Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 336, Section 335: The Thousand Tombs Rebellion
Presumably sensing that a large sum of money, grain, and land would soon be added to the national treasury and private coffers, greatly easing the economic pressure, and coupled with the Queen's words yesterday that her children were making great progress, Ji Heng was in a rather pleasant mood.

However, this joy quickly vanished the next day when he stepped into Zhangtai Palace.

There was no other reason than that a local rebellion broke out again.

[...The remnants of the Chu and Yue peoples united, and the bandits caused disturbances, which led to a rebellion... Now, many bandits have killed officials, attacked fortified passes, and broken into prisons. Dongting County has conscripted soldiers to quell the rebellion, but more than a thousand have been killed or wounded, and the army is severely depleted...]

[Now, we wish to conscript able-bodied men to jointly quell the rebellion, causing a sudden surge in grain prices, reaching thirty shi (a unit of dry measure)...]

This memorial came from Qianling County, Dongting Prefecture, but judging from the date it was written, it was seven days ago.

Given the high-speed communication environment of Qin, with its extensive network of highways, straight roads, and pavilions every ten miles, it must have taken seven days for this memorial to reach Xianyang Palace, making this rebellion all the more remarkable.

Let's look at the contents again.

Although it is written simply, the danger within is still evident.

The rebels killed all the clerks and postmasters, and even stormed the border fortress, breaking into the prison and causing chaos, to the point that millet cost 30 coins per bushel...

The implication is that the initial suppression in Qianling County has failed.

The fact that the memorial can now be submitted suggests that the local conscription process has already yielded results, which is why there is now a channel for submitting it.

Ji Heng's eyes were deep, and he spoke each word with sternness: "Another remnant of the fallen dynasty!"

Since his ascension to the throne, rebellions have broken out among the remnants of the six former kingdoms. If not for this, why would he have made several imperial tours?

The patrol route was fraught with danger, including falling logs, rockets, and assassins...

There are even illnesses caused by the long journey.

Even so, with the world newly settled and the surrounding areas unstable, he still had to inspect all sides.

Only by going to the border can one better control the country.

now……

He picked up his brush and quickly wrote down the matters concerning Qianling. The Zhangtai Palace was silent, and the officials breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhou Ju stood to the side, not daring to utter a sound.

However, just as he was feeling anxious, he heard Ji Heng ask again:
"I seem to recall that a few days ago, Lady Chu dealt with an elder of the Zhao clan in the palace?"

"Yes." Zhou Ju's mind raced, but he answered quickly:

“Zhao was disrespectful to the lady and his words contained treasonous intent, so the lady punished him with a cane. He was old and frail, and he died after three strokes of the cane.”

"Is that so?" Ji Heng remained noncommittal.

The Zhao clan were descendants of the Chu state, and many members of the clan had served as important officials in the Chu state, including the father of the Lady of Chu.

If he hadn't also been a high-ranking official, Lady Chu wouldn't have been qualified to be sent to Xianyang with such special ceremony.

Their clan was left in Xianyang, partly as a deterrent and guard.

However, his lack of effort in dealing with the situation over the past few years has only emboldened the other party.

Now that the elder of the Zhao clan has just died, a joint rebellion by Chu and Yue has broken out in Qianling County. To say that there is no connection between these events—

Ji Heng snorted lightly: "Since there is a rebellion, as remnants of the Chu state, we should be held accountable."

The Zhao clan had already exiled some of its members last time, and now, they have no choice but to let more die.

Otherwise, it would be insufficient to awe the world.

For a time, everyone in Xianyang was terrified, and every bush and tree seemed like a potential enemy.

Qin Shi learned of this news just before nightfall.

Tomorrow is the day of the auction. Just now, Princess Wencai was excitedly telling her how impressive the large glass characters of the Lufang Auction House were, standing in front of the courtyard.

Now that the talent has left, someone has reported this news.

"understood."

She nodded, but her expression was not surprised.

There's nothing surprising about that.

If you know the history of the Qin state, you will know that such rebellions often broke out.

As for why rebellions occur so frequently, it is related to current policies, but it is not entirely the fault of the policies - after all, the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods lasted for more than 500 years, and the state of each being a local leader also lasted for more than 500 years.

Suddenly one day, one of them rose to power, taking control of all the territories and reducing the families who had followed the various powerful rulers to mere pawns once again...

More than 500 years ago, the Zhou Dynasty unified the country, and now it has become a distant history like that of Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang.

Each going its own way and ruling its own territory is the state they are most familiar with.

With frequent wars these days, it's not surprising that there are both those forced into this situation and those who are particularly resentful and have always wanted to restore their kingdoms.

But then...

She picked up her pen and wrote the words "more than a thousand dead and injured" on the paper, and suddenly felt a heavy weight on her shoulders.

No, that's not all.

Although the memorial stated that more than a thousand people were killed or wounded, that was only the number from the first suppression of the rebellion.

Then they conscripted able-bodied men from the local area—the entire Qin state was a military force, but those conscripts might have been young men and women who had just come of age…

Now, the rebels are causing trouble, the people are living in misery, and a bushel of millet costs as much as thirty coins. In the bitter cold of winter, there is nothing to eat, and countless people have starved to death.

And those who died in the subsequent suppression of the rebellion...

Although some have not yet died, under current medical conditions, many of them would likely die from subsequent high fever, infection, or complications.

Furthermore, those with disabilities are unable to farm, so how can they continue to make a living?

She took a deep breath, and suddenly thought of Yi Minglai, who had been gone for many days: "I wonder if she has achieved anything by now..."

The Red Maiden was also worried, but seeing that the Queen was not in high spirits, she quickly comforted her:
"The Queen has bestowed soldiers to accompany her as guards, and has also brought along a group of physicians. Although the news has not yet been delivered in time, it is likely that something has been gained."

"Your Majesty, please wait a little longer. Such messages cannot be sent through the urgent military channels, so it is normal for them to be a bit slow."

Qin Shi sighed, and thinking about tomorrow's auction, his desire to make money became even more urgent!

Money!

Governing a country requires policies, and implementing policies requires money.

With money, the country can quickly build roads and reduce the time ordinary people spend on military service.

It also allows for the rapid distribution of coal, salt, and sugar. While not entirely free, it is still better than the current situation where people cannot afford salt.

There were also rebellions in various places...

If everyone has enough to eat and wear, has land to cultivate, and the national treasury is abundant, then taxes may be reduced and restrictions on mountains and lakes may be lifted...

If people can make ends meet and the crops in the fields are ready for harvest, the number of those who follow the remnants of the fallen people in rebellion will probably decrease significantly.

With money, military equipment can be upgraded again.

The crucial border regions of Rong, Di, Qiang, and Hu along the Salt Road and the future Silk Road, the Baiyue people with their uniquely favorable climate that yields two or even three harvests of rice a year, the various ports connecting the Baiyue, and the resource-rich sea areas...

Qin Shi rubbed his forehead with a wry smile.

It's unbelievable that she, born in a time of peace, has come here and seems like a naked warmonger.

The Red Maiden was handling her official duties when she heard the Queen sigh softly in the street:
"Now... I've also developed the mindset of the ruling class..."

The circumstances dictated this course of events, and she had no choice but to act this way. Only by fulfilling her role as part of the ruling class could she accomplish more.

I only hope that she will never forget the peaceful, happy, and prosperous times of the past.

Only by remembering that time can she remember—

I was just an ordinary person myself.

He is one of the millions of ordinary people.

　The prototype of this rebellion occurred in the 25th year of Qin Shi Huang's reign. The original text comes from the Liye Qin bamboo slips, which belong to the Dongting Lake administrative archives.

　　However, the classical Chinese text used in the article is my own summary. Please correct me if there are any errors.

　　[The Thief Kills Official Documents]: Bandits and rebels intercept official documents and kill couriers...

　　The Liye Qin bamboo slips do not definitively confirm that these were descendants of the Chu-Yue people, but this is a speculation. Considering the interception of official documents and the killing of couriers, this was a planned rebellion, which at the time required knowledgeable individuals to orchestrate—hence the setting in the text.

　　(End of this chapter)