“Can strategists really not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 75: Observations in Leping (Part 3)…
Xie Zhicai’s expression, if Guo Jia were to translate it, would probably boil down to —
“Who do we think we are? Do you really believe you’re just making excuses for yourself?”
Even though it’s been over three years since Xie Zhicai left Yingchuan for Leping, the letters exchanged between them clearly show that the other party hasn’t changed much.
So it came as no surprise to Guo Jia when Xie Zhicai used the phrase “books as food” as a segue to boast about hosting him for a feast, and arranged such a spectacle on the table.
On Xie Zhicai’s side, there was a proper spread of food, while on his side lay a row of books.
“……” What defines a bad friend?
It’s not like anyone would admit it!
Of course, Xie Zhicai couldn’t help but smile awkwardly at the pile of feather dusters in front of him, and when he glanced at Guo Jia, he felt like they were two game pieces facing off.
This guy hasn’t changed one bit!
But overall, he still held the upper hand as the host.
Feeling somewhat comforted, Xie Zhicai placed the strange welcoming gift aside and slowly stirred the sweet rice balls in front of him with a wooden spoon.
The fragrance of sweet fermented rice mingled with light osmanthus notes was fine and dandy, but Xie Zhicai knew well enough about “hospitality” to pile the juicy Dongpo pork, smashed cucumbers, and stewed ribs on the table.
When Guo Jia saw another plate of mountain chicken and sunflower greens being served, his eyelids involuntarily twitched.
Before him, a neat stack of ten or so books still sat, keeping him separated from those wooden bowls and basins.
“Is this how you treat your guests?” Guo Jia asked casually as he picked up one of the books in front of him.
“Although Qiao Yan brought you to Dongpo Garden, you still can’t see these things unless you’re from Leping,” Xie Zhicai nodded, gesturing for him to pay attention to the contents of the book.
Guo Jia looked down at the book in his hands and saw it was a re-transcribed Book on Agricultural Practices.
That wasn’t too surprising. Book on Agricultural Practices was written in the late Han dynasty and served as a guide for agriculture and farming; he had browsed through it before, having studied a vast array of other texts.
But the one he had in hand was a bit different.
Since the book was no longer limited to bamboo slips, the documentation could take various forms, including illustrations.
In fact, the Book on Agricultural Practices recorded agricultural experiences from the Huang River basin, particularly those from the Guanzhong Plain. Given the distance between Luoyang and Leping, what could be grown in Luoyang could likely also be cultivated in Leping.
On his way into the county town, Guo Jia had witnessed the completed autumn harvest. However, based on the state of things he saw and the dishes before him, it was clear that the content in the book closely related to the agricultural practices in Leping.
Therefore, the method of area planting mentioned in the book had already seen real implementation in Leping.
As a result, not only were the few lines in the book expanded upon, but there were also illustrations for better understanding, marked with notes on practical outcomes.
For example, the area planting method stated that in order to achieve drought resistance and increased yield, the book described creating strips of field, cross-cut into 15 sections and spaced a foot apart to dig deeply, illustrated to make it easier for the locals to comprehend.
Guo Jia flipped through the pages and saw that the storage methods for seeds were recorded similarly.
After completing the transcription of the Book on Agricultural Practices, an appendix followed that detailed the yam planting methods used in Leping.
Compared to the simpler harvest notes written in Xie Zhicai’s letters, the illustration and description of the planting process were quite elaborate.
As he read, Guo Jia couldn’t help but sigh, recognizing that the peaceful living in Leping came at the cost of significant manpower and effort to execute such projects. He couldn’t help but wonder how Qiao Yan had managed to persuade everyone.
Thanks to the various illustrations, this book was friendly for someone like him, who was clueless about farming. He hadn’t even realized he had flipped to the back and casually placed it back down to pick up another one.
This was another practical book.
After Wu Pu, a disciple of Hua Tuo, arrived in Leping, Qiao Yan ensured that he was fully supported in collecting cases and providing medicinal materials. Wu Pu, appreciating this, didn’t mind using his surgical skills learned from Hua Tuo to document other things.
Like, say, butchering pigs.
That could almost qualify as a surgery.
Although pig butchering was commonplace since the Shang and Zhou dynasties, it’s not like anyone had ever documented it in this way before, complete with detailed images!
Also covered were the construction of pigpens and the methods for raising pigs.
This was another case where Xie Zhicai had only mentioned the result in his letter while the actual process was quite complex.
Guo Jia couldn’t help but glance at the guy across from him.
Three years apart, and here he was planning things in this small county, and Xie Zhicai appeared much healthier and plumper than before.
As for the embellished stories he had penned, Xie Zhicai clearly felt no guilt at all. He even casually lifted a piece of glistening Dongpo pork in front of Guo Jia, enjoying his meal, clearly relishing the conveniences of the situation.
Guo Jia found it a bit nauseating, yet his body couldn’t help but reach for the third book.
This was a medical book, but interestingly, it focused on women’s medicine, compiling remedies for gynecological issues recorded in the Classic of Herbs, along with the case studies provided by Wu Pu.
Given that both men and women could study at the academy in this county, it made perfect sense to compile such a special medical textbook.
Thanks to the illustrated format, Guo Jia didn’t even notice he’d flipped to the end and casually opened the fourth book.
This one was unlike the previous farming and medical books. It was a construction and maintenance guide using the Dragon Bone Waterwheel as an example.
Probably due to the disassembly diagrams, Guo Jia even found himself entertaining the idea of giving it a try.
But he quickly shook his head, dismissing that fleeting interest.
He wasn’t cut out for that sort of thing.
What he couldn’t deny was that this way of documentation certainly made information easier to grasp, and it was quite infectious.
Thinking up such a means of dissemination, Qiao Yan, the Marquis of Leping, truly was a pragmatic figure.
He placed the book back down and picked up the fifth one.
With the groundwork laid by the first four books, he had almost completely forgotten his initial thought that Xie Zhicai was being too stingy with books as a host.
Just looking at those first four books made his trip to Leping already seem worth it.
He wasn’t too surprised to find that the fifth book detailed ways to prevent and combat locusts, noting strategies Qiao Yan had instructed for dealing with the previous locust plague in Bingzhou.
He had previously heard that the other surrounding states suffered heavily from the locust plague in the second year of Zhongping, but Bingzhou alone had been spared, thanks to the Marquis of Leping.
Now it seemed that this “immunity” was no mere coincidence; it was a battle well-prepared.
The sixth book opened contained basic educational rhymes in Leping.
But upon flipping to the seventh book…
Guo Jia distinctly saw “Cement” written on the cover, yet when he opened it — it was entirely blank.
He immediately looked up at Xie Zhicai and asked, “Did you grab the wrong book?”
“How could I possibly make such a mistake?”
Xie Zhicai was already indulging in dessert after his meal.
He had previously mentioned making a cake using yam, and now he was doing just that in front of Guo Jia.
The still-warm yam cake emitted a sweet honey aroma, and as he broke it apart, the scent spread wildly.
Guo Jia had initially complained about being hungry just as an excuse, but now he was genuinely inspired by the delicious fragrance.
However, Xie Zhicai seemed completely oblivious to this.
As he ate, he replied seriously, “Now that my legs and arms are nimble and my mind is sharp, I wouldn’t make such a mistake. It’s just that you’re merely a passerby in Leping, so how can you possibly know all we have here?”
“What’s done prior is alright. Even the tales spread by word of mouth in Bingzhou are certainly beneficial to the people, but some things simply shouldn’t be disclosed.”
It wasn’t entirely due to the fear that Guo Jia might turn and use this information against them.
Though Guo Jia appeared somewhat reckless, Xie Zhicai still trusted his character.
He just knew how much effort Qiao Yan had put into everything she accomplished in these last two years. For outsiders to know about it, whether intentionally or unintentionally, felt quite inappropriate.
Take the academy’s house they were in for example.
At first glance, the house seemed ordinary enough, but it was actually made of bricks.
However, unlike regular bricks,
What they’re using are red bricks made under Qiao Yan’s command with fewer manufacturing steps.
Thanks to these red bricks, a school in Leping County was built, as well as the houses on the mountain for the Black Mountain army, which saved a ton of costs.
And it’s not just for the Black Mountain army.
Since two years ago, Chu Yan has been bringing back large numbers of refugees by taking yams, which are inconvenient to store, outside.
This batch of refugees was even hidden from Cui Lie, who oversees Qiao Yan, as she copied the Northern aristocrats by hiding them in a fortress, engaging in activities within Leping County that are less suitable for outsiders to know.
Of course, for them, having a settled place like this and enough food is already a great blessing in this world.
However, while Qiao Yan considered that the red bricks did save costs, they looked too conspicuous, so she “invented” cement.
To be precise, it’s handmade cement.
Xi Zhicai had been stunned by Qiao Yan’s maneuvers countless times already; he wouldn’t realize that developing handmade cement for whatever reason was a truly bizarre thing.
Based on the ideas drilled into his head, she first fumbled with briquette coal due to its burning efficiency, then thought of making red bricks from coal gangue and clay, and finally developed cement from limestone, clay, iron ore, and coal—a real one-stop shop!
In the end, what happened was that within the bounds of Leping, they quickly put up red-brick houses covered with a layer of cement on the exterior, which were then painted, resulting in a low-profile and sturdy appearance that Guo Jia ended up seeing.
Guo Jia was quite accepting of this reasoning.
He mused that if Xi Zhicai had mixed a book detailing all of Leping’s secrets among these texts, he could guarantee that out of sheer curiosity for this recording method, he would open it unguardedly and be stuck here for peeking into things he shouldn’t know.
But then again, having already seen those six books, it was truly difficult not to be curious about that blank book.
He flipped through the blank pages in his hands repeatedly, feeling a nagging sense of discomfort, yet he was still trying hard to maintain his previous thought—
He couldn’t just settle down like this!
No way!
Just then, the blank book was snatched away from his hands by Xi Zhicai.
“You really have no idea how precious this mulberry bark paper bound book is! Even though it doesn’t have any content yet, it’s not something you can just toss around.” Xi Zhicai waved his hand as people came to clear away the empty plates in front of him and the books in front of Guo Jia.
“Come on, I’ll take you to see other places in Leping where you can interact with outsiders.”
Guo Jia didn’t get up.
It didn’t matter that the book was taken; it wasn’t his to begin with.
But he still had a bit of a youthful temper, so he gritted his teeth and spat out, “I haven’t eaten yet!”
After weighing between teasing his friend about books being a mental feast and completing the task of drawing people into Qiao Yan’s scheme, Xi Zhicai chuckled and said, “Bring him a bowl of noodle soup.”
Noodle soup isn’t really a cake; it’s just a term for noodles at the moment.
Because of Qiao Yan’s preferences, the cooks in the academy were used to pulling the noodles into sliced shapes rather than strict strips, which did fit the noodle soup name quite well.
The noodle soup came out in a semi-dry, semi-wet state, with a broth made of the previously served turnip and pork rib soup, topped with minced pork of varying fat content.
Guo Jia, being in his growing phase, had long held a yearning for Leping’s food, and when he tasted the noodle soup, he couldn’t care less about his mischievous friend’s thoughts. He quickly scooped it all up with bamboo chopsticks, not even sparing the soup base, feeling it was totally understandable that Xi Zhicai was getting quite chubby.
Feeling full and satisfied, he leisurely stood up and said, “Alright, let’s go see other places in Leping.”
He thought to himself that the shocks he had experienced so far in the Leping Academy were probably enough, and there couldn’t be anything else to embarrass him.
But it turned out he was just too young.
As he wandered a bit more around Leping County, he realized that the sense of cleanliness he felt when entering the county was clearly related to the transformed drainage ditches and sewers.
Considering Qiao Yan’s timing of arriving here, achieving such basic improvements was no easy feat.
In fact, to motivate the county’s people to accomplish this project meant her prestige had reached an extremely frightening level.
But aside from the county city, not portraying a militarized appearance, such as with the soldiers of Fu Gan in training, wasn’t a thing.
Guo Jia stood under an eave for a while, watching the sugar cake shop across from him, where the fire was burning even hotter than a normal stove. The vendor was quick to hand over freshly made cakes to two kids waiting outside.
The kids happily paid, hugging their cakes and munching as they made their way toward the clothing shop next door, where their mother was in charge.
Then, a small vendor carrying a big box strolled by, the same emblem as the one painted in front of the Leping Academy hanging on him. After being called by the shop owner, he pulled out some square blocks from his box and made a trade.
Guo Jia overheard them talking about something called soap.
He knew all about soap pods.
There’s a mention in the Classic of Herbs about it being used to remove dirt. Hearing Xi Zhicai say that this “soap” is also used for cleaning, he asked, “What’s the connection between this and soap pods?”
“No connection.” Xi Zhicai replied slowly, “It’s actually a product from our Leping pig farming industry. It got the name because it works similarly to soap pods; we have a stash in the place you’re staying as well.”
When he arrived at his accommodation, Guo Jia realized it wasn’t just the soap that felt a bit foreign; even the mouthwash tool was somewhat peculiar.
He held that oddly shaped item, silent next to the box of ointment.
Thinking back on all the quirky things he had seen in Leping today, he had a strange premonition that this certainly wasn’t used in a way he was accustomed to.
But asking Xi Zhicai about it now would be too embarrassing!
He gritted his teeth, took the brush, dipped it in the ointment, mixed it with water, stirring it until it was smooth. After sniffing the hints of willow, ginger, and a bit of a subtle aroma, he figured it should be similar to mouthwash, so he went ahead and used it.
Guo Jia didn’t realize the absurdity of what he’d done; he just felt that he had successfully completed the experience of his first day in the city and laid down on the guest room bed.
Whether it was the sense of security given by the display of martial strength in Leping, or perhaps the positive vibe radiating from the entire county, until today, Guo Jia had finally caught a good night’s sleep on his journey since leaving Yingchuan.
He slept soundly until he naturally woke up.
Since he turned in early, when he got up, it was already well into autumn, and dawn was pushed back a bit. Walking to the yard, he found only the faintest hint of light on the horizon.
He decided to head outside.
The entire Leping County was still in the silence before the morning woke up, with only an occasional crow of a few roosters and the sounds from various houses now and then.
Guo Jia himself found it a bit strange to wake up so early, not even troubled in his dreams by all the bizarre scenes he had seen here.
However, he suddenly recalled the comical incident from yesterday, and instinctively glanced toward the mountain range to the east.
At first glance, he noticed something unusual.
With good eyesight, he could clearly see a splash of color moving along the mountain path.
It was a fiery red color.
This bright red cloak billowing in the mountain wind looked as if it were flying, and its owner was not walking but galloping on a horse, like a red banner flapping in the wind.
Even from this distance, with no way to clearly see the horse or the rider, he had an almost instinctual feeling this might be the Marquis of Leping.
But that figure quickly disappeared from his view, leaving him unable to confirm his judgment.
Qiao Yan had no idea her guest had seen this scene; she simply rode like she had been trained to do for the past six months, galloping between the mountain paths, stopping at the heights of the eastern ridge.
The ridge extended north, where her special fortress and workshop were located; to the south were a village nestled behind the mountain fields.
And below her, the county town of Leping was gradually “coming to life” in the faint morning glow.
The various things Guo Jia witnessed while walking in the county yesterday seemed to fade into the background from this vantage point where he was looking down, not even the Leping Academy showing anything particularly different.
Yet as the local lord, Qiao Yan felt she could distinguish with her eyes closed where the first sound of selling would arise in this town.
“This is the Leping of today…”
She gazed at a wisp of smoke rising from below in the morning glow, her eyes seemingly lit up by the rising sun, gradually spreading across her youthful face until it turned into a carefree smile, “This is my Leping.”
