Chapter 31: A Fruitless Inquiry

Fusu accompanied Gao to the door, watched him board his carriage, and saw him depart under the escort of a troop of soldiers. Fusu frowned and asked, "Does Gao reside at Mount Shangyan?"

Tian An replied, "Young Master Gao lives in the palace. He studies at Mount Shangyan during the day and returns to the palace at night."

As the carriage moved further away, Fusu glanced toward the riverbed, where the croaking of frogs rose and fell in succession.

The next morning, as soon as the sun emerged, a wave of intense heat rushed forward. Jian Lu was leading a team, pulling carts of timber to the riverbank. Fusu stood by the river and saw the laborers holding small wooden mallets, tapping the wooden planks of the bridge. They used mortise-and-tenon joints to secure the planks; while not perfectly seamless, the structure was exceptionally sturdy.

Beyond facilitating travel across the Wei River, this Xianyang Bridge was intended for the passage of troops and the transport of provisions. Thus, the deck was thirty-seven feet wide, enough to allow five warhorses to pass side-by-side. Spanning the western Wei River, it stretched twelve hundred feet in length. This bridge was, by far, the largest constructed on the Wei River to date.

The Great Qin, having unified the world, naturally displayed an attitude of fearlessness; when building a bridge, one must choose the most critical location, use the finest timber, and construct the most magnificent bridge. Fusu was very satisfied with Jian Lu’s design. Although he had simply named it "Xianyang Bridge," it was historically known by that name in later ages, which brought him great joy.

During his spare time, Fusu would read the military reports sent by Zhang Han. As the general overseeing the construction of the Mount Shangyan irrigation canals, Zhang Han remained as diligent as ever, reporting every detail daily, including the progress of the excavations and the vertical shafts.

The Great Qin remained a very classical economic environment; even now, most people operated through barter, and grain was the most reliable medium of exchange. Fusu watched the laborers diligently tapping the bridge deck. In three months, a beautiful Xianyang Bridge would be born from their hands.

The laborers hammered away, and as the sun climbed higher, the heat intensified. Beads of sweat as large as beans dripped onto the newly laid bridge surface. Fusu noticed a *shefu* (a local official) hurrying toward Zhang Cang. Upon reaching him, the official said anxiously, "Reporting to the Minister of Works, several men refuse to tie their safety ropes."

The safety requirements had been set by Prince Fusu; everyone laying the bridge deck had to tie a thick hemp rope around their waist to ensure safety. With the Wei River currently in its flood stage, falling into such a wide river would leave no chance for rescue.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cang said with a stern expression, "Bring those men forward and fine them one day’s wages." The *shefu* hurried away to carry out the order.

In the state administration, the position of *shefu* was always close to the grassroots level. In this centralizing Great Qin, the *shefu* played a crucial role. A county *shefu* typically knew the population distribution—the number of able-bodied men, children, and the elderly. Some *shefu* were responsible for mobilizing laborers, managing horses, or overseeing households that possessed weapons. Thus, if any incident occurred, or if someone died or engaged in a private feud, these officials could provide the government with information immediately. Generally, they dealt most with construction and labor corvée. They were the practitioners of the Qin philosophy: "Take the law as teaching, and officials as teachers."

Fusu stood by, watching his mentor, Zhang Cang, instruct the *shefu*. Consequently, the men who refused to tie their ropes were fined a day's worth of grain. Fusu observed the various troubles encountered in the implementation of Qin law, each of which was resolved methodically under Zhang Cang's arrangements. Indeed, Zhang Cang was a Censor of the Great Qin and a man of great talent; managing a construction site of a few hundred people was truly an underutilization of his abilities.

By evening, a thunderstorm broke out. The rain fell, and one could see the Wei River’s current becoming increasingly turbulent, with the water level rising steadily. Life by the bridge was, for the most part, monotonous. Fusu heard that Gao had truly persuaded Shusun Tong, allowing him to attend lectures alongside the children of the servants and to reside at Mount Shangyan. His intention was for his younger brother to become independent early on, and indeed, Gao was very sensible and performed well.

The only amusement was when Wang Ben would occasionally bring a troupe of beautiful dancers; the group could listen to the music of strings and flutes, drink wine, eat meat, and watch the dancers. Fusu recalled that while watching the dance and drinking that day, his mentor Zhang Cang had remarked that Mao Heng was particularly fond of beauties and fine wine. Yet, now, Mao Heng could only eat coarse bread and teach at Mount Shangyan—likely unable to see beauties or drink fine wine.

After the eighth month, Wang Ben stopped coming to inspect the Xianyang Bridge project. Perhaps there were more important matters in the court that required his attention; it was said to be related to the south. Fusu could only have Tian An gather bits of information, but he did not know the full picture.

When the novelty wore off, people grew weary of the long summer, longing for the hot, lingering season to end. Bridge construction was a task that required extreme patience; it could not be accomplished in a single stroke, but only built step by step, down-to-earth. Fusu thought of Meng Tian, who was still building the Great Wall in the north; he likely shared the same sentiment.

Fusu sat under the eaves, waving a cattail fan, reading a book. Hearing the sound of wooden mallets striking the planks on the bridge, he felt at ease. It meant the laborers were working hard; he could even judge whether they were diligent or slacking by the density of the hammer sounds. The laborers' sweat soaked the newly leveled bridge deck. One man stepped on a wet plank, slipped, and fell to the side. As the side of the bridge was not yet finished, he tumbled off.

Fusu heard a cry of surprise and looked up from his book. He saw the man hanging beneath the bridge, close to the water, saved by the thick hemp rope around his waist. Soon, several *shefu* rushed onto the bridge. The man was pulled back up, and Fusu lowered his gaze, returning to his book.

Jian Lu hurried over to report, "Young Master, the man has been pulled up. He is unharmed."

Fusu instructed, "Be strict regarding safety."

"I obey," Jian Lu replied.

Tian An, who was behind him washing celery in preparation for the day's meal, whispered, "Young Master, General Zhang Han sent word that the mulberry trees at the foot of the mountain are growing well. In the future, these trees will be planted along the river, and the mulberries will be black and sweet."

Fusu nodded and switched to a new bamboo slip, continuing to read. When the tapping on the bridge ceased, the laborers finished their half-day of work, leaving the bridge in small groups. The near-accident that day became the topic of their conversation.

Fusu continued reading his book, which came from the library inherited from Lü Buwei—the *Lüshi Chunqiu*. It contained the teachings of the Hundred Schools of Thought, and he was currently reading the section on agriculture. The *Lüshi Chunqiu* provided detailed descriptions of farming, with chapters on "Ren Di" (Working the Land) and "Bian Tu" (Distinguishing Soils) recording crops from various states, including the granary of Shu and the black soil of Liaodong.

As he read, Fusu picked up a brush and recorded notes carefully. Following the principle of "doing what one reads about," Fusu had cleared a plot of land by the river and planted a type of millet that could be sown in the sixth month and harvested by the tenth. Holding his book, he went to his field, ignoring the scorching sun, to observe his crops. This millet, which produced small, pale yellow grains, had been discovered in the west, in the Hexi region, and typically grew in river valleys. Fusu crushed a husk to get a grain; it was very small, even smaller than the millet found in Guanzhong. Although the yield was poor, Fusu was not discouraged.

Grain had always been the foundation of the state. This was evident from the era of the warring states; the *Lüshi Chunqiu* recorded that Guan Zhong advocated for enriching the state and strengthening the military, focusing heavily on grain to annex smaller states. Such actions were central to the Legalist tradition of the Qi state. In fact, the Legalist school was not unique to Qin; it had existed since the time of Lord Shang and was scattered among the various states.

By the end of the eighth month, the counties in Guanzhong began to harvest their grain. Zhang Cang allowed the younger laborers to return home, keeping only a few dozen older, still-capable men to continue patching the bridge. Fusu felt the remaining work required no participation from him; Zhang Cang would surely implement the construction standards he had set with great care. During his free time, Fusu delved into agricultural research, but after more than a month, aside from planting some millet, he had achieved virtually nothing. It was indeed nothing, as there were few grain seeds to be found in Guanzhong.

Tian An saw the Prince sitting by the river, his expression filled with disappointment and frustration. He stepped forward and said, "Young Master, they are going to build a *chidao* (imperial highway) in Nanjun."

Fusu nodded slightly without responding. Tian An stood to the side and said no more.

With most of the laborers gone, Zhang Cang's burden was much lighter. He sat on the bridge, looking at the essay he had written the night before. Fusu had once asked him, during the warring states, how the population would fluctuate while the land remained constant—if all arable land under heaven were divided equally, how many acres would each person receive?

Zhang Cang remembered his answer to the Prince at the time: land could not be divided equally. First, land belonged to the monarch, then to the nobles, then to the scholar-officials, and only lastly to the commoners. Thus, equal distribution was impossible. Later, the Prince asked based on the commandery-county system, questioning how many people each system—the commandery-county system versus the enfeoffment system—could support. Could the Great Qin, having annexed the six states, seized their wealth and land, and eliminated their kings, support a larger population under the commandery-county system than the enfeoffment system did?

Zhang Cang had written an essay providing a brief answer. After much contemplation, he put down the bamboo slips, feeling that many conditions were missing—such as how to farm, how to distribute the land tax, and how to allocate the fields. A major question often leads to many smaller ones. Zhang Cang had been thinking about the Prince's question for half a year since last year, and even now, he had not reached a satisfactory answer.

Looking into the distance, Zhang Cang saw the Prince observing a stalk of wheat.

By the ninth month in Guanzhong, the laborers began to return, and the construction of the Xianyang Bridge resumed. The main structure was finished; the remaining work was delicate, requiring fewer hands than before. As Minister of Works, Zhang Cang could mobilize craftsmen and brought a team from the palace to the bridge.

Fusu noticed he had grown taller; last year's clothes were becoming short. Tian An remarked, "I shall have new clothes made in the palace."

Fusu did not mind; the clothes were loose and comfortable, not hindering his movement. He stepped forward and asked, "Mentor, how is the court?"

Zhang Cang smiled and replied, "All is well in the court. There is a bumper harvest in Guanzhong this year."

Fusu said, "That is excellent. With this year's harvest, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief."

Zhang Cang hesitated before saying, "I have heard one piece of news." Seeing his mentor's troubled expression, Fusu asked, "What is it?"

"Baiyue," Zhang Cang said briefly. Fusu fell silent.

Zhang Cang explained, "During today's court session, there was a debate over whether to launch a southern expedition against the Baiyue. I only heard rumors."

Fusu replied, "The court will likely continue to debate it."

Zhang Cang nodded, "Young Master, there are Xiongnu incursions in the north, and the south is not necessarily secure. The Prime Minister is still pushing for the standardization of script. With the court in constant debate, some have suggested using the five hundred thousand convicts from the six states to garrison and cultivate the south."

Looking ahead, Fusu said, "Let us focus on building the bridge."

Zhang Cang bowed, "I obey."

At Mount Shangyan, Shusun Tong had shed the appearance of a Confucian scholar from when he first arrived in Qin. He now spoke with a thick Guanzhong accent. After the year's harvest, the granaries in each county were well-stocked. Seeing the storehouses at Mount Shangyan filled with grain, Shusun Tong laughed until tears filled his eyes. The irrigation canals had been dug for dozens of miles, watering hundreds of acres of fields. Even though it was only half-finished, it had turned hundreds of acres of arid land into fertile soil.

Shusun Tong had been here for a year, witnessing the people digging canals and the wasteland turning into productive fields. He was truly happy. Li You had spent a year digging vertical shafts here, participating in the excavation of fifteen along the canal line. Dressed in coarse hemp and sitting barefoot, Li You had turned dark, and calluses had grown on his hands. He laughed as he spoke with an old man.

Just then, a court official hurried over, found Li You, and said loudly, "The Prime Minister invites the *xiaoling* (school official) to return home."

Li You straightened his clothes and remarked, "I thought my father had forgotten me."

The official stepped back subconsciously as Li You stood up, noticing that Li You had grown taller and possessed a different air than before. Li You brushed the dust off his clothes and, under the official's surprised gaze, returned to Xianyang.