To the First Emperor of Qin: The state has decreed this!

Chapter 373 The Xiongnu Envoy!

After the court session.

Inside the imperial study, the floor heating system kept it extremely warm.

Ying Zheng was only wearing a dark black robe, and casually picked up a few memorials to read.

"Summon Li Si to an audience."

Before long, Li Si strode into the imperial study and bowed respectfully: "This old minister pays his respects to Your Majesty."

"No need for formalities, please take a seat." Ying Zheng put down the memorial and rubbed his temples.

Without outsiders in the court, Ying Zheng's tone became much more direct. He asked bluntly, "Prime Minister, just now in the hall, you were trying to maintain order in the court."

But you and I, as ruler and subject, both know the truth: I have heard about the commotion at the Academy of Natural Sciences. The explosion that injured people is true, and the lack of progress to date is also true.

Ying Zheng leaned forward slightly, his eyes sharp as knives: "I only ask you one question: a month from now, if that brat Zhang Fan really can't complete his so-called 'steam train,' what should I do?"

What should be done about the grand plan of the Northern Expedition? Should we really retreat and make peace through marriage, as that old scoundrel Zong Yu suggested?

Upon hearing this, Li Si did not reply immediately, but instead sighed deeply.

He stood up, his expression solemn, and walked to a huge sheepskin map hanging on the side of the main hall.

That is a map of the northern border of the Qin Dynasty.

"His Majesty."

Li Si's voice was firm: "Regardless of whether Zhang Fan can build that divine chariot, and no matter how difficult the logistics and food transport are, I believe..."

"Then it's better to still send troops! This battle must be fought! And it must be fought fiercely!"

Ying Zheng narrowed his eyes: "Oh? Tell me in detail, Prime Minister."

Li Si bowed respectfully and reported, his tone filled with suppressed anger:

"Your Majesty is unaware of the truth. Those civil officials like Zong Yu sit comfortably in their high halls in Xianyang, enjoying peace and prosperity. They only know how to scheme for the meager gold and silver in the national treasury. How could they possibly know the blood and tears of the soldiers and common people on the border?"

"Within this month alone, the Xiongnu have become increasingly rampant! Touman Chanyu, taking advantage of the fact that our Great Qin has not yet harvested its new grain and its army has not yet assembled, has in the last half month dispatched large-scale cavalry three times in succession to break through the northern defense line and launch surprise attacks on several counties and prefectures along the border of our Great Qin!"

Li Si's voice trembled slightly with anger:

"They burned, killed, looted, and committed all sorts of atrocities! Your subject has just received an urgent military report from the northern border. The Xiongnu have slaughtered the people of three entire villages in the Dai County area. The unarmed elderly, women, and children were all massacred. It was an atrocity beyond human comprehension!"

They even plundered tens of thousands of bushels of winter provisions belonging to our Qin border troops, and before leaving, they arrogantly piled up the heads of our Qin border soldiers into a mound of skulls to show off!

"Your Majesty! The Xiongnu are a wolfish and greedy people! Their so-called 'marriage alliance and tribute' is nothing but adding fuel to the fire; the fire will not be extinguished until the fuel is exhausted!"

The peace sought by Zong Yu and his ilk is a humiliation built upon the corpses of countless people on the Qin border!

Li Si knelt heavily on the ground and loudly spoke:

"If the Immortal Master's steam train can be completed, it will be the icing on the cake, ensuring that the Northern Expeditionary Army has no worries about food and supplies, and can sweep away the enemy with ease!"

Even if the immortals fail, even if we have to rely on manpower and animal power, even if we have to spend ten or a hundred times the cost to transport grain, we must not retreat from this battle!

The dignity of my Great Qin was earned with swords, not with women or grain sent away!

"If we retreat, the Xiongnu will surely think that Qin is weak, and next spring they will march south with their entire nation and drink from the Yellow River! At that time, Qin will be in grave danger!"

The Imperial Study was deathly silent.

Li Si's words struck Ying Zheng's heart like a heavy hammer.

"Bang!"

Ying Zheng slammed his hand on the dragon-shaped desk in front of him.

"They slaughtered my Qin people, seized my Qin provisions, and built a mound of corpses for my soldiers..."

Ying Zheng, enraged, laughed instead, "Good! What a fine Touman Chanyu! What a fine Xiongnu!"

He stood up, walked over to Li Si, and personally helped him up.

At this moment, Ying Zheng's expression had completely calmed down, but this calmness was even more chilling than his previous rage.

But Li Si knew that His Majesty's mind was made up to kill, and there was no room for maneuver.

"What the Prime Minister says is absolutely right. I understand now."

Ying Zheng said calmly, his tone cold, "Those fools, Zong Yu, are short-sighted and not worth discussing things with. Issue my secret decree to Wang Ben and Meng Tian: the Northern Expeditionary Army should intensify its training and ignore the rumors circulating in the court."

"As for Zhang Fan..."

Ying Zheng turned to look in the direction of the Academy of Sciences, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. "I'll give him three more days. If he truly disappoints me, I will still protect him!"

But I will surely destroy these Xiongnu!

……

at the same time.

Located a thousand miles north of Xianyang, in the foothills of the Yinshan Mountains.

Far from the Central Plains, all that remains between heaven and earth are the vast snow-capped mountains and the howling cold wind.

In the desolate canyon, a convoy of vehicles was slowly and laboriously making its way forward.

The coachmen driving the carriages all had stern faces, wore heavy felt cloaks, and had bulging waistbands, clearly concealing weapons.

Their eyes scanned their surroundings warily!

"Hurry up! Everyone, keep up! We'll be there once we cross that mountain pass!"

The burly man at the head of the group shouted in a low voice, cracking his whip in mid-air.

The convoy braved the wind and snow, trekking with difficulty for nearly an hour.

Finally, they rounded a steep mountain pass, and the view suddenly opened up before them.

Hidden deep within these mountains lies a massive military camp!

The convoy slowly drove toward the camp gate.

Above the gate, a black battle flag fluttered in the cold wind, with the character "Chu" embroidered on it!

As the convoy approached, the camp gate slowly opened.

Surrounded by a group of armored guards, a middle-aged man strode out of the camp.

It was Xiang Liang!

Upon seeing this, the burly man at the head of the caravan dismounted and quickly walked up to Xiang Liang.

He did not perform the grand salute of the Central Plains, but instead placed his right hand on his chest and performed a grassland salute, speaking loudly in slightly broken Central Plains dialect:

"The Great Xiongnu envoy greets Lord Xiang! By order of the Great Chanyu Touman, I have specially delivered one thousand fine horses from beyond the Great Wall, as well as three thousand sets of fine iron armor recently captured from the Qin army at the border, to assist Lord Xiang in achieving his great cause!"

Looking at the long convoy in front of him, Xiang Liang's serious face finally broke into a wildly joyful smile.

He strode forward, looked at the Xiongnu envoy before him, and laughed loudly:

"Good! Good! Good! Please thank the Chanyu for his kindness! You brave warriors of the grasslands have endured wind and snow all this way!"

Xiang Liang turned around, looking at the Jiangdong soldiers who were training in the camp, then turned his head to look in the direction of Xianyang, his eyes burning with fierce fire.

"The tyrannical Qin Dynasty has been wicked, and the people have suffered under its rule for far too long! Now, the old scoundrel Ying Zheng is plotting a northern expedition, and the Xiongnu Chanyu is waging a large-scale military campaign in the north to tie down the main Qin army. This will surely leave Qin vulnerable internally, presenting us with a golden opportunity!"

Xiang Liang laughed loudly, put his arm around the shoulder of the Xiongnu envoy, and said in a very familiar and warm manner, "It's freezing cold outside, envoy, please don't catch a cold. Come into the tent with me quickly!"

I have ordered the finest roasted whole lamb and strong liquor to be prepared; today I will surely drink three hundred cups with the envoy!"