Chapter 359: The Yellow Emperor and Laozi

Chen Ping was overthinking it — "sharing a couch" was just Hei Fu being polite, nothing more. Their friendship was nowhere near that close. Hei Fu simply hosted a small banquet for him inside the residence, and apart from Zhang Cang — the cousin of Chen Ping's wife — there were no other outsiders.

Since it was already dark, Chen Ping had no time to observe Hei Fu's imperial-grant mansion in detail. He could only tell that the residence was magnificent, with high walls and a sprawling compound. The courtyard walls were decorated with patterned paintings and vermillion lacquer, dazzlingly bright — clearly newly renovated.

Candlelight from the bronze lampstands lit the hall. Once the three were seated, Zhang Cang joked from his mat that, by the standard of a Right Chief of the Masses, this mansion occupied over seventy zhai (one zhai being thirty cubic paces)! All the houses in the east and west of Huyou Village combined could not match it — and this was Xianyang, where land prices were sky-high!

"My own residence is cramped, and with so many wives, concubines, and children, it's noisy all day long — nothing like this spacious peace and quiet. Chen Ping, you should settle in here and stay at ease."

No matter how Hei Fu heard it, Zhang Cang was showing off, so he changed the subject and began talking with Chen Ping about what each of them had experienced over the past five years.

As they talked, Chen Ping felt that Hei Fu's experiences over these years had truly been full of dramatic ups and downs — battles lost, near capture, desperate breakouts, great merit won, and most importantly, climbing aboard the great ship of Li Si and his son. From then on, his official career had soared.

Hei Fu sighed with emotion: "A farm boy in the morning, seated in the Son of Heaven's hall by evening — looking back, it really feels like a dream. Only in Qin could I have met with such fortune."

Chen Ping offered flattery: "The Right Chief of the Masses has rendered countless meritorious deeds, rising in rank purely by merit — your position today is well deserved."

By contrast, Chen Ping's own life had been far more uneventful. He did not dislike quiet days, but he did not want to sink into them unable to pull free and miss out on a more brilliant life — that was why he had chosen to come to Xianyang.

At this point Zhang Cang chimed in and asked, "I hear that Chen Ping studies the Yellow Emperor and Laozi?"

Although he had long heard of Chen Ping's name from his clan uncle Zhang Fu, he had initially taken him for nothing more than a pretty face who had seduced his cousin with his looks. He had never imagined that Hei Fu would think so highly of Chen Ping — at his wedding, aside from civil and military officials, Xianyang colleagues, and old subordinates from Nan Commandery, Chen Ping was the only scholar from East of the Mountains whom he invited.

Zhang Cang found this curious and wanted to use the opportunity to test Chen Ping, to see whether he truly possessed talents unrecognized by his fellow villagers.

Once they started, there was no stopping them.

The two were discussing the teachings of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi. When Chen Ping traveled to study, he had not chosen Confucianism, which was more popular in Wei and an easier way to earn a living; instead, he had followed a scholar and studied the arts of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi.

As it happened, Zhang Cang's teacher Xunzi was no ordinary Confucian either — he was all-embracing, blending the doctrines of the Nine Schools and Ten Houses and making them his own.

This naturally included the teachings of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi, which were very popular at the Jixia Academy. Nurtured by this, Zhang Cang also had a fairly deep grounding in them.

So the two talked now of Laozi and Zhuangzi, now of Tian Pian and Shen Dao — one quoting "law arises from authority, authority arises from the Dao," the other "the official guards Heaven while the self guards the Dao." They were thoroughly enjoying themselves, but Hei Fu listened in utter bewilderment, feeling only that the banquet had suddenly changed tone, from reminiscence to a philosophy class…

By now the three had drunk quite a bit of wine. Hei Fu, growing tipsy, rapped his chopsticks against his cup and interrupted: "There's a saying — old Qin folk never pester. I dislike lofty, empty talk. If you two want to discuss the Yellow Emperor and Laozi, why not say something I can understand, for instance…"

He smiled. "What practical use does the Way of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi have in the world today? The finest doctrine, if it brings no benefit to the present age, is nothing but empty talk!"

Zhang Cang could certainly have answered, but he deliberately held back and looked at Chen Ping.

The serving maids had already withdrawn. Since there were no outsiders present anyway, Chen Ping, somewhat drunk, boldly declared: "In my view, His Majesty's use of pure Qin law to govern the former lands of the Six States is excessive!"

Chen Ping came from humble origins, and his breadth of knowledge was not as wide as Zhang Cang's, but he had lived among the lower classes and spent several years as a low-level petty official. He had witnessed with his own eyes all the things that happened when Qin governance was implemented in Wei, and he truly had some thoughts on the matter.

"After Wei fell, Dang Commandery was established in Wei's territory, with a governor and county magistrates sent to rule it. For the first two years, they governed according to local customs, but starting last year, laws and ordinances were widely posted in every county and village, heavily propagandized, and the common people were told to take the law as their teacher and the officials as their instructors."

"The laws and ordinances are cumbersome, and the common people do not understand Qin seal script. They often have their hair shaved or their faces tattooed for committing minor infractions and end up as convict laborers. In Yangwu County alone, over the past few years, convict laborers have filled the jail to bursting. As a result, there are people to work the construction sites, but the murmurs of complaint among the people are far from few."

"Furthermore, after the three-year tax exemption ended, the authorities began levying land taxes, poll taxes, and corvée labor on Yangwu County — even heavier than under Wei. When the people complain to the village officials, the village officials push it onto the county officials; the county officials say it is the commandery's directive. Thus the people's grievances all converge on the Qin officials."

"Adding fuel to the fire, over the past half year, court decrees have come one after another. First they said the old weights, measures, and coinage could no longer be used — everyone must use Qin weights and the half-tael coin. Officials searched along the streets, and if they found anyone in the markets secretly keeping old weights or old coins, they arrested them on the spot. That was one thing — differing weights and coins between the two regions were indeed quite inconvenient. But demanding that every commandery and county abolish their native scripts within three years and switch entirely to Qin seal script and Qin clerical script — that is rather forcing people beyond their limits…"

After speaking his piece in one breath, Chen Ping cupped his hands and said, "His Majesty's decrees are numerous and complex; often several are issued within a single month. In order to meet the deadlines, the commanderies and counties harshly press the petty officials and the common people. Little do they know, the more burdensome the affairs, the more exhausted the people; the more the law proliferates, the greater the resentment East of the Mountains."

By now his tipsiness had faded, and he realized with a start that his words just now had been somewhat improper. He hurriedly said, "Ping has spoken recklessly on state affairs — I hope the Right Chief of the Masses and my cousin-in-law will not take offense…"

Yet in Chen Ping's view, Qin governance over the past half year had been far too hasty. The people East of the Mountains had not yet recovered from the destruction of their states before they were battered dizzy by a barrage of decrees. Centuries-old habits could hardly be uprooted overnight, yet the Qin officials pressed them urgently, driving the locals to utter desperation.

The situation in Qin was even more severe. The realm had only just been unified, old contradictions had yet to be resolved, yet massive construction was already underway — several great projects launched simultaneously — and laws and ordinances were being rushed through, all in an attempt to accelerate true unification everywhere.

But a lump of dry flour, without water to bind it, can never fully stick together no matter how hard you press — and the moment the pressure is gone, it will crumble apart.

The Emperor's original intent was good, and the Qin people may not see anything wrong with it, but the twenty million people East of the Mountains, long accustomed to laxity, could not bear it…

Hei Fu looked at Chen Ping, inwardly admiring that, young as he was, he had already perceived one of the Qin dynasty's great hidden dangers. He asked, "Master Chen believes that using pure law is inappropriate — then how should the realm be governed?"

In Chen Ping's eyes, the solution was right before them!

He inclined his body and said, "Ping humbly believes that what the people of the realm need most right now is not endless decrees, not harsh laws and heavy corvée, but rest and recuperation. If the methods of Lord Shang could be combined with the teachings of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi — following Heaven and abiding by the Dao, employing both punishment and virtue, and practicing governance of stillness and non-action — then the myriad people would naturally transform."

"In just ten or fifteen years, the common people would be able to recover from centuries of unending bitter warfare. They would devote themselves to farming, and food and clothing would grow abundant. The children who enjoy a peaceful realm after unification would also grow to adulthood and would surely become accustomed to Qin governance. To implement the various measures then would not be too late…"

Although Chen Ping's inclination was toward the Grand Duke's art of conspiracy within the Yellow Emperor–Laozi tradition, which emphasized "cultivating virtue through conspiracy," he could still speak eloquently on the essence of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi — "stillness and non-action." After he finished, he looked at Hei Fu and Zhang Cang with considerable expectation.

This was an idea he had prepared for a long time. In the heart of this young scholar, was there not a secret hope of emulating the stories of Shang Yang and Fan Ju, who, through the introductions of Jing Jian and Wang Ji, presented their strategies to the King of Qin and soared to the heavens in a single bound…

But Hei Fu and Zhang Cang merely looked at each other, smiled, and then sighed.

Chen Ping had talent, and his gaze was sharp enough to propose a fine remedy. Unfortunately, he had never spent time in the official circles of Xianyang — he was far too naive.

Zhang Cang said, "Does Chen Ping know that back then, Shang Yang had to seek an audience with Duke Xiao of Qin three times?"

Chen Ping said, "I have heard something of it."

Zhang Cang nodded. "The first time, Shang Yang spoke to him of the Way of Emperors — Yao, Shun, and Yu. The second time, he spoke of the Way of Kings — Tang of Shang and Kings Wen and Wu of Zhou. Both times he spoke at length, but Duke Xiao began dozing off after only a few sentences and took in nothing of what he said. It was not until the third time, when Shang Yang began to expound the Way of Hegemons — the path to make Qin suddenly rich and powerful — that Duke Xiao, as he listened, gradually edged forward until he was sitting on Shang Yang's mat, and they talked for days without tiring!"

Chen Ping had a glimmer of understanding. After pondering, he said in a low voice, "My cousin-in-law means that when His Majesty hears the arts of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi, it is just like Duke Xiao of Qin listening to Shang Yang speak of governing by the Way of Emperors and the Way of Kings — he cannot take it in?"

"Exactly."

Hei Fu said helplessly, "What Master Chen does not know is that at court, there are over seventy Erudites. Although Confucians are in the majority, there are also some followers of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi renowned throughout the realm."

"For example, Tang Bing, known as the Elder of the Eastern Garden; Cui Guang, known as the Elder of Summer Yellow; Wu Shi, known as Qili Ji; and Zhou Shu, known as Master Luli. The ideas you have — they already presented them to His Majesty. Just last year, these four elders tried to persuade His Majesty with the Yellow Emperor–Laozi arts of stillness and non-action, rest and recuperation. But His Majesty considered these to be pedantic, antiquity-worshipping words, contrary to the principles of Qin law, and so he would not listen…"

Thus the words of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi were not valued by Qin Shi Huang, and the Four Elders, like the Confucian scholars, became mere ornaments at court.

Zhang Cang laughed. "Never mind the Four Elders — the Right Chief of the Masses once advised His Majesty that abolishing the scripts of the Six States so abruptly might cause difficulties for local petty officials and common people who could not learn Qin script in time, and requested changing it to five years, calling it a five-year plan. But His Majesty thought five years was too long and set it at three. Had the Right Chief of the Masses not remonstrated, I fear every commandery and county would have had to complete it within a single year!"

Chen Ping suddenly understood. Hei Fu sank into thought.

On the surface, his official career was thriving, and he was about to wed the beauty of his dreams, but Hei Fu knew in his heart that the Emperor's trust in him was selective — he picked and chose which advice to heed. Over the past half year and more, apart from the first discussion on the imperial title, most of the memorials that obliquely urged the Emperor to slow his governance had been rejected by Qin Shi Huang.

The First Emperor had very high standards, but his administration was also impatient. He was a bit like a management-game player in the heat of passion, seeing everything only from his own perspective, his eyes forever fixed ahead, beholding the great era he was creating — the four seas churning, clouds and waters raging, the five continents shaking, wind and thunder surging — how magnificent!

Yet he overlooked the joys, angers, sorrows, and pleasures of the common people beneath his feet.

In the Emperor's eyes, those opposing views were merely buzzing — a few shrill cries, a few sobs. As for the remnants of the Six States — ha! — even more, ants clinging to a locust tree boasting of a great kingdom, mayflies trying to shake a tree — how utterly absurd…

To use the same poem to depict the Emperor's state of mind, it would be…

So many things, ever urgent;

Heaven and earth turn, time presses hard.

Ten thousand years is too long — seize the day, seize the hour!

PS: Back in my hometown. The rain and traffic delayed me a bit, so just one chapter today.

(End of chapter)