Chapter 47. Winters in the North are cold. A thousand years ago…
Winters in the north are cold.
The same was true of the Qin Dynasty a thousand years ago.
It was only in winter that Lin Fengzhi gained a deeper understanding of the hardships faced by ordinary people at the bottom of society.
Before cotton was introduced to China, nobles often wore double-layered brocade or silk robes, filled with silk floss or fur for warmth.
Lord Mengchang, one of the Four Lords of the Warring States period, once bribed the Queen of Qin with a white fox fur coat, which shows its value.
In winter, ordinary people mostly wore coarse hemp robes to keep warm, filled with reed catkins or hemp wadding.
Lin Fengzhi adhered to the principle of "cultivating one's own virtue when poor, and helping others when successful," and exchanged a shortage of paper printing manpower for a group of young men serving in Lishan.
Before winter arrived, the wages given by the First Emperor were used to exchange for a batch of cloth for the people serving at Mount Li.
Of course, she could refuse, but she couldn't get over that mental hurdle. Besides, the money she had wasn't of much use anyway, so she might as well use it to warm a living, breathing person.
When she skillfully rode a Hequ horse equipped with a saddle, stirrups, and horseshoes to the Lishan Mausoleum area, she was greeted with heartfelt greetings from the laborers and convicts.
“Divine messenger.” A laborer carrying stones stopped to greet Lin Fengzhi and her entourage.
Lin Fengzhi knew him; the clothes he was wearing were ones she had obtained from the textile workshop.
As you go further in, the more people you encounter, the slower you move, until you reach the area where the terracotta figurines are made, where there are fewer people.
The terracotta figurine production area is warmer than other areas because of the kiln firing process. Recently, due to the low temperatures, clay modeling and air-drying of the clay bodies have become much less common.
Most of the time, the work involves painting on the terracotta figures and carving on their heads.
Mineral pigments lose adhesion at low temperatures and are more easily peeled off. Therefore, braziers were lit in the workshop for painting.
The carving on the head of the terracotta figure is also unaffected by temperature.
Lin Fengzhi took off her fur coat as soon as she entered.
A middle-aged craftsman approached with a smile. His son, who had been drafted into the military early because of his height, had been taken by Lin Fengzhi to the paper printing department, where he didn't work as frequently as he had at Lishan.
Because the paper printing shop was located near the Hot Spring Palace, Lin Fengzhi often went there to take a look.
Perhaps because his father and brothers were both craftsmen, the young man also displayed considerable ingenuity in some exquisite designs. By adjusting the proportions of the pulp, he created various types of suitable paper.
For example, toilet paper.
It's actually quite practical.
Oil paper can actually be made, but we are currently trying to increase production.
Upon seeing the actual paper and printing technology, Xu Chu and others declared that they would definitely publish the agricultural book this year.
The discarded silkworm cocoons, tattered silk, scraps of cloth, and other weaving materials from the textile workshops were not wasted; they were all brought to Lishan to be used for papermaking.
The quality of paper has improved with each generation.
From initially being barely enough to write on, it has evolved to not bleeding ink and having excellent paper durability.
Paper made from a blend of silk and linen is both strong and delicate, and is widely praised. Lin Fengzhi had this type of paper sent to the First Emperor.
After gaining the favor of the First Emperor, the paper printing department received much better treatment.
The boy's father was extremely grateful.
Seeing Lin Fengzhi's fondness for terracotta figurines, he often came to explain them to her.
What is the optimal temperature and time for the rough clay body of a terracotta figurine to air dry? The clay ratio for terracotta figurines also needs to be adjusted appropriately depending on the season.
The painting technique used on the terracotta figurines is also very sophisticated.
It's not about applying color directly; you first need to apply a base layer of raw lacquer, and the thickness can't be too high. Lin Fengzhi watched the boy's father do it, and she estimated that the layer of raw lacquer was no more than 0.04 millimeters thick.
Raw lacquer was also quite expensive, a luxury item in the Qin Dynasty, even more valuable than gold, and only the First Emperor could use it on a large scale.
After applying the raw lacquer, the pigments were used for coloring. The faces of the soldier figurines were painted with a light pink base, then covered with a white powder. The whites of the eyes were painted with white as a base, and the pupils and eyelashes were drawn with ink lines.
Almost every terracotta warrior has a different face.
The detailed depiction of the heads relies entirely on the craftsmen's experience. They meticulously sculpt and refine the details to express the personality and psychological characteristics of different characters. They use a variety of sculpting techniques, such as round carving, relief carving, and line carving, combined with techniques of layering, pasting, pinching, carving, and scraping, to create a variety of facial features.
The terracotta figurines are further divided into those depicting young people and those depicting elderly people.
The young figurines have full cheeks, while the elderly figurines have deeper wrinkles.
The saying "ten thousand people share the same system, yet a thousand people have a thousand different faces" is exactly like this.
Lin Fengzhi admired them from the bottom of her heart; if they were in modern times, they would all be master sculptors.
This time, she was led to the finished product area of the Terracotta Warriors.
The boy's father smiled somewhat embarrassedly, stopped in front of a human-shaped terracotta figurine covered with a cloth, and rubbed his hands together: "Divine messenger, we remember how kind you have been to us these past few days, and we have also seen your fondness for terracotta figurines. We consulted the craftsman and had a terracotta figurine made for you."
As he spoke, he lifted the cloth.
The female figurines differ from the stern male figurines in that their faces are softer and more delicate. Their hair is styled in double buns, adorned with exquisite hairpins.
The female figurines were not sculpted as armor or battle robes, but rather as phoenix-patterned robes that Lin Fengzhi brought from the land of the Keluo people, made by An herself. The craftsmen's skills and observational abilities were exceptional, exquisitely capturing the details of Lin Fengzhi's clothing on the terracotta figurines.
The female figurine is standing with her hands clasped together, holding a jade disc used for sacrifice between her hands.
This is a terracotta figurine with extremely bright and vivid colors, exquisite details, and lifelike appearance.
Using Lin Fengzhi's image as a model, she combined the realistic sculpting techniques of Qin terracotta warriors with magnificent painting, creating a masterpiece that is undoubtedly worthy of being seen.
Lin Fengzhi was so surprised that she could hardly speak. She was both amazed by the craftsmen's skills and moved by their sincerity.
If this female figurine could be passed down to future generations, she could almost imagine how sensational and revolutionary this archaeological discovery would be.
The academic community will be shocked and engaged in heated debate because of her.
Key chapters in Qin history and military history may need to be rewritten, and people may gain a new understanding of the history of the Qin Dynasty, ancient society, and even human gender.
Lin Fengzhi suddenly had an impulse and said, "I will not take this terracotta figurine with me. I will put it together with these general figurines and place them in the tomb together."
Just wait, she's going to give a great gift to all those in modern society who are interested in and research the Terracotta Army, the First Emperor, and Qin history, a thousand years ago.
The arrangement of the Terracotta Army was based on military formations, combining the Qin Dynasty's system with the interests of the imperial mausoleum. Its layout showcases the Qin army's fighting power and also reflects Qin Shi Huang's authority and his concept of life and death.
The arrangement of the items is a direct reflection of the Qin Dynasty's highly organized, institutionalized, and powerful military strength underground. The entire project was implemented according to a predetermined and grand blueprint.
The boy's father looked troubled: "This..."
Lin Fengzhi knew his predicament and did not want to make things difficult for him, so she said, "I will inform His Majesty."
Speak of the devil and he appears.
The head of the guards rushed over and whispered in Lin Fengzhi's ear, "His Majesty is currently at the Hot Spring Palace, observing the paper printing process. You should go there quickly."
Lin Fengzhi raised an eyebrow. Since she moved to Lishan, the First Emperor had rarely come over.
Lin Fengzhi speculated that she must have encountered something she wanted to solve a mystery about.
Have you recovered from the last major death revelation?
Lin Fengzhi's riding skills had improved considerably, and he hurriedly rode back.
When she arrived, the First Emperor was standing with his hands behind his back by the window in the warm pavilion of the Hot Spring Palace, looking at the snow-covered peak of Mount Li in the distance, seemingly lost in thought.
Lin Fengzhi ascended the steps and proclaimed in a clear voice, "Your Majesty."
The First Emperor turned around and nodded slightly.
Perhaps because he was sticking to the health regimen in Lin Fengzhi's booklet, Lin Fengzhi noticed that the First Emperor's complexion seemed to have improved considerably, becoming much rosier, and the dark circles under his eyes were not as severe as when they first met.
Lin Fengzhi was satisfied. "Keep it up, Your Majesty!"
"I see that the Qin Laws are being printed at the paper printing office. It seems that the vision of 'the laws are clear and explicit' that Shang Gong had back then is about to be realized under my rule."
"It's more than that, Your Majesty." Lin Fengzhi found a table and sat down cross-legged. Since the First Emperor had arrived, there were many more fruits grown in the hot spring palace, and the steward would also prepare some for her. But eating her own portion and eating the First Emperor's portion felt different.
People in the Qin Dynasty had already learned to cultivate and grow melons and fruits using the geothermal energy of Mount Li during winter, and successfully harvested them. However, due to the scarcity of resources compared to later generations, the variety of melons and fruits that could be grown in greenhouses was not very large.
While eating melon, Lin Fengzhi said, "Don't you think it's very convenient? It's much better than bamboo slips for both writing and carrying. The contents of a cartload of bamboo slips could probably fit into a single book."
The First Emperor nodded.
He was decisive and efficient; once it was confirmed that paper production could keep up, all government offices nationwide would begin using paper for official business. At that time, household registration statistics would be more accurate, and land taxes would be more clearly defined.
"I have already given His Majesty the third of the Four Great Divine Arts. How to use it is up to His Majesty."
The First Emperor slowly sat down, his posture upright and dignified: "Three? Gunpowder, paper. What else?"
The improved gunpowder had already enabled Zhang Han to lead the Red Millet south to the Baiyue region. Although the use of stirrups, saddles, and horseshoes on cavalry was more powerful than that of the Xiongnu, it did not seem like a divine magic.
Planting winter wheat and spinning machines are even less like that. They are more like technological advancements than magical feats that appeared out of thin air.
"Printing!" Lin Fengzhi wiped her mouth with a silk handkerchief.
"The laws of Qin and His Majesty's orders will be swiftly transmitted to every corner of Qin. It will also cultivate more talent for His Majesty. Wasn't it precisely because there weren't enough literate people that His Majesty had to continue using local officials after conquering the six states? Wasn't it precisely because there were not enough literate people that His Majesty tolerated Confucianism time and again?"
The First Emperor's mind raced with conflicting thoughts, but he continued listening with a cold expression.
"The more new things I do lately, the more I realize how scarce talent is. Improving gunpowder took away a group of Mohist disciples, and papermaking and printing took away another group. The blast furnace and textile workshops keep coming to ask for people. Your Majesty, there are really too few Mohist disciples. The same goes for agriculture; 70% of the people who grow winter wheat have left. How are we going to research high-yield crops in the future?"
The First Emperor was well aware of this. Because whenever members of the Mohist and Agricultural schools achieved something, she would petition for them to be rewarded and granted official positions. Not only that, she also poached many artisans from the Imperial Household Department.
Su He thus repeatedly submitted memorials to him seeking instructions. After many such submissions, Su He realized that Ying Zheng's almost unbridled indulgence of Lin Fengzhi was a form of permissiveness. He never wrote a similar memorial again.
“Since the school has already been opened in Guanfang, why don’t we let them study the Mohist classics? It’s not that I don’t want the students to study the Agricultural Classics, it’s just that they haven’t been finalized yet, but I reckon it will be soon.”
The First Emperor looked at him strangely: "Do you still want the students to study Confucian classics?"
Lin Fengzhi smiled: "Why not?"
Confucianism has its historical limitations. It solidifies social hierarchy, suppresses individuality, and belittles women, industry, commerce, and technology. As a result, it has become a target of criticism during the process of social modernization.
However, it is undeniable that Confucianism's emphasis on harmony, order, loyalty, and filial piety is conducive to maintaining the stability of agricultural civilization.
The Confucian spirit of engagement with the world, ethical principles, family values, and educational philosophy have also profoundly influenced this land.
Having just experienced the foolish, Confucian-leaning Ying Zheng, his face slightly flushed with anger, exclaimed: "Absurd!"
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Author's Note: My darlings, I'm going to play now. I'll be back in a week! [Please][Please][Please]
To express my apology, I'll send another red envelope. Just leave a comment.
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