ebookland Chapter 628 8ga Island Regains Life
Chapter 628 8ga Island Regains Life
The crowd on the shore gradually dispersed. Yan Mu did not leave immediately; he walked along the coastline and unknowingly arrived near the music workshop.
The sound of a zither drifted from inside the brothel; it was Gao Jianli playing. The melody was desolate and melancholic, a tune from the poem "Shu Li" in the Book of Songs.
The millet grows luxuriantly, the sorghum seedlings sprout. I walk slowly, my heart trembling. Those who know me say I am worried; those who do not know me ask what I seek. Oh, vast heaven, who is this person?
Yan Mu stopped in his tracks. This song was about a Zhou official passing through the old capital, seeing palaces overgrown with millet and sorghum, and lamenting the pain of his lost kingdom. Was Gao Jianli playing this song now mourning the state of Wei? The state of Yan? Or all the lost kingdoms?
He entered the music workshop. Gao Jianli sat in his usual spot, eyes slightly closed, his hands moving across the strings. The setting sun shone through the window, bathing him in a golden glow.
The song ended, its lingering notes still echoing.
“Mr. Gao,” Yan Mu said.
Gao Jianli looked at him: "Yan Mu?"
“It’s me.” Yan Mu walked up to him. “The piece you just played was ‘Shu Li’.”
"You understand music?"
“My mother often played this piece when she was alive,” Yan Mu said in a low voice. “She said that music is the best way to express longing for one’s homeland.”
Gao Jianli was silent for a moment: "Your mother is a woman of insight."
“She passed away a few months ago, shortly after the fall of Wei.” Yan Mu’s voice was choked with emotion. “She said she didn’t hate the Qin people, but only the world. Why was there always war? Why did the people always have to suffer?”
Gao Jianli's fingers gently brushed across the strings: "Your mother is right."
“I don’t understand,” Yan Mu sat down at the zither, “The Qin people destroyed our country and killed our loved ones. Shouldn’t we hate them? Shouldn’t we seek revenge?”
“Yes,” Gao Jianli said calmly. “But after you’ve finished hating and taking revenge, then what? Will the world become a better place?”
Yan Mu was unable to answer.
“I was once like you,” Gao Jianli’s voice seemed to come from a great distance, “wanting to assassinate Ying Zheng, to avenge my brother Jing, and to wipe away the hatred of the Yan Kingdom. I blinded myself and approached the King of Qin, and almost succeeded. But at the last moment, I hesitated.”
"why?"
“Because I heard it.” Gao Jianli’s empty eyes “looked” out the window. “I heard the conversations of the people on the streets of Xianyang, their longing for peaceful days; I heard the arguments of the ministers in the court, their plans for unifying the world; I even heard the voice of Ying Zheng—not the voice of a tyrant, but the voice of a man who wanted to end centuries of war and establish unparalleled achievements.”
He paused for a moment: "At that moment, I realized that even if you kill one Ying Zheng, there will be another. The general trend of the world cannot be changed by one person. The Yan state perished not because of Ying Zheng, but because the world needed to be unified. Just like the Spring and Autumn Period turned into the Warring States Period, the Warring States Period will eventually turn into a unified state. This is the general trend, which cannot be reversed by human power."
Yan Mu listened blankly. Wei Chang had said these words, Jing Ke had said them, and now Gao Jianli was saying them too. Could it be that he was really wrong?
"Then what should we do?" he asked blankly.
"Survive," Gao Jianli said simply. "Do what you can. If you know about farming, then help the people eat their fill. If I know about music, then I'll educate the barbarians. These things may be small, but they're better than pointless sacrifices."
Silence fell over the area. The sun gradually set, and twilight enveloped the island.
After a long while, Yan Mu stood up and bowed deeply: "Thank you for your guidance, sir."
He turned to leave, but as he reached the door, he suddenly turned back and said, "Mr. Gao, you and Supervisor Jing... you're old acquaintances, aren't you?"
Gao Jianli's body trembled slightly.
“I can see it,” Yan Mu said. “There’s an inexplicable feeling between you two. It’s like you’re old friends, but also like you’re enemies.”
Gao Jianli did not answer.
Yan Mu didn't press the matter further and left.
Silence returned to the courtyard. Gao Jianli sat quietly for a long time, then said softly, "More than just old acquaintances..."
As night deepens and stars rise, a new era is about to begin on the island.
June 15th marked the fifth day since Wang Ben officially took over Baga Island.
Early in the morning, Yan Mu arrived at the fields. The wound on his shoulder had mostly healed, and he was able to work in the fields. Today's task was to test-plant the new crop brought by Wang Ben's team—rice from the Baiyue region.
A special experimental plot, about half an acre in size, was set aside in the farmland. Several Japanese laborers were already tilling the land. They were all experienced farmers, and although they couldn't understand the complex Qin language, they knew what to do just by looking at the hand gestures.
Wei Chang also arrived, bringing counting rods and bamboo slips, ready to record the planting process.
Based on the oral account of Wang Ben's agricultural officer, Yan Mu directed the Japanese to work, "with a plant spacing of one and a half feet and a row spacing of two feet."
The Japanese did as they were told. Although they were forced to work, they took farming very seriously—perhaps because it was the only thing they were familiar with and could do well.
Yan Mu squatted by the field, looking at the plump rice seeds. Could these really be harvested three times a year? If so, it would be a revolutionary change.
As the two were looking around, they suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves. Turning around, they saw that it was Prince Huhai, riding towards them with several attendants.
Hu Hai reined in his horse and dismounted. The nine-year-old boy had grown much taller, and his demeanor increasingly exuded a kingly air.
"Greetings, young master." Yan Mu and Wei Chang quickly bowed.
Hu Hai waved his hand, walked to the edge of the field, and looked at the grain seeds: "Is this the new rice seed that General Wang brought?"
“Yes, young master,” Yan Mu replied. “It is said that three harvests can be achieved in a year.”
"Three harvests a year?" Hu Hai's eyes lit up. "If that's true, the people of Qin will no longer have to worry about famine." He looked at Yan Mu. "Take good care of it. If the trial planting is successful, I will recommend you for credit."
Yan Mu was taken aback: "I...I am a criminal."
"So what if I'm a criminal?" Hu Hai said earnestly. "My father always said that we should not be bound by conventions when employing people. You have talent, so you should be employed. As for your past crimes, let your merits offset them."
After he finished speaking, he glanced at the experimental field again, turned around, mounted his horse, and rode away. The sound of hooves faded into the distance, leaving Yan Mu standing there, his heart churning with turbulent emotions.
"Make merits offset demerits." These four words were uttered by Li Xin, and now Hu Hai is saying them too. The Qin people seem to genuinely disregard birth, valuing only talent. This differs from Wei and all the other six states. In the other six states, family background was paramount in employing people; even the most talented commoners found it difficult to rise in rank.
“The Qin people… are indeed different,” Wei Chang murmured.
Yan Mu remained silent. He began to understand why the Qin state had been able to conquer the six other states. It wasn't just its powerful military, but also its advanced system. A state that employed talent without being bound by convention, and whose rewards and punishments were clear and encouraged both agriculture and warfare—how could such a state not be powerful?
In the days that followed, Yan Mu devoted himself entirely to the rice seed trial. He worked from dawn till dusk every day, recording the temperature, humidity, and growth conditions. Under his direction, the Japanese laborers meticulously cared for the experimental field.
In early July, the rice seedlings broke through the soil, their tender green leaves unfurling in the sunlight. Yan Mu squatted by the field, gently stroking the leaves, a strange feeling of emotion welling up inside him.
This is life, this is hope, this is the hope that allows countless people to live.
The distant sounds of mining echoed, the murmur of students reciting their lessons rang out from the school, and ships bustled in and out of the harbor. After a bloody riot, Baga Island had returned to its former order, even more stable than before.
Yan Mu stood up and looked westward. "Grandfather, Father, Mother, can you see this? Your son may not be able to restore the country and avenge his family, but perhaps he can do something more meaningful."
A sea breeze blows, carrying the salty, damp scent and the fragrance of earth. In the experimental field, rice seedlings sway gently in the wind, full of vitality.
A new era has truly begun.