The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

The next morning, the sun shone on the bustling streets of Xianyang City. Meng Yi rode a tall and mighty horse, and the sound of horse hooves echoed throughout the streets and alleys.

The destination of his trip was Li Si's residence, where he was preparing to say goodbye to his cheap uncle.

Not long after, Meng Yi rode his horse slowly to the gate of Li's mansion.

There were two guards with upright postures and serious expressions standing at the door. When they saw Meng Yi coming, one of them quickly stepped forward and took the reins with skillful and neat movements; the other one took big strides without hesitation and galloped into the mansion, obviously to deliver the message.

A short moment later, the guard who had just gone in to report hurried back. He came before Meng Yi, bowed respectfully, and then said loudly, "Master Meng, my master has been waiting for you in the study for a long time!"

After saying this, the guard stepped aside to make way and made a gesture of invitation.

Meng Yi nodded thoughtfully, then walked through the long corridor and headed straight towards Li Si's study.

As soon as he entered the study, Meng Yi saw Li Si standing quietly in front of a map, as if he was lost in deep thought.

Hearing the footsteps, Li Si slowly turned around, his eyes fell on Meng Yi, and a gentle smile appeared on his face: "My dear nephew, you are finally here."

Meng Yi hurried forward, bowed respectfully, and said, "Uncle Master, I have come to bid you farewell today."

Li Si walked over to Meng Yi, patted him gently on the shoulder, and said earnestly, "You are carrying out this important mission to the Western Regions. You must be extremely careful along the way. Regardless of whether or not we can successfully reach a cooperation agreement with the countries of the Western Regions, you must return safely."

Meng Yi's expression was serious. He nodded solemnly and replied, "My nephew is well aware of the heavy responsibility of this trip and will be extra careful."

At this moment, Li Si frowned slightly and said with a slightly worried tone, "However, I have recently heard some rumors that the Xiongnu's unusual behavior seems to be hidden behind the shadow of other countries' manipulation. Therefore, you must be doubly careful when traveling west this time, and you must not take it lightly."

Upon hearing this, Meng Yi's expression grew increasingly solemn, but his eyes revealed a resolute look. "Thank you, Uncle Master, for your advice. I will certainly be extremely cautious and will not allow the enemy any opportunity to take advantage of me."

After a brief pause, Meng Yi continued, "Uncle, just yesterday, I went to pay a visit to Lord Wei. Judging from the current situation, Lord Wei may not have much time left..." At this point, Meng Yi couldn't help but reveal a trace of sadness.

At that moment, Li Si's eyes suddenly became a little blurry, as if impacted by an invisible force. He said with worry on his face, "If the Duke of Wei unfortunately passes away, then the power of people like Feng Quji and Zhao Gao in the court will probably expand further and become difficult to contain!"

Seeing this, Meng Yi hurriedly warned, "Uncle Master, you must be cautious in Xianyang. His Majesty is completely obsessed with those elixirs, and the Feng family and Zhao Gao are attempting to usurp power and manipulate the government. Under these circumstances, Uncle Master, I hope you can be more accommodating."

Hearing this, Li Si's expression grew solemn. He spoke slowly, his voice low and resolute, "Back then, our Great Qin unified the six kingdoms through the tireless efforts of our six predecessors. How can I stand by and watch this hard-earned empire be ruined by these treacherous ministers? Even if it means my own death, I will do my utmost to safeguard the stability and prosperity of our Great Qin!"

Meng Yi gazed at Li Si, a wave of admiration welling up in his heart. It was only then that he suddenly realized that Li Si's true goal was nothing else but to become a renowned official, a one-of-a-kind figure who would go down in history.

"Uncle-master, I will go all out when I go to the Western Regions this time. When I return to Xianyang in the future, if I encounter those people with ulterior motives causing trouble, I will definitely not be merciful and will punish them severely!" Meng Yi's eyes were firm and his words were sonorous and powerful.

Li Si nodded slightly, expressing his approval and appreciation for Meng Yi's words.

"However, the journey to the west is long and extremely dangerous, with unknown dangers lurking everywhere. You must act with caution and never take it lightly." Li Si warned earnestly.

Meng Yi clasped his hands together, bowed, and accepted the order, saying, "Thank you for your concern, uncle. I understand everything."

Afterwards, the two continued to have in-depth exchanges, discussing together how to deal with the current complex situation and formulate corresponding strategies and policies.

Finally, after careful consideration, Meng Yi stood up to bid farewell to Li Si and slowly walked out of the gate of Li's mansion.

Afterwards, Meng Yi hurried back to the mansion, walked through the courtyard and corridors, and went straight to the guest room, looking for Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu.

After entering the room, Meng Yi saw them sitting at the table with serious expressions.

The three of them smiled at each other, then took their seats.

Meng Yi took a deep breath and broke the silence. "Master, Big Brother, His Majesty has ordered me to go on a diplomatic mission to the Western Regions, and I'll be leaving soon. I hope you can come with me. I'll take care of you along the way and ensure your safety."

However, Xiang Liang shook his head slightly and replied firmly, "Yi'er, Yu'er and I have been traveling north for nearly two years. We originally hoped to rely on the eldest son Fusu to restore the feudal system, but things went against our wishes and we ultimately failed. Now, we have decided to return to Kuaiji and make new plans for the future."

Xiang Yu nodded silently, agreeing with his father's opinion, and said to Meng Yi: "Brother Yi, your journey to the Western Regions is long and full of dangers. You must be careful and prudent."

Meng Yi nodded vigorously and responded, "Thank you for your concern, brother. Don't worry!"

Meng Yi, seemingly seeing through Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu's thoughts, continued his persuasion, "Master, Big Brother, I know your innermost thoughts. It seems that conventional means of restoring our nation are hopeless. I'm sure you're secretly accumulating strength, waiting for the right moment to overthrow the Qin Empire by force and restore the Chu Kingdom to its former glory."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu couldn't help but show a hint of astonishment in their eyes. They had never imagined that Meng Yi would understand their intentions so well. Just as the two were about to open their mouths to explain...

Meng Yi took a deep breath and spoke again, "Master, Big Brother, please obey my words. Unifying the world and ending division is the inevitable trend of the times! If we continue to implement the feudal system at this moment, it would be like turning the carriage backwards. It is undoubtedly contrary to the trend of history."

He paused briefly, looking at the two men in front of him with a determined gaze, then continued, "Furthermore, Great Qin is now surrounded by powerful enemies. The Xiongnu, Yuezhi, and Baiyue all covet our territory. Internally, treacherous ministers are disrupting the court, and the situation is turbulent. If civil war breaks out at this critical moment, the innocent people will surely be plunged into endless suffering, and their lives will become unbearable."

Hearing this, Xiang Liang couldn't help but sigh deeply and responded with deep emotion, "Yi'er, I understand that what you say is true. However, reviving the Chu Kingdom has always been my greatest wish in life. How can I give up so easily?"

Seeing this, Xiang Yu quickly interrupted, nodded in agreement, and added, "That's right, Brother Yi, each of us has our own chosen goals. But don't worry, we will never act rashly and will patiently wait for the right time."

Faced with Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu's resolute attitude, Meng Yi knew that no amount of persuasion would be effective. So, he shook his head helplessly and gave them a final warning: "Since things have come to this, I will no longer insist on persuading you. In the future, no matter what situation you encounter, you must think calmly and weigh the pros and cons before making a decision. Don't act rashly or impulsively..."

After saying this, Meng Yi's eyes showed a hint of worry, but more of it was concern for them.