The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

After Meng Yi came out of the royal city of Xianyang, he rode his horse towards Li Si's residence.

Along the way, he thought to himself, "My cheap uncle should know why the First Emperor ordered me to go to Dongjun to assist in the investigation. Alas, the political machinations of the ancients are truly beyond the reach of a time traveler. This seemingly fleeting incident in history has actually cost countless lives."

Thinking of this, Meng Yi couldn't help but lament the cruelty and complexity of ancient society. In that era, power struggles and intrigues were omnipresent, and people would do anything to secure power, even sacrificing the lives of others. As a time traveler, despite possessing some modern knowledge, he felt somewhat overwhelmed in the face of these complex political situations.

Soon, Meng Yi arrived at the gate of the Li Mansion on horseback. The two guards at the gate saw Meng Yi and hurried to greet him. One of the guards respectfully took the reins from Meng Yi, while the other led Meng Yi to the study.

Entering the study, Meng Yi immediately saw Li Si sitting quietly by the window, holding a book in his hand, reading intently. The sunlight streaming through the window shone on him, adding a sense of tranquility and solemnity to him.

Hearing the footsteps, Li Si raised his head with a faint smile on his face: "My dear nephew, you are back. I'm glad that everything is fine. I'm glad that everything is fine." He put down the book in his hand and stood up to greet Meng Yi.

Meng Yi quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Uncle Master." He had always respected Li Si, not only because of his talent and wisdom, but also because of his care for him.

Li Si waved his hand, motioning Meng Yi to sit down, and then personally poured him a cup of tea before speaking, "Your Majesty's request to go to Dongjun to assist in the investigation was actually a request I requested from His Majesty."

Meng Yi was shocked. He didn't expect this to be the reason.

Li Si looked at Meng Yi's puzzled expression, smiled, waved his hand and said, "Come, come, my dear nephew, sit down and talk."

After Meng Yi sat down, Li Si slowly took out a crystal clear jade pendant from his bosom, gently placed it on the table, and said, "My dear nephew, have you ever seen this?"

Meng Yi took the jade pendant from Li Si's hand and looked at it carefully.

"Uncle Master, this jade pendant is so unique." Meng Yi couldn't help but admire.

"Oh? What do you think is so unique about it, nephew?" Li Si asked with interest.

Meng Yi pointed at the shape of the jade pendant and said, "The shape of this jade pendant, its unique curves and lines, seems to have been seen somewhere before."

Immediately, Meng Yi quickly pulled out the jade pendant he had found outside Chenliu Warehouse from his waist. Comparing the two jade pendants, he found that, aside from a slight difference in color and texture, the remaining features—color, pattern, and shape—were nearly identical, as if they had come from the same rough jade.

"Uncle Master, this..." Meng Yi looked at Li Si in surprise.

A hint of surprise flashed across Li Si's eyes, and he asked, "Nephew, where did you get this jade pendant?"

Meng Yi replied: "This was found on the body of a manager in Chenliu Warehouse. At that time, I suspected that it had some connection with the forces behind them." After that, Meng Yi looked at Li Si in confusion, hoping that he could give a reasonable explanation.

Li Si said slowly: "Don't worry, nephew, I will tell you a story." His voice was low, as if carrying the vicissitudes of time.

"Before the unification of the six kingdoms, there was a pair of very good brothers. In order to realize his ideals and ambitions, the elder brother resolutely left his country and came to Qin." A trace of reminiscence flashed in Li Si's eyes, as if he had returned to that turbulent era.

"After several years, my senior brother was highly valued by the King of Qin through his own efforts. Knowing that my junior brother had outstanding talents, my senior brother recommended me to the King of Qin." A relieved smile appeared on Li Si's face.

"My junior brother has been invited here. He is truly talented and has quickly gained the respect of the King of Qin." Li Si's tone was full of admiration.

"However, just as Qin was about to destroy Han, one day, my junior brother suddenly approached me." Li Si's voice deepened. "He took out a jade pendant and told me he was sent here as an insider. Now, with his country facing a life-or-death situation, he hoped I could reveal Qin's troop deployment."

Li Si's eyes became sharp, as if he could penetrate time and see the tense scene of that year.

"But my senior brother refused, because his ideal was to use his talents to help the King of Qin complete the great cause of unification." Li Si's voice was firm and powerful.

"Then, the two brothers parted ways unhappily." Li Si's face showed a trace of helplessness and regret.

"But my junior brother did not give up the idea of ​​spying on military intelligence. As a result, he was discovered, imprisoned, and eventually died." Li Si's voice was filled with grief.

After saying that, Li Si walked to the window and looked out. His back seemed a little lonely and desolate, as if he was recalling the past that he couldn't bear to look back on.

Meng Yi now understood that the two brothers Li Si was referring to were him and Han Feizi. He thought to himself, "So there's another reason for Han Feizi's death."

Meng Yi's expression suddenly grew serious, and he pondered to himself, "So, it seems the jade pendant Han Feizi gave to Li Si is exactly the same as the one I found in Chenliu Cang! I'm afraid there's more to this than just the small Chenliu Cang."

At this moment, Li Si turned around and saw Meng Yi lost in thought. He spoke, "My dear nephew, the Supervisory Censor of Dang Commandery has a long-standing friendship with me, so he specifically mentioned this matter in his message. He also suspects that the anti-Qin forces of the Six Kingdoms were responsible, but he has not yet found any clues."

After a brief pause, Li Si continued, "Recently, the situation in Shandong has been turbulent, and we frequently detect signs of covert activity by other factions. Therefore, I have specifically requested that Your Majesty transfer you to Dongjun to prevent you from being drawn into the turmoil surrounding Chenliu Cang."

Meng Yi was filled with gratitude and quickly clasped his fists and said, "Thank you, Uncle Master."

Li Si waved his hand and continued with a serious expression: "Your Majesty was extremely angry about the Han Fei incident back then. He ordered Wei Liao to send the Black Ice Platform to wipe out the anti-Qin forces, but he was never able to completely eliminate them. Now, these anti-Qin forces have grown so large that it is really unexpected." Li Si couldn't help but sigh, a deep worry welling up in his heart.

After a moment's silence, Meng Yi slowly spoke, "Uncle Master, have you ever considered that the growing strength of anti-Qin forces stems from the series of oppressive policies implemented by the Qin court? The people and merchants are burdened with heavy burdens and face unbearable hardship, which has led to resentment towards the court. If this situation continues, once Your Majesty passes away, this unified empire will likely collapse like a shaky building."

However, before Meng Yi could finish his words, Li Si suddenly stood up and sternly shouted, "Shut up!"