The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

Kuai Che paused briefly, then continued, "General, although these two keep saying they want to rise up and restore their country, they are actually rebelling against the Qin Empire! Although we are considered traitors by the Xianyang court, with Prince Fusu here and the late emperor's will, coupled with the elite troops of the northern border and your outstanding talents, we will surely be able to pacify the world and save the Qin Empire. If the army marches south to quell the rebellion, we will inevitably come into direct contact with Xiang Liang and his nephew. How will you cope then?"

Meng Yi was silent for a moment, with a complicated look in his eyes.

Then he slowly began, "The strength of Xiang Liang and his nephew should not be underestimated. Their uprising is quite influential in Chu. Furthermore, my sworn brother, Xiang Yu, is a hero with the strength to move mountains and unparalleled courage. He can charge into battle on horseback and command with commanding power on foot. He is truly an unrivaled general!"

After hearing this, Kuai Che gently shook his head and said, "But now the general only wants to assist Prince Fusu to ascend the throne and become emperor, and to revive the Qin Empire. Therefore, you and the general are still ministers of the Qin Empire, and naturally you should prioritize the interests of the Qin Empire!"

Changing the subject, Kuai Che smiled and said, "If the general can withstand the pressure from Li Ze or Prince Fusu, then there might be a chance to turn this around. Recruiting Xiang Liang and his nephew to serve the Qin would not only avoid a bloody battle, but also increase our strength."

Meng Yi's eyes suddenly lit up, and a delighted smile spread across his face. He said, "This is a brilliant plan. You are indeed a man of extraordinary wisdom."

Kuai Che continued, "I just don't know if they're willing to surrender. After all, they're holding high the banner of national restoration, and they harbor deep resentment towards the Qin Dynasty!"

Meng Yi sat on a chair, gazing at Kuai Che with a look of trust in his eyes. He said, "That's all right. Xiang Liang is my master, and Xiang Yu is my sworn brother. We might as well send an envoy to test him and get a feel for his background."

Kuai Che smiled slightly, nodded, and responded, "That's very good, but the people we send must be carefully selected, and we must persuade them with both reason and emotion. Prince Fusu's reputation for kindness is known throughout the world, and perhaps this can be used as a breakthrough. If they can see hope for the future of the Qin Dynasty, they may accept the offer after weighing the pros and cons."

Meng Yi turned around, looked at Kuai Che, and said firmly, "According to what you said, who should we send? He needs to be someone who is eloquent and good at speaking."

Kuai Che smiled slightly, took a step forward, and said confidently, "I am willing to go."

A flicker of surprise flashed across Meng Yi's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by trust. He shook Kuai Che's hand tightly and said, "Then I'll trouble you, sir. I hope your trip goes well."

Kuai Che nodded, then walked to the table with Meng Yi and began to discuss the specific action plan.

At noon, sunlight streamed into the house through the window. Meng Yi, Lu Su, and Meng Hao sat around the dining table, enjoying lunch.

Seeing the table full of dishes, Meng Yi showed a friendly smile on his face.

Without thinking, you can recognize at a glance that these are Gao Yao's specialties.

Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, tiger-skin green peppers, fish-flavored shredded pork, oil-drenched eggplant, boiled pork slices, peppery chicken, chicken shreds and buckwheat noodles...

Meng Yi looked at the delicious food and said to Lu Su with a smile, "My dear, didn't you say that Gao Yao and Qiu Ya should live a good life? Why is he cooking for us again?"

Lu Su chuckled and replied, "Husband, you still don't understand Gao, do you? He just can't sit still. He says that cooking makes him happy. Besides, everyone loves his cooking."

Meng Hao nodded vigorously, his cheeks bulging as he mumbled, "Dad, Uncle Gao's cooking is delicious. Brother Xuan and I both love it."

Lu Su continued, "Also, he knew you just came back, so he made noodles especially for you, and he also said something I couldn't understand. Let me think about it..."

While Lu Su was racking her brains, Meng Hao swallowed a mouthful of food and said excitedly, "Mom, Uncle Gao said, 'Dumplings when you get on the bus, noodles when you get off.'"

Lu Su nodded quickly and said, "Yes, yes, that's it."

After hearing this, Meng Yi felt a warm feeling in his heart. He then picked up a mouthful of noodles and savored it carefully.

In fact, just after Meng Yi left Xianyang, he secretly sent people to take Gao Yao and Xiao Yue out of the Xianyang Palace and quietly sent them to Jiuyuan.

Not only that, after Gao Yao and Xiao Yue arrived in Jiuyuan City, Meng Yi arranged a mansion as well as maids and servants for them, and also specifically asked Qiu Ya to take care of Gao Yao's food, clothing, and daily life.

Of course, Gao Yao would take care of Qiuya's diet like a chef.

As for daily life... hehe, it's naturally as harmonious as a fish in water.

Qiuya knew that Meng Yi was deeply devoted to Lu Su and it was impossible for him to take her into his room, so she gave up the idea and served Gao Yao wholeheartedly.

Besides, Gao Yao was considerate, optimistic, cheerful, and energetic in some aspects. His cooking was delicious. Qiuya quickly fell in love with this man.

Let’s talk about the place called Pei County.

With the strong recommendation of Bai Yan, the governor of Sishui County and the county lieutenant, Liu Bang was able to temporarily take over the post of magistrate of Pei County.

As soon as the news came out, the entire Pei County was in an uproar.

Shortly thereafter, Liu Bang's former capable subordinates began to emerge.

Needless to say, Cao Shen, Zhou Bo, Fan Kuai, Xiahou Ying and others, even the heroes in the county such as Wang Ling and Yong Chi were all given important positions.

Liu Bang made swift and decisive arrangements for his subordinates: he ordered Cao to participate in Wang Ling's joint management of government affairs and to be responsible for stockpiling food and grass; he also ordered Zhou Bo and Fan Kuai to make every effort to recruit new soldiers and shoulder the important task of training soldiers; as for Xiahou Ying and Yong Chi, they were entrusted with the important task of guarding the county town and patrolling public security.

At this moment, the situation around Sishui County changed dramatically.

The states of Wei and Qi successfully restored their countries one after another. The rebel armies in the two places were in high spirits and they all targeted Sishui County with their attacks.

For a time, the world was filled with flames of war and smoke.

Faced with the fierce enemy, County Lieutenant Bai Yan was not afraid. He quickly gathered his soldiers to fight back.

However, the disparity in military strength between the enemy and us was too great. Although Bai Yan led his soldiers in a bloody battle, they were ultimately unable to resist the surging enemy.

After a hard battle, Bai Yan's troops suffered heavy casualties. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Bai Yan was unwilling to be captured and humiliated, so he resolutely drew his sword and committed suicide, sacrificing his life for his country.

When Liu Bang heard the news, he was very anxious and quickly summoned his men to discuss the matter.

Liu Bang sat in the main seat, his face solemn. "Everyone, the county lieutenant, Lord Bai Yan, has died in battle. Sishui County is in danger. How should we respond now?"

Cao Shen was the first to stand up. He clasped his fists and saluted, saying, "County Lord, the enemy is strong and we are weak. We must not engage in a head-on confrontation at this moment. We should immediately reinforce the city defenses, close the gates tightly, and hold our ground. When the enemy's morale is low and their siege has been unsuccessful, we can then seek an opportunity to strike back."

Seeing this, Yong Chi hurriedly stepped forward, a trace of anxiety on his face. "No! County Lord, the rebels are now so powerful, like a prairie fire, and riots are breaking out everywhere. It's threatening to recreate the situation of the Seven Kingdoms fighting for supremacy. Moreover, the imperial court is now facing internal and external troubles and is unable to take care of itself. And our Pei County is just a small county, with few troops and insufficient food and fodder. May I ask you, how can we resist this surging rebel army?"

Liu Bang's expression froze, a cold look flashing in his eyes. He asked in a panic, "Brother Yongchi, do you have any advice? Feel free to speak frankly."

Seeing Liu Bang so flustered, Yong Chi couldn't help but mutter inwardly, "Hey, look at Liu Bang, so panicked, it seems he is just a fool with a strong appearance but a weak heart. He only got the position of county lord by relying on his family connections!"

Yong Chi then let out a smug smile, adding a hint of contempt to his words. He said loudly, "Brother Liu, in my opinion, we should follow the example of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, raise our arms and shout, and raise the flag to revolt. King Zhang Chu once said, 'Are kings, princes, generals, and ministers of different races?' How can we be content with mediocrity?"

Wang Ling, who was standing by, also quickly echoed, "County Lord, Brother Yongchi is absolutely right."

After hearing what Yong Chi said, Liu Bang frowned and thought to himself.

Seeing this, Zhou Bo quickly stepped forward and earnestly objected, "Sir, this is absolutely unacceptable! We are in dire straits now, but if we rashly rebel, we will undoubtedly put ourselves in an irretrievable position. If we fail, it will be a capital crime that will implicate all nine generations of our clan!"