Chapter 21: Achievements

Shusun Tong was still pushing the small millstone, and he looked again at the pile of Bamboo Slips that Zhang Cang had brought.

Zhang Cang was still standing to one side, with the general air of someone who would not leave unless you looked at them.

Shusun Tong supported his aching lower back, his expression suspicious, and he was startled to realize that this Zhang Cang, just like Li Si, was a disciple of Xunzi; since when had this Zhang Cang also become such a supporter of Prince Fusu?

Prince Fusu, Prime Minister Li Si, Censor Zhang Cang—when did these three come together?

Before entering Qin, Shusun Tong had indeed heard that Prince Fusu was wise, and as he weighed the situation before him...

For some reason, Shusun Tong felt increasingly uneasy in his heart.

This feeling of unease was growing day by day; about when did it start?

It must have been from the first time he met that Prince Fusu; from that moment on, there had been a hidden unease.

Shusun Tong walked to the table and opened the bundle; as the knots of the bundle were undone, a few rolls of the stacked Bamboo Slips tumbled down, and then he picked up one of the rolls to examine it carefully.

Outside the house, the cold wind persisted, and there was still some unmelted snow in the corners of the walls and by the roadside; Zhang Cang watched the children playing in the village.

Inside the house, Shusun Tong read the Classic of History for quite a while.

Zhang Cang looked at the scenery outside the window, "The Prince also said, if you are unwilling to teach those children, I can come to teach; in the future, I, Zhang Cang, will also come to teach the children here."

Upon hearing this, Shusun Tong placed the scroll he was holding onto the table, "They are all some past deeds of the Old Qin People."

Zhang Cang prepared to leave, and he said again, "I have troubled you."

Shusun Tong performed a salute and said, "Since it is the Prince's order, I shall naturally do my utmost."

It was merely telling the children stories of the Qin people; Shusun Tong felt it was not a difficult matter, especially since they were all very good stories.

When the New Year arrives, people will think about when they can welcome this year's Grain Rain, and people all hope that this year's Spring Ploughing can begin early.

Fusu left Xianyang City by carriage and arrived at the south side of the Wei River, where there was a forest park called Shanglin Park.

The current area of Shanglin Park is not large; it will only be after Han Wudi that the area of Shanglin Park will expand.

But now, Shanglin Park is like a small garden.

It is already the second month, yet the cold wind persists; one cannot see the birds and beasts of Shanglin Park, and the river channels are covered with a thin layer of ice.

Tian An sat on the carriage shaft and said in a low voice, "Prince, recently the Official of the Imperial Kitchen wanted to inquire about the method of cooking food at Shangyan Mountain, and the Palace Treasury Official inquired about the length of the Prince's robes, and the Lesser Treasury Official inquired about the candidates for building the bridge on the West Wei River."

"At the start of the New Year, it seems everyone is very busy."

The Prince's words came from inside the carriage, and Tian An smiled, "I am afraid it will rain today."

"No matter, we can take shelter from the rain in Shanglin Park."

Nowadays, the administration of Great Qin is still quite clear; at least compared to the former Six States, Qin can be said to have achieved having professional people do professional things, advocating for specialized production.

And this system, in the process of the successive reforms of the Six States back then, was only carried out most completely by Qin.

Because the officials employed by Qin were only professional people, such as Zheng Guo who built the Zheng Guo Canal.

As for the other Six States, the candidates for these key positions would more or less be chosen from their own clan members or the blood relatives of the nobility.

Looking at it from the personnel selection system, having professional people do professional things is extremely important.

The so-called "taking officials as teachers," the Qin people's emphasis on practical national policy, forced officials to master corresponding abilities, as well as the ability to handle actual government affairs.

And today, Fusu came here to meet another water conservancy expert of Qin; this person's name is Jian Lu.

Jian Lu was originally ordered to repair Shanglin Park, and upon learning that the Prince wanted to see him, he had long been waiting outside Shanglin Park.

The carriage arrived nearby, and Jian Lu saluted, "Your subject, Jian Lu, pays respects to the Prince."

Fusu stepped down from the carriage and smiled, "No need for such formalities."

Jian Lu said again, "Your subject was ordered to repair Shanglin Park, and hearing that the Prince was coming, I have been waiting here."

Fusu looked up at the sky heavy with dark clouds and said again, "Let us go inside to talk."

Jian Lu saluted again and followed the Prince into Shanglin Park.

In fact, Shanglin Park had many names in the past; this place had always been where the successive Kings of Qin farmed, and since Shang Yang's Reforms, only this piece of land remained.

Actually, there is nothing much to see in Shanglin Park, nothing more than a few acres of land, some trees, and a small river.

Jian Lu is building river embankments here so that when the great floods come, they will not drown the fields.

The few of them walked into a residence by the fields; this residence was covered in dust everywhere, and after entering, Tian An's brows remained tightly furrowed.

He probably did not like the environment here; it seemed as if every breath would inhale a noseful of dust, making his originally good mood disappear.

"Bring the map."

Hearing the Prince's order, Tian An handed over a roll of cloth.

Jian Lu used his sleeve to wipe the table; now his sleeve was covered in grayish-white dust, and he smiled with a relaxed expression, "My clothes can be washed, it is no matter, no matter."

From a political standpoint, the identity of being a Prince of Qin plus a disciple of the Prime Minister is essentially an excellent political resource.

And no one in Great Qin dares to offend such a Prince; being both the eldest son and a disciple of the Prime Minister, even if one does not say his power is heaven-shaking, he is at least backed by great authority.

For many things, as long as you say one word, you can make many people run about for it; this is the feeling of power that Fusu has initially experienced.

Of course, Fusu also felt that this feeling would become more and more obvious in the future.

Watching Jian Lu smile, Fusu spread out the map and said, "This is the map of the West Wei River."

Jian Lu frowned as he looked at the river course map.

The room was quiet for a moment, and then the sound of rain came from outside; the rain was mixed with ice pellets as it fell, and then the ice pellets became more and more numerous, and after that, the rain disappeared, and it was all ice pellets rustling against the roof.

Fusu made a mark on the map, "Does Master Craftsman Lu also think that building a bridge here is best?"

Jian Lu hurriedly saluted and said, "Lu is unworthy of being called a Master Craftsman by the Prince."

Because this person is the one who built the Ling Canal—at least this was a secret in his own heart—Fusu had habitually jumped to conclusions and addressed him as such; it was a case of meeting an expert who was still alive, and he was so happy that he spoke without thinking, then he corrected himself, "I have read your documents at the Imperial Censor Office; you have experience in building river channels and bridges, as well as the experience of working with Zheng Guo."

"Lu has shallow views, and I have let the Prince laugh."

Fusu put the map away again, handed it to him, and said, "I know you don't have many friends in the court, but I am on good terms with the Lesser Treasury Official, and the Lesser Treasury can send manpower to help us build the West Wei River bridge."

Hearing the Prince say "us," Tian An noticed that Jian Lu's expression became increasingly uneasy.

Fusu said, "After Grain Rain, I will arrange for the Lesser Treasury's manpower to come and see you."

"Your subject accepts the order."

After settling things with him, Fusu prepared to leave; ice pellets were still falling from the sky, though the intensity had lessened.

"Prince, do not blame this old servant for speaking too much, but this old servant is merely worried that he is ill-suited for such a heavy responsibility."

"Vice Prime Minister Feng still has a keen eye for talent, keeping Jian Lu's documents and even requiring him to repair Shanglin Park..."

Having said this, Fusu felt that Great Qin's Vice Prime Minister Feng Quji would surely recommend Jian Lu to the First Emperor at an appropriate time.

Tian An wore a bamboo hat, letting the ice pellets strike his body; he drove the carriage with a smile on his face, for the Prince had spent a month reading documents at the Imperial Censor Office, and even Cheng Miao had grown much fatter during that month.

After reading documents for a month, the Prince had become increasingly clear about state affairs, knowing exactly what to do and whom to seek for any given task.

The Prince was a good learner; skills that others needed a long time to master, the Prince often grasped very quickly.

Not to mention, the Prince had gone to the Imperial Censor Office to read documents for a full month, braving the wind and snow without fail.

And the Prince would sometimes sit alone in the Imperial Censor Office for an entire day, not speaking to anyone, quietly reviewing documents.

The corners of Tian An's eyes grew moist; he felt that the Prince was just like Qin Xiaogong of the past, that steady and resilient Qin Xiaogong had returned.

This freezing rain did not stop until noon, leaving a thick layer of ice pellets on the ground.

After returning to Gaoquan Palace, Fusu sent another letter to Zhang Cang.

Near nightfall, someone brought back a reply from Zhang Cang.

Fusu was picking fish bones out of a piece of grilled fish to pass the time; only when Tian An handed over the teacher's letter did he open the Bamboo Slip to read it.

Tian An said, "Prince, if this fish gets cold, it will become fishy."

Fusu's gaze remained on the Bamboo Slip as he said, "Feed it to the fish."

Tian An smiled, picked up the plate, and tossed the grilled fish into the fish pond.

The people of Gaoquan Palace were very happy; the plum blossoms the Prince had been looking forward to had finally bloomed. The plum blossoms, which should have bloomed at the beginning of winter last year, did not open until February of this year.

They were a bit late, but they had finally bloomed.

The Prince's major project of building the West Wei Bridge had also finally found its footing.

Qin had a custom of holding a grand court assembly in early spring; during the long, cold winter, Qin would suspend court sessions, and the grand spring assembly would only be held after the Grain Rain of the following year.

This custom had continued to the present day; now, the warm spring had not yet arrived, but the freezing rain had come first.

This weather was worrying, lest it delay the farming season.

The people of Qin were accustomed to a life of plowing and war; everyone hoped that the cold winter would leave Guanzhong soon, allowing them to go to the fields to work.

Today, a group of people passed by Shangyan Mountain; Zhang Han saw the scale of the carriage procession from afar and immediately paid his respects. Who else could it be, with Great General Meng Wu and Wang Bi escorting them, but the First Emperor?

The carriage procession was not close to Shangyan Mountain, perhaps three or five li away.

Before long, a troop of cavalry galloped over, led by Great General Meng Wu and Vice Prime Minister Feng Quji.

Zhang Han stood to the side, bowing, and let Great General Meng Wu and Feng Quji enter the village.

The army did not take any grain from here, nor did they question Shusun Tong and Li You, who were bowing their heads in respect; the Vice Prime Minister merely questioned a group of children.

Shusun Tong blinked hard; this Vice Prime Minister of Great Qin was truly questioning children.

Under the worried gazes of the Prince's servants, their children answered the Vice Prime Minister's questions with great composure.

Hearing the children's composed replies, even Shusun Tong felt...

He had likely truly taught three hundred extraordinary disciples, but the people who taught these children were not just himself, but also Li You and Zhang Cang.

The First Emperor's carriage was stopped on the north side of Shangyan Mountain.

Feng Quji rode his horse to the side of the carriage and bowed, saying, "Your subject has questioned them all."

"What did Fusu do there?"

"The Prince had Shusun Tong and Zhang Cang teach those children."

"Teach? Hehehe..."

The First Emperor's laughter came from inside the carriage, "Shusun Tong is a disciple of Confucius's descendant, and Zhang Cang is a disciple of Xunzi. Fusu putting these two together is quite interesting."

Feng Quji said, "Your subject asked those children what they had learned, and they said they learned 'Moving Wood to Establish Trust'."

"'Moving Wood to Establish Trust'?"

"Back when Shang Jun was reforming the laws, in order to make the Commoners trust the Qin officials, Shang Jun issued an order that whoever could carry a piece of wood to the north gate would receive one hundred gold. At the time, no Commoner believed it, but when one person actually carried the wood to the north gate, Shang Jun truly rewarded him with one hundred gold. Thus, the Commoners only trusted Shang Jun."

The inside of the carriage became much quieter, and Feng Quji believed that the First Emperor knew of this matter.

Because this story was true, and it had spread among the people of Qin over a hundred years ago.

Before the First Emperor could reply, Feng Quji added, "Your subject asked those children why they were told these stories, and the children said that Qin law rewards and punishes clearly, and merit must be rewarded. To be an official in Qin, one must win the trust of the Commoners; only by winning the trust of the millions of Commoners can Qin law stand."

"Officials must have responsibilities attached to their positions; they must be true to their word and resolute in their actions, for that is the mettle of an official's execution. If one does not win the trust of the people, how can one be an official?"

"Sigh, in this vast world, how many Shang Juns can there be?"

The First Emperor inside the carriage sighed, and the officials and generals outside the carriage bowed solemnly in succession.

"Return to the palace; I also wish to see those stories."

Meng Wu said in a loud voice, "Return to the palace!"

This massive escort party had only been out for a mere half-day before hurrying back.

A single story had made the First Emperor abandon the idea of coming out to see the spring scenery.

On the way back, someone had already sent over the stories of Shangyan Mountain.

Along the way, Ying Zheng flipped through these stories and asked, "Are those children all Fusu's servants?"

Feng Quji replied, "Your subject asked those children; they are the Prince's servants."

"Hmm... I was the one who bestowed them upon him."

Ying Zheng only then remembered this matter, though it was merely Li Si, hindered by the pestering of the Qilu Doctors, letting Fusu establish a residence to recruit famous scholars, a matter that had later fizzled out.

Reflecting on it, Ying Zheng realized belatedly that Fusu had already done so much.

Fusu did not know of his father's observations during his outing today.

At this moment, Fusu stood inside the former residence of Lv Buwei; everything in the old residence was very dilapidated, the house had been in disrepair for years and was leaking in places, and there was still rainwater on the ground, while Tian An was leading men to inspect everywhere, seeing what needed to be repaired and which furniture needed to be replaced.

Standing before Fusu was a person, and this person was named Mao Heng, who was also a disciple of Xunzi.

He had studied under Xunzi during the same period as Han Fei and Li Si.

This Mao Heng had an uncle, and his uncle was named Mao Sui, the Mao Sui who "volunteered himself."

"Heng pays respects to Prince, and wishes to serve the Prince," Mao Heng said in a very resonant voice.

"Wait," Fusu sorted through his thoughts, kept his silence for a moment, and then said: "Mao Sui is your uncle?"

"That is correct."

"Back then, Mao Sui joined forces with Chunshen Jun Huang Xie of the State of Chu, and your uncle swore a blood oath with the King of Chu to join forces and resist Qin."

Mao Heng was silent for a moment, frowning without speaking.

Fusu said in a low voice: "With such a history, you still wish to serve? You and Qin should be sworn enemies."

Note: Jian Lu oversaw the construction of the Ling Canal; some call him Shi Lu, but the author uses Jian Lu here.

(End of this chapter)