Chapter 477

"This junior pays his respects to the Lord Marquis!"

Disembarking from the carriage and entering the residence, Heifu saw Wang Ben's towering figure standing in the courtyard, dressed in black robes and wearing a grand military cap adorned with sable tails.

Wang Ben was not Heifu's direct superior, nor was he the Governor of Linzi Commandery. He was the "General" who garrisoned the Qi territory and oversaw the military affairs of all four commanderies. His rank was higher than Heifu's, so naturally he had no need to greet him at the city gate and could simply wait inside his hall. But given this man's seniority and noble rank, Heifu dared not be remiss. He stepped forward, bowed with clasped hands, and performed the courtesy of a junior.

Though Wang Ben was already nearing fifty, his temples tinged with a layer of white hair like frost and snow on the ground, Heifu still said, against his own conscience:

"After so many years apart, the Lord Marquis remains as dashing and vigorous as ever!"

Wang Ben also stepped forward and cupped his hands toward Heifu. After Heifu raised his head, Wang Ben scrutinized him for a moment and asked, surprised, "Commandery Governor Wei has met me before?"

"Eight years ago, Heifu served as a platoon chief in the Lord Marquis's army and took part in the siege of Daliang. I also transported grain and fodder from Waihuang County to the army and witnessed the sight of Liang's city walls collapsing — it was truly overwhelming. Later, I was fortunate enough to watch as King Jia of Wei, stripped to the waist and bound, led a goat and offered reeds in surrender to the General. The General's valor — how magnificent it was!"

The campaign to destroy Wei was the proudest victory of Wang Ben's life, second only to the destruction of Qi, where a state of ten thousand chariots fell without bloodshed. By this account, Heifu had not only once served under Wang Jian in the attack on Chu, but had also been Wang Ben's former subordinate. The bond between the two men was instantly drawn much closer.

"I never imagined you had such a connection to my family."

A smile appeared on Wang Ben's face, and he invited Heifu inside for a detailed talk. "It's cold — let's go in and speak."

A light snow was falling outside. To save time, Heifu and his party had traveled day and night after leaving Pei County, barely stopping to rest, and the horses moved at a fast pace. Even inside the enclosed carriage, they were thoroughly frozen. Now, upon entering the room, a wave of warmth immediately greeted them, and the source of the heat was a heated brick bed that allowed two people to sit facing each other.

Heifu was amused. Three years ago, in Beidi Commandery, he had people tinker together a heated bed. At first, it was used only in his own residence, but gradually, Ye Zijin treated it as a small favor and taught it to the official and noble households of Beidi Commandery. Two years ago, the equally cold Longxi and Beidi Commanderies adopted it. A year ago, rooms with heated beds became all the rage in Xianyang. He never expected it to have spread to Linzi so quickly.

Wang Ben invited Heifu onto the heated bed, where they sat across a low table from each other. "I haven't returned to Guanzhong in several years. That place changes with each passing day. Almost every year, some new thing reaches Linzi — first the thin paper, then the high saddle and stirrups. I hear they were all devised by Commandery Governor Wei?"

Heifu replied, "Heifu merely let his thoughts run wild. It was the Mohists and the craftsmen who actually made them, and it was the petty officials, soldiers, and cavalry attendants who proved their true usefulness."

"Then the one who proves this heated bed's usefulness is someone like me — with old, injured legs that fear the cold?"

Wang Ben patted the bed beneath him and said, "My son had Xianyang craftsmen come and build this. He said he feared that, at my age, my old wounds would flare up and I would dread the cold."

He laughed. "That unworthy son of mine, though people mock him as the 'Lost-the-Way Colonel' and say he disgraced the Wang family's name beyond the northern frontier, is at least filial."

Meng Tian, Li Xin, and Heifu were the biggest winners of the campaign against the Xiongnu, while Feng Jie and Wang Li were the losers. Wang Li, having lost his way and failed to provide support to the Henan region, returned without any merit. The First Emperor stripped him of one rank of nobility, a considerable blow to him. Now, he has not been assigned any new post and is at home, caring for the aged and ailing Wang Jian and managing the family's lands and properties.

Heifu added, "The young general simply had poor luck. His Majesty is about to undertake affairs in the west — there will be plenty of chances to earn merit again."

"That is exactly what I told him."

Wang Ben said, "A man must not be easily discouraged. General Li Xin suffered a great defeat, yet he still knew shame and summoned his courage afterward, achieving illustrious merit. How much more so for him? When Commandery Governor Wei served as a court gentleman, you and my son were colleagues. In your ordinary correspondence, you must write more letters to help me urge him on."

*I'm not even close with Wang Li... *

Heifu grumbled inwardly, but how could he not discern that Wang Ben, representing the Wang clan's military faction, was extending closeness and goodwill toward him? This Junior General Wang was as tactful as the Old General Wang, but why had that Little Wang failed to learn the ways of handling people from his grandfather and father?

The Wang clan, the foremost contributors to Qin's destruction of the six states, was now faring poorly. Wang Jian grew more ill by the day, Wang Ben was stuck in Qi territory, and Wang Li had met with setbacks. For a time, the family had no one at court. Though they still commanded some prestige and loyalty among their old troops, compared to the Meng clan, that newly rising star, they were truly waning day by day.

Thinking this, Heifu could not help but admire the First Emperor's methods. Overwhelming merit that eclipsed the sovereign had always been a great problem after the founding and unification of a dynasty. In later ages, the founders of every dynasty basically had to kill off a wave of meritorious officials before they could rest easy. Yet the First Emperor merely employed a few subtle maneuvers, and the Wang clan declined and fell like a shooting star. Though it was somewhat unfair to Wang Jian and Wang Ben, it was still infinitely better than slaughter.

In any case, because the Wang clan's situation was unfavorable, Wang Ben, facing Heifu, who had some ties to the family, adopted the attitude of treating him as a junior kinsman.

*Next, he'll ask my impression of Qi and Linzi, then talk about the difficulties of governing Qi and Jiaodong, and finally, thump his chest and say, 'Don't be afraid, lad, this general has your back'? * Heifu thought to himself.

Sure enough, after drinking some warmed, mellow yellow wine, Wang Ben posed his question.

"Commandery Governor Wei, upon entering Qi, what have you observed?"

Heifu smiled. "I entered Jibei from Xue Commandery and saw Mount Tai on the left and Kangfu on the right — a place where chariots cannot travel abreast and cavalry cannot ride in pairs, where a hundred men guarding the pass can hold back a thousand. Truly a fortress of perilous strength. In Jibei, traveling along the Noon Road, though it was the depths of winter with frost and snow falling in waves, the road was still bustling east and west, with merchants and trade flourishing in an endless stream. Coming east along the Ji River, I saw beautiful mountain forests, rivers, and valleys, an abundance of natural resources, iron mountains with unceasing smoke and fire, and fish and shrimp from the seashore being sold inland. In summary, in terms of strategic terrain, it cannot match the impregnable barriers of Guanzhong; in terms of territorial expanse, it cannot match the vast openness of Jingchu. But in wealth and population, it is no less than those two regions."

Before taking up his post, Heifu had, as usual, obtained from Zhang Cang a good number of books about Qi, especially canonical texts and documents on its mountains, rivers, and geography. It turned out that eight hundred years ago, when Qi was first enfeoffed, its population was very small. After all, this was a coastal land of salt and brine, where agriculture was difficult to develop. It was all thanks to Taigong Wang, who governed according to local customs, got along well with the Eastern Yi people, encouraged them in the women's work of spinning and weaving, perfected their craft techniques, and facilitated the benefits of fish and salt. Thereupon, the Yi people from far and near all came to submit to him, like strings of coins, endless and unbroken, like spokes of a wheel, gathering together at this hub.

Thus, Qi came to supply caps, sashes, clothes, and shoes to all under Heaven. The feudal lords between the sea and Mount Dai all had to rely on Qi and, one after another, adjusted their sleeves and came to pay homage.

Later on, Qi once declined midway, but Guan Zhong revived the undertakings of Taigong Wang, establishing the Nine Offices of Light and Heavy to specially manage wealth, goods, and trade. Thereby, Duke Huan of Qi was able to become hegemon, assembling the feudal lords nine times and rectifying all under Heaven. From that time on, Qi's dense population and its status as a great power were firmly established. By the time of the Warring States, under the reigns of King Wei and King Xuan of Tian Qi, it reached its zenith. King Min of Qi could stand alongside King Zhao of Qin as the Eastern and Western Emperors and nearly partitioned the world, relying precisely on this formidable national strength.

And for nearly half a century, Qin and the other five states had gone to war year after year, nearly beating each other's brains out. Qi, however, pursued a policy of isolationism, shutting its gates and defending itself. A full fifty years of peace made this the most peaceful, wealthy, and prosperous region under Heaven. Qin's destruction of Qi was also a peaceful unification, so the prosperity of the Qi territory was preserved intact.

Heifu's observations on the strategic situation of Qi were quite accurate. Wang Ben nodded and said, "Indeed. Qi has Mount Tai to the south, Langya to the east, the Qing River to the west, and the Bo Sea to the north — this can also be called a land of four fortresses. Back then, if King Jian of Qi and Hou Sheng had not surrendered without a fight, destroying Qi would likely have required considerable effort."

Heifu recalled that when he entered Xianyang over four years ago, he happened to see the captured Qi ruler and his ministers being brought into the court on Ba Bridge — a most wretched sight. He had even witnessed a loyal minister, unwilling to endure humiliation, dash his head against something and die on the spot.

As for King Jian of Qi, who surrendered, his end was no better. The First Emperor showed no leniency whatsoever to these surrendered rulers and ministers of the six states. He relocated King Jian of Qi to the remote land of Gong, where he dwelt among desolate pines and cypresses. The local officials also despised the King of Qi and did not supply him with food, so in the end, he starved to death...

As for Hou Sheng? Since all under Heaven had already submitted to Qin, this fellow was of no further use. Li Si had all the gold, silver, coin, and silk that Qin had used to bribe him thoroughly confiscated. He was demoted to a commoner and exiled to Shu Commandery, never to be heard from again.

What Heifu was curious about was: "Do the people of Qi pity King Jian of Qi?"

"Commandery Governor Wei need only listen to find out."

Wang Ben clapped his hands, and a music master and a dancing girl entered from outside. The music master played the zither, and the dancing girl sang loudly: "Is it pine? Is it cypress? The one who settled Jian in Gong — was it the guest?"

The lyrics were simple, the melody mournful and helpless. But the meaning — that the people of Qi resented King Jian of Qi for not allying with the other feudal lords earlier to attack Qin and for listening to the words of treacherous ministers and guests, thus bringing about the state's destruction — could not have been clearer.

After the music master and dancing girl withdrew, Wang Ben sighed:

"Though King Jian of Qi was fatuous, his death was miserable. The people of Qi both resent and pity him, and they still yearn for their fallen state."

Heifu deeply agreed. He had always felt that the First Emperor's handling of this was somewhat improper. After destroying a state, there was no need to mistreat its ruler. Enfeoffing him as the Duke of Anle or Duke of Hunde, keeping him under house arrest like a pig, would have been better than abusing him to death by starvation.

Although the local commoners also hated their fatuous ruler, when news of such treatment traveled back, it inevitably gave rise to a sense of grief and indignation, a shared hatred for the common foe. King Huai of Chu was the best example. It was a pity that, at that time, Heifu's words carried little weight. Now, the rulers of the six states were nearly all dead, yet the resentment of the nobles and commoners of the six states had not dissipated. The humiliation and sorrow of their fallen states still lingered in their hearts, and their cooperation with Qin's rule was naturally passive and reluctant.

At this moment, Wang Ben asked again, "Commandery Governor Wei has just entered Qi territory and already understands its strategic passes and advantageous terrain. Upon entering Linzi, what have you observed?"

Heifu replied, "Linzi is exceedingly wealthy and substantial, and its population is vast. In my hometown of Nan Commandery, Jiangling City is said to be a place where 'clothes are fresh in the morning and worn out by evening.' Arriving in Linzi, I discovered that this place far surpasses Jiangling and is not inferior to Xianyang. Although the weather was poor when I arrived, after entering the city and walking along the main roads, it was truly a case of carriage hubs striking together, people's shoulders rubbing, joined lapels forming a curtain, and raised sleeves forming a canopy..."

It felt a bit like visiting an ancient city tourist spot during the National Day holiday in later ages — what scenery? All you saw were people. But Heifu had long since grown used to it; he was merely feigning amazement in front of Wang Ben.

Wang Ben laughed. "Commandery Governor Wei happened to arrive just in time for market day. However, the streets you passed through were only the less crowded outer lanes. If you leave this residence and head north, you will reach Zhuang Street and Yue Street, the two most prosperous streets in Linzi. Every time the market opens, they must beat the drum a full three hundred times, and when the market disperses, they ring the bell three hundred times — a most spectacular sight. Even on non-market days, it is normally packed from morning to night. Its people all play the yu flute, strike the drum, pluck the zither, play the qin, stage cockfights, race dogs, play liubo, and kick the cuju ball."

Among these people, some performed for free, entertaining themselves, while others were akin to street performers of later ages, setting up a stall to draw a crowd to stop and watch, seeking a little reward money.

And the cinnabar, lacquer, yak tails, and feathers of Qin and Shu; the hides, bones, and ivory of Jianghan; the nanmu, catalpa, bamboo, and arrows of Wu and Yue; the fish, salt, felt, and furs of Yan and Zhao; the lacquer, silk, fine hemp, and coarse hemp of Wei and Han — all converged and were traded in the markets of Zhuang and Yue in Linzi. People came and went, noise clamored, and dust flew. Of course, none of this was free. It was said that within a single month, the markets of Zhuang and Yue could yield a thousand jin of gold in market tax, surpassing even Xianyang and Handan...

"No wonder that everywhere I passed, every household was prosperous and the people were content, their spirits high and their bearing proud."

A large population, wealth, and a relaxed, broad-minded disposition — these were the characteristics of the Qi people. They were usually city dwellers, merchants, craftsmen, and fishermen who had done business for centuries. They had less of the conservative mindset of farmers, were rich in imagination, disliked legal restrictions, and led a rich and colorful daily life. They were practically the polar opposite of the Qin people, who knew only farming, war, and the taking of heads...

Just thinking about it made it clear how difficult it was for Qin to rule the Qi territory.

Thereupon, Heifu asked, "May I ask the Lord Marquis, what is the population of Linzi?"

Wang Ben had garrisoned Linzi for five years and naturally knew. "Linzi contains seventy thousand households. The population is no less than four hundred thousand!"

Heifu clicked his tongue. Xianyang, after the First Emperor's unification, had only a little over a hundred thousand households. Linzi was indeed the second-largest city under Heaven.

He then asked a crucial question: "Linzi has a population of four hundred thousand. And how many Qin officials from Guanzhong have come here from the west?"

"You've hit the crux of the matter..."

A trace of weariness showed in Wang Ben's eyes: "Although the garrison at Linzi numbers over ten thousand, most are rotated annually for border duty, and more than half are conscripted from the various commanderies of the Central Plains — Qin itself is simply too far away. As for the Qin civil officials who come from Guanzhong, serve here permanently, and hold a rank of Grand Master or above..."

He held up four fingers: "There are only forty of them!"

(End of Chapter)