The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye it is March of the 33rd year of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's reign (214 BC).

Over the past few months, due to the First Emperor's extreme emphasis on seeking immortality, a large number of alchemists have once again emerged in Xianyang. They either claim to be able to communicate with the gods or boast of possessing the secret of immortality, which has attracted widespread attention from the people of Xianyang and made the city extremely lively.

However, with the arrival of these alchemists, some worrying situations also emerged in Xianyang City.

The patrol department of the Lieutenant's Office and the Xianyang government office received reports from the people, most of which involved fraudulent activities by alchemists.

According to the victims' descriptions, these alchemists asked them for money under various excuses, claiming that they could help them realize their wishes and eliminate disasters and solve their problems, but ultimately failed to fulfill their promises and even absconded with the money, leaving the victims in tears.

Faced with this situation, the Lieutenant's Office and the Xianyang Prefecture Government took prompt action, strengthened supervision of the Taoist priests, and launched an investigation.

Against this background, the atmosphere in Xianyang City gradually became tense.

One day, Meng Xin was on patrol in Xianyang City with his police when he heard a quarrel ahead. He hurried forward to investigate and saw an old man arguing with an alchemist.

"You liar, give me back my money!" the old man said angrily.

"How did I lie to you? It's obviously because you are not sincere that the gods did not bless you!" The Taoist priest argued cunningly.

Seeing this, Meng Xin immediately stopped the Taoist priest. "How dare you cheat in broad daylight!"

When the Taoist priest saw Meng Xin's official uniform, he turned pale with fear and tried to flee. However, Meng Xin would not let him escape, so he flashed and blocked his way.

"Come here, take this man back to the Lieutenant's Office!" Meng Xin gave an order, and several policemen immediately stepped forward to arrest the Taoist priest.

"Thank you, sir, for getting rid of this evil for the people!" The old man burst into tears of gratitude.

Meng Xin smiled slightly, "You're welcome. This is our duty. You and the alchemists are all liars. Don't trust the sweet words of these charlatans anymore."

The old man nodded and said, "Sir, when will this kind of life end? I heard that Your Majesty also believes in alchemists."

Meng Xin said solemnly, "Don't worry, old man. Your Majesty is wise and powerful, and he will definitely not be deceived by these alchemists."

It happened that Xu Fu's carriage passed by this place. He felt very uncomfortable after hearing someone outside the carriage say, "All alchemists are swindlers who cheat and deceive people."

Xu Fu lifted the curtain, glanced at Meng Xin, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

He whispered a few words to the attendants around him, and then the carriage stopped.

Xu Fu stepped out of the carriage and walked straight to Meng Xin. He looked him up and down and sneered, "Sir, please be careful with your words and don't slander the alchemist."

Meng Xin was not afraid and looked Xu Fu in the eye. "Who are you? I am just stating the facts."

Xu Fu's face darkened. "Hmph, I am Xu Fu, a great alchemist who has been ordered by His Majesty to obtain the elixir. How can you question that?"

Anger welled up in Meng Xinxin's heart. "You alchemists, you use sweet words all day long to cheat people out of their money. Where is your conscience?"

Xu Fu laughed heartily. "What a joke! If it weren't for us alchemists, would you have such a peaceful life today? You really don't know what's good for you."

The two were arguing with each other, neither willing to give in. Just then, a gong sounded in the distance, attracting everyone's attention.

It turned out that it was a team from the Lieutenant's Office that came to support, and the leader was Ying Bu.

Seeing this, Xu Fu knew it was boring, so he snorted coldly, got into the carriage and left.

After resolving the matter, Meng Xin continued to patrol the city with the police to maintain public order.

After returning to the Lieutenant's Office, Meng Xin went straight to Meng Yi's office. As soon as he saw Meng Yi, he said, "General, things have been getting increasingly chaotic in Xianyang City lately. The tricks these alchemists use are so numerous that it's hard to guard against them!"

After saying that, Meng Xin frowned, a look of worry appearing on his face.

Meng Yi frowned slightly after hearing this, and pondered in his heart. He knew that the existence of these alchemists had indeed brought a lot of trouble to Xianyang City.

After a while, Meng Yi looked up at Meng Xin and asked seriously, "Meng Xin, did anything unusual happen today?"

Meng Xin quickly reported to Meng Yi in detail the conflict with Xu Fu on the street today.

After hearing this, Meng Yi's expression grew even more serious. After a moment's contemplation, he said, "It seems we must be even more cautious and careful. We can't let these people take advantage of this situation. Meng Xin, you and Ying Bu will immediately arrange for some reliable personnel to closely monitor the residences of Hu Hai, Zhao Gao, Xu Fu, and the others. If you discover any unusual movements or suspicious behavior, you must report back to me immediately."

After hearing this, Meng Xin clasped his hands together and said, "Yes, sir." Then he turned and left Meng Yi's office.

Xu Fu was very angry after returning from the market. After all, he was a great alchemist and had some face in front of the First Emperor. Now he was bullied by a small lieutenant. He really couldn't swallow this humiliation!

"Hmph!" Xu Fu snorted inwardly, secretly pondering how to take revenge on this hateful Lieutenant. However, he also knew that he couldn't easily offend these court officials. After all, they held great power. If he angered them, he would probably get into trouble.

At this moment, Xu Fu suddenly thought of Zhao Gao. Zhao Gao was a close confidant of the First Emperor and had a good relationship with him. Perhaps he could use his power to deal with the Lieutenant General. So Xu Fu decided to go to Zhao Gao's residence to seek help.

Xu Fu's carriage slowly drove towards Zhao Gao's mansion. He was in a bad mood along the way and kept thinking about how to get Zhao Gao to help him vent his anger.

Finally, the car stopped in front of Zhao Gao's mansion. Xu Fu got out of the car and walked straight into the mansion.

Zhao Gao was in his study, handling official business. He was surprised to hear Xu Fu's arrival. He wondered, "Why did Xu Fu suddenly come to see me? Could something have happened?" Confused, Zhao Gao put down his work and stood up to greet Xu Fu.

After the two met, Xu Fu angrily told Zhao Gao what had happened and asked Zhao Gao to help teach the lieutenant a lesson.

After hearing this, Zhao Gao was secretly delighted, thinking that this was a good opportunity to use Xu Fu's influence on the First Emperor to frame Meng Yi, Li Si and others, so he promised to help him vent his anger.

Zhao Gao looked embarrassed and said, "Master Xu, you are really putting me in a difficult position! I am just a small official in the Imperial Chariot Department."

Seeing a hint of confusion on Xu Fu's face, Zhao Gao hurriedly explained, "Mr. Xu, you may not know this, but the position of Lieutenant General is not a simple one. It is currently held by Meng Yi. Meng Yi is the younger brother of General Meng Tian and the nephew of Left Prime Minister Li Si. He is not only exceptionally capable, but more importantly, he enjoys the trust of Your Majesty. Even Prince Fusu admires him greatly."

After saying these words, Zhao Gao looked at Xu Fu quietly, and found that the other party did not say a word. He could not help but feel a little annoyed, thinking that he was too anxious just now and might have frightened Xu Fu.

However, to his surprise, Xu Fu suddenly spoke up, "Lord Zhao, you are a close confidant of His Majesty, serving His Majesty for over twenty years, and you are also the teacher of Prince Hu Hai. Moreover, Fusu is not the crown prince yet, and His Majesty has great trust in me. If we all speak together, is it possible that we cannot defeat Meng Yi?"

Zhao Gao, a scheming man who had been up and down in the Qin Palace for many years, had a cunning and sharp light flashing in his eyes after hearing this.

He smiled, a smile that held an unfathomable depth, as if it could see into people's hearts. He spoke slowly, his voice brimming with a unique calmness and confidence: "Lord Xu, I, Zhao Gao, agree with your words. Although my talents are mediocre, I have served Your Majesty for over twenty years and have achieved some modest accomplishments. I am not one to gain fame in vain."

His words reveal an affirmation of his self-worth, as well as a hint of reminiscence about the past. Zhao Gao, a figure who was once unknown in the Qin Palace but later gradually rose to prominence, always carries a weight in his words that cannot be ignored.

"As for Meng Yi," Zhao Gao continued, "after all, he has the protection of his brother Meng Tian and the blessing of Li Si. It is indeed not easy to touch him, but if we can join hands, we are not without a chance. Moreover, I have some connections in the court. As long as we plan properly, we will definitely make him suffer." At this point, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in Zhao Gao's eyes.

Xu Fu pondered this matter secretly upon hearing Zhao Gao's words. He remained hesitant. After all, Meng Yi and Meng Tian were both important figures in the Qin State, and improper handling could lead to unforeseen consequences. He also understood that if he didn't take action, his position within the Qin State would be jeopardized.

After careful consideration, Xu Fu finally nodded, expressing his willingness to cooperate with Zhao Gao.

Zhao Gao saw Xu Fu agree, and a smug smile spread across his face. He knew that if they joined forces, they could potentially overthrow Meng Yi, the stumbling block. He also believed that with his own tactics and wisdom, he would be able to control the overall situation.

The two of them discussed the details of the action plan in detail to ensure that there were no mistakes. After the discussion, Xu Fu felt a little better.