Chapter 38: The First Meeting with Meng Tian and Meng Yi

  "Will Your Majesty really go to sleep in Consort Li's palace tonight?"

  Hearing Hu Hai readily agree with Li Fei, Cui Niang's hand paused slightly as she was helping Hu Hai change his clothes.

  "What?"

  Huhai, who was thinking about where to put the Meng Tian and Meng Yi brothers to achieve the greatest effect, heard Cui Niang speaking as she tied his robe in front of him and asked somewhat dazedly.

  Cui Niang saw Hu Hai's distracted appearance and thought he was thinking of the newly departed Li Fei. With a hint of melancholy in her downcast eyes, she asked softly: "Your Majesty, is Concubine Li beautiful?"

  "Beautiful. That's completely an elf."

  Huhai stretched out his arms and replied to Cuiniang's words, but in his heart he was thinking about whether to let Mongtian continue to defend against the Xiongnu at Jiuyuan or to lead troops to defend against the line from Nanyang to Langya.

  "No wonder Your Majesty's soul is not at peace."

  Hu Hai, even if he was extremely careless, could still detect the thick sour tone in her words. He couldn't help but reach out and pat Cui Niang's little head, laughing as he said: "What are you thinking? Li Fei is beautiful, but not to the point where she can make me lose my soul. I was just thinking about how to arrange for Meng Tian and Meng Yi."

  Cui Niang heard that she was wrong, greatly embarrassed, and hung her head saying: "Your Majesty..."

  "You and Lü Zhu are the people I trust most since I came to this world. Just now, I asked Consort Li how to deal with you two, does Cui Niang have any grievances in her heart?"

  "How dare I!" Cui Niang hastily knelt down on the ground and said when she heard Hu Hai's words.

  "I'm saying this to see if Consort Li is a heartless woman. If she really wants to get rid of you two, I will immediately demote her to the Cold Palace. Don't misunderstand me, Cui Niang and Lü Zhu."

  Huhai helped up Cuiniang and teased her.

  "Your Majesty..."

  Cui Niang listened to Hu Hai's explanation, her beautiful eyes welled up with tears as she looked at Hu Hai, and her heart surged with endless emotion and happiness.

  "Your Majesty, Meng Tian and Meng Yi have arrived."

  Just then, a loud and rough voice came from outside the door. It was Zhang Han who had arrived with Meng Tian and Meng Yi, two brothers.

  Cui Niang heard Zhang Han's voice and let out a startled cry of "ah", hastily wiping away the tears on her face with her sleeve, then busily helped Hu Hai change his clothes.

  Hu Hai looked at Cui Niang like a startled rabbit, and unconsciously affectionately scratched her small nose with his finger, smiling: "Don't panic, don't panic."

  Cui Niang was taken aback by Hu Hai's sudden intimate approach, and upon hearing his teasing words, she became even more flustered, her hands moving busily as she tried to fasten the jade belt around her waist but couldn't seem to get it done.

  Huhai saw that he had no choice but to take matters into his own hands, dressing and eating well. As he fastened his jade belt, he said: "Cui Niang, where is this palace of mine now?"

  "Your Majesty, today is a day of rest in Xianyang Palace."

  "Oh, does Xianyang Palace have a study?"

  Cui Niang was surprised to hear Hu Hai's words and looked at him, saying: "Your Majesty, Xianyang Palace has your study and the place where you discuss matters." Apparently, Cui Niang found it hard to understand that Hu Hai didn't even know his own palace.

  Hu Hai smiled awkwardly and said, "Then go tell Zhang Han to bring Meng Tian with him to the study. I'll change my clothes myself, then you can take me to the study." But in his heart, he was thinking that he must get a clear understanding of the terrain later on.

  Cui Niang heard Hu Hai's words and slightly bowed to him before going to pass on the imperial edict.

  Xianyang Palace was first built during the reign of Qin Xiao Gong, at that time Xianyang Palace only had three palaces, and was constructed together with the new capital of Xianyang.

  After Duke Xiao of Qin, many successive rulers of the Qin state continuously renovated and expanded Xianyang Palace until the First Emperor unified China by conquering the six other major states. By then, Xianyang Palace had become a palace complex with more than 20 large and small palaces.

  But in the entire Xianyang Palace complex, the most important ones are still the three palaces of the front palace, which are the central main hall and the two side halls on both sides.

  The main hall is prominent and located on a small hill over six zhang high, it is the highest hall of Qin State. Except for grand court gatherings and receiving foreign envoys, daily administrative affairs are not usually handled here.

  The two side halls are located on the flat ground behind the central main hall. Except for the white jade pavement in front of the temple, the other three sides are green: the west is a bamboo forest, the north is a large area of cypress trees, and the east is grassland.

  The Western Wing is where the emperor's study and bedroom are located. Except for summoning trusted officials, there were rarely any formal meetings held here.

  The East Wing is much larger than the West Wing, with nine bays and five courtyards. It was the main venue where the emperor handled state affairs on a daily basis. The heavy doors and overlapping eaves divided the space into many areas. Except for the last courtyard which had its own entrance, it was the secretariat of the Grand Historian and his subordinates who drafted, copied and processed imperial edicts and official documents. The other four courtyards were interconnected, forming three regions: the central region was the Council Chamber, while the east and west sides were the offices of high-ranking officials of the empire.

  Before Hu Hai returned to Xianyang, the palace where he had been stuck for a day thinking of countermeasures was the Zhong Zheng Hall in the East Palace.

  Xianyang Palace, including the old city of Xianyang, was designed and constructed by Mohist craftsmen during the reign of Qin Xiao Gong. In ancient times, a "gongshi" (工师) was equivalent to a modern-day designer. The Qin people valued frugality, so although Xianyang Palace was also grand in scale, it was much simpler compared to the palaces of other kingdoms during the same period, which were known for their flying eaves, majestic atmosphere, and luxurious decorations.

  The twenty-odd palaces of Xianyang Palace are even more luxurious, but most of the time they are empty.

  Huhai was living in the bedroom of the Western Wing at that time, not far from the study. So when Huhai followed Cuiniang to his own study in the Western Wing for the first time, Meng Tian, Meng Yi and Zhang Han had just entered the study.

  Cui Niang did not follow Hu Hai into the study, but rather waited outside the door.

  Upon hearing the footsteps of Hu Hai, Meng Tian and others who were originally waiting quietly in the study immediately came forward to kneel down on the ground and said: "Sinful subjects (your subjects) Meng Tian (Meng Yi, Zhang Han) pay respects to Your Majesty."

  Huhai hastily took a few quick steps forward and warmly helped the three of them up, saying: "Third Brother, dear brothers, no need for excessive courtesy, quickly compose yourselves, quickly compose yourselves."

  After helping the three up, Hu Hai suddenly bowed his head and waist to Meng Tian and Meng Yi, two brothers, and solemnly said: "Hai was young and ignorant, listening to Zhao Gao's treacherous words, greedy for pleasure, ignoring people's lives, and almost destroying the Great Wall, wrongly killing two beloved ministers."

  The two of you have made countless contributions to the great Qin, and Father Emperor regards you both as his own hands and feet. Now that you've returned safely, if it weren't for this, I would have no face to meet Father Emperor's spirit in heaven. I apologize to my two uncles."

  Hu Hai's move stunned Meng Tian and his two companions, who had just stood up.

  This move was actually thought out by Hu Hai long ago.

  Meng Tian and Meng Yi were close friends with their elder brother Fusu, and were staunch supporters of his succession to the throne. However, when this dark horse suddenly emerged and seized the throne with the help of Zhao Gao and Li Si, it forced Fusu to take his own life in despair.

  There must be many people who suspect that there is a cat hiding in this, let alone Meng Tian and Meng Yi, the two men who have been deeply connected with Qin Shi Huang. Not only did he kill Fusu, but also detained his two brothers, anyone can see that he wants their lives.

  Historically, Meng Tian and Meng Yi, including the entire Meng family, never betrayed the Great Qin. However, after the news of Meng Tian and Meng Yi's deaths spread, countless high- and low-ranking officers of the Meng clan in the Great Qin army all left their camps overnight and never returned. Then, the entire Meng clan also disappeared at night in Xianyang and moved south to the land of Baiyue.

  In the 500,000-strong army that Qin sent to conquer the Hundred Yue in the south, many of the generals were also members of the Meng clan. When Qin was in its most difficult time, Zhao Tuo never sent troops to come and rescue and put down the rebellion, it cannot be said that there is no reason for this among the Meng clan.

  Now if I suddenly killed Zhao Gao and then said that Zhao Gao wanted to kill you, not me wanting to kill you, but rather I was deceived by Zhao Gao. This talk is suitable for a three-year-old child, but are Meng Tian and Meng Yi three-year-old children? The answer is obvious.

  The Meng family in the Great Qin Empire is so important, not to mention the 500,000 troops in the south, just among the generals who followed Huhai on his eastern tour can be seen.

  Although it is said that as the emperor, one can kill or spare at will, who can guarantee that Meng Tian and Meng Yi would feel gratitude rather than resentment for being spared?

  If it's resentment, then there's no need for them to openly oppose themselves. In the current situation where the Great Qin is in crisis and heroes are rising up against Qin, all they need to do is give themselves a push at a critical moment and they can die a few hundred times over.

  Fu Su's son Zi Yin is also grown up now, and I heard he is very virtuous!

  Hu Hai did not want to die because of his own carelessness and negligence, allowing the tiger he had released to kill his enemy to turn into a poisonous snake that would take his own life. In the end, he fell to his death.

  Thank you, Little Ni's knight, and two book friends' rewards, smooth sailing 666.