Chapter 7 The sky was clear and the air was crisp. Inside the main hall, Ying Zheng was…
The sky was clear and the air was fresh.
Inside the main hall, Ying Zheng was carefully studying the inscription presented by Li Si, word by word.
He ruled for many years, and although his youth was arduous and fraught with danger, he received an excellent education. After returning to Qin, as the eldest son of Yiren, he had to study a wider and more diverse range of subjects. Before officially assuming power, he diligently studied the classics, swordsmanship, and the art of governance every day.
Therefore, Ying Zheng himself possessed extremely high literary appreciation skills.
After examining the stone inscription written by Li Si, he praised, "Prime Minister Li's calligraphy has improved again. Very good. This inscription should be copied and sent to all counties and prefectures, especially the area around Langya Prefecture, where steles should also be erected."
"May the Qin Dynasty last for a thousand generations, its glory etched into the mountains and rivers for all people to admire and for generations to come," Li Si said.
While others might have offered excessive flattery and sycophancy, Li Si's words were perfectly apt, reflecting his genuine thoughts.
Ying Zheng seemed even happier.
In fact, he had already seen this stone carving in his dream last night.
"Now that the stone inscription has been decided, shall we, Prime Minister Li, go to Langya Terrace to take a look?"
After many days of construction, Ying Zheng heard from the Shao Fu that the main structure of Langya Terrace was completed and ready for his inspection.
When the First Emperor invited him, Li Si readily accepted.
Zhao Gao had already prepared the ceremonial procession for the First Emperor's journey, and he helped the emperor board the golden carriage. The black dragon flag of the Qin Empire fluttered in the wind, and the valiant Imperial Guards led the way on horseback.
The First Emperor closed his eyes to rest, but in reality, he was recalling his dream from the previous night. After the Black Bird showed him the contents of the Langya Stone Inscription, it took him to an unknown time. He saw beacon fires burning, and a general named Zhang Han leading convicts from Lishan to save Xianyang from disaster. Ying Zheng watched a battle and became interested in Zhang Han.
Zhang Han is a military genius for transforming almost untrained convicts into a highly effective fighting force.
At the same time, doubts arose in his mind: what circumstances had allowed the rebel army to reach the foot of Mount Li? What about Wang Ben? What about Meng Tian? Even Wang Li? Were they all dead? And his million-strong Qin army—why were they using convicts instead of regular troops? What about the officials in the court? What about Li Si? He believed that his court was not filled with incompetent officials, and he was also confident that he would never allow the political situation to become so precarious in his lifetime.
So, he ultimately didn't obtain the elixir of immortality?
So who will succeed him? Will it be Fusu? He was utterly useless, managing to govern Qin to the point that rebel armies could even storm Xianyang. Although Ying Zheng disliked Fusu's Confucian leanings, he didn't believe Fusu would be so incompetent as to allow rebels to reach Xianyang when he ascended the throne.
It was not Fusu who succeeded to the throne.
Could it be that Gao will succeed to the throne? Or perhaps Jiang Lü?
Ying Zheng chuckled. Fusu was his eldest son, and thus held a somewhat different significance for him, having been tutored by him in his youth. Later, as he had more and more children, he became increasingly indifferent. Although he still hired tutors for his children, he didn't care as much as he did for Fusu.
Ying Zheng was lost in thought, and the only information revealed in the dream that came to mind was this.
"Your Majesty, we have arrived at Langya Terrace."
Ying Zheng opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as lightning. So what if he hadn't obtained the elixir of immortality? Now, blessed by the Black Bird, he was able to glimpse glimpses of the future through meticulous analysis. Moreover, the Black Bird had already hinted to Xu Fu to seek the elixir. This time, he would have Xu Fu set off earlier and send other alchemists to sea; they would surely obtain the elixir of immortality.
Langya Terrace is five li high and more than twenty li in circumference. It is a platform made of stones piled up on the mountain, with the stones shaped like bricks.
Ying Zheng stepped onto the Langya Terrace, which was flat and spacious, about two hundred paces high.
He pointed to the area near the sea, facing the vastness of the ocean: "The stone tablet stands there."
His words will be written down and carried out by others.
Ying Zheng suddenly remembered that the general named Zhang Han in his dream was not initially a general, but rather one of the Nine Ministers, the Shaofu (Minister of the Imperial Household). At this time, Zhang Han had not yet been promoted to Shaofu, so he was probably still honing his skills somewhere.
I wonder if he was not on the list of those making the eastern tour.
Ying Zheng's mind stirred, and he summoned Su He, the Shao Fu (Minister of the Imperial Household), who was supervising the construction, to speak with him. He first praised Su He, saying, "Your supervision of the construction of Langya Terrace is in accordance with the celestial phenomena above and my will below. Tens of thousands of laborers and axe-heavy chisels have been employed, and you have managed the work skillfully, without disrupting the farming season or violating the law. You are truly capable officials and deserve a reward!"
Su Shaofu and his entourage kowtowed in gratitude. The Qin officials were rigorously assessed, but with Ying Zheng's words, Su Shaofu no longer needed to worry about this year's assessment.
Zhao Gao and Li Si were not surprised by the First Emperor's generosity. Although he was strict, diligent, and worked tirelessly, he was very lenient with those he recognized as capable. The First Emperor was never stingy with rewards for his subordinates who achieved merit.
For example, Zhao Gao was spared death because of his talent, and Li Si also rose to the position of prime minister because of his talent.
Among the kneeling crowd, Ying Zheng caught a glimpse of a dashing young man. Compared to the heavily armored general in his dream, he appeared somewhat youthful.
He thought to himself, "It came to me without any effort at all."
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"Minister Meng, please wait." Fusu stopped Meng Yi, who was about to head to the temporary palace.
Meng Yi spotted Prince Fusu from afar, dismounted, and bowed in one swift motion: "Prince."
Prince Fusu was known for his virtue, and Meng Yi had already guessed why Fusu wanted to find him.
As expected, he heard Fusu ask, "I've heard that Minister Meng intends to search for three thousand boys and girls in Langya County, to the point that six out of ten houses in the county are empty. Many people around me have already expressed their dissatisfaction with this matter. Why doesn't Minister Meng slow down a bit?"
"My lord, this matter is His Majesty's decree." Whatever His Majesty decides to do, even if it's unprecedented and defies the world, he will do it. This was true of unifying the six kingdoms, and it was also true of abolishing the feudal system and establishing prefectures and counties. No one can shake his convictions unless he himself comes to a realization.
Meng Yi calmed the restless horse. He was well aware that people in Langya County were already cursing him because of the incident involving young boys and girls. Meng Yi had no intention of making things difficult for the common people. He could only offer some compensation to families separated from their loved ones outside of the law.
Fusu pondered for a moment: "Since the problem lies with Father Emperor, I will go to Father Emperor and persuade him."
Of all the First Emperor's children, Meng Yi favored Fusu the most. To prevent his upright eldest son from offending the First Emperor, Meng Yi advised him: "Wait, young master. Putting aside His Majesty's desire for the elixir of immortality, is your obstruction in accordance with Confucian filial piety? Besides, there may still be room for maneuver in this matter."
"When we assessed the situation last year, Langya County had over 73,600 households. A few days ago, His Majesty ordered the relocation of 30,000 households to Langya. Although they haven't arrived yet, the total number is now over 103,600 households. Do you still remember how many households there were when Langya County was first established?"
Fusu's expression was grave: "Over 81,000 households. Langya County has experienced neither natural disasters nor man-made calamities in the past two years, so why are nearly 10,000 households missing? It must be that the governor of Langya County and the remnants of Qi are still plotting to ruin the foundation of our Great Qin!"
Meng Yi nodded: "What you say is true, young master. I have privately investigated and found that the governor of Langya County has embezzled public funds and colluded with powerful families to hide people. In addition, I have also learned an interesting piece of information. Xu Fu, whom Your Majesty summoned recently, has gone to sea many times. The servants on his ships said that he did not find the immortal mountain. He was just hiding on a small island in the East China Sea and only returned after more than a month, in order to create a stir."
"Xu Fu was originally a physician who mingled among high-ranking officials and nobles. Later, he learned the art of magic from somewhere and transformed himself into a magician. He was eloquent and persuasive, using a few techniques from the art of magic to swindle and deceive. He actually became a well-known magician in the area. Fortunately, my Meng family's ancestral home is in Qi, and I have a few distant relatives. Someone passed on this information to me. Ordinary people would have no way of finding out about these things."
Upon hearing Meng Yi's words, Fusu could barely contain his anger. Xu Fu was truly audacious, daring to deceive his father, the Emperor, for money. Fusu had also heard that Ying Zheng (Emperor Ying Zheng) greatly favored Xu Fu, summoning him daily and showering him with gifts. The thought of his wise and powerful father being deceived by such a despicable man as Xu Fu filled Fusu with rage.
When Fusu was born, the Qin Dynasty was accumulating strength and dominating the northwest. In his youth, his father, the First Emperor, had already been driving the Qin chariot across the six other states with overwhelming force. Like all the people of Qin, Fusu revered his father almost to the point of worship. In his heart, the First Emperor was nearly a god.
Are gods not to be fooled by men?
Fusu was in great pain.
He realized that his father, whom he had always thought was omnipotent, was also human, capable of making mistakes and being deceived.
"Are there any witnesses or physical evidence?" Fusu frowned, then asked, "Who recommended Xu Fu? How can such a wasteful and troublesome person be used?"
"Zhao Gao, the Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office, recommended him. I have already arranged for witnesses to be placed in the mansion." Meng Yi bowed. "My lord, I must report back to His Majesty. Compared to Xu Fu, the prefect of Langya County colluding with powerful families to seize people and undermine the foundation of the Qin Dynasty is more important."
Besides, even if they knew perfectly well that Xu Fu was a fraud, so what? As long as the First Emperor believed him, he was a divine master.
Meng Yi was about to take his leave when he saw a troop of Imperial Guards riding from the direction of Langya Terrace in the distance, their black dragon banners fluttering. Behind them was the First Emperor's ceremonial procession.
Fusu and Meng Yi stepped back to the sides of the road and waited quietly for the convoy to leave.
When the last guard, solemn and armed, caught up with the vanguard, Meng Yi pulled him aside.
The guard was about to lash out, but upon seeing that it was Meng Yi, a favorite of the emperor, his anger turned into a fawning smile: "Minister Meng, young master."
Meng Yi patted him on the shoulder and asked, "What is Your Majesty doing at Langya Terrace?"
"His Majesty inspected Langya Terrace. Su Shaofu, the supervisor, was commended for his meritorious service, and all officials of the Shaofu were rewarded." The Imperial Guard Commander's expression turned somewhat strange as he said this.
Fusu asked, "What else did Father Emperor do?"
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..." the Imperial Guard stammered, "His Majesty appointed a junior official named Zhang Han as the Assistant Commander of the Imperial Guard."
Meng Yi: "?"
The officials under the Shaofu (Imperial Household Department) were, if he remembered correctly, civil officials.
The Imperial Guard was mainly composed of guards and brigade soldiers, who together undertook tasks such as guarding the palace gates and patrolling the palace.
The Lüben Commander was in charge of the Lüben Army, which was under the command of the Weiwei, one of the Nine Ministers. The Lüben Army was an elite force with strong combat capabilities, mainly responsible for defensive operations in case of emergencies within the palace.
It's clear that this is not only a leap from civil official to military general, but also a transformation from an unknown figure to someone who frequently gets to meet the emperor.
Meng Yi, Fusu, and the guard officer looked at each other, seeing confusion in each other's eyes.
Who is this Zhang Han?
A note from the author:
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*Ten li southeast of Langya City lies Langshan Mountain, also known as the ancient Langya Terrace. In the 28th year of Qin Shi Huang's reign, he visited Langya, was greatly pleased, and stayed for three months, where he built the Langya Terrace. The terrace is located on a solitary red mountain. It stands prominently above all other mountains, five li high and over twenty li in circumference. A stone platform was built on the mountain, the stones shaped like bricks, eight feet long, four feet wide, and one and a half feet thick. It has three levels, each three zhang high, the upper level being flat and open, over two hundred paces in length. A stone tablet was erected to commemorate the achievements of the Qin dynasty. Emperor Wu of Han also ascended this terrace. (From *Taiping Yulan*, Volume 177)
P.S., a quick note about Zhang Han. Zhang Han first appeared in historical records in 209 BC, the first year of Qin Er Shi's reign. At that time, his official position was Shaofu, one of the Nine Ministers, equivalent to the Minister of Finance and the Chief Steward of the Palace. After the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang uprising broke out, and the rebel army approached Xianyang, Zhang Han suggested pardoning the convicts from Lishan and incorporating them into the army. He then defeated the rebel army, thus beginning his military career.
The author speculates that he was a civil official in 219 BC, so he assigned him the position of a subordinate official of the Shaofu (a government office).
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