The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

At this critical moment, a strong wind suddenly blew in the sky, as if it was specially arranged by God to help Meng Yi.

Meng Yi acted decisively and ordered ten of his men to each hold a drum and quietly hide behind the enemy camp. They agreed that if they saw the fire, they would beat the drums with all their might and shout at the top of their lungs to cheer.

Meanwhile, Ying Bu and Han Xin led the rest of the group, armed with sharp swords and powerful crossbows, carefully ambushing on both sides of the gate. Everyone held their breath, concentrating on waiting for the perfect moment.

Soon, Meng Yi, observing the wind's direction, decisively lit the fire. Instantly, the blazing fire spread rapidly, carried by the wind, and the entire enemy camp was instantly engulfed in flames. According to the pre-planned plan, drums roared in unison from both the front and rear. For a moment, the drumbeats resembled thunder, and the cries of killing shook the earth, creating a magnificent atmosphere.

Faced with such a sudden attack, the Xiongnu people were immediately panicked and in chaos. They fled in all directions, but found that there was no way to escape.

In this chaotic situation, Meng Yi led the charge, wielding the sharp blade in his hand and personally killing ten Huns.

Seeing this, Ying Bu and his men were greatly encouraged and fought bravely. After a fierce battle, another forty or fifty Xiongnu were killed, and the remaining defeated soldiers were all devoured by the merciless flames.

After the battle, Meng Yi did not rest for a moment. He immediately sent his trusted confidant to invite the Yuezhi king to come.

When the Yuezhi king saw the heads of the Xiongnu envoys scattered across the ground, he turned pale with fear and trembled all over. His lips trembled slightly, and his voice was filled with fear and awe: "What...what is going on?"

Meng Yi stepped forward, looking the Yuezhi king in the face with a determined gaze. His voice was deep and powerful: "Your Majesty, the Xiongnu envoys have provoked us. We are irreconcilable with them. This is the result of opposing the Qin Dynasty."

The Yuezhi King's eyes were filled with fear and helplessness. He stammered, "General Meng, I... I know I was wrong."

Meng Yi sneered and said, "Your Majesty has spoken too much. How is Your Majesty wrong?"

The leaders of the entire tribe were suddenly utterly terrified. They suddenly woke up, realizing that the Qin army was strong, with numerous soldiers and generals, sharp swords and spears, and abundant food and grass. Even the 300,000-strong Xiongnu army had been defeated by them. How could the Yuezhi, with only a few tens of thousands of soldiers, resist them?

The King of Yuezhi was well aware of the seriousness of this incident. He knew very well that if he continued to oppose the Qin Dynasty, he would be seeking his own death and face a catastrophe.

So, he expressed to Meng Yi his willingness to cooperate with the Qin Dynasty without hesitation, and even offered to send his beloved son to the Qin Dynasty as a hostage to show his loyalty and that he had no intention of betraying the country.

Meng Yi looked at him, and after a moment's silence, he said, "Well, since Your Majesty is willing to cooperate with the Qin Empire, I will report this to His Majesty."

The Yuezhi King nodded repeatedly, tears streaming down his face as he said, "Thank you, General Meng."

Meng Yi waved his hand, signaling him to leave. The Yuezhi king hurried away as if he had been pardoned.

Just now, Li Ziwei captured two Xiongnu envoys. According to the captives, they came here on the orders of the Great Khan Touman. However, they obviously had not expected to encounter the Qin people here.

At this time, Han Xin, who was standing by, suddenly said, "General, if it were so, then the Xiongnu cavalry we encountered on the road a few days ago and these Xiongnu envoys are not the same group!"

Meng Yi nodded slightly, agreeing with Han Xin's words. He then continued, "Indeed, it seems those Xiongnu cavalrymen were solely under the command of the Xiongnu Crown Prince, Maodun. Furthermore, Maodun doesn't appear to have passed any information about us to the Great Khan, Touman. This suggests that after the heavy losses suffered by the Xiongnu, internal divisions and disputes have already begun to form."

Li Ziwei frowned and pondered for a moment before speaking firmly, "General, in my opinion, why don't we exploit the various internal conflicts within the Xiongnu and deliberately create disputes, provoking discord among them? This way, we can reap the benefits. This time, I will personally lead a team to quietly infiltrate the Xiongnu camp and thoroughly investigate their true situation."

Meng Yi slowly shook his head and replied solemnly, "Although the Xiongnu cavalry that attacked us last time were not numerous, they were extremely powerful. They must have been the last remaining elite unit under Maodun's command. Furthermore, from what I understand, the Zhongqiang tribe within the Qiang ethnic group is very likely secretly colluding with him. Our forces are relatively small at the moment, so it's not advisable for us to remain here for long. However, we can try to spread some rumors within the Xiongnu."

Meng Yi then turned his gaze to Li Ziwei with a piercing gaze and solemnly instructed him, "As for the two captured Xiongnu prisoners, you must arrange for your men to feign lax supervision and deliberately let them go. But before doing so, you must reveal to them a little information about Maodun's secret dealings with the Qiang people."

Li Ziwei took the order and left.

A few days later, the two Xiongnu captives escaped from their captivity after going through untold hardships! Like ghosts, they shuttled through the mountains, forests and grasslands, avoiding numerous obstacles and finally arrived at the Xiongnu camp.

It is worth mentioning that as soon as these two lucky guys returned to the camp, they couldn't wait to report a shocking news to the Great Khan Touman: Maodun was secretly colluding with the Qiang people!

This news struck Touman like a bolt from the blue. He was instantly enraged, veins bulging on his forehead and his eyes blazing with rage. However, despite his fury, Touman quickly calmed down and forcibly suppressed the urge to punish Maodun immediately.

It's worth noting that the Xiongnu had suffered a crushing defeat in that fierce battle, forcing them to flee back to the grasslands in panic. After a difficult reorganization, only about 100,000 remnants remained. Worse still, the royal court had been destroyed by the Qin army, leaving only Maodun and a mere 800 men to escape.

By this time, the Xiongnu were no longer as powerful as they once were, and the influence of Touman, the once awe-inspiring Khan, had also waned significantly. The tribes no longer obeyed Touman's orders as they once did, and they began to make excuses to shirk their duties.

In addition, the army under Maodun's command was a well-trained, well-equipped, and highly effective elite force. Although the force was small in number, each soldier was a veteran of hundreds of battles, possessing excellent combat skills and a strong will.

In contrast, Touman had already lost all his other offspring, leaving only his only son, Maodun, to rely on. Faced with such a complex situation and considering various factors, Touman knew very well that if he rashly attacked Maodun now, the consequences would be disastrous.

Yet, even with this understanding, the seeds of suspicion and distrust had already been deeply embedded in Touman's heart. After all, who could easily give up supreme power? The struggle for power often involves resorting to unscrupulous means, even sacrificing family ties and friendships, leading to brothers turning against each other and fathers and sons becoming suspicious of each other. This phenomenon is all too common.

Although Touman chose to hold his ground for the time being, he still couldn't fully trust Maodun, always worried that he would betray him one day and take away everything that belonged to him. This sense of insecurity hung over Touman like a shadow, keeping him vigilant at all times and not daring to take it lightly.

From then on, Touman maintained his trust and tolerance towards Maodun on the surface, but secretly began to reduce Maodun's power and closely monitor his army's every move. Thus began a thrilling undercurrent of competition...