The King of Qin pretended to be a riddler, and Bai Qi felt a little annoyed. But the other party was his king, so he could only accept it obediently.
The battle was over, but for Bai Qi, the work had just begun. The next step was to calculate the merits and provide compensation to the Qin soldiers who were injured or killed, which was his busiest time.
Capturing prisoners counts as merit, but how to divide them specifically will take a lot of effort for the recipient to come up with a rule that will convince everyone, which is very troublesome. However, killing prisoners is the same, so Bai Qi is already very skilled at it.
Bai Qi visited the wounded camps and sent the wounded who could no longer fight to the camps near Shangdang and Yewang City to recuperate; he replanned the location of the military camps and divided the arable land for the Qin soldiers to cultivate on the spot; he sent people to the battlefield to collect the corpses of the Qin soldiers, burned them on the spot, wrapped them with the clothes on the corpses, and sent them to their families together with the compensation money and food...
The Zhou Dynasty mainly practiced burial, and only the surrounding barbarians had cremation culture, such as the Yiqiu and other tribes that lived together with the Qin State.
However, the reason why the Qin State cremated its soldiers who died in battle was not because they accepted the customs of the Yiqu tribe, but because it was impossible to send the remains of so many Qin soldiers who died in battle back to their hometowns, so they could only send their ashes back. If the soldiers had no relatives or could not be identified, they would be cremated and buried on the spot.
In every dynasty, when sending the remains of the war dead back to their hometowns, the ashes were entrusted to them. The idea of cremating the dead to burn away their resentment and evil spirits was just a way to make up for this convenient behavior.
If the battle is lost, or the commander does not care, the dead will sleep in the mud of the battlefield, adding a common story to the strange stories of later generations.
If the victor wants to occupy this area, he will dig a big pit or find a natural pit, throw the enemy's corpses into it and bury them to prevent the breeding of plague.
Bai Qi was very good to his soldiers and won every battle, so after each war he tried his best to collect the bodies of the Qin soldiers who died in the war.
This time, when he personally led his men to the battlefield to dig out the corpses of the Qin army that had sunk into the mud, he saw Zhu Xiang also busy leading the Zhao soldiers.
The Qin people were cruel and cunning, and Bai Qi was even more terrifying. Even if the Zhao soldiers surrendered, they would still be in a state of panic. Unexpectedly, they followed Zhu Xiang and began to clean up the battlefield, gathering for their comrades.
Bai Qi walked up to Zhu Xiang, who had changed into a more convenient Hu suit, and asked, "Don't you want to farm?"
Zhu Xiang said: "Before planting, we must do the preliminary work well."
He counted on his fingers.
Rebuilding the Zhao army's garrison, separating garbage and feces to prevent disease and to make fertilizer; cleaning up the battlefield, collecting the remains of comrades, and preparing the land for farming; then digging canals, finding firewood, and building workshops to make farm tools...
Bai Qi listened to Zhu Xiang counting them one by one, his brows twitched slightly.
Why did he feel that Zhu Xiang was not trying to find a way to survive for the Zhao prisoners of war, but was preparing to build a new village
Zhu Xiang had no experience of what kind of life a prisoner of war should live. Hundreds of thousands of people had to live here for at least three months, so of course his first reaction was to get the infrastructure right. It was not wrong to say that he was going to build a village here.
Moreover, many Zhao Bing will stay here in the future. It is better to improve the infrastructure while there are more people. This will make life more convenient for Zhao Bing in the future.
The King of Qin had agreed to his request and promised to help him take care of Xue and Zheng'er, so Zhu Xiang felt relieved. In addition, he was going to die in three months anyway, so he was very brave now.
Bai Qi came over to ask, and the other Zhao soldiers were all nervous. Zhu Xiang not only introduced his future plans to Bai Qi very naturally, but also asked Bai Qi if he had any additions.
Zhu Xiang said, "I have no experience in leading a group of people to establish a new settlement in the wild. Wu Anjun often goes out to fight, so he must have a lot of experience."
Looking at Zhu Xiang's sparkling eyes, Bai Qi didn't know why he felt a little itchy and wanted to hit Zhu Xiang on the head.
How come this person has no sense of crisis at all? Isn't his reputation scary enough? !
Bai Qi kept looking at Zhu Xiang with dangerous eyes.
Zhu Xiang was not afraid at all.
I'm going to die anyway, and you can't kill me in advance, so what should I be afraid of
Bai Qi took a deep breath and said expressionlessly, "Asking the Mo family and farmers in your team about how to build a settlement is better for you. The water source is the most important, and the water source must be upstream of the place where the dirt is treated. The Qin army is stationed near the Shaoshui River, and you are stationed on the Danshui River. The water sources of the two sides are different, so you don't have to consider the location of the Qin army's camp."
Zhu Xiang bowed and said, "Thank you, Lord Wu'an! Lord Wu'an, the Qin and Zhao armies combined have more than 300,000 people. How can we get firewood? It's not so bad now. In winter, when the nearby trees are chopped down, there won't be enough firewood."
Before the founding of the modern People's Republic of China, the mountains in the north were basically bald, and the people had chopped them down for firewood, which is why sandstorms were so severe.
During the Song Dynasty, the capital city was overpopulated and there was almost no place to cut firewood around. Fortunately, coal had already been used. At that time, firewood was more expensive than coal, which led to the strange phenomenon that the rich burned firewood and charcoal, while the poor burned coal.
Zhu Xiang brought food and fodder, which, together with the food and fodder already in the Zhao army's position and the remaining food and fodder of the Qin army, was more than enough to sustain for three months, but firewood was a big problem.
Bai Qi said: "I have sent some of the wounded soldiers back to Qin, and some Qin soldiers are stationed in Shangdang, Yewang and other places. The firewood in the mountains near the Qin army camp is enough to survive the winter. You Zhao army can only find a way on your own."
Zhu Xiang wanted to ask, "Wu'an Jun is dispersing the Qin troops. Isn't he afraid that the Zhao army will rebel?"
But he thought again, the weapons of the Zhao soldiers had been collected, and the morale of the army had been weakened. They were only thinking about how to plant potatoes and return home as soon as possible. Except for some generals from the aristocratic families, I am afraid no one would want to change.
Wu Anjun is sure to suppress the rebellion of these few people, but he himself might be implicated. Perhaps this is one of the tests that the King of Qin and Wu Anjun put themselves in
Bai Qi waited for Zhu Xiang to ask him why he dared to disperse the Qin army. Zhu Xiang's face changed for a moment, and then he showed a look of understanding, which made Bai Qi very curious.
What did Zhu Xiang figure out? Did he see through his intentions
Unfortunately, he still had to maintain his image and couldn't ask.
"There is a kind of black stone that can make fire nearby. If Wu Anjun believes me, please send someone to dig this stone with me." Zhu Xiang said, "Have you ever heard of Shi Nie, Wu Anjun?"
"Shinie" is the name for coal in "Classic of Mountains and Seas". "Classic of Mountains and Seas" was written between the end of the Warring States Period and the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty. Even if it has not been written yet, the name in the book should be the consensus of the people during this period.
Bai Qi raised his eyebrows and said, "I know. Is there a stone nie nearby?"
Of course Bai Qi knew Shi Nie.
Shinie is also called "mei" (there was no word for coal at that time). In the article "Bei Xue" in "Mozi" about defending the city, it is recorded that in the tunnel warfare, 40 kilograms of "mei" were laid on the bottom layer of the key location, and charcoal was placed on top of the "mei", and covered with a lid. When the enemy attacked, they pretended to be defeated, lit the charcoal before retreating, and sealed the lid after escaping the tunnel to smoke the enemy to death.
During the Spring and Autumn Period, Helu ordered Gan Jiang to forge swords, "fill the bag with charcoal, and gold and iron will be moistened", and "charcoal is mined in the South Mountain, so there is a charcoal canal in it", which means using coal to forge iron ore.
Although current technology can only mine surface coal, people of this era have long used coal for both warfare and forging, and Bai Qi naturally has used it as well.
Bai Qi reminded: "Stone has a lot of poisonous gas."
Zhu Xiang said: "You can use a waterwheel to drive the axle, wash the stones with water, and select high-quality stones with less impurities. Then you can modify the stove and use the stones to make fire for cooking and heating."
Zhu Xiang only knew the principle of water-washing coal and selecting clean coal, but had no practical experience. However, in this era, there was already a mature technology for washing copper and iron ore and selecting concentrates. Zhu Xiang told Xiang He this principle, and Xiang He was able to draw inferences from it and researched a simple device for water-washing coal.
Differences in geology and soil composition have a great impact on wild plants. People who study agriculture naturally have to learn geology and geography. When Zhu Xiang traveled all over the country's mountains and rivers to look for wild plants to cultivate good varieties, he would also record some minerals.
Changping is located in Gaoping, Shanxi, and has abundant coal resources, most of which can be mined on the surface and in shallow layers, and there is also a large amount of high-quality anthracite with low ash, low sulfur and high calorific value. Now it only has strategic advantages, and the fields and soil are all in the middle and lower grades of Shangdang County. In Zhu Xiang's eyes, it is a rare treasure land.
Bai Qi asked: "Can you also mine?"
Zhu Xiang said: "Farming is about dealing with the land, so I know a thing or two."
Bai Qi didn't know how to answer Zhu Xiang for a moment. Just listening to the few words Zhu Xiang said now, this is not "knowing a little bit", right
"Okay. Write me the specific rules and I'll make the arrangements." Bai Qi said. He thought that he should find a time to ask Xu Ming and Xiang He how much ability Zhu Xiang still had.
"Ah? Can't I just say it? Do I have to write it down?" Zhu Xiang began to have a headache. What's wrong with you, Wu Anjun? Why are you like the big leaders of later generations, always writing a report first
Bai Qi saw Zhu Xiang's embarrassment and for some reason, he felt a little happy. He said with a straight face: "I want to present it to..."
He glanced at the sky.
Most people didn't know that the King of Qin was in the military camp, so Bai Qi didn't say it directly.
"Okay, I'll write it. I can't write it." Zhu Xiang muttered, "I should have brought Cai Ze here earlier. It would have been better if Xia Tong hadn't left. By the way, Xia Tong said that he is now a retainer of Master Zichu. Does Wu'an Jun know him?"
Xia Tong? Bai Qi pondered and immediately guessed who this "Xia Tong" was.
Prince Zichu's biological mother's surname was Xia, so this careless pseudonym was obviously Prince Zichu.
Prince Zichu said that he was a retainer of Prince Zichu? Bai Qi was curious about how Prince Zichu would explain when Zhu Xiang arrived in Qin.
"I don't know him." Bai Qi replied.
Zhu Xiang had no doubts. His friend Xia Tong was just an ordinary retainer, so it was normal that the high and mighty Wu'an Jun didn't know him.
By the way, I can also write a letter to my friend Xia Tong, asking him to take good care of Zheng'er.
Does this count as someone close to Zheng'er's father? Zhu Xiang laughed as he thought about it.
Bai Qi was speechless. What was this young man laughing at? How could he be distracted when facing him and then laugh for no apparent reason
"Hurry up and write the document." Bai Qi reminded.
The smile on Zhu Xiang's face immediately fell. He turned back to give Lian Yuan some instructions, then, carrying his hoe, walked towards his residence with heavy steps, escorted by several guards.
Lian was originally the leader of the personal soldiers sent by Lian Po. Although he was not a member of the Lian family, he had been a member of the Lian family for generations and had been given the surname "Lian".
Lian Yuan had never dealt with Bai Qi. Although he knew a few words of Qin dialect, Bai Qi and Zhu Xiang spoke too fast and he could not hear clearly.
Seeing Zhu Xiang in such a low mood, Lian Yuan couldn't help but clasp his fists and ask, "Wu'an Jun, Zhu Xiang Gong is relatively young and doesn't often interact with nobles, so he doesn't know the etiquette. If he has offended me, please forgive me."
Lian Po sent Lian Yuan to follow Zhu Xiang because Lian Yuan was good at socializing and could help Zhu Xiang. When he saw that Zhu Xiang was in a bad mood, he thought Bai Qi had scolded him, so he hurried to help Zhu Xiang smooth things over.
Bai Qi said slowly, "He wanted to go dig for stone, and I agreed and asked him to submit the documents. When he heard about writing documents, his face was full of pain. Wasn't Zhu Xiang taught by Lin Xiangru? Why would he hate writing documents?"
Lian Yuan opened his mouth slightly.
He never expected that the reason why Duke Zhu Xiang was depressed was actually because of him being in a bad mood.
As expected of Duke Xiang of Zhu, he was not afraid at all when meeting Marquis Wu'an.
He hesitated for a moment and explained in a tactful way: "Duke Zhu Xiang was taught by Lin Qing and Xun Qing, so his knowledge is naturally not bad, but he just doesn't like to write articles."
Bai Qi was puzzled: "Xun Qing? Could it be Xun Kuang, the former chief priest of Jixia Academy?"
Lian Yuan said: "Yes."
Bai Qi said, "Lin Xiangru and Xun Kuang don't seem like the kind of people who would indulge their disciples. How could Zhu Xiang dislike writing articles after being taught by them?"
Lian Yuan said tactfully, "Of course Lin Qing and Xun Qing did scold him, but Duke Zhu Xiang had to go out to inspect the fields every day, which was very tiring, so they were reluctant to scold him too much."
Bai Qi understood. It seemed that Lin Xiangru and Xun Kuang both doted on Zhu Xiang.
Bai Qi asked, "Is General Lian like this too?"
Lian Yuan thought for a moment and said, "My Lord, I am feeling better."
A little... Bai Qi understood again. It seemed that Lian Po also doted on Zhu Xiang.
After he got the news, he immediately went back to share it with the King of Qin.
The old King of Qin, who was still reading his great-grandson's dark history and eating boiled beans in salt water, smiled as he saw Bai Qi coming back. He waved to him and said, "General, come and take a look. The Zheng'er described by Zhu Xiang is really interesting. Are your children and grandchildren like this too?"
Bai Qi first told the King of Qin that Zhu Xiang was collecting the remains of the Zhao soldiers and would later submit a document to take people to dig up the stone. He also told the King of Qin the news he had learned from Zhu Xiang's guards.
He knew that the King of Qin would definitely care about Zhu Xiang's past life and current interpersonal relationships, so that Zhu Xiang would willingly join Qin.
"Xun Kuang, humph." As soon as the King of Qin heard Xunzi's name, his face immediately became long.
The Qin State, its successive kings, and the current old King of Qin have all been scolded by Confucianists, saying things like "Confucianists are not allowed in Qin." The King of Qin pretended not to care, but he was very angry in his heart.
I may not need you, but how can you despise Qin and me!
However, Xunzi had once entered Qin, and although he refused to see him, he accepted Fan Ju's summons and praised the Qin State. Therefore, the King of Qin did not dislike Xunzi as much as he did other Confucian scholars.
As for Xunzi's words that the Qin State would surely perish if it did not cultivate benevolence, the King of Qin chose to ignore it.
"Zi Chu once said that Zhu Xiang was not only Lin Xiangru's retainer, but Lin Xiangru also treated him like his own son or nephew. It is indeed true." The King of Qin sighed, "Xu Ming, Xiang He, and Xun Kuang are all around him to protect him silently. This man must enter Qin."
Bai Qi felt like there were fingers scratching his heart.
Since you, my Lord, said that Zhu Xiang must enter Qin, why did you let Zhu Xiang return to Zhao and agreed to let Zhu Xiang take the initiative to find King Zhao to die
Bai Qi asked again, and the King of Qin kept it a secret again.
Seeing that Bai Qi's expressionless face finally revealed a depressed look, the old King of Qin was very happy. When it was time to eat, he not only ate up all the river fish that the Qin army had fished up with great difficulty, but also had two more bowls of bean rice and drank a large bowl of bean leaf soup.
Although Zhu Xiang brought new food and fodder, beans were still the main component, so the old King of Qin still ate bean rice and drank bean soup every day.
He rubbed his stomach, missing the delicious food of Xianyang. But Changping had a lot of fun, and the teacher said that the prince was doing a good job. Compared with the delicious food, it was more interesting to stay in Changping to watch the fun and train the prince.
Of course, after the King of Qin learned from Zhu Xiang about Fan Ju's anxiety, he would write letters to Fan Ju every few days, expressing his trust and respect for Fan Ju, and telling Fan Ju not to listen to other people's nonsense. How could Bai Qi, a little star, compare to the bright moon of the Prime Minister
When Fan Ju saw the letter from the King of Qin, he broke out in a cold sweat.
After Bai Qi won another great victory in Changping, people from both Qin and the other six kingdoms wanted to stop Bai Qi's army and make him be killed unjustly. So Fan Ju was lobbied by many people recently.
Bai Qi is not only good at fighting, but also good at governing and comforting the people. He is a man of both civil and military talents. His achievements are so great that no one in Qin can compare to him. He is a Qin man, so he is valued by the King of Qin. In the future, Bai Qi may become a figure like Zhou Gong and Jiang Shang. Prime Minister, you can no longer stand beside the King of Qin. There will be a Prime Minister Bai between you and the King of Qin!
Although Fan Ju drove away the lobbyists with an unfathomable expression, he was already feeling a little uneasy.
The Qin State values military merit, and Bai Qi is a Qin citizen. Will the King of Qin really let Bai Qi surpass himself
The first great achievement Fan Ju made after entering Qin was to get the King of Qin to abolish the Queen Dowager Xuan's power to interfere in government affairs, and to expel her younger brothers Ranghou and Huayang Jun, as well as her favorite youngest son (also the King of Qin's younger brother) Jingyang Jun and Gaoling Jun from the capital, and to let them return to their own fiefdoms and no longer use them.
Wei Ran, Marquis of Rang, was originally the prime minister of Qin. After the King of Qin dismissed him, Fan Ju became the prime minister.
Wei Ran was already old, and after returning to his fiefdom, he became more and more angry, and finally died of anger. So Fan Ju always believed that Wei Ran had a grudge against him.
Bai Qi was promoted by Wei Ran on his way to promotion, and he had a close relationship with Wei Ran. Therefore, Fan Ju always believed that Bai Qi must have resentment towards him, and once he jumped over his head, he would definitely find a way to avenge Wei Ran.
Fan Ju was born in a humble family and was almost beaten to death by Wei Xiang. The experience of escaping death left Fan Ju with a psychological trauma and he was very afraid of losing his power.
Whenever he thought of Bai Qi replacing him as the favorite of the King of Qin, he kept dreaming at night about the time when he was almost whipped to death by the Prime Minister of Wei.
When Fan Ju was about to be persuaded by the lobbyists to advise the King of Qin to let Bai Qi withdraw his troops and secretly spread some slanderous words such as "Bai Qi is proud of his great achievements and has many complaints against the king in private", the letter from the King of Qin arrived.
Fan Ju was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and almost fell seriously ill - he was actually already ill, but he didn't dare let the King of Qin find out that he fell ill after reading the letter, so he forced himself to continue attending court to assist the prince.
He had just come up with the idea of framing Bai Qi when the King of Qin wrote a letter to warn him. Could it be that he already knew what those lobbyists said and began to doubt himself
The more Fan Ju thought about it, the more frightened he became, and he even considered fleeing from the State of Qin.
The letter from the King of Qin arrived again.
The King of Qin kept comforting Fan Ju and belittling Bai Qi in his letters. He also mentioned Zhu Xiang and Zheng'er, a character created by Zhu Xiang, in his letters, as if he was chatting with Fan Ju.
Fan Ju's fear gradually disappeared in the letters that the King of Qin kept sending him.
He cried bitterly and then recovered from his illness.
Fan Ju thought that the King of Qin did know that he was being lobbied. But the King of Qin did not criticize him, but comforted him. These letters were all the King's way of showing his respect and trust in him!
The King of Qin was in Changping, right beside Bai Qi, and he even wrote a letter to Bai Qi, saying that Bai Qi was not as good as himself. What a deep respect he showed for him!
When Fan Ju thought of his doubts about the relationship between him and the King of Qin, he felt extremely guilty and even self-loathing.
Fan Ju, oh Fan Ju, you almost died because of Wei Xiang's suspicion of you. You hate groundless suspicion the most, so how could you doubt the king for no reason!
You almost betrayed the king, but the king still wrote a letter to comfort you. Are you worthy of your king
I, Fan Ju, feel so sorry for Your Majesty!
After replying several polite letters, Fan Ju finally wrote a confession letter to the King of Qin, expressing his true feelings.
Because he accidentally caught a cold while mining coal, Xu Ming and Xiang He complained to him. Zhu Xiang, who was taken to Qin Wang's side to recuperate, peeked and then recited a poem to summarize: "My heart is like yours, and I will never let you down."
This sentence is a paraphrase of "I hope your heart is like mine, and I will never let you down", which comes from Li Zhiyi's "Bosuanzi". Although the lyrics are about lovesickness, everyone knows that the ancients often used the love between men and women to illustrate the love between the monarch and his subjects. Li Zhiyi's lyrics are sad about Song Huizong's listening to slander and banishing himself.
The King of Qin glanced at Zhu Xiang and said, "Learn less folk songs and read more poems. They don't follow the rhythm at all."
Zhu Xiang thought to himself, of course I know that Tang poetry and Song lyrics in this era are all doggerel and have no rhythm.
He argued: "I just said it casually, not writing a poem."
The King of Qin was too lazy to pay attention to this junior who would climb up if given a stick, and said: "As you guessed, someone has been talking nonsense in your ear, and he deserves to be killed."
Zhu Xiang said: "After their lobbying failed, they must have all run away. We can't kill them."
When Bai Qi saw the conversation between King Qin and Zhu Xiang, beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.
He wiped the sweat off his face and looked at Zhu Xiang with deep admiration in his eyes.
How dare Zhu Xiang treat the emperor so casually? Isn't he afraid that the emperor will be furious and kill him
Oh, Zhu Xiang said he was not afraid, he said he would die in a few months. The King of Qin was waiting for him to be killed by the King of Zhao, and he would definitely not kill him.
Bai Qi took small, deep breaths. These days, he had developed the ability to take deep breaths without being noticed by others.
The King of Qin put away the letter and asked, "Don't be so frivolous. Is your waterwheel finished? Is it not collapsing?"
When Zhu Xiang was mining coal, he found associated limestone mines. He was eager to calcine cement and use it in waterwheels.
Although Zhu Xiang knew the composition of cement, he did not know the proportions of its components. As a result, the cement quickly cracked and the trial waterwheel collapsed.
The King of Qin laughed at Zhu Xiang for a long time because of this matter.
"We didn't use cement this time, so of course it didn't collapse." Zhu Xiang argued, "Failure is the mother of success. I will definitely succeed next time!"
The King of Qin said “hmm” with a sarcastic smile on his face.
Cold sweat broke out on Bai Qi's forehead again.
He took another deep breath to calm the shock in his heart.
After the King of Qin finished his ridicule, he continued: "Now that the waterwheel has been built, didn't you say that you want to use the weapons of the Zhao soldiers to make farm tools? I agree."
The monarchs of various countries only used "I" (the King of Chu used "this Great King") in formal occasions and when they wanted to show their majesty. At other times, they still used "I" or even "I", without as many rules as in later generations.
After the King of Qin became familiar with the outgoing Zhu Xiang, he was too lazy to pretend anymore.
The old King of Qin was as scary as a ghost or a god in the minds of the six peoples, but he was actually a very easy-going and willful person.
In fact, looking at the historical records of the Qin State, the kings of Qin basically did not like red tape. They were usually easy-going and unrestrained, and sometimes even went too far.
When the King of Qin first asked Fan Ju for advice, he knelt before Fan Ju and called him "Sir".
When Fan Ju was afraid of offending the Queen Mother Xuan and was unwilling to go into details, the King of Qin asked him several times in a wronged manner, "Sir, are you unwilling to teach me?" "Sir, are you finally unwilling to teach me again?" He also told Fan Ju that he was stupid and that it was a blessing for his ancestors to have Fan Ju.
How domineering can such a King of Qin be in private
The son of the First Emperor of Zhu Xiang's family drove to Wang Jian in the middle of the night and cried, "Please don't leave me," hugging his thighs. He was exactly like his great-grandfather. This is the inheritance of the old Qin family.
Zhu Xiang was a person who had little class concept. Even though he had been in this world for several years, he was going to die soon, wasn't he? He relaxed as much as he could. The King of Qin wanted to act like an elder in front of him, so he dared to really act like a junior in front of the King of Qin.
Or they are the younger generations in later generations who dare to argue with their elders.
"Thank you, King Qin. You are a very kind man!" Zhu Xiang said happily, cupping his hands. "I will go now... Ouch."
The King of Qin knocked the rolled-up bamboo slips on Zhu Xiang's head and said, "Recover from your illness, and let Xianghe go."
Zhu Xiang rubbed his head and said, "I didn't expect Xianghe to be a great master of Mohism. I thought the great master was one person, just like Xunzi, Mencius, Confucius and Laozi."
The King of Qin frowned and said, "How did Lin Xiangru teach you? You don't even know this common sense?"
Zhu Xiang said frankly, "Mr. Lin wants to beat me up three times a day just for teaching me the Book of Songs. How could he have the energy to teach me other things?"
King Qin: “…” This guy is still very proud.
He knocked twice more and said, "Also, you said you wanted to make a stone mill. Let Xianghe take people to select stones and make it."
Zhu Xiang, the iron-headed boy, smiled and bowed again to express his gratitude: "When the stone mill is made, I will make tofu for the King of Qin. Tofu is made from beans, so it tastes better than beans."
The King of Qin nodded: "As you wish."
He ended the chat, spread out a map of the area near Shangdang, and asked Zhu Xiang how the area near Shangdang should be "developed".
"Development" was coined by Zhu Xiang.
Which places are good for farming, which places are suitable for mining, where roads should be built to avoid collapse, how to combine slag with road construction... and the construction of water conservancy facilities that can discharge floods and irrigate, all kinds of measures for the management and "development" of Shangdang and Yewang areas were mentioned one by one by Zhu Xiang.
The King of Qin nodded continuously and wrote some words on the wooden slips that Zhu Xiang could not understand.
This should be the shorthand notation invented by the King of Qin himself. I guess only Prime Minister Fan can understand it.
The King of Qin became more and more friendly towards Zhu Xiang. In addition to Zhu Xiang's own character, the most important reason was that Zhu Xiang was about to die and no longer hid the knowledge he brought from later generations.
The Qin State will unify the world sooner or later, and he wants to do more for his children.
He did not know anything about war, and Qin was not short of men to fight. What Qin lacked was people to tell the kings of Qin what to do after unifying the world.
Taking Shangdang County as an example, Zhu Xiang shamelessly taught the King of Qin how to govern this highland surrounded by mountains that had been fought over by the three kingdoms of Wei, Zhao and Han, and where the people had no sense of belonging to any country, so that this land and the people on it could be completely integrated into the Qin State.
Although road construction is of vital importance, heavy corvee labor will make the people have no way to make a living, and they will rebel against the Qin State. Therefore, road construction must be combined with enrichment, so that the people can see that the road will also benefit them, and they will voluntarily build the road.
Farmland, water conservancy, minerals... build roads in these places that can bring benefits to the people. The more roads are built, the richer the people will be, the fuller their stomachs will be, and they will not oppose Qin's corvée.
Zhu Xiang had just arrived in Shangdang, but he knew the terrain and geography of Shangdang like the back of his hand. Such a miraculous thing surprised both the King of Qin and Bai Qi.
Zhu Xiang only said that he had seen the map from Lian Po and Lin Xiangru, and visited the refugees from Shangdang, but these were not enough to explain why he knew so much.
Zhu Xiang knew that this could not be explained, but he didn't care.
Exposing one's knowledge and making people think that one has the power to teach knowledge like a god or a spirit may cause fear and jealousy from others, but in the end one will die.
Is he still afraid of death now
The King of Qin guessed Zhu Xiang's thoughts and felt very strange.
He wondered if Zhu Xiang would regret what he had done after he survived this disaster.
The King of Qin couldn't help laughing when he thought of this possibility, and the next day he picked up his pen and wrote down his happy story for Fan Ju to read.
Fan Ju unfolded the letter from the King of Qin and smiled happily for the first time in many days.
He was now completely free of psychological burden and only thought about how to repay his lord. He naturally would not be jealous of Zhu Xiang's favor and supernatural powers.
But even before, he would not do that. Zhu Xiang was the younger generation of the King of Qin, and a relative and friend of Prince Zichu. He would only train Zhu Xiang carefully.
"No wonder people as arrogant as Lin Xiangru and Lian Po dote on Zhu Xiang so much. Zhu Xiang is talented and simple-minded. As elders, they must be worried about him." Fan Ju sighed.
The elders are both proud and worried about having such younger generations. They have invested more emotions in them, so they naturally value them the most.
The King of Qin probably also felt this.
Fan Ju recalled that the King of Qin once complained that both his son and grandson were trembling in fear when they met him. Only he could have a good chat with the King of Qin without being terrified.
Now the King of Qin has finally found a younger generation who will not be afraid of him.
I just don’t know whether Zhu Xiang was not afraid of the King of Qin because he was about to die, or whether he still dared to do so after surviving this disaster.
Fan Ju really wanted to go to Changping to see Zhu Xiang, who might be quite magical but was also so naive and stupid that it was a headache.
He thought about it and asked someone to call Prince Zichu.
The fact that he could directly invite Prince Zichu to his house to pay him a visit shows his status in the Qin State and his status in the heart of the King of Qin.
Zichu came to Fan Ju's house in fear and trepidation. Fan Ju handed Zichu the letter written by the King of Qin and asked, "Zhu Xiang seems to have no fear of the king at all."
Zichu started to have a headache when he heard this.
He quickly glanced at the letter written by the King of Qin, and his head hurt even more.
Zichu explained, "Zhu Xiang is indeed a little... too casual in his temper. Could the Prime Minister send me to deliver a letter to His Majesty?"
Zichu no longer cared whether he would be beaten up by Zhu Xiang if he took off his vest. He wanted to go to Changping right away and ask the King of Qin not to kill Zhu Xiang.
"Your Majesty will bring Zhu Xiang back to Xianyang, and you can meet him then." Fan Ju knew his Majesty's bad taste very well. It was obvious that his Majesty was looking forward to the scene where Prince Zichu would tell Zhu Xiang the truth. So he would not spoil his Majesty's fun.
Zichu was worried: "But Zhu Xiang is like this..."
Fan Ju interrupted, "Your Majesty doesn't mind, so why are you worried? I'm here to ask you about Zhu Xiang's situation in Zhao. The talent that Zhu Xiang has shown is definitely not something that Lian Po and Lin Xiangru could have cultivated. He just came to Shangdang and he knows everything about it. It's like he was taught by a god."
Zichu hesitated for a moment and said, "I don't know much. Zhu Xiang was afraid of causing others to be jealous, so he hid many of his talents. But Zhu Xiang did know some knowledge that ordinary people don't know. He once said that the earth under our feet is spherical and revolves around the sun, which is also spherical. But he said this when he was drunk, and when he woke up, he refused to admit it."
Fan Ju asked, "He actually knows about things in heaven. Could he really be a god descending to earth?"
Zichu said: "Throughout the history of the world, there have been many records of gods descending to earth to help wise rulers. It is not surprising that Zhu Xiang is one of them. But I think Zhu Xiang may have only received the guidance of the gods in his dreams."
Zichu once inquired about Zhu Xiang's experience. Zhu Xiang was also very smart when he was young, but he was only slightly smarter than his peers and was not very noticeable. But after Zhu Xiang's parents died and he almost died of illness, he suddenly became wise and knew a lot of knowledge that ordinary people did not know.
Lin Xiangru also knew about this, and they all speculated that Zhu Xiang might have received help and gifts from the gods when he was dying.
People in this era believed in and respected ghosts and gods. Even Confucianism only said that they would not talk about supernatural things, but they should be in awe of them. It was common in history books and folk legends that people were helped by gods in desperate situations. They accepted Zhu Xiang's adventure calmly.
Fan Ju thought for a long time. Zichu waited for a long time, not daring to complain.
"Which god does Zhu Xiang admire the most?" Fan Ju asked after a while.
Zichu shook his head. "This is the strangest thing. Zhu Xiang respects ghosts and gods, but he doesn't believe in them. I originally thought that he got some advice from Shennong, but when he mentioned Shennong, he just admired what he had done, and didn't have much reverence for him. I have tried many times, and he doesn't have a particularly high belief in any gods."
Fan Ju frowned: "He always worships the gods every year."
Zichu said: "Zhu Xiang never takes the initiative to worship the gods every year. He just follows his family members in worshipping whatever gods they worship."
Fan Ju was stunned.
Didn't Zhu Xiang know which god had saved him? Even if he didn't know, how could someone have no reverence for gods
(End of this chapter)