Chapter 53: True Inspection of the Realm

Upon hearing this, Fusu stood up and pointed into the distance, saying, "Father, do you not fancy inspecting the realm?"

"Yet you must know that your previous imperial tours were nothing more than a drain on the people and the treasury, entirely futile exercises!"

"A genuine inspection of the empire requires witnessing its flaws, the bottlenecks in its governance, and the true, fundamental issues at its core!"

"An excursion such as yours—with routes predetermined and a massive retinue mobilized—is little different from a grand theatrical performance, utterly devoid of practical significance."

The more Emperor Qin Shi Huang listened, the gloomier his expression became.

Yet, deep within his heart, he was indeed pondering Fusu's words.

Wiping the sweat from his brow as he listened to the dialogue between father and son, Zhao Gao felt his heart pound with dread.

Every time Fusu opened his mouth, his astonishing remarks never failed to nearly frighten people to death!

Wei Zhong, too, was experiencing such a startling encounter with His Highness Fusu for the very first time, and a flicker of deep wariness arose in his heart.

From now on.

Whenever it concerned this Highness, he would do well to steer as clear of it as possible.

That was the way to live a long life!

"Hah?"

"If my inspection of the realm is merely a show, was your porridge-handout here today not a show as well?" Emperor Qin Shi Huang retorted.

Fusu burst into laughter.

Pointing toward the departing peasants, he replied, "If such a show were performed by Your Majesty every single day, and by all the civil and military officials as well, would that not be a magnificent blessing?"

"Father, do you not wish to see what this realm truly looks like?"

"Your son happens to have free time today; let us take a stroll out there together!"

"Father, simply choose a direction, name a distance, and we shall walk precisely that far!"

"How does that sound?"

Emperor Qin Shi Huang's eyes lit up. He was traveling incognito today, and many were still unaware that he had left the palace.

Now, with Fusu making such a proposal, the Emperor's interest was instantly piqued, though he still feigned a tone of reprimand. "Who says you brat have the time to accompany me on a walk!"

"This is me granting you an opportunity to prove yourself!"

"Let us go!"

Emperor Qin Shi Huang boarded the carriage, while Wang Jian and the others quickly gathered their belongings and hurried to follow.

Inside the carriage.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang sat in the seat of honor, with Meng Yi and Feng Jie seated below.

Fusu and Wang Jian sat on opposite sides facing each other.

Spacious though the carriage was, it still felt somewhat cramped.

Fusu mused that if he could acquire automobile manufacturing technology in the future, he would certainly build cars!

However, before building cars, the steam engine had to be perfected first.

As Fusu was thinking along these lines, Emperor Qin Shi Huang spoke up once more: "Fusu, some have proposed that I reclaim the patent for your paper and have it belong to the imperial court."

"Do you have any objections?"

***

Before Fusu could reply, Wang Jian sprang abruptly to his feet and made straight for the door to grasp his blade. "Who said that?"

"Let's see if this Marquis doesn't hack off his legs today!"

"What are they trying to do?"

"Are they trying to place His Majesty in a state of injustice and unrighteousness?"

"Damn it!"

"Can't these scoundrels ever let this old man live a few days of peace?"

"Are they simply so idle they have nothing better to do with their time?"

"If they truly have nothing to do, I'll find them something to do!"

Seeing this, Meng Yi hurriedly pulled back the Marquis of Wucheng. "Old General Wang, do not be angry, do not be angry. Sit down first, just sit down."

Wang Jian was so furious his white beard twitched, and his glare looked capable of killing.

Zhao Gao stood trembling all over in terror, not even daring to raise his head.

Fusu, however, showed little anger as he remarked, "The Marquis of Wucheng speaks a truth: once people find themselves idle, they invariably begin obsessing over their own gains and losses."

"The officials of our imperial court ought to be given a heavier workload to prevent them from spouting nonsense all day and neglecting proper affairs."

Emperor Qin Shi Huang remained silent, yet it was true that these Erudites had far too much time on their hands.

Especially this Zhou Qingchen; he had been acting far too presumptuous lately.

As for Chunyu Yue, ever since he became engrossed in the study of the provincial administrative system, though he visited Fusu every few days, the old fellow had grown considerably quieter.

In the past, this was the very man who used to be the most vexing.

It seemed Fusu's words were correct after all.

As Emperor Qin Shi Huang thought this, the carriage was already rolling further and further away along the road leading out of Xianyang City.

Fusu pulled back the curtain, gazed at the increasingly desolate landscape outside, and asked, "Father, have you ever considered what the lives of the ordinary people are truly like?"

Emperor Qin Shi Huang said nothing.

Feng Jie's eyes flickered slightly as he cast a bewildered look at Fusu.

What on earth was this Highness trying to achieve?

"Oh?"

"What is it my son wishes for me to see?" Emperor Qin Shi Huang asked, a look of intrigue crossing his face.

Fusu shook his head. "Father, it is not what this son wishes for you to see, but rather whatever state the Great Qin is currently in—that is what Your Majesty shall see."

Emperor Qin Shi Huang frowned.

Fusu glanced at Wang Jian and asked, "Old General, did you bring provisions for spending the night in the wilderness?"

Uncertain of what Fusu was plotting, Wang Jian nodded and replied, "I brought some."

Fusu promptly let go of the curtain, turned to Emperor Qin Shi Huang, and said, "Father, tell us which direction to travel, and we shall travel in that direction for one full hour."

"Only then shall we disembark and take a look."

"To see what kind of state our Great Qin is truly in today."

Hearing this, the gleam of interest in Emperor Qin Shi Huang's eyes intensified.

After a moment of thought, he declared, "We shall do as you say: straight east, we shall head straight east!"

***

Accordingly, Fusu immediately sat cross-legged and began to practice the Supreme Profound Scripture.

The others inside the carriage fell silent as well, quietly waiting for time to pass.

The sensation was both novel and filled with the thrill of exploring the unknown.

Thus.

An hour later.

Fusu opened his eyes and said, "Father, let us step down and take a walk!"

Emperor Qin Shi Huang had dozed off briefly; now feeling stiff from sitting, he welcomed the chance to stretch his legs.

And so, the retinue descended from the carriages, looking out over the desolate fields. Though a few peasants could be seen toiling away in the distant farmland, the atmosphere felt utterly devoid of vitality.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang walked toward an elderly farmer who was laboring strenuously with a hoe.

"Old friend, what district is this?" Emperor Qin Shi Huang inquired.

The old farmer raised his head to glance at the Emperor, lowered his hoe while catching his breath, took a gulp of murky water from a bowl, and replied, "Tai'an County, Zhang Family Village!"

The old farmer wore a pair of tattered straw sandals with numerous frostbites visible on his feet, and his hands were covered in thick calluses.

His garments were likewise threadbare, offering little warmth in the still-chilly weather.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang stepped closer and asked, "Where is your son?"

"At your advanced age, why are you still working the fields?"

The old farmer, likely around sixty years of age, cast a dismissive glance at Emperor Qin Shi Huang and ignored him.

Who on earth do you think you are?

Coming out of nowhere and interrogating people like this?

Are you taking a census?

Seeing that the old farmer had no desire to converse with them, Fusu remained silent, picked up a hoe, and began tilling the earth.

Fusu had once been a country boy himself before being admitted to university, after which he gradually grew distant from agricultural labor.

Thus, farming was by no means foreign to him.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang watched from the side, initially assuming Fusu was merely putting on a show, but the young man handled the tool with practiced ease and soon tilled a significant patch of land.

Feng Jie was dumbfounded.

Meng Yi had an impulse to intervene and stop him, but seeing that Emperor Qin Shi Huang raised no objection, he held his tongue.

Fusu discovered that ever since he began practicing martial arts, his physical strength had increased considerably, enabling him to plow the earth with vigorous and spirited momentum.

In the distance, the female companions, including Huayang and Wang Ruonan, watched the scene with profound curiosity.

Wang Ruonan truly had not expected Fusu to possess such hidden skills.

It seemed she had been mistaken when she slandered him last time.

Not only could the man handle farm labor, but he performed it remarkably well.