Chapter 36 Section 6 The Strange Story Shocked the People of Qin State

On March 20th, the weather was sunny and sunny, and Nanshi was much busier than usual. Nanshi is a large agricultural and animal husbandry trading market under the inner city wall of the South Gate of Liyang.To be honest, it's just a relatively open square.There is a wooden fence gate at the entrance of the market, and there are two large black characters in the center of the gate - Nanshi.Entering the gate, tents are lined up, and people are crowded. Livestock, mountain goods, farm tools, leather goods, pottery, homespun cloth, vegetables and grains are spontaneously mixed under the dilapidated big tents.Occasionally there are bright and brand new leather tents, and those with the words "only for sale, not for exchange" written on the big sign at the door are tent shops of oriental merchants.Only a few well-dressed "Chinese" enter and exit this kind of big tent, using copper coins, iron coins or knife coins to buy goods.Most of the farmers and herdsmen walked into the dilapidated tents of Qin merchants and government officials, and bartered, or exchanged a piece of wild sheepskin obtained from hunting for a few clay pots, or exchanged a few eggs for half blue sunflowers, Or exchange a piece of homemade cloth for an ewe.However, most people trade everything for food and farm tools.There is a saying in the Qin Dynasty, "go to the market in March, and there are five grains and agricultural tools." The busy harvest of May is approaching, and the year's grain storage of the farmer's family has also reached the bottom of the urn.If you don't change some food, don't repair and update farm tools, how can you have time to do these things when you are busy with harvesting?

Nanshi is not a stable commercial market.The Qin people called it "Daji", and the listing and trading were called "Ganji".The so-called "collection" is a simple market that has been established for a long time and is regularly traded in a certain place.In the early Warring States period, due to the backwardness and poverty of the Qin State, the whole country did not have a stable commercial city, but only regular trading markets in each county.Even Liyang, the capital of the country, mainly relies on the market for exchange, and the daily market is extremely deserted.Because it is the capital of the country, the Nanshi Grand Market has become the largest market in the Qin State, once every ten days, and every tenth is the market.The day of the market is not only a great event for the Chinese in the city, but also a great event for the farmers, hunters and herdsmen with a radius of tens of miles or even hundreds of miles.The big fair on March 20, just before the busy May, is even more lively.From the morning, people from far and near poured into the south gate of Liyang City in an endless stream. By noon, the market was already full of people.

At this time, there was a small commotion in front of the official square in the center of the market, and many people rushed over to watch the commotion. The official square is a bluestone wall where the government hangs notices. It is more than one foot wide and eight or nine feet high, with a wooden fence around it.On ordinary days, various government orders and announcements related to the market are hung on the stone wall, and two clerks are guarding beside them to read and explain to people.At the end of the day, the scribes put away the announcement and posted it on the next market day.For some shrewd farmers, herdsmen and hunters and Liyang people who know a few big characters, Nanshi Guanfang is a place that they pay special attention to. Every time they meet, they have to look around in front of the official square. After the end, go to buy and sell.Today, Shifang didn't put up any announcements, so naturally there were no crowds to watch and discuss.

At the most lively time at noon, a small group of soldiers came in front of the stone square.They leaned a thick wooden rafter they carried on the stone square, and guarded the two sides of the stone square without moving.Some idlers who went shopping felt strange, so they stood outside and pointed.At this moment, a small official in black walked into the fence, stood on the stone pier where he usually read the proclamation, and said loudly: "Farmers, animal husbandry, hunters, businessmen and merchants, wait here: under the order of Master Wei Yang, the chief of the left, who can send Carry this wooden rafter to the north gate, and the government will reward you with ten gold pieces! Look, here are ten pieces of gold!" The clerk shook the leather purse in his hand, and the clang of gold cakes was crisp and sweet.

There was a "boom" of laughter outside the wooden fence, and many city people who had finished trading also surrounded them.When people look at me and I look at you, they can't stop laughing.A small oriental businessman in a blue shirt asked with a loud laugh, "The government is also here to join in the fun? Do you want to sell this broken rafter?" "Good idea! This wooden rafter costs ten cloth coins at most, how can it cost ten gold?" Someone shouted. The official in black shook his purse, "It's not selling rafters! It's offering a reward for moving wooden rafters. Whoever carries them to the north gate will be rewarded ten gold!"

"Boom—" the crowd burst into laughter again.A crippled old man said loudly, "If you kill an enemy and break your leg, you won't be rewarded for a single piece of money. Ten gold for moving a piece of wood? You're trying to fool an honest man, aren't you?" "Hey, don't you understand? The government wants to make the market prosperous and join in the fun. The bounty is delicious and hard to overcome." "Yes, yes, ten gold can build a house. Why don't the officials and soldiers move? It's a lie." "The government said last time to reduce the land tax, but it didn't. Is there a letter?"

More and more city people gathered and talked about it, but no one stepped forward to carry the rafter.At this moment, a group of soldiers escorted an ox cart to the outside of the wooden fence.Three people jumped out of the car, the leader was Zuo Shuchang Wei Yang, followed by Liyang Ling Wang Shi, and the last was a scribe holding a wooden plate.When the city people saw this situation, they knew it was the big officials who came, and they didn't dare to laugh wantonly, and gradually calmed down.Entering the fence of Shifang, the original black-clothed officials whispered something to Wei Yang, Wei Yang looked at Wang Shi, Wang Shi nodded, stepped on the stone pier and said loudly: "Father of Qin, old brothers, merchants from all over the world: I am Oak Yang Ling Wang Shi, for the reputation of Zhaoguo Mansion, now, the bounty for carrying this wooden rafter has been increased to 30 gold, whoever carries it to the north gate will receive the reward immediately, and will never break his promise! Look, this is the bounty." Turning around, he pointed to the wooden tray held by the scribe, and there was a row of gold cakes on the wooden tray, which was stripped of the red cloth, shining brightly in the sun.

The crowd chattered in low voices.Someone mysteriously said to the left and right: "This Liyang order is the oriental scholar from the recruiting office. Can you trust him if he didn't do anything when he took office?" Someone said: "Why can't you believe it? He is a high-ranking official. Somebody said with a sneer: "Senior official? The king doesn't count, so he can count on what he says?" Then someone echoed: "If you don't believe me, try it, and your hard work will be in vain." Seeing that there was a lot of discussion, but no one came forward, Wei Yang stepped on the stone pier, "People of the Qin State, merchants from all over the world: I am Wei Yang, the commander of Zuo Shu, who is in charge of state affairs. In the past, the government's orders were repeated many times. The people of the country don't believe in the government, because the affairs of the Qin State can't be handled well. From today on, the government must count on what it says. If you move to the north gate, you will be rewarded with fifty gold immediately, this is the first order from the Qin government this year."

"Ah, the bounty is long again!" The crowd began to commotion, excitement and excitement began to pervade, but they were still skeptical, discussing with each other in small groups.At this time, Hou Ying appeared in the crowd.He is a businessman, and he will come to buy the daily necessities of the inn every episode, and it is always the climax of the city to buy, and he will come to Shifang to see if there is any new announcement every time he finishes the goods.In Zhongshi today, I unexpectedly encountered this strange excitement.Hou Ying has been watching from the crowd outside the arena, and when Wei Yang and Wang Shi arrive, he already understands what's inside.He hadn't seen Wei Yang since the heavy snowfall last winter, but when he saw his guards coming in an ox cart today, he knew that he was not what he used to be.But he still didn't expect that Wei Yang would become Zuo Shuzhang, who was in charge of state affairs.He could understand Wei Yang's speech, and he was excited, so he decided to help him secretly.Hou Ying knew that Qin people were thick and simple, and even if he believed it, few people showed such limelight, let alone doubts about the credibility of the government.He quietly walked among the crowd to observe, and a pair of grandparents and grandchildren looked like Shannong caught his attention.Grandpa is a gray-haired old man, carrying a bamboo basket that faintly exudes the smell of herbs, and there is a rough white wooden scale in the basket.The young man next to him was a tiger-headed boy, clothed and barefoot, with a shovel in his right hand.Hou Ying saw that this was a medicine farmer in Nanshan, unless there were precious medicinal materials for sale, they seldom went to such a big market.They crowded here, purely to watch the excitement and see the world.

The commoner boy tugged on the old man's skirt, "Father, I'll try it." "You son of a bitch! What do you know, can the government give you money?" The old man shook his head. "Father, your illness..." "Stay quietly! Don't cause trouble for me." The old man scolded in a low voice. At this time, Wei Yang saw that there was no movement, and said loudly: "Everyone thinks that moving wood is easy, and it is not worth fifty gold. No one believes it, right? Wei Yang is telling you that the reputation of the government cannot be bought by thousands of dollars. Come, build trust for the government, and you should be rewarded! From now on, the government must believe what it says, and do what it does. The common people believe in the country, and the country's orders must be followed, so that Qin can change. Now, I will increase the reward. Who will move to Mubei? Door, a reward of one hundred!" With a wave of his hand, the scribe behind him lifted up a plate full of gold cakes and spun them around.

The crowd once again made waves, and there was a loud buzz, pushing each other up to try. Hou Ying approached the old man with a smile, "Old man, why don't you let the little brother have a try?" The old man shook his head, "Is it counted if the children's house moves? The government should say that it's up to the adults to count." Hou Ying: "Since it is Lixin, it should be a child without deception, let alone a child. But can the little brother move it?" The old man smiled humbly, "This kid has a lot of strength." The young man said in a low voice: "Father, then I will go. If you don't pay me, I'll treat it like a prank." He broke through the crowd and shouted: "I'll carry it!" The crowd suddenly fell silent and looked at the field.The boy was dressed in ragged clothes, with bare feet and long hair, and his dark and strong muscles bulged out of the ragged clothes.He walked up to the thick wooden rafters, looked around and thought about it. Wei Yang: "Little brother, do you want to move?" The boy's eyes sparkled, "What? Doesn't it count?" Wei Yang shook his head, "No. I'm afraid you won't be able to move, it will take two miles to get to the north gate. Have you eaten yet?" The young man shook his head, "I moved without eating. If the government really gives me some money, my eldest father will be saved." With a slight choke, he bowed deeply to Wei Yang. Wei Yang's eyes widened, he supported the young man, and said to the crowd: "The state government establishes trust. Children and old men are not deceitful. Everyone, follow this little brother to the north gate to testify, and watch him receive a reward of one hundred!" When the voice fell, the boy bent down, the thick and long wooden rafters were already on his shoulders, and he walked out of the wooden fence with a steady mind.The crowd outside the fence made a way out of the way, followed by Wei Yang and his entourage.This moment shocked the whole Liyangnan City, people abandoned their business and crowded into a wall of people, wrapped in a wooden bearer and poured into the city.Pedestrians in the street were also attracted by the alarm, and finally formed two thick human walls along the street, leaving only a small path in the middle.People surged forward following the young man's footsteps, and the alley was empty, but there was no sound.About halfway to the street, an old woman with fluttering white hair stopped the boy with a large bowl of rice wine, "Small baby, drink it, drink it before moving. The baby is filial to save the father, and the government will not give you money." But you have no conscience!" The young man said loudly: "Thank you, mother-in-law. I won't drink, and I won't rest. If the government gives me money, I will feel at ease." During the speech, there was no sign of breathing hard, which attracted the crowd People were amazed. "This broken cub is born with great strength, and he must be a general in the army!" "Filial, ambitious, a rare young man!" "Steady, look——we're at the north gate!" Someone shouted to the boy, reminding him not to fall short. The North Gate Archery Tower was in the distance, and someone shouted: "We're at the city gate soon, that's it!" The wood-carrying boy said loudly: "No, the officials didn't say inside or outside the gate, but if they carried it outside the north gate, the officials would have nothing to say!" "Ambition! It's up to the government!" The whole street shouted in admiration. The young man strode like flying, didn't stop until the flat ground outside the suspension bridge, he planted the wooden rafters on the ground with a "boom", stood hugging the rafters, and looked nervously at Wei Yang and his party.The people all rushed to the north gate, and it was so dark that they couldn't see the side, but no one spoke, they all stared at Wei Yang who followed on foot all the way.At this moment, Wei Yang's white clothes were particularly conspicuous among the black Qin people everywhere.Wei Yang didn't speak either, looked at the young man, went to the clerk and took off the red cloth on the big plate, picked it up with his own hands, and put his hands solemnly in front of the young man.The boy blinked nervously and shook his head slightly.Wei Yang looked at the boy frankly and nodded sincerely.The young man handed over the wooden rafters to the sergeant, hesitantly took a few steps forward, wiped his hands on the worn skirt but did not dare to stretch out.Suddenly, the boy fell to the ground and bowed down, unable to raise his head for a long time.Wang Shi stepped forward to help the boy up.The young man choked with tears and said, "Sir, I only need ten gold, and Dafather will be saved..." Wei Yang's eyes were wet, and he said solemnly: "Little brother, you can't do it. The government has made a letter, saying that a hundred gold is a hundred gold, how can you break your promise to enrich yourself? In the future, the country will be strong and the people will be rich, and the amount of a hundred gold is nothing! Take it, The little brother has made meritorious service, saving grandpa, building a house, and buying land." The young man respectfully kowtowed to Wei Yang three times, stood up, took the big plate with both hands, and held it in front of the white-haired old man.The old man broke down in tears and bowed down to Wei Yang, "Master Zuo Shu, let my grandson join the army with you. Xiaomin believes in you, let him serve the country. His father, my son, died in the Shaoliang War. It's..." Wei Yang helped the old man up, "Old man, let the little brother go to the county government to join the army. He will be honored for his military service." "Glory for meritorious service?" The old man opened his eyes wide in surprise, "Can ordinary people have a title? My son killed ten Wei dogs before he died. Why is there nothing?" Wei Yang: "Old man, that's the old law, and the state of Qin is going to change it soon." The old man laughed hoarsely: "In this way, the law has to be changed. If the law is changed, we and the untouchables can honor our ancestors, right?" "Yes, old man, that's exactly the case." Wei Yang replied loudly. This conversation was clearly heard in the audience.Seeing that the boy got a reward of 100, people naturally trusted the words of this white-clothed Zuoshu elder. He said that he wanted to change the law, could it be false?The crowd cheered happily, "What you say is true, long live the government!" Wei Yang waved his hand, and the people calmed down. He stood on a big rock and said loudly: "Fathers and brothers, Qin will implement reforms starting tomorrow. Will you I have seen new laws promulgated by the government one after another. These new laws are for everyone to be diligent in farming, brave in battle, rewarded for meritorious service, and punished for crimes. Officials who break the law are the same crimes as the common people. Today, moving trees to establish trust is to let everyone understand that the government Words count, and new laws promulgated must be faithfully implemented. Those who obey the law will be rewarded, and those who violate the law will be punished. This is the reform of the Qin Dynasty. As long as the Qin State is united, the government and the people are united, within ten years, Qin State will be rich. Get stronger!" The audience cheered, "Long live the government! Reform and strengthen Qin!" Someone shouted, "Long live Zuo Shu!" The crowd woke up like a dream, and immediately shouted, "Long live Zuo Shu!" It turned out to be the waves of the sea Like continuous.Amid the excited shouts of the crowd, Wei Yang and his party had already quietly left. With the end of the Liyang Daji on March 20, the story of Zuo Shuchang's emigration to Mu Lixin quickly spread throughout the mountain villages of Qin State. "A little grandson of an old drug farmer carried a rafter, and got a hundred gold from Zuo Shuzhang!" Is there any story that can arouse the curiosity of the poor and ordinary people more than this kind of story?People flocked to Shangyu Mountain in Nanshan to see the old Yaonong grandparents, and listen to the fascinating and dreamlike stories told by young people and old people.Later, some people also saw the house built by the old man and the merit monument erected by the county magistrate for the old man's son who died in battle.Once spread to ten, ten to hundreds, the reputation of the government stood up in this magical word of mouth.Later, people only listened to the old man telling stories.I heard that the boy has already joined the army.