Pre-Qin Mythology: Starting with the River God

Chapter 92 Qu Xia, Quan Ming, and He Zhi

Uh!

Xiong Zi was stunned; he opened his eyes in astonishment.

This is completely different from what he learned from Qu Xia—yet, in his heart, a king should indeed act this way!

this----

Xiong Zi's expression turned solemn, and he bowed respectfully: "His Majesty once spoke to me about the wisdom of Lord Zhaoyang and Mo'ao. His Majesty said: Mo'ao's wisdom lies in what he asked for last night, while Lord Zhaoyang's wisdom lies in what he needs tomorrow—"

"Both of them can solve the current difficulties."

"Your Majesty inquired about his wealth; is he wise?"

"Now I hear—"

"Last night's request was for something that was not resolved yesterday, leaving behind a difficult problem, which is only being resolved today—by doing what is difficult."

"The needs of the future are only considered after today's affairs have been resolved. Only then can we look at the needs of the future. Today we have some free time—to prepare for a rainy day."

Faced with Xiong Zi's flattery, or perhaps to be honest, Quan Ming had not yet truly understood this son of the Chu King's direct line due to their short contact, but this did not prevent him from scrutinizing the other party with great interest.

An interesting young man.

Although influenced by Qu Xia in terms of strategy, he was still quick-witted enough.

Moreover, it's not about blindly adhering to rituals!

Yes.

礼！

Qu Xia taught Xiong Zi, but Xiong Zi did not blindly respect his teacher; he could understand reason.

Reasonable, adaptable, and possessing independent will —

Such a young master.

Quan Ming still approves, or rather, is satisfied.

Therefore, he also planned to tease the young master Xiong Zi, who was roughly the same age as him, and also to suppress Qu Xia.

Quan Ming stated bluntly: "That Qu Xia—if the country is in trouble, he can die for his country; if his family is in trouble, he can die for his family; if the young master is in trouble, he can die in the line of duty—"

"But if his family and his son are both in danger, he will die for his family."

Xiong Yu:

'

He remained unmoved by Quan Ming's words, even though he already knew that Quan Ming was superior to Qu Xia when it came to strategy and policy.

However, Qu Xia was also talented.

Moreover, he was taught many rare pieces of knowledge. No matter how well he understood the principles, he could not possibly disregard the proper etiquette between teachers and students.

Therefore, he said, "Qu Xia is the head of the Qu clan, and the Qu clan has cultivated countless talented people for the Chu state. The clan is like a pillar of the Chu state. In comparison, I admit that my wealth cannot be compared with theirs."

"If we were to place the death of the Qu family on the same level as my safety..."

"I too choose to yield."

Upon hearing this, Quan Ming nodded again.

Loyalty and righteousness —

Although he knew how to be flexible, he was not a treacherous or profit-driven person. Like Xiong Tong, he held a high position but also possessed compassion.

This is not a bad thing.

However, Quan Ming continued, "Then may I ask, young master Zi, do you know—if the country were in trouble, or your family were in trouble, how would Qu Xia choose?"

Xiong Zi's heart skipped a beat.

He opened his mouth to say: "Of course, it's for the country."

Slowly, Xiong Zi suppressed his hesitation and said, "Mo Ao will certainly prioritize the nation!"

Mo Ao?

Rather than a flaw—

Quan Ming already knows Xiong Zi's true answer.

—I don't know—

However, as a prince of Chu, and in his presence, he could not answer in such a way, so he gave a vague answer.

This is also why Quan Ming dislikes Qu Xia.

It's not about prioritizing family over country; it's a difficult question that even Quan Ming himself couldn't answer.

What he disapproved of was that Qu Xia lacked the wisdom to avoid the choice of saving only one person when both his family and country were in peril—yes, Qu Xia could only save one.

What Quan Ming admires is someone who can save the country while also saving his family—the Qu family is no longer a small family; it has become an important pillar of the Chu state. If, under the leadership of Qu Xia, who is both a Mo'ao and a clan leader, the Qu family and the Chu state are allowed to reach that point—one of them must die. Ha, how can one sweep the world if one cannot even sweep one's own house? His wisdom is not worth mentioning!

Of course, this was not the time to say this to Xiong Zi.

The other party is not the King of Chu—he doesn't stand high enough to see the truth, nor can he make a decision; knowing this is just asking for trouble.

There's no need to bother the other person too much.

Just that one sentence, "Mo Ao will always put the country first," was enough to keep the other person up all night.

"Very well, let's say Mo Ao prioritizes the country."

Quan Ming smiled faintly.

The conversation then shifted back to the matter of the ceremonial service.

Without giving Xiong Zi a chance to demonstrate his strategy, Quan Ming, having already declared that he would lead the way, naturally did not stand on ceremony and directly made a decision: "Regarding the matter of corvée labor, I request that you, my lord, prepare sufficient rations and add some mung beans to relieve fatigue and cool the body—now that summer has arrived, the heat and fatigue are like a soft knife; if you provide mung bean drinks after labor, the people will naturally appreciate your virtue."

"in this way----"

"It can relieve fatigue and aid in the project."

"It can also spread virtue to reassure the people."

"6

"In addition, a physician should be brought along so that any accidental injuries can be treated immediately."

"Furthermore, you can take some rice from your private treasury and offer it as a sacrifice to me in the name of the king, asking for the protection of the project—then distribute the sacrificial rice to the people as payment for the workers."

"As for the cost?"

"Let's see if the young master is willing."

—The young master is thoughtful—

These four words struck Xiong Zi's heart. He hesitated for a moment, considering whether he could do it. After confirming that it was feasible, he immediately said, "—Everything will be done as Lord Zhaoyang says."

—Inscription on the Right of Sacrifice—

Before breaking ground, a sacrifice must be performed to pray for blessings and ensure the smooth progress of the project.

This is a custom that has remained unchanged since ancient times. Quan Ming's statement was simply to add some offerings to distribute to the people. Xiong Zi could afford this and was willing to use it to get closer to Quan Ming.

Quan Ming received approval, but said, "These are not my words, but rather the decision made by the magistrate of Zhaodi County and the immortals of Zhaodi."

One Zhao's achievements—

If this matter is established based on discussing the issue and making a decision, then Xiong Zi will also gain considerable merit.

Quan Mingzhi meant that he did not intend to embezzle the credit and was willing to share the profits with him.

Xiong Zi's eyes held a complex expression, yet he slowly nodded.

He then asked, "What about the Zhaoyangjun Temple?"

Quan Ming had already made up his mind. He said directly, "It's equivalent to building Zhaoguan Pass, but instead of coming from the young master's private treasury, it will come from the Zhao family. We'll use Zhao wine as currency. The Zhao family also has some savings, enough to build this Zhaoyangjun Temple."

"As for where to build it?"

"Let's go to Quanshan."

"Quanshan is just a hill, not governed by any immortals or gods, and it is close to my water palace. Although it is just barren land, if cultivated carefully, it is enough to support a clan."

"Quanshan—" Xiong Zi murmured. He had memorized the terrain of Zhaodi before he came.

With just a moment's thought, I recalled the general outline of Quanshan.

As Quan Ming said, this place is far from the fields of Zhaodi, and at this time it has not been cultivated and can only be considered wasteland.

With such a territory being granted as a fiefdom, surely no one in the court would object.

However, it is too unfair to Zhaoyang Jun!

"Lord Zhaoyang, it would be better to—"

Before Xiong Zi could finish speaking, Quan Ming interrupted him, saying, "No need. I chose this place for peace and quiet."

Clean and quiet.

In reality, they stayed far away from Zhao County, avoiding being closely watched by those clans.

In this way, the academy could be developed quietly without being discovered.

Furthermore, Quan Xian is very close to the Water Palace. If he encounters danger, he can use the Zhao River for protection at any time. If he were in the fertile fields near Zhao County, the water would be diverted into the canal, which would be quite far from the Zhao River Water Palace, and he would not be able to manage it.

in this way----

Seeing that Quan Ming had already made his decision, Xiong Zi didn't say anything more.

I will write a letter soon to my father, explaining the wisdom of Prince Zhaoyang, detailing the corvée labor policy, and securing some good things for him as compensation.