Chapter 119: Political Achievements [Jinjiang Authentic Edition - Sunset Glow]...
By the time the news that the Emperor's youngest son, the eighteenth prince Hu Hai, had gone to the Xiongnu tribe as a hostage and marriage in early spring at the age of ten for the glorious future of the Great Qin Empire spread throughout the world, the scorching summer had already slowly arrived.
In June, the temperature is scorching, and the scorching sun shines on people with a stinging and unbearable burning sensation. Inside and outside Hangu Pass, everywhere you look, there are lush green patches.
After hearing the news that the Emperor's youngest son had gone to the border for Qin, the common people living in the counties were more confused than each other. They had no idea what the unprecedented marriage between the Qin royal family and the Xiongnu tribe meant. However, the new notices posted on propaganda walls in various places almost made the common people's eyes pop out.
In the scorching heat of summer, the imperial court actually compiled a series of things that His Royal Highness the Emperor's eldest grandson had done for the Great Qin Empire in the past six months, listed them one by one in very clear columns, carved them into woodblocks, printed them into notices, and spread them quickly to all directions with Xianyang as the center.
On the pale yellow paper, the dark black ink characters were very eye-catching. As the village head and the village chief read out the words at the top of their voices, the vast majority of the common people who could not read finally understood how outstanding His Royal Highness the Emperor's eldest grandson, who lived in the imperial capital of Xianyang, was!
In the Qin Empire, from the mysterious techniques of papermaking, printing (the secrecy of gunpowder), and the compass, to the agricultural tool reforms, new grain varieties, and the promotion of the "Wild Vegetable Atlas" that were closely related to the livelihoods of thousands of common people, to glass, honeycomb coal, kangs, dugouts, porcelain and many other daily necessities, all of them were created by the emperor's eldest grandson!
In just a few years, what a little kid, less than seven years old, did for the empire and the common people was equivalent to what tens of thousands of nobles did!
Even the young Gan Luo, who was once recognized by the world as a negotiation genius, seemed a little overshadowed in front of the young emperor's grandson. After all, the emperor's grandson was even younger than Gan Luo, and the contributions he made to the Qin Dynasty at such a young age could benefit all classes of people, including scholars, farmers, workers, and merchants. The influence of Gan Luo, a senior minister, was far less than that.
Compared with an obvious genius benchmark, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is even more intelligent and brilliant, and is no ordinary person!
On a sunny day.
Liu Ji, with disheveled hair, wearing a khaki robe and a large palm-leaf fan at his waist, saw that his fellow villagers had gone crazy. They swarmed in front of the propaganda wall of Sishui Pavilion, listening and watching, with surprised expressions and dancing hands, talking enthusiastically and passionately about the political achievements of the emperor's eldest grandson recorded on the notice.
He couldn't help but reveal an extremely resentful look.
As the sun set, Xiao He, a minor official in the county government, was returning home from his shift, carrying a jar of wine. Passing by Sishui Pavilion, he spotted his friend, the pavilion chief, from afar, leaning against the trunk of a densely crowned tree, a swaying dogtail grass in his mouth, staring at the tall propaganda wall with a look of deep resentment. The wall was already packed with villagers, and even from a distance, he could clearly hear the high-pitched, adoring shouts of the villagers, so loud they were practically splitting their legs.
"Oh my God! What on earth do the people in Xianyang City eat all day to grow up? How could the Emperor's eldest grandson be so smart?!"
"Yes, yes, I can't believe it. If the court hadn't clearly listed the achievements of the emperor's eldest grandson in the notice, I wouldn't have dared to believe that there was such a promising child in this world! If my child could have even a little bit of the intelligence of His Highness the Emperor's eldest grandson, I would never have to worry about anything in my life!"
"Alas, no wonder the Qin State was able to unify the world in the end. God really favors the Qin lineage. From Qin Xiaogong to the First Emperor, the Qin State has produced seven generations of wise monarchs. It hasn't been many years since the First Emperor conquered the six kingdoms, and now his grandson has grown up to be so outstanding. What a pity..."
"What a pity?"
Amidst the surprised voices, a sigh of regret suddenly emerged, like a sudden noise inserted into the harmonious music, which seemed extremely discordant, causing the villagers who were talking enthusiastically around to stop talking and turn to look at the source of the sound.
The person who said this was an old man with white hair and beard, who looked very weathered. His eyes were a little cloudy and his back was slightly hunched. He looked at the people around him who were looking at him in all kinds of ways, and he couldn't express the complicated feelings in his heart at all. In the end, he could only hunch his back, sigh, and squeeze out of the crowd with a lonely look.
Xiao He narrowed his eyes slightly and recognized that the old man who spoke was none other than an old Chu nobleman who had fallen into complete decline with the demise of the Chu State.
He pursed his lips, watching the other person walk away dejectedly, and automatically made up for his unfinished words in his heart:
[Unfortunately, the Chu Kingdom, after more than 800 years of existence, never saw the Chu royal family give birth to a child as capable as the eldest grandson of the Qin Emperor Ying... The Chu Kingdom's demise was not unjust...]
As the white-haired old man who had said the unpleasant words walked away silently, the excited common people continued to gather together, vying to talk about the intelligent and talented eldest grandson of the Qin Emperor.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Amidst the complex array of voices, some loud, some low, some praising, some surprised, Xiao He suppressed the various emotions that rose in his heart, holding the water and wine in his right hand, walked to the side of the tree, nudged Liu Ji's arm with his left hand, and looked at his friend with a resentful expression and couldn't help but smile curiously:
"Ji, what's wrong with you?"
Liu Ji, who was leaning against a tree, glanced at his friend, pointed towards the propaganda wall, spit out the dogtail grass in his mouth, and said to Xiao He in a hoarse voice, as if lamenting:
"Xiao He, can you believe this?! Ever since I posted this notice on the propaganda wall early this morning, the crowds that have flocked to the wall to watch the excitement have not dispersed! In order to let the common people who came to see the notice know what was written on it, I have diligently read it aloud over and over again at the top of my voice more than ten times! I shouted until my voice was hoarse! People are coming and going in front of the wall, and the number of people gathered has not only not decreased, but has increased! In the end, I don’t know which bastard squeezed out Nai Gong, the head of Sishui Pavilion! Look! The shoe on Nai Gong’s right foot has been squeezed out of sight! The instep of his foot has been swollen from being stepped on by people one after another!"
When Xiao He heard this, he subconsciously lowered his head to glance down, and discovered that under the cover of lush foxtail grass, not only was Liu Ji's right foot bare, but the instep of his right foot was also red and swollen. It was obvious that he had been stepped on hard in the crowd. No wonder his posture leaning against the tree was so strange, and his face looked so resentful.
His good friend had unexpectedly gotten into trouble. He knew he shouldn't laugh at this moment, but when he saw Liu Ji's right foot that was swollen like a pig's hoof, he couldn't help but pat Liu Ji's shoulder with his free left hand and laughed out loud:
"Hey, Ji, don't worry, your shoes won't be lost. I think you'll be able to find them in front of the propaganda wall after dark and when the crowds disperse. Look, I happened to get a jar of wine from the county tavern when I came back today. Why don't I help you go home and rub some medicinal wine on the back of your feet? We can drink it tonight and it will be a way to ward off bad luck for you?"
When Liu Ji heard his friend's words and saw the familiar brown wine jar in Xiao He's hand, his bitter face finally relaxed:
"Hahaha, Xiao He, you got this wine just in time. Well, forget it. It's the same thing if I come looking for the shoes tomorrow morning. Come to my right and let me hold your arm. Go home and apply some medicine on the back of my foot first."
"OK!"
When Xiao He heard this, he quickly changed direction. Holding the wine jar in one hand and holding Liu Ji's arm with the other, the two of them slowly moved towards home under the red glow of the sky.
When Lu Wan ran to the propaganda wall in the pavilion to look for Liu Ji, he saw from afar Xiao He supporting Liu Ji's arm on the winding country road ahead. Liu Ji seemed to have a broken right foot. With Xiao He's support, he hopped and skipped slowly towards him. He was horrified and hurriedly ran forward. When he got closer, he saw Liu Ji's red, swollen and blue instep and his eyes widened in shock:
"Ji, what happened to you? Where's your right shoe? Why is your foot so swollen?"
"Alas, it's hard to put it into words."
Liu Ji had a bitter face and shook his head helplessly and sighed at Lu Wan.
Lu Wan caught a glimpse of Xiao He's expression, which seemed to want to laugh but not dare to, and guessed that the situation was not as serious as he had expected. He then walked directly to Liu Ji, squatted down, and said:
"Come on, Ji, lie on my back first. I'll carry you. How long will it take you to get home if you keep jumping around like this? I'm afraid you won't be able to jump home until dark."
It is naturally less tiring to walk forward with someone carrying you on their back than to drag your injured foot and jump. Liu Ji did not delay at all. He opened his mouth and praised Lu Wan with emotion, saying "good brother", and then he quickly lay on Lu Wan's broad back.
Although Lu Wan was not as strong as Fan Kuai, he was much stronger than Xiao He, a clerk. He carried Liu Ji steadily on his back and walked home along the loess road with Xiao He, who was carrying a jar of wine.
The setting sun melted into gold, and the famous iron triangle of Sishui Pavilion walked forward together against the setting sun. The red afterglow of the sunset stretched the shadows of the three people on the loess road into thin and long ones.
Lu Wan finally understood from Liu Ji's few words how his foot was stepped on and swollen, and he couldn't help laughing like Xiao He:
"Hey, Ji, in my opinion, this time it's really the emperor's eldest grandson who has become famous. You're unlucky."
"You're such a clever person, how could you not have thought of this? The emperor's eldest grandson is already famous among the people, and the court has officially and clearly written down his achievements in a notice, directly in front of the common people and making them known. The common people will surely be excited and surprised once they see the notice and understand its contents! You, the troublesome pavilion chief, didn't quickly dodge to the side after reading the contents of the notice, but stood in the best position in front of the propaganda wall to read it. Wouldn't you be pushed aside by the crowd of excited villagers?"
"Luckily, it was just your foot that was stepped on, no broken bones. You should rest at home for the next few days. I'll help you watch over the publicity wall. After a few days, the excitement of the notice will die down, and the atmosphere in front of the publicity wall will naturally calm down."
Listening to the words of his good brother who was born on the same day of the same month as him, Liu Ji understood the truth, but he couldn't help but look up. Seeing the sky full of fiery clouds, he, who was always free and easy-going, felt a complex and difficult emotion at this moment:
"Alas, Xiao He, Lu Wan, look at you two, comparing people will only make you die, and comparing goods will only make you throw them away!"
"The Emperor, far away in Xianyang City, is only two or three years older than the three of us, right? Not only is he capable himself, but he also gave birth to a grandson who is so blessed by heaven. He has such a promising future! In my opinion, all the good things in the world have fallen to this family."
"Ah, it's true that a grandson should be like the emperor's eldest grandson! If your future grandson is half as smart as the emperor's eldest grandson, you will be very happy."
Hearing that the usually straightforward Liu Ji actually expressed such a bitter and envious sigh towards the two of them today, Xiao He just sighed slightly, looked up at the brilliant sunset, and didn't know what to say.
They were all of the same generation, all around forty years old, and as children of humble backgrounds, they knew they couldn't compare to the First Emperor, but deep down they held a strong sense of pride. It was bad enough that a middle-aged man like them couldn't compare to his peer, but even his grandson was so far behind?! The eldest grandson shown on the notice was so exceptional, he seemed unworthy of a mere human. How could this not fill the proud with wonder and yet at the same time, lament the bitter melons they had harvested?!
Xiao He was a reserved person and did not respond to Liu Ji's complaints.
Lu Wan was not so polite. When he heard the complaints from Liu Ji on his back, his already laughing voice became even happier:
"Ji, Ji, your tone is so sour I'm almost jealous. Even if you drag the emperor's eldest grandson out and say a thousand things, what you're really saying is that Miss Lu would rather travel thousands of miles to the Zhangtai Palace to follow that high and mighty man than have you?"
Hearing Lu Wan's blunt and honest words, Liu Ji's expression became even more gloomy. Like a hapless drowned dog, he dropped his head onto Lu Wan's shoulder and muttered weakly and sullenly:
"Alas, one wrong step leads to another. Lu Wan, Xiao He, you have no wife, you have no wife..."
"It's okay, Ji. Although you don't have a wife, you still have Sister Cao and Liu Fei. In a few years, when Liu Fei gets married, you can also hold a grandson like the First Emperor..."
Listening to Lu Wan's comfort, Liu Ji closed his eyes deeply. He was now completely unconscious and filled with indescribable frustration and melancholy.
In order to resist her father's authority, Lu Zhi endured humiliation and secretly signed up for the imperial examination to become the Imperial Court Official. As a result, their marriage between the old man and the young wife fell through.
He felt regretful the moment his marriage fell through, but rather than regret, he felt more of a pity, as if a nearly cooked duck had flown off the plate, and a young and beautiful daughter of a wealthy family had slipped away from his hands for nothing.
However, after these few years, "regret" turned into "regret". When he was sending laborers to build the Great Wall, he witnessed the prosperity of the imperial capital in Xianyang City. According to the address given by Lu Gong, when he went to Dongcheng to look for the three brothers and sisters of the Lu family, he saw with his own eyes the elegance of Lu Zhi when she was returning home from her duty in the palace in official uniform.
Seeing that Lu Zhi's official position was getting more and more stable, and he actually became an old gangster in comparison with her, Liu Ji felt more and more unhappy. He felt that he had missed a great opportunity by missing Lu Zhi that year, as if the trajectory of his entire second half of his life was completely overturned by the moment Lu Zhi passed the examination and became the Zhidianlang.
He always felt that he and Lu Zhi should not be like this, but the fact was just like this. This mysterious and inexplicable feeling was something he couldn't even understand, let alone tell his good brothers around him.
Liu Ji, feeling frustrated, could only sigh helplessly: "You have no wife, you have no wife..."
As Liu Ji sighed with regret, the distance between the three of them and home gradually shortened.
The color of the sunset glow in the sky became lighter and lighter, and the sky around it became darker and darker.
In the blink of an eye, the setting sun, like a salted duck egg in the western sky, completely slid below the horizon.
"Lü Zushi, I'm at your house."
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