Chapter 5 The fourth quarter Zhaoxiang Wang Mu decided to make plans

Cai Ze was busy with Li Bing's appointment, but his heart was churning like rivers and lakes. It seems like it has been a year since he entered the Qin Dynasty as a chancellor, and before he could use any of his plans, Li Bing, who appeared out of nowhere, took away his first contribution to becoming rich in Qin Dynasty.Although Cai Ze is definitely not a narrow-minded person who is jealous of talents, and he also greatly rewards Li Bing, but he always feels that it is not a good taste.I entered the Qin Dynasty with a long-term strategy, and persuaded Yinghou Fanju to let the virtuous and recommend the virtuous. Although he also had the help of Tang Ju, after all, he had a real talent and a good chance of winning.After becoming prime minister, Cai Ze suddenly became aware of the intricacies and subtleties of the Qin Dynasty's situation. If the foundation is not stable, he will do things with great fanfare, and it is entirely possible that he will drown himself first without achieving anything!Vigilant, Cai Ze gave up the strategy of immediately starting to manage the Guanzhong River Canal, and put solid foundation as the first step, determined not to rush to do things, and set a rule in his heart that "don't rush for quick success".For more than half a year, the mystery of the court situation has been clearly seen. An Guojun Yingzhu, who has the name of a prince but not the real prince, obviously regards himself as a future leader.The powerful royal ministers of several parties also showed their favor to him either explicitly or secretly.The generals in the army also became acquainted with him a lot, the reputation of the prime minister who opened the mansion was established, and a river of ice water gradually opened up.As long as he can figure out the old Qin King's definite arrangements for the major events behind him, Cai Ze can let go of his hands and feet to do things.In this way, Cai Ze was very intoxicated by his Fan Li-style wisdom - shrinking and shrinking freely, bright and wise to protect himself and then make meritorious deeds, very like Tao Zhugong!

However, this kind of joyful intoxication was torn to pieces coldly by the old king of Qin. When Li Bing's man-made disaster theory shocked the court and shouted to kill him, only Cai Ze put forward the idea of ​​not killing but serving, asserting that "although he slanders the Qin government, he is still a useful talent."At the moment of great change, Cai Ze's idea was: not only to save face for the old King Qin, but also to keep Li Bing for my use, and to show that the Prime Minister of Kaifu has a mind as big as the sea.As far as the officialdom is concerned, it is really rare to be able to take care of all three sides when there is no time to spare.However, when the old king of Qin said coldly, "What is Qin Zheng", Cai Ze immediately felt bad.Although those heartbreaking reprimands were spoken in front of the ministers who asked to kill Li Bing, they sent shivers down Cai Ze's spine.The root cause is that the old king of Qin didn't even mention a single word about his claim as the founding prime minister; he didn't mention it because he had forgotten it, but he showed his coldness, which showed that he was more selfish than the courtiers who invited him to be killed!More importantly, the old king of Qin had already negotiated with him about the court meeting: after Li Bing responded, he and the crown prince Yingzhu proposed the appointment of Li Bing at their discretion, and the old king of Qin agreed; but after the situation changed, the old king of Qin completely abandoned After he and the crown prince, he resolutely personally issued an edict to promote Li Bing, a commoner water worker, to the county guard in one fell swoop, and Zuo Gaojue bestowed the Zhenqin King Sword, which is just unbelievable!As soon as the edict was announced, the old king of Qin laughed without even looking at him.How can this situation be so embarrassing?

After all, Cai Ze is not mediocre.After disbanding the court, he thought calmly, and suddenly realized that he had made the big mistake that Fan Ju made when he first entered the Qin Dynasty: he did not focus on seeking the country and doing things, but only focused on self-protection, so that he had all kinds of responses based on power tactics ; Such actions may be regarded as brilliant in the six countries of Shandong, but they are doomed to hit a wall in Qin!Because he didn't use it in the past few years, and the great talents have no courage in front of them, the so-called strategy is only shouting, what kind of monarch is the old king of Qin, can't he be aware of it?Cai Ze, oh Cai Ze, you have hit a wall in front of Fan Ju once, and this time you bumped into it again, you are really as stupid as a donkey!If it wasn't for Tang Ju's advice that day, how could Fan Ju retire and recommend you to Qin as Prime Minister?Now there is no such expert as Tang Ju, how about you?Is there no cure?If so, you, Cai Ze, still have the face to be a celebrity in Yanshan?

Cai Ze cursed himself fiercely, calmed down and pondered carefully, and immediately understood what to do. The first thing is to go all out to pave the way for Li Bing to enter Shu.The old king of Qin used Li Bing so much, and gave Li Bing more power than the king of Shu, who was the minister of the royal family. Obviously, he put the important task of governing Shu on Li Bing's shoulders.If we follow the original way of standing, Cai Ze naturally agrees with it, but he will definitely not plan carefully, let alone go all out.After this change in court, Cai Ze solemnly warned himself: You must do things selflessly for the country, otherwise you will leave Qin State in despair with nothing achieved!After comprehensively weighing the general situation of Qin State and the dangerous situation of Shu, Cai Ze confirmed that the old king of Qin made a decisive decision. Shu is regarded as the great government of the rich Qin, and it should be done as a major event that should be dispatched by the prime minister as a whole, and it must not be hindered by pan-acid!

Even so, Cai Ze always felt that this matter was incomplete. He remembered that when the old king of Qin issued the edict, his mind flashed, but he didn't want to understand it at the time, and he didn't dare to say it, so he suppressed this doubt.Now that the public mind is together, the matter is suddenly clear and picturesque,——Qin Fa Youding: If you have no merit, you have to do things but not be knighted; even Zhang Yizhi's Wu Xinjun and Fan Ju's Yinghou were all knighted after they made meritorious service. As for Cai Ze, the prime minister, he still has no title; now that Li Bing is in charge, but he won the twelfth rank of noble title before he took office, wouldn't Qin Fa be chaotic and disorderly?Once this example is established, it must be followed in the future. Wouldn't the Qin law be lost?The Qin State rewarded military merits, and the key lies in the honor and salary. Excessive award of honor and salary will surely hurt the heart of the government and the public to serve the country with meritorious deeds. Is it a trivial matter?

Thinking clearly, Cai Ze immediately wrote a letter to the King of Qin, analyzed the pros and cons, and bluntly said, "Please remove Li Bing's title and rectify the Qin law"!Cai Ze had already made up his mind that if the King of Qin blamed him or ignored him, he would resign immediately.Not wanting to write the letter the next day, the old king of Qin urgently called Cai Ze into the palace, and bowed to Cai Ze in front of the crown prince Ying Zhu: "The prime minister protects the law with a fair heart, and this king is willing to be taught!" Cai Ze burst into tears. Even if you ask yourself to be the chief envoy of the Shu Road, the Shu Road will be opened in six years!King Qin Zhao was very surprised, but he laughed: "The prime minister is willing to take on the difficult task, which shows that the governance of Shu has been included in the overall situation, and the old man is also pleased. However, this matter is not the key point, and the prime minister still appoints a subordinate official to do it." Said Then he snored and fell asleep.

Disappointed and thinking over and over again, Cai Ze finally decided that the old Qin King was right.Indeed, no matter how important this road is, it is not a key link after all. A prime minister is the general envoy of road construction, but who will take charge of the overall political affairs?What is the outline?The key to the overall situation, the beams and pillars of the building, and the responsibility of the prime minister to open the government.The prime minister who founded the mansion does not take charge of the overall situation, but he has to work as a road worker. How can the old King of Qin not be disappointed?It seems that his second major matter should be started.

One month later, the Prime Minister's Mansion promulgated the decree to implement the system of prefectures and counties in Shu, and all the affairs of opening the Shu road were also done, and Li Bing's subordinates for entering Shu were all ready.Just when the rush of May came, Cai Ze and Prince Yingzhu led all the courtiers to pay a farewell party for Li Bing at the pavilion outside the south gate of Xianyang.Li Bing was removed from the title, and the ministers' suspicions and fears dissipated, and they became more sincere to Li Bing. They held up the wine baron to tell Li Bing in various ways, but Li Bing always smiled indifferently.

Cai Ze, however, was worried that the God of Water, who was so appreciated by the old King of Qin, would hold grudges, so he deliberately drove Li Bing to the foot of Nanshan Mountain alone, and said with a parting smile: "If you succeed in controlling the water, Cai Ze will be the first to plead for your order. Make the Duke a noble in the country!" After a moment of daze, Li Bing laughed loudly: "It turns out that the prime minister's heart trouble is here, how stupid I am!" After saying that, he got off his horse and bowed solemnly, "Li Bing's ambition in life is to seek an official position. The water workers lead the people to control the water. If you can get the post of county guard and control the people's resources and financial resources, there will be a lot of benefits in water control and no harm, so I am happy to accept it! The day when the flood is eliminated and the land of Shu is prosperous, Li Bing will be gone in Qin State. How can you say that you are a noble in the country!" Cai Zeda was surprised: "Mr. Tao Zhugong learned the style and retired after success?" Li Bing shook his head and smiled: "I am a water engineer, and the world is full of floods. An dare to say that he has achieved success. Back?" After saying goodbye, he got on his horse and went.

Seeing Li Bing's men and horses disappearing at the mouth of the Nanshan Valley in a daze, Cai Ze just let out a long sigh and returned to the car into the Bashui River.It was hot in the afternoon, and Cai Ze felt thirsty after walking for several miles, so he stopped the car in a forest by the side of the road, sat on a big rock, opened the water bag and drank.At this moment, he heard the sound of cars rattling along the road, and one person laughed and said: "A tall man is taller, and the prime minister is indeed here." Cai Ze looked up, and a fat body was already in front of him, not Ying Zhu but Who is it?

"An Guojun came to look for it in the wilderness, so he came to collect medicine again?" Cai Ze smiled teasingly. "Ashamed of the prime minister, Ying Zhu will apologize now." Ying Zhu bowed deeply, and sat on the big rock opposite, "The prime minister recommended famous people to help me, but Ying Zhu's actions did not predict the prime minister, which is really against the way of a gentleman. But there is a whole story behind it: Ying Zhu originally thought that the prime minister was not a great talent, and even if Ying Zhu made a lot of money, how could he conceal the prime minister's brilliance! But he never expected that the prime minister was too late to make a long-term plan, and let Ying Zhu be the first to rule. The strategy of Shu put the prime minister in an embarrassing situation. In all honesty, Ying Zhu was forced by his father to take measures to protect himself and did not take other considerations into account. Please forgive me, prime minister." "Three days after Shibie, you should look at him with admiration!" Cai Ze stared at a pair of slender and bright triangular eyes, and wanted to smile mockingly, but the surprise that filled his face could not be concealed, "An Guojun said, Did Shi Cang point out what you did?" "Yes. Not quite." "What do you mean?" "Shicang's warning: the foundation of seeking national avenues lies in meritorious deeds. As a prince and important minister, you can't stand up with power and tactics. Introspecting on his past actions, Ying Zhu felt ashamed. Thinking about it carefully, the root cause of the chaos in Shu was clear. Floods, road blockades , Princely territory self-government, who doesn’t know the disadvantages of this? If no one points it out, it’s nothing more than fear of hurting the interests of the royal family. After being taught by Mr. Yingzhu, Yingzhu decided to be fair and righteous, so there was a letter to tell the truth. That’s all , it's really normal." After a long silence, Cai Ze finally let out a sigh: "The right way to pursue a country is based on merit. What Shicang said is good!" "Ying Zhu came here today because he wanted to give the prime minister a message." "Oh? Mr. An is going to make another surprise move?" "Where did you come from?" Ying Zhu's slender eyes flickered, "Father is determined to inspect Guanzhong, what advice does the Prime Minister have?" "So, An Guojun followed the king's order?" Cai Ze was surprised, but his face was very indifferent. Ying Zhu shook his head and said, "I just found out when I went to the palace to visit my mother this morning." "Is there no minister accompanying you?" "I don't know the details." "When will we leave?" "Three days later." "Okay! There may be salvation!" Cai Ze slapped his palm, and then shook his red and painful hand again and again, "This opportunity must not be missed, you and I have to go on patrol together. Tell me, what is An Guojun's plan, Do you want the old man to make way for you?" "It's two forks, two forks." Ying Zhu waved his hands again and again, "I didn't intend to go with you, but I just didn't understand why my father was willing to take the risk and go on a tour, so he came here to ask the prime minister for advice. The prime minister came to Qin with a plan to learn , There must be a comprehensive strategy for governing Qin Fuqin, but I am arguing for it? Ying Zhu declared today: From now on, he will cooperate with the prime minister to seek the country and help the prime minister implement long-term strategies!" "An Guojun is really a change from a fish to a dragon!" Cai Ze laughed a few times with a blushing face, stood up and walked around in front of the boulder, his face darkened, "King Qin is more than a few years old, and will never go on tour again. Of course, the meaning is clear: the King of Qin is already anxious about governing the major affairs of Shu; if he doesn’t know how to go with him, he will be disappointed in you and me, how can there be any other?” "Prime Minister!" Ying Zhu got up abruptly, "I'm trying to serve the country with all my strength, why doesn't my father know?" Cai Ze shook his head: "There is also a reason for the incident: the old man is sluggish, and his long-term plans are in vain. An Guojun probably has some insight but often has no courage, and lacks responsibility. The facts have been proved before, so I can't blame the old King Qin." "So, all the hard work was wasted?" Ying Zhu couldn't help but blush. "Don't worry, don't worry." Cai Ze waved his hands and smiled, "At present, you and I are worthless to the King of Qin. It's a pity to abandon it. It's tasteless to come, understand?" Seeing Ying Zhu shaking his head in confusion, Cai Ze smiled, "An Guojun Don't bother with such things, just settle down with a heart that knows everything about politics." "If you can't go with you, who will you tell?" "I will take this responsibility, I guarantee you will go on tour with you in three days." After saying that, he waved his hand, "Go! It's time to go back." Walking in circles, he shook out of the woods. The city of Xianyang in the middle of the road rumbled away. In the first ten days of May, when the south wind blows, the fields in Guanzhong are suddenly golden.Xianyang also became hot immediately, and even the evening wind was wrapped in a sweltering heat.King Qin Zhao is most afraid of heat. If it were in the past, he should have gone to Zhangtai to escape the summer heat.However, although Zhangtai is good, it is only a hundred miles away from Xianyang, but it has finally left the center.When the state affairs are in dire straits, the government and the opposition are fluctuating, and the king's authority is a sharp weapon to suppress the country. How dare King Qin Zhao leave for a moment?Speaking of which, since the Changping War, King Qin Zhao has not been out of the palace for more than ten years. Even if it is hot in summer, he can only bear it. When the heat is hot, state affairs cannot be delayed.After several choices in the matter, King Qin Zhao agreed to summon a group of veterans by the pool in the harem garden.This pool is drawn from the east to the palace to form a pond, and then flows out of the palace garden to the south into the Weishui. It is a pearl formed by the two waters of Guanzhong in Xianyang Wangcheng.The flowing water in the pool is green and vast.There are rows of weeping willows on the bank, and sometimes there are big stone pavilions facing the water and the wind, which is really much more refreshing than the royal study in the cold summer.Today, a small banquet was arranged in the most spacious stone pavilion on the periphery.As soon as the bright moon hung on the treetops, a group of veterans came one after another. They saluted and talked and laughed, and the poolside was full of joy. No one expected that the old king of Qin summoned all the economic veterans: Datian Ling (in charge of agricultural land), Taicang Ling (in charge of granary), Da Nei (in charge of material reserves), Shao Nei (in charge of money circulation), Bang Sikong (in charge of engineering), Gongshicheng (in charge of Baigong manufacturing), Guanshi (in charge of business transactions and taxation), right Caitie (in charge of mining iron ore), left Caitie (in charge of iron smelting), and another A Siche Shuchang, Qi Chuchu ten veterans.Although these ten courtiers are all high-ranking officials in the economy, they are of the third rank in terms of title, leadership, and affiliation: Siche Shuzhang is a minister of the Gaojue royal family, and was specially summoned because he is in charge of the royal family's fiefdom livelihood and is related to the economy; Datian Order and Taicang Order The three of them, Bang Sikong and Bang Sikong, are the heads of economic officials, among the ministers of the court, and directly report to the King of Qin; Take orders from the prime minister instead of facing the king of Qin directly.Although these officials have low titles, they are all in control of the real power. They deal directly with common people in various industries, so they are called "professional officials" by the people of the country, that is, officials who specialize in one industry. According to the laws of state affairs and the traditions of the Qin State, there has never been a precedent for such a combination of third-class officials to be summoned by the monarch.Perhaps it was for this reason that the old courtiers began to discuss in twos and threes after greeting each other with courtesy: "Let's take a look, call a group of senior officials, what do you think the old king of Qin is going to do?" "It's all about respecting the elderly. The old king first sets an example for the government and the public. How can there be others!" "Old brother is ridiculous! If you respect the elderly, can you only respect me and other food and goods elders? The rest of the veterans are not considered the youngest?" "It's a big deal! In my opinion, it's probably that the old king wants to find a way to save the country and the world, and he wants me to offer advice and suggestions." "No, no, no!" An old man shook his head again and again, "There are all the officials, but the prime minister is absent, can you plan the court?" "That's right! If the prime minister doesn't come, I'm going to make a big fuss!" The old man was furious. "Shut up, shut up." An old man laughed softly, "Can the prime minister not come? That's because he didn't follow the king's order, so he can't be summoned." "That's strange. It's unbelievable that the prime minister has disappeared after a year!" "If you don't call the prime minister, the old King of Qin is energetic? Can I wait for the chatter after listening?" "It doesn't matter if you can't finish listening, what matters is who is in charge of carrying it out? Did the old king of Qin do it himself?" "Isn't that right? It's just talking, it's just listening, don't take it seriously." Just when the veterans were happy and sad, they saw four wind lanterns coming from the pool, and the veterans immediately fell silent.As the wind lantern approached, I saw the old king of Qin sitting on the Jingshan bamboo couch carried by two warriors, his long snow-white hair draped over his stooped shoulders, the wide linen robe sleeves almost covered the small and delicate bamboo couch, his old eyes were always It was slightly closed, and there was an intermittent snoring from time to time.Looking at the nearby stone pavilion, the old man who was walking beside the bamboo couch coughed lightly. The old king of Qin immediately opened his eyes, and the laughter floated over with the wind: "The old people are here, okay! No need to be polite, Take your seats, and let's eat and drink first." While talking, the bamboo couch landed firmly on the ground, and King Qin Zhao brushed aside the things that came to help him, and the bamboo sticks stood up at one point, with slightly trembling frosty heads moving step by step come over. "See my king!" The veterans stood beside their respective tables outside the pavilion, bowing in unison to salute. "Sit and sit." Qin Zhaowang smiled and leaned into the special couch table on the wide steps of the stone pavilion, stretched his legs and glanced at the veterans, "Who can't sit on the floor? Tell me, change the couch .” "It's okay for ministers to wait." All the veterans replied in unison. "It's a good thing to be able to bend and stretch when you are old!" Qin Zhaowang sighed, and raised the prince, "They are all a group of old people, but they have not met for many years. Come! Be a prince first, everyone is strong and healthy!" "Long live my king!" The veterans shouted excitedly, and they all drank down the wine. "It's rare!" Qin Zhaowang took two sips, put down his wine and said with a smile, "Today the moon is bright and the wind is clear, and it is really gratifying to be with the old people of the past. My land and my people, although they have been in office for a long time, sometimes there are people who write letters to talk about things, which shows that the old man's concern for the country has not diminished!" After some encouragement, King Qin Zhao sighed, "God! After the Changping War, the old man Lost insight, lost all three battles, greatly reduced national power, and was unable to go out of Hangu Pass to compete in the Central Plains, which made the six kingdoms of Shandong laugh! At this time, how to revive the Qin State? How to consolidate the foundation? The old man has no good plan To be right, I would like to ask the old man to make a plan. Everyone, but state affairs are the most important, and you can speak out to each other as much as possible, and there is nothing wrong with it." There was silence under the pavilion, and the faint croaking of frogs and long cicadas seemed a bit noisy.Seeing that the eyes of the old ministers were all looking at the chief of the chariot, King Qin Zhao laughed: "I have a word first: today we only talk about what we can do, regardless of the rank of the official. The old man is not involved in practical affairs, how much do you know? Invite him to come Isn't it just for the convenience of doing it? The prince and prime minister didn't come, it's just for the convenience of everyone talking. Don't worry too much, but it doesn't matter.” "The old minister has something to say." Taicang Ling trembled and stood up, "Before the Changping War, the old minister was in charge of the warehouses. At that time, the six warehouses in the hinterland of the Great Qin Dynasty were all full, and the common people still had hundreds of dendrobiums in storage, let alone the Hanshui House. Lingcang, Nanjun Cang in Chudi, Yewang Cang in Hanoi, and Yunzhong Cang in Yinshan Mountain are full of warehouses. My king went to Hanoi in the past to supervise the backup of Changping, and there was no shortage of food and fodder, but the shortage of transportation. What a scene! Suddenly ten For the rest of the year, storage in warehouses in the hinterland of Qin State was less than 30%, and it was even more difficult to squeeze warehouses outside Shandong. In recent years, the drought and flood in Guanzhong have been uneven, the land has been barren, and the annual yield has been greatly reduced. But because of this, the old minister thinks that the most important thing now is to increase the harvest and have enough food!" With a single word, the right mining iron in the last seat has already stood up: "My lord: my army retreated to the pass, Yiyang Tieshan was recaptured by South Korea, and the iron and stone needs were unsustainable. The construction of Xianyang Tiefang was less than 20%. The manufacture of weapons has come to a standstill, and only small repairs can be made. Not only have not a single large weapon been added for more than ten years, but most of them are rusted and decayed and cannot be repaired. In this way, there will be no iron for a few more years, and the strong soldiers of the Great Qin will no longer exist. !" "How so?" The corner of King Qin Zhao's mouth twitched violently, "Years ago, the national lieutenant even reported that there is nothing to worry about. Why is it so embarrassing?" Zuo Caitie stood up proudly and said loudly: "The official style of the Great Qin Dynasty is not what it used to be, how much truth has my king heard!" King Qin Zhao's complexion darkened suddenly, but he held back all his strength in the end, biting his cheeks and grinning fiercely: "Everyone, just say, tell the truth from the bottom of your heart, the old man wants the truth!" "My king seeks the truth, how dare the old minister not seek the country?" Guan Shi stood up and cupped his hands, "Since the reunification of the six kingdoms in Shandong, our army was defeated by the allied army led by Lord Xinling to save Zhao, and the merchant brigade entering Qin from outside the pass has dropped by 80%! Xianyang Shangshangfang used to be a place where thousands of merchants gathered and the logistics flowed like a river, but now it is desolate and deserted, with more than one hundred. The huge Xianyang South City, which was originally a big market for trading cattle, sheep and horses with Hu merchants in the north, is now reduced Forty percent or so. In the past ten years since the commercial city was desolate, the tax of the big merchants in Shandong has dropped by 90%, and the taxes of the rest of the customs have been reduced by 60%. Without the support of salt and iron, the commercial city of Daqin would almost collapse!" "The old minister also has something to say." The old-fashioned former young man stood up tremblingly, "The old minister used to be in charge of money, and the government had 36,000 yi of gold in reserve. There are 16,253 pieces of jewels, jade treasures and various antique objects. However, there are Qin envoys who come out of Lianheng and are on top of thousands of gold. ! However, today's poverty, the old minister is really hard to say..." Before he finished the sentence, he was sobbing for a while. King Qin Zhao raised his white eyebrows suddenly: "How is it today? The treasury is out of money?" Seeing the silence of the audience, King Qin Zhao couldn't help being furious, "Who knows the number today? Tell me!" : "My lord said to my king: "Qin laws have been established, and the gold in the government treasury has always been a state secret, and officials and officials have no reason to intervene. Because of the use of the palace, the minister has a lot of contact with the treasury. Generally speaking, the total amount of money in the treasury, About 30% of what it used to be." "There's no reason for that!" Qin Zhaowang stomped his bamboo stick, his face twitched, and seeing the panic of the veterans, he gritted his teeth and suppressed his anger and let out a long cry, "I'm not waiting for you, tell me , or the same sentence, tell the bottom line!" For a while, the veterans complained one after another, Ouchi said that the storage of utensils was not enough to deal with a big war, Datian ordered that a large number of tens of thousands of mu of fertile land in Guanzhong had turned into barren saline-alkali land, and Shandong immigrants who entered Qin Dynasty in the past had begun to flee quietly; Bang Sikong said The power of the people is very difficult, and prison labor alone is not enough to open the road to Shu; Cheng Shi said that half of the workshops have been suspended for materials, and even leather, pig iron, and wood for weapon repairs are not enough; It is said that the fiefs of the royal family have suffered from frequent floods and droughts in recent years, and the annual growth rate has been greatly reduced. Not only are several families unable to pay taxes, but they have to pay the royal treasury upside down... In short, everyone is complaining about difficulties, remembering the great Qin in the past, and everyone is sighing with emotion. . As he spoke and listened, King Qin Zhao's anger seemed to subside gradually, but his long snow-white eyebrows were tightly shrunk into two white diamonds, and at the end he smiled coldly: "No matter how hard it is, there must be a way out." Isn’t it? Please tell me, in this difficult time, how can we revive the Qin State? Crying poor and crying, it’s a bird!” With a rude curse, the veterans looked at each other in astonishment and had nothing to say!All of a sudden, the old ministers felt that they had gone too far, and the old king of Qin couldn't help it.However, it is easier said than done for the veterans to plan countermeasures immediately?Not to mention that these old courtiers have been in office for many years and have not pursued politics. Even if they want to seek politics, it is also a tradition of affairs for each person. Who can have a long-term strategy?Gengjian already felt that he had said too much, who would dare to take countermeasures rashly?Dazed and stunned, they all lowered their heads and stared at the food and drink on the table and became dazed. "The meeting is adjourned!" King Qin Zhao tapped his bamboo stick firmly, stood up and rushed forward, he was so panicked that he and a few warriors trotted up quickly, leaving a group of old officials by the pool and ignoring them . Back in the study, King Qin Zhao's face was ashen, leaning on the couch like a clay sculpture and looking at the dark beams of the roof, he was so frightened that the maids inside and outside the study did not dare to breathe.After the meal time, King Qin Zhao stood up suddenly and shouted: "Chuan Zhao Changshi: I will go to the Guanzhong immediately tomorrow!"After a while, Chang Shi came in a hurry with a wooden box in his hand, and said as soon as he entered the door: "To my king: Prime Minister Cai Zekui urgently wrote a letter." Qin Zhaowang said coldly: "This king is in the palace, why don't you come and speak directly? "Chang Shi said: "The prime minister wants to meet, and the minister said that my king will go to bed early tonight. Open it." After speaking, he leaned on the big pillow of the couch and closed his old eyes, "Read it and listen." After Chang Shi read a few words, Qin Zhaowang suddenly opened his eyes and waved his hands again and again: "Wait a minute, read it from the beginning." Chang Shi nodded, and his cadenced voice echoed clearly in the study: "Read!" Qin Zhaowang suddenly opened his eyes and tapped on the armrest of the couch. "Report to my king: the prime minister has written the letter." Chang Shi put the bamboo slips on the desk. "The prime minister has something to say. I will meet you in the palace tomorrow afternoon. There are still detailed countermeasures to tell the king." His eyes flickered for a while, and King Qin Zhao lightly tapped the bamboo Zhang: "I've read it too, what do you think of this countermeasure?" Chang Shi Gongjin said: "I don't seek great politics, and I have nothing to say about the prime minister's long-term policy. I only feel that it seems too much to talk about Qin's mistakes. The country is not good." Qin Zhaowang's eyes flashed again: "You mean, this book will not be mailed to the counties?" Chang Shi whispered: "According to the Qin law, the prime minister's state affairs book should be sent to the counties to know. But this The book denounces the mistakes of the Qin Kingdom in the past dynasties, and the ministers fear that they will disturb the hearts of the people. In the view of the ministers, it is possible to stay in the palace and not post it on the grounds that "the book does not involve actual politics." King Qin Zhao was silent, contemplating for a moment and suddenly patted the armrest of the couch: "No! The copy of the whole book will be distributed as it is, and all counties and counties will be ordered to write the letter immediately!" After finishing speaking, he stood up and waved to Shizhong, "Prepare the car, the prime minister's residence. "Chang Shi was still in a daze, and King Qin Zhao had already left the study with a bamboo stick.A moment later, a heavily covered black caravan left the palace surrounded by several casual warriors, and then drove toward the east street. The New Prime Minister's Mansion is located on the north side of Zhengyang Road. The Qijin mansion has everything you need for an official office, but without the back garden, it seems grand enough.The reason for this was that Cai Ze had not yet been established as a nobleman, and the Prime Minister's Mansion of the Marquis Ying who was in charge of Fan Ju was too abrupt. King Qin Zhao issued an edict to open up this idle official office as the Prime Minister's Mansion of Cai Ze.When the black-caravan arrived in front of the mansion, he saw that the gate of the mansion was brightly lit, and all kinds of officials shuttled in and out. The carriage and horse farm was also full and there was no space. King Qin Zhao couldn't help being very surprised, so he ordered the driver in a low voice to bypass the back door and enter the mansion. Walking all the way from the backyard, the last three courtyards were completely silent, and there were no wind lanterns at the corner of the corridor.Approaching the state affairs hall in the middle of the mansion, the old servant who led the way signaled to the minister next to the couch to stop, and he was going to report to the prime minister.King Qin Zhao shook his head, stood up from the couch carried by the warrior at one o'clock with the bamboo stick, and walked straight to the brightly lit hall.He gave a few low-pitched instructions to the warriors to stand by and wait, and only a warrior in long clothes and a sword hurriedly followed. The State Affairs Hall is the official hall in the third courtyard of the Prime Minister's Mansion. It is shaped like a small palace, with six steps in front of it; on both sides of the courtyard are the official offices of subordinates; One horse, ready to send out the decree printed by the Prime Minister's State Affairs Hall at any time.In the entire Prime Minister's Mansion, this third courtyard is the center.At this moment, it was the last hour of the third watch, but every government office in the courtyard was brightly lit with its doors open. From a distance, the officials were either engrossed in their desks or rushing in and out. It looks like the deputy is on standby. King Qin Zhao walked leisurely, but he was puzzled: there are no state affairs to be decided recently, so why is Cai Ze so busy all night?Could it be that there is an emergency military situation?The Six Kingdoms attacked Qin?When the cane was swayed up six wide steps and stood under the porch facing the hall, King Qin Zhao couldn't help but be amazed——on the north wall facing the gate was hung a huge "Qin Zhaoyu Tu", where there is a place where mountains and rivers meet. There are big red dots and green dots. The black and thin Cai Ze is standing under the picture and talking to several officials pointing to the wall picture. Calculator, no one looked up.About the meal time, Cai Ze finished his discussion with his subordinates, and when he turned around, he saw King Qin Zhao standing in the porch, he was stunned for a moment and was speechless. "Prime Minister Kui Ye is busy, and this old man is obsessed with watching it." King Qin Zhao laughed and entered the hall. "My king sits here." Cai Ze suddenly came to his senses, and quickly led King Qin Zhao to his main case, but in front of the main case, it was the Minister of the Prime Minister Shi and several officials who were checking something, arguing while busy , completely unaware of what was going on behind him, there was not a single vacant place to sit in the hall.Cai Ze was in embarrassment, but King Qin Zhao raised his bamboo stick and pointed at it with a loud smile: "Okay! It's a revitalizing atmosphere! If this is the case of the state, what can I say?" Cai Ze hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "The minister will not report to the king. Cleaning up the treasury of the whole country, I have not figured it out at this time, the fault of the minister, please let me deal with it." Qin Zhaowang sighed: "The prime minister's words are serious! What is wrong with seeking the country with a public heart? This king has more than 50 years in the country. Years have no other advantages, but this is the only way to let go of the ministers' affairs! There was the Queen Mother Ranghou in the past, and the Wu'an Lord Yinghou in the future. Regardless of whether the king is in charge or not, has there ever been a mess because of the centralization of power by the ministers? Talents all over the world , Only those who dare to do things can accomplish things. The prime minister cheers up, the old man is not as happy as he is, so why should we deal with the crimes!" Cai Ze said in a low voice: "I have written a letter, talking about the mistakes of the former king, and I am panicking." Qin Zhaowang Pointing at the bamboo stick, he laughed loudly: "Didn't the prime minister read the "Order of Seeking Virtue" written by the ancestor Xiaogong? Not counting the mistakes of the ancestors, there is the reform of the Qin State! If a country wants to be prosperous and strong, it should be changed according to the times, the law of the ancestors Why are you afraid?" "I would like to be taught!" Cai Ze was very excited, and even bowed deeply. "Long live King Qin!" The officials in the hall cheered. "Okay, okay, long live once." Qin Zhaowang smiled with his snowy head trembling, "You are busy, I will find another place to talk with the prime minister." Cai Ze hurriedly cupped his hands: "The first four are all full, I take the liberty to invite my king to the minister's dormitory." Qin Zhaowang nodded his staff and said with a smile: "Okay, it's the dormitory, so you can rest on the left and right." It wasn't until the rooster sang and the sky turned pale that the black caravan rumbled away from the Prime Minister's Mansion. Three days later, Qin Zhaowang, accompanied by Prime Minister Cai Ze and Crown Prince Ying Zhu, went out to inspect the customs. He was accompanied by fifteen economic ministers. Except for the old King Qin, who was in a large and sturdy carriage, all other officials rode lightly and left Xianyang East. The gate came eastward along the Weishui River.This cool car is a specially made large vehicle in which people can sit or lie down. The curved roof of the car has a skylight that can be closed and closed, and there are windows on the left and right sides. Warm, take off the clothes and open the window to cool, so it is called a cool car, also called a car.Later, Emperor Shihuang died of the scorching heat, and the body was transported back in this cool car, and the cool car gradually evolved into a funeral car, also called an car, which is a later story. The chariots and horses go east of Xianyang for dozens of miles, and you will find the ground of Gaoling, a large county in Guanzhong. This Gaoling County is at the junction of Jingshui and Weishui. .King Qin Zhao was afraid of the heat, so he sat outside the skylight of the wide-open carriage all the time. He had a panoramic view of the wild scenery. He saw that the fields outside the city had been harvested, and the farmers were busy diverting water to irrigate the fields. I couldn't help being surprised: "It's a good thing to irrigate in summer, but why are the farmers making so much noise?" Cai Ze pointed his whip at the side of the car and replied: "There is a shortage of water in Guanzhong, and fighting for water in summer has always been a common occurrence." King Qin Zhao couldn't help frowning: "It's strange! Guanzhong is surrounded by eight rivers, how can there be water shortage?" Cai Ze cupped his hands and said, "My king is obsessed with war, so he has never carefully studied the landscape and agriculture in Guanzhong. Although there are eight rivers in Guanzhong, there is always only one canal for diverting water to irrigate the fields. Canals. The common people in other counties irrigate their fields, all relying on the residual canals left over from the old well field system, and the hairy canals opened by the households. The canals are narrow and shallow, and they are easy to silt up. There are frequent wars, and county officials, pavilion chiefs, Lizheng was waiting for a group of officials who were busy collecting taxes, while the people were busy harvesting seeds and wartime corvee, there was no time to repair the many dilapidated canals, and there was very little water diversion during summer irrigation, so naturally there would be quarrels." Cai Ze said solidly. King Qin Zhao couldn't help but blushed and said: "The four-layer water network inside and outside the well field system, the well canal, the inner canal, the she canal, the Cheng canal, and the external river, how can it become a broken canal now?" Cai Ze smiled and said: " My king did not know this. During the three generations, the land was more and the people less, so the water conservancy system of the well field was naturally organized. However, the rivers, water flow, population, and land have undergone tremendous changes in the past thousand years. The ditches, without the benefit of diverting water to irrigate the fields, will increase the risk of floods and occupy a large amount of land. Therefore, Shang Yang's reform method of "abolishing the well fields, opening up the rice paddies". Farming. According to my survey, there are only five remnant canals in the twenty-three counties of Guanzhong, each of which is no more than six feet wide and twenty miles long. It is like a drop in the bucket for the rush to plant in summer!" King Qin Zhao was silent, the rattling wheels were crushing heavily on his heart, and he was speechless for a long time.For many years, King Qin Zhao has believed that he is a wise king, who knows the country, knows people and has insight into the candlelight, so he will never be bad in the management of Qin.然今日一到栎阳，自己对民情民生便是如此生疏，遑论偏远之地？一时百感交集，秦昭王便是一声叹息：“邦国生计，卿能如数家珍，实堪欣慰矣！”便闭起一双老眼不再说话了。 蔡泽说一句我来领道，便匹马前行，出了官道两层护林便向田间村路东去。 半个时辰后，车马从渭水北岸的田野接近了栎阳地面，突兀一阵白茫茫风雾卷来，秦昭王“噫！”的一声揉揉眼睛，接着便是几个响亮的喷嚏，连连摇手吭哧道：“甚地方？有白毛风！”蔡泽咳嗽着高声道：“渭北斥卤地，民人呼为硝碱滩！我王看了——” 秦昭王费力睁开老眼，脸色便倏地沉了下来。遥遥望去，白如雪地的盐碱滩茫茫无涯，间或有大片荒草形成的雪中绿洲，极目而尽，没有一个村庄，只有一片片粼粼水光在阳光下闪亮。时有大风掠过，片片白色尘雾便从茫茫荒草渗出的盐碱渍水滩卷地扑面而来，竟是森森可怖。 “如此硝碱滩，关中几多？”秦昭王嘶哑地喊了一句。 蔡泽挥舞胳膊指点着：“咸阳以东六十里开始，再向东三百里，渭北平川断断续续全部如此！关中耕地，主要在渭水南岸，渭北一半，差不多白白扔了！” 秦昭王阴沉着脸一指：“走，塬上看！” 车马上得一座树木稀疏的土塬，但见北方天际山塬如黛，背后便是渭水滔滔，这茫茫白地夹在渭水与北山之间断断续续向东绵延，活脱脱关中沃野的一片片丑陋秃疤！在这片片秃疤中，绿兮兮的是茫茫荒草，白森森的是厚厚碱花覆盖的寸草不生的白毛地，明亮亮的是渗出草地的比盐汁还要咸的恶水。水草之间蓬蒿及腰狐兔出没蛙鸣阵阵，却偏偏是不生五谷！ “这这这，关中沃野，何以有此恶地？”秦昭王生平第一次茫然了。 蔡泽马鞭指点着渭水南北道：“关中八水，五水在渭南，渭北唯泾水洛水也。自周人建沣京镐京始，河渠灌溉便多在渭水以南，故渭南之地多为沃野田畴。渭北则因河流少开垦少，原本多为草木连天的荒原。渭水流经关中中央地带，河床南高而北低，但有洪水便向北溢流蔓延，在草木荒地中淤积成滩，无以排泄，久而久之便积渍成这种白土斥卤地，民人呼之为硝碱滩者是也。” 凝望之下，秦昭王突然眯缝起老眼一指：“那片白滩有星星黑点，是人么？” “那是扫碱民人。”蔡泽接道，“硝碱成害，也有一蝇头小利，便是出碱。渭北庶民除了耕耘仅存坡地，便凭扫碱熬碱谋生。” “扫碱熬碱？能谋生？”嬴柱惊讶地插了一句。 蔡泽指着白茫茫滩地道：“这白地寸草不生，却有浸出的晶晶碱花。民以枯干蓬蒿结成扫帚，在滩地扫回碱花，加水以大锅大火熬之，泥土沉于锅底，碱汁浮于其上。将碱汁盛满一个个陶碗，一夜凝结，便成一个大坨，秦人呼为'碱坨子'。碱坨子化开，便是碱水。精者可以厨下和面防止面酸，粗者可以鞣皮。非但咸阳皮坊常来购买，即便胡人入秦，也必来收购碱坨子带回。渭北农人之生计，便赖此蝇头小利以艰难度日矣！” “好事也！艰难个甚？”嬴柱更是困惑了，“天生硝碱，不费耕耘之力，大扫卖钱便是，钱换百物，如何还是艰难度日？” “安国君有所不知也！”蔡泽叹息一声，“就成碱而言，这白茫茫滩地也分为几等，并非处处都有碱花可扫。你看，蓬蒿荒草之地便没有碱花，渍水过甚处也没有碱花，惟有那浸透盐硝却又未渍出咸水，潮湿泛白而又寸草不生的不毛之地，才有碱花生出。更有一样，碱花也是夏秋多生，冬春便成白土烟尘。如此一来，能扫碱处也是寥寥几处，何能大扫大卖做摇钱树了？” 秦昭王不禁悚然动容：“老夫生为秦人，五十余年过秦无数，却是熟视无睹也！卿本燕人，对秦地却有如此深彻了解，孰非天意使然矣！” “人各用心，原不足奇也。”蔡泽第一次在老秦王面前显出了天下名士的洒脱不羁，“计然之学，讲究得便是察民生知利害。臣师计然之学，悉心勘察天下各国之经济民生近二十年，入秦之先，臣便曾在渭水泾水间奔走两年有余。否则，臣何敢入秦争相？” “名士本色也！”秦昭王哈哈大笑，“老夫竟几几乎走眼矣！” “原是臣公心有差，亦不谙官道所致。”蔡泽红着脸深深一躬。 “好事多磨，何消说得！”秦昭王慨然一点竹杖，“你只说，秦国出路何在？” “远近两策，可保秦中富甲天下！” “近策？” “三年之内，大力整修渭北残渠毛渠，确保可耕之田足水保收！” “远策？” “十年之期，引泾出山，东来泻卤，成秦中良田三百万顷！” 嬴柱急迫插话：“丞相慎言！三百万顷，岂非痴人说梦？” 蔡泽却是悠然一笑，马鞭遥指西北道：“我王且看，泾水遥出故义渠国山地，经中山瓠口东南流入渭水。若得西引泾水出中山瓠口，于塬坡高地修干渠三百里，向东注入洛水。再于三百里干渠上开百余条支渠，向南灌溉冲刷，此谓泻卤成田之法也。此渠但成，不出十年之期，关中当尽现良田沃野，天府陆海便在秦川！” 默然有倾，秦昭王向蔡泽深深一躬：“果能如此，丞相便是再造之功也！”不等蔡泽说话，秦昭王便转身点着竹杖连续下令，“长史快马羽书：立召渭北十县县令急赴栎阳，太子襄助长史准备栎阳朝会；丞相准备三年近策之实施方略，届时全权部署，老夫只为你坐镇便是。走，我等车马立回栎阳！”于是，一行车马在夕阳晚照中下山了，夏日晚风漫卷着秦军的黑色旌旗，栎阳的闭城晚号粗砺地回荡在渭水山塬，辚辚车马溶进了火红的晚霞，溶进了暮色中的幽幽城堡。