The Great Qin Empire---Qin Li

"The county magistrate summoned me to his mansion?"

Hearing that the county magistrate of Nanjun had summoned him, Heifu was somewhat surprised.

The county magistrate was a county chief official, a frontier official with a rank of 2,000 stones. And Heifu was the military officer's left historian, directly under the county lieutenant. Although the county magistrate also had the right to inquire about military affairs, he would most likely negotiate with the county lieutenant directly, and at most ask the military officer, and would not have direct contact with the subordinates below. Why did he suddenly send an assistant to summon him today?

Although it was unreasonable, Heifu did not dare to disobey the county magistrate's order, so he hurriedly asked Li You for leave - this kind of unconventional summons across levels should be informed of the superior.

Li You did not think much about it, and asked Heifu to go quickly, so Heifu followed the two subordinates of the county magistrate's mansion and rode out of Ying County and walked towards Jiangling, the county magistrate's residence.

Along the way, he also asked indirectly, what might the county magistrate have called him for?

"We don't know the details, we'll know when the left military officer goes there."

The two subordinates were very tight-lipped and refused to reveal a word. It can be seen that the county magistrate's office is very strict with his subordinates.

Hei Fu could only guess: "The call at this time, could it be related to the water mill?"

This is not impossible. In the past few days, Jishan Copper Official has created a device that can pound ore by itself without the need for humans or animals, which has become a big news in the county. Many people ran to watch, and the stream where the water mill was installed was crowded with people. When they really moved by themselves under the drive of the water wheel, there would always be a cry of surprise.

In the end, in order to keep it secret, the county engineering official had to seal off Jishan Copper Official. Except for the people in the engineering department, even officials were not allowed to go in and spy!

"If the county governor wants to know about the water mill, he can just go to the workers. Why is he looking for me?"

Hei Fu was grumbling in his heart. He had cleared himself of the water mill and put more credit on Yuan.

"Or is it related to the advice I asked the imperial physician Xia Wuqi to write to the King of Qin?"

It has been two months since Xia Wuqi wrote to the King of Qin. According to Li You, after the King of Qin agreed, this policy has been implemented in Xianyang and Guanzhong. Led by the imperial physician, Chen Wujiu and other doctors who have learned the art of bandaging wounds will select some soldiers who are smart and proficient in medicine from the army. Each person will train ten people. They will become the first batch of "medical soldiers" in Qin.

After Guanzhong, the rest of the counties will also implement it one after another. Is it time for Nanjun? If this is true, along with this order, Heifu's title of Duke and Doctor should also come...

But is it really good to not call Shangjunwei to discuss this matter, but only call Heifu alone?

Thinking of this, Heifu couldn't help but think about the rumors about the Nanjun County Governor "Teng"...

Teng's full name is Ye Teng. He is not a Qin person, but a Han person. His hometown Ye County belongs to the "Nanyang County" of Han, which is the area north of Fangcheng and south of Yingshui. His family has served Han for generations. More than ten years ago, Ye Teng also became the acting governor of Nanyang County in Han.

In the 16th year of Qin Wangzheng, the Qin army attacked Han and approached Luyang. Unlike Feng Ting, the Shangdang governor who "would rather die than be a Qin citizen" 30 years ago, Ye Teng made a choice that shocked everyone. He actually surrendered to Qin with the entire Nanyang County of Han!

This move directly led to the already very weak Han losing half of its territory and losing the ability to resist Qin overnight.

After Ye Teng surrendered to Qin, he went to Xianyang to meet with King Qin Zheng in person. King Qin did not dismiss his position because he was a surrendered minister. Instead, he allowed him to continue to serve as the acting governor of Nanyang County of Qin and lead the army to attack Han!

This move caused many people in the court to criticize it. After all, it was unheard of in the history of Qin to use a surrendered minister to attack his homeland.

However, King Qin insisted on this appointment despite all objections.

Ye Teng did not disappoint King Qin. In the 17th year of King Qin Zheng, the Qin army broke through Xinzheng, and King Han An surrendered. The Han State, which had been passed down for 22 generations, was destroyed and became the first country among the six countries to be destroyed by Qin.

Ye Teng made great contributions in destroying the country and destroying the city, and was awarded the title of Right Shuzhang. In the 19th year of Qin Wangzheng, he was promoted from the original "temporary governor" of Nanyang County to the governor of Nan County, guarding the southern border of Qin State...

Although the two subordinates refused to tell Heifu why the governor summoned him, they also started to talk about the past when the governor governed Nan County during their casual chat with Heifu.

"The left military officer was still in Anlu during those years, not yet an adult? No wonder you don't know."

The clerk on the black horse on the left said: "The public security in Nanjun was extremely poor during those years. The former Chu family was rampant and lawless, raising hundreds of private soldiers. The local officials were afraid of them and dared not offend them. The thieves in Yunmeng Lake were rampant, and the number of murders on the road increased day by day. Pedestrians had to draw their bows and swords before they dared to walk on the road. The chaos was so serious."

"In the 19th year of the king, when County Magistrate Ye first arrived in Jiangling, he immediately summoned his subordinates as soon as he got off the car. Anyone who was absent was punished and dismissed, and a group of young and capable officials in the school were promoted."

"Then the county governor announced that the king's policy is not to rush to deal with thieves, and ordered the entire Nanjun County to be on guard, and the county soldiers went out together to arrest the illegal thieves. Within a few months, as many as a thousand thieves were arrested and killed! Among them, more than 400 people were beheaded at the entrance of Jiangling Market on the same day, and blood flowed for several miles, shocking the whole county!"

"The county governor really has thunderous means."

Hei Fu praised, and had an impression of Ye Teng as "swift and resolute".

"After dealing with the thieves, it's the turn of the local tyrants."

The clerk on the right, riding a spotted mare, also said: "Many thieves at that time were actually guests of the old Chu clans in various counties. Once they were chased, they hid in the high walls of the tyrants, and the local clerks did not dare to chase them. In addition, the clans in various counties also had bad records such as counterfeiting coins and manipulating the selection of officials."

"At that time, County Magistrate Ye said that these clans were like tumors growing on the body of Nanjun, and they must be cut off with a hot and sharp knife."

"So in the 20th year of the king, taking advantage of the spring season, the county magistrate traveled to more than ten counties in the county. Every time he arrived in a county, he would personally review the case files and listen to the people's complaints. If there was any injustice, he would order the county magistrate and the county magistrate to handle it in person. At the same time, he also secretly sent soldiers to accompany him to eliminate the law-breaking tyrants along the way. In two months, more than ten tyrants in the county were arrested, and their crimes were investigated and sentenced according to law. The big ones were executed, and the small ones were killed. So the county was shocked and terrified, and everyone looked up to the county magistrate, and no one dared to act rashly again."

After eliminating the two major problems of thieves and the big family, Ye Teng began to rectify the administration of officials and regulate the customs of Nanjun. In April of the 20th year of Qin Wangzheng, he issued two official documents.

One was "The Way of Being an Official", which every minor official in Nanjun had to copy and recite. It made a distinction between "good officials" and "bad officials". The good ones were promoted, and the bad ones were severely punished. This was the policy program and was ordered to be implemented in the 18 counties of the county.

The second chapter is called "Yu Shu", which mainly urges Nanjun to strengthen education, eliminate the old customs of Chu, destroy those obscene temples that are not recognized by the government, and bring some folk wizards who bewitch people to justice. With two-pronged approach, Nanjun was greatly governed after a few years...

The next thing is what Heifu saw when he first came to this era: in Nanjun, Qin law was strictly enforced, thieves began to hide, the big family did not dare to act rashly, and the officials did not dare to act for personal gain.

"Although Qin law is very complete, the executor is a human being after all. There is a big difference in the execution effect between a good official and a bad official. Moreover, there is a difference between border counties and inner counties. If there is no county magistrate Teng, Nanjun may still be a corrupt place where thieves are rampant and the rich are in power."

After chatting with the two petty officials, Heifu had a clear understanding of what kind of person County Magistrate Teng was.

The fact that he could choose to surrender when the Qin army was approaching showed that he knew the current situation. As a surrendered minister, he was trusted by King Qin Zheng and ordered to lead the army to destroy Han State, which shows that he really has the talent that King Qin admires. After arriving in Nanjun, his image became clearer. He was not soft-hearted when crushing the powerful, and his methods were swift and resolute.

After eliminating the thieves and the leaders, he was able to teach the county officials and the people in "The Way of Being an Official" and "The Book of Language", showing his gentle side.

"He is both tough and gentle in his actions. He is not only a cruel official, but also a law-abiding official... He is not an easy person to deal with."

Thinking of this, they have arrived at Jiangling City.

To be ashamed, after Heifu came to the county, he was busy with official duties, so he only came to meet with them once at the invitation of a group of comrades. That day was a holiday, so he didn't see too much excitement.

Today is different. All I can see are people, people, people!

Unlike the militaristic color of Ying County, where the county lieutenant was stationed, Jiangling showed a kind of prosperity in daily life. After entering the city gate, there was only a straight and magnificent street, which could accommodate five or four carriages in parallel. Pedestrians walked on both sides, and carriages and horses galloped in the middle, which had already pressed several ruts on the ground, and the distance between the two ruts was the standard six feet.

The stone ditch on the roadside allowed domestic sewage to flow to Yunmeng Lake. Outside the ditch, the houses were close to the side, and the large and small villages were stacked up to the end. There were also many restaurants with flags flying high, and people kept coming in and out. Under the bridge, several waterways in the city were also full of boats.

The street was bustling, and cars and horses passed by them from time to time. Most of the cars were chariots, and they were decorated luxuriously. Among the pedestrians, there were both brown-clothed civilians and nobles in gorgeous clothes.

"In the capital of Chu, Ying, the wheels of the cars are clattering, the people are rubbing shoulders, and the streets are crowded. It is said that the clothes are fresh in the morning and worn in the evening..."

Hei Fu thought of this praise for Jiangling. It means that there are so many people in this metropolis. If you wear new clothes to enter the city in the morning, they will be squeezed to pieces in the evening... It is indeed well-deserved. It is more prosperous than Wancheng, which Hei Fu has been to before.

Hei Fu's clothes were not squeezed to pieces, but it took them two quarters of an hour to cross the street and arrive at the gate of the county governor's mansion.

"Wait a moment, Zuo Bingcaoshi, I will go in and inform the county governor."

Hei Fu was invited by the clerk to the gate of the county governor's mansion and sat in the "who" position where the queue was waiting. Hei Fu looked around and found that the courtyard of the county governor's mansion was deep and the walls were steep, just like the county lieutenant's mansion, and there were many more officials waiting outside.

They were all waiting to go to the various offices in the county governor's mansion to handle official business. Although the line was long, no one was anxious. Some chatted in low voices, while others looked through the bamboo slips for final inspection. When it was their turn, they could go in naturally.

At this time, an official in black clothes and a hat came out of the mansion. Hei Fu saw that he looked familiar. After a closer look, his eyes lit up. He quickly stood up and went over. Before the man got on the car and left, he bowed to him and shouted, "Xi Jun!"

The official turned around and saw that he was wearing a hat and a long gown, with two arrow-shaped thick beards on his lips. It was Xi, whom Hei Fu had not seen for a long time!