Qin Official

"Thanks to Mr. Xu, the people of Jiaodong can no longer have doubts."

At noon that day, Heifu held a reception banquet for Xu Sheng and several farm disciples at the county governor's mansion.

Heifu has been in Guandong for so long that he has seen scholars from all schools. Although there are no rich or noble people in this group of intellectuals, they are well dressed: they all wear crowns and swords, and their appearance is neat. Even Chen Ping is not exempt from vulgarity. At that time, he was laughed at by the villagers because his family was poor but he dressed neatly and respectably.

Confucian scholars also need to buy tall and towering Confucian crowns, while Yin and Yang alchemists need a bit of elegance and fairy spirit, just to make a good impression when lobbying the princes.

But the peasant disciples brought by Xu Sheng today are particularly special. They are all wearing coarse linen shorts, and under their feet are the common straw shoes of Qichu farmers: it is said that everything they wear is exchanged for the food they grow with their own hands. . They were in their thirties, but they looked like they were forty, and their hands were covered with calluses. It was obvious that they had really worked in the fields and wielded farm tools, and their faces were as tanned as the black man.

Even when meeting Hei Fu, a high-ranking official, his attitude was no doubt that of an ordinary farmer. He was reserved and honest, and would be restless at the banquet. Xu Sheng, the oldest, was well-informed and could talk to Hei Fu.

Xu Sheng first asked Heifu to remove the lacquerware and bronzeware so that they could use the simple pottery they brought with them. Heifu agreed one by one. He refused Heifu's toast again, saying that we farmers do not drink wine that wastes food. He only took a sip of the soup and said with a smile:

"The governor's words are serious. After I left Qin, I took my disciples to travel to Linzi and Jiaodong. I stayed there for a while and taught farmers how to farm. The locals called me Xu Jumang. I don't want ten years to have passed. They still remember me..."

Xu Sheng speaks fluent Guanzhong dialect, which is not surprising. Heifu heard that this wild old farmer was a colleague of Prime Minister Li Si at that time. As a disciple of Lu Buwei, he wrote "Lu's Spring and Autumn" in Xianyang!

Farmers are an anomaly among other scholars. They are somewhat similar to Mohists. They live a very simple life and wear ordinary coarse clothes. Although they advocate mulberry farming, they do not own an inch of land of their own and live a life of traveling around the world. They are not like Confucian scholars who pursue high-ranking officials and rich salaries. They only hope to get hundreds of acres of land and several acres of houses, settle down, and lead the local people to study farming techniques.

According to the ancestors, the Shennong family inherited the cause of Houji and paid attention to sowing grain and encouraging mulberry cultivation to provide food and clothing for the people. If the grain is sufficient, the people will be satisfied, and if the people are sufficient, the world will be sufficient. This is their consistent philosophy...

Having professionals come to help develop production in their country's territories should be something that kings and princes would applaud, but farmers have been struggling with no place to gain a foothold. Because a hundred years ago, their leader Xu Xing stole students from Mencius and severely offended this scholar. Mencius was very focused on family and regional views, so it was difficult for farmers to develop in Jixia Academy and Qilu.

In the end, the peasant family only sought a place in the small country of Teng in Sishang. During the reign of Duke Wen of Teng, the farmers opened land in the Teng Kingdom and farmed together with the local people, enjoying themselves happily. However, after the Teng Kingdom was destroyed by the Song Dynasty, they had no choice but to leave there...

In those years, the princes united vertically and horizontally, and the east was in chaos. The Song State destroyed the Teng State, and was subsequently conquered by the Qi State. The Qi State was attacked by the Five Kingdoms, and almost perished. There were wars everywhere, and it was indeed not a good time for farmers to develop their productivity.

The farmer's family was displaced like this and declined for a long time. Until Xu Xing's grandson Xu Sheng, he had a rare opportunity: Qin Prime Minister Lu Buwei wanted to follow the example of the four princes in taking care of guests and invited the farmer's family to Qin by name!

Speaking during the dinner, Xu Sheng was still full of praise for what he saw and heard when he entered Qin:

"The people are simple, the music is not dirty, the clothes are simple but not luxurious, and the farmers get up at dawn and work hard until dusk. I have traveled all over the world, but I have never seen such simple people."

Qin's government was also very good. From the petty officials to the prime minister, the core concept of the government's operation was actually: don't delay the people's farming! Everything that might affect agriculture, such as tourists and merchants, was suppressed and banned. In order to encourage production, the Qin State did everything possible.

Seeing this, Xu Sheng almost cried. His family had been searching all over the world for decades, just to find such a government.

The government of Qin coincided with the peasant family, so the peasant family stayed in Qin wholeheartedly. Xu Sheng was also highly appreciated by Lu Buwei. Based on the peasant family's experience accumulated over the years, he contributed "Shang Nong" and "Shang Nong" to "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals". "Ren Di", "Bian Tu", "Jian Shi", and several articles in "Twelve Chronicles".

Heifu said with a smile: "I read these articles when I was in Xianyang. I don't know about the other articles, but these articles written by the farmer, although the writing is simple, are worthy of the reputation of a word of gold!"

After finishing the compliment, Heifu also raised his own question: "After Xu Gong and his peasant family entered Qin, they made Qin use iron farm tools and improved farming techniques. They should have been promoted to high positions, but why did they leave Qin again? "

Many farmers who entered the Qin Dynasty stayed, and most of them worked as field officials at the central or local level, but Xu Sheng ran away.

Xu Sheng's answer was a little hesitant: "After Prime Minister Lu was dismissed from the position of prime minister, I followed him to Henan. Later, Prime Minister Lu died (hong), and I heard that your majesty wanted to drive away the guests from the six countries, so he moved to Prime Minister Lu as a guest When they arrived in Bashu, the old man was timid, so he took his disciples back to Teng County..."

This is half true and half false. Although Xu Sheng is smiling, he is a very kind and righteous person. Lu Buwei was deeply grateful to him for his kindness. This can be seen from the various honorific titles given to Lu Buwei. out.

After the fall of Lu Buwei, Qin Shihuang completely denied his achievements in the previous ten years. Xu Sheng suddenly felt cold and left Qin.

That was already 20 years ago. In the past 20 years, farmers have made another big detour and traveled to Qi, Chu and other countries. However, no matter which country it was, the officials did not have farmers like Qin, and the people did not. The people of Qin are so simple. Either they are too lazy and just muddle along, or they are too preoccupied and focus on business and study tours instead of farming honestly.

Xu Sheng couldn't help but sigh after walking around Linzi and Jiaodong.

"No wonder all the princes are weak, but Qin is the only strong one. Those who can work as farmers, the country will always be strong!"

Just when they had spent twenty years accomplishing nothing, Qin conquered the world. But Xu Sheng was already old and did not want to return to Guanzhong, so he lived in Teng County and other places. Unexpectedly, Hei Fu sent someone to come to his door...

It was also a coincidence that when Hei Fu went to Teng County to find Xu Sheng in person, he was in a neighboring county. Hei Fu was pressed for time, so he left a personal letter and asked the retainers to wait. After a month, Chen Ping was sent over to bring Xu Sheng over. Invited.

"Even if Chen Changshi is not allowed to invite Lao Chen in person, based on the two words left by the county guard, Lao Cai still has to come to Jimo in person."

When Xu Sheng saw Xiao He, Cao Shen and others present looking puzzled, he smiled, placed the pottery plate on which he had eaten everything without even a grain of rice left, raised the bamboo chopsticks he also brought, and tapped the plate. , chanted:

"It's noon on the day of hoeing, and the sweat is dripping from the soil. Who knows that every grain of rice on the plate is hard work!"

"This is a letter sent by the county governor to leave a message. Although it is only a few sentences, it describes the hard work of farming!"

Xu Sheng was very moved. These few words were very simple, but extremely detailed. They could only be said by those who have truly experienced farming and have compassion for farmers!

When he first read it, he was astonished. When he read it again, he couldn't help but burst into tears when he thought of his decades of search, of the farmer's wandering for hundreds of years, and of the farmers' hard work for thousands of years since Shennong's time...

Anyone who can write such a poem must be a good official who keeps farming in his heart!

Everyone at the banquet was full of praise, and Xiao He was also greatly surprised. He turned his head and looked at Chen Ping aside: "I didn't know that the county governor can also compose poems?"

Chen Ping smiled mysteriously: "Although the county prince was poor when he was young, he is talented, intelligent and eager to learn. Why is it so strange?"

But Hei Fu said humbly to everyone: "I am also from Qian Shou. When I was young, I farmed the land with my brother, so I know it."

In front of the Mo family and the peasant family, Heifu's poor background can be a plus. In order to trick the farmer into coming to Jiaodong to help him, he had to put down his moral integrity. Xu Shengwei left Qin because of Lu Buwei's kindness. If he wanted him to help him, he had to be pleasing to the old man.

A poem of pity for farmers moved his heart, and Chen Pingxiao reasoned with it. When Xu Xing heard that Heifu wanted to promote the composting method, which was very novel in recent years, in Jiaodong, he was happy to come!

After the business exchange ended, Heifu discussed the business with Xu Sheng. Xu Sheng had promised to take the farm disciples to live in Jiaodong, cultivate hundreds of acres of land provided by the government, and further study more advanced agricultural technology.

But Xu Sheng frowned again and sighed: "It's a pity that the public toilets in Jiaodong were just under construction and there was not enough manure. There are only a hundred households that can use the method of compost retting."

After many years of wasted time, he met the right person again. Mr. Xu was eager to show off his talents immediately and make up for the wasted time.

But Hei Fu said with relief: "Manure needs to be collected over the years. If less is applied, the effect will not be obvious, so it can only be promoted slowly. But don't worry, Mr. Xu, there is one thing that can be started immediately. Before the end of spring plowing, it can be spread All over the county!”

Xu Sheng was curious: "What happened so quickly?"

Hei Fu stood up, pointed at something in the courtyard of the county mansion and said, "Mr. Xu should know, what is this?"

Xu Sheng took a look and saw that it was an upright wooden pole with a stone plate underneath. He said, "Isn't this a Tugui that measures the sun's shadow?"

Hei Fu nodded: "Of course, the ancients used Tugui to measure the shadow of the sun. The longest shadow of the sun is the winter solstice, and the shortest is the summer solstice. In the spring and autumn, the length of day and night is equal on one day, so they are designated as the vernal equinox and the autumnal equinox. This is the rule of the three generations. There are also four solar terms."

"In the Zhou Dynasty, there were eight solar terms, including Beginning of Spring, Beginning of Summer, Beginning of Autumn, and Beginning of Winter. In the Lu Spring and Autumn Annals, which Xu Gong participated in compiling, it became the December Calendar..."

Solar terms are a supplementary calendar used to guide farming. In daily life, people can predict the cold, warm, snow and rain, and know what to do in which solar term.

Heifu said: "But I secretly think that the solar terms are still not detailed enough. They can still be divided into twenty-four solar terms. The peasant disciples will compile the essence of each solar term and agricultural affairs, and the government will copy them on paper and distribute them to the fields of each county and village. In the official office, it is used as a lunar calendar. Then people will make up songs and sing them in dialects and slang that even old women can understand, making it a household name!"