Chapter 484: Without Trust, the People Cannot Stand

Jimo was originally the land of the Laiyi barbarians. After being conquered by the Qi state, it was gradually settled and assimilated, and city walls were built.

During the Tian Qi era, Jimo was extraordinarily prosperous, standing tall and imposing in the east of Qi. The Grand Master of Jimo, Tian Zhongshou, made the region rich and fertile. Relying on this single isolated city, Tian Dan held out against the powerful Yan for years, and finally used the Fire Ox Formation to smash the Yan army and restore the Qi state, adding yet more backbone and pride to the people of Jimo.

Now, Qin officials and Qin soldiers have moved into Jimo. They have occupied the former residence of the Grand Master of Jimo and turned it into their office. Three years ago, they also reinforced the city walls, turning the entire government compound into a city within a city in Jimo, which the people of Jimo call "Qin City."

On the second day of the first month, the newly arrived Commandery Governor, Heifu, stood atop the two-zhang-high walls of Qin City. He patted the rammed-earth wall, gazed at the crowds in the outer ward and the soldiers at the inner city gate who looked as if facing a formidable enemy, and turned to the Commandery Assistant beside him:

"Turning the government compound into a fortress, building outer walls, and having the commandery troops stand guard as if facing a great enemy — whose idea was this?"

The Jiaodong Commandery Assistant had a name Heifu did not recognize: Sima Jian. It was said he was a descendant of the famous Qin minister Sima Cuo. He replied:

"The walls were built at the Commandery Commandant's suggestion. The people of Jimo are not friendly toward Qin. The Commandant feared that if trouble broke out, they would besiege the government compound, so he had the inner city built so that the commandery seat could hold out until the Commandant came to relieve it…"

In the Qin dynasty, the garrisons of the Commandery Governor and the Commandery Commandant did not necessarily coincide. Heifu was stationed at Jimo, while the Commandant was at Huang County, where bandits and wandering swordsmen were active. Huang County was in the north of Jiaodong, bordering the sea, and separated from the south by hills and mountain ranges, requiring a long detour to reach.

"As for having the soldiers wear armor and carry halberds on guard inside and out, that was the idea of the Military Section Head. The Governor encountered a violent disturbance upon first arriving in Jiaodong, so security was tightened."

Heifu nodded, noncommittal, but thought to himself:

"The Qin officials and commandery troops in the inner city number only a few hundred in total. If something really happened in Jimo and tens of thousands besieged us, what use would even higher walls be?"

The reason Heifu was inspecting the inner city today was that after arriving in Jimo, Chen Ping had presented Heifu with a six-step plan for governing the commandery.

"First: Establish Authority."

Authority establishes power, method controls ministers, law governs the people — these are the three essential methods for a ruler. Heifu was fortunate; he encountered an assassination attempt as soon as he entered Jiaodong. He immediately dismissed the Magistrate and Commandant of Chunyu County and launched a massive manhunt for the assassin's accomplices in Chunyu. This served as a warning to both officials and commoners: this new Governor is not to be trifled with!

"Second: Establish Policy!"

A show of force will eventually fade. Since Heifu held no illusions about the various Tian clans, he had to clarify his governing principles early on, so everyone understood what the Governor had come to do. A new official's first three acts set the tone, so Heifu laid out his administrative guidelines: "Support the old clans, promote law and education, reduce punishments."

The people of Jiaodong complained that Qin law was too harsh, so Heifu spoke plainly: as long as you do not overstep the bounds and break the law, I will not wantonly inflict slaughter. Moreover, the government welcomes all who are willing to cooperate!

Heifu was also well aware that the greatest difficulty in governing Jimo at present was that the government had no agents of its own. Decrees could hardly leave the city, and they had to rely on the former local magnates and nobility.

The past five years had been wasted in this muddling-along, tacit understanding. So as soon as Heifu dismounted from his carriage, he announced the establishment of a school, throwing the dozen or so youths he had brought from Gaomi straight into the classroom. He had commandery officials teach them Qin speech, laws, and decrees. His only hope was that after half a year, he could obtain the first batch of young cadres bound to the government, and rely on these people to extend effective rule beyond the city, out into the vast countryside.

As for the "elementary school," on one hand it was to force the magnate families worth millions to send hostages; at the same time, it was also to begin teaching the concept of unification starting from the children…

In this way, the minor nobility and frustrated Confucian scholars were drawn into the camp.

Next came what Heifu was currently working on: "Military Power!"

After completing his inspection of the inner city under the guidance of Commandery Assistant Sima, Heifu returned to the government compound. He had Chief Clerk Chen Ping immediately issue a summons, calling together all the section officials currently on duty in the commandery office!

The drums beat a deep thud. A general assembly was about to be held. The heads of the various sections hurriedly dropped what they were doing and gathered in the main hall! All of them wore black robes and official hats, filed into the room in single file, and paid their respects to Heifu.

Heifu, in a tall hat and black robes, his official seal and ribbon complete, a long sword at his waist, sat high in the seat of honor. Below him were Chief Clerk Chen Ping and Commandery Assistant Sima, while several personal retainers and followers, armored and bearing swords, stood guard at the doorway.

This was the first time Heifu had summoned the commandery officials en masse since taking office. The officials who came had no idea what he intended and secretly speculated among themselves. Unfortunately, the Governor's face was too dark to read any emotion. After paying their respects, they all rose properly, bent at the waist with hands lowered, and formed several rows, standing in the hall.

"Quite a few people."

Heifu swept his gaze over them. Although this was his first general assembly, he had already met his subordinates individually and memorized their names and positions. These people were, respectively: the Household Section, in charge of population and census registration; the Granary Section, in charge of tax collection and grain storage; the Personnel Section, in charge of official promotions, also called the Merit Section; the Public Works Section, in charge of convict laborers and government slaves; and the Finance Section, in charge of monopolies on mountain and sea resources and market tax trade.

In addition, there were officials for agriculture, animal husbandry, and industry, all under the Governor's command.

Furthermore, there were the Bandit Section and the Military Section, which theoretically were subordinate to the Commandery Commandant. But because the Commandant was stationed in Huang County, they normally took orders from Heifu as well, inadvertently increasing his power.

Adding the Prison Section and the Decree Section managed by the Commandery Assistant, nearly twenty people were present at the general assembly.

Heifu had already had Chief Clerk Chen Ping investigate in advance. Of these twenty people, almost all were Qin officials from outside, occupying the important positions, while locals managed insignificant departments or assisted as minor clerks.

Since they were all Qin people, things were easier. Heifu first cleared his throat, spoke of the importance the central government, under the leadership of the First Emperor, attached to the Jiaodong situation, and discussed the achievements Jiaodong Commandery had made in its first five-year plan. Then, he began to let everyone speak freely and discuss the shortcomings in their work…

The crowd looked at each other. This Governor's way of holding a meeting was novel. After some nudging and pushing, they managed to cobble together a few "shortcomings."

Since they were not being forthcoming, Heifu began calling on people himself. The Military Section Head was unlucky enough to be the first called. Heifu smiled and asked him:

"The inner city and streets are full of patrolling soldiers, as if facing a great enemy. Was that your order?"

The Military Section Head acknowledged it. He had done this with the intention of currying favor, but Heifu gave him a dressing-down:

"You have soldiers set up chevaux-de-frise outside and stand guard with crossbows. Anyone who didn't know better would think that beyond the inner city lies enemy territory! Putting on such a display over a few bandits — won't that make the people of Jimo look down on us? Immediately withdraw the sentries and patrols you've posted. Keep things outwardly relaxed but inwardly vigilant — that will suffice!"

After this reprimand, Heifu made some minor personnel adjustments in the Military Section, inserting some of his titled retainers and mounted followers he had brought from Beidi and Nan Commandery into the commandery troops as military officers.

This was in preparation for handing military authority to Gong Ao when he finished his mission in Chunyu and arrived at the commandery seat in a little over a month. Though the Qin troops were few, only a few hundred, having one more sword would let Heifu sleep a little more soundly at night.

As for the other section heads, Heifu did not touch them for the time being. Being newly arrived and not yet having enough capable people to fill their shoes, it was not advisable to make too large a personnel change.

After dismissing the officials, Heifu kept only Chen Ping and asked him: "Now that authority has been established, policy has been clarified, and I have begun to seize control of military power, what are your last three steps?"

…

Chen Ping had kept them in suspense earlier, speaking only of the first three. Now he said: "The fourth step is to Establish Trust. Long ago, Zigong asked Confucius how a state should be governed. Confucius said: sufficient food, sufficient arms, and the trust of the people."

"Zigong asked further: if forced to remove two and keep only one, which should it be?"

"Confucius answered: remove arms, remove food. For if the people do not trust their officials and ruler, the state cannot stand! Thus, without trust, the people cannot be established!"

That was Confucius's original saying, but in Chen Ping's view, without holding military power, talking about establishing trust was useless.

Heifu nodded. "When Lord Shang carried out his reforms back then, he first moved the log to establish trust. But the people of Jimo resent Qin officials — how should I establish trust?"

"Perhaps we can start with the newly opened school."

Chen Ping offered Heifu an idea: "After one month of study, let the clerk-students take an exam. The Jiaodong youth who can speak Qin speech best, who can write Qin seal script most skillfully, and who can recite the most laws and decrees, shall each be rewarded with fifty gold, and their names entered into the official roster. They can study law while drawing a minor salary!"

Fifty gold was, of course, not some bronze trinket — that would be a sham — but genuine gold, totaling nearly three thousand cash, equivalent to a year's wages for Chief Liu of Pei County, no small sum. The sons of the wealthy might not care, but the sons of small landholders who could attend school for free would certainly be tempted.

"In this way, we can both spur the Jiaodong students in the school to compete in learning Qin speech and script, and use their mouths to tell all the people of Jiaodong that the government keeps its word."

Heifu suddenly grew excited: "We needn't do it just once. We can make it a system: a monthly exam, a midterm exam every half-year, and a final exam every year. Promotion from elementary school to clerk school is the intermediate exam; promotion from clerk school to assistant clerk is the advanced exam! The money given to those who excel in exams shall be called a scholarship!"

Chen Ping had not expected Heifu to come up with so many angles. He paused, stunned, then cupped his hands: "Everything shall be as the Governor says."

Exams are a great method! Heifu nodded. "This is an excellent plan. As long as those who excel in exams receive money, they will surely spread the word that the government is trustworthy, and the people of Jiaodong will vie to have their sons learn Qin speech and script. What is the fifth step?"

Chen Ping said: "Once trust is established, the next step is naturally sufficient food. Spring plowing is imminent. The Governor should appoint capable officials, emulate the practices of Nan Commandery and the Interior, build public latrines in Jimo, and promote the techniques of composting."

Even with government support, the spread of technology was still very slow. Jiaodong was simply too far from the Qin heartland. The public latrines Heifu had glimpsed in Pei County did not exist here, let alone composting techniques. Although Heifu could not change the court's tax rate, if he could raise yields and make the pie bigger, perhaps the peasants' resentment toward heavy taxes would not be so great.

Heifu pondered. "And what is the sixth step?"

Chen Ping said: "In the governance of a true king, nothing is more urgent than dealing with bandits. Now Jiaodong is rife with bandits, brazen enough to attempt assassinating the Commandery Governor. After spring plowing ends and the government has a free hand, we must follow the clues found in Chunyu County and purge the commandery of wandering swordsmen and bandits, to overawe the petty criminals!"

Seeing Heifu frown, Chen Ping added: "For all the matters above, the Governor need not personally attend to every detail. Rather, let the rooster herald the dawn, let the wildcat catch the mice — use each according to its ability, and the superior will be free of toil. Select the capable from among the officials and appoint them."

Heifu nodded. Unlike a Commandant, a Commandery Governor had to oversee everything. Although Chen Ping, as Chief Clerk, could share some of the burden, he was still stretched too thin in the face of such complex work.

Therefore, he had to delegate authority.

But what Heifu lacked most right now were talents who could be assigned to various posts and take charge on their own. He was not yet familiar with the temperaments and abilities of the commandery officials, and could not trust them. The scions of various families in the academy still had a year or so before completing their studies, and could not yet be of use...

Just then, a minor retainer-official came to report that at the inner city gate of Jimo, some people claiming to be the Governor's guests were requesting an audience...

"A group of several people. This is the letter they had this lowly official present to you."

Heifu took it and looked it over, then immediately burst out laughing. "Truly a pillow meeting a drowsy head! The night-watch rooster and the rat-catching cat I so desperately need have arrived!"

Chen Ping had already guessed who it was. "Could it be that Cao Shen from Pei County has arrived?"

"It's not just Cao Shen who has come."

Heifu rose, smiling. "It is the 'Three Paragons of Pei County'!"

(End of chapter)