The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

The actions of the Xianyang court were like a turbulent undercurrent, not limited to the Xiongnu and Yunzhong areas.

The imperial envoys headed south along the winding waterway of the Lingqu Canal and arrived at Panyu, the seat of the three Nanhai counties, Ren Qi, and the garrison of Zhao Tuo's army.

The messengers were Hu Hai's personal eunuch Deng Ying and doctor Ye Ping.

After the group entered Panyu City, they attracted the attention of the people in the city.

The people in the city were all whispering, full of curiosity about these imperial envoys.

After receiving the news, Ren Xiong and Zhao Tuo respectfully welcomed Deng Ying and Ye Ping in front of the county magistrate's mansion. After the two sides greeted each other, they entered the mansion together.

After entering the prefectural governor's mansion, Deng Ying unfolded the imperial edict and read it aloud: "I promote Ren Qi to the rank of Marquis of Pingnan, and my deputy general Zhao Tuo to the rank of Marquis of Longchuan. Furthermore, the troops of Li Xin, the general of the Southern Field Army, are plotting rebellion and plotting treason. I order Marquis of Pingnan Ren Qi to lead the troops to attack them. I hope he will live up to my trust. I decree this."

Ren Xiong was delighted when he heard the imperial edict, but his expression remained calm. His eyes flickered slightly, as if he was thinking about something.

After Deng Ying finished reading, Ren Qi said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I will do my best to show my grace. However, regarding Li Xin's rebellion..."

Deng Ying smiled slightly, interrupted Ren Xiong, and said, "My Lord, please do not ask any more questions. This is the order of His Majesty."

Ren Qi and Zhao Tuo looked at each other, and Zhao Tuo understood what he meant.

He hurriedly stepped forward and said, "You two gentlemen don't know that Li Xin's troops are all elite soldiers and generals, and they are extremely brave. Some time ago, the general led us to attack Li Xin, but we were defeated." There was a hint of helplessness and regret in his voice.

Zhao Tuo then sighed and said, "It's not that we are unwilling to serve our country, but our army is in a dire situation right now! We are running low on supplies, and weapons of all kinds are in serious shortage. Under such circumstances, how can we possibly raise an army to fight?"

As Zhao Tuo spoke, he shook his head helplessly, his expression looking full of sorrow and worry.

After saying that, Zhao Tuo's gaze slowly moved and finally fixed on Deng Ying, with an eager anticipation in his eyes.

Seeing this, Ye Ping, standing nearby, thought to himself, "It seems like Ren Qi and Zhao Tuo aren't exactly loyal and courageous men. Judging by their behavior, they're probably the type to wait until they see the rabbit before they release the eagle."

Ye Ping took a slight step forward, then bowed and said, "Your Majesty and General, rest assured. The court has already considered these matters and will make appropriate arrangements. As long as you remain loyal and serve His Majesty wholeheartedly, the court will not treat you unfairly."

After hearing Deng Ying's words, Ren Qi and Zhao Tuo looked at each other. After exchanging glances, they felt a little relieved.

However, despite this, how could they dare to agree to it easily before the real benefits were clearly realized?

You know, this Southern Xinjiang army is a force that the two of them spent many years of hard work and effort to gain.

If it is not handled properly, or there is a slight mistake, this force is likely to be weakened or even fall apart.

Deng Ying, upon seeing this, immediately understood the underlying meaning. A smile crossed his face as he said, "My Lords, if you have any requests or concerns, please feel free to raise them directly. We've been ordered here to, firstly, read His Majesty's edict regarding your promotions and inform you of this joyous news. Secondly, we hope that you will mobilize your forces to annihilate the despicable Li Xin rebels and maintain peace in the Qin Empire. And thirdly, His Majesty knows that you have been tirelessly residing in Southern Xinjiang for so long, so he specifically sent us here to relieve your worries!"

When Zhao Tuo heard this, he turned his gaze to Ren Qi standing beside him, only to see Ren Qi nod slightly.

After receiving this hint, Zhao Tuo also laughed and responded, "Since Your Majesty is so kind, then we will not beat around the bush! After the matter is completed, we will only take the three counties of Nanhai. I wonder what you two gentlemen think?"

When Deng Ying heard this, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly returned to normal.

He turned to look at Ye Ping beside him, only to see Ye Ping nod slightly.

Deng Ying then smiled and said, "Marquis Longchuan is quite straightforward. While the three Nanhai counties are vast, they are remote and uninhabited. Now that Your Majesty has entrusted him with such an important task, I'm sure he'll be willing to meet Marquis Longchuan's request. However, the matter of sending troops cannot be delayed. When do you two Marquises plan to launch the rebellion?"

Ren Qi then said, "Although our army is well-trained, we still need some time to prepare food and supplies. We will set out within half a month."

Deng Ying heard this and said, "Half a month is still a good time. I hope you two Lords won't delay the opportunity to fight. We will wait here for a few days. Once you are ready, we can return and report."

Zhao Tuo and Ren Qi looked at each other and replied in unison, "Of course."

Then the four of them began to conspire, just like they had done with Jiang Huang, Dong Yi and the other four before, forming a new generation of gangs.

A few days later, Zhao Tuo's army was nearing completion of its food and fodder preparations. However, at this moment, spies arrived to report that Li Xin's rebels seemed to be making unusual movements, as if they had sensed that an encirclement and suppression was imminent.

Zhao Tuo frowned and called Ren Qi to discuss the matter. After a moment's contemplation, Ren Qi said, "It seems we should set off early to avoid any further complications."

Zhao Tuo nodded in agreement.

So Zhao Tuo and Ren Qi urgently gathered the troops and marched towards Nanye with sufficient food and supplies.

Deng Ying and Ye Ping couldn't help but nod secretly when they saw the two men's decisive actions.

As the army set out, Zhao Tuo stood at the front and shouted, "We will go and annihilate the rebels. We will live up to your majesty's trust and ensure the stability of our Great Qin territory!"

The soldiers, their morale boosted, shouted in unison, their voices shaking the sky, and then marched towards their destination in a mighty procession.

Let’s talk about the Huns.

Since the Xianyang court and Maodun reached a consensus, the atmosphere in the Xiongnu camp has been warm.

Maodun stood in the center of the tent, looked at Zuo Rizhu Wang, and said, "Be careful on this expedition. If the Qin army in Yunzhong fights Jiuyuan, you can attack again. We are just cooperating. There is no need to waste the lives of my Xiongnu men in vain."

Prince Zuo Rizhu knelt on one knee and clasped his fists in response, "Don't worry, Your Highness. I understand."

Maodun then instructed the left and right Grand Commandants, "You two must cooperate closely with Zuo Rizhu King and not slack off in the slightest."

The left and right Grand Commandants responded in unison: "As you command!"

This huge army of 80,000 people was quickly assembled and marched towards the Great Wall.

Along the way, flags covered the sky, war drums roared, and the momentum was extremely huge.

The sound of horse hooves resounded through the sky, as if the earth was shaking.

The northern frontier army led by Jiuyuan Meng Tian had already been on full alert at the Great Wall.

At the same time, Maodun himself, who was far away on the other side, personally led an army of 30,000 and marched non-stop towards the southwest.

"Your Highness, the journey to the Right Wise King's tribe is long. Do we need to rest for a while?" asked a general.

Maodun replied decisively: "No need. We must fight quickly and decisively. We cannot give the Right Wise King a chance to catch his breath."

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, brothers, happy New Year!