The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

After Meng Yi left the west wing, he walked towards the front hall. When he stepped into the front hall, he happened to see Meng Tian and Meng Yuan enjoying dinner.

Meng Yi greeted them politely and sat down naturally. Seeing this, the servant quickly brought a set of bowls and chopsticks and placed them in front of Meng Yi.

Meng Yuan asked with concern: "Brother Yi, I heard that you were shot by an arrow. How is your health now?"

Meng Yi picked up a mouthful of food easily and replied with a smile: "Don't worry, second brother, I have fully recovered. Look at me now. I am full of energy."

Meng Tian and Meng Yuan looked at each other and couldn't help but smile and shook their heads.

After they finished their meal, Meng Yi asked, "Brother, how is the Yuezhi prince that Li Ziwei brought back a few days ago?"

Meng Tian replied, "I have arranged for an escort to take him to Xianyang, and have written to His Majesty explaining that you are seriously injured and require medical attention. I believe His Majesty will grant you some time to recuperate."

After a brief pause, Meng Tian continued, "Your sister-in-law is about to give birth, so you can spend some quality time with her."

Meng Yi nodded gratefully, a pleased smile on his face, and said, "Brother, you are so thoughtful!"

Meng Yuan nodded and asked, "Brother Yi, a few days ago we heard Li Ziwei briefly describe your experiences in the Western Regions, but please tell us the details!"

Meng Yi nodded and said, "Brother, brother, after the decline of the Zhongqiang tribe among the Qiang people, the other tribes are digesting themselves internally and are unable to participate in external disputes. The king of the Yuezhi is timid by nature and has already sent a hostage to express his loyalty to the Qin Dynasty. Moreover, there is the Wusun tribe in the west of the Yuezhi who are eyeing them covetously, so they have no time to care about the struggle between the Qin Dynasty and the Xiongnu. When we returned this time, the Xiongnu cavalry we encountered were the personal guards of the Xiongnu prince Maodun. This man is ambitious and has the ability to unify the Xiongnu grasslands. We almost fell into his hands this time. It's a pity that we didn't have enough troops at the time, otherwise he would have been killed." After speaking, Meng Yi's face showed a trace of regret and unwillingness.

"It's him!" Meng Yuan said, his voice tinged with surprise and confusion. "According to spies, since Maodun escaped the siege at the Royal Court, he's been heading west to gather remaining troops. He's amassed a force of 5,000 Xiongnu soldiers under his command, and he's also secretly trained around a thousand elite cavalry. I never thought you'd encounter him."

A trace of worry flashed across Meng Yi's eyes. He frowned and said in a heavy voice, "Yes, this man is indeed powerful and will become a serious threat to the Qin Dynasty in the future. However, the current situation is relatively favorable to us. The Xiongnu tribes have not yet been fully unified, so we still have time to prepare for the situation."

Meng Tian pondered for a moment, then slowly said: "Well, that's quite right. We should strengthen border defense, write to Your Majesty, wait for an opportunity to fight, and strive to annihilate the Huns in one fell swoop." His eyes were firm and full of determination.

Meng Yi nodded in agreement and continued, "Also, big brother, I think we can intensify the training of a group of elite troops to improve their overall combat effectiveness. The next time we encounter Maodun's personal troops, we will make sure they never return!"

Meng Tian nodded and said, "Well, sure, let's talk about it after you recover!"

Meng Yi hummed, a trace of worry on his face, and asked, "Brother, is there any news from Xianyang?"

Meng Tian frowned, thought for a moment, and then said, "I heard that Your Majesty has ordered that Prince Hu Hai will work with Right Prime Minister Feng Quji and Left Prime Minister Li Si in handling government affairs. Zhao Gao has been transferred to the position of Grand Coachman, Feng Jie to the position of Minister of the Court of Justice, Xin Qiliu to the position of Minister of the Central Lieutenant, and Zhou Qingchen to the position of Magistrate of Xianyang." He paused, then said, "This series of personnel changes has me a little confused."

A trace of worry flashed in Meng Yi's eyes. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Brother, Zhao Gao and the Feng family are currently allied and have great power in the court. We must be on guard!" He knew very well that the alliance between Zhao Gao and the Feng family might pose a threat to them.

Meng Tian nodded slightly in agreement, but he still said firmly: "Having said that, Li Si has been in the court for many years and has established his own power. He is fully capable of dealing with it; and Zhao Gao, huh, is just a eunuch, who relies entirely on your Majesty's trust. Your Majesty is wise and powerful, how could you be easily deceived by a villain?" He was full of confidence in the First Emperor and believed that Zhao Gao could not shake the emperor's decision.

Meng Yi looked at Meng Tian, ​​shook his head helplessly, and explained: "Brother, have you ever thought about what would happen if Prince Hu Hai ascended the throne a hundred years after Your Majesty passed away? Brother, what would you do?" He was worried that once the First Emperor passed away and Hu Hai succeeded to the throne, the power of Zhao Gao and the Feng family would further expand, bringing adverse effects.

Meng Tian shook his head and refuted firmly, "How is that possible? Your Majesty, although you have been keen on pursuing the elixir of immortality in recent years, is only in your fifties, well into middle age. Moreover, Prince Fusu is renowned throughout the world for his benevolence and righteousness. If something were to happen to Your Majesty, you would surely make Prince Fusu emperor. We only need to obey Your Majesty's decree."

Meng Yi sighed inwardly, thinking, "Brother, how should I explain this to you? Should I tell you that the First Emperor, due to excessive use of elixirs, is extremely weak and has only a few years left to live? Or that Zhao Gao and the Prime Minister conspired to support Hu Hai as emperor and, under the guise of an imperial decree, poisoned you and Fusu? If I tell you all this now, you won't believe it."

Meng Yuan also advised: "Brother Yi, you don't have to worry too much about the affairs of the court. My elder brother has his own thoughts and plans."

Just as Meng Yi was getting anxious and restless, Meng Tian suddenly patted him on the shoulder and said softly, "Okay, it's getting late. Let's all go to bed! We can discuss this matter later."

Meng Yi sighed helplessly and nodded. He stood up with Meng Yuan, bid farewell to his elder brother Meng Tian, ​​and then turned and walked towards the backyard. Their figures gradually walked away, finally disappearing into the darkness, leaving Meng Tian alone standing there quietly, lost in deep thought.

After the two men left, Meng Tian took a deep breath and began to think about his next move. He knew that the events unfolding in the Xianyang court were crucial to the entire nation, but at the moment, he was unable to do anything about them. Facing the powerful Xiongnu, the Qin Empire needed to take swift and decisive action to ensure the safety of its border regions.

The next day, Meng Tian and Meng Yuan, both wearing armor and riding horses, arrived at the northern camp.

After entering the camp, Meng Tian summoned the commanders of each camp. They sat together in a tense and serious atmosphere.

"Everyone, the Huns have been frequently disturbing the border recently, and the situation is serious. We must strengthen border patrols and reconnaissance and cannot slack off in the slightest!" Meng Tian's voice was low and powerful, full of majesty.

"General, we have increased the frequency and scope of patrols, but the Huns are very cunning and often attack us when we are unprepared." Guard Captain Dong Yi said with a frown.

Meng Tian nodded, fully aware of the Xiongnu's formidable power. "Therefore, all camps must not only intensify patrols but also closely monitor their movements, not missing a single clue."

"But General, won't our forces be too dispersed in this way?" Bai Lin asked.

Meng Tian pondered for a moment and said, "We can deploy our forces rationally based on intelligence. At the same time, we must actively prepare for war and be ready to face any possible war at any time."

All the generals expressed their agreement.

Meng Tian continued, "I am going to write a letter to Your Majesty, begging you to wait for an opportunity to fight. We cannot passively accept being beaten. We must take the initiative and teach the Xiongnu a severe lesson!"

"What the General said is absolutely right! We are willing to fight alongside the General and defend the peace of the border to the death!" The generals said in unison, their eyes full of firmness and determination.

Meng Tian looked at these loyal generals and felt a surge of pride in his heart. He believed that as long as everyone worked together, they would be able to defeat the Xiongnu and defend their country.