The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

Meng Yi stood by, observing Ying Bu's expression as he was so nervous he couldn't even speak. He couldn't help but smile slightly, then stepped forward, clasped his fists in greeting, and said, "Princess, we are envoys sent by the Great Qin to the Western Regions, carrying the Emperor's orders."

After saying this, he waved his hand and signaled his followers to take out the token given to him by the First Emperor before his departure.

Talleyrand took the scepter and examined it carefully. A flash of surprise suddenly crossed her eyes. Then, the corners of her mouth turned up, revealing a faint smile.

Then she slowly raised her head and whispered to Meng Yi and others, "Oh? So you are envoys from the Great Qin! In that case, it's no surprise that you are all so skilled in martial arts. I've always heard that Xianyang, the capital of the Qin Dynasty, is the most prosperous place in the world, and I've always longed to go there to see its splendor in person." As she spoke, her gaze drifted towards Ying Bu intentionally or unintentionally.

Meng Yi quickly returned the greeting, answering earnestly, "Since Your Highness has such a wish, you will surely find a good opportunity to fulfill it in the future. We have come from afar to discuss other important matters with your tribe."

Upon hearing this, Talleyrand smiled even brighter, like a blooming spring flower, and replied softly, "That is very good. Then, please follow me back to the royal tent!"

After she finished speaking, she turned around and rode away, leading everyone towards the king's tent.

Meng Yi and his companions followed closely behind Talilan. They rode their horses, and the sound of their hooves echoed across the earth, as if a gust of wind was sweeping past.

Along the way, they rushed towards the northwest at lightning speed, heading directly for the place where the king's tent was.

During this journey, Meng Yi engaged in a deep conversation with Talilan. Through their conversation, Meng Yi was surprised to discover that among the Qiang, women were not limited to household duties; they also had numerous female warriors. Among Talilan's escort was one such group. It was only then that Meng Yi noticed that this small group of approximately a hundred people was comprised entirely of Qiang women.

As for why she appeared at the border between the Shaodang tribe and the Shenlang tribe, according to Talilan, it was because she volunteered to come and patrol the border.

However, Meng Yi chose to remain silent about the fact that certain individuals within the Qin Empire were secretly selling weapons to the Zhongqiang tribe, and he did not inform Talilan of this matter. Perhaps he was well aware of the wide-ranging implications and needed to proceed with caution.

At the same time, Talleyrand finally learned the true identity of the envoy, Meng Yi—he was the younger brother of General Meng Tian, ​​who commanded the 300,000-man Northern Camp! Moreover, Meng Yi had been one of the main forces in the previous campaign against the Xiongnu royal court. Upon hearing this news, Talleyrand was overwhelmed with shock.

In reality, Talleyrand had already developed an indescribable affection for Ying Bu deep within her heart. In her eyes, Ying Bu was far more than just a master of martial arts and profound skills. Throughout the journey, she had silently observed Ying Bu's every move and found him to be cautious and thoughtful, qualities that made him the ideal partner for Talleyrand.

However, despite her deep love, Talleyrand was also well aware that Ying Bu was, after all, from a foreign tribe. It would be difficult to convince her father to accept their relationship and agree to their marriage. Therefore, she knew she had to rely on Meng Yi's mediation to have any hope of facilitating this happy marriage.

After a long journey of nearly half a day, the magnificent royal tent of the Shaodang tribe finally appeared before everyone's eyes, like a towering castle, looming in the distant sky.

Long before, Talilan had sent an envoy to rush back to the camp in advance to report the arrival of Meng Yi and his party and related circumstances in detail to King Shaodang.

At this moment, outside the camp gate, King Shaodang was leading many powerful leaders of the Shaodang tribe waiting for the arrival of Meng Yi and others.

Soon, Meng Yi and the others followed Talilan to the camp gate. Talilan opened her red lips and introduced him to her father, "Father, this is General Meng Yi, the envoy from the Qin Dynasty."

In fact, King Shaodang had already known Meng Yi's true identity when the messenger sent by Talleyrand brought back the news. It was for this reason that he attached great importance to this meeting and even went so far as to personally lead the commanders out of the city to welcome him.

Facing Meng Yi, King Shaodang beamed with a warm smile. He said, "I am deeply honored that your Excellency has taken the trouble to travel thousands of miles to visit my land. I'm sure you must have endured many hardships along the way!"

The surrounding commanders reacted in different ways. Some hurriedly followed King Shaodang's words, fawning and flattering Meng Yi and his entourage; others simply clasped their fists in a friendly gesture.

However, some commanders secretly grumbled, "Our king is taking this envoy from the Qin Dynasty too seriously! While the Qin Dynasty is indeed a wealthy and powerful nation with many brave generals, it is still thousands of miles away from us!" Besides, a mere envoy is hardly worthy of such elaborate hospitality.

At this moment, King Shaodang ignored their thoughts and continued loudly, "Commanders, you don't know! This envoy before us—General Meng Yi—was the main general who defeated the Xiongnu royal court in one fell swoop! Moreover, the commander of the 300,000-man army in the Great Qin Northern Camp was none other than his brother, General Meng Tian!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the leaders of the Shaodang tribe who had originally looked down on him changed their expressions in an instant, and showed extremely humble expressions.

Meng Yi's expression straightened, not daring to be negligent in the slightest. He quickly led the crowd behind him to bow and salute, shouting in unison: "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Immediately afterwards, amid the heroic laughter of King Shaodang, everyone followed him in a line and walked into the main tent.

The space inside the main tent is extremely spacious, and at first glance it can accommodate hundreds of people.

Of course, at this moment, only King Shaodang, Tarilan and other powerful commanders were left in the tent, while on Meng Yi's side, Ying Bu, Han Xin, Li Ziwei, Wang Er and others were left behind.

After everyone had taken their seats, the maids brought in delicious wine and delicacies one after another like flowing water, filling the entire table in an instant. The aroma was so fragrant that it made people salivate.

After three drinks.

When the banquet gradually ended, the commanders left one after another, leaving only Meng Yi, Tarilan and King Shaodang's brother Tariq.

At this time, King Shaodang asked directly, "I wonder what important matter has brought you here from such a distance?"

Meng Yi slowly stood up and replied respectfully and solemnly, "Your Majesty! Our dynasty has always been aware of the close and friendly relations between the Shaodang tribe and the Central Plains. However, the Xiongnu have long harbored ill intentions towards our Great Qin's northern border, coveting it covetously. Especially recently, they seem to be attempting to enlist the Qiang and Yuezhi to invade our border territories. What are your plans, Your Majesty?"

Meng Yi paused briefly before continuing, "Furthermore, before I set out here, I received word that someone within our dynasty had the audacity to sell a large quantity of weapons to the Zhongqiang tribe. Therefore, I have been ordered by the Emperor to come here to secretly investigate this matter."

At this point, Meng Yi stared sharply at King Shaodang, hoping to discern some clues from his reaction. At this moment, he was secretly planning to take this opportunity to test King Shaodang and see if he knew anything about the matter.