Qin Official

If you look carefully at the map, you will find that Longxi, Shangjun, and Beidi each occupy the upper reaches of the Guanzhong River. Longxi is the Wei River, Shangjun is the Luoshui River, and the north is the Jing River.

Therefore, in a military sense, the three counties of Neishi and Xianyang "control the upper reaches."

In early September, Heifu went to Beidi County to take up his post. He went up the Jing River: he first went to Yunyang County where the calligrapher Cheng Miao had been rescued, then bypassed Ganquan Mountain and arrived at a place called "Qixian County". of counties.

Compared with two years ago, when Heifu entered Xianyang alone, his carriage now has the style of a feudal official: a large carriage driven by horses and shafts, dragging his wife, who has been separated since the wedding. After that, there were more than a dozen oxen and horse-drawn carriages, with maids and servants sitting there, as well as guests like Chen Ping who were accompanying him on his appointment, as well as Chen Ping's wife, son and other family members...

While resting in a guest house outside the county, Ye Zijin was so jolted that his face turned pale. When he heard that he had arrived in Qixian County, he smiled and said, "It turns out to be Binbin."

The pavilion chief's wife and daughter came to lead her to the dormitory to rest. Upon hearing this, they complimented her: "My lady is so knowledgeable that she actually knows the old name of this county is Bin!"

Qixian County was not under the jurisdiction of Beidi County, so Hei Fu didn't know much about it. After asking his wife, who was born in a Korean aristocracy and had been educated in traditional poetry and calligraphy, he found out that this county was the hometown of the Zhou people, "Bin", today's Bin County in Shaanxi Province...

"Bin Feng among the Fifteen Kingdoms is about this place."

The meaning of wind is tone, music with local color. The so-called Qin Feng, Zheng Feng and Qi Feng, in the words of later generations, are Shaanxi Diao, Henan Diao and Shandong Diao.

What is the tune of Bin Feng, a folk song in northern Shaanxi? Xintianyou?

Heifu became interested, but it was a pity that the Qin government did not promote poetry and books, so Shang Yang burned them once. There were not many locals who could sing, and folk artists could not be found.

But as the provincial public security director of a neighboring province, Heifu was crossing the border. How could the county magistrate, court president, public security director, etc. of Qixian County accidentally greet him? Soon, in the evening, when the captain of Qixian County held a small banquet to invite Hei Fu, an old musician whom he found somewhere was invited.

The old man knelt down on the mat, playing the most common musical instrument in Qin: the fou, and sang a few pieces of Binfeng to Hei Fu in the earthy Qin opera...

As soon as the musicians finished singing, the "elegant" Book of Songs in Heifu's eyes suddenly collapsed in appearance that had been gilded and polished by later generations.

Translated into later generations, it is: in July, the great Mars sets in the west, and in September, women sew winter clothes. The north wind blows in November, and the cold is heavy in December. It's such a cold day, how can I survive until the end of the year without wearing coarse brown clothes? In the first month, I cultivated the grass, and in the second month, I went to farm. My wife and children came to deliver food to Nanmutou. The field official was delighted when he saw it and praised my family's diligence...

This is just an ordinary farmhouse seasonal song. The language is very down-to-earth and not profound at all.

The musicians also sang a song called Gong Liu, which although it did not belong to the Bin style, was related to the local area. It was about the ancestor of the Zhou people, Gong Liu, who led the Zhou people to move here from the land of Rong and Di in the north and resume farming. Hei Fu was very happy when he heard the story.

It is also a very simple language, and the general meaning of the song is similar to the red and bright flowers of Shandandan: "Mountains come one after another, and water comes one after another. It is not easy for the people of Zhou Dynasty to migrate. The fields in Bindi are flat and fertile, and the crops are green and lush. Gong Liu belt We Zhou people conquer the country..."

Finally, let’s listen to a song about a little girl urging a young man to find a matchmaker to propose marriage: “How about faco? You can’t do it with an ax. How about getting a wife? You can’t do it with a matchmaker.”

Heifu suddenly realized it and thought to himself: "When Chen Ping asked me to do the cutting for him, I couldn't understand it at the time. Where did it come from?"

It's a pity that the Zhou people were too simple and strict. If Heifu's favorite "Shuertuotuoxi" was added, it would be almost the same as the original lyrics of Xintianyou in the folk song of northern Shaanxi...

Chen Ping went to the county to wander around and did not come to the banquet with him. After the banquet, when he returned to the guest house, Heifu happened to bump into Chen Ping who had finished the evening market. He mentioned the matter and asked him: " Where did Chen Sheng go?"

Chen Ping was carrying a cloth bag and when he opened it, he found yellow and orange millet inside.

Heifu gave Chen Ping a good treatment, at least "meat to eat, transportation and a car", and he would not miss a meal. Chen Ping went to Qixian market to wander around, and even bought a bag of corn back. Of course it was not for eating. .

Sure enough, Chen Ping cupped his hands and said: "Jun Wei, although I am Huang Lao, I am also familiar with poetry and calligraphy. I once heard that although Gong Liu was between Rong and Di, he was renovating Houji's business, doing farming, and the land was suitable. He He led the Zhou people across Qiju to Bindi, surveyed the terrain, cleared wasteland to grow grain, managed the fields, and built families. A generation later, this place has become a densely populated city-state, where travelers have wealth and residents have savings..."

"So I took a closer look and found that even though a thousand years have passed and there have been chaos caused by the Dog Rong and Yiqu, Qixian County is still rich, and most of the Qixian people are old people of the Zhou Dynasty, simple and honest and good at farming."

"Out of Ganquan Mountain, there are mature fields everywhere along the way. Immigrants from Shandong have poured into Guanxi this year. Although most people live on wheat, the price of millet has also been affected to some extent. Xianyang Nanshi, Mishi Fifty qian, Yunyang County and City, rice and stone are 40 qian. But I smelled it in the market, and Qixian County only had 30 qian. I made a rough estimate, and the grain in the Qixian County warehouse was between 50,000 and 100,000 dan. some……"

Chen Ping is indeed very good at observation. Along the way, he has observed the food prices and customs of each county.

Hei Fu understood: "Chen Ping means that before the troops and horses are moved, food and grass go first. I am going to the north to take charge of military affairs. I am afraid that I will have to rely on Qixian County's food from time to time?"

"Exactly!"

Heifu summed it up very well. Chen Ping's eyes lit up and he said: "In the past, when tribute was asked about government, Confucius said, enough food, enough soldiers, and the trust of the people. Food is still in front of the soldiers, and when the commanders and commanders enter the north, no matter whether it is daily Whether the soldiers are fed or given food, or whether they are marching far beyond the Great Wall, food must be considered first."

"But when I was in Xianyang, I heard that the mountains and rivers in Beidi County are dangerous. Although the grass is fertile and the water is beautiful, and there are many stables and gardens, which produce good horses, healthy cattle, and fat sheep, there is only a lack of fields. The local Rong people are not good at farming. Beidi County needs to transport grain from Neishi all year round, and Qixian County is the first to bear the brunt."

"So, Qixian County is equivalent to Beidi's backyard and the county captain's granary for the next few years!"

Hei Fu nodded with deep understanding, and then smiled and said: "Chen Ping, Chen Ping, I did not misjudge you. Before we even arrived in the North, you have already started doing things that will make history along the way."

The reason why Chen Ping was willing to travel long distances with Hei Fu and bring his family over was because Hei Fu had promised him the position of "County Captain Shi".

As a county lieutenant, this is a staff that can be appointed by oneself, which is equivalent to the secretary-general of future leaders. County Captain Shi enjoys the treatment of a hundred-stone official, but his power is no less than that of a four-hundred-stone soldier. For Chen Ping, who is just a small official fighting for food, this is equivalent to ten years of less struggle...

Heifu felt that he had really picked up a treasure. He patted him and encouraged Chen Ping: "When you get to Beidi, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to show off your skills!"

…

That night, when he returned to the guest house, Hei Fu told his wife about this matter. Ye Zijin stopped undressing, nodded and said, "My dear man has gained a capable subordinate."

"No."

Then, she stretched out her hand to stop what Hei Fu was going to say next, and said with a smile: "I know that I will often interact with Chen Ping's wife..."

"You are the only one who is smart."

Heifu scratched her small nose.

Starting with family members is also a way to win over subordinates, but for a guy like Chen Ping who is capable but utilitarian, won't this trick work? Heifu is not sure either.

At this time, Ye Zijin seemed to remember something again and covered his mouth and laughed.

Heifu asked her why she was laughing, and Ye Zijin whispered in his ear: "Speaking of which, I also talked to Chen Ping's wife all the way here. She also invited her and her youngest son to sit together in the car. When they were resting along the way, I found that whenever she saw her husband and invited Chen Ping to talk to him in the car, she would look nervous after the curtain was lowered, and she didn’t know what she was worried about..."

"You, you."

This time Heifu didn't scratch her nose gently, but tapped her plump forehead as a warning.

Although the two have been married for nine months, six of them have been in a long-distance state. Taking her with them to the appointment this time will give them more opportunities to get along.

In this way, he finally figured out his wife's character: on the outside, she seems to be well-behaved and courteous, but on the inside, she is just like her father and has a lot of thoughts, but she is different from Nei Shiteng. After getting to know her well, she also likes to tease others. My husband actually made a joke about this matter.

In retaliation, it was night, and Hei Fu said that he still had a lot of fun listening to the local musicians singing poems. He adopted a studious attitude and discussed with his wife, "It feels comfortable and comfortable, I don't feel like I'm coquettish, and I don't feel like I'm coquettish, and I don't feel like I'm coquettish."...

After finishing the work, when his wife was resting her head on his arm, Heifu suddenly sighed.

"Why do my beloved sigh?"

"I suddenly felt that it would be good to leave Xianyang and return to the local area as an official."

Ye Zijin looked at her husband's eyes that were particularly bright in the darkness and said softly: "Why?"

"Although I seem to be good at dancing in Xianyang, win the emperor's heart, and do many things, I am actually not happy. There are too many people in Xianyang, my heart is too complicated, and the water is too salty."

"Then when is your beloved the happiest?"

"You might not believe it."

Heifu looked at his wife and smiled with white teeth.

"Looking back, I think the happiest days were when I was the chief of a small pavilion in Anlu County. I only had to catch thieves and capture bandits according to the evidence, and protect the safety of the ten miles. I didn't have to think too much, do not have to scheming, or bear too many responsibilities. !”

But now, unknowingly, he has been deeply involved in the situation!

"My beloved is tired."

Ye Zijin smiled, and in turn held Heifu's head in his arms, and said softly: "I remember that when my father mobilized troops to destroy Han, destroyed Xinzheng City, and captured King An of Han, he also sat paralyzed in the study. He said something similar. He said that he was happiest when he was young, when he first became an official in a small rural town and devoted himself to serving the people."

"It's just like playing chess. Since you are too tired from fighting in Tianyuan, why not go to the corner to rest and get back on the road?"

"But the official career path... I look at it from my little girl's short-sighted perspective."

She lowered her head and stared at Hei Fu, her face full of seriousness: "Like a boat traveling upstream, if you don't advance, you will retreat!"