The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

It was the end of December in the thirty-fourth year of the First Emperor's reign (213 BC).

The cold north wind blew through every corner of Xianyang City, bringing with it a blanket of snowflakes that covered the town and the ground. The entire Guanzhong region seemed to be covered in snow, a world clad in silver, making people feel the harsh cold of winter.

The study room of the Meng residence was filled with warmth. Meng Yi sat at his desk, absorbed in his reading. Fireplaces dotted the room, filling it with a warm atmosphere.

At this time, a family guard walked into the study and reported quietly: "Young General, Li Ziwei wants to see you."

Meng Yi raised his head, a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, but he still nodded in agreement.

A moment later, Li Ziwei walked into the study and said respectfully, "General, there have been some unusual developments in the court recently. In particular, some ministers, such as Chunyu Yue, have been frequently visiting Prince Fusu's residence."

Meng Yi frowned slightly and asked, "Oh? What are they going to do?"

Li Ziwei replied slowly, "According to information received from my subordinates, these Confucian scholars seem to be persuading Prince Fusu to make a proposal to Your Majesty, hoping to restore the feudal system."

Meng Yi's heart skipped a beat when he heard this. He recalled how a few months ago, when Southern Xinjiang needed an additional 100,000 troops, they had to withdraw a total of 50,000 from the Lantian Camp and the Lieutenant General's Army. Now, the combined forces of the Duwei Army, Weiwei Army, Lieutenant General's Army, and the garrison troops surrounding Xianyang City only totaled a little over 80,000 men, and that was the entire Guanzhong region's total strength.

Meng Yi thought for a moment and said to Li Ziwei, "This matter is of great importance and must be closely monitored. If those Confucian scholars really persuade Prince Fusu to restore the feudal system, the court will be in turmoil again. Continue to send people to monitor their movements and report to me at all times."

Li Ziwei nodded respectfully and responded, "Yes, sir! I will make sure to arrange all matters properly." After that, he turned around and walked out of the study quickly.

After Li Ziwei left, Meng Yi pondered, "Could it be that these people want to take advantage of the lack of military strength in the Guanzhong region to start a civil war?"

Meng Yi then fell into deep thought. He knew full well that the feudal system was a sensitive issue for the Qin Empire. After the First Emperor unified the six kingdoms, he abolished the feudal system and replaced it with the county system to strengthen central power.

However, these Confucian scholars, while ostensibly attempting to restore the feudal system, may actually be secretly supporting the nobles of the six kingdoms in their attempts to create chaos. This behavior is undoubtedly a blatant provocation to the First Emperor's policies.

After much deliberation, Meng Yi decided that he needed to discuss this matter with Li Si. After all, as the First Emperor's prime minister, and having championed the feudal system, Li Si held a crucial position within the court. Furthermore, they had a master-disciple relationship.

So, Meng Yi decided to go to Li Si in person. As the New Year was approaching, he could take this opportunity to visit his uncle and ask his opinion on the matter.

Meng Yi knew Fusu was too merciful. If he raised this suggestion in court, it would inevitably incur the displeasure and even anger of the First Emperor. Given the First Emperor's character, he would likely, as historical records indicate, send Fusu to Jiuyuan as a military supervisor. This would also put his elder brother, Meng Tian, ​​in grave danger. Therefore, Meng Yi hoped to find a proper solution to the problem through conversation with Li Si.

The next morning, Meng Yi and his wife rose early, packed their belongings, and, carrying their gifts, rode in a carriage to Li Si's residence. Along the way, his mind raced, wondering how this meeting would unfold. Arriving at Li Si's residence, the concierge announced the matter, and Meng Yi and his wife were ushered into the living room.

When Li Si saw Meng Yi and his wife coming, a look of joy appeared on his face and he hurriedly stood up to greet them.

After Meng Yi and Lu Su entered the front hall, they saluted Li Si in unison and said in unison: "I wish you, Uncle Master, good luck in your journey and may you enjoy eternal happiness!"

Li Si laughed heartily, waved his hand for them to sit down, and then said to Meng Yi, "You two came at the perfect time. Today is a family dinner, let's have some fun together!"

Meng Yi smiled and replied, "We came specially to congratulate our uncle. We heard that my aunt and the brothers and sisters were all here, so we rushed here early in the morning."

Li Si nodded in satisfaction and said with a smile, "Okay, okay, let's drink to our heart's content today and spend the holiday together happily."

Lu Su continued, "Master uncle, I haven't met those sisters yet." Her tone was filled with curiosity and anticipation.

Li Si clapped his hands lightly a few times, and crisp applause rang out. He called a maid and whispered, "Go and ask the ladies to come over." The maid bowed slightly, turned around and left.

Not long after, a sound of light footsteps was heard, and a group of people slowly walked into the living room.

Li Si introduced them with a smile, "This is my eldest daughter, Li Wan. This is my second daughter, Li Xian. This is my second son, Li Yun. My eldest son, Li Feng, is serving as the governor of Sanchuan County and has been busy with his duties and has not been able to return."

Meng Yi and Lu Su stood up and saluted. Li Wan and Li Xian smiled and returned the salute, their gestures graceful and generous; while Li Feng, on the other hand, bowed in return, appearing a little reserved.

Li Wan looked at Lu Su and said softly, "This must be Lu Su's sister, she's so beautiful."

Li Xian also said: "Yes, Sister Lu Su, we can get together in the future."

Lu Su responded with a smile: "Thank you, sisters."

Then, Li Si's wife, Han, smiled gently, took Lu Su's hand, and walked to the backyard with her daughters. Li Feng had been fond of martial arts since childhood and currently served as a captain in Wang Ben's army. At this moment, he was sent to the kitchen to see how the banquet preparations were going.

Li Si and Meng Yi sat down again and started chatting about some trivial family matters, laughing from time to time.

The topic unknowingly turned to the current situation, and Meng Yi took the opportunity to express his concerns: "Uncle Master, recently some people in the court have been instigating Prince Fusu to propose the restoration of the feudal system. This is a serious matter."

Li Si's face changed slightly. He was naturally aware of the interests involved. He looked at Meng Yi and said in a deep voice, "I've heard about this as well. Those Confucian scholars are really clueless!"

Meng Yi nodded in agreement. "If Prince Fusu really brought this up in court, it would probably anger His Majesty."

Li Si was silent for a moment, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes. He knew what Meng Yi said was true, and he knew the First Emperor's temper well.

At this time, Meng Yi said softly: "Uncle, perhaps we can find a way to persuade Master Fusu..."

Li Si shook his head. "Prince Fusu is kind-hearted and easily influenced by others. We can only take a long-term view..."

Meng Yi's face was grave. He spoke to Li Si in a low, serious voice, "Uncle Master, if we propose restoring the feudal system now, we will undoubtedly be courting trouble. The military strength in Guanzhong is already very weak. If someone takes this opportunity to incite rebellion, the situation will become uncontrollable."

After hearing this, Li Si nodded solemnly and sighed helplessly, "Alas, my dear nephew, I know this too well. However, this matter involves too many people, so it must be handled with great care and caution."

Meng Yi frowned and said worriedly, "Master, if we don't take action quickly, I'm afraid there will be more variables."

Li Si was silent for a moment, then said firmly, "If anything unexpected does happen in the court, I will do my best to deal with it. However, as for Prince Fusu, I still need you to pay more attention to him."

Meng Yi nodded seriously and responded: "Okay, Uncle Master, don't worry, I will pay attention."