Chapter 410: Since Ancient Times

In mid-July, north of the commandery seat of Dai Commandery, before a shrine under construction and rising from the ground, the local Commandery Governor, Commandant, and others gathered the local officials and commoners and loudly proclaimed the edict of Qin Shi Huang.

"'To rouse the indolent and dispirited, to sweep away the dust of turmoil, to honor the Son of Heaven and repel the Rong and Di barbarians, to raise the vermilion banner and pacify the barbarian courts — this is the strategy of the worthy and capable. To advance with spirit and never look back upon righteousness, to go to foreign lands as though returning home, to face the execution of one's three clans without regret — this is the courage of a knight of the realm.'"

"'Since King Ping moved east, the Southern Yi and Northern Di have pressed in from both sides, and the Central States have hung by a thread. Among those who could honor the king and repel the barbarians, resist the joint incursions of the Rong and Di, and expand the frontiers for the various Hua Xia states, none surpass these five in merit: Guan Yiwu, You Yu, Sima Cuo, Qin Kai, and Li Mu.'"

"'Without Guan Zhong, the people of the Central Xia might now wear their hair loose and fold their robes to the left. Without You Yu, Duke Mu could not have dominated the Western Rong and extended the territory a thousand li. Without Sima Cuo, Ba and Shu would still be the domain of the Di and Qiang, and the Kaiming clan would still practice the tyranny of Jie and Zhou. Without Qin Kai, the Eastern Hu would still ride their horses freely on Mount Yan, and Liaodong would still reek of barbarian stench. Without Li Mu, the Xiongnu would still ravage and oppress Dai North, slaughtering and plundering the people!'"

"'Though these five were but subjects, their merit in pacifying the frontiers for Hua Xia has bestowed blessings upon later generations. We, the Emperor, are stirred by their resolve and specially decree that the border commanderies establish "Pacify-the-Frontier Shrines" to offer them sacrifice. The shrines in the four regions of Taiyuan, Yanmen, Dai Commandery, and Yunzhong shall principally venerate Li Mu, with the other four accompanying in the rites. Sacrifices shall be performed in all four seasons so that they may receive blood-offerings and also witness that the borderlands are now peaceful, no longer suffering the chaos and loss of former times…'"

After the Guanzhong speech was finished, officials of native origin repeated it loudly in the Dai North dialect.

Upon hearing it, the people of Dai Commandery were momentarily stunned, thinking they had misheard!

No mistake, right? Just days ago, the Qin officials in the counties of Dai North had destroyed many a Li Mu shrine and fined the village heads and group elders at the scene two suits of armor! So why this sudden change of heart — Qin Shi Huang actually establishing a public shrine to venerate Li Mu?

Most Dai people knew only of Li Mu and had vaguely heard of Qin Kai; the other three were unknown to them. But listening to their deeds, they all had merit in pacifying the frontiers and expanding territory?

Still, Guan Zhong was a man of Qi, You Yu counted as a grandee of Qin, Sima Cuo was a Qin general, Qin Kai a Yan general, and Li Mu a Zhao general — five men originally with no connection whatsoever, yet brought together in worship for their merit in "pacifying the frontiers" — that was novel.

Amid their glad surprise, the terms repeatedly mentioned in the edict — "Central Xia," "the Various Xia," "Hua Xia" — also left a faint impression on the black-headed commoners.

In the hearts of the Zhao people of Dai North, Qin and Zhao were absolutely not of the same kind. But if facing an Eastern Hu or a Xiongnu across from them, by comparison, though the Qin people were greedy, base, vicious, and cruel, they at least bound their hair in topknots, wore deep robes, ate the five grains, and could be spoken with and reasoned with. The barbarians, however, had different emblems and garments, different customs, different food and drink, and mutually unintelligible speech from the Central States — and they also had a generational blood feud of slaughter and plunder with the Zhao people of Dai North!

So when the edict counted Qin, Zhao, Qi, and Yan all as one kind of people, united against the Rong and Di, they had no objection.

Count it however you like! As long as it lets the people of Dai North openly and honorably worship General Li Mu, who saved them — or saved their fathers' generation — from dire calamity, that's enough!

"Once the shrine is built, can we truly come here to worship General Li Mu?" someone still disbelieving boldly asked.

The official replied with a stern face: "There will be rites within the shrine, and distant obeisance and offerings may be made outside the shrine, but unauthorized strange shrines must not be privately erected among the people! Violators will still be severely punished!"

The Dai people were quite satisfied with this arrangement, and all eagerly looked forward to the autumn rites.

Amid the crowd, a young woodcutter holding an axe and wearing coarse brown clothes felt a surge of mixed emotions in his heart.

"Grandfather, oh Grandfather, all your life you were loyal to Zhao, yet in the end you fell to that old scoundrel Wang Jian's treacherous scheme, forced to your death by that witless ruler and treacherous minister, Zhao Qian and Guo Kai. They remembered not your twenty years of toil, nor your merit in fighting mighty Qin within and defending against the Xiongnu without. Who would have thought that in the end, it would be the Qin Emperor, your lifelong enemy, who establishes a shrine for you…"

This person was named Li Zuoche — Li Mu's youngest grandson. The edict's words "face the execution of one's three clans without regret" referred to his family.

Ten years ago, after Li Mu was killed, his three clans were all implicated by Guo Kai; only Li Zuoche, hidden in Dai Commandery, narrowly escaped.

The following year, Handan was breached and Zhao fell. Prince Jia fled to Dai Commandery, and in order to win over the Zhao army of Dai North, he specially rehabilitated Li Mu. The Li Mu shrines found everywhere in Dai North were built at that time. But mending the pen after the sheep were lost came too late; within a few years, Dai too fell.

At that time, Li Zuoche was not yet of age, so with the help of Li Mu's former subordinates, he concealed his identity and hid in the vast wilderness of Dai. Now he called himself Li Zuo and made his living chopping firewood.

But no one knew that this seemingly ordinary woodcutter, when he swung his axe, carried a distinct air of slaughter and battle — he actually possessed martial skill. And in his spare time, he would take out the military treatises and strategies left behind by his grandfather and study them in secret. Over the years, he had gained some modest insight, but it was a pity he was born at the wrong time, constrained by his identity, with no chance to put them into practice…

After his lament, Li Zuoche did not accept this favor from Qin Shi Huang. His grandfather's experience left him with no goodwill toward Qin, but neither did he have any interest in restoring Zhao. He departed in silence.

It was not until several months later, through a former aide of Li Mu serving as a clerk in the Qin government offices, that Li Zuoche learned the full story. It turned out that the one who proposed establishing the Pacify-the-Frontier Shrines and having Li Mu enshrined was the Commandant of Beidi Commandery — Heifu…

"Heifu…"

Li Zuoche nodded and firmly committed this name to memory.

"So it seems, among the greedy, base, and cruel Qin officials, there is actually one good official who remembers Grandfather's achievements!"

…

In late July of the twenty-eighth year, after leaving behind the decree to establish Pacify-the-Frontier Shrines in Yanmen and Dai Commanderies, Qin Shi Huang continued his northern inspection tour, exiting Shanwu and arriving at Yunzhong Commandery…

The moment they stepped onto Yunzhong soil, Yunzhong cavalry in immaculate formation came roaring in, flanking both sides of Qin Shi Huang's procession. They were mostly from Guanzhong, veterans who had followed Meng Tian to destroy Dai and attack Qi back in the day, every man straightening his back to receive the Emperor's inspection.

After passing Wuzhou Fortress, the scenery before Qin Shi Huang changed dramatically.

If Yanmen and Dai Commanderies were still mixed farming and pastoral regions where village fields were often visible, then Yunzhong Commandery was entirely a grassland landscape…

This land was the area of later Hohhot — the sky like a domed tent, covering the wilds on all sides.

A vast, empty plain stretched out beneath the procession, flat and boundless to the limits of sight, like an ocean. Hills and ridges were gone; even woods, villages, and roads had vanished without a trace. There was only the endless grassland, wind driving surging clouds, the yellow-green blades of grass swaying like waves, the whole world turning the color of bronze.

A hunting hawk soared high above, circling in the deep blue sky, while below it, herds of cattle and sheep in droves chewed the pasture grass before winter's arrival, striving to put on more fat…

After traveling two hundred li across the grassland, a white city finally appeared before them. It was like a white gem set upon the green prairie, encircled by a jade-blue ribbon of a river, beautiful beyond compare.

This city also had a beautiful name: Yunzhong…

Seeing Qin Shi Huang gazing at Yunzhong, Meng Tian reported to him the origin of this city.

"It is said that in the time of Zhao's Sovereign Father, after subduing the Loufan and Linhu, he advanced west into the grasslands, raiding barbarian lands, and intended to build a city on the western bank of the great river. But the walls just built would collapse, and fearing the site was inauspicious, he chose a new location on the eastern side of the river instead."

"Local legend says that the Zhao Sovereign Father rode his horse to this place and in the daytime saw a flock of swans soaring among the clouds, circling back and forth, and beneath the flock there seemed to be a glow. Seeing this, the Zhao Sovereign Father took it as an auspicious omen and built the city there. Drawn by swans, built amid the clouds — hence it was named Yunzhong!"

Qin Shi Huang, who revered mysticism, believed this deeply. He further observed Yunzhong's geographical position: the terrain was flat, the water and grass lush and abundant, suitable for both farming and herding — an excellent place to train cavalry and graze warhorses.

"It is only by relying on Yunzhong City that the people of the Central Xia can firmly hold this grassland, is it not? The frontier reaching the Ordos Loop, Yunzhong City born — the Zhao Sovereign Father was indeed a man not bound by convention, able to achieve such deeds. How laughable that he ultimately starved to death at Shaqiu."

Qin Shi Huang did not know that historically he too would have an inescapable connection to the place called Shaqiu. He merely thought that King Wuling of Zhao was wise all his life but foolish for one moment. For one who is emperor, power is like a flood or a wild beast — it can turn flesh and blood into mortal enemies. How could it ever be delegated to another?

Given the chance, he would sit on the imperial throne for ten thousand years and would absolutely never play at abdicating in favor of his son!

This was also one of the reasons Qin Shi Huang had yet to establish a crown prince.

After entering the traveling palace in Yunzhong City, Qin Shi Huang did not hurry to rest. Instead, he had Meng Tian bring out a map of Yunzhong and asked him: "The cities the Zhao Sovereign Father built in barbarian lands were not limited to Yunzhong. I have heard that the Zhao Long Wall begins in the east at Dai, passes through Yunzhong and Jiuyuan, and turns northwest into the Yin Mountains, reaching Gaique as its fortress. What is the situation in the Jiuyuan and Gaique regions?"

Jiuyuan was located at later Baotou, and Gaique was even farther, at the Ordos Loop's north, at a pass in the Yin Mountains. This land was at the time called "Beijia," counterpart to the Lands South of the River.

Meng Tian answered truthfully: "Reporting to Your Majesty, in the time of the Zhao Sovereign Father, Zhao's territory was at its greatest extent, but after Changping, Gaique, Jiuyuan, and Yunzhong fell one after another into Xiongnu hands. Over twenty years ago, after Li Mu dealt the Xiongnu a great defeat, he recovered Yunzhong and Jiuyuan. By the time our army occupied Taiyuan and Yunzhong, taking advantage of the war between Qin and Zhao, Jiuyuan was once again lost to the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu Chanyu Touman destroyed Jiuyuan City and used its bricks and tiles to build a new city north at the foot of the Yin Mountains, calling it Touman City — that is the Xiongnu Chanyu's royal court…"

"Hmph, clownish, thieving wretches!" Qin Shi Huang snorted coldly.

"So you are saying that the northern borders of Qin today are still not equal to those in the time of the Zhao Sovereign Father?"

"Yes."

Qin Shi Huang furrowed his brow. This was something he absolutely could not tolerate. He believed that since Qin had swept away the six states, it ought also to inherit the territories of those six states — like Yan's Liaodong, Chu's Yuzhang and Cangwu, all of which he had dispatched men to conquer. This was also why he had refused Yan's and Dai's requests to remain as vassal buffer states.

As a collector, in Qin Shi Huang's mind, his imperial domain was not yet complete; it still lacked several puzzle pieces.

Jiuyuan and the Ordos Loop — this region called "Beijia" — was one of the most crucial pieces!

He immediately grew sullen and displeased. He had Meng Tian accompany him as he ascended Yunzhong City to gaze in the direction of Touman City, watching the faintly visible Yin Mountains, letting the grassland wind blow through his beard and hair. Only after a long while did he speak:

"We have heard that Beijia and the Lands South of the River were called Shuofang in ancient times. Minister of Justice, how does that poem go?"

Li Si immediately responded: "The poem is titled 'Bringing Out the Chariots': 'The King commanded Nan Zhong, to go and build a city in Fang. The chariots rolled out in great numbers, the dragon and serpent banners fluttered bright. The Son of Heaven commanded me, to build that city in Shuofang. Illustrious Nan Zhong, the Xianyun were swept away!'"

This poem recounted the early years of King Xuan of Zhou, when he commanded the minister Nan Zhong to campaign against the Xianyun and won victory — a song of praise. People only knew that the Shuofang in the poem lay north of Zhou, but since the Warring States period, because people believed the "Xianyun" were the ancestors of the Xiongnu, Shuofang was thus Beijia and the Lands South of the River.

After Li Si finished reciting, Qin Shi Huang declared with soaring spirit:

"Shuofang was territory in the Zhou era, opened up by the Central Xia since ancient times. The Zhao ruler Father could recover half of it, building Jiuyuan City and the Gaique Fortress north of the Beijia. How could We be outdone by him? We shall restore its entire domain!"

"Meng Tian!"

"Your servant is here!" Meng Tian jolted alert and immediately prostrated himself.

Qin Shi Huang swept his hand forward, pointing toward the distant Yin Mountains, and said:

"Once the Straight Road is finished next year, We shall dispatch a great army, smash the Xiongnu, seize Beijia and the lands south of the river, then push on to raze Touman City. With the bricks and tiles of Touman City, find the finest location and establish a new city — and it shall be named Shuofang!"

"If you can achieve this extraordinary merit, Meng Tian, you shall be Great Qin's Nanzhong! Perhaps a hundred years hence, you too may enter the Border-Pacifying Shrine as an accompanying sacrifice!"

(End of chapter)