The Great Qin Empire---Qin Li

Although the county magistrate ordered Hei Fu and his men to "set out at night", no one dared to sail at night on the Yangtze River these days. If they accidentally hit a reef or rushed onto a sandbar, the ship would be destroyed and people would die. Even the old boatmen who had made a living on this waterway for decades did not dare to take this risk.

So it was not until the early morning when the sky finally showed a little light that Hei Fu took a few soldiers and boarded Ba Zhong's big ship. He stood at the stern, listening to the oars paddling and the shouts of the Ba people, and watching the few lights at Yiling Wharf gradually shrinking in the distance.

He finally got rid of the uncomfortable control of County Magistrate Ye and started to act alone. Hei Fu did not like the feeling of being bridled.

"With the tiger talisman in hand, it is another opportunity."

Hei Fu held the silver-gilt tiger talisman in his hand, which was given by the county magistrate. Although the Qin State used the county lieutenant to control the army, in fact, the county governor also had military power, or in other words, in the beginning, the county governor was the officer in charge of the army.

A distant example is Zhang Ruo, the governor of Shu during the reigns of King Huiwen and King Zhaoxiang of Qin. He not only governed the people in Shu, but also led troops to the east to conquer Chu under the order of the king and seized the Zhi land where the widows of Ba Qing and Ba Zhong were located. A recent example is Ye Teng, who was the governor of Nanyang and led troops to destroy Han.

Therefore, it is impossible for the Qin State to have a funny situation where the county governor, the top leader of the county, needs to ask the second-in-command county lieutenant for instructions to eliminate bandits, wealthy families, and barbarians in a certain place.

Hei Fu could only mourn for Li You. Meeting such a strong county governor like Ye Teng, Li You, the county lieutenant, did not live comfortably. Fortunately, his purpose was to train the soldiers of Nanjun for the attack on Chu, and he tried to avoid conflicts with the county governor in daily trivial matters...

This is still good. In the Han Dynasty, the governor was often called the county general and the county lieutenant was called the deputy general. The county governor had already accumulated all the military power in his hands, and the county lieutenant had nothing to do at all. That's why you can see that in the Three Kingdoms, most of the princes who attacked Dong were county governors from various places.

In Qin, mobilizing troops without a tiger talisman was considered a "crime of lack of troops", and was usually punished by death, and in serious cases, the wife would be taken as a slave. But Heifu now has the talisman in his hand, which is reasonable and legal.

"The general bamboo talisman can only mobilize fifty people. This silver-plated copper tiger talisman is of very high specifications. With the written order written by the county governor, I can make all the soldiers in Yidao obey my orders!"

It's more than 80 miles to Yidao by water. If you set off at sunrise, you will arrive at noon!

"The county master is called Dao", the so-called Dao is actually the "ethnic autonomous region" of Qin, which is at the same level as the county. It governs remote areas where tribes live together, and its chief official is not called the county magistrate but the county head.

Not only Yidao, but also the Bashu area where Qin and Rong live together, there are many "Dao". The characteristic of the Dao is that the barbarian tribes are not registered as citizens, and certain exemptions are given in taxes and corvée.

For example, in the various Daos of Ba County, Qin stipulated that the chieftain of the Ba tribe should pay a rent of 2,160 coins per year and a head tax of 1,800 coins every three years. The households should pay 82 feet of rough cloth and 30 baskets of chicken feathers every year, which are used to make arrows...

Compared with the Qin's registered citizens who had to pay nearly half of the harvest in rent and taxes, it was much easier.

Hei Fu thought secretly: "It seems a bit unfair to the registered Qin people, but this is a policy of appeasement and winning over that Qin had to implement in order to smoothly rule these areas. Moreover, if the same grain and copper coins as inland areas are collected as rent and taxes regardless of local conditions, wouldn't it force the Ba people, most of whom are still fishing, hunting and gathering, to rebel..."

The etiquette and laws are determined by the time, and the regulations are made according to their own circumstances. This is the cleverness of the Legalists. However, when people look at things, they are not worried about the lack of things, but about the inequality.

At this time, Ba Zhong also came to the swaying stern. He had put on a bamboo hat to block the splashing waves, and shouted to Hei Fu in the wind: "Zuo Bingcao Shi, the wind is strong at the stern, let's go to the cabin!"

...

Hei Fu followed Ba Zhong into the cabin. The space here was small. He found that in addition to Ba Zhong, there was a Ba warrior with tiger stripes on his arms and shaved hair, leaving only a tuft of hair, following Ba Zhong closely.

He had a wooden shield on his back, and his right hand touched the willow-leaf sword at his waist. He stared at Hei Fu vigilantly. He was probably the bodyguard arranged by the mine owner, Widow Qing, for her son.

"This is Danhu."

Ba Zhong introduced: "He is a (cong) warrior. This tribe is also called Banman. It is the most brave and warlike of the eight tribes of the Ba people. It is said that eight hundred years ago, Banman participated in the battle of King Wu against King Zhou and the Battle of Muye as the elite of the Ba army. The Ba army was brave and served as the vanguard. They sang and danced to overwhelm the Yin people and killed them with blood. Therefore, the world called it: King Wu sang before and danced after the attack on King Zhou..."

Having said that, Heifu remembered that when he first visited the home of the local tycoon Zhang in Huoyou Township, Wei last year, Zhang Fu mentioned the "Dawu" dance of King Wu of Zhou. It seems that the prototype is the dance of the Ba people. On the battlefield of life and death, charging and singing and dancing at the same time is really a unique nation.

Danhu seemed to hear that his master was praising him with Heifu, so he proudly patted his strong arms, pointed at the tiger tattoo on it, and spoke a lot of Ba dialect.

"What did he say?" Hei Fu was curious.

"Dan Hu said that he was a tiger-shooting warrior among the Ba people."

Hei Fu was surprised: "Aren't tigers revered by the Ba people? I saw a white tiger pattern painted on Jun Zhi's ship."

Ba Zhong smiled and said: "It is true that the Ba people worship tigers, and it is also true that they are proud of shooting tigers, because tigers eat people, and people can only kill them. We think that this is equivalent to getting the ferocity and strength of tigers, and tiger-shooting warriors will also be respected by the tribe, and tiger tattoos will be used as a standard. No matter which tribe they go to, they will be treated as VIPs."

"Furthermore, the government also rewards those who shoot tigers. It is said that during the time of our ancestor King Zhaoxiang, a white tiger caused chaos in Shu, Ba, and Han, injuring more than a thousand people. King Zhao recruited people who could kill tigers and rewarded them with ten thousand households. At that time, Liao Zhong and others from Langzhong, Ba County, shot and killed a white tiger. King Zhao did not want to give Liao Zhong a title because he was a Ba people, so he ordered the governor of Ba County to carve a stone to make an alliance with him, exempting him from the rent and tax of one hectare of land, and even if he had ten wives, he would not pay the head tax... After that, it became a routine. As long as you can shoot and kill a tiger that hurts people's lives, you can reduce your family's rent and taxes." Hei Fu praised: "So that's it, what a brave man!" Ba Zhong translated this sentence to Dan Hu. The Ba warrior had simple ideas. He seemed very happy. He looked at Hei Fu with a much kinder look, and even picked up the small black round-bottomed pottery jar on his back and handed it to Hei Fu without saying a word... "What is this?" Heifu didn't understand what he meant, and looked at Bazhong in confusion.

"Danhu wants to share the salt in this jar with Zuo Bingcaoshi."

Bazhong explained that the ancestor of the Ba people, Linjun, had settled in Yanshui, and the gorge areas where the Ba people lived were rich in well salt and rock salt, and they were inseparable from salt for generations. The Ba people were not used to using the half-liang coins of the Qin State, but used salt and cloth as currency.

The Ba warriors also believed that it was these salts that gave them enough physical strength to throw spears and wield the iconic bronze willow sword, so they carried them with them. When eating, they used salt with fresh fish, and they also knocked a small piece before fighting, hoping to get the blessing of the salt water goddess. It is also a ritual of the Ba people to share salt with people who can chat with them.

"Just like meeting a cigarette in the future?" Heifu didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Danhu had already handed the salt jar to Heifu. He couldn't refuse the kindness, so Heifu had to take the salt jar, picked up a piece of salt, and put it in his mouth under Danhu's eager eyes. A bitter and salty taste immediately filled his mouth...

This taste is really unforgettable.

Seeing Heifu eating the salt, Danhu seemed even happier and spoke a lot of Ba people's language. Ba Zhong translated: "Danhu thinks that Zuo Bingcao Shi is also a warrior. I hope to have a chance to compete with him in martial arts."

"I'm afraid I'm not his opponent." Heifu shook his head and thought to himself, if Dongmen Bao fights this man, I wonder who will win?

After waiting for Danhu to come out of the cabin to guard, Heifu poured some fresh water into his mouth. Seeing Bazhong's half-smile, he said, "I see that you are different from the others. Not only can you speak Xia language and wear Xia clothes, but you also know allusions. You are not like Ba people, but like Qin people..."

Bazhong said, "My family is the local ruler. Since I was a child, my mother has invited a teacher to teach me language, writing, and etiquette. I am also used to wearing Qin people's clothes and combing Qin people's hair. And strictly speaking, I called myself a barbarian yesterday, but it was actually wrong."

He pointed at himself and said, "In the household registration, I am actually a 'Xiazi'!"

"Xiazi?"

Heifu also read the "Subordinate State Law" in Jiangling, which specifically manages the barbarians on the road. When he saw this word, he immediately understood.

He remembered that there was a legal question in the law: "If the ruler of a true state is guilty and should be sentenced to a long-term sentence, he can redeem his sin with money."

He asked again, what is "true"? Answer: The son born to the barbarian parents of the vassal states of Qin is called Zhen.

What is "Xia Zi"? Answer: The son whose father is Qin and whose mother is a barbarian of the vassal state is called Xia Zi. The son whose father is a barbarian of the vassal state and whose mother is Qin is also called Xia Zi...

It can be understood that "Zhen" is the household registration of ethnic minorities, and "Xia Zi" is the household registration of Qin people. Interestingly, the Qin State stipulated that only children whose parents are both ethnic minorities can have the household registration of ethnic minorities. Regardless of the father or the mother, as long as one of them is Qin people, the child born cannot be a minority, but can only have the household registration of Qin people...

This system is very interesting. The King of Qin annexed Bazhong and regarded the five inner clans and the eight outer tribes of the Ba people as the barbarian rulers, granting them the title of nobility. The Ba family of Zhi County was even named a doctor, and the rent and taxes they paid were reduced.

At the same time, the Qin State also immigrated to Ba, encouraged the local Ba people's rulers to marry Qin women, and the Qin people's garrison exiles were also encouraged to marry Ba women.

This measure, combined with the provisions of the "Law of Subordinate States" on how different ethnic groups should settle down after getting married and having children, will inevitably produce an inevitable result: there are fewer and fewer real Ba people, and more and more local people who are of mixed Qin and Ba descent but are considered Qin people.

The most typical example is: decades later, Zhidao, which was originally full of Ba people and very few Qin people, has now become a county after several generations of intermarriage. Most of the population is now Qin people who are registered as citizens. The Ba people's rulers are also gradually assimilated into Qin people under the influence of the Qin woman's mother and wife...

Ba Zhong in front of us is the most typical example. Although he still considers himself a Ba person in his heart and says "I am a barbarian" when he sees the Qin official, it is unknown how many generations this identity can be maintained.

"This idea is said to have been thought up by Zhang Yi after he followed Sima Cuo to conquer Ba County..."

From this detailed regulation, we can see that Zhang Yi's wisdom and vision are far better than some leaders who formulated ethnic policies in later generations. It not only has the policy of appeasement and relief to make the tribes of the Ba people submit to Qin, but also can assimilate the upper class of the Ba people, and change the population ratio of the local Qin people and Ba people silently.

Compared with the policy that as long as the ancestors and parents have a minority household registration, the grandchildren can change Han to minority in order to obtain that little bit of profit, which one is better?

This may be the reason why the Qin people conquered Bashu and permanently incorporated these two places into the territory of China.

"And so, Ba Guafu Qing may also be a Qin woman, not a Ba person? This is a great discovery."

Thinking of this, Heifu also ate breakfast with Ba Zhong on the swaying boat: fish pickled with Ba well salt.

At this time, a shout came from outside.

"Yi Dao is almost here!"

...

Heifu and Ba Zhong came outside and saw that the qing linen sail of the big ship had been unfolded. This is a hard balanced longitudinal sail so that the east wind can help the ship slow down.

The wooden boat floated on the water like a dragonfly, the oars rose and fell in unison. Heifu held the railing and looked out at the land in the distance.

They had already reached the south bank of the river and were slowly going around a lushly wooded headland, carefully avoiding the cliffs covered with pine trees. Not far ahead was the simple dock of Yidao.

The people on the boat were running around pulling the ropes, while Heifu carefully observed the situation at the dock.

This dock, let alone compared with Jiangling, was even worse than Yiling. It was so simple that only a few fishing boats were moored there. The fishermen were selling seafood, and a few naked children were playing on the shore to cool off. It looked peaceful.

The equally crude county town of Yidao was just two miles south of the dock. Heifu could already see the low earth-yellow walls.

Heifu was very worried, because the registered people in Yidao were only concentrated in a few hundred households in the county. Even if each household was recruited, only five or six hundred people could be gathered, while the local Ba people had 10,000 or 20,000 people...

Can we defeat the enemy with a small number?

Ba Zhong was more interested in the river beside the city wall: "That is the Yishui River. Wuluo Zhongli Mountain, where Linjun was born, is just 30 miles upstream..."

When Heifu got off the boat, two clerks guarding the dock came over to check what the big boat was carrying. If it was to be put into the market of the county, taxes would be levied according to the law.

Then Heifu showed his copper seal and yellow ribbon, as well as the county governor's letter and tiger talisman, and the clerks immediately bowed down.

"Take me to see the county magistrate and county lieutenant!"

After hearing Heifu's request, the two clerks looked at each other and reported: "The county magistrate and county lieutenant are not in the county..."

Heifu was shocked: "Where did they go?"

The clerk said in confusion: "The county magistrate received the news yesterday and went to Wuluo Zhongli Mountain this morning to deal with the dispute between the two tribes over land! The county lieutenant also brought county soldiers with him! Now only the county magistrate is left in the city."

"Not good!"

Heifu and Ba Zhong looked at each other and thought to themselves that it was not good.

"We are still a step late!"