Chapter 35: The Constrained Man

In truth, Mao Heng was never quite convinced by Shusun Tong, and he had always considered himself a guest of the Prince.

While Shusun Tong was lecturing the children on so-called "dedication to one's post," Mao Heng caught the underlying meaning.

Zhang Han did not ask where he was going, merely giving him some dry rations.

Currently, Zhang Cang was in the capital helping Prime Minister Li Si with affairs, and the Prince had not been visiting this place lately.

The next day, feeling that he was no longer welcome, Mao Heng left Shangyan Mountain.

Zhang Han looked back at Shusun Tong, who was still teaching the children.

Even on a small Shangyan Mountain, Zhang Han could sense the infighting, especially now that the construction of the canal had passed the halfway mark.

Noticing Zhang Han's gaze, Shusun Tong stepped forward and asked, "Does General Zhang Han have something on his mind?"

Zhang Han remained as he always was, wearing a stern expression, and replied, "Why did you let Mao Heng leave?"

Shusun Tong said in a low voice, "He, Prime Minister Li Si, and Censor Zhang Cang are all disciples of Xunzi."

"And so what?"

"May I ask, General, once the canal is completed, would Mao Heng not try to claim the credit?"

Seeing that Zhang Han still looked displeased, Shusun Tong patiently explained, "Last night I read the Prince's letter; the so-called 'post' means placing everyone in a fixed position, a position that cannot be easily shaken, and for which one must bear responsibility. May I ask, General, if you were to let Mao Heng stay here forever, would he be willing?"

After spending the past year together, Zhang Han knew Mao Heng's character.

Shusun Tong added, "A man who excels at poetry will not stay in one place for long. Letting him go is both for Mao Heng's sake and for yours, General Zhang Han."

Seeing Zhang Han about to stride away, Shusun Tong added, "The General's loyalty is unmatched, but one must always consider oneself in all things."

Hearing this, Zhang Han stopped in his tracks.

Seeing that he could be persuaded, Shusun Tong then said, "The Prince currently serves as Assistant to the Lesser Treasury, overseeing water conservancy construction. What about the future?"

Zhang Han turned back, suddenly glaring at Shusun Tong, and said in a deep voice, "You dare to speculate about the Prince?"

"I would not dare; I am merely clearing up your doubts, General."

Seeing Zhang Han walk away in a fit of anger, Shusun Tong shook his head and sighed softly.

Now that the only people in charge of Shangyan Mountain were General Zhang Han and himself, Shusun Tong had no choice but to write another letter and have it sent to Zhangtai Palace to resolve the rift.

Three days later, the Prince's reply finally arrived from Gaoquan Palace.

When Shusun Tong set the reply down, Zhang Han did not look at the contents, but instead asked, "You dare to disturb the Prince with such matters?"

Shusun Tong said in a deep voice, "This is for the stability of Shangyan Mountain. There can only be one person in charge of this territory, and that person cannot be Mao Heng; it must be you, General Zhang Han. If Mao Heng were to become the person in charge, do you think the Prince would not be caught in a dilemma between the Prime Minister, Zhang Cang, and yourself?"

Zhang Han struggled internally for a moment before picking up the letter to read it carefully.

Shusun Tong explained, "I submitted a policy for the governance of Shangyan Mountain to the Prince. The Prince has decreed that henceforth I shall be responsible for the correspondence of Shangyan Mountain and dealings with the surrounding counties, while General Zhang Han shall command all troops and servants here to supervise the construction of the canal."

The general idea was that the two of them would manage this territory, one civil and one military, complementing each other.

Shusun Tong added, "The Prince also said that in the future, one should feel free to make such recommendations. To be able to accept advice like this, the Prince is truly wise."

After reading the contents of the letter, Zhang Han remained silent for a long time, his heart already wavering.

Feeling the terror of scholars, Zhang Han nodded and said, "In the future, if I am no longer useful, will you also petition the Prince to drive me away?"

Shusun Tong said, "The General worries too much."

There were some things Zhang Han did not know, but Shusun Tong was still able to hear some rumors about what had been happening at Xianyang Palace recently.

The current Prince was the Assistant to the Lesser Treasury, and in the future, he would become the Minister of the Lesser Treasury, then rank among the Nine Ministers, and after that, perhaps the second Emperor?

At least, that was how it appeared for now.

Shusun Tong said in a low voice, "Our Prince is a steady and studious person; serving him is not a bad thing. Zhang Cang has to work for the Prime Minister, and the Prince will not keep his eyes on this place forever. The Prince also gave instructions for me and the General to work together in harmony."

Re-evaluating Shusun Tong, Zhang Han took a deep breath and said, "I shall naturally follow the Prince's arrangements."

In the days that followed, Shusun Tong not only continued to teach the children in the village but even took charge of village affairs.

On this day, Zhang Han carried a stone tablet to the upper reaches of the canal; on this tablet were written five characters: Love Your Job and Dedicate Yourself Canal.

This name was bestowed by Prince Fusu, and from then on, it became the name of the canal.

Zhang Han felt that this was both a warning to himself and a message to the world to love one's job and be dedicated.

Although Shusun Tong was not as capable as Zhang Cang in managing affairs, he could barely manage; he assigned posts to the people of Shangyan Mountain, all of which were distributed for the purpose of building the canal.

This made people vaguely feel that this territory was truly going to be different.

In fact, for the servants, their lives had changed greatly compared to before; they possessed plenty of grain and no longer had to worry about going hungry.

Inside Xianyang Palace, Fusu had recently been busy overseeing the affairs of the Lesser Treasury; the functions that he, as Assistant to the Lesser Treasury, could directly touch were limited to water conservancy and craftsmen.

The rest of the authority remained in the hands of the Right Prime Minister, Feng Quji.

Fusu had, however, gotten to know Feng Jie during the Court Discussions these past few days.

Li Si had once been the Commandant of Justice, but now that Li Si had become Prime Minister, the position of Commandant of Justice had been handed to Feng Jie.

Because the current Prime Minister was the former Commandant of Justice, this caused the court and the public to hold the current position of Commandant of Justice in higher esteem.

Sitting in the position of Commandant of Justice, Feng Jie could not help but wonder if this was something Li Si had done on purpose.

Feng Jie accompanied Prince Fusu out of Zhangtai Palace; the Court Discussion had just ended, and in the eyes of the crowd, the Prince was truly getting closer and closer to the officials of Li Si's faction.

So much so that recently, Chunyu Yue would leave Zhangtai Palace with a dark face every time the Court Discussion ended.

People were all guessing at Prince Fusu's intentions; could it be that the Prince wanted to use the support of Li Si's faction in the future to become the next Emperor and continue to promote the Legalist school?

Not only that, this Prince Fusu might even promote the teachings of Xunzi.

As Feng Jie walked down the stone steps of Zhangtai Palace, he said, "Yesterday, His Majesty and the Prime Minister went to see Xianyang Bridge. The bridge built under the Prince's supervision amazed the Prime Minister, and even His Majesty had much praise for it."

This Feng Jie looked to be about the same age as Li Si, though his complexion was somewhat darker.

Hearing the heavy tone of flattery in his words, Fusu said, "I only hoped to build the bridge well; I don't see that it was built all that well."

Feng Jie pressed, "I heard that the Prince is implementing the 'post' system at Shangyan Mountain. As the Commandant of Justice in charge of prisons, I wonder if I might go and take a look?"

Fusu said, "No harm in that, the Commandant of Justice may go as he pleases."

"Many thanks, Prince."

Fusu said: "The Commandant of Justice may also rest assured; all arrangements at Shangyan Mountain are in accordance with Qin Law and will not exceed the regulations by even half a point."

Feng Jie bowed once more and said: "This subject takes his leave."

After autumn began, the documents coming and going through the Imperial Censor Office increased; Fusu walked into the office as usual and sat there to review them.

After Qin unified the Six States, the population plummeted; war had nearly emptied the population of every region, and much of the land in the former Qi territory lay barren, with no one to till it.

Following several instances of population relocation by Li Si, the majority of the population entered Guanzhong, while another portion went to the border passes.

Currently, the situation in most parts of the Central Plains is not that there is no land to farm, but that there is too much barren land and no one to till it.

War had nearly wiped out an entire generation; Fusu recalled those Old Qin Army soldiers he had seen at Hangu Pass.

If this world wants to recover its vitality, does it need to wait another ten or twenty years?

With the population withered, productivity dropped sharply, and grain yields could not even recover to half of what they were during the era of the warring states.

Even in this predicament, troops still had to be dispatched to defend against the Xiongnu; considering the current shortage of productivity, one had to ensure both the defense of the borders and the supply of grain and fodder for the rear.

That is why Prime Minister Li Si made the decision to relocate people to defend the borders, moving a large population to the border passes to defend against the Xiongnu, while simultaneously farming to provide for the border-guarding army.

Fusu looked at these incoming documents; every commandery and county was reporting its own situation.

The Qin of the past had a very difficult road to becoming strong, and the Great Qin of today is actually quite difficult as well, isn't it?

In the late autumn season, white frost covered the ground every morning.

Today, Feng Jie had no Court Discussion, so he arrived early at the Love Your Job and Dedicate Yourself Canal.

This canal was commissioned by Prince Fusu; the name of the canal is very good, and also very long.

"Love Your Job and Dedicate Yourself?"

Feng Jie read it through with confusion and then walked into the village.

As the morning sun just shone into the village, he saw a group of children holding sticks, performing swinging motions.

Feng Jie shivered in the cold wind and walked closer.

Just as he was about to speak, a soldier from the army stepped forward and asked: "Who are you?"

Feng Jie took his bronze tally out from his sleeve.

Seeing the bronze tally, the soldier realized that the person before him was none other than the Commandant of Justice, one of the Nine Ministers, and he hurriedly bowed.

Feng Jie said with a smile: "Are these all the Prince's servants?"

"They are."

Feng Jie nodded again and said: "These children have grown up quite sturdy."

The soldier replied: "This place has had consecutive years of bountiful harvests, so the children naturally eat well and grow sturdy."

Feng Jie walked toward the village, saying: "You continue training with the children; this old man will walk around and take a look, and do not disturb General Zhang Han."

The entire village was constructed with particular neatness; the ground here was paved with fine, crushed stones, and walking on the road produced the sound of stones being compressed.

By the time the sun had fully emerged, the people of every household had come out, and Feng Jie saw another large group of children running off to their respective homes to eat, and after eating, running off again to attend lessons.

Feng Jie naturally recognized Shusun Tong, but he only watched from afar without disturbing him.

Not until Zhang Han noticed him did Feng Jie smile with a look of unease, bow, and say: "This old man came to look around here; the Prince gave his permission."

Zhang Han nodded and said: "Commandant of Justice, there is no need for such formalities."

"That Love Your Job and Dedicate Yourself Canal has been the subject of much discussion; as the Commandant of Justice, I came here personally to investigate, so I apologize for the intrusion."

"It is no intrusion."

The warm sun shone down, and once the frost all around had melted, the entire village regained its vitality, and the people began their day's labor.

When the whole village began to work around the canal, everyone had something to do, except for the children and himself, the Commandant of Justice.

This included the old woman who was weaving clothes and the women who were preparing food.

Feng Jie stayed in this village for a day and watched for a day.

The next day, inside the Prime Minister's Mansion, Li Si was looking at the reports sent from various places.

Sitting to the side was the Censor Zhang Cang, who was also organizing documents from various places.

These documents were the reports sent back from various places after the imperial decree for the Standardization of Writing was issued.

The Prime Minister had said back at Zhangtai Palace that the Standardization of Writing and the Carriage Same Track were the top priorities now, and the Emperor's decree had placed great pressure on the commanderies and counties everywhere.

The Bamboo Slips in front of the Prime Minister's Mansion were piled up in stacks, almost forming a small hill as tall as a person, and they were still being piled up continuously.

It was precisely the busiest time for the Prime Minister's Mansion; Feng Jie walked quickly into the mansion, holding a scroll of Bamboo Slips in both hands, and bowed, saying: "Prime Minister, I have an urgent matter to report."

"Rustle..." Li Si opened a scroll of Bamboo Slips, his gaze still fixed on the contents, and he only frowned slightly upon hearing the words.

A minor official to the side noticed the Prime Minister's expression, took the report handed over by the Commandant of Justice Feng Jie, and placed it on the Prime Minister's desk.

Afterward, the minor official stood to the side, waiting for instructions.

Time passed breath by breath; many officials came and went from the Prime Minister's Mansion, while the Prime Minister continued to flip through documents from various places.

Not to mention Zhang Cang, who was sitting there; he sat right there, the brush in his hand writing continuously, and every time he finished a scroll, he had someone take away the written Bamboo Slips, a new scroll was immediately laid out, and he continued to write.

Li Si finally looked up at Feng Jie and asked: "Do you have other business?"

"The report..."

Li Si glanced at the unopened report placed to the side and said: "This old man will read it himself; you may return."

Seeing more crates of Bamboo Slips being carried into the Prime Minister's Mansion, Feng Jie bowed, wanting to say something more, but seeing the busy mansion, he kept his peace, swallowed his words, and bowed once more before leaving.

At this moment, inside Gaoquan Palace, Fusu was listening to Tian An's account that Feng Jie had been to Shangyan Mountain and had written a report.

"Prince, the Prime Minister is currently busy reading documents from various places and has no leisure to attend to Feng Jie."

"Everything at Shangyan Mountain is within the regulations; there is no need to worry."

Tian An said in a low and somewhat anxious voice: "Those Qilu Doctors dare to discuss the Prince enslaving his servants."

Fusu sat on a Hu Stool, in the middle of killing a fish.

Tian An continued: "They say that in order to dig the canal, the Prince actually makes his servants work all day until dark, no different from the corvée labor conscripted."

Having said this much, Tian An dared not speak further, fearing that if he said too much, Prince would be displeased, and he secretly thought to let Prime Minister deal with these Qilu Doctors.

Fusu finished cleaning the fish in his hands and said, "Does Prime Minister know?"

Tian An added, "People have already been sent to inform Prime Minister."

Fusu carried the cleaned fish and set it aside, then placed a piece of mutton fat into an earthenware pot, added scallions and ginger to fry them, and then put the prepared fish in.

Once it was fried, he poured in clear water and covered the pot with the lid.

While the fish soup was boiling, Fusu finally had a moment of leisure; he sat by the stove, drank some hot water, and said, "Whether it is river canals or reclaiming farmland."

"When wasteland becomes fertile fields, and fertile fields grow grain, this is all obtained by them through labor; labor can obtain grain, and grain is wealth."

(End of this chapter)