Qin and Zhao were fighting each other, and Wei and Han were going around each other for personal gain. The towns in Nanyang (Jin) occupied by Qin and the towns in Hebei and Hejian occupied by Zhao have all become bargaining chips, but depending on which side pays the highest price, the two countries will fall in favor of which side.
Qin Kai's land price is: I will conquer any city you ask me to conquer, and it will be yours after conquering it.
Zhao is not that arrogant. In order to take advantage of three small cities, he did not hesitate to offend Qin. It would be a pain to ask him to take out the city.
So the result came out, and Qin and Han reached an agreement: the Qin and Han coalition forces occupied a small city in Shangdang. Wei has no corresponding demands and maintains good-faith neutrality towards both parties. The date for dispatching troops is still October after the autumn harvest. Since October is the New Year of Qin, troops were sent out in October.
After discussing with Han, Mi Rong and Gao Lingjun went to Bao Valley to congratulate the successful repair of Baoxie Road.
Mi Rong and Gao Lingjun led a team of about a thousand people from the pro-camp and a transport team composed of 10,000 prisoners. They escorted more than 3,000 chariots, loaded with wine and meat, on the road to the construction site. After walking on the plank road for ten days, we arrived at the barracks at the construction site.
The plank road was completed a few days ago. This barracks is no longer a temporary camp during construction, but a base built on a relatively open mountain platform. After the project was completed, the prisoners in Xianyang and Hanzhong were brought here to rest and recuperate. Only a few people were temporarily transferred to do some remedial work every day.
The platform was cut in half by Baoshui, so the prisoners in Hanzhong and Xianyang lived on each side. A bridge was built over the Bao River to connect the two camps. Knowing that Lord Huayang and Lord Gaoling were coming to work for the army, Zhang Lu and Sima Jin checked the quality of the roads along the way again to ensure that everything was perfect. The men and horses on both sides merged into one place, and everyone received double the amount of food.
After receiving the news, Hanzhong Shou also arrived the day before. If Lord Huayang is coming, he must be there in person to arrange the welcoming ceremony.
The prisoners were very excited. Although they had worked hard for more than half a year, most of them could end their sentences because they had at least one meritorious service. Some of those who had made great contributions could even redeem one of their relatives.
Hanzhong Shou was very good at greeting his superiors with courtesy, so Zhang Lu and Sima Jin were happy to let go. Since there are women on the construction site, they are given an important role.
This morning, two phalanxes of ten thousand people were lined up by the Baoshui River, with women behind them collecting firewood and making fires. One hundred beautiful people put on colorful costumes, learned dance moves temporarily, and danced in front of the formation. The guard of Hanzhong brought trumpeters from Hanzhong to play music nearby.
Just before noon, the sound of rolling cars came over. Under the command of Hanzhong Shou, the drums played in unison and the women began to dance. Then the sound of the car became louder and the pace obviously accelerated. Immediately, a leather chariot appeared on the plank road. The driver skillfully controlled the horses and came quickly along the winding plank road. The infantry behind them trotted and were pulled down for a long distance. The carriage rushed down the plank road, came to the front of the formation, and stopped steadily. The prisoners on both sides cheered loudly!
The drum music stopped, and Hanzhong Shou took the lead, followed by Sima Jin and Zhang Lu, and came to the front of the car. Hanzhong Shou said: "I, Hanzhong Shou, would like to welcome Lord Huayang and Lord Gaoling with your guests and ministers!"
At this time, a voice in the car said: "Welcome to you!"
Hanzhong Shou looked up and was shocked. He said: "I didn't know that Lord Wu'an was coming. It's a capital crime!" No one expected that there were three monarchs standing in the car.
Bai Qi said casually: "The king ordered the two kings to work hard, but I will control the ears!"
Then seeing the infantry and chariots appearing in the field of vision, Mi Rong said: "I work under the king's order!" The drum music started again,
Bai Qi drove his car slowly past the two phalanxes. Mi Rong shouted loudly from time to time: "Wang Laojun!" The prisoners responded with a burst of "Long live! Long live!"
When the cheers subsided, the carriages also rode on the underground plank road, and another formation of carriages was formed next to the army formation. The troops were also in neat order; there were five hundred soldiers at the front and rear of the formation.
Huayang Jun said loudly again: "The king gave the sergeant a liter of wine and a pound of meat!" Cheers came again.
The leather chariot passed through the military formation and drove to the military camp on the hillside; the soldiers were brought back to the camp, and only the captains of each group led a few people to receive the wine and meat of their group: they handed over their festival charms and received a jar of wine and fifty pounds of meat.
Officials above the doctor level are invited to the main tent, where there is a larger share of wine, meat, millet and sauce: a doctor has one tripod and one gui, an official has one tripod and two gui, a public official has two tripods and two gui, and public officials and above Three tripods and four guis. This is obviously not in line with Zhou Rites, but in the Qin State, the recognition of Zhou Rites is very low, and most people don't even know that there is such a thing as Zhou Rites. It is Qin Law that restricts everyone's behavior.
The food in the main tent was cooked by the prisoners' family members. While waiting, musicians and dancers performed music and dance in the middle field. The tables of doctors at all levels were set up outside the tent. They either talked loudly, or watched intently, and cheered from time to time.
There were actually not many people above the official rank, only three newly arrived princes, Hanzhong Shou and Sima Jin. Zhang Lu is a guest minister. Although he has no title, his treatment is equivalent to that of a concubine. Their seats were set up in the tent, and because there was music and dancing outside the tent, the tent door was open. Zheng Anping and the others are followers and cannot eat or drink in the tent, but they can continue to eat what the master has not finished - the three tripods and four guis, which most people will definitely not be able to finish. The same goes for everyone else's entourage. These followers are now surrounding the big tent to prevent idlers from approaching.
Zhang Lu sincerely thanked Lord Huayang and Lord Wu'an for their support for the construction in Xianyang, thanked Hanzhong for guarding the prisoners in Hanzhong and provided protection, and thanked Lord Gaoling for coming from afar to watch the ceremony.
Lord Huayang, Lord Wu'an and Lord Gaoling also expressed their appreciation to Zhang Lu and Sima Jin for their condolences to Zhang Lu and Sima Jin who were working on the current construction, and expressed their appreciation to Hanzhong Shou for taking the initiative to call for war. Lord Gaoling conveyed the King of Qin's condolences to all the kings, and announced that if the title is not to be changed, it will be decided by the people present and approved on the spot; for the title of doctor or above, the nomination will be made after discussion. There were so many official words and clichés during the dinner that there is no need to describe them one by one.
After a while of excitement passed, Huayang Jun Mi Rong suddenly asked: "Building a plank road is not an easy task. There are so many ingenuities in the craftsmanship. If you make a mistake, it will be difficult to succeed. Today, all the ministers have five hundred miles of Baoxian, and all the prisoners or workers Whether it's clever or clever, it's all about skilled work. It would be a pity if it were left in a field and its work was abandoned! Is there a useful way to make the best use of it?"
Lord Wu'an said: "You are sincere! Now Zhao has betrayed the alliance and defrauded us of the three cities of Taiyuan. General Ranghou is launching a military campaign. Although he has thirty thousand soldiers, he cannot bear to use them. I am sincere. Although the praise is valid, But the road to Shu is still difficult. If the middle road fails, you will never know when it will be restored. How can you work hard to achieve full success?"
Zhang Lu was a little hesitant and said: "The whole army is inspired by praise and praise, thinking that it has achieved success and enjoys peace. Now that we are reciting the old law, I am afraid that the public will not be convinced!"
Huayang Jun also said: "As the guest said, if you don't follow the way, things will not happen. Therefore, you should seek the way."
Sima Jin said: "If we just talk about the work of the plank road, it can be built by craftsmen and returned to the Sikong family. But that is not the case. People build bridges and roads, often in deep mountains and dense forests, in inaccessible places. They rely on food, money, and money to the country. There are differences in how workers receive rice. Workers often gather in prosperous cities and work hard together. The rice they receive is taken from nearby warehouses. When building bridges and roads, one man's work often requires five men to transport grain. It’s really embarrassing.”
Huayang Jun said: "On the other hand, the work is in the shed. Even if there are strong winds and rains, frost and snow, it cannot be added. And building bridges and roads is often in the wild, often exposed to cold and heat, and it is difficult for human nature."
Bai Qi said: "The way in the army is that if you make great achievements, you will be rewarded heavily. Therefore, the one who succeeds first will be credited with the first merit. Now that the merits are twice as much as the work, why don't you win?"
Hanzhong Shoudao said: "Work is not difficult, but food and fodder are difficult. If we do it all the time, I am afraid that the warehouses will be exhausted and it will be difficult to continue."
Mi Rong said: "Qin's prisoners often have more than 100,000, and they must be used to fulfill their purpose. I am afraid that it is not my way to conquer every year alone; it is my purpose to build every year."
Hanzhong Shoudao said: "Building cities and building bridges is what the prisoners used. However, they are all close to the city wall, so there is no burden of losing far away. Now we build roads that are more than a hundred miles away and hundreds of thousands of miles away. How can the people be embarrassed!"
During the discussion, while the food was cooking on the stove, Mi Rong stopped the topic and ordered the banquet to begin. The water and land are all presented, the tripods and Gui are presented together, and the wine and meat are served together. Everyone in the tent came out of the tent to drink with the officials. Each camp has finished cooking and is full of joy.
The aroma of wine, meat, and millet floats in this deserted river valley.
The next few days are the time to talk about merit. Those who have no serious faults will be awarded at least one level of knighthood; generally, they will be awarded two levels of knighthood; and those who have mastered technology will be awarded three knighthoods; a few who are skilled in technology and have solved major problems will be awarded four knighthoods. . The whole army is judged as surplus, and officials at all levels are awarded a title.
Those whose titles had not been changed were all given titles; those who were not changed or above were made a list and prepared to be discussed at court and the King of Qin issued an edict. There was a moment of thunderous cheers.
Zhang Lu regarded guest officials as surplus, and he should be promoted to the rank of Zuo Shu Zhang. Zheng Anping was originally a high-ranking official, but this time he was awarded the second-level rank and became a doctor. Mang Wei, whose pseudonym was Wuwei, was promoted to the third rank with no rank, and was given a hairpin. Because of his contribution to map drawing, Chen Si was awarded the fourth title and was directly promoted. Sima Jin was already a public official, and he was promoted to a higher rank and became the fifth official. It is rare to become a fifth doctor at such a young age; only Bai Qi has had this experience in the past.
The guards in Hanzhong also took the official title and were promoted to the rank of five officials, who still guarded Hanzhong. Huayang Jun asked him to prepare for the construction of the Golden Ox Path.
Mr. Che You, whose pseudonym is Mr. You, is not from Qin. Although he has made great contributions, this promotion has nothing to do with him. Lord Huayang promised to report Mr. You’s achievements to the Prince of Chu and reward him according to the rules of the Chu State!
Ge Nie, who was running around with a sword hanging, was not yet an adult. Although his merits were recorded, he was not granted a title for the time being and would be ratified after he came of age.
According to Qin law, returning a first-level title can redeem a family member who is a slave; returning a second-level title can redeem a family member who is a prisoner; returning a fourth-level title can redeem a death penalty. These people who have obtained the title are secretly thinking in their hearts, who should they redeem?
