The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

In February, the weather in the north gradually warmed up, but the cold winds were not to be outdone, still raging across the Guanzhong region. In Xianyang City, in the Meng Mansion's study.

Li Ziwei bowed respectfully to Meng Yi and reported, "General, according to the Southern Xinjiang intelligence station, the Imperial Guard Tu Sui is seriously ill and reportedly has suffered a relapse of an old injury."

Meng Yi smiled slightly, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes: "The court hasn't received this news yet. It seems that our Jinyiwei has made significant improvements in intelligence transmission!"

Li Ziwei quickly replied, "General, according to your arrangement, intelligence transmission now uses a variety of methods, including secret codes, carrier pigeons, and special personnel and express horses."

Meng Yi nodded with satisfaction. After a moment's thought, he said, "If this is the case, the situation in the court will probably undergo new changes. We should pay close attention to the actions of the ministers in the near future."

Li Ziwei bowed again to show that he understood: "Yes, sir!" Then he turned and left the room.

Two days later, in the early morning, a fast horse galloped in from the south gate of Xianyang City like a gust of wind and headed straight for the Zhangtai Palace in the royal city.

After dismounting, the cavalry quickly walked to the outside of Zhangtai Palace and shouted loudly: "Report, Your Majesty, urgent news from southern Xinjiang."

The guards did not dare to delay and immediately led the cavalryman into the Zhangtai Palace. At that moment, the First Emperor was sitting at his desk, resting his eyes and enjoying a moment of tranquility.

When the cavalry saw the First Emperor, they saluted respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, I am an envoy sent by General Tu Sui, the National Commander. Now that the National Commander is seriously ill, he asked me to bring a letter for your Majesty to review." After that, the cavalry held up the bamboo tube with both hands and handed it to the First Emperor.

When the First Emperor heard the news, his heart suddenly tightened and his face became solemn.

Seeing this, the eunuch beside him hurried forward to take the bamboo tube from the cavalryman, opened it carefully, and then placed the letter inside on the desk of the First Emperor.

The First Emperor took a deep breath, slowly opened his eyes, and his gaze fell on the letter. With a trembling hand, he gently opened the envelope and unfolded the letter. He saw the handwriting of Tu Sui, the Imperial Lieutenant, and the words revealed deep worry and fatigue.

“Respectfully submitted to Your Majesty:

I, Tu Sui, am writing this letter to Your Majesty, hoping that Your Majesty will read it personally.

Since I was ordered to guard the border, I have experienced many years and have been fortunate to have Your Majesty trust me and entrust me with important tasks. However, I am now seriously ill and I fear that I will not live long, so I have written this letter to express my feelings.

The southern border is a treacherous land, frequently invaded by barbarians. I fought alongside the soldiers, and while we achieved victory, we also paid a heavy price. Whenever I think of this, I feel a deep sense of guilt. My inability to completely pacify the border for Your Majesty is truly my fault.

However, I also know that Your Majesty's ambition is to achieve unification, and the stability of southern Xinjiang is of vital importance to the nation. Although I am seriously ill, my heart remains with southern Xinjiang. I implore Your Majesty to continue strengthening its defenses and appoint capable generals to ensure peace on the border. Zhao Tuo, while exceptionally capable, struggles to gain the support of others, and should not be allowed to command the entire army alone.

"I have served as a general my entire life and know the cruelty of war and the suffering of the people. I hope Your Majesty will govern the country with benevolence, so that the people can live and work in peace and contentment, and the country can prosper."

I know my days are numbered, and I can no longer serve Your Majesty. I pray Your Majesty takes good care of your health and achieves great things for generations to come. Even if I die, I will have no regrets.

Finally, I once again thank Your Majesty for your grace. May Your Majesty live forever! May the Great Qin live forever!

Respectfully presented by Tu Sui! "

After reading the letter, the First Emperor remained silent for a long time. Seeing this, the eunuch led the cavalry waiting outside the door out of the palace to rest.

At this moment, only the First Emperor and a few of his attendants remained in the hall. His face was terribly gloomy; he hadn't expected Tu Sui's illness to be so serious. The situation in Southern Xinjiang was tense, and Tu Sui, as the Imperial Lieutenant, shouldered a heavy responsibility. If he fell, the entire Southern Xinjiang defense would be in grave danger. Therefore, he had to act immediately to resolve this issue.

The First Emperor immediately summoned his ministers to discuss the defense of southern Xinjiang. Soon, several important ministers, including Feng Quji, Li Si, Wang Ben, and Wei Liao, were summoned to the palace. They arrived, their expressions solemn, awaiting the First Emperor's instructions.

The First Emperor sat on the dragon throne, his face calm, and he said in a low voice: "My dear ministers, the state commander Tu Sui is seriously ill, and the defense of southern Xinjiang is urgent. I intend to select another person to go to southern Xinjiang to replace Tu Sui."

Everyone was surprised when they heard the First Emperor's words. They knew the situation in southern Xinjiang was dire and needed a capable and experienced general to guard it. However, choosing the right person was no easy task.

Feng Quji spoke first, his tone serious. "Your Majesty, the journey to Southern Xinjiang is long, and the new generals are unfamiliar with the local conditions, which could easily lead to improper command of the troops. Furthermore, an army of 500,000 cannot be without a leading general for a single day. A hasty change could cause instability in the army. Therefore, I suggest selecting one of Ren Xiong or Zhao Tuo to take on this position. Both of them have served Tu Sui for many years and are familiar with the conditions in Southern Xinjiang. They can better take over Tu Sui's military affairs."

The First Emperor did not directly confirm or deny Feng Quji's proposal. Instead, he turned to the Wei Liao standing beside him and asked, "Wei Gong, what do you think?"

The lieutenant spoke slowly, "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Feng is right. Ren Xiong is a cautious man, well-versed in military texts, while Zhao Tuo is both wise and brave, with outstanding abilities. Moreover, both of them are familiar with the affairs of southern Xinjiang and the military. They are indeed the best candidates for the chief general. Currently, our Great Qin has many generals, all of whom are capable and skilled in battle, and all of them can be generals."

After hearing this, the First Emperor remained silent, pondering the matter in his heart. He then looked at Li Si and said, "Mr. Li, what do you think?"

Li Si stepped out, bowed, and said, "I think both Ren Xiong and Zhao Tuo are suitable generals, but they are stationed away from home all year round, and I am afraid they may become disloyal. Therefore, I suggest that we send a military supervisor or a deputy commander."

The First Emperor nodded and said, "I intend to have Li Xin take over as deputy commander of the Southern Xinjiang army, and Ren Xiong temporarily take over as commander-in-chief."

Li Xin was then summoned into the palace.

After Li Xin entered the palace, he knelt down and accepted the order, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will definitely live up to your trust and guard the southern border!"

The First Emperor said meaningfully, "Li Qing, you will only be in charge of the rear guard and logistics! For the rest, proceed with caution."

"Your Majesty, I understand." Li Xin kowtowed in response.

The First Emperor turned to look at Wang Ben and said, "My Lord, what do you think of this matter?"

Wang Ben replied respectfully, "Your Majesty is wise. General Li Xin is renowned and will surely be able to defend the southern border. However...if anything were to happen to the lieutenant, it would likely cause unrest within the court."

The First Emperor was well aware of the stakes involved, but he was helpless. "Forget all that for now. The most urgent task right now is to stabilize the situation in southern Xinjiang. We can discuss other matters later."

Finally, the First Emperor once again emphasized the importance of defense in southern Xinjiang and asked his ministers to pay close attention to the developments in southern Xinjiang and report to him at any time.

Only after everything was arranged did the First Emperor let his ministers leave.

The ministers took their leave one after another, but the First Emperor did not leave. Instead, he stood quietly there, gazing into the distance, as if thinking about something.

There was a hint of helplessness and worry in his eyes, as if he was full of uncertainty about the future.

Outside the palace, the ministers were whispering and discussing.

They agreed with the First Emperor's decision, but were also worried about the situation in southern Xinjiang.

Everyone knows that the stability of southern Xinjiang is vital to the country's security, and Li Xin's succession undoubtedly gave everyone reassurance.

However, everyone was worried about the illness of the state commander Tu Sui.

They knew that the existence of the national commander Tu Sui was crucial to the stability of southern Xinjiang.

If something unexpected happens to Tu Sui, the situation in southern Xinjiang may become more complicated.

Amid the discussions of the crowd, the figure of the First Emperor gradually disappeared into the depths of the palace.