Qin Official

"My name is Yang Xi."

"He is from Ningqin County (Huayin County, Shaanxi Province), Neishi."

On the first day of July, in the Northern Expeditionary Army prisoner-of-war camp, under the candlelight, the young cavalryman Yang Xi was a little restrained. He wiped the corn grains still stuck to the corners of his mouth, rubbed his hands, and began his long self-narration:

"Ningqin County was originally called Yinjin. It was the land of the Wei State. It was ceded to the Qin State during the reign of King Huiwen and was renamed Ningqin..."

Speaking of this, Yang Xi showed a nostalgic smile.

No matter where he goes, no matter how far away from his hometown, as long as he closes his eyes, Yang Xi can see the Huashan Mountain opposite his home. It is steep and beautiful, with rocks growing out of it. This is the scenery that Yang Xi's ancestors have seen for generations...

The geographical location of Ningqin County is very important. It is blocked by Huashan in the south, Fenglingdu to the east of Hedong in the north, a highway connecting Guanzhong Prefecture in the west, and Taolin Fortress and Hangu Pass in the east for more than a hundred miles. With this, Qin can be called peaceful.

This name change seems to be somewhat effective. Since then, for more than a hundred years, except for two minor coups, there have been almost no wars in Guanzhong.

The leaders of Guizhou do not have to worry about bandits breaking into their homes in their sleep, killing people and setting fire to them, nor do they need to fear that the enemy's army suddenly surrounds the city. The men enjoy their duties and the women cultivate their careers. Everything is in order, there are no robbers on the road, and there are no thieves in the mountains. foot.

The only thing to worry about is the harsh punishment for accidentally breaking the law, and which family's turn it will be this year to be recruited to serve as garrison soldiers to help the king conquer the six countries...

"In addition to my mother, I have two younger brothers in my family..."

Yang Xi is the eldest son in the family. His parents were very happy when they had their eldest son. They felt that they finally had a son to inherit the title, so they named him "Xi" to express their happiness.

A few years later, the second child was born, still a son. Father Yang and Mother Yang were in a good mood, saying that even if Yang Xi became an adult and established a separate family, their family would still have a second son who could support him in his old age, so he named him Yang Le.

You must know that Qin is different from other countries. Men must register immediately when they reach adulthood. This means that after the eldest son Yang Xidan becomes independent, the parents of the Yang family will continue to support the remaining few who have amazing appetites. When boys become adults, when they are able to work, they have to separate households to support themselves, and usually only the youngest is left to provide for them in old age.

A few years later, on the eve of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's unification of the world, the third child was born, but soon died of illness. When they buried the little creature in the back mountain, after much thought, the Yang family decided to give him a name.

"Yang Ai."

Sorrow comes to sorrow, misery comes to misery, but life must go on, smashing cauldrons and selling iron, repairing my spears, and supporting the First Emperor's unification!

It stands to reason that the Six Kingdoms have been wiped out, and the burden on the head of Guizhou should be lighter, but the labor service is heavier than before. Not only are the Guanzhong Jinren, Lishan, and Afang major projects continuing, but the land promised by the First Emperor is always distributed in remote counties and counties. Service became a waste of money.

However, the people of Qin had long been accustomed to this kind of farming and fighting life under the taming of Shang Yang's method, and they did not complain as much as in the Six Kingdoms.

Thirty years after Qin Shihuang's reign, those heavy military campaigns gradually intensified. Only a few of the disciples who went to South Vietnam, Northern Xinjiang, Haidong, and Hexi returned. They either stayed there or died of epidemics.

Fortunately, Yang Xi was still underage at the time and escaped by chance, but there were already folk songs circulating at that time:

"Be careful not to give birth to a boy, but use your breasts to feed a girl. Don't you see that in the south of the Five Ridges, under the Great Wall, there are dead people's bones supporting each other!"

In this context, Yang Xi's younger brother was born. The father actually wanted a daughter. Seeing the young son's behavior, he felt helpless and angry, so he named him "Yang Nu!"

But at that time, I just dared to get angry but didn't dare to speak.

With this anger, Yang's father followed Tu Sui south to conquer Luliang. He never returned, and only the news of his death came back.

Now, Mother Yang has to work hard to raise three children...

Joy, sorrow and anger, four springs, are not only the changes in the mood of the Yang family, but also a portrayal of the changes in the lives of the Qin people in Guanzhong over the past ten years.

Fortunately, Yang Xi was already a Fu nationality at that time and could help the family in the field, and his life was barely tolerable. However, he was also recruited to work as a soldier in Lishan and Afang for a few months.

In the summer of the thirty-seventh year, when Yang Xi was still working hard in the fields, the news of the death of the First Emperor suddenly spread throughout Guanzhong. No matter which county, all the Qin people seemed to have lost their souls. The first reaction was that they felt like they were dreaming and did not believe it. It's true, I thought I heard it wrong.

After the news was confirmed, the three elders in the village howled and cried outside the inner door, heartbroken, wishing to leave with the First Emperor. Even Yang Xi's illiterate mother would secretly wipe her tears at home.

"She said, Your Majesty, isn't he supposed to live forever? How could he be gone just like that?"

Although they secretly complained, in the minds of the Qin people, the First Emperor was a god. How could a god die like a mortal? In the past few years, every county celebrated the First Emperor's birthday and cheered with the slogan "Long live, long live, long live your Majesty" coming from Jiaodong, which was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

In addition, the government announced that the First Emperor had asked General Li Xin to find the Kingdom of the Queen Mother of the West. Soon the Queen Mother would fly in the clouds and bring elixirs to offer her, and the Epang Palace was built for her! Therefore, I always thought that the First Emperor could really live forever.

Yang Xi himself felt empty and full of fear and confusion about the future.

According to the education he received from his elders, all the victories of the Qin Dynasty and all the happiness of the Qin people were given by the First Emperor. The entire two generations of Qin people were accustomed to the rule of the First Emperor. Every wise edict and decree was carried by the Qin people. Closely related, his influence has become an indispensable part of the Qin people's spirit.

Leaving him is like a ship without a rudder. What will you do in the future?

Facts have proved that the Great Qin, a large ship that was accelerated to a very fast speed by Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the narrow channel, really started to stumble after losing its helmsman.

The new emperor Hu Hai was just a young and weak boy. Although he tried hard to wear the crown and display the power of the emperor, he did not have the prestige of the first emperor at all, let alone the Marquis of Changnan in the south (at that time, many people in Qin did not know that Hei Fu was awarded the title of Wuzhong Marquis) There was a sudden rebellion...

Recalling those difficult days, Yang Xi murmured: "The rent reduction promised by the second generation has not been fulfilled, but the labor has become heavier..."

"Beginning in the second half of the thirty-seventh year, there was a locust plague in Shaoliang, which affected Ning and Qin. However, Xianyang had to send money and grain every quarter, and they were subjected to endless exorbitant taxes and corvees all day long."

The Lishan Mausoleum is about to be completed, the rebellion in the south is put down, and the resistance in the Six Kingdoms' hometown is suppressed. It seems that it has returned to the second war to destroy Chu, and the entire Guanzhong was mobilized again.

Under this circumstance, Yang Xi, who inherited his father's "Bugen" title, was drafted into the army.

"It was February, around the time of spring plowing, and I was harnessing an old horse to a plow at home. However, someone led by Li Zheng came to my door and told me that it was my turn to serve on the front line..."

"I said, I served twice as a soldier last year, working in Lishan Mountain, and did not return until autumn. In the spring of this year, I was ordered to dig ditches at Hanguguan, and I only came back a few days ago. What's more, I am the only adult male in the family. , I shouldn’t be a garrison soldier anymore. I left, and there were only two young brothers left. No more farm work? No more rent?"

"But Li Zheng refused to listen and was forced to leave home with my horses and clothes."

Shang Yang's method has been immersed for hundreds of years, and the gene called "obedience" has been deeply ingrained in the character of the Qin people.

They dare not go up to the mountains to cut firewood or go down to the river to fish until summer, because that would violate the "Field Laws."

They dare not evade taxes. Even if the tax collector accidentally omits it, which is basically impossible, they will take the initiative to ask Li Zheng, because if they are discovered, the punishment will be a hundred times the land rent.

Its people are simple, its vocal music is not dirty, its obedience is not arrogant, and it is very afraid of being obeyed... This was Xunzi's praise at that time, but Xunzi did not know the profound reason behind it.

The only chance to release this long-term suppression was when attacking the Six Kingdoms. Because public warfare was encouraged, the Qin warriors were almost hysterical on the battlefield.

Even if the First Emperor dies, the laws are broken, and the ropes are loosened, the people of Qin will still habitually restrain themselves and stand in the circle, not daring to move.

Therefore, everyone in the world rebelled, but Qin did not rebel.

This is also the reason why Hu Hai's court was able to maintain its rule after the death of Qin Shihuang and did not collapse quickly...

So even though it was unreasonable, Yang Xi still bowed his head in front of the officials, took the only old horse in his family, and went on the road with almost all the men of the right age in the village.

"When I arrived at Lantian, because I had a horse and inherited the title of my father, I became a cavalry officer and was in charge of five people..."

If you were placed in the land of the Six Kingdoms, you might as well be a local miser, but what would you be in Guanzhong? There are several concubine chiefs in Ningqin County, but they still have to work in the fields themselves. If they don't change their titles, they can only serve as minor officials after joining the army.

"We did not go to Nanyang immediately, but trained in Lantian until April..."

The news of Nanyang's defeat shocked Guanzhong. Even though the officials blocked the news, there were still whispers among the soldiers. Didn't the officials say that under the leadership of Tongwu Hou, the rebellion of the black thieves in the south would soon be put down? Why is it that everything is lost outside the Wuguan Pass? Those Nanyang soldiers withdrew in despair?

In this panic, Yang Xi and his group of new soldiers were accepted by Wang Li from Shangjun...

Wang Li is the grandson of Wucheng Marquis Wang Jian and the son of Tongwu Marquis Wang Ben. This background alone is enough to reassure the soldiers who are not very knowledgeable, but there are also voices like this:

"The tiger father still has a dog son...I heard that this little general Wang has no generals. He lost his way when he was fighting the Huns..."

But after all, with his family education, Wang Li had a certain way of managing the army. After killing a few people, he made the new soldiers docile. In addition, the Shangjun Corps, which had been experienced in northern Xinjiang for many years, was the main force. The recruits were caught among them and marched to Wuguan obediently.

"When we arrived in Shang County, we saw Shangjun soldiers and Nanyang soldiers. Together they were so densely packed that the camp was larger than ten Ningqin County towns."

The more people there are, the more courage there is, and Yang Xi and the others feel more at ease.

But this last bit of confidence in Hu Hai's court was shattered by the loud bang of Wuguan...

Recalling that night, Yang Xi still turned pale and his body trembled.

It was like a thousand candles rising into the sky at the same time, accompanied by a huge explosion, shining white and dazzling.

"witchcraft?"

"Thunder?"

"Fire Crow?"

"Meteor!?"

The 100,000 troops on standby ten miles to the west of Wuguan were all stunned by this scene. Then there was a new loud noise, smoke and dust billowing from Wuguan, and suddenly it was broken. General Xiao Xiao Wang retreated in confusion. Seeing the commotion of the three armies and the disordered formation, Then ordered to retreat!

"That's not a retreat, it's clearly an escape..." Yang Xi murmured. He was a fellow villager who was accidentally trampled to death by the rebels that night.

When the incident happened suddenly, the Northern soldiers were so distraught that they couldn't look at each other. They were instantly defeated and fled to the northwest. They were afraid of meteors falling from behind. They ran all the way and only regretted that their parents had lost two legs.

The Confederate forward Dongmen Leopard took the opportunity to pursue the enemy and annihilated more than 10,000 prisoners.

Yang Xi was lucky. He was a cavalryman and had a horse. He ran more than fifty miles at night and only stopped after returning to Shang County.

At this time, the army was exhausted. There were 120,000 people before the war started, but less than 80,000 were left. The soldiers were in a low mood, and everyone was extremely frustrated. As they continued to evacuate to Aoguan, rumors spread.

Recalling the scene in Wuguan, most people associate it with the horrific scene of countless meteors piercing the sky and falling towards the east in the thirty-seventh year of Qin Shihuang...

"There is a prophecy that says that the one who will destroy the Qin Dynasty will be Hei. Is it true? Hei Fu really has God's help?"

Some soldiers who witnessed the whole process near Wuguan swore that they clearly heard the Confederate army cheering:

"The First Emperor has shown his strength."

"Why did the First Emperor help the rebels to fight against the government troops? Beat up his own son?" Yang Xi felt baffled at the time.

Some veterans who returned from Nanyang told the rumors they had heard earlier:

"Hu Hai is a young son and should not be established. The Southern Army spread the word that it was Hu Hai and Zhao Gao who committed regicide and usurped the throne. Hei Fu followed the imperial edict and raised the army. Otherwise, why would the First Emperor name him 'Wuzhong'?"

"Who should be elected? The eldest son, Fusu? Didn't he plot to assassinate the First Emperor and abscond in fear of crime?"

"I'm afraid the person who should be established is not Fusu, but someone who was helped by the First Emperor!"

The imagination of the soldiers at the bottom is getting bigger and bigger:

"The god of the First Emperor was not passed down to Hu Hai."

"I never protected Fusu."

"But he was succeeded by Marquis Wu Zhong! No wonder he can break through the martial arts barrier with thunder and fire crows!"

Speculations became increasingly irresponsible, and eventually, more exaggerated claims emerged.

"The First Emperor protects Hei Fu so much. Could it be that he is also the emperor's son?"

…

"Is Marquis Wu Zhong also the son of the First Emperor? Otherwise, why would he receive divine help from the late Emperor?"

"Mr. Shusun, is that so?"

After the narration was temporarily interrupted, Yang Xi raised his head and looked seriously at Shusun Tong, who was writing down his story.

This Confucian scholar was the doctor of Qin Shihuang in the past, and is now a popular figure around Wu Zhonghou. Ji Ying was responsible for the publicity and propaganda of the Northern Expeditionary Army before the war. After the war, he was handed over to Shusun Tong to polish the pen.

After the battle ended yesterday, Shusun Tong came to the prisoner of war camp to find suitable candidates on orders from Marquis Wu Zhong, chatted with them, and finally fell in love with Yang Xi, who took the lead in surrendering.

He asked Yang Xi to describe his experiences and mental journey from being captured as a young man and becoming a puppet army who helped the evildoers - the puppet emperor's army, to waking up and surrendering to the Northern Expeditionary Army...

At this moment, Shusun Tong stopped writing in his hand and was a little stunned. Yang Xi's question had nothing to do with the work Heifu told him, but the question of this ignorant pawn reminded Shusun Tong, and he immediately secretly pinched his thigh. one time.

"Yeah, why didn't I think of that!"

There is one thing that has made Shusun Tong depressed for a long time, that is, the prince always likes to flaunt himself as the "son of the head of Guizhou" everywhere, and even stubbornly retains the name of the head of Guizhou, such as "Heifu", and refuses to do so. change.

After conquering Wuguan, Shu Suntong once suggested that Heifu change his name to "Weibang". "Bang" means country, which means "Bang" in big and "Guo" in small.

"Although Zhou was an old state, his destiny was restored", "His son is the leader of the state"...all are good words. This is more suitable for the future status of the monarch.

But Marquis Wu Zhong was stunned for a moment, then laughed loudly and resolutely rejected the proposal.

"Like most people in this world, I am a poor peasant for eight generations and have no ancestors from ancient emperors and sages..."

He also smiled and said: "My name is Heifu, not Wei Bang."

At the end, he added: "I won't call him Wei Yuanzhang..."

This made Shusun Tong confused. At that time, while thinking that "Yuan Zhang" was actually a good name, he slandered:

"It is obvious that a prince can easily cling to the bloodline of an ancient emperor and start a great career..."

"Why do you insist on clinging to your humble background in Guizhou?"

…

ps: Chapter 2 is in the afternoon.

I also recommend this book I found by chance, "A Guide to Fishing Quickly", which is easy-going and interesting. If you don't agree with something, you will drive...