The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

Early the next morning, the sun shone on the earth, and the convoy, bathed in golden light, continued its journey to Xianyang.

However, the journey wasn't smooth. Along the way, they encountered several bandits. These bandits were ferocious and cunning, attempting to rob the convoy of its valuables. Fortunately, the escorts were well-trained, and Meng Yi, Ying Bu, Meng Xin, and others were brave and skilled fighters. They quickly organized a defense and easily repelled the enemy attacks.

After several days of trekking, they finally arrived at Longyi County.

Located at the border of Neishi and Beidi counties, Longyi City boasts a crucial location. It serves not only as a transportation hub between the Guanzhong region and the Beidi border, but also as a transit point for the flow of goods and transportation. The area is bustling with activity, people coming and going, and a vibrant and prosperous city.

The walls of Longyi are tall, sturdy, and imposing; the streets within are wide and clean, lined with shops offering a dazzling array of goods. The streets and alleys are filled with the rich atmosphere of life, with the sounds of shouting and buying and selling, making it a bustling place.

Meng Yi and his companions strolled through the city, feeling the difference.

Meng Yi arranged for everyone to rest for a while in the inn in the city. Meng Yi brought Lu Su, the maid Xuemei and the guard Meng Xin with him.

Meng Yi had originally planned to go for a stroll around the city with Lu Su, leaving the couple alone for a while. However, Xuemei arrogantly said, "When you're away from home, you should serve your wife well and not let personal matters distract you. Besides, we're not married yet, so we can't be too close now, lest Meng Xin start flirting with other women." This caused Meng Yi and Lu Su to burst into laughter. Meng Xin scratched his head in embarrassment and swore, "Xiaomei, I will only marry you in this life."

There was no other way, as Meng Yi and Lu Su were followed by two followers. Seeing this, Meng Yi asked Xuemei to help Xiao He and his wife take the child with them.

Then a group of six adults and one child started walking around the city.

There are jugglers, people selling candy figures, people selling various snacks and gadgets, and parades on the street. It is very lively.

I heard from people on the street that the Ghost Festival, one of the Three Yuan Festivals, will be celebrated in July.

The Sanyuan Festival is said to be a combined name for the Shangyuan Festival, Zhongyuan Festival, and Xiayuan Festival, originating from Taoism. Daoist deities revered are the Heavenly Official, the Earthly Official, and the Water Official, collectively known as the Three Officials. The Heavenly Official bestows blessings, the Earthly Official forgives sins, and the Water Official relieves suffering. According to Taoist belief, the Three Yuans (Sanyuan) correspond to the Three Officials. The Shangyuan Heavenly Official is born on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the Zhongyuan Earthly Official on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, and the Xiayuan Water Official on the 15th day of the tenth lunar month. Collectively, these are known as the Three Officials' Birthdays, forming the three Taoist festivals. Taoist temples and monasteries celebrate every Sanyuan Festival with religious activities.

Since the beginning of this year, children have been lost in the city every now and then, so this year's Sanyuan Festival is held in advance by the government to ward off bad luck.

Suddenly, Meng Yi caught sight of a "Fan's Trading Company" and had an idea. He asked everyone to take good care of the children and walked in alone.

Lu Suxuemei was teasing the child in Tian's arms, while Meng Xin and Xiao He were guarding them with loving looks on their faces.

Meng Yi's decision to bring Li Ziwei with him on this trip had a deeper purpose. Upon arriving in Xianyang, he planned to have Li Ziwei establish a secret intelligence network. Funding for this would come from their partner, Fan Li. Therefore, Meng Yi entered the "Fan's Trading Company" hoping to meet Fan Li and discuss his plans.

As Meng Yi entered the Fan's Trading Company, a clerk approached him. Seeing a customer approaching, he hurried over and asked courteously, "Sir, what can I help you with? Our shop has a complete range of goods, and we guarantee that we can satisfy your needs."

Meng Yi nodded slightly and said directly, "I want to see if you have any blank paper here."

The clerk's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he quickly replied, "Yes, yes, yes. This way, sir." He led Meng Yi to the shelf and pointed to the neatly arranged papers. "Sir, please look, this is our signature product—Qin Fan paper. We have three different grades of white paper. First is the premium paper. It's of the highest quality, as white as snow, and as smooth and delicate as mutton-fat jade. Writing or drawing on this paper feels simply wonderful. Furthermore, it writes beautifully, with smooth, silky strokes, as natural as flowing water. One cut of one hundred sheets costs fifteen Qin Ban Liang."

The waiter then pointed to a pile of paper nearby and continued, "This is medium-quality paper. Although it's a bit yellowish, it's very flexible and won't break easily. One cut costs only three Qin Ban Liang (half ounces of silver), making it very affordable and cost-effective." Finally, he pointed to the papers at the very edge and said, "This is low-quality paper. It's yellowish and a bit rough. However, at only one Qin Ban Liang (half ounce of silver) per cut, it's very suitable for ordinary people."

Meng Yi looked puzzled and asked, "Why is this paper called Qin Fan Paper? And why is the price difference between these three types of paper so huge?"

The waiter smiled faintly and replied, "Sir, you may not know this, but my chief shopkeeper once said that the rich and powerful don't mind a few extra Qin Ban Liang coins, but for ordinary people, one Qin Ban Liang is enough to buy half a dou of rice, so we set this price. And this 'Qin Fan Paper' is named because my chief shopkeeper's surname is Fan, and the person who invented this paper was also named Qin, hence the name."

After hearing this, Meng Yi couldn't help but sigh inwardly: "I never expected that Fan Li not only has such a kind heart, but also did not take the opportunity to raise the price of paper, and he also knows how to adopt differentiated marketing strategies for different classes. He is truly a talent!" He felt a spontaneous admiration for Fan Li.

Meng Yi exclaimed in admiration, "Your chief manager is truly a kind and righteous man! May I ask if he is here?"

The waiter said cautiously, "Sir, let's get this one thing straight. Why are you asking so many questions?"

Meng Yi smiled and said, "I am the inventor surnamed Qin."

The clerk exclaimed, "Don't bully me!" He turned around and shouted, "Boss, boss..."

Then, a man of medium build walked out from the backyard and said seriously, "You're yelling here, are you trying to scare away all the guests?"

The clerk quickly said, "Boss, this man said his last name is Qin."

The shopkeeper asked in confusion, "What's wrong with the last name Qin?"

The waiter shook his head and said, "Not just any Qin, but the Qin from 'Qin Fan Paper'. He said he was the one who invented paper."

The shopkeeper said sternly, "My name is Fan Wen. May I ask your name? Do you have any evidence?"

Meng Yi was surprised and asked, "Fan Wen? Could he be a member of the Fan family?"

Fan Wen nodded and said, "Fan Li is my brother."

Meng Yi smiled and said, "My surname is Qin Yi. I met the shopkeeper Fan Li in Chujia Town. May I ask where Shopkeeper Fan is now?"

Fan Wen thought to himself, "Brother did mention Qin Yi's name. Not many people know this name, so I think it must be true." He then asked carefully, "Why is Mr. Qin here?"

Meng Yi said, "After parting with Master Fan Li, I went north with Ying Bu to join the army. Now I have been ordered back to Xianyang. Is Ying Zhao doing well with Master Fan Li?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Fan Wen confirmed the identity of this person. It was indeed Qin Yi himself.

Fan Wen bowed and said, "Mr. Qin, my elder brother came here a few days ago to check the accounts. He should still be in Xianyang. I heard from my elder brother that Yingzhao has been working very hard."

Fan Wen added, "Mr. Qin, I will send a message to Xianyang right away, and have my brother wait for you here."

Meng Yi nodded and said, "Sorry to bother you, Manager Fan."

The two chatted in detail again.

Back at Lu Su's place, after Meng Yi left, the child in Tian's arms began to cry incessantly, like a disturbed little animal, screaming at the top of their lungs. Seeing this, Lu Su, Xuemei, and the others rushed forward to comfort her, but to no avail. So they quickly asked Meng Xin to buy some sugar figurines, hoping to soothe the child.

At this moment, the Sanyuan Festival parade has begun. The streets are bustling with people, the atmosphere is bustling with activity. Various performance teams are weaving in and out of the streets. Jugglers flutter and leap through the air like graceful butterflies; dragon and lion dance teams dance joyfully like nimble dragons; and actors in gorgeous costumes perform fascinating stories on a raised platform.

However, this chaotic and noisy scene also made the situation chaotic.

Under such circumstances, Xiao He and the others who had been guarding nearby were quickly dispersed by the crowd. The child, taking advantage of this opportunity, was abducted by human traffickers and disappeared in the vast crowd.

Tian was extremely anxious. She searched everywhere for the child, tears welling up in her eyes. Her heart was filled with self-blame and regret, regretting that she had not taken good care of the child and put him in danger.

She called out her child's name as she weaved through the crowd. People glanced at her, some with sympathy, others with indifference. Tian's voice was faint in the bustling streets, as if drowned out by the sea of ​​people.

When Lu Su, Xuemei and others found Tian, ​​her clothes were wrinkled by the crowd and her hair was disheveled, but she didn't care at all, her face was covered with tears.

Xiao He hurriedly hugged his wife tightly in his arms. Tian burst into tears, "Husband, it's all my fault for not taking good care of the child. This is all my fault, wuwuwu..."

Lu Su took Tian's hand and comforted her, "Sister-in-law, please don't cry anymore, or you'll hurt yourself. What will you do if you fall ill by the time the child is found? Besides, Brother Meng is now a lieutenant in the court. I'll have him go to the county government and dispatch soldiers and servants to search the entire city. He will definitely find the child."

Lu Su quickly arranged for Xiao He and Meng Xin to inform Meng Yi, and asked Xuemei and herself to help Tian return to the inn.