Chapter Thirty-Six: A Meager Reward

Recently, Zhang Cang has been very busy. Everyone in the Prime Minister’s residence knows that this Censor is currently restless. It is also well-known across the imperial court that Zhang Cang is highly valued by Prime Minister Li Si.

Today, after assisting Prime Minister Li Si in reviewing a portion of the official documents, Zhang Cang spent his afternoon leisure time pacing in front of the residence, appearing deeply preoccupied. The minor officials at the gate were anxious, wondering why the Censor was pacing back and forth and whether they should step forward to inquire.

When Prime Minister Li Si arrived at the gates once more, Zhang Cang stepped forward to meet him. The minor officials could not hear what was said, but they observed the Prime Minister delivering a single, stern sentence. The two then walked into the residence one after the other. The house returned to its usual bustle; while the Censor’s recent behavior was considered odd, to others, it was merely an eccentricity. Some even overheard whispers between the Prime Minister and the Censor regarding the private property of the Prince.

This matter concerning the Prince’s private property was, in fact, nothing more than the three thousand servants the Prime Minister had originally entrusted to him. These servants were living under Shangyan Mountain by the Luo River, digging a canal dubbed the "Diligent and Dedicated Canal." Furthermore, these servants never offered treasures to the Prince; they simply dug. The gossip among the staff in the Prime Minister’s residence ended there, as the officials were soon silenced by their overwhelming workload.

Not until nightfall, after the officials had dispersed, did Li Si keep Zhang Cang back to share a drink. A long table was set under the eaves, and the two sat cross-legged opposite each other. Before them sat wine, some meat, and even noodles sent from Gaoquan Palace. Li Si lit a small stove, placed a ceramic pot upon it, and added water. As he prepared the noodles, he said, "In the past, I entrusted those servants to the Prince, hoping he would cultivate a wider circle of retainers." His tone carried a hint of discouragement.

Zhang Cang took a sip of wine and placed a piece of mutton into his mouth. Li Si continued, "You need not worry about the Prince."

Zhang Cang’s expression grew more suspicious. "Some say the Prince works his servants too hard."

The bright, clear moon hung high in the night sky. Li Si covered the ceramic pot and said, "The Prince enjoys cooking. Do you know what the Prince excels at most?"

"Is it that the Prince is skilled at asking questions and learning?"

Li Si shook his head. "I believe the Prince’s greatest talent is patience. He eats this way at Gaoquan Palace. You should try it yourself—patiently preparing food, patiently waiting for it to cook. This is the Prince’s strength; he is a very patient child."

As he listened to Li Si, Zhang Cang reached out to take the bowl offered to him and began to eat the noodles. Li Si added, "You and I, we must also have patience."

Zhang Cang finished the noodles in his bowl quickly and asked, "Mao Heng has left Shangyan Mountain."

Li Si poured wine into his own bowl and smiled. "The Prince needs capable ministers who can govern a region; such talents are either those of administration or those of military command." As he spoke, Li Si scooped more noodles into Zhang Cang’s bowl and said, "This item is called noodles."

Zhang Cang swallowed and said, "I believe this dish will soon sweep across the world." Li Si looked at his fellow disciple, who was younger than himself, with a smile on his face.

Zhang Cang said, "I worry that the Prince might abandon the canal project because of what people are saying."

Li Si remained seated cross-legged, his hands resting on his knees. "The Prince will not abandon the canal. It is true that the people need rest, and it is true that the world’s commoners need to recover, but should we turn a blind eye to the hidden threats at the border? The Xiongnu are watching hungrily, ready to strike south. Should I sit idly by?"

"The First Emperor would not allow the Xiongnu to sweep south, which is why we established this policy of moving people to garrison the border. The Xiongnu threat... it concerns the peace and security of millions of commoners." After downing his wine, Li Si said sternly, "Wait a few more years. Once our troops are strong and our horses are sturdy, we shall surely sweep the northern territories clean!" He struck the table heavily, as if making a vow.

Zhang Cang whispered, "Once the canal is dug, there will be ten thousand *qing* of fertile land. With such a reward in sight, how could the Prince ever give up?" Li Si nodded slowly.

In the days that followed, just as the Prime Minister had said, the Prince was not swayed by outside opinion and continued the excavation. Today’s court session was exceptionally smooth. Just when everyone thought it was coming to an end, Prince Fusu stepped forward. Even the First Emperor, who rarely showed emotion, shifted slightly in surprise.

Fusu bowed and said, "Father, autumn has come to Guanzhong. Recently, many commoners have come to Shangyan Mountain seeking work for grain. I wonder if Shangyan Mountain might recruit more laborers; I am willing to provide the grain."

Last year, Zhang Han had recruited some laborers, and many had received grain—real, high-quality grain. With the trust established last year and the endorsement of Prince Fusu, even more people came seeking work this year.

Once the numbers grew, it triggered concerns regarding the Qin Code. With General Wang Ben away from the capital, Shangyan Mountain lacked the support it had the previous year. In the grand hall, the assembly erupted into discussion. Some had previously criticized how the Prince enslaved his servants; now, he wanted to recruit even more.

Li Si was the first to step forward. "May I ask, Prince, how much grain can you provide for the laborers?"

Fusu replied, "Each person can receive two *dou* per day."

The hall buzzed with debate. Li Si spoke again, "I believe the Prince’s proposal is feasible. Across the land, who would refuse an extra *dou* of grain?"

Zhang Cang stepped out of the ranks and bowed. "I second this." Officials from Li Si’s faction followed suit, speaking up for the Prince. They were joined by Feng Quji, Cheng Miao, and Feng Jie of the Right Prime Minister’s faction, who also stood to support him.

The Prince remained in the hall, maintaining his bow. Only the scholars from the State of Qi remained unmoved, with Chunyu Yue frowning in silence. Ying Zheng looked at his young son and suddenly smiled. In the past, whenever Li Si proposed a view or debated the scholars from Qi and Lu, Feng Quji would never have stepped forward. The Prime Minister and the Right Prime Minister each performed their own duties. But now, Feng Quji had stood up immediately.

Matters concerning Prince Fusu concerned the stability of the Great Qin state; how could one sit idly by? Feng Quji felt deeply that his decision was correct. Seeing the majority of the hall stand for Fusu, the scholars led by Chunyu Yue had nothing left to say. Chunyu Yue realized with a chill that even when facing Li Si, they were merely clashing over differing opinions. But facing Prince Fusu made him feel a cold sweat on his back; it seemed as if the entire Qin court stood behind the young Prince. How could one not be alarmed by the influence this Prince already possessed, even before his wings were fully grown?

Ying Zheng said, "The canal project may proceed, under the supervision of the Minister of Justice, Feng Jie."

Feng Jie bowed, "I accept the decree."

The session concluded smoothly, and Li Si was once again summoned by the eunuchs to meet with the Emperor. In the hall, Fusu said to Feng Quji, "Thank you for your assistance, Right Prime Minister."

Feng Quji replied, "By digging the canal, you are securing fertile land for Guanzhong. How could I not support you, Prince?"

Fusu left the Zhangtai Palace with the others, bid farewell to the Right Prime Minister, and returned to Gaoquan Palace.

Noodles proved to be an excellent food, and after leaving Gaoquan Palace, they quickly spread through Xianyang. Within half a month, they had become a popular novelty through word of mouth. Recently, Wang Jian had rarely appeared in public. It was rumored that he had built an enormous mansion in his hometown of Pinyang, filled with spoils collected from the six fallen states. Rumors claimed it contained not only fine jade but countless gold, silver, and beauties, and that Wang Jian was living like an immortal. Another rumor emerged from Pinyang: that when Wang Jian met Prince Fusu at Hangu Pass, it was he who had given the secret recipe for noodles to the Prince. Now, it was said that Wang Jian constantly ordered rice and flour to be bought, making noodles in Pinyang and eating them every day.

These were merely rumors, but they were repeated so often that people began to believe them. When Fusu heard this, he smiled and did not bother to clarify. If the old general wanted to be the "ancestor of noodles," so be it.

After autumn, Prince Gao often visited Gaoquan Palace. Tian An was drying persimmons, and Prince Gao helped by organizing the baskets. "They say the persimmons from Shu are large."

Tian An said, "The persimmons of Guanzhong are small, but they are very sweet." Hearing this, Gao shared the persimmons with his two younger sisters—the daughters of the First Emperor. The two princesses ate the sweet fruit with satisfied smiles. Tian An patiently advised Prince Gao to eat fewer persimmons, lest he get a stomachache.

Fusu felt that if every county in Guanzhong were like Shangyan Mountain, the lives of the people would be even harder than they were now. Shangyan Mountain was not large; Fusu wanted to establish a model of prosperity through labor. To be wealthy, one needs to accumulate material wealth—that is why Xunzi said, "Without wealth, one cannot nourish the feelings of the people; without education, one cannot order their nature."

Sitting before Gaoquan Palace, Fusu felt these were but his own shallow insights. Yet, he felt that while he had not found the standard answer of Master Xunzi, he could not be entirely wrong. Like a reading comprehension test with no standard answer, as long as one wrote enough, one would eventually guess some of the right answers. Xunzi was adept at using metaphors, and so was Han Fei. "The decay of a tree always begins with the worms; the collapse of a wall always begins with a crack..." Han Fei’s metaphors were exquisite.

Therefore, one could not retreat. Fusu felt that in the matter of the canal, even a half-step of concession would be a betrayal of his teacher, Han Fei. And the reason his teacher and Zhang Cang agreed... that was even easier to understand. They were all disciples of Xunzi. As the saying goes, "Without taking small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles." Being a disciple of Xunzi was a profound benefit.

The Right Prime Minister’s support during the court session was likely a sign of wavering. Had it not been for a Prince of Qin speaking up, Feng Quji might not have stepped forward to second a proposal from the Prime Minister. Fusu looked at a pruned pine tree and concluded that Feng Quji was not a man easily won over. While people said Prince Fusu and Li Si were of one mind, the power of the Right Prime Minister was not to be underestimated; he held the Censorate, and the Censor-in-Chief had the power to supervise the Prime Minister.

"Brother," his two sisters said in unison. They were younger than Gao. Fusu said, "If you wish to study, go with Gao." They left happily.

Prince Gao stepped forward. "Brother, they are princesses. It might not be appropriate for them to study in the countryside."

"So you think Master Shusun Tong was right." Gao nodded slowly, looking somewhat unconvinced. At the time, the high-spirited Prince Gao had felt he could study alongside the village boys. Shusun Tong had agreed, and Gao had been quite proud. Yet, looking back at his sisters, he realized his arrogance had only led him into a dilemma.

Fusu brought the pruned pine into the palace and instructed, "Have someone build a separate study room by the canal and let Shusun Tong teach them privately. As for their outings, just have people keep an eye on them."

Prince Gao seemed to understand, though not entirely. "I will remember, brother." He then walked over to his sisters and said, "Follow me."

Fusu watched them leave. A eunuch hurried over and whispered into Tian An’s ear. Tian An walked into the hall quickly. "Prince, General Zhang Han has received the decree and requested more laborers—over a thousand, he says."

Grain was limited. Using the harvest to recruit laborers to dig the canal and irrigate the wasteland was a sound investment. If two *dou* of rice could trade for a *li* of canal, or even five *dou*, it was a profit. What was traded was grain; what was gained was labor, and the ultimate result was tangible farmland. Nevertheless, Shangyan Mountain remained the harshest construction site in Guanzhong.

By the third day, Gaoquan Palace received a report from Shusun Tong detailing the progress of the canal. Minister of Justice Feng Jie and Prime Minister Li Si had renamed Shangyan Mountain "Jingye County." Because the amount of cultivated land exceeded that of a typical village, it had been established as a new county in Guanzhong.

Over three consecutive days, many laborers were rotated out. On the first day, six hundred out of a thousand were replaced. Twenty of them had been lazy and refused to work, so Zhang Han had withheld their grain. Those who had their grain withheld even tried to sue General Zhang Han, wishing to take the matter to the Minister of Justice, but fortunately, Shusun Tong had arranged for several guards to act as overseers and witnesses.

In his report, Shusun Tong kept praising how effective the Prince’s "job system" was. Previously, Jingye County had been a place where everyone worked together, as the grain belonged to everyone. But now, it was different—as the number of people grew, so did the factions and cliques. Those who tried to sue Zhang Han were punished by Shusun Tong with ten lashes each.

For such grueling work and such harsh rules, the grain earned for a day’s labor was not much, yet Shusun Tong believed it was more than enough.