Chapter Nine: The River of Old Acquaintances

If the First Emperor had managed to exterminate all those who opposed him, perhaps there would not be so much trouble today.

In truth, the "brutal" Qin was not brutal enough.

Fusu climbed back into the carriage and instructed Tian An to follow the river upstream. From here, one could reach the canal mouth—the starting point of the Longshou Canal. The plan was to excavate a channel connecting the Luo River and the Wei River, passing beneath Mount Shangyan; this was the entirety of the Longshou Canal project.

Since the construction of the water cellars, the issue of water for the house servants had been resolved. Now, Zhang Han was leading these servants to clear the surrounding forests of wild beasts and had even built a row of dwellings at the foot of the mountain, solving their housing problem as well. Furthermore, Zhang Han had personally traveled to two nearby counties to officially name this area "Shangshan Township." Thus, a village called Shangshan now existed in Guanzhong, and its inhabitants possessed a new identity: they were the servants who had emerged from Shangshan.

This was what Zhang Han had been doing these past few days, and he executed every task with thoroughness. He was a reliable man, low-key and unpretentious, always knowing where to draw the line. He never did more than necessary and remained content to work in obscurity.

Tian An pointed into the distance. "Earlier, these servants wanted to build a manor for you at the foot of the mountain, out of gratitude. When Zhang Han learned of this last night, he not only stopped them but even penalized those who intended to build it by withholding a meal."

Fusu processed Tian An’s words. Essentially, the servants wanted to build a residence for their "benefactor," but Zhang Han had intervened and punished them.

"Why did Zhang Han stop them?" Fusu asked, hesitant.

Tian An lowered his voice. "Once Zhang Han learned of their intentions, he sent word to the Chancellor."

"And then?"

"The Chancellor replied, ordering him to punish the servants."

"Why?" Fusu asked again.

Tian An sat on the carriage shaft, squinting into the sunlight. "A Prince cannot be burdened by external things. Although a Prince of Qin has three thousand servants, he must never seek pleasure for himself."

"My teacher’s intentions are profound."

Hearing the Prince’s words from inside the carriage, Tian An whispered, "If it were anyone else, those servants would likely have been beaten to death."

It did not seem like a major affair. Ordinarily, such a man would not draw attention in the military, yet with Chancellor Li Si’s backing, he remained diligent and hardworking. Zhang Han consulted the Chancellor on everything, clearly distinguishing between the Chancellor’s responsibilities and his own duties.

Fusu sat in the carriage, reflecting on the *Lüshi Chunqiu*, which Lü Buwei had commissioned his three thousand retainers to write. In the Warring States period, writing a book was a way to bring honor to one's ancestors. The *Lüshi Chunqiu* blended many ancient perspectives of that era. It contained many Taoist concepts, and perhaps Lü Buwei leaned toward Laozi’s philosophy, but a closer look revealed even more focus on the Mohist school.

Fusu set the scroll aside and rubbed his temples to relax his eyes. He suddenly felt that Lü Buwei, a man at the pinnacle of the merchant class, was truly formidable in his approach to scholarship; he had recruited the most famous talents from among the Hundred Schools of Thought. With such a vast team of three thousand, he had managed to select the very best. Lü Buwei’s eye for talent was just like his eye for business—he could always find the gold.

"My Prince," Tian An said, "the Chancellor once said this book was too dense to read. Back then, many people advised the Chancellor not to write it."

"Then why did he write the *Lüshi Chunqiu*?"

Tian An replied, "In those days, Qin had formidable generals like Wei Ran and Bai Qi, but it lacked men of letters. King Zhaoxiang of Qin often longed for a man like Lin Xiangru, but the state of Qin always lacked famous scholars. Even men like Zhang Yi were not native to Qin."

Fusu listened quietly to Tian An’s narrative, watching the scenery outside the carriage.

"At that time, the state of Wei had Lord Xinsheng, Wei Wuji; the state of Chu had Lord Chunshen, Huang Xie; even the traditionally rough state of Zhao had Lord Pingyuan, and the state of Qi had Lord Mengchang. But Qin had no such famous scholars."

Listening to Tian An, one realized he was quite knowledgeable; he could even name some of the individuals who had helped compile the *Lüshi Chunqiu*. These were matters that the Empress Dowager Huayang had concerned herself with.

Tian An suddenly wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "These things were what Empress Dowager Huayang had us investigate. After the Emperor ascended the throne, Lü Buwei became the Chancellor. But at that time, Lü Buwei’s power in Qin was overwhelming; only the Empress Dowager Huayang could keep him in check."

"Lü Buwei dared not disrespect the Empress Dowager; without her, there would have been no Chancellor Lü Buwei. As long as she lived, he dared not act rashly. Later, when the Emperor grew up, Lü Buwei was under the surveillance of the Empress Dowager’s people until his death. I personally watched Lü Buwei die."

After weeping, Tian An suddenly smiled. "It is good now. Lü Buwei is dead, and the Empress Dowager Huayang can depart this world in peace."

Fusu listened. Tian An was not a man of many words, but when the old man spoke at length, his moods shifted between joy and sorrow. Fusu chose to sit on the carriage shaft, gazing at Mount Shangyan. He realized he was being treated like a child by his teacher again. The matter of building the manor had never even been brought to his attention at Gaoquan Palace. His teacher had taken it upon himself to punish the servants—was this not treating him like a child?

One cannot make one's own decisions; instead, they rest in the teacher's hands—that is being treated as a child. Perhaps his teacher was also afraid that a Prince of Qin might bear responsibility for something, and protecting the Prince’s reputation was one of his teacher's duties. If outsiders knew that a Prince of Qin had servants building a manor for his own amusement, it would be interpreted quite differently. To avoid being misunderstood due to his own or others' kindness is a necessary precaution for a student of Legalism.

Come to think of it, whether it was his teacher, Zhang Han, or Meng Tian, Fusu found this Great Qin to be quite wonderful. Haha! In the current Great Qin, loyal subjects were everywhere.

The carriage arrived at the southern side of Mount Shangyan. With Tian An’s permission, Zhang Han stepped forward and bowed. "My Prince, I will have men plow the fields overnight so we can plant crops."

Fusu looked up at the sky, clear as a piece of blue jade. "Is there still time to plant at this season?"

Zhang Han replied, "There is. We can harvest a month late in the autumn."

"Very well, you make the arrangements."

"As you command."

Fusu truly did not understand how the Qin people of this era farmed. Opening up fields required irrigation, pest control, and weeding. The knowledge in books, no matter how many times read, could not compare to the half-lifetime of experience of an old Qin farmer. They understood the earth beneath their feet better than anyone; they even knew the difference in taste between the soil of the east and the soil of the west. The water and soil of the west and east differed, and so did the grain they produced.

The Prince did not seem to enjoy being in the palace. He left at dawn every day and did not return until dusk; only on rainy days would he stay in Gaoquan Palace. The fish raised in the palace pond grew fatter by the day. Fusu personally selected two, scaled them, cleaned them, and stewed a bowl of soup. "Tian An, send this to my teacher and the Emperor."

Tian An left, holding the earthen bowl with both hands.

In the Zhangtai Palace, Ying Zheng was still reviewing documents. Standardizing the script was not something that could be finished with a single decree; he still had to review the replies submitted by various commanderies and counties. After a while, the bowl of fish soup was placed before him.

Ying Zheng’s gaze fell on the white, slightly murky soup, topped with ginger strips and green onion. The eunuch beside him explained, "The Prince said the fish he raised were too fat, so he made soup. He sent another fish to the Chancellor."

Ying Zheng nodded, his eyes still on the bamboo scrolls. He picked up a wooden spoon and took a sip. Frowning slightly, he found the soup surprisingly delicious.

In Xianyang, across from Lü Buwei’s old residence, stood the new home of Chancellor Li Si. It was the closest to the Xianyang Palace, featuring pavilions, water features, and over a hundred rooms. Every day when the Chancellor left, he would glance at Lü Buwei’s old house before heading to court with great solemnity.

Li Si was sitting in one of the rooms, processing the remaining files and documents.

"Chancellor, the Prince has sent fish soup."

Li Si looked up and saw Tian An standing at the door. "Thank the Prince for his gift."

Tian An placed the still-warm earthen bowl on Li Si’s desk. "The Prince said it wouldn't taste good if it got cold."

Li Si set aside his bamboo scroll, lifted the lid of the bowl, and smiled. "Excellent soup."

Tian An smiled. "The Prince cooked it himself."

Li Si took a sip, nodded repeatedly, and then ate with gusto, finishing both the soup and the fish, leaving only the bones. He spread out a fresh bamboo scroll, picked up his brush, and asked, "Who is currently by the Prince’s side?"

"Reporting to the Chancellor," Tian An thought for a moment before replying, "only Zhang Han and Meng Tian are close to the Prince."

Meng Tian went without saying, but as for Zhang Han...

"What kind of man is Zhang Han?" Li Si asked.

"I cannot say much else, but he is very diligent in farming," Tian An replied.

Li Si continued writing, adding "skilled in farming" after Zhang Han's name. Thus, among the talents recommended by the Chancellor, Zhang Han was included as one skilled in farming.

Until autumn, Li Si could not forget the taste of the fish soup the Prince had sent in the summer.

This year, the autumn rains in Guanzhong arrived later than usual, and the crops on both sides of Mount Shangyan finally reached harvest. Before the rains set in, Zhang Han led the three thousand servants to collect the final harvest of wheat.

The sky was overcast, and a bleak autumn wind brought a few drops of rain. As Zhang Han ran, struggling under a bundle of wheat, a drop hit his face. He wiped away the cold rain and looked up at the gathering dark clouds. A torrential downpour followed.

Zhang Han shouted at the servants trailing behind, and several of them wrapped the wheat in their robes and ran into the granary.

A line of soldiers stood at the foot of Mount Shangyan, protecting Prince Fusu and Chancellor Li Si. On the mountain, Fusu sat in a pavilion, roasting cakes over a fire, with a few pieces of mutton nearby. Mutton and cakes made for a filling meal. Li Si finished one cake and a few pieces of mutton, feeling satisfied. He bowed and said, "Six hundred qing of land were cultivated, and now a bountiful harvest. This is truly a wonderful thing."

Fusu added wood to the fire. "Now, my servants have finally solved their food problem. Any surplus can be given to the military. Every year from now on, we shall do the same, keeping only enough for Shangshan to eat."

As some rain drifted into the pavilion with the wind, Li Si sat upright, disregarding the water landing on him. "I, on behalf of the soldiers in the army, thank the Prince."

Fusu said, "From early spring to now, the Longshou Canal has yet to be completed. I fear I have let my teacher see a slow performance."

Hearing this, Li Si stood up and looked from the mountain down to the plains, where he could see several vertical shafts dotting the formerly barren land. For a moment, Li Si felt as if Zheng Guo were still alive—as if the man who built the Zheng Guo Canal were still living in the Great Qin.

A cold wind blew, bringing Li Si back to his senses. The Zheng Guo he had met when he first entered Qin had already died of old age in the state of Qin, having lived out a peaceful life. Zheng Guo had died in Xianyang, and the Zheng Guo Canal would ensure his name lived for a thousand years.

He had originally thought the Prince merely wanted to dig a small ditch to reclaim barren land, but now it seemed the canal's geographical importance was not inferior to the Zheng Guo Canal. It, too, could turn tens of thousands of qing of land into fertile fields. "It is a pity," Li Si said, "that Zheng Guo cannot see this canal. I can advise the Emperor to conscript laborers to help the Prince finish the canal. I wonder how many men the Prince requires?"

"If there are too many, they are hard to manage," Fusu hesitated, then added, "Do you have anyone in mind to organize the labor?"

Li Si nodded, his eyes suddenly moist as he looked out over the vast, fertile fields.

Seeing his teacher wipe away tears, Fusu called out, "Teacher..."

Li Si wiped his eyes again. "It is nothing. I was reminded of an old man who has passed away. His name was Zheng Guo. When I first came to Qin, he was repairing the river canals."

Fusu wondered if the Grand Historian Sima Qian had recorded it incorrectly. In the records, it was said that the Longshou Canal was dug during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, and fossils were unearthed during its construction. He wondered if his own deduction of the location, based on later ruins, had been wrong? He had yet to find any fossils.

Emperor Wu of Han had used tens of thousands of men to dig that canal, while he only had three thousand servants. He had no idea how long it would take to dig this hundred-kilometer channel. Since the Chancellor was willing to help, Fusu naturally would not refuse.

The next day, at Gaoquan Palace, Fusu paid his respects to the Empress Dowager Huayang and met someone else. His teacher had said he would send someone to organize the labor for the Longshou Canal. At first, Fusu thought it would be an expert in water conservancy. But after hearing the man's introduction—and hearing him call out "Prince" with such intimacy—Fusu finally understood. His teacher had sent his own son, Li You.

His teacher was truly practical; he chose to let his son handle a task that would benefit the state and was entirely harmless.

Standing before him, Li You, who was about his own age, waited. Fusu held his temple and asked, "How many men did my teacher provide?"

"Thirty thousand," Li You replied.

"Has General Wang Jian returned?"

"General Wang Jian has not returned, nor has the main army."

Fusu hesitated. "Then... where did my teacher get the manpower?"

Li You explained, "There were many prisoners held in the various counties of Guanzhong. My father selected some of them and had them brought out. They have already been handed over to General Zhang Han, totaling thirty thousand."

"Are there really so many prisoners in Guanzhong?"

Li You looked exactly like the Chancellor—almost a younger version of Li Si. He wore a kind smile. "My Prince, forgive me. Many were captured during the chaotic war years, and we didn't know how to settle them until now. It is only in recent years that the number of captures has decreased."