Chapter 23: The Old Qin Army

Fusu placed the Clerical Script copybook by Cheng Miao into a wooden box and kept it properly stored.

This was the most primitive copybook of Clerical Script, and it was especially precious.

Tian An felt that the Prince also enjoyed appreciating copybooks.

The next day, just as the sky was brightening in the morning, a cold wind whistled.

It was currently the third month, and the old farmers of Guanzhong went out early, looking at the sky with worried expressions; the thing people feared most had arrived—this year's warm spring had not come, but a Late Spring Cold had.

Shusun Tong woke up early and drew a bucket of water by the river, asking, "Old brother, this weather is getting colder and colder."

The old farmer addressed as old brother smiled and said, "I remember your village has water cellars, why have you come to the river to fetch water?"

Shusun Tong set the bucket aside, found a clean stone to sit on, and explained, "The water cellars aren't usually used, and old brother, it's already the third month in Guanzhong, yet it's still this cold."

"You aren't from Guanzhong, are you?"

"I came from the Qi State."

"The Qi State..." The old brother's gaze seemed to hold memories, and he said in a low voice, "I went to the Qi State to fight in the war back then, and I killed quite a few Qi people."

After speaking, there was still a proud smile on his face.

Shusun Tong had wanted to say something, but he swallowed his words back.

How long had it been since Great Qin destroyed the Six States? How many years had it been since the strife of the various states? The older generation was still around, and when they spoke of it, the memories were often still fresh.

The old brother continued, "It's good now, no need to fight anymore, let's just plant more grain."

"The weather is still so cold, aren't you afraid the grain seedlings will freeze to death?"

"Guanzhong is a blessed land; it doesn't matter if we plant half a month late." The old brother sat upright by the river and added, "Because our summers in Guanzhong are very long, so... we aren't afraid of the cold in spring; born here and raised here, we are used to it."

Shusun Tong noticed the way the other man's belt was tied and the way the cloth band in his hair was knotted; these were dressing habits unique to the Qin Army.

The old brother before him was a veteran of the Old Qin Army.

Shusun Tong bowed slightly and then left that place.

The riverside of the Luo River was very quiet; Shusun Tong carried the bucket as he walked, and he could only hear the sound of his own breathing and the occasional sound of the wind blowing by.

There was already green grass on the ground, and Shusun Tong saw teams of the Qin Army in the distance, galloping across this Guanzhong plain.

This Qin Army force had brought many people, and these people were all to live and farm in Guanzhong to make up for the population depletion in Guanzhong.

Fortunately, these newly relocated people were not living under Shangyan Mountain, otherwise, the people of Shangyan Mountain would have to worry about grain and water again.

The foot of Shangyan Mountain already lacked water sources, and before the river canal was dug through, water had always been insufficient.

And the water in the water cellars was for emergencies, which was why Shusun Tong had woken up early to fetch a bucket of water.

Water and grain were both extremely important.

Returning to the edge of the village, Shusun Tong saw Zhang Cang, who was busy, and saw him moving potted plants with a group of villagers, so he asked, "What is this for?"

Zhang Cang explained, "The Prince is coming today."

Shusun Tong set the bucket aside and sighed, "There really won't be any more wars in this world."

Zhang Cang said, "Let us hope so."

Shusun Tong asked back, "Don't you think so?"

"The Prince loves the people; Prince Fusu treats his servants this way, and in the future, he will treat the people of the world the same." Zhang Cang added, "Mohism has a saying: a person must first love themselves, have self-love, then go on to love others, and afterwards love the people of the world."

Shusun Tong was puzzled for a moment and asked, "Are those Mohist disciples still around now?"

Zhang Cang replied, "I asked the Prince how to implement universal love, and the Prince said just as Master Mo said: when the people are harmonious, the state is wealthy, the wealth is sufficient, and the Commoners are all warmly clothed and well-fed, then they can be without worry."

A cold wind blew, and the long hair at Zhang Cang's temples was somewhat messy, moving with the wind; he raised his head slightly, his expression filled with pity.

Shusun Tong was secretly surprised; so the Prince and Zhang Cang frequently exchanged letters and even discussed Master Mo.

As the morning light on the horizon gradually brightened, the golden morning light shone on everyone's profile.

Mao Heng had already begun leading a group of children to read the Classic of Poetry; for every line he recited, the children would recite it after him.

Everything here was very quiet; the people in the morning did not speak loudly, and as wisps of blue smoke rose, the fragrance of rice and flour would spread throughout the village.

Because many wheat and beans had been planted in the fields initially, most of the people of Shangyan Mountain mainly ate rice, flour, and bean porridge.

The wheat and beans here had a bumper harvest this year, and the nearby counties also decided to plant more wheat during this year's Spring Ploughing; for this, they needed to report to Xianyang and wait for the court's permission.

To the west of the village, a troop of cavalry was approaching at a gallop; it was General Wang Bi escorting the Prince.

Shusun Tong secretly calculated the time in his heart; for the Prince to arrive at this hour, he had likely left Xianyang City just as the sky was brightening.

Upon learning that the Prince was coming, the people in the village came out one after another to pay their respects.

Fusu stepped down from his carriage, his gaze surveying his private property, and then he first helped up Zhang Han, who was standing in front paying his respects.

Judging by his position, Zhang Han was a subordinate of Wang Bi.

The Prince, dressed in black, stood before the people, seemingly taller than he was last year.

Indeed, fifteen or sixteen was the age when a boy grew the most.

Fusu said, "General Zhang Han, let them return to their own tasks; there is no need for everyone to gather here."

Zhang Han cupped his hands in a salute and then went to give the orders.

With the Prince's words, they dispersed.

It was fortunate that they dispersed early, otherwise, as more and more servants came to pay their respects, Fusu would only feel a sea of heads, which would be too grand.

Shusun Tong still stood respectfully to the side.

Zhang Cang, wearing worn-out cloth clothes, also stood to the side, while only Mao Heng had run off to teach the children to recite the Classic of Poetry again.

The matter of relocating people to guard the borders was already on the right track, and the cold winter was about to pass, so the digging of the river canal at Shangyan Mountain had once again become a major national affair for Great Qin.

After finishing the tasks at hand, looking back, everyone's attention was once again focused on this place; some wanted to see what kind of results this newly built village could achieve, what kind of merit it could establish, or what kind of trouble it might cause.

Besides this, there would certainly be those who felt that Prince Fusu enslaved his servants and would enslave the people of the world in the future.

As a Prince of Great Qin, one's every word and action would inevitably be speculated upon by some.

Fusu had been walking around the village for the whole morning when he heard that some Commoners who had just been relocated to Guanzhong had wanted to flee back to the Chu region, only to be caught and brought back.

Looking at the scene of the argument in the distance, upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a family of five arguing with several Qin Army soldiers.

"Teacher, why are they unwilling to stay here to farm and settle down? Guanzhong has clearly given them fields, and there are not even any fief lords coming to demand their grain. As long as they are willing to work hard at farming, they can obtain more than they ever could in the Chu lands."

Hearing this, Zhang Cang replied in a low voice: "Because they have never seen the people of Qin; they have only seen the Qin Army."

"Teacher's words are reasonable." Fusu's expression was one of understanding.

"Prince, in the eyes of the various states of that time, Qin was a brutal Qin. People who have not entered Qin to see it with their own eyes are just like this. They are afraid and do not trust the people of Qin. Solving this is also simple: find a person of virtue and prestige from the Chu lands, and have them take the lead in persuading them a little, and it can be easily resolved."

Speaking to this point, Zhang Cang said in a low voice: "If one household flees, there will be three, and five households will follow to flee. Prince, please look, the county magistrate has already arrived. They will not let the families who have moved into Guanzhong leave. They bear official posts and understand the crux of the matter better than the Prince. The Prince need not worry too much."

Having said this, Zhang Cang did not wait for the Prince's reply. He turned his head to look and realized the Prince was no longer watching the argument here, but was looking at the tree saplings. He also felt that he had said so much, and it turned out the Prince was not overthinking; it was he himself who had worried that the Prince would overthink, and thus he had overthought it himself.

Zhang Cang took a deep breath and walked to the Prince's side once again.

"March and April are good seasons for planting trees. Teacher, what kind of trees do you think are best to plant?"

"What kind of trees does the Prince wish to plant?"

Fusu said: "Naturally, the easier a tree is to keep alive, the better."

Zhang Cang hesitated for a moment, then pulled out one of the saplings and said: "Prince, plant mulberry trees."

"Mulberry trees?"

Zhang Cang said again: "The value of mulberry trees is better than other trees. If one can plant more than ten mu of mulberry trees, then Shangyan Mountain can become wealthy."

"Are peach trees not good?"

"Prince, mulberry leaves can raise silkworms, and silk can be woven into clothing. The three-year-old branches of a mulberry tree can be made into walking sticks, ten-year-old mulberry branches can be made into bow bodies, and can also be made into knife handles. If it is a twenty-year-old old mulberry tree, it is excellent wood for making carriages."

Zhang Cang said again: "A high-quality carriage is worth ten thousand coins. Not to mention the silk and mulberries, the wood alone can allow the Commoners of a region to live without worry. From leaves to branches, and then to the fruit, mulberry trees all have value. How does the Prince feel about mulberry trees now?"

A learned and talented person is indeed very useful. As long as you ask, they can answer at any time, and you don't need to go and learn anything yourself.

It is no wonder that people with power all like to associate with learned people, because their knowledge might just make you wealthier and more powerful.

A few words of guidance from them often unearth tremendous value.

Not to mention back then, when the various states, in order to seek reform and seek strength, would not even hesitate to spend heavy gold, pay with their daughters, and send mansions and land to invite those learned hermits.

Because the various states all understood that if one wants to make their own country strong, knowledge is too important.

Therefore, even if the theories of the Hundred Schools of Thought from two thousand years ago were placed in later generations and combined with the thoughts and concepts of later generations, one would still feel that the theories of the Hundred Schools of Thought are truly remarkable.

And now, there is Zhang Cang by his side; the teacher's painstaking efforts are sincere.

Fusu personally planted several mulberry saplings.

Shusun Tong, having previously heard Zhang Cang's high-flown discourse, said: "Prince, we do not have enough manpower to plant mulberry trees."

A person's labor capacity is limited. The old and young of Shangyan Mountain have all gone to dig irrigation canals; where would there be manpower to plant trees?

Actually, mulberry trees are very easy to plant. Fusu planted a mulberry branch, watered it a little, and could just wait for it to sprout and take root.

Before Zhang Cang could answer Shusun Tong's question, Fusu nodded and said: "Master Shusun Tong's words are reasonable. We do not have enough manpower, but it is not a difficult matter."

Shusun Tong bowed respectfully and said: "Does the Prince have a strategy?"

"Let the children from all the other counties also come here to attend classes, let them also be able to read and write, and enroll under the gate of Shangyan Mountain. Every student who comes here to study must plant one mulberry tree for Shangyan Mountain every day, and must also tend to the mulberry trees every day."

Shusun Tong was silent for a moment, not knowing for a time whether to call this strategy good or bad.

Since studying under Kong Fu, Shusun Tong had been adept at observing expressions. Seeing Zhang Cang remain silent, he also stopped speaking.

How important teaching resources are. In this era where material goods are still very scarce, no one's family has enough grain to eat, and teaching resources are another type of high-value-added resource outside of material resources.

And for a Prince of Great Qin, utilizing this resource is too easy.

When it reached the noon meal time, it was also the liveliest time in this village. A group of children ran toward their homes, as if they would starve to death the next second. A large group of children used all their strength to run to the dining tables and then began to wolf down their food.

It was just that they were probably truly starved, having not eaten for more than half a day.

Fusu discovered that this person, Mao Heng, was actually not so lively in front of him; he was quite restrained.

Remembering that in Zhang Han's report, this Mao Heng was almost capable of tearing the roof off.

Previously, Mao Heng felt that as long as he enrolled under Prince Fusu, he would probably be free from worries about food and clothing, and might even be able to look bright and beautiful in front of others.

But now? Placed before Mao Heng were several dilapidated thatched huts, and a large group of children wearing linen clothes and straw sandals who were filthy.

This group of children was also very mischievous and difficult to manage.

Originally, Mao Heng felt he should be living in some guest house in that large mansion in Xianyang City?

Fusu drank a mouthful of hot water and asked: "How is the Master finding this place? If you are not accustomed to it, Fusu will look for another place."

Shusun Tong wore a smile. The "other place" the Prince spoke of might be a place even more bitter than here; it might even be the bitter, cold north.

Mao Heng bowed and said: "This subject is very well here."

Shusun Tong, who was holding a wait-and-see attitude, heard the reply, and there was a bit of disappointment in his expression.

Zhang Cang and Zhang Han sat next to each other, eating very earnestly.

Taking advantage of a gap in the conversation, Shusun Tong put the half-eaten cake into his sleeve and asked: "Does the Prince want those three hundred children to be used by the Prince after they have completed their studies?"

Fusu said: "How does the Master find these children?"

"If these three hundred children can achieve success in their studies, and the Prince wishes to govern the world, having three hundred capable and loyal subjects to assist, then Great Qin will be worry-free for three generations."

Shusun Tong was speaking somewhat exaggeratedly, but this person spoke with great skill and could always make people feel very comfortable listening.

Tian An stood to one side, watching the scene of people eating before him. He placed a bowl of bean rice in front of the Prince and then continued to watch the crowd.

By the Prince's side, there were Great General Wang Bi, General Zhang Han, as well as Zhang Cang, Shusun Tong, Mao Heng, and the Prime Minister's son, Li You.

Tian An felt very gratified in his heart. He lowered his head to wipe away the moisture from the corners of his eyes. He missed Huayang Taihou again. The Empress Dowager had passed away for more than a year. The Prince had learned people by his side, present-day famous scholars, and loyal generals.

Since he was small, the Prince had been more gifted and polite than ordinary children. Now that the Prince had these people to assist him, presumably Huayang Taihou would be at peace in heaven.

Just as he was thinking, a fast horse came rolling in with dust. The person arrived close by and said: "The Emperor's edict: orders Prince Fusu to lead one thousand cavalry to Hangu Pass to welcome Great General Wang Jian into the pass!"

Fusu did not even need to think; this was definitely another arrangement by the teacher. It must have been the teacher who remonstrated to the Father Emperor.

(End of chapter)