The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

After the court was dismissed, the ministers left like a tide, but there was one person who stood there with a heavy heart, motionless like a sculpture. He was Li Si.

At this moment, his eyes flickered with worry and thought, like two stars in the night sky, twinkling faintly in the darkness. He knew that this morning in the court, His Majesty had not only expressed his determination to go to sea in search of immortals, but more importantly, revealed his support for Prince Hu Hai.

This made Li Si extremely anxious, and he decided to find someone to discuss the matter, and that person was Meng Yi.

So Li Si quickly ordered his men to prepare the carriage and went to Meng's mansion in person like an arrow from a bow.

His heart grew heavier, as if an invisible pressure was suffocating him. He knew Meng Tian's loyalty to His Majesty, though his relationship with Meng Yi was not simple. But now, facing His Majesty's decision, they might face different choices.

Li Si arrived at the gate of the Meng Mansion by carriage. After getting off the carriage, he took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and walked into the mansion as if facing a great enemy.

There is peace and tranquility in the Meng Mansion. The flowers, plants and trees in the courtyard are lush and green, making it look particularly elegant.

However, Li Si was filled with anxiety. He was eager to meet Meng Yi to discuss the current situation.

Led by his servant, Li Si arrived at Meng Yi's study. Meng Yi was sitting at his desk, absorbed in his reading. Seeing Li Si arrive, Meng Yi put down his scroll and stood up to greet him. "Uncle Master, I'm on my day off today. I wonder why you've suddenly come to visit me?"

Li Si looked at Meng Yi with a serious expression and said, "My dear nephew, your Majesty's words at the court this morning made me feel uneasy!" He told Meng Yi everything that happened in the court this morning.

Upon hearing this, Meng Yi frowned and fell into deep thought. He was well aware of His Majesty's dedication to the sea voyage, and he also understood the potential impact this would have on the court. He sighed and said, "Uncle Master, this is indeed worrying. But His Majesty has made up his mind, so what can we do?"

Li Si was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "My dear nephew, your Majesty's intention is very clear. If you can't stop your Majesty from going to sea, then..."

He paused, then continued, "Then we must consider other ways to ensure the stability of the court."

Meng Yi raised his head and looked at Li Si with a firm gaze: "Uncle Master, what do you want to say?"

Li Si gritted his teeth and finally spoke his mind, "My dear nephew, you and I both know that if Your Majesty goes out to sea to search for immortals and finds nothing, the consequences will be disastrous. Now that Your Majesty has revealed his intention to support Prince Hu Hai, should we consider supporting Prince Fusu?"

Meng Yi's face changed when he heard this. He stared at Li Si with wide eyes and said sternly, "Uncle Master, what do you mean by that? His Majesty hasn't made a decision yet, how dare you talk nonsense about deposing or enthroning him!"

Li Si quickly explained, "My dear nephew, that's not what I meant. I just think that if Your Majesty really goes out to sea to search for immortals, we need to prepare for the worst and make countermeasures in advance. After all, the country cannot do without the Crown Prince!"

Meng Yi frowned, thinking about what Li Si said. He knew that Li Si had a point, but the issue of deposing and enthroning a successor concerned the foundation of the country and could not be discussed lightly.

He paused for a moment and said, "Uncle Master, this matter is of great importance and we must consider it carefully. Moreover, even if we want to appoint a crown prince, we must obtain His Majesty's approval. Before that, we must not act rashly."

Li Si nodded, indicating that he agreed with Meng Yi's opinion.

"Also, Uncle Master, we need to be careful of Zhao Gao," Meng Yi warned. "He has a close relationship with Prince Hu Hai, so there's no guarantee he won't resort to some trickery."

Li Si's heart trembled. He was well aware of Zhao Gao's cunning and treacherous behavior. "I'll pay close attention," he promised.

The two fell into silence, each thinking about the future situation.

At this moment, a breeze came from outside the window, rustling the leaves, as if reminding them that the road ahead was full of unknowns and challenges.

Afterwards, Li Si and Meng Yi discussed some details.

When leaving Meng's mansion, Li Si felt a little relieved, but he knew that the future situation was still full of variables and they had to remain vigilant at all times.

After Li Si left, Meng Yi pondered for a moment and thought to himself, "From the looks of it, Li Si has already sided with Fusu, while Zhao Gao still firmly supports Hu Hai. The First Emperor intends to support Hu Hai. According to the news from Li Ziwei, Feng Quji has expressed his intention to cooperate with Zhao Gao, and Xu Fu has also reached a cooperation with Zhao Gao. Fusu's side is worrying. The Wang family does not interfere in government affairs. The elder brother, Wei Liao, Gan Luo and other nine ministers are all obedient to Your Majesty. The previous case must have offended Zhao Gao and the Taoist priests and Confucian scholars. Moreover, the court knows that Li Si and I are uncle and nephew. So, I should go and find out what Fusu means first!"

Meng Yi changed into casual clothes, took two family guards with him, and rode all the way to Fusu's residence.

Arriving at Fusu's residence, Meng Yi dismounted and walked to the gate, saying to the guard, "I am Meng Yi, and I have come to pay my respects to Master Fusu."

Unexpectedly, the guard told him: "Prince Fusu did not return home after the court session, but went directly to the 'Juxian Hall'."

Meng Yi thought to himself: "This Fusu is really diligent. He didn't even take a rest after the court session and went straight to deal with affairs." So he immediately mounted his horse and rushed to the "Juxian Hall" with two family generals.

When they arrived outside the "Juxian Hall", Meng Yi dismounted, asked two family guards to wait there, and then he walked in.

At this time, Fusu was chatting with Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu inside. When someone reported that Meng Yi wanted to see him, Fusu felt a little confused, but he still asked someone to invite Meng Yi in.

When Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu heard that Meng Yi was coming to visit, they smiled at each other and said, "Sir, we will take our leave first."

Meng Yi walked into the house, saw Fusu, and bowed, saying, "Greetings, sir!"

Fusu quickly stood up to greet him: "General Meng, how come you have time to come to my place today? Please take a seat!"

Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu were just outside the side door. When they saw Meng Yi's appearance, they found that it was indeed Qin Yi.

Xiang Yu said excitedly, "Uncle, it is indeed my brother Yi." Then he continued to walk into the house.

Xiang Liang quickly grabbed him and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, Yu'er. Yi'er is currently in a high position and must have important matters to discuss with Master Fusu. Let's go wait outside."

Xiang Yu nodded, and the two of them left the "Juxian Hall."

"Uncle, how did Brother Yi become Meng Yi?" Xiang Yu asked in confusion.

"I don't know either. Let's wait until Yi'er comes out." Xiang Liang said.

"Then let's wait for Brother Yi here." Xiang Yu said.

"Well, let's wait here for Yi'er to come out." Xiang Liang said.

In the hall, Meng Yi bowed respectfully, "General Meng, what brings you here?" Fusu looked at Meng Yi in front of him and asked calmly.

Meng Yi bowed his head and replied respectfully, "Sir, I have an important matter to discuss with Your Highness."

Fusu frowned slightly, thinking that Meng Yi had always been a steady and reserved person, and that his visit this time must have a deeper meaning. He looked around and said, "This isn't the place to talk. Why don't you come with me to the study to discuss it in detail?"

The two men arrived at the mansion's study. After dismissing their attendants, Meng Yi spoke directly, "Sir, the current situation is unpredictable. Your Majesty intends to sail to sea in search of immortals, and various forces within the court are eager to take action. I believe you should make plans early."

Fusu was silent for a moment, then said, "General Meng is quite right. However, this matter is of great importance and requires further consideration."

Meng Yi raised his head and looked at Fusu, his eyes gleaming with determination. He said, "My lord, my family has served as Qin generals for generations, loyal to the Qin Empire. The situation at court is turbulent now. As the eldest son of the emperor, you should step forward and shoulder the responsibility for the future of the Qin Empire."

Fusu was shocked. He knew what Meng Yi said was true, but he still had some concerns. He looked at Meng Yi and said, "General Meng, I understand everything you say. However, the situation in the court is complicated right now, with various forces eyeing us covetously. If I act rashly, I'm afraid it will cause even greater unrest."

Meng Yi took a deep breath and said, "Young Master, I understand your concerns. Please think about it more."

Fusu was silent for a long time, then nodded and said, "General Meng, don't worry. I will think about it carefully."

Seeing that Fusu had made up his mind, Meng Yi said no more and stood up to say goodbye. After leaving the study, Meng Yi felt a little relieved.

He believed that Fusu would make the right choice.

At the same time, Xiang Yu was waiting anxiously outside the door, he couldn't wait to meet Meng Yi.