Chapter 472: Xiao He

In the thirty-first year of the First Emperor of Qin, during the first ten days of the twelfth month, the weather was cold but had not yet reached the point of snow. Before the sky had fully brightened, inside the county seat of Pei County in Sishui Commandery, a modestly sized official residence had already lit its lamps. From the stables in the rear courtyard came the sound of neighing—likely servants harnessing horses to a carriage.

By the time the eastern sky showed the white of a fish's belly, beneath a wooden plaque bearing the two characters "Xiao Residence," the doors swung open. A two-horse carriage rolled out, and within the compartment sat a middle-aged official around forty, dressed in black robes, wearing a magpie-tail cap, and sporting a long beard, sitting rigidly upright. Behind him followed two servants, along with an ox-cart laden with gifts. From the look of this arrangement, he was heading out to attend a banquet.

But just as the carriage reached the street, the gate of the household beside the Xiao Residence, marked with the plaque "Cao Residence," also creaked open. A minor official, similarly dressed in black but wearing a warrior's cap and sporting a short beard, stopped the carriage and cupped his hands toward the man aboard, saying:

"Brother Xiao is truly early."

The official on the carriage also rose solemnly, dismounted, and returned the courtesy: "Brother Cao is not late either."

Of these two men, the one on the carriage was Xiao He, the Head Clerk of Pei County, who oversaw the advancement and dismissal of local officials, his status second only to the Magistrate, Assistant, and Commandant. The man below the carriage was Cao Shen, the Prison Clerk of Pei County, specifically in charge of judicial and penal matters.

Cao Shen said, "Today is an official rest day, yet Brother Xiao sets out so early. Could it be that you are going to attend that Liu Ji's wedding?"

He seemed to both like and dislike Liu Ji, and with a mocking laugh, he cursed, "That fellow Liu Ji, a former knight-errant and now a mere pittance-earner, not only has he stumbled upon good fortune by marrying Lord Lü's daughter, but he can also make Brother Xiao condescend to attend the feast. What tremendous face he has!"

Xiao He nodded and said, "My home is in Feng Village, and I have had many years of friendship with Liu Ji. Since he personally came to my door to invite me to be the master of ceremonies, it would be improper not to go."

Everyone said that the Lü daughter marrying an old bachelor like Liu Ji was like a fresh flower stuck into dog dung. However, Xiao He had his own thoughts on the matter. Whenever others asked his opinion, Xiao He would only say blandly, "Since Lord Lü acts this way, he naturally has his reasons."

Feng Village lay several dozen li west of Pei County, requiring a full day's travel. Xiao He had to set out immediately, or else he would not make it in time for the wedding ceremony the following evening.

Cao Shen, however, stopped Xiao He, shaking his head. "I also received an invitation from that Liu Ji and originally intended to travel with Brother Xiao. But today, I'm afraid neither of us can leave!"

Xiao He asked curiously, "Why is that?"

Cao Shen replied, "While I was on night duty at the county office last night, the Magistrate sent his Chief Clerk to inform us that a high-ranking frontier official will be passing through Pei County and staying overnight. Both you and I must accompany the Magistrate in receiving him; our absence is not permitted!"

Pei County was situated on the banks of the Sishui River. Following the current downstream, one could reach Pengcheng and Donghai Commandery; heading north led to Qi and Lu, and west to Liang and Song. It was a place accessible from all directions, and officials frequently passed through.

Officials of the county level could simply be received at the post stations. But if a major official of the commandery level passed through, the Pei County Magistrate would personally appear to entertain them hospitably. Xiao He was not only the Head Clerk, the Magistrate's right-hand man, but also a representative of the county's powerful and prominent families. Naturally, he was indispensable at every such reception.

Xiao He furrowed his brow. Although he was unwilling to break his word, he could not afford to slight the Magistrate's dignity. He had no choice but to order a servant to drive swiftly to Feng Village and inform Liu Ji that he might not arrive until the following afternoon.

"Is Brother Xiao planning to rush there through the night after the social engagement is over?"

Cao Shen was surprised that Xiao He cared so much about Liu Ji. Back when Liu Ji went off for corvée labor, everyone else had given three hundred coins as a parting gift, but Xiao He alone had given five hundred. Now, he was even willing to brave the cold wind to travel.

Xiao He merely smiled:

"Laozi said, 'One who makes promises lightly must seldom keep faith; one who sees many things as easy will encounter many difficulties.' Though I am but a minor clerk, I am unwilling to lightly abandon the foundation of walking the Dao. By the way, this high-ranking frontier official you mentioned—where is he going to assume his post, and what is his official position?"

Although Cao Shen had always regarded Xiao He as a role model, he was, after all, slightly younger and had previously served as a thief-catcher. Being a man of robust strength, he spoke with animated delight: "Speaking of this man, his name is renowned far and wide! Does Brother Xiao still remember, after those corvée laborers who served in Guanzhong and the northern frontier returned to Pei County last year, who was the person they mentioned most often?"

The conscripted laborers from Pei County had gone to Xianyang and Shang Commandery to perform hard labor and transport grain. Ten had died, ten had stayed behind, and only a little over thirty had been brought back by Liu Ji. Liu Ji, ordinarily a braggart, was unusually reluctant to bring up this matter this time. As for the others, they could not care less about such restraint. The person they remembered most fondly, aside from the Eldest Son Fusu, who had left a reputation for virtue among the laborers, were the three generals who had earned merit patrolling the streets.

And among those, it was Hei Fu, who came from commoner stock, who was most revered by the commoners...

Xiao He was very skilled at analysis, and the answers he gave were rarely far off the mark.

Cao Shen clapped his hands: "Exactly that General Wei! It is said that he is the minister most trusted and valued by the Emperor. Now appointed as Governor of Jiaodong Commandery, he is on his way to assume his post, brimming with pride and satisfaction!"

"Traveling from Xianyang to assume the post in Jiaodong Commandery, one should pass through Sanchuan, then take the route through Dong Commandery, Jibei, and Linzi, going straight all the way to Jimo. Why would this Governor of Jiaodong forsake the near for the distant and pass through our Pei County?"

At high noon, the Pei County Magistrate had already led his officials, great and small, to wait at Pei County's southern city gate. Cao Shen, however, was still puzzled.

Xiao He calculated mentally for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I have heard that this Governor Wei is a man from Nan Commandery. He must have returned home for a visit and is now coming from either Chen Commandery or Jiujiang Commandery, hence entering through the south gate. Furthermore, he is stopping only for a single day and will head north into Xue Commandery tomorrow. It seems time is pressing..."

This reasoning aligned with common sense. Cao Shen nodded, once again somewhat admiring Xiao He's meticulous attention to detail, understanding why the Magistrate relied on him so heavily.

Xiao He had started as the Magistrate's secretary, a "scribe without blemish," and excelled at legal and administrative matters. Not only was he thoroughly familiar with the situation in Sishui Commandery and Pei County, but he also had some knowledge of other commanderies.

He knew that Jiaodong Commandery was one of the four commanderies carved out from the former state of Qi. It was bordered by the sea to the east and north, faced Langya to the south, and connected to Linzi to the west. Although it was the easternmost commandery in the empire, its population was not small, numbering over a hundred thousand households and seven to eight hundred thousand people! Though not comparable to Linzi, which was garrisoned by General Wang Ben, it was still considered a major commandery, with a population three times that of Beidi Commandery!

Jiaodong's economy was also decent, possessing the bounty of mountains and sea and the wealth of salt and iron. It was the primary source of sea salt and fish for the Central Plains. However, Xiao He had heard that recently, pirates and bandits had been breeding along the coast, causing considerable trouble. And as for the power of the local prominent clans and great families, even from his position in Pei County, Xiao He had heard some rumors.

"It is precisely for this reason that the court has dispatched a decisive and resolute strong official to govern it..." Xiao He thought to himself.

In these times, news traveled slowly. Although Xiao He and others did not know the details of Hei Fu's performance during Qin's war to conquer Chu, they had learned of some of his deeds from the corvée laborers who had served in Guanzhong. This included his great victory over the Xiongnu alongside Li Xin, his act of "sending warmth" to soldiers and laborers when winter arrived, and even the rumor that Hei Fu was quite fond of men with handsome beards—a tale that had spread far and wide and was relished by all.

In short, in the impression of Xiao He and Cao Shen, this was an able minister and close confidant of the Emperor, far beyond their reach.

As they were pondering, the man sent to wait at the Ten-Li Pavilion came running back, out of breath: "My lord Magistrate, the Governor of Jiaodong is approaching the south gate!"

"Quick, stand straight, stand straight!" The Pei County Magistrate hurriedly ordered all the officials to adjust their attire and caps and prepare the wine for welcoming a traveler.

Although Jiaodong and Sishui Commanderies were separated by several hundred li, and that Governor Wei had no authority over Pei County, making such fawning unnecessary, Hei Fu was a minister favored and trusted by the Emperor. Perhaps a single light word from him could alter the fate of county-level officials. The Pei Magistrate dared not fail to curry favor.

Before long, several dozen riders appeared on the road. They all rode uniformly fine Hexi horses. Though dressed in plain cloth, one could tell from the swords hanging at their waists and the crossbows slung on their backs that they were military men, each with a proud and lofty bearing. These were likely the household retainers and attendants of the Governor of Jiaodong.

The riders galloped to the city gate, then split to the left and right, revealing the convoy behind them. Some carts carried books, others carried attendants. The largest carriage among them had a black canopy, with the side panels painted red—this was a vehicle reserved exclusively for high officials of the two-thousand-bushel rank and above. Beneath the ornate canopy sat a dark-faced official dressed in black robes and wearing a brown-feathered martial cap...

"All officials of Pei County pay respects to the Junior Shangzao!"

The Pei County Magistrate, Assistant, and Commandant immediately went forward to greet him, bowing with clasped hands in salute. The Governor of Jiaodong, however, merely cupped his hands slightly in return.

After the carriage stopped for a moment, it continued into the city under the Pei County Magistrate's guidance. But Hei Fu's eyes swept over the assembled Pei County officials lining the road. His gaze even inadvertently fell upon Xiao He, who stood at the very front of the officials' formation. Yet it was only a brief glance before he smiled again and resumed chatting and laughing with the Pei County Magistrate, who had been permitted to board the carriage and felt immensely honored.

Xiao He, Cao Shen, and the other hundred-bushel officials of various departments stood in two rows, bowing deeply in salute. Only after the carriage and horses had passed did Cao Shen raise his head and exclaim in astonishment, "So young, yet already a Junior Shangzao, already a two-thousand-bushel official!?"

If his eyes did not deceive him, this Governor Wei was barely around thirty. Cao Shen stroked his own full beard, feeling somewhat ashamed.

If this were a second-generation scion who had inherited his grandfather's or father's achievements and titles, that would be one thing. But this Governor Wei had genuinely climbed up from a commoner, step by step. How had he done it? Cao Shen reflected on his own life from age twenty to thirty; he had muddled through, practicing martial arts and studying literature, both quite well, yet achieving nothing in either. After Qin conquered Chu, although he had become the head clerk of a department and was respectfully addressed by the county folk as "Clerk Cao of the Prison," compared to the Governor of Jiaodong, what was he worth? Nothing.

Xiao He, however, remained silent for a moment, then said softly, "Poverty or success depends on the times. If one has the right person but not the right era, even a sage cannot act. If one has the right era, what difficulty is there? In my view, Governor Wei's great achievements at such a young age are not solely due to his outstanding talent, but also because he happened upon the right time and met with a discerning sovereign. But as for meeting one's opportunity or not, that is up to Heaven. How can we compare ourselves to him?"

This was a Huang-Lao perspective. Xiao He came from a well-off family and had studied some of it. Cao Shen nodded, seeming to understand yet not fully. Just then, a voice with a Wei-region accent spoke up from behind them.

"'Poverty or success depends on the times?' Well said by this county clerk."

The two turned their heads to look and saw a young scholar dressed in plain cloth, a black silk band wrapped around his head, yet radiating a heroic and spirited air.

The scholar continued from where Xiao He had left off: "Lü Wang was stranded at Thorn Ford, and at the age of seventy was butchering oxen in Zhaoge, yet he was honored as the Son of Heaven's teacher—because he met King Wen of Zhou. Guan Yiwu was bound in fetters as a prisoner, yet released from his shackles to become a feudal lord's chancellor—because he met Duke Huan of Qi. Baili Xi was ransomed for five sheepskins, herding cattle for a nobleman, yet released from the cowshed to become a court minister—because he met Duke Mu of Qin. Sunshu Ao emerged from the salt flats by the sea to become Prime Minister—because he met King Zhuang of Chu..."

"That the Commandery Lord has reached his current position is indeed because he happened upon the right time and met his opportunity!"

He seemed to be speaking of Hei Fu, but also seemed to be speaking of himself...

This man had come with the Governor of Jiaodong's convoy but had deliberately disembarked at the city gate, intending to stroll around Pei County on his own. He happened to be pacing nearby and overheard Xiao He's words.

Xiao He and Cao Shen did not dare be negligent and cupped their hands toward him: "May I ask who you are, sir?"

The scholar raised his sleeve: "I am Chen Ping, a household retainer of Governor Wei. I apologize for intruding upon your esteemed locality. I offer my respects!"

Having said this, he raised his head again, and his handsome face broke into a harmless smile: "What the county clerk just said were Huang-Lao teachings, were they not? What a coincidence—I, too, am fond of Huang-Lao!"

PS: A new volume, took a while to figure out. Chapter 2 at midnight.

As for the population of Qin's various commanderies, there are no documents to consult; the author simply took the household and population figures from the "Treatise on Geography" in the Book of Han, divided them by two, and used those. Except for regions that experienced major demographic shifts, the rest should be pretty close to the mark.

(End of chapter)