Chapter 53: News from Shu

Hearing this, the guard took the document and hurried out of the main hall of the Zhangtai Palace.

Fusu continued to tidy up the documents on the desk, organizing them into categories, attaching labels to specify which commandery they were to be sent to, which military unit they belonged to, or which of the nine ministers in Xianyang they were addressed to.

Having finished all this, Fusu said, "Father, this son will take his leave now."

"Mmm."

His father merely responded with a single syllable.

After Fusu bowed and withdrew from the main hall, Ying Zheng sat in the quiet hall, listening to the sound of his own breathing.

After reading the scroll of documents before him, Ying Zheng walked out of the Zhangtai Palace, looked up at the starlit sky, and recalled the words spoken earlier. In the past, the various states had found it immensely difficult to govern their own lands, and back then, every single state had been engaged in self-strengthening reforms.

The reforms of those states had also failed, such as Han and Wei...

In those days, chaos and hardship accompanied the governance of lands by any of the states, let alone the current Great Qin. This was bound to be a formidable endeavor.

Leaving the Zhangtai Palace, Fusu walked all the way toward the Gaoquan Palace. Without needing Tian An to announce his arrival, Prince Gao and Princess Yinman were already waiting by the gates of the Zhangtai Palace.

Seeing that it was their eldest brother who had arrived, the two hurried forward and bowed, saying, "Brother."

Fusu looked at his younger brother and sister, who seemed to have grown a little taller, and opened the food box in his hand. Inside, beneath the upper compartment, there was another space containing a piece of zenggao (a traditional layered rice cake) smeared thoroughly with red bean paste.

This was precisely why Fusu had brought the food box out with him, carrying it in his hand.

Fusu handed the box to him and said, "Take this and share it with your younger brothers and sister."

Gao smiled and said, "Gao will divide it among the younger ones."

Yinman looked up at her eldest brother and said, "Brother and Father can focus on governing state affairs with peace of mind. We will take good care of the little ones."

Fusu nodded and asked, "Have you both been keeping up with your studies on ordinary days?"

Gao replied, "Yes. Every three days, we go to stay in Jingye County for a day, teach the younger siblings for the three days we return, and on the day we are in Jingye County, we seek instruction from Master Shusun Tong."

"You must read extensively, and ensure the other younger siblings do the same."

"Yes."

Prince Gao and Princess Yinman nodded in unison.

"Once your brother finishes building Weinan and returns, if you encounter difficult matters, you may send a message to Tian An, or report it to Father."

Prince Gao added, "Brother need not worry."

Yinman also said, "Indeed, no need to worry. If the younger ones misbehave, I will beat them."

The court ladies behind them smiled upon hearing this. Yinman was the eldest daughter among the children, and when she disciplined her younger siblings, she truly held nothing back—she meant business.

Fusu nodded with satisfaction. "Your brother must return now. Come play in Weinan whenever you have leisure."

Prince Gao and Princess Yinman bowed together and said, "We will firmly remember Brother's teachings."

Allowing a court lady nearby to hold the zenggao, the brother and sister were in no rush to eat. The two still-young and short figures stood side by side in place, watching their eldest brother depart.

For a long time, until his figure could no longer be seen, Prince Gao said, "Our father and eldest brother will surely govern the country well."

Yinman echoed, "Mmm."

Early the next morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, family after family walked out toward the fields. Among them were elders in their fifties or sixties, married couples in their thirties, and children in their teens, all beginning to busy themselves in the fields.

On the journey back from Xianyang to Weinan, Fusu had slept inside the carriage, though resting within the carriage was extremely uncomfortable.

Stepping down from the carriage, he saw that Tian An was already preparing the morning meal.

Fusu relaxed his neck and arms, took two deep breaths of the fresh air, and his spirit was instantly restored.

Walking to the bank of the Yellow River, Fusu sat beside the stove, took off his shoes, changed into more comfortable straw sandals, stretched his arms backward, and after several stretches, finally felt much more refreshed.

"Young Master, Grand Historian Zhang has returned."

Fusu nodded and stood up, catching sight of his teacher, Zhang Cang, standing in the distance.

Zhang Cang bowed and said, "Young Master."

Fusu looked him up and down and said, "It has been half a year, and Teacher has grown rounder."

Zhang Cang looked somewhat ashamed, gave an awkward smile, and said, "When this subject was in Luoyang, Mao Heng was constantly hosting banquets with abundant wine and meat, so this subject inevitably ate more."

Fusu asked, "Is Mao Heng not coming along?"

"Mao Heng cares only for poetry and has no taste for affairs of state, whereas the Young Master's side deals only in governance."

"That is true."

Fusu sat down by the riverbank, looked northward, and said, "Teacher, look. All these fields have been newly reclaimed."

As far as the eye could see, the fields stretched endlessly, until at the very edge of the horizon the outline of Mount Shangyan came into view. Fusu continued, "I never intended to make Weinan all that different. People outside indulge in much discussion, but human nature is everywhere the same. Look at the people of Weinan; their farming activities are also organized by family units, with each household contributing its members, and thus this scenery came to be."

Zhang Cang stroked his beard, nodded, and asked, "I wonder who is overseeing the farming?"

Fusu could perceive the underlying meaning in his teacher's words; indeed, he knew his own inner circle of personnel inside out.

"Cheng Miao is overseeing it."

"Is it not Meng Tian's brother, Meng Yi?" (Translating note: text says 章邯 Zhang Han) "Is it not Zhang Han?"

Fusu replied, "General Zhang Han has a stern disposition and is a military commander. Let Cheng Miao govern first, and should any chaos arise, Zhang Han may step in to suppress it."

Hearing this, Zhang Cang frowned and said, "One should present a benevolent face to the people, while keeping someone of Zhang Han's stern and harsh disposition behind the scenes."

Fusu said, "I cannot guarantee that these relocated refugees will adapt to life here so quickly; someone is needed to pacify them."

"The Young Master has thought of this thoroughly. It was this old man who worried needlessly."

Footsteps sounded from behind, and Tian An's voice followed immediately: "Young Master may partake in the meal now."

Only then did Fusu snap back to his senses and join his teacher to eat noodles.

Tian An remained unchanged; noodles could never do without garlic.

Back in the days by the bridge in Xianyang, he had started eating garlic, and once he acquired the taste, he could never let it go. Now, he required garlic at every single meal.

Old Man Tian An planted garlic wherever he traveled.

Fusu recalled the garlic planted by the Xianyang bridge long ago, the garlic planted by the Luo River, and the garlic at Tongguan Pass.

Tian An would even distribute garlic to the villagers of Tongguan. Fusu suspected that before long, the entire Guanzhong region would carry a distinct aroma of garlic.

Fusu saw Tian An chewing a clove of garlic as old General Xin Sheng returned.

Tian An handed over a stool and offered him another clove of garlic.

Thus, the two old men sat together, eating noodles and sharing garlic. Feeling perhaps that the flavor lacked sufficient punch, they fished some boiled bitter greens out of the pot and ate them mixed with the noodles.

Fusu looked back out toward the distant fields and inquired, "Have the matters in Luoyang all been arranged?"

With noodles still in his mouth, Zhang Cang swallowed before replying, "Very smoothly. A few people were executed, and some cursed Guanzhong as a state of tyranny, but nothing else happened."

Fusu's expression showed complete understanding.

A soldier hurried over, approached General Xin Sheng, and whispered a few words to him.

Hearing this, Xin Sheng slowed the pace at which he was chewing his noodles and signaled that the messenger could leave.

Fusu put down his bowl and chopsticks, asking, "Is there a matter of urgency in the military?"

Xin Sheng replied, "Tu Ju was reckless and led the main army deep into the mountain forests, suffering a heavy defeat. The First Emperor has ordered Zhao Tuo to go and assist Tu Ju."

Zhang Cang continued eating his noodles without speaking.

Learning that the military campaign was not going smoothly, everyone felt a degree of distress.

Fusu said, "This may not be entirely bad. I have heard that General Zhao Tuo is quite valiant; I once witnessed him single-handedly holding his ground against several men without the slightest disadvantage."

Xin Sheng laughed heartily and said, "The Young Master speaks the truth."

In the Xianyang Palace, the court council had just concluded.

Once Ying Zheng adjourned the council, he sat in the rear hall of the Zhangtai Palace. Chancellor Li Si, Grand Commandant Meng Wu, Wang Ben, and Feng Quji were discussing the subsequent transportation of grain and fodder, as well as troop deployments for the southward campaign.

When they finished speaking, the First Emperor merely uttered a single sentence: "You are all dismissed."

Only then did the men bow and take their leave.

Li Si and Meng Wu walked at the very front, stepping out of the main hall and into the sunlight.

Originally, Tu Ju's underestimation of the enemy had almost led to a disastrous mistake, though fortunately it involved only a fraction of the forces, while the greater part of the army was engaged in digging canals.

Li Si glanced sideways at the group following behind him. Hearing of military setbacks, these officials would normally be rushing to confess their guilt.

Even if the First Emperor were enraged as a result, Li Si would have found it entirely normal, and would even have accepted shifting the blame for the southward campaign's misfortune onto himself and the men behind him.

Yet, strangely, the First Emperor had said nothing of the sort, merely ordering compensation for the fallen soldiers and comforting the defeated Tu Ju.

And now, Zhao Tuo had been dispatched to reinforce them.

The First Emperor's mood of late had been remarkably good—so good it felt somewhat peculiar.

When Li Si pondered it further, nothing seemed distinctly wrong, yet a lingering sense of unease remained, though he could not quite put his finger on it.

Upon stepping out of the Xianyang Palace, the group was about to disperse.

"Chancellor."

Hearing the summons from the veteran General Meng Wu, the others halted their steps.

Li Si paused, regained his composure, and looked toward the old Grand Commandant.

Meng Wu now held the post of Grand Commandant, overseeing military affairs. If the southern campaign had failed, he should have been the first to plead guilty before the First Emperor in the rear hall just moments ago; yet the First Emperor seemed to take the setback lightly.

Still, the First Emperor was ultimately the First Emperor. He could tolerate a temporary defeat—just as he had accepted the initial setback during the conquest of Chu—only to exact a twofold retribution later.

That must be why Zhao Tuo was sent.

Aside from Li Si, the remaining men also cast their gazes upon the old Grand Commandant.

Leaning on his cane, Meng Wu asked, "I heard the Young Master came to see the First Emperor yesterday, and the Chancellor was present as well?"

Li Si replied, "Indeed."

Meng Wu lowered his voice and said, "I hear the Young Master's erudition is remarkable."

Of this, Li Si had profound personal experience. The Young Master was not merely remarkable in erudition; his speed in mastering anything was astonishingly fast. Already, a great number of documents—covering both military and civilian affairs—were being reviewed by the Young Master on behalf of the throne.

Meng Wu continued, "Last night, this old man received documents approved by the Zhangtai Palace, among which was an authorization to reinforce the army in Shu. At the time, this old man found it strange; this year's land reclamation in Shu has gone smoothly, yet reinforcements are still being sent there. Furthermore, the handwriting did not look like..."

At the mention of handwriting, the men turned their gaze toward Li Si.

Among the Three Ducal Ministers and Nine Ministers of the court, the three senior officials were all present. Wang Ben felt his status was somewhat lower and quietly shifted slightly to the side.

Meng Wu added, "This old man had inquiries made, and it did indeed come from the Zhangtai Palace. Yet yesterday, the Young Master did not leave Xianyang until nightfall. Could it be that the Young Master somehow anticipated beforehand that Tu Ju's southern expedition would meet with misfortune?"

Li Si shook his head and said, "The old Grand Commandant worries too much."

No matter how brilliant Young Master Fusu was, he could not possibly possess the power of prescience. Meng Wu lowered his voice: "True, true. It is this old man who overthought the matter. At my age, I am simply prone to excessive thoughts."

Feng Quji said, "Chancellor, I shall escort the old Grand Commandant back."

With that, Feng Quji supported the cane-reliant old Grand Commandant as they walked away.

Li Si remained standing in place, noticing that Feng Quji was still speaking softly to the old Grand Commandant as he guided him.

Wang Ben said, "Chancellor, let us go and discuss the provisions."

Lately, Li Si had found himself frequently lost in thought, especially when facing the First Emperor.

The two men walked all the way to the Chancellor's Residence.

With officials constantly coming and going, the Chancellor's Residence was the busiest among all the official residences in Xianyang. Wang Ben sat down and remarked, "In past years, whenever there was a military campaign, provisions were mostly drawn from Shu."

Li Si nodded. Ever since Qin constructed the Jiandao Road and cut open the Jiangong Gorge (namely the Dujiangyan irrigation system), the grain of Shu had indeed become a major pillar for the Qin army.

Wang Ben continued, "Now that Young Master Fusu has truly dug that canal, if the construction of Weinan proves successful, Weinan in the future will become yet another granary—and a granary for Guanzhong at that."

Lately, Li Si felt that the destiny of Great Qin was truly inextricably linked to the digging of canals: Zheng Guo Canal, Dujiangyan, the one currently being excavated, and the canal in Weinan as well.

Li Si picked up a nearby scroll and said, "Let us speak no more of this. You and I must quickly finalize the grain arrangements."

Wang Ben nodded and said, "Agreed."

Inside the Gaoquan Palace, Prince Gao was feeding the fish in the rain pond, murmuring, "Does Brother often eat these fish?"

Hearing this, the court lady shook her head.

Prince Gao sat nearby, resting his chin on his hands. From behind came the scolding voice of Princess Yinman; her younger brothers Fusu (Translating note: text says 将闾 Jianglv) and Huhai were being disciplined by her once again.

The weeping of the two younger brothers rose and fell, a sight that would tug at anyone's heartstrings.

Prince Gao stated, "General Zhang Han once said that without strict instruction, disastrous mistakes will be made. Yinman is right to strike them. If they are not beaten now, their future wrongdoings will destroy them. As elder siblings, it is naturally our duty to instruct them."

Yinman declared, "Precisely."

The hands of Jianglv and Huhai were beaten bright red, and no doubt stinging with pain.

This was because they had overturned their eldest brother's bookshelf. Gao and Yinman were permitted by their elder brother to read books here, but Huhai and Jianglv were not.

As the twelve-year-old Prince Gao spoke, his tone was exceptionally severe.

It sounded as though he might genuinely beat his two younger brothers to death.

Under Prince Gao's gaze, the sobbing of Jianglv and Huhai gradually subsided until it was barely audible, their heads lowered and daring not to move.

Only then did Prince Gao withdraw his gaze and say, "Yinman, help Brother tidy up the bookshelf."

Yinman nodded and said, "Yes."

There were countless books in the Gaoquan Palace. Looking at the tall, orderly rows of bookshelves, Prince Gao could only sigh; compared to his eldest brother's erudition, he felt as though he were gazing up at a towering mountain peak.

At Tongguan Pass, Fusu had just finished reading a document, with a sack of rice resting beside him. He reflected on how Qin had once relocated the people of Guanzhong to develop agriculture jointly with the native population of Shu. In later history, Shu during this period was renowned as the Southern Silk Road, and the irrigated farmlands along the Dujiangyan system spanned tens of millions of mu, sustaining an incalculable population in Shu.

The development of civilization could not be separated from an agricultural foundation, and agriculture required water conservancy.

Feeling the warm spring breeze brushing against him, Fusu gazed out at the newly reclaimed fields in the distance. He wondered whether what he was doing was right, but seeing the smiles on people's faces, surely this must be right.

After his teacher Zhang Cang returned, he had gone to Dali County to oversee the construction of Weinan County alongside Cheng Miao.

Fusu scooped up some rice with both hands. This was naturally not the rice harvested in Shu this year—this season's rice had not yet ripened; this was the harvest from the previous year.

This document had been sent from Shu by Li You, who had also sent along a sack of rice from Shu and a jar of wine from Shu.

In truth, today was also a special festival for the people of Shu: the Water-Releasing Festival of Dujiangyan. The people were holding grand ceremonies to release the waters and offer sacrifices in memory of Li Bing, who built the Dujiangyan.

Calculating the date, Fusu realized it was precisely Qingming.

Li You had timed the delivery of his document specifically for this occasion.

In his letter, Li You explained that he felt the excavation of the Jingye Canal was likewise a blessing for future generations, and he wished to invite the Qin prince to jointly celebrate the Water-Releasing Festival of Shu.

Fusu picked up a pottery bowl nearby, which was already filled to the brim with Sichuan wine.

Facing the direction of Shu, Fusu drained the wine in a single draught.

That evening, the meal consisted of rice. The pale yellow grains were boiled in a pottery pot, and before long, steam billowed out, carrying the unique fragrance of rice.

He also steamed an egg custard and a mutton stew.

When the rice was done, Fusu lifted the lid, scooped out the grains with a wooden spoon, and placed them into a bowl along with the slightly browned crust formed at the bottom.

Old General Xin Sheng and Tian An were passionate fans of steamed eggs, holding the dish in deep affection.

As they ate, Fusu saw Zhang Han walking toward them, followed by a medium-sized puppy that pulled a small cart.

The cart was loaded with chicken and duck eggs, radishes, scallions, ginger, and a variety of vegetables.

Usually, the provisions here were delivered by General Zhang Han, brought straight from Jingye County.

Fusu asked, "Has General Zhang Han eaten?"

Zhang Han bowed and said, "This subordinate can eat when I return home."

The medium-sized puppy was very well-behaved, squatting quietly by Zhang Han's feet.

Fusu added, "I have some rice left here. I cooked too much and cannot finish it."

Hesitating for a moment, Zhang Han bowed and said, "Thank you, Young Master, for the bestowal."

"Think nothing of it." Fusu pointed to the pottery pot nearby and said, "I may have added too much water, it's a bit..."

Before he could finish, Zhang Han picked up the wooden spoon, cradled the pottery pot in his hands, and began to eat directly from it.

Fusu asked, "General Zhang Han, will you not eat any vegetables?"

Zhang Han paused his eating briefly, noticed half a bowl of steamed egg custard nearby, poured the custard into the pot as well, stirred it all together, and ate it while saying, "Delicious."

When he finished, Fusu discovered that not a single grain of rice was left in the pot.

Afterward, Zhang Han carried the pottery pot to the riverbank, washed it, and returned it to its original place. He then said, "This subordinate once encountered a soldier from Shu in the army. We served together, and I ate the rice cooked by that Shu soldier; it tasted different."

"How do the people of Shu cook rice?"

Zhang Han recalled for a moment and said, "This subordinate has forgotten."

Zhang Han had always been one to speak the plain truth; if it were anyone else, they would likely inquire about it or make up a vague excuse.

With Zhang Han, if he forgot, he forgot, and he stated it frankly.

"Young Master, in another month, the silkworms raised in the village will produce silk."

"I know."

"This subordinate takes his leave."

Zhang Han departed, with the medium-sized puppy following half a step behind, still pulling the small cart, whose wheels made their characteristic wooden grinding sound.

Fusu gazed in the direction of Xianyang, awaiting the arrival of the artisans promised by his teacher to be sent to Weinan.