The carriages set out from Xianyang, passing through the Baoxiadao Road to Guanzhong, and then through the Jinniu Road to Chengdu. After the King of Qin appointed Fan Ju as prime minister, the Baoxiadao Road was built with plank roads, which could pass the army's baggage and carriages, making it easier to travel. The so-called "difficult Shu Road" in later generations was mainly due to the narrow section of the Jinniu Road Wuding Gorge, which could only be passed by one person and one horse.
However, the Jinniu Road does not only pass through Wuding Gorge. The road from Yangping Pass to Jinshan Temple into Sichuan is wider and smoother. When it reaches Baishui (Shazhou) to Zhaohua, it merges with another road. The army and caravans mainly take this road.
This route is a little longer, so if the travelers do not require too much baggage, most of them will take the Wudingxia section.
Zhu Xiang took Ying Xiaozheng to Shu and naturally went through Yangping Pass. With the Qin army guarding them, they didn't have to worry about the safety of the journey.
Jianmen Pass is currently the only pass that a large army can pass through. Zhu Xiang came to Shu to serve as an official, not to attack Shu, so of course he had to pass through Jianmen Pass.
As they were not in a hurry, Zhu Xiang planned to take Ying Xiaozheng to stay at Jianmen Pass for a few days and ask someone to paint a few portraits for them, and just treat it as a check-in at a tourist attraction.
Although it is now possible to beat cast iron into steel by repeatedly hammering, even if Zhu Xiang figures out the method of making steel in an earthen blast furnace, the quality of the steel is still far from enough to make springs, and the more convenient shock-absorbing method for carriages is difficult to use.
However, the Mo family and Zhu Xiang worked together to make a simple and fragile shock-absorbing device with linen and cork. Although it was troublesome and would only break after a few days, Zhu Xiang could afford the money now, and the most important thing was to reduce Ying Xiaozheng's fatigue during the journey.
Zhu Xiang also had someone use silk strips to weave a small hammock for Ying Xiaozheng in the carriage so that Ying Xiaozheng could play in the hammock.
Ying Xiaozheng complained: "Uncle, do you treat Zheng'er as a baby? I'm already six years old... Well, according to uncle, I'm five years old!"
Zhu Xiang was puzzled: "Is there any difference between a five-year-old and a baby? No. Come, Zheng'er, take a look at this rattle. Do you like it?"
Ying Xiaozheng turned the rattle twice with an expressionless face, and then threw the rattle hard on the seat.
At this moment, the naughty child of the First Emperor is possessed!
Zhu Xiang laughed out loud.
Hearing Zhu Xiang's laughter, Li Mu, who didn't like riding in a carriage, couldn't help shaking his head and sighing while riding on horseback.
Li Bing, who was accompanying Zhu Xiang to Bashu to take up the post of prefect, was curious: "Why is the general sighing?"
Li Mu said: "Zhu Xiang loves to tease Zheng'er. Now that the elders are all in Xianyang, there is no one to discipline Zhu Xiang. I am really worried that Zheng'er will be bullied too much by Zhu Xiang and no one will support him."
Li Mu was very self-aware, and he obviously could not help Ying Xiaozheng when he was bullied by Zhu Xiang. He was not good at talking, and he was also thin-skinned, so he was embarrassed to use violence when he could not argue.
Li Bing's mouth twitched slightly. He had tried very hard to blend in with the group of Zhu Xianggong, Prince Zheng and General Li Mu, but he still easily fell into awkward silence and didn't know how to respond.
While Li Bing was observing how to integrate into the group of Zhu Xiang and others, Zhu Xiang was also observing Li Bing, looking for an opportunity to "check in with historical celebrities."
After spending half a month together, Zhu Xiang determined that Li Bing was an "honest engineering man" who was rather smooth in his dealings but had a broad mind and a very pragmatic character, so he took the initiative to contact Li Bing.
Zhu Xiang used the excuse of official business to ask Li Bing how much he understood Shu County.
Although Li Bing was the county governor during this visit to Qin, the King of Qin specifically instructed Li Bing to ask Zhu Xiang more about farming matters and let Li Mu take charge of military affairs. If Zhu Xiang suddenly decided to do something one day, Li Bing must do it according to what Zhu Xiang said.
"You can regard Zhu Xiang as a fake prime minister." Although the King of Qin was occasionally suspicious, he was very ruthless when it came to giving up power.
He released Zhu Xiang this time, and he already regarded the land of Bashu as Zhu Xiang's fiefdom. Zhu Xiang was free to do what he wanted, and he protected him in Xianyang.
Li Bing took up the post this time, thinking of himself as the deputy. Of course, he answered all the questions Zhu Xiang asked.
Zhu Xiang first asked about the natural conditions of Bashu, such as hydrology, soil, vegetation, and specialties.
He was very familiar with the farming conditions of Bashu in later generations. Although more than two thousand years was not enough to change the natural features of Bashu, the subtle differences still had a great impact on farming.
Although it was Li Bing's first time to take up his post in Bashu, he had made full preparations. Before coming, he visited many officials who had been to Bashu, and also sought advice from caravans traveling to and from Bashu.
Zhu Xiang took out a pen and paper and compared the information they knew about each other with Li Bing. During this conversation, their admiration for each other grew day by day.
Li Bing was an ancient person with poor information access, but he was able to do such detailed homework before taking office. Zhu Xiang felt that the capable officials who left their names in history were truly rare talents.
The Sichuan Basin was developed very early, and its climate and soil are similar to those of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. However, because it was developed early, the soil grade is much higher than that of Yangzhou and other places, and the resources are abundant, so Shu brocade has already gained some fame.
But the problem is also huge.
Sichuan is rich in water resources, so flood disasters are serious and it is urgent to build water conservancy facilities;
The crops grown are still mainly millet, with rice and beans planted as well. The planting method is rather rough and does not take advantage of the geographical and climatic conditions.
Because of the hot and humid climate, malaria and various parasitic diseases caused by mosquitoes are frequent and are the main epidemics in the Sichuan Basin, especially after floods.
There were many barbarians in Shu, whose languages were a little difficult to understand and whose customs were very different, and they often clashed with the government and the Qin immigrants;
Bashu was isolated, few people understood the laws, and there was an extreme lack of grassroots officials, which led to poor issuance and execution of government orders...
As Li Bing spoke, he moved on to talk about the natural conditions of Bashu and then the government affairs and people's livelihood.
Zhu Xiang listened carefully, without offering much advice, and only comforted Li Bing with a few words at appropriate times.
He believed that Li Bing was more experienced than him in handling government affairs, and he did not need him to make gestures or interfere in other people's affairs. Li Bing was only the governor of a large county far from the central government for the first time, and he had accumulated many worries in his heart. At this time, Zhu Xiang only needed to be a good listener.
Sure enough, after Zhu Xiang listened to Li Bing's troubles once, Li Bing's mental state improved rapidly.
Ying Xiaozheng fiddled with the rattle out of boredom and pouted. When he could learn his uncle's super high affinity, he would probably have no shortage of talents.
Li Mu asked, "Zheng'er, don't you dislike rattles?"
Zhu Xiang did not allow him to read in the car, saying that it would hurt his eyes. He ate and slept every day, which was extremely boring.
"Do you want me to catch a small animal for you to entertain you?" Li Mu asked.
Ying Xiaozheng nodded: "Okay."
On the way to Shu, the Qin army, in addition to eating the food they brought with them, would occasionally go out hunting when camping to kill some wild game to satisfy their cravings.
Li Mu was a man who could not sit still, and he would personally lead the team every time they went hunting.
A few days later, he brought back a little rabbit for Ying Xiaozheng.
Ying Xiaozheng picked up the rabbit ears and shook them, then immediately asked Zhu Xiang to help him roast them and eat them.
Li Mu: “…” What he meant by “relaxing boredom” was not about enjoying a whole rabbit alone.
Zhu Xiang laughed so hard after hearing this. Although the rabbit was pitiful, he really couldn't imagine how the first emperor would raise a rabbit.
He originally wanted to persuade Li Mu to catch a panda if he saw one and bring it back for Ying Xiaozheng to raise. But he was just thinking about it.
Pandas are also bears. Even if they are domesticated, they are still very lethal. Because they cannot control their strength, a normal play action can hurt people. Moreover, pandas only eat bamboo and have a large amount of feces, so they are not easy to keep as pets. Moreover, there is no vaccine now, so if you are injured by an animal, you are likely to get sick.
When Zheng'er grows up, you can raise a few in your private garden for viewing, but forget about keeping them as pets, as that is too dangerous.
Zhu Xiang was determined not to raise pandas, but on the way to Guanzhong he frequently saw pandas poking their heads out, which made him extremely itchy.
"Uncle likes black and white bears?" Ying Xiaozheng asked.
Zhu Xiang said: "Don't you think it's cute?"
Ying Xiaozheng said disdainfully, "It's a bit stupid. But my uncle likes it. When Zheng'er grows up, I'll ask Bashu to pay tribute to him with black and white bears every year for him to play with."
Zhu Xiang laughed: "No, uncle doesn't have the energy to raise him."
Although Zhu Xiang said so, Ying Xiaozheng still secretly took note that his uncle liked the silly black and white bear.
When the Qin army was marching through Shimen and about to enter Jinniu Road, they were blocked by the Qin general guarding the pass.
General Qin clasped his hands and said, "There is a fight in the mountain stronghold ahead. Please stay at Shimen for a few days to avoid being involved in the dispute between the barbarians."
The Qin general guarding Shimen was named Du Mo, a strong man with a beard who looked very fierce.
He saw Li Bing's flag and knew that Li Bing was the soon-to-be-appointed prefect of Bashu County, so he came in person to greet him and make himself known to him.
Although the Shimen garrison was not under the jurisdiction of the Bashu prefect, it would be beneficial to establish good relations with local officials.
Li Mu was puzzled: "Armed fighting? Why not send troops to suppress it?"
Du Mo looked at Li Mu. Although Li Mu was very young, he was able to lead the army to escort the governor to Shu at such a young age. He must have a good family background. Du Mo did not dare to underestimate Li Mu.
He said respectfully: "Young General, Bashu is different from Qin. The mountain barbarians are belligerent and ignorant. When they fight among themselves, the Qin army usually does not intervene."
There were frequent exchanges between Bashu and Chu, so middle and low-level generals and soldiers were more accustomed to calling the King of Qin "The King".
Li Mu said to Zhu Xiang, "Do you want to stay here for a few days? If you want to reach Chengdu earlier, I will lead the troops to talk to them and borrow their way to leave first. I think they will not dare to disobey."
Li Mu was worried that if they were delayed on the road for too long, Ying Xiaozheng would not be able to bear it.
When he was guarding the northern border of Zhao State, he often dealt with the northern Rongdi people. He knew that as long as he threatened them, these people would still be honest. It shouldn't be a big problem if he just asked them to pass through.
Zhu Xiang asked, "General, may I ask why they are fighting?"
Du Mo then discovered that the old man he thought was the county magistrate's aide was actually a young man.
Du Mo looked at Li Bing.
Li Bing introduced: "This is Lord Zhu Xiang of Changping..."
Before he finished his introduction, Du Mo fell to his knees with a thud. His leather armor did not slow him down at all. Zhu Xiang was so frightened that he jumped back a step and almost slipped.
Li Mu supported Zhu Xiang, who was like a frightened rabbit, and said, "He worships you, why are you still afraid?"
"I'm not afraid, I'm just not used to it." Zhu Xiang said quickly, "General, please stand up. I don't have any real job, so you don't have to kneel."
Du Mo quickly said, "My kneeling to Duke Zhu Xiang has nothing to do with my official position."
He did not say why he knelt before Zhu Xiang, but stood up and said, "If it were Duke Zhu Xiang, he might be able to easily order them to stop fighting. The reason for their fight is that people from one village stole potatoes that were transported thousands of miles from another village."
Zhu Xiang: “…” He didn’t know how to respond for a moment.
(End of this chapter)