The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

At this time, Li Si was in the critical period of the construction of the Lishan Imperial Mausoleum. Faced with such a huge project, he needed to deal with a large number of personnel and material allocation issues, which kept him busy. He had no time to pay attention to the changes in the court.

At the same time, Zhao Gao was actively taking action in secret. He knew that in order to gain a firm foothold in the court, he must have sufficient strength and connections.

So, he used his relationship with the right prime minister Feng Quji to successfully arrange his confidants such as Zhao Cheng to important positions in the Taifu Temple and the Tingwei government offices.

These personnel changes may seem insignificant, but in fact they gave Zhao Gao greater power and influence.

In addition, with the cooperation of Feng Quji and Zhao Gao, Hu Hai also prepared to present a so-called "magic medicine" to the First Emperor, claiming that it could prolong life.

One day, Hu Hai respectfully bowed to the First Emperor and said, "Father, this is the miraculous elixir I have found especially for you. I hope it will help you live longer."

The First Emperor smiled and said, "Hu Hai, I understand your filial piety."

After taking it, the First Emperor felt that his condition had indeed improved.

Meanwhile, Right Prime Minister Feng Quji also began his own plan. On a sunny morning, he arrived at Zhangtai Palace.

The First Emperor was sitting in front of the main hall, reading a scroll of bamboo slips attentively.

Feng Quji bowed respectfully to the First Emperor and then said, "Your Majesty, I have something to say, but I don't know whether I should say it or not."

The First Emperor raised his head, looked at Feng Quji, smiled and said, "Right Prime Minister, feel free to speak frankly."

Feng Quji said, "Your Majesty, Prince Hu Hai is intelligent and clever. He can properly learn government affairs and become a talent reserve for our Great Qin."

The First Emperor nodded and said, "Hu Hai is indeed very intelligent, but he is still young and needs time to improve."

Meanwhile, Zhao Gao, the Imperial Secretary, was also there, offering advice. He smiled and said to the First Emperor, "Your Majesty, Prince Hu Hai's talent and character are both exceptional. His performance in the palace has earned him praise."

After hearing this, the First Emperor nodded slightly and said, "What Zhao Gao said makes sense."

Against this backdrop, the First Emperor finally decided to appoint Hu Hai to study government affairs with Feng Jie. This decision not only changed the fate of the Qin Dynasty, but also laid the groundwork for the future political landscape.

When Li Si learned of this, he sighed inwardly, knowing that his position in the court might be affected.

However, all of this was seen by Zhao Gao.

Zhao Gao realized that Li Si was currently unable to take care of the court, and now was the time to take action against Meng Yi.

One day, Zhao Cheng sneaked into the palace and found Zhao Gao. He whispered, "Brother, I've made a great discovery recently. I've found Zhang Liang's whereabouts."

Zhao Gao was startled when he heard this. He looked around hastily, then lowered his voice and said to Zhao Cheng, "This matter shouldn't be discussed here. Go back to the mansion and wait. We can discuss it after I return."

Zhao Cheng nodded and turned to leave. Zhao Gao stood there for a moment, pondering whether to tell Feng Quji about this matter, but ultimately decided to keep it secret for the time being.

As night fell, Zhao Gao returned from the palace to his residence. Zhao Cheng saw him and hurried forward to greet him. Together they walked into the secret room within the study.

After entering the secret room, the two men sat opposite each other. Zhao Cheng said respectfully, "Brother, some of the intelligence from the Black Ice Terrace is handled by the Supreme Court. Today, while I was on duty, I happened to see the express report from Xia Pi, and I'm here to report it to you, brother." As he spoke, he pulled a sealed letter from his pocket and handed it to Zhao Gao.

Zhao Gao took the letter, opened it carefully, and quickly scanned its contents. Suddenly, a sly smile flashed in his eyes.

"Hahaha, God is really helping me!" Zhao Gao couldn't help but laugh triumphantly, "I didn't expect Zhang Liang to be hiding in Xia Pi."

Seeing this, Zhao Cheng hurriedly asked, "Brother, what should we do now? Do we need to report this news to His Majesty immediately?"

Zhao Gao shook his head slowly, with a cunning glint in his eyes: "Don't worry, this incident is a great opportunity for us. If Zhang Liang turns against Li Si or Meng Yi and falsely accuses them of helping him escape, no matter what, we must make sure that Zhang Liang's escape is related to Li Si or Meng Yi. When the time is right, we can kill Zhang Liang..." At this point, Zhao Gao made a throat-slitting gesture.

Zhao Gao then said, "If we can capture Zhang Liang, whether he is dead or alive, we will be able to gain great merit from Your Majesty."

Zhao Cheng hesitated for a moment, frowning slightly: "But, if the truth is revealed..."

Zhao Gao smiled slightly, a fierce look flashing in his eyes. "Don't worry, as long as we act decisively and don't leave any clues, no one will notice."

Zhao Cheng nodded slightly in agreement, then asked, "So, what are your specific plans, brother?"

Zhao Gao pondered for a moment, then said with a determined look, "First, send trusted confidants to secretly monitor Zhang Liang's every move to prevent him from escaping. Second, you must rush to Xiapi and imitate the handwriting to forge some letters. When the time is right, act immediately."

Zhao Cheng nodded vigorously, agreeing with Zhao Gao's plan. Then he turned and left, and began to act according to Zhao Gao's instructions.

That night, as darkness enveloped the land, Zhao Cheng led a group of trusted confidants, galloping off on swift horses like the wind. Their destination was clear: Xiapi.

This night was destined to be restless.

The next morning, as the sun rose, Zhao Cheng and his team arrived at the gate of Xiapi City. To avoid attracting attention, they cleverly disguised themselves as passing merchants, wearing simple and inconspicuous clothes and showing no signs of abnormality.

However, this seemingly ordinary city actually hides many secrets. Zhao Cheng has already planted his own spies in Xiapi. Under his coercion and inducement, these spies have defected to his side and become his pawns. One of the spies reported Zhang Liang's hiding place to Zhao Cheng, and Zhao Cheng secretly rejoiced that everything was under control.

Night fell once again, and Zhao Cheng decided to act. He led his men and quietly surrounded Zhang Liang's residence, like a ghost in the darkness. Silence reigned, broken only by the occasional chirping of insects.

Zhao Cheng's eyes flashed with determination and ruthlessness. He knew this operation was of great importance and could not afford to make the slightest mistake. He took a deep breath and signaled his men to prepare and wait for the right moment.

It is said that after Zhang Liang, the Marquis of Liu, failed in his assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang, he escaped by chance, headed south, and hid in Xia Pi, intending to hide his identity and look for another opportunity.

One day, Zhang Liang was out buying books when he was recognized by a secret agent. This agent, a member of the Imperial Court, was tasked with apprehending those who opposed the Qin Dynasty. Seeing Zhang Liang's unusual bearing, he became suspicious. After comparing Zhang Liang's appearance, he discovered a striking resemblance to the portrait on the imperial wanted poster. The agent immediately reported the incident to the emperor.

At this time, night fell. When Zhang Liang returned to his residence and was about to rest, he suddenly heard a noise outside. He stood up alertly and looked out the window, only to see several dark figures approaching his room.

"Oh no!" Zhang Liang was shocked, knowing he had been exposed. He quickly packed his luggage and prepared to escape through the back door. However, before he could reach the door, he was blocked by a group of men in black.

"Zhang Liang, how are you?" the leading man in black sneered.

Zhang Liang's face darkened, knowing that he could not escape today.

Seeing that Zhang Liang had seen through his identity, Zhao Cheng stopped pretending and gave the order, "Attack!" Before he finished speaking, several black-clad warriors behind him rushed forward together, trying to subdue Zhang Liang.

Despite his agility, Zhang Liang was overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies. He fought back fiercely, but was ultimately outnumbered and quickly overpowered.

"Take him away!" Zhao Cheng said proudly. He then took Zhang Liang away and escorted him back to Xianyang. Along the way, Zhang Liang remained silent, secretly plotting how to escape his predicament.