbor, passed by, he saw Xu Fu eating noodles and said, "I heard that the students who want to listen to your lectures have filled the study, and there are people even outside the study."

Xu Fu was still chewing noodles and did not reply immediately.

Fan Zeng sat to the side and said in a low voice, "I am different. There are only a dozen or so students who listen to my lectures. Speaking of the State of Chu..."

After a pause, Fan Zeng sighed and continued, "The children just want to know what the ancient Chu Kingdom was like. Once they know, that's all they'll know. They just want to know."

Xu Fu, still chewing garlic, replied, "There are still people who don't believe what I'm saying."

Fan Zeng stroked his beard, remaining silent for a moment. Only after Huan Chu returned with a bowl of noodles did he begin to eat.

Xu Fu was stunned for a moment when he saw Huan Chu.

"Huan Chu has met Magistrate Xu; it has been many years since we last met."

Xu Fu then remembered that he had met Huan Chu before.

Fan Zeng said in a low voice, "He went out again after returning, and only came back now."

Xu Fu replied knowingly, "It's been a long time."

In fact, Xu Fu knew what had happened in Chu, but he was still somewhat surprised to see Huan Chu, though he didn't ask any further questions.

After Fan Zeng finished eating the noodles, he led Huan Chu back to his residence.

Inside the room, Fan Zeng asked, "Have you seen Xiang Yu?"

Huan Chu nodded and said, "I have seen him. He is currently in Chu, but he has not come forward to acknowledge me."

Fan Zeng stroked his short beard and said, "Actually, Xiang Yu was a very good boy. He was brave, persevering, and trustworthy."

Huan Chu lowered his head, "But he happens to be Xiang Liang's nephew."

Fan Zeng asked, "Why don't you leave with Xiang Yu?"

"Students want to take care of their teachers."

Fan Zeng snorted coldly, "Heh, there are plenty of people in Tongguan City who can take care of this old man."

Huan Chu sighed, “Even if I were to acknowledge Xiang Yu, I don’t want him to live with guilt towards me. It makes me very uncomfortable. Rather than that, I would rather not acknowledge him and live out my days in Tongguan to care for my teacher.”

Fan Zeng looked at the scroll in his hand and did not reply.

Huan Chu said in a low voice, "I was doing hard labor by the Great Wall when I met Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu was also pondering a question: Was rebelling against Qin really the right thing to do?"

Fan Zeng slowly said, "Even if you seize some land by rebelling against Qin, it will only lead to an endless war. What if Ying Zheng and Li Si had ordered the massacre of the nobles of the six states?"

Huan Chu replied, "There might not be Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu then."

"I've been in Tongguan for a few years now, um... I can't remember." Fan Zeng shook his head and said, "But there are documents from Zhangtai Palace recorded in Tongguan. At that time, the emperor said to Li Si, 'Can we kill all the former people of the six states who are rebelling against Qin? Can we arrest them all?'"

"Ying Zheng left behind the old nobles of the six states, but gave them the opportunity to rebel against Qin. However, Ying Zheng knew that if the six states were not unified, the blood shed by Qin in the east would be in vain. Therefore, Qin wanted to unify the six states and abolish the wars caused by the enfeoffment system."

Huan Chu replied, "Does the teacher mean that Qin is right?"

Fan Zeng said, "Was Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin just right? Even if Prince Dan of Yan killed King Zheng of Qin, was it to uphold justice for the six states? Heh... Prince Dan of Yan was just trying to give the assassination a good reputation; it was just Prince Dan of Yan's resentment towards King Zheng of Qin."

“Jing Ke died, but his death wasn’t so heroic; rather, it was quite tragic. He didn’t even know the meaning of his assassination attempt on the King of Qin before he died.” Fan Zeng continued, “Then how do you compare Xiang Liang to Jing Ke?”

Huan Chu said in a low voice, "This student does not understand."

Fan Zeng continued, "Lang once said that the Qin army that marched eastward was nothing special. Those Qin soldiers were all children raised by the blood and sweat of the old farmers in Guanzhong. Back then, the children of the six states in the Central Plains were all the same. So, was Xiang Liang's rebellion against Qin for his own sake or for the sake of the Chu people?"

Huan Chu bowed to his teacher again. Fan Zeng continued, "The students of Tongguan City have long understood that self-respecting people will learn to protect themselves, and they will be able to distinguish right from wrong. You don't need to think too much or be confused. Just wait and see what happens in the future."

Huan Chu nodded.

In April of the sixth year of the reign of Emperor Xin of Qin, Prince Heng returned to Yongcheng and saw his uncle Gao once again.

Uncle Gao is married and has children.

Heng walked up to the top of Yongcheng City and stood next to his uncle Gao.

Gongzi Gao glanced at the young master, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "You're taller than me now."

Heng's current appearance is almost exactly the same as his brother's back then, which makes Gao feel somewhat dazed.

"Uncle is joking. I'm still a bit shorter than you."

As they were talking, seeing Heng reach out to compare, Gongzi Gao stopped him and said, "Seeing is believing, you are taller than me."

Heng said, "I said I could still fit into last year's clothes, so my mother didn't prepare any summer clothes for me this year."

Seeing that his uncle was bowing his head and not speaking, his expression seemed somewhat heavy.

Heng asked, "Uncle?"

Gao snapped out of her reverie, sniffed her slightly sore nose, and explained, "I remembered something."

As Gao led his nephew along the city wall of Yongcheng, he said to him, "When your grandfather was the King of Qin, Qin went to war in the east, and many young Qin people left. At that time, many families in Guanzhong missed their sons who went far away to fight. Some people would write letters, and some would send summer or winter clothes to them."

“But some people died in battle, and some never came back. The letters, clothes and belongings were left at Hangu Pass. Others might not care if they saw them, but I read all those letters.”

Heng felt a lump in his throat as he sensed his uncle's emotions.

Gao asked, "How have you been lately?"

“My nephew has recently been studying politics with the Right Chancellor at the Imperial Censorate, and in his spare time he goes to Weibei to help Xiao He.”

"Those who are close to the Right Chancellor are the Minister of Justice Feng Jie and Chen Ping."

"Yes."

"Besides teaching you politics, they also teach you how to treat people and how to deal with them?"

“I’ve heard some of it.”

Gao nodded. This nephew was too sensible. He didn't want him to be too kind. It was good to let him see the other side of people's hearts.

Gao felt that his elder brother was the person he respected most in his life, and even now, the words his brother had taught him are still true.

After leaving Yongcheng, on the day when Qin was about to enter the summer heat, Prince Heng arrived in Jingyang north of the Wei River.

In Jingyang County, Liu Fei, carrying a bundle, bowed and said, "Young Master."

Liu Fei was originally a teacher at the Imperial Academy and also held a military post. He carried a sword at his waist and led a horse.

"Liu Fei, where are you going?"

"Young master, I'm going home."

"go home?"

Seeing that Gongzi Heng was surprised, Liu Fei explained, "I have already said goodbye to Uncle Xiao He and Uncle Cao Shen."

Gongzi Heng took out a bronze token and handed it to him, saying, "This is my imperial censor's token. With this token, you can move freely in all the counties of Guanzhong."

Liu Fei cupped his hands and said, "Your subject has received the Master's order."

"That's true." Heng sighed and took back his bronze token. He then looked at the chestnut horse that Liu Fei had led out, patted its neck, and said, "I'll be waiting for you to come back in Xianyang."

Liu Fei bowed once more.

As Liu Fei led his horse past him, he pressed on, asking, "Will you come to Xianyang to take up a post in the future?"

Liu Fei did not answer immediately. He simply mounted his horse, waved, and rode away.

Heng looked back again and saw that Cao Can was already standing at the entrance of the county government, wiping away tears.

"The child went back after all. Liu Ji, you are truly blessed."

Heng saw Cao Can muttering to himself and suddenly smiled, saying, "Magistrate Cao, where is the Prefect?"

Cao Shen bowed and explained, "I've gone to Sanyuan County."

Upon hearing this, Heng also turned and headed towards Sanyuan County.

Sanyuan County is located north of Xianyang, and borders Jingyang County to the west.

It used to belong to Beidi Commandery, but after several relocations, it became Sanyuan County.

Heng saw Xiao He sitting by the canal, with several old farmers standing beside him.

As always, Xiao He personally took charge of everything, and this area north of the Wei River was almost entirely built by Xiao He alone.

After Xiao He finished discussing the canal repair with the others, he turned around and saw the young master. He bowed and said, "Young master."

Heng said, "Liu Fei is gone."

(End of this chapter)