Chapter 42 Breakthrough

The Prince's words echoed faintly within the grand hall.

Tian An glanced at the father and son busy with state affairs inside. The Emperor asked no more questions, and the Prince devoted himself entirely to governance.

Withdrawing his gaze, Tian An walked over to the steps at the side, tended to the earthen stove to boil water, and stood guard outside the hall, closing his eyes to let his aging body bathe in the warm sunlight.

Recently, this time of day was when Tian An felt most relaxed, free from the worries of the trivial affairs of Gaoquan Palace and the pressing matters of Jingye County.

Yet, what Tian An missed most was that period of time by the Xianyang Bridge—watching the Prince catch fish, or accompanying the Prince to organize documents, and the sight of the Prince sitting alone by the Xianyang Bridge in the setting sun.

Though that time was very brief, one could be single-minded back then, doing every task quietly and without haste, undisturbed by the court's many affairs or distracted by the business of Jingye County.

Tian An felt that those six months had passed by very quickly.

If one day in the future he truly grew too old to serve the Prince, Tian An thought he would rebuild that small cottage the Prince had used by the Xianyang Bridge and slowly pass away there.

Before long, attendants arrived with messages, followed one after another by more messengers.

The reports were all discussions concerning the Imperial Censor's Office, the Academics' Office, and the Chancellor's Office.

Among these words, Tian An weighed their urgency and importance.

Meanwhile, that pile of fossils was being hauled away by guards one by one, most of which would be stored in the Xianyang Palace for many, many years to come.

People on the outside would only leave behind various rumors, some true and some false.

After sitting for a moment longer, Tian An poured two bowls of the freshly boiled water, let them cool slightly, placed them on a wooden tray, and carried the tray with both hands, bearing the two bowls of boiled water.

Having removed his shoes, he walked in complete silence. Tian An's pace was steady and unhurried. He first served a bowl to the First Emperor, placing it to the side, and then handed the other bowl to the Prince.

"My Lord, Chunyu Yue of the Academics' Office is discussing today's events."

Fusu was writing with a brush in one hand and asked, "What is he saying?"

"Chunyu Yue claims that everything that happened today was arranged by the Chancellor, including those people who identified the dragon bone as an auspicious omen."

Fusu nodded slightly and said, "Repeat these words to the Chancellor."

Tian An bowed again, backed out of the hall, and called an attendant to whisper a few instructions, after which the young attendant hurried away.

At the Chancellor's Office, Zhang Cang was assisting Li Si with the dispatch of provisions for the southern expedition when he suddenly saw a petty official hurrying over with an attendant from the palace.

Zhang Cang set aside a scroll in his hand and watched as the attendant whispered a few words to the Chancellor before departing.

After just those few words, Zhang Cang noticed that the Chancellor's expression had turned somewhat grim, likely upon hearing some unpleasant news.

However, with so many matters demanding immediate attention before him, Zhang Cang had no time to dwell on it.

After organizing the documents in front of him, he stood up and said, "Chancellor, the provision dispatches required for the southern expedition have all been arranged."

Hearing this, Li Si's expression softened slightly, and he said, "Ah, thank you for your hard work."

Looking over the scrolls handed to him by Zhang Cang, Li Si knew that Zhang Cang was exceptionally skilled in mathematics and had never once made an error. If Zhang Cang said a certain amount of provisions was needed, then that was the exact amount required.

Li Si merely glanced over it and gave the order to proceed.

Zhang Cang said, "Now that the southern expedition has begun, this campaign will most likely not conclude within a year. Cang believes the burden in the coming years will be immense."

Li Si rested one hand on the desk and said in a deep voice, "Assist the Prince in arranging the canal construction and the relocation of the populace. Those fields must be planted with grain next year."

"At once."

Zhang Cang bowed and left.

Though it was afternoon, the wind outside felt even colder.

The matter of digging canals in Jingye County and unearthing an auspicious omen only fluttered as a rumor through Xianyang City for a short while.

Once people knew about it, that was enough for the First Emperor and Prince Fusu; as for the actual truth, people would believe whatever they wished.

After Guanzhong entered winter, another heavy snowfall fell, and the Xianyang Palace suspended court sessions once more.

Following the autumn harvest came the winter storage, and people retreated indoors for the season.

That day, looking at the sky full of drifting snow, Zhang Cang let out a long sigh of relief upon learning that the court had recessed. He had survived another year in Xianyang.

Stepping into his own home, Zhang Cang looked at the scrolls piled on the table. Today, the Prince had once again spoken of land and taxes.

The Prince never tired of these issues, repeatedly pursuing them time and again.

A bamboo slip lay unrolled on the table, bearing the Prince's new questions—another persistent inquiry regarding land distribution.

Today, Zhang Cang lacked the mental energy to deal with these matters; he still needed to make a trip to Jingye County to carry out the Chancellor's instructions.

In Zhang Cang's memory, he had recently seen a document at the Chancellor's Office regarding people who, upon hearing that an auspicious omen had been unearthed at the Jingye Canal, hoped to have their taxes reduced. That document had been sent to the Zhangtai Palace, but no reply had been given to this day.

Zhang Cang blew out the oil lamp on the table, threw on an outer robe, and stepped through the accumulated snow in his courtyard to the front door.

Pushing open the heavy gates, Zhang Cang was greeted by the bustling, lively city of Xianyang, undimmed by the snow.

This was the agricultural slack season. Households with sufficient grain mostly stayed indoors to huddle against the winter, while those short on grain or with many children would head out to find odd jobs.

Carrying a bundle on his back filled with scrolls of books, Zhang Cang walked through the lively streets.

Just as he was about to step through the gates of Xianyang City, Zhang Cang saw a cavalryman galloping toward him, shouting at the top of his voice, "Victory reports from the southern expedition!"

Zhang Cang watched as the courier galloped rapidly into Xianyang City, heading straight in the direction of Xianyang Palace.

Stepping just two paces outside Xianyang City, Zhang Cang gazed toward the Xianyang Bridge. Ever since that bridge was completed, even more people crossed into Xianyang City from the west, making the city all the more prosperous.

The Prince had once said that this Guanzhong was still not large enough, still not good enough.

Outside Xianyang City, Zhang Cang hailed an ox cart and instructed, "To the Xianyang Bridge."

Seeing that Zhang Cang was dressed as a man of high rank, the old ox driver dared not ask questions. He cracked his grass whip, urging the ox to move faster.

The Xianyang Bridge stood over the West Wei River. Zhang Cang realized that since the completion of the bridge, he had not yet properly taken the time to look at it. Pedestrians and merchants streamed endlessly across the bridge, and someone even led a camel while walking and hawking wares.

Children ran from one end of the bridge to the other.

The current of the West Wei River was swift, yet the bridge stood firmly.

Zhang Cang stepped down from the ox cart, walked onto the bridge, paced back and forth several times, and nodded in satisfaction.

This bridge was exceptionally sturdy. To ensure its successful construction, the Prince had personally guarded the riverside the entire summer.

The Xianyang Bridge could now serve as the main thoroughfare for the army's westward advance. Zhang Cang had once felt that Guanzhong without the Xianyang Bridge was incomplete—meaning that previously, Guanzhong lacked a route for pushing westward, and thus had never been entirely complete.

Next year, no doubt many more people would migrate into Guanzhong, and numerous officials would be dispatched to various regions of the Central Plains.

These past years had always been thus.

In Jingye County, over the past two days, many more skeletal remains had been unearthed. Shusun Tong had instructed for them all to be preserved, to be presented together to Xianyang later.

Since the last time Zhang Cang had dispatched men to Jingye County to dig river canals, nearly a year had passed.

Meng Tian—no, Meng Tian was elsewhere; it was Meng Tian's subordinate, or rather, Zhao Gao—no, Zhang Han saw Zhang Cang once again. The Chancellor had sent Zhang Cang back. With the capable and brilliant Zhang Cang assisting, he felt much more confident.

Zhang Cang said courteously, "Cang cannot stay here for long; afterward, I must visit several counties further downstream."

Meng Han nodded and asked, "Is it for the relocation of peasants and the reclamation of farmland?"

Zhang Cang added, "Cang must also urge the various counties to spare manpower to dig river canals."

The two of men spoke as they walked. There was little to arrange in Jingye County; everyone in the county labored for this canal—men and women, old and young—revolving around the canal and working day in and day out.

Having inspected the progress of the canal construction and the condition of the underground channels, Zhang Cang boarded a donkey cart, intending to travel all the way to the downstream villages and counties.

Just as he was about to leave, Shusun Tong hurried over and asked, "Imperial Censor Zhang, is anyone still making an issue of the auspicious omen matter?"

Sitting on the shafts of the cart with a bamboo slip in one hand, Zhang Cang replied, "The elder's quick wit helped the Prince and the Chancellor immensely."

Shusun Tong let out a long sigh and said, "As long as no one is making an issue of it anymore, that is for the best."

Zhang Cang stayed in Jingye County for an hour, gave a few instructions, and set off along the lower reaches of the Luo River.

Shusun Tong turned back in the cold wind and walked toward the canal. The bitter wind whipped his beard and hair. What he had truly wanted to ask was not whether anyone was still fussing over the auspicious omen.

What he wanted to ask was whether any Confucian disciples were speaking ill of him, Shusun Tong.

The court and the public surely all knew of the auspicious omen; many Academics who had entered Qin must be discussing him.

Especially Chunyu Yue—that man would most likely believe that he, Shusun Tong, had actually turned to defending the brutal Qin.

The so-called auspicious dragon bone—could such a trick deceive ordinary folk, let alone fool someone like Chunyu Yue?

Shusun Tong had met countless people in his life. Having seen so much, he knew the Qin court possessed many formidable figures: Li Si, Zhang Cang, Feng Quji, Wang Ben, Meng Tian...

Even though Wang Jian was old, the courtiers standing in the First Emperor's court were all the brilliant talents retained from bygone days.

With such men present, the Qin court would not easily fall.

He, Shusun Tong, had indeed defended the Qin court because of the auspicious dragon bone.

Perhaps those Academics from the Academics' Office would feel that he, Shusun Tong, had betrayed them.

For Chunyu Yue and his peers were forever denouncing the brutal Qin, among whose accusations was the excessive conscription of corvée labor.

The cold wind blew, causing his robes to snap loudly in the air. Shusun Tong found a clean, large boulder and sat upon it.

He could not understand why he had actively chosen to defend the Qin court, why he had helped cover for it.

Rewarding these common laborers and proclaiming it a joyful event—

Shusun Tong saw the children running by, and he saw the smiles on their children's faces.

When he first arrived here, the local children had still been thin and sallow, but two years had passed, and how sturdily those children had grown now.

And the people here—they were different from outsiders. Once the local children began to study, Shusun Tong discovered that a light had appeared in the eyes of the people here.

The people here accepted him, Shusun Tong, and deeply respected him. This respect did not stem from his discipleship under the House of Confucius; these villagers had no idea who Shusun Tong's master was, nor did they care about the depth of his scholarship. They simply felt that if Shusun Tong could teach their children, then Shusun Tong must be a man worthy of their respect.

To tell the truth, deep down, Shusun Tong felt he was living very well here—better than he had in the House of Confucius or in Xianyang.

He was living more fulfilling days here than anywhere else.

Shusun Tong wiped the corner of his eye with his sleeve. That was why, when trouble struck the underground canal, he, Shusun Tong, had gone to Xianyang City without even a second thought.

Even upon reaching Xianyang City, Shusun Tong had only intended to see Prince Fusu or the Chancellor; he had never once considered leaving this place or going to see Chunyu Yue.

Because the people here had dug the river canal, and the irrigation brought by the canal had made their lives better and produced a bountiful harvest of grain.

Therefore, Shusun Tong was willing to defend it. Deep down, what Shusun Tong was defending was not the Qin court, but the people here—protecting the environment they currently lived in, wishing for this canal to continue being dug so they could keep living just like this.

Yet this time, by staying and protecting this place, Shusun Tong felt that his destiny had become bound to this little world.

He, Shusun Tong, had spent the greater part of his life as a disciple of Confucius. Even when facing bullying and factional struggles among his fellow disciples, he had never felt as upright in his spine, as capable of living with self-respect and confidence as he did now.

This feeling of a clear conscience made Shusun Tong feel as though he had been reborn.

To protect the peace of a region of common folk and help them live better lives—did that really require calculating the political winds? One ought to step forward bravely.

Shusun Tong felt he had changed, and this change must be related to the county's unique method of governance—a county that encouraged labor and creation to acquire wealth.

"Master, it's time for the lecture."

A slightly older boy ran over quickly.

Seeing this, Shusun Tong hurriedly wiped the corners of his eyes, not wanting the child to notice anything amiss, and led him away to give his lesson.

Near evening, the people who had been busy all day finally returned.

Shusun Tong and Zhang Han were drinking together.

Looking at the room, Zhang Han said, "This used to be the Prince's study."

Shusun Tong took a sip of wine and laughed heartily, "The Prince said if need be, the old man could use this study and read the books here as well."

Sitting cross-legged with his hands resting on his knees, Zhang Han smiled and said, "Mm. The Prince also said that a room has been saved for you in Lü Buwei's old residence in Xianyang. As a guest of Prince Fusu, you may return to Xianyang at any time, and you alone have this privilege."

The flickering light of the oil lamp shone on Shusun Tong's slightly drunken face. He muttered softly, "I once met Xunzi."

"Xunzi?"

Shusun Tong raised his head and said, "At that time, Xunzi was still at the Jixia Academy in Qi. The old man had already become a disciple of Confucius back then and managed to exchange a few words with Xunzi. Originally, the old man disliked some of Xunzi's views, especially since Xunzi's teachings were the exact opposite of Confucius's.

"The old man studied Confucius for half a lifetime yet learned nothing, save for what the Prince spoke of regarding the Mohist principle of universal love—that a person must first cherish themselves, must first protect themselves before loving all under heaven. Xunzi was right, universal love was right, neither was wrong; it is people who have changed..."

Shusun Tong's voice grew lower and lower as he leaned sideways against the bookshelf beside him, clearly having drunk himself to sleep.

Zhang Han helped the old man lie down properly, then covered him with an outer garment and a heavy cloak, letting him sleep in peace.

The next day, when Shusun Tong woke up, the day was already fully bright. Looking at the sun outside the study, fortunately, it was not yet time for the lecture.

"Master! Master!"

Hearing the voices outside—voices belonging to the studying children, one of whom was Liner—

Shusun Tong got up, opened the door, and saw three or five children. Liner pointed in the direction of the river canal and said, "General Zhang Han says a lot of laborers have arrived, and asks the Master to go take a look."

Having just woken up from drinking, his mouth felt somewhat dry. Shusun Tong gulped down two mouthfuls of cold water, then let himself be surrounded by the children as he walked toward the riverbank.

Zhang Han walked over and said, "Zhang Cang has conscripted another five thousand laborers from various counties to dig the canal, and our county has been allotted another thousand men."

Shusun Tong clicked his tongue and said, "Another thousand men? This grain consumption is truly—"

"There is no need to worry about grain; the court provides it all."

Shusun Tong hesitated. "No wonder Zhang Cang wore such a worried expression when he came here yesterday."

Zhang Han nodded heavily.

The children looked at the group of laborers eating flatbreads, their little faces all falling. Just how much grain would all these people eat...

These children did not know that henceforth, Jingye County would no longer have to supply the grain for building the canal.

...

This winter, the wind and snow came very early, and moreover bore an increasingly fierce momentum.

For half a month running, Zhang Cang hurried through more than ten counties, lobbying along the course of the Luo River and conscripting nearly fifty thousand laborers to come and dig the canal.

He had even traveled all the way down to Ning秦 County at the mouth of the Luo River to seek out laborers capable of digging canals.

For the sake of this canal, Zhang Cang had practically gone running from house to house.

At this moment, Zhang Cang stood in the yamen of Ningqin County, where the Prince had once taken shelter from the rain before going out to fetch Wang Jian back.

Looking out from here across the broad plains, one could still see columns of laborers marching along, led by a detachment of Qin troops as they headed to dig the canal.

Staying in the locality for two more days, Zhang Cang wrote a report and had it dispatched to Xianyang.

With the heavy snow still falling today, Zhang Cang remained in Ningqin County to take shelter from the weather.

"Wait until the snow stops before returning to Xianyang."

Hearing another person's words, Zhang Cang replied, "That is precisely my intention."

That person bowed and said, "I am Sima Xin, the County丞 (Assistant Magistrate) here. Greetings, Imperial Censor Zhang."

Gazing at the drifting snow, Zhang Cang had never heard the name Sima Xin before. Still, being merely an assistant magistrate, he paid it no mind. Seeing that the man was of a similar age to himself, he remarked, "The local customs here are quite good."

"Years ago, King Huiwen of Qin bestowed the name Ningqin upon this place. The old Qin people of those days all said the King of Qin already harbored the intent to expand eastward, and later Kings of Qin truly devoted themselves heart and soul to expanding eastward."

Zhang Cang sat by the brazier to warm himself, handed a document to Sima Xin, and continued, "Send men to build more dwellings for those laborers, constructing them alongside the canal worksite."

Sima Xin respectfully accepted the document and had it sent out immediately.

Zhang Cang remained seated by the brazier, occasionally sipping a mouthful of boiled water.

With a gaze filled with reverence and admiration, Sima Xin looked at Zhang Cang inside the room. This man was an Imperial Censor of Great Qin.

Pondering to himself, Sima Xin thought how wonderful it would be if he too could become an Imperial Censor.

He picked up fodder from the storehouse, fed the horses in the stable, and then fed a portion of the fodder to the five sheep nearby.

Having tidied up the stables and sheepfolds, Sima Xin brushed the chaff from his clothes and said, "It is a pity I was not serving as an official here when Prince Fusu came to this place."

Prince Fusu's virtuous reputation was widespread, though criticisms concerning him were also numerous—rumors Sima Xin had long since heard. Yet his luck had been ill-timed; he had just arrived to take up his post as assistant magistrate when Prince Fusu departed with the old general back to Xianyang, causing him to miss the encounter entirely.

And now, the teacher of Prince Fusu, the current Imperial Censor Zhang Cang, had arrived here.

Seeing that the man merely looked at his documents without sparing him a glance, Sima Xin added, "I used to serve as an official in Liyang. When I was a child, Liyang was a very fine place."

With these words, Sima Xin sighed and said, "Nowadays Xianyang City grows ever better and better, while Liyang County grows increasingly withered. After fighting wars for so many years, people have almost been wiped out. Fortunately, the court has always treated the old folk of Liyang kindly, allowing someone like me to come to Ningqin County and serve as an assistant magistrate."

Zhang Cang continued to read the document in his hands without a word.

Sima Xin felt slightly foolish and fell silent, staring blankly at the heavy snow outside the door.

The blizzard continued intermittently. When the skies over Guanzhong finally cleared and sunlight broke through, teams of laborers were hard at work digging the canal. Breathing heavily from exhaustion, they puffed plumes of hot mist into the cold air.

After half a month had passed, deep within the underground channel of Jingye County, a laborer pressed his ear against the damp earth. Hearing the sound of digging from the opposite side, he cried out joyfully, "Quickly, go fetch the General!"

"Understood!"

In the dim underground channel, the men discussed in hushed tones, the firelight casting a glow upon their mud-stained faces.

Zhang Han walked over, stooping low, and asked, "What have you dug up?"

A crouching laborer replied, "General, we are about to break through."

Zhang Han paused for a moment.

The laborer said, "General, come and listen."

Zhang Han leaned in close and indeed heard the muffled sounds of digging and speaking coming from the other side. He then said, "Bring the wooden shovel."

Taking the wooden shovel handed to him by a laborer, Zhang Han struck hard, scooping out the earth. After digging several shovelfuls in succession, a sliver of light filtered down as the dirt slid away.

Several laborers pushed hard together, clearing away the remaining soil, and a gust of cold wind carrying fresh air rushed straight into their faces.

Another team of laborers digging the canal looked in shock at the several heads suddenly protruding from the ground, freezing in their tracks.

Then, one person after another climbed out from the hole.

When a man wearing armor and looking like a general emerged, more and more laborers crawled out from the opening.

The garrison lieutenant on duty there was about to step forward to question them when he saw it was Zhang Han. He immediately saluted and said, "Duwei!"

Emerging from the canal, Zhang Han looked somewhat disheveled as he said, "The underground channel has been broken through. Reinforce the tunnel entrances."

"This subordinate obeys!"

Zhang Han patted the young lieutenant's shoulder in commendation and departed with his laborers.

From that side of Shangyan Mountain all the way to this side, digging down from the upper reaches of the Luo River, several thousand men had spent a full three years digging.

Walking through the underground channel to this side of the mountain felt quite close—about sixty paces.

Yet walking around the mountain above ground along the winding path took half an hour. Along the way, the men suppressed their emotions, but the moment they returned to the village, the laborers here finally broke into cheers.

Three years of effort had finally borne fruit.

Although the underground channel had collapsed a few times during the process, fortunately, no one was injured, and everything else went relatively smoothly.

Another military horse galloped over. "The Chancellor has ordered the Duwei to supervise the construction of the subsequent river canals."

Having delivered his message, the man remained seated in the saddle, cupped his fists in salute, pulled on the reins, and turned his horse around to depart once more.

Shusun Tong was still teaching and lecturing the children.

Three days later, when the outlet and inlet of the underground channel had been reinforced, Zhang Han announced in a ringing voice, "Open the canal!"

The upper reaches of the canal were unblocked, and the rushing river water surged into the channel, roaring down its course.

A flock of children ran alongside the rushing current, racing along the riverbank until the water plunged into the underground channel.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Shangyan Mountain, hundreds of laborers waited at the far end of the underground channel. One of them pressed his ear against the edge of the channel, listening intently.

At last, the man's expression shifted, and he cried out excitedly, "The water is here!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the water gushed out from the underground channel, surging toward Linjin County, flowing more than a hundred li until reaching the next canal gate where it emptied back into the Luo River.

The water level in the canal rose steadily, yet never spilled over the vertical shafts. Once the water level stabilized, the villagers of Linjin County broke into cheers as well.

An old farmer of Guanzhong extended his hands, cupping up the still-turbid river water from the canal, and said with trembling voice, "There is water here! We can irrigate! We can grow crops!"

For a moment, tears flashed in the eyes of the old farmers. For generations, their families had lived on the southern slopes of Shangyan Mountain. There had been no irrigation ditches here; back then, if they wanted to water their fields, they had to carry water for tens of li, fetching it from the banks of the Luo River before hauling it back tens of li to their own plots.

Zhang Cang stood not far away, watching the cheering people. Next spring plowing, they would not only be able to water their own fields without the grueling toil of hauling water for tens of li, but they would also gain thousands of qing of fertile land. From then on, their lives would no longer be so bitter, and their descendants could grow up sturdier.

Jingye County had spent a year digging canals and reaped a harvest.

Three years later, it had affected the surrounding villages and counties, turning barren fields fertile.

Now, with the underground channel opened, this entered the second stage, benefiting thousands of households east of the Luo River.

These people would surely remember the monumental achievement of Prince Fusu, and these people would surely become the most steadfast supporters of Prince Fusu.

Now Zhang Cang understood a little better—understanding what the Prince had once said, that Guanzhong ought to be a much more affluent place; it was still not good enough, not beautiful enough, and it ought to be more beautiful.

Looking out over the eight-hundred-li Qin plain of Guanzhong, building the Xianyang Bridge, constructing the river canals—Zhang Cang understood the Prince's words. The beauty spoken of by the Prince was the construction of Guanzhong.

Seeing Zhang Cang, Zhang Han rode up on horseback and called out, "Imperial Censor Zhang."

Zhang Cang stood where he was, a doubtful expression on his face. Could the Prince be imitating Grand Administrator Shang Yang of days past?

Zhang Han gave Zhang Cang's shoulder a heavy pat and said, "We must trouble Imperial Censor Zhang to report this magnificent scene."

Zhang Cang waved his hand, pointed toward the distant departing cavalry detachment, and said, "They have already gone to report."

Withdrawing his hand with an awkward smile, Zhang Han sighed with emotion, "Three years! These three years have been too arduous."

Zhang Cang said slowly, "The people here have only suffered for three years, but it will enable their descendants generation after generation to possess fertile fields."

Wherever Zhang Han cast his gaze, there were only cheering people.

Children played and romped by the river canal; women wiped away tears as they looked at the canal water; men laughed aloud, already calculating how to farm in the coming year.

Old men hugged their grandchildren and laughed heartily, knowing that next year they would grow enough grain to feed their entire families.

Most of the laborers Zhang Cang had conscripted were just like these people—peasants whose families owned only dryland fields.

Thus, these people were the easiest to lobby; after all, Jingye County had gained tangible benefits, and these laborers had no reason to remain unmoved.

Zhang Cang popped a jujube into his mouth, chewing slowly as he gazed at the tens of thousands of qing of dryland fields, vowing that one day those too would become tens of thousands of qing of fertile soil.

The Prince had never spoken of his ambitions. If he truly had an ambition, it must be precisely this:

To turn barren lands and impoverished people into a prosperous populace with abundant grain.

The people celebrated for a whole day, and the news quickly spread to every county in Guanzhong. The long-barren northern and southern slopes of Shangyan Mountain were about to grow prosperous.

This news reached the ears of nearly everyone in every county.

The region of Guanzhong was neither too large nor too small, and news traveled remarkably fast.

The route and design of the river canal had all been planned by the Prince, with the underground channel being the most difficult section. Now that the underground channel had been conquered, the remaining well-canals would surely be much easier.

Today, Shusun Tong arrived at the official residence by the Luo River. This was the residence of the Superintendent of Works, subordinate to the Lesser Treasurer—one of the nine ministers of the court—and Prince Fusu was currently the Assistant Lesser Treasurer.

Zhang Cang, holding the dual posts of Superintendent of Works and Imperial Censor, presided over the canal construction right here.

Seeing Shusun Tong arrive, Zhang Cang asked, "What brings the Master here?"

Shusun Tong handed over a jar of pickled radishes and said, "The children in the village asked me to give this to you."

Zhang Cang lowered his head and said, "Cang spent little time in the county. Do the children still remember me?"

"They remember. You taught them how to write characters, so they remember. They also remember Liyou. The children wrote letters, and the old man has had someone send them to Shu, hoping Liyou can see them."

Zhang Cang nodded and placed the jar of pickled radishes to the side.

A gust of wind blew by, making the flame of the oil lamp flicker unsteadily.

Shusun Tong set down the jar of pickled radishes, put his hands behind his back, and left.

In the cold winter night, Li Si repeatedly examined the documents sent by Zhang Cang. Another section of the river canal had been successfully completed; this was yet another great joyful event of the year, following the issuance of his decree on standardizing the script.

Recently, he had not even thought about having Chunyu Yue executed by being cut in half at the waist in the marketplace.

A household servant stood quietly to the side as the Chancellor read and re-read the document several times, seemingly never tiring of it.

The next day, Li Si woke up clutching the scroll, having been shaken awake by his household servant.

"Chancellor, His Majesty has summoned you to dine at the Zhangtai Palace."

Putting on his court robes and cap in a rush, Li Si hurried out the door. Upon entering the palace gates, he discovered that His Majesty had also summoned the civil and military officials of the court, including the Academics who had entered Qin—among them, Chunyu Yue.

Seeing the man happen to cast a glance in his direction, Li Si smiled in return. He was simply too happy recently; the sight of anyone made him want to smile.

Chunyu Yue's expression turned frosty upon seeing Li Si's smile.

Following this brief "clash," everyone entered the Zhangtai Palace.

Inside the Zhangtai Palace, bell and drum music swelled. The First Emperor had not yet arrived, but officials were successively led to their seats by attendants, after which wine and food were served onto the tables.

The officials sat in rows along both sides of the hall. Li Si saw Chunyu Yue sitting opposite him, still wearing a full smile, projecting the victorious posture of a winner as he cast a victor's grin toward the Academics of Qin sitting across the aisle.

This year—standardizing the script, building the Xianyang Bridge, launching the southern expedition, digging the river canals...

Li Si was undoubtedly the complete victor.

Among these Academics who had entered Qin, those like Chunyu Yue who refused to cheer for Great Qin could do nothing but harbor lingering sorrow.

A troop of court dancers entered the grand hall, swaying to the music of bells and drums.

Li Si popped some walnut kernels into his mouth and chewed with relish.

When the First Emperor walked into the grand hall, the courtiers all stood up and saluted.

Ying Zheng sat down clad in a black robe, swept his gaze across the assembled company, and said, "Victory reports from the southern expedition arrive in a constant stream. I shall drink with all of you."

Li Si was the first to raise his wine goblet, stand up, and salute.

Following him, the rest of the courtiers all stood and saluted.

The wine was swallowed, and once the First Emperor set down his goblet, the company took their seats once more.

After the first troupe of palace dancers finished and withdrew, another troupe of dancers entered the hall. The dance styles of the two troupes differed; for the observant, one would notice that the previous troupe had performed dances from the former state of Qi, whereas the current troupe performed the dances of women from the state of Wei.

Ying Zheng scooped a bowl of noodles from a nearby pot and glanced at Fusu.

The attendant understood, taking the bowl of noodles and serving it to Prince Fusu.

The courtiers witnessed this interaction between father and son, and then looked back at the palace dancers in the hall. Factions led by Li Si naturally wore even broader smiles.

Prince Fusu remained the First Emperor's most cherished child; moreover, this year the Prince had built the Xianyang Bridge, constructed the river canals, and assisted in governing state affairs, naturally earning immense merit.

In terms of contribution, the next was Chancellor Li Si.

After him came Zhang Cang.

This banquet was held solely to celebrate these achievements, with no other intent.

As freezing rain began to fall outside the hall, inside the music and dancing continued as before.

The banquet did not disperse until nightfall.

The Son of Heaven was somewhat intoxicated and retired early to rest, while the courtiers in the grand hall also took their leave one after another.

Fusu stood up and said, "His Majesty has decreed that since the bitter winter has arrived, court is recessed for this year, and sessions shall not resume until the warm spring of the coming year."

Hearing this, the assembly saluted and withdrew.

Li Si looked outside the grand hall and saw that Chunyu Yue was the first to leave, smiling with expected amusement. He bowed and said, "Your servant congratulates the Prince on the completion of the river canal."

"The teacher flatters me. Fusu merely spoke a word or two; all the affairs were managed by the Chancellor."

Fusu walked toward the exit of the hall. "The river canal must continue its southward course hereafter. Fusu is unfamiliar with the conditions of the various counties and hopes for the teacher's continued assistance."

Li Si kept pace and said, "This servant dares not slacken."

When all the courtiers had departed, the area outside the hall grew much quieter. Having seen Chancellor Li Si off, Fusu stood outside the Zhangtai Palace deep in thought. Reading the old documents, he realized that years ago, in order to expand eastward and attract population, the state of Qin, upon the proposal of Shang Yang, had issued a decree: all individuals from various feudal states who came to submit would be exempted from corvée labor and taxes for three generations; within the four borders of Qin, ridges, hills, and marshes would be free from all taxation for ten years.

In those days, commoners of the various states and families constantly migrating existed indeed. Upon learning of the terms offered by Qin, they were naturally willing to relocate.

The next day, in Gaoquan Palace, Fusu was preparing today's morning meal, slaughtering a fish before placing it into a pot to boil.

Tian An noticed that the Prince had concerns on his mind once more. Whenever the Prince was troubled, he would always slaughter an extra fish.

Normally, the Prince only ate one fish per meal.

Clearly, just last night the Zhangtai Palace had feasted and celebrated.

Today, why did the Prince still harbor worries?

The plum blossoms before the hall failed to bloom yet, despite it being the dead of winter.

Tian An stood outside the hall, feeling irritated at the sight of them, and wished to chop down those two plum trees.

These two plum trees were peculiar indeed. They refused to bloom in the dead of winter, choosing instead to blossom precisely when the warm spring arrived.

And even when they did bloom, they only managed a perfunctory couple of flowers, refusing to produce even one more, being utterly stingy.

Gazing at the plum trees, Tian An maintained a troubled expression.

Inside the hall, the Prince was quite leisurely today. After his morning meal, he patiently fed the fish, gazing at the reflection on the water's surface and the fish in the pond—the fish here were truly growing fatter and fatter.