The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

Before coming here, Meng Yi had already learned the internal situation of the Yuezhi clearly through various channels.

It turns out the Yuezhi nation was comprised of five major tribes: Xiumi, Shuangmi, Kushan, Pangdun, and Dumi, with the Xiumi tribe being the most respected. Rough estimates suggest the Yuezhi nation numbered over 300,000 people, with over 100,000 of them armored and capable of fighting in battle.

After entering the Yuezhi king's tent, Meng Yi and his entourage finally got to see the Yuezhi king in person. He sat upright on a high throne, his sharp, hawk-like gaze surveying the people from the Central Plains who had come from afar.

Meng Yi took a step forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, we have come to visit you at the order of the Emperor. We hope to reach an alliance with the Yuezhi and join forces to resist the Xiongnu."

However, facing Meng Yi's earnest request, the Yuezhi King did not respond immediately. He just stared at Meng Yi and the others quietly, without saying a word, as if he was thinking about something important.

After a long while, the Yuezhi king slowly spoke and asked, "I have heard that your Great Qin once defeated 300,000 Xiongnu troops. With such a glorious military feat, why are you now seeking an alliance with my Yuezhi?"

Meng Yi calmed down and replied calmly, "Your Majesty, I understand. The Xiongnu did suffer a heavy blow back then, but as the saying goes, a centipede is still alive even after death. In recent years, they have attempted to unite with the Donghu to the east, the Qiang to the south, and even the Wusun to the west, hoping to rise again. If they succeed, it will bring great disaster. Therefore, if the Yuezhi can form an alliance with the Qin Dynasty, not only can the two sides provide mutual support, but they can also effectively resist foreign aggression. Furthermore, it should be noted that the Wusun have always coveted the Yuezhi Kingdom and have always been eyeing it covetously!"

The Yuezhi king frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on the distance, as if he was trying to process Meng Yi's words. His eyes flickered with hesitation from time to time, as if he was going through a fierce inner struggle.

At that moment, a leader dressed in magnificent attire stepped into the tent, bowed respectfully to the Yuezhi king, and said, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, the Great Qin Empire is indeed powerful and feared by all. An alliance with it would surely bring many benefits and opportunities to our country. Not only would we leverage their strength to defend against foreign invasion, but it would also promote trade and economic prosperity between our two countries. This is a wise move, and I ask Your Majesty to consider it carefully."

However, before he could finish his words, another leader rushed into the tent, his face filled with worry, and shouted, "Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable! Our Yuezhi Kingdom is small, with a sparse population, and cannot withstand any storms. If we rashly ally with the Qin Empire, we will be unable to protect ourselves if something unexpected happens! Your Majesty must act with caution and not make any rash decisions."

Hearing the two leaders' completely different opinions, the Yuezhi king could not help but fall into deep thought. He knew that this matter concerned the future of the entire country and that any negligence could lead to disastrous consequences.

After some careful consideration, the Yuezhi King slowly said, "Your Excellency, please rest in the camp for a few days. I will make a decision after careful discussion with the other leaders."

After saying this, Meng Yi bowed respectfully, then turned and left the royal tent.

Immediately afterwards, the leader of the Yuezhi king's guards acted quickly and properly placed Meng Yi and his entourage in the spacious and comfortable tent area in the southwest corner of the camp.

At the same time, he also specifically instructed his men to carefully prepare a table of delicious food and wine, and deliver it to the tent of Meng Yi and others.

In the following days, the King of Yuezhi showed extreme care and warm hospitality to Meng Yi and his party.

Every morning, the king would send someone to greet them and ask them whether they had adapted to the local environment, whether they had any other needs, etc.; in the evening, he would invite them to a grand banquet to share a happy time.

However, despite such attentiveness and consideration, the Yuezhi king always avoided talking about the important issue of alliance and cooperation between the two countries, as if he had no intention of doing so at all.

A few days later, the Yuezhi king's attitude suddenly changed 180 degrees. He had previously been very caring towards Meng Yi and the others, but now he had become extremely cold and distant, even abandoning the most basic courtesy.

Faced with such a sudden change, Meng Yi couldn't help but feel suspicious, secretly speculating that there must be some unknown reason behind it. After careful consideration, Meng Yi decided to take the initiative to explore the truth behind the matter.

Finally, his opportunity arrived. When the Yuezhi servants came to deliver food and wine one day, Meng Yi took advantage of their unpreparedness and suddenly asked, "I heard that the Xiongnu envoys have been here for many days. I wonder where they are now?"

The waiter was obviously caught off guard by this, and for a moment he was panicked and incoherent, unable to give a clear answer. Seeing this, Meng Yi knew that the waiter must know the inside story, but for some reason he didn't dare to reveal it easily.

So he made a prompt decision and ordered Ying Bu beside him to immediately detain the waiter to prevent the news from leaking out.

After being tortured by Ying Bu, the waiter said fearfully, "In the past few days, there have been hundreds of Xiongnu envoys who have come to the king's tent."

Immediately afterwards, Meng Yi made a prompt decision and quickly summoned 36 elite soldiers including Ying Bu and Han Xin.

His face was solemn, and he spoke in a low voice, "The Xiongnu envoys have arrived in Yuezhi and are currently stationed in the northwest corner, numbering a hundred. Judging from the current situation, the Yuezhi king's attitude remains ambiguous and hesitant. However, he has clearly become alienated from us and is leaning more towards the Xiongnu. Therefore, tonight, we must launch a surprise attack on the Xiongnu camp, execute the envoys, and leave the Yuezhi king with no other choice!"

Upon hearing this, Ying Bu, Han Xin and others responded loudly, "Don't worry, General. We are willing to obey your orders and follow you through thick and thin."

Meng Yi's gaze remained resolute as he continued, "As the saying goes, 'You can't get a tiger cub without entering its den.' At this moment, our only option is to attack the Xiongnu delegation under cover of darkness with a fire attack, preventing them from realizing our strength. This will cause the Xiongnu to panic, and we will be able to seize them in one fell swoop. If we can successfully annihilate this enemy, the Yuezhi king will undoubtedly be terrified, and our mission will be complete."

As night fell, while it was still dark, Meng Yi began to methodically deploy his battle plan. He assigned Ying Bu and Han Xin, each with about ten soldiers, to split into two groups and circle around the Xiongnu envoy's base, forming an encirclement. He himself, accompanied by Li Ziwei, led the rest of the troops and galloped straight towards the Xiongnu envoy's location.