The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

Not long after, the guards hurried out of the hall and conveyed the imperial decree, asking Meng Yi and Xin Qiliu to come for an audience.

The two men did not dare to delay. After tidying up their clothes, they walked into Zhangtai Palace with steady steps.

As soon as he entered the palace, he saw the First Emperor sitting in front of his desk, busy dealing with a pile of official documents, with a look of fatigue on his face.

Meng Yi and Xin Qiliu bowed respectfully and said in unison, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

When the First Emperor heard the voice, he slowly raised his head, looked at them, then waved his hand gently and said, "Stand up." However, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Meng Yi bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have something important to report to you. A few days ago, while passing through Longyi County, I witnessed a group of child abductors and traffickers acting with arrogance and tyranny, committing crimes everywhere and causing unbearable suffering to the local people. I was furious upon seeing this and immediately mobilized troops to encircle and suppress them, destroying their hiding place. While searching the thieves' den, we accidentally discovered an experimental record. However..."

The Emperor's expression darkened. He interrupted Meng Yi coldly and said, "Finish your story."

Meng Yi took a deep breath and continued, "However, after investigation, we discovered that the leaders of this group of bandits are Yan Le and Lu Sheng. I heard that Lu Sheng is the alchemist sent by Your Majesty to find the elixir of immortality. Therefore, I dare not act rashly. I can only collect evidence and confessions first, and then escort them to the prison in the Lieutenant's Office to await their fate."

After Meng Yi finished speaking, he respectfully presented the evidence and confessions of Yan Le and Lu Sheng.

The eunuch carefully took the evidence and confession, and placed it in front of the First Emperor's desk with trembling hands, as if it were a treasure.

When the First Emperor opened it, he discovered a detailed account of Yan Le and Lu Sheng's evil deeds. They had so much faith that the child's blood was pure that they had gathered eighty-one boys and eighty-one girls and used their blood to create an elixir in a vain attempt to achieve immortality.

The First Emperor snorted coldly, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and he asked, "Could it be that I ordered this?"

Meng Yi hurriedly knelt and saluted, saying apprehensively, "I dare not. Your Majesty's wisdom and might are known to all the world. Your Majesty unified the six kingdoms, defeated the Xiongnu in the north, conquered the Baiyue in the south, expanded the territory, and commanded the whole world. Everything Your Majesty did was for the prosperity of the Great Qin Empire and the well-being of the Chinese people. Such a ruthless act is unacceptable to Your Majesty."

Seeing this, Xin Qiliu, who was standing by, also knelt hurriedly, muttering to himself: "I can't hear you, I can't hear you, what's going on?" He knew very well that if he said the wrong thing at this moment, he might be killed.

Meng Yi continued, "Your Majesty is an emperor of the ages, a ruler for all eternity. Your achievements are recorded in history, and your reputation will endure forever. Your Majesty cares deeply for the people and the people. How could you do such a heinous act? It must be those two, Yan Le and Lu Sheng, with ulterior motives, who are attempting to use Your Majesty's name to commit evil and smear Your Majesty's reputation. I implore Your Majesty to investigate this matter and punish them severely!"

The First Emperor nodded slightly, approving of Meng Yi's words. He thought to himself, "How audacious Yan Le and Lu Sheng were, to have dared to commit such a crime behind my back. If Meng Yi hadn't discovered and reported it promptly, who knows how much more disaster would have ensued." Thinking of this, the First Emperor's admiration for Meng Yi grew even greater.

The First Emperor remained silent, and the atmosphere in the hall seemed to freeze instantly, reaching a freezing point. The eunuchs knelt on the ground like statues, trembling with fear, not daring to make a single sound. Xin Qiliu even buried her head in the ground, unafraid to face the situation like an ostrich.

In an instant, the First Emperor's voice rang out, as deafening as the sound of a huge bell: "Stand up! Who on earth is this Yan Le?"

Meng Yi quickly stood up, bowed, and said, "I truly do not know. During the preliminary interrogation, Yan Le denied all charges. Xianyang Magistrate Xin has lived in Xianyang City for a long time and may know something about this man."

When Xin Qiliu heard what Meng Yi said, he couldn't help but secretly groan inwardly. How could he not know Yan Le's true identity? He was the son-in-law of Zhao Gao, the Minister of the Imperial Chariots!

He gritted his teeth and replied, "Your Majesty, I do know the whole story of Yan Le. But, but..."

The First Emperor's face was as gloomy as water. He stared at Xin Qiliu expressionlessly. A hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes, and he snorted coldly.

Xin Qiliu hurriedly knelt on his knees and said in a panic, "Your Majesty, this Yan Le is actually the son-in-law of Zhao Gao, the Minister of the Imperial Chariots."

A trace of surprise flashed across the First Emperor's face, and he said in a deep voice, "Quickly send Zhao Gao to see me."

Upon hearing this, the eunuch did not dare to delay in the slightest and rushed away like a whirlwind.

A moment later, Zhao Gao hurried in, looking panicked. After entering the hall, he quickly knelt and saluted, and said in a panicked tone, "Your Majesty, may I ask why you summoned this eunuch?"

The First Emperor was furious and threw the evidence of Yan Le and Lu Sheng's crimes at Zhao Gao like a cannonball, while shouting angrily: "Look at what good things your good son-in-law has done!"

Zhao Gao took the evidence in fear. After reading it carefully, his face instantly turned as pale as death.

He said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, I truly knew nothing about this matter! Although Yan Le is my son-in-law, I have long heard of his misdeeds. I never imagined he would dare to commit such a heinous and insane crime. Please, Your Majesty, punish him."

The First Emperor was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, "In consideration of your unwavering loyalty to me, I will not pursue your responsibility this time. However, Yan Le and Lu Sheng must not be easily forgiven and must be severely punished!"

Zhao Gao burst into tears of gratitude and kowtowed repeatedly, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your generosity and mercy in pardoning my humble servant's sins."

The First Emperor turned to look at Meng Yi, his gaze sharp and resolute. "Meng Yi, I have decided to hand this matter over to you. Make sure you thoroughly investigate whether there are still such ruthless alchemists in Xianyang? Are there any collusion between them and the princes and nobles?"

After receiving the order, Meng Yi said firmly: "I will definitely fulfill my mission!" However, he then said that he had just arrived and was not familiar with Xianyang City, so he needed someone to assist him in completing the task.

The First Emperor's lips curled up slightly, a barely perceptible smile playing upon his ears. He slowly spoke, "Xin Qiliu, I entrust this important task to you and Meng Yi. I give you fifteen days to thoroughly investigate all connections between Yan Le, Lu Sheng, and the people of Xianyang. If you fail to uncover any clues by the time the deadline comes, I will hold you accountable."

Upon hearing the First Emperor's words, Xin Qiliu's forehead was immediately covered with beads of sweat. He kowtowed hurriedly, his voice trembling as he said, "I will do my utmost to live up to your Majesty's expectations and trust!"

Meng Yi thought to himself, these ruthless alchemists are truly despicable. If we could seize this opportunity to expel them, would the First Emperor live a few more years? Would the Qin Dynasty enjoy a few more years of peace? Would the common people suffer fewer casualties? These thoughts surged through his mind like a tide.

After calming themselves down, Meng Yi and Xin Qiliu slowly left the palace.

As the two of them stepped out of Zhangtai Palace, Xin Qiliu couldn't help but complain, "Master Xiaomeng, I really have no idea what's going on with Yan Le and Lu Sheng. Besides, this matter will offend quite a few people."

Meng Yi consoled him, "Don't worry, Lord Xin. If an official cannot uphold the principles of heaven and earth, uphold the mission of the people, and bring peace to the world, it would be better for him to resign and retire." After a pause, he continued, "If an official doesn't serve the people, he might as well go home and grow rice."

Xin Qiliu nodded helplessly, but she was a little shocked in her heart, "This Meng Yi is so bold, I have served as an official for many years, and it really wasted my life."

"In that case, let's start the investigation as soon as possible." Meng Yi looked at Xin Qiliu and said seriously, "But before that, we need to make some careful plans."

Xin Qiliu said, "Master Xiao Meng, where should we start?"

"I think we can start by investigating those who have had contact with Yan Le and Lu Sheng." Meng Yi said after a moment's contemplation, "Also, this matter must be kept secret and must not be made known to too many people."

Xin Qiliu nodded, "I understand. If the news leaks out, those people will definitely try every possible way to destroy the evidence."

"That's right," Meng Yi agreed. "So we must be careful and cautious and never alert the enemy."

After some discussion, the two decided to secretly investigate the people related to Yan Le and Lu Sheng.