The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

That evening, after the banquet, Meng Yi gently took Lu Su's hand and strolled into the quiet little garden. The garden was peaceful and tranquil, with a gentle breeze caressing the leaves, creating a pleasant rustling sound, like nature's romantic hymn to the lovers.

They walked slowly along the path, the moonlight pouring down like silver on the ground, casting dappled, dreamy shadows. As they walked, Meng Yi suddenly stopped, turned, and hugged Lu Su tightly. Lu Su was caught off guard, startled by this sudden gesture. But when she felt the warmth of Meng Yi's broad chest, all her tension dissipated like smoke, replaced by a heart full of shyness and joy.

Meng Yi buried his head deep in Lu Su's hair and whispered softly: "Susu, since we parted, I have missed you all the time. Whenever night falls, I stand in the northern wilderness and look up at the starry sky. Those twinkling stars are just like your bright and moving eyes." His words were sincere and earnest, and contained a deep attachment to Lu Su.

Hearing these words, Lu Su was deeply moved, tears welling up in her eyes. She gently raised her hand to stroke Meng Yi's back, whispering, "Brother Yi, my longing for you is as overwhelming as the tide. This time, we're parting, please take me with you." Her words were filled with tenderness and affection.

The two stood quietly embraced, lost in each other's passionate love, basking in this rare moment of tranquility. Moonlight enveloped them like a veil, making the entire scene poetic and picturesque. In this moment, time seemed to freeze, and in their eyes and hearts, only the other was visible.

Meng Yi nodded slightly, a look of determination flashing in his eyes. "Susu, I promise you. No matter how rough the road ahead, I will protect you." Then he put the tiger talisman pendant on Lu Zhi. Lu Su burst into laughter, stood on tiptoe, and gently kissed Meng Yi on the lips.

The kiss was like a spring breeze, gentle and lingering. Meng Yi warmly responded to Lu Su's affection, his arms tightly wrapped around her slender waist. Under the beautiful moonlight, their love grew stronger, as if they were the only ones left in the world.

After an unknown amount of time, the two slowly separated. Meng Yi held Lu Su's hand and continued strolling through the small garden, enjoying the tranquility and sweetness of the moment. They whispered softly, discussing the future and looking forward to their happy life.

A breeze began to rise, and the two slowly separated and returned to their rooms.

Lu Su passed by her father's study and saw that it was brightly lit. She knocked on the door and entered. After entering, she found her sister Lu Zhi there. Lu Zhi teased her, "Look at whose daughter is Miss Jun? How about it? You must be happy now. The person you've been thinking about is finally back." Lu Su blushed and scolded, "Sister, if you do this again, I will ignore you."

Father Lu looked at his two daughters with great joy and smiled as he instructed them, "Su'er, when you return to the Meng family, you must respect your brother and sister-in-law, be humble and seek advice, and go back to rest early."

Lu Su nodded obediently: "Daughter understands." After bidding farewell to her sister Lu Zhi, she left the study.

After seeing her sister leave, Lü Zhi complained to her father, "Father, you said Liu Bang and Meng Yi both had the potential to achieve great things. But now Meng Yi is the younger brother of the then-high-ranking general Meng Tian, ​​and has held the rank of General of the Central Guards. And Liu Bang, now in his thirties, is still a mere village head."

Lu's father patted Lu Zhi on the shoulder and said confidently: "I have seen countless people and will not make a mistake. Liu Bang just lacks an opportunity to display his ambitions. Don't worry."

After hearing this, Lu Zhi said no more, said goodbye to her father, and returned to the east wing.

The backyard is divided into the east wing and the west wing, and Lu Su lives in the west wing.

Not long after Lü Zhi returned to her house, Liu Bang also returned. The two were married in mid-October, and as the New Year approached, they returned to Lü's mansion to live.

Lü Zhi whispered to Liu Bang, "Sir, Meng Yi has returned to Pei County! Also, I heard he made great contributions in resisting the Xiongnu, and has now been appointed General of the Central Army by the court!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bang asked suspiciously, "Madam, who exactly is this Meng Yi? Why have I never heard of him?"

Lü Zhi smiled slightly and began to tell Liu Bang what she had heard at the banquet last night. It turned out that Qin Yi was actually the brother of the great general...

After hearing this, Liu Bang seemed to understand, but at the same time, he couldn't help feeling envious.

However, as clever as he was, he quickly noticed the envious look in his wife's eyes and quickly spoke to comfort her, "My dear, please don't be so sad. Don't worry, your husband will definitely work harder in the future to fight for a bright future for us!"

Lu Zhi naturally knew that her husband's words came from a sincere desire to comfort her. Thinking of what her father had said to her... she ultimately decided it would be better not to dampen his current fighting spirit and enthusiasm. After all, men always need some encouragement to grow and progress faster. So she nodded gently and said softly, "Then everything depends on my husband's efforts~"

Seeing this, Liu Bang's confidence increased, and he clenched his fists with great enthusiasm and swore an oath: "Don't worry, my lady! I believe that it won't be long before I will be able to rise to prominence and achieve fame and success and make everyone look at me with admiration!!" Lu Zhi still responded with a gentle smile to express her affirmation and support.

At this moment, Liu Bang had already made up his mind - since the Sikong Lord who was in charge of engineering and construction affairs in the county was about to leave his post to take up a new position... perhaps this was a good opportunity to make some plans.

Under the county lieutenant there was the county Sima who was responsible for the management and training of horses, the county Sikong who was responsible for managing labor and construction projects involving prisoners, the Lingshi who was specifically responsible for maintaining public order and arresting criminals and thieves, the Tunchang who managed local soldiers, and so on.

……

Meanwhile, in the west courtyard, Lü Su was sitting by the window, gazing at the tiger talisman pendant in her hand. Thinking that it was a token of trust given to her by Meng Yi, her heart was filled with anticipation and longing for the future.

Lu Su carefully put the tiger pendant away and lay down on the bed, her mind racing. She imagined her future with Meng Yi, her heart filled with happiness...