5 Chapter 5

◎Teacher. ◎

Although the paper and woodblocks were still being produced, Ying Zheng had already decided that Fusu had made great contributions and said he would reward him.

Fusu was about to decline, but Ying Zheng said, "You've been learning calligraphy for a year. Although your wrist is weak and your handwriting is a little floating, it still looks pretty good."

Fusu blinked and swallowed the words of refusal that were about to come, because he already knew what his father was going to say.

Sure enough, Ying Zheng then said, "I would like to invite two teachers for you."

So, from that day on, Fusu had two more teachers, one was Meng Yi, a close minister of Ying Zheng, and the other was Chang Wenjun, an important official in the court.

In his previous life, Fusu had many teachers, but at such a young age, he did not have a minister who was of great importance to Ying Zheng as his teacher.

Among the Meng brothers, Fusu was more familiar with Meng Tian, ​​but he was not unfamiliar with Meng Yi either.

Because Meng Yi had always been by Ying Zheng's side, when Fusu and Ying Zheng had disputes in the previous life, Meng Yi would often privately persuade Fusu to admit his mistakes to His Majesty.

Thinking of this, Fusu smiled bitterly. At that time, he was young and hot-headed, stubborn and rarely listened to Meng Yi's advice.

If he had been willing to listen to Meng Yi, perhaps everything would have been different.

"Young Master?" A male voice called Fusu's attention back, and he hurriedly bowed his head slightly to express his apology.

"I was distracted." Fusu said.

Meng Yi shook his head and said sympathetically, "We've been sitting here for half an hour, and I'm tired. Besides, the eldest son is young. Please stand up and rest for a while."

Fusu raised his eyes and smiled at Meng Yi. He was used to sitting on chairs in the underworld, and suddenly he had to kneel down. Although he had heels supported, he still felt uncomfortable and wished he could stand up to stretch his muscles.

Meng Yi also smiled and said, "Young Master is only five years old, yet in just a few days he has been able to memorize articles and come up with his own opinions. He is truly very intelligent. Your Majesty will surely be very happy to know this."

Fusu smiled sheepishly and said, "Father is very busy. There's no need to tell him about such a small matter."

This is not because Fusu is modest and sensible. For a soul over two thousand years old, it is easy for him to master the knowledge he has learned. He has not yet won his father's praise for this.

Meng Yi shook his head and said, "Your Majesty is certainly very busy with the complicated government affairs, but it's not that Your Majesty doesn't care about the young master, otherwise he wouldn't have asked Chang Wenjun and me to be his tutors."

Although Fusu was Ying Zheng's eldest son, his second brother was only three months younger than him. When Ying Zheng assigned a teacher to his eldest son, he did not forget to assign one to the second son as well. However, the teacher was just an ordinary eunuch, far inferior to Meng Yi and Chang Wenjun.

Fusu smiled and said, "I know that Father is concerned about me, but the affairs of state are of course of paramount importance. I am afraid that these little things will disturb Father."

"How could that be?" Meng Yi laughed. "The other day when I reported this to the king, he was delighted to hear that the young master was very intelligent."

Fusu knew that there was no way to avoid it. He still had a lot of things to do in the future and he would inevitably have to bear some false reputation, so he could only laugh it off.

Meng Yi was carrying the king's order, and seeing that Fusu was really smart, he didn't want to let this opportunity go to waste. Seeing that Fusu looked better, he stopped chatting with him and started to talk about articles while walking.

Fusu then realized that he had just been chatting with him and mentioned his father praising him, just to make him relax so that he could continue teaching.

It turned out that he was coaxing a child.

Fusu felt a little amused, but then he became serious again. The loyalty of the Meng brothers to their father was evident to all heaven, and he could not let Meng Yi down.

Meng Yi taught a class in the morning, and in the afternoon it was Chang Wenjun. He was older than Meng Yi, had been an official in the court longer, and the content of his lectures was more in-depth.

Changwen Jun and Changping Jun, who was later enthroned as King of Chu, were of the same clan. In terms of blood, these two, like Fusu, were descendants of the union of Qin and Chu peoples.

However, in his previous life, Fusu had no intersection with the two of them.

When the State of Chu was destroyed, Fusu was only in his teens. Although Changping Jun had long had connections with the State of Chu, he would not set his sights on a useless young prince.

Not only was Chang Wenjun not as interesting as Meng Yi in speaking, he was also not considerate enough. Fusu was distracted while listening.

Not knowing when Changping Jun started to have connections with the State of Chu, Fusu silently calculated that although he was just a jumping clown and not to be feared, he betrayed his father, which made Fusu think deeply.

During the Lü Buwei Rebellion, Lord Changping and Lord Changwen were ordered to quell the rebellion. He was trusted by his father and was a meritorious minister.

But he betrayed his father.

From his childhood until his death, my father was betrayed by many people, from his parents to his subjects and sons. These people should have loved, respected and been loyal to him, but each of them let him down.

In Fusu's view, he was one of the people who betrayed his father. He did not understand how much his father valued him. He ruined his father's foundation and he ruined the Qin Dynasty.

Those who betrayed their fathers naturally cannot be forgiven easily, but those who are useful should be put to good use.

I am still useful. When I have done what I can for my father, I will go and apologize to him and let him deal with me as he pleases.

Fusu pressed his chest to calm the restlessness in his heart so that he would not pick up the knife to kill others, let alone kill himself first.

…

After that, Fusu did not go to Ying Zheng to talk about the dreams of the previous kings, but just waited for the paper and woodblocks to be made.

However, in addition to listening to lectures from the two teachers every day, Fusu still reported to Ying Zheng every day. Occasionally, when Ying Zheng was free and did not keep his ministers to have dinner to express his affection for the monarch, he would call him over to have dinner with his son and chat about Fusu's study progress.

Li Ying sighed, "Your father is so busy. I don't think he has any free time except for eating."

Fusu said, "My father has always worked tirelessly. The reason he died young was not only because those damned alchemists deceived him, but also because he was overworked and became ill."

Li Ying said, "Young Master, don't be sad. The average life expectancy during the Qin and Han dynasties was already low. Your father's death in his previous life wasn't considered premature. Crown Prince Li's father was born hundreds of years later than your father, and he didn't live much longer than your father! It's not like everyone is like Crown Prince Wei's father, who was able to live with four generations under one roof before the Common Era."

Fusu said: "What you said makes sense."

Li Ying said: "Isn't it..."

"So I plan to share it with them both." Fusu took out his cell phone at some point and was sending messages to the group.

Li Ying felt that this was not right, and hurriedly took out his mobile phone, and then found that Fusu had recorded what he had just said and sent it to the group.

Li Ying: “…”

"No..." Li Ying collapsed, "This phone has a recording function? How come I didn't know that?"

Fusu kindly reminded him, "It also has a flashlight and can set an alarm. It has many basic functions. You can try them out when you have time."

Li Ying covered her face and no longer dared to read the messages in the group.

Li Chengqian listened to the voice message first and replied: How could Emperor Wu of Han be compared with ordinary emperors? After all, although he had four generations living together under one roof by his own ability, he also killed two generations by his own ability. Which emperor would exterminate his three clans?

Fusu: Brother Gao Ming, don't say that. Although Prince Wei and his sons are dead, the emperor's great-grandson is still alive, and Emperor Wu of Han has other sons and grandsons who are still alive. In this way, the four generations living together still exist.

Li Chengqian: Brother Fusu is right, I was not rigorous enough.

Liu Ju: ...No, what did I do to offend anyone? Is it my fault that your father died young?

Li Chengqian: I'm sick, don't mess with me

Liu Ju: There are two roads in Qindu District, Xianyang City, one is Qinhuang Road and the other is Fusu Road.

Li Chengqian: Brother Fusu, let me be fair, you were the one who started it.

Liu Ju: Are you sick and are you right?

The group fell silent, but Li Ying was confused: "What happened to Qinhuanglu and Fusulu? Young Master, why are you silent?"

Fusu spread out the bamboo slips and looked at them attentively.

Li Ying checked on his own, then silently turned off his phone, pretending nothing had happened.

There really is no intersection at all.

…

Five days later, Fusu was called over by Ying Zheng and saw the first batch of finished paper.

Ying Zheng had a piece of paper with writing on it beside him. He asked Fusu to come over and said with a smile, "I've tried it. This paper is very good. Since you have made a contribution, I will give it to you first."

Fusu smiled and declined, "Father, since paper is good, let's use it for important matters at court first. I have bamboo slips, so I don't need this."

Ying Zheng was clearly in a good mood, his voice and face showing an unconcealable smile as he spoke: "Although the previous kings gave them detailed papermaking techniques, they were new to it and were not yet proficient, which delayed their completion for several days. Now that they have mastered it, paper will no longer be a rare commodity."

Fusu had just pretended not to understand before, but when he heard his father say this, he bowed and accepted the reward.

Ying Zheng added: "The engraving is also done..."

Fusu listened to his father's detailed explanation of the advantages of woodblock printing. Although he had already understood them, he did not get distracted like he did when Meng Yi and Chang Wenjun were teaching. Instead, he listened attentively.

Fusu thought that his father's doubts must have been completely eliminated, and his father had believed the stories he had made up about the former kings.

At the end of his speech, Ying Zheng said: "Fusu, this is your contribution. Whatever reward you want, this time your father will allow you to ask for it yourself."

Fusu shook his head and said, "Father has already given me a reward. Besides, this was not my merit in the first place. I feel ashamed to accept it."

"Why aren't they yours?" Ying Zheng tapped Fusu's forehead with his fingers and said with a smile, "Without your report, our Qin wouldn't have received these two benefits. If there are more good things in the future, you will naturally have contributed to it."

"Qin law has always been clear about rewards and punishments. If I say it is your merit, then it is your merit." Ying Zheng seldom called himself "I" in front of Fusu. When he said this with a stern face, he did not appear serious, but seemed to be bluffing.

The First Emperor's authority seemed to be discounted in front of his eldest son. Fusu thought, in my previous life, I always confronted my father, which was also a kind of spoiled behavior.

Because of this discovery that was over two thousand years late, Fusu smiled so hard that his eyes narrowed. "Father, I want a reward."

Seeing his eldest son's joyful expression, Ying Zheng's stern face softened in an instant: "Oh, what do you want?"

Fusu smiled and said, "I want another teacher, a man named Han Fei."

【Author’s words】

In terms of age, Ying Zheng was 49 when he died, Li Shimin was 50, and Liu Che was 69.

Four generations living under one roof: Liu Che - Liu Ju - Liu Jin - Liu Bingyi

The locations of Qinhuang Road and Fusu Road in Qindu District, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, were obtained through online searches. Maps show that the two roads do not intersect. The author has not visited the area, so any errors are welcome.