The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

In the Xianyang palace, Hu Hai sat high on the dragon throne with a smug smile on his face.

His eyes were cold and ruthless, as if he was looking down at a group of ants.

Zhao Gao stood beside Hu Hai and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, everything is ready. All the princes and princesses in Xianyang have been arrested."

Hu Hai nodded with satisfaction and said, "Well done, teacher. These people are hidden dangers and must be eliminated."

Zhao Gao smiled flatteringly and said, "Your Majesty is wise. These people pose a threat to your position. Only by eliminating them can Your Majesty rest assured."

Hu Hai stood up, walked to the window and looked at the scenery outside.

His heart is filled with desire for power and distrust of others.

"My brothers and sisters, they may have been my relatives, but now they are just my enemies." Hu Hai muttered to himself.

At this time, a guard hurried into the palace and reported to Hu Hai: "Your Majesty, the Minister of Justice, Wei Zhuang, has reported that Prince Jianglu and Princess Huating are in prison and have refused to confess their crimes. They have also spoken wildly and insulted Your Majesty."

Hu Hai's expression darkened, and he gritted his teeth as he said, "Well, they dare to be so presumptuous. Zhao Qing, you go and handle this matter. Let them know how powerful I am."

Zhao Gao took the order and left, and the palace fell into deathly silence.

Hu Hai's heart was full of contradictions and struggles. He knew that his actions would cause dissatisfaction among the people, but he had to do so in order to consolidate his power.

In prison, Prince Jianglu and Princess Huating were chained, their faces filled with anger and despair.

"Hu Hai, you tyrant! How can you treat us like this?" Jiang Lu cursed angrily.

Princess Huating cried and said, "Brother, what should we do? Hu Hai will not let us go."

Jiang Lu held Princess Huating's hand tightly and comforted her, "Don't be afraid, sister. We must hold on. We cannot confess our guilt and cannot let Hu Hai succeed."

However, their fate is already determined and cannot be changed.

Under Hu Hai's brutal rule, they eventually became victims of the power struggle.

In Jiuyuan City.

In the study, Meng Yi and Kuai Che sat opposite each other. The room was filled with the faint scent of sandalwood, and on the desk were brushes, inkstones, bamboo slips, and books.

Kuai Che said, "General, according to the news from the Jinyiwei in various parts of Shandong over the past six months, the court's heavy taxes and forced labor have caused people to become uneasy. Many forces are secretly colluding, and there are signs of a storm coming."

Meng Yi nodded and thought to himself, "Historical records show that the Dazexiang Uprising led by Chen Sheng and Wu Guang took place after Hu Hai ascended the throne. It seems that this uprising is just around the corner."

Meng Yi sighed softly and said, "Well, although the Xianyang court is currently locked in a mortal conflict with us, and the Xiongnu are eyeing us covetously, we face both internal and external troubles. However, the Qiang tribes are almost unified. We only need to wait for news from Ying Bu. Then we can mobilize our forces and attack from both the east and the west. We will surely defeat the Xiongnu and capture Maodun alive."

Kuai Che always knew that Meng Yi was playing a big game, but he didn't expect that Meng Yi had actually planned early on to let the Shaodang tribe unify the entire Qiang people, so that the Qiang people could move from west to east, the northern border army from south to north, and the Tuan tribe from east to west, encircling the Xiongnu on three sides.

A feeling of admiration welled up in his heart.

However, Kuai Che still had a trace of doubt in his heart. He asked curiously, "General, the Xianyang court was able to form an alliance with the Xiongnu in order to destroy us. Why can't we unite with the Xiongnu and destroy the Xianyang court first? Then, we can unify the entire power of the Qin Dynasty and defeat the Xiongnu?"

Meng Yi shook his head, his eyes firm and resolute, as if he had no hesitation at all.

He said slowly, "Alliance with the Xiongnu is like drinking poison to quench thirst. The Xiongnu are brutal and untrustworthy, repeatedly massacring civilians along the border. The people of the northern border have suffered from the Xiongnu for a long time. Sir, you must know that those who are not of our race must have different hearts. We cannot seek the skin of a tiger for the sake of temporary gain; doing so will only bring greater disaster."

In fact, Meng Yi failed to mention one point: it was under the command of Maodun that the Xiongnu, taking advantage of the peasant uprisings within the Qin Empire and their lack of time to focus on the northern border, fought wars in the late Qin and early Han dynasties, ultimately unifying the Xiongnu tribes and establishing the Xiongnu Empire.

This caused the Han Dynasty to suffer from the Xiongnu for decades from the reign of Liu Bang to Liu Che, with the people's corpses scattered all over the land, a tragic sight. If it were not for Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, who spent all the wealth accumulated by three generations to conquer the Xiongnu, the Xiongnu would probably have been the first dynasty established by a minority ethnic group.

However, the price Emperor Wu of Han paid was also heavy. The number of registered households in the country dropped sharply, and people's livelihood was in decline, like a candle in the wind.

Often, foreign disturbances are worse than internal troubles.

Have you not seen the Five Barbarians wreaking havoc on China, like hungry wolves pouncing on their prey, wreaking havoc on the Central Plains?

The Jingkang Incident was like a bolt from the blue, shocking China.

During the ten days of Yangzhou, if the evil spirits of hell killed innocent people;

The subsequent Nanjing Massacre was even more brutal and heinous.

Upon hearing this, Kuai Che suddenly woke up from his dream and bowed, saying, "General, you have great foresight, and it is I who am shortsighted. However, there is one thing I do not understand. After the Qin Dynasty unifies the world, we can reorganize our army and launch a northern expedition. Wouldn't that be even more powerful?"

Meng Yi abruptly stood up and strolled to the window. Gazing into the distance, he muttered to himself, "Sir, if we join forces with the Xiongnu, even if we unify the Qin Empire, we will lose the support of the people. Ultimately, the protection of the world still depends on the people. Whoever they support will be the winner."

At that moment, a man rushed in. It was Zhao Da. He bowed and reported, "General, General Ying Bu has sent word that the Shaodang tribe has successfully unified the entire Qiang armed forces and is now deploying its forces as planned, ready to attack at any time."

When Meng Yi heard this, a gleam of brilliance flashed in his eyes. He slowly stood up and said loudly, "Excellent. I've finally been waiting for this."

Kuai Che also stood up. He bowed to Meng Yi and said in a serious tone, "General, if this plan succeeds, it will surely ensure peace on the border for several years. However, do we need to keep some backup plans for the Xianyang court? After all, if we go to war with the Xiongnu and something happens in the rear, we will be unable to protect both ends."

Meng Yi nodded slightly and said with a smile, "Sir, you are absolutely right. However, for this Northern Expedition, I intend to persuade my elder brother to take command from Jiuyuan and coordinate the overall situation."

Kuai Che was stunned for a moment, then smiled admiringly. He praised, "General, your opinion is brilliant. With the general in charge, I'm sure the imperial army won't dare to attack easily."

Meng Yi and Kuai Che looked at each other and smiled.

After saying that, Meng Yi turned and looked towards the north. His gaze seemed to pass through the mountains and saw the smoke of the impending war.

My heart is full of lofty ambitions and I am determined to achieve great things in this troubled time and rewrite the world situation.