Meng Yi glanced cautiously at my driveway: "Principal Xiao, I have already asked someone to prepare the best horse for you. We will now return to the Prime Minister's... uh, Xiao Mansion."
I tried to start the car, and it started after a brief pause! It seems that Liu Laoliu's "divine wind technique" wasn't entirely useless.
This startled Meng Yi and his soldiers. But because of his duty, Meng Yi, though frightened, remained pressed against the glass. I reassured him, "Don't be afraid, I'll ride in this with you." It wasn't right to keep parking in that fat man's yard; besides, it might arouse his curiosity and cause further trouble.
Meng Yi glanced at me worriedly and asked, "Is your mount safe?"
I drove around the square for a few seconds, showing them how obedient the thing was. The soldiers stared at each other, whispering amongst themselves. I parked the car next to Meng Yi and said to him, "Get in too, it's more comfortable than riding a horse."
Meng Yi shook his head vigorously, then suddenly realized, "This thing looks fierce, but it's like a horse; you can poke it with an awl and it'll run away."
...It's true that like emperors, like generals; this was exactly the argument Qin Shi Huang made when he first saw me driving.
Meng Yi gradually got used to the strange things around me, and loudly ordered, "Destination: Xiao Mansion. Squad 10, lead the way, the rest of you follow me to protect Principal Xiao."
Thus, these ten thousand men escorted my grand procession to the Xiao Mansion. I don't know if there has ever been a more imposing entourage in history, but ten thousand men clearing the way for a single Jinbei van is probably unprecedented...
When I arrived at my Xiao Mansion, countless servants were already cleaning and preparing it. After Lü Buwei was dealt with, the mansion was vacant for a while, but it was still one of the most luxurious residences, its grandeur and imposing size remaining intact. At that time, Qin didn't have particularly exquisite garden designs, and this former Prime Minister's residence wasn't the picturesque scene of small bridges and flowing water that I had imagined; it was simply a collection of tall buildings and wide tiles. Qin was located in a remote area at the time, and among the seven states, it was always considered a barbaric and uncivilized place. This was probably the initial driving force behind the successive Qin kings' efforts to strengthen the state.
After settling in, I gave the order to begin a grand feast. Coming to a dynasty like the Qin or Han, the journey took ten hours or more, and all I'd eaten since morning was a raw apple. When the food was finally laid out, I was utterly disappointed. Aside from the elaborate and beautiful containers, it was just a monotonous spread of meat—some roasted, some boiled, and a few bowls of broth—and the colors were unappetizing, a dark, unappealing mess. Judging by my current status and the scale of this feast, I'm probably eating no worse than Qin Shi Huang, meaning that this is what Qin Shi Huang, as the king of a nation, ate every day. No wonder he complained to me as soon as we met; even in modern times, 50 yuan would buy a much more satisfying meal.
After eating a few pieces of meat to fill my stomach, I summoned Meng Yi and asked, "Can you find the inn where the Yan envoy is staying?"
"Yes. Why does Principal Xiao ask this?"
"I'm going to pay them a visit." I had something on my mind. Originally, I hoped that Ersha and the others could come a week later, by which time Qin Shihuang's memory would be more stable, and things would be easier. But since they're already here, I can't let this last bit of temptation go to waste. The reason I haven't been able to eat or drink for half the day is actually because of this.
When Meng Yi heard me say that, he scoffed, "There are naturally people in charge of receiving the envoys. Besides, it would be too much of an overestimation for someone of your status to personally meet them."
I don't even know my own identity. I can tell that Meng Yi said this because he didn't want me to interfere in Qin's internal affairs. After all, Jing Ke and his entourage have rather sensitive identities. My recent arrival and my flirting with foreign envoys couldn't help but arouse Meng Yi's suspicion.
I glanced at Meng Yi, thinking to myself, if what's shown in the movies were true, you'd be hooking up with a princess from South Korea, wouldn't you? I really didn't know there was someone like Meng Yi in Qin, and couldn't help but ask, "What's your relationship with Meng Tian?" I think there was someone like that in history class back in school, who fought against the Xiongnu.
Meng Yi said awkwardly, "That's my elder brother."
I exclaimed in surprise, "That's your brother?"
"Exactly."
I scratched my head. My history knowledge is really terrible; it seems Meng Yi really was a real person. If his brother is Meng Tian, then this guy is going to be quite something. The problem is, the man Ying Pangzi assigned to me isn't very reliable. Aside from protecting my safety, he's not willing to follow my orders. The only person I can consult is Li Si. I suddenly remembered, wasn't Li Si a history teacher in his past life? And he's been in Qin for quite a few years. I said to Meng Yi, "Send someone to bring Li Si, the Guest Minister, to me. I've just arrived and have many things to ask him."
This time, Meng Yi readily agreed and immediately sent men. I said, "Also, divide your ten thousand men into several shifts, leaving only a thousand or eight hundred. What kind of mess is it to surround the Xiao Mansion three layers deep?"
Meng Yi was even more pleased. My statement indicated that I had no intention of launching a coup. However, just to be on the safe side, he still dispatched several patrol teams around the Xiao mansion, protecting me like an old Nazi fleeing from a Jewish assassin.
A moment later, Li Si arrived, head bowed, respectfully following behind a guard, his eyes never lifting; the effects of the drug had probably worn off. Upon entering my room, Li Si performed a full-fledged kowtow. I quickly lifted him up, saying, "What's with the formalities?"
Li Si lowered his hands and said, "His Majesty has decreed that seeing the emperor is as if seeing the king. Congratulations, Principal Xiao (this title must have been given to him by the guards). From ancient times to the present, I have never seen a superior showing such favor to a subordinate as you, Principal Xiao..."
I was so annoyed. Once he transformed, Li Si became a complete politician. I waved my hand impatiently and said, "You can go now. Come in and see me when you remember."
Li Si retreated, trembling with fear. I'd only been drinking a glass of water when he came running back in, grinning. Without saying much, I asked, "Have you eaten? If not, I'll heat some up for you."
Li Si waved his hand and said, "No need to trouble yourself. The King was just asking why there were so few guards today. He had completely forgotten about you."
I said, "You were just behaving the same way."
Li Si smiled wryly and said, "This is really troublesome. What do you want from me?"
I said, "You've eaten the Temptation Herb. Now you're practically a transmigrator. I won't hide anything from you. Ying Ge knows me because he stayed with me for a year. As for why he came back to become Qin Shi Huang, we don't have much time, so I'll tell you slowly later. I called you here to tell you something else. Jing Ke, who just arrived, also stayed with me for a year, just like him. The three of us are basically like brothers..."
Even though he was still lucid, Li Si couldn't help but exclaim, "Qin Shi Huang and Jing Ke were like brothers?"
"...I told you I would tell you slowly. I called you here to discuss how to prevent Jing Ke from successfully assassinating the King of Qin. Just take what I said before as background information."
Li Si craned his neck and said, "This is too chaotic!"
I sighed and said, "There's nothing I can do. Who told someone to deliberately cause trouble? (Was he talking about me? Author's note)."
Li Si organized his thoughts. After all, he had read countless time-travel novels, and he immediately summarized: "In other words, history was developing smoothly, but Qin Shi Huang and Jing Ke were suddenly extracted and sent to you, and then you turned them from enemies to friends. Now, history has returned to normal, and what you need to do now is to make them remember that extracted memory?"
I nodded vigorously: "You're so talented!"
"But what good will it do you?"
"On a small scale, it's to prevent them from killing each other; on a larger scale, it's to avoid violating history."
Li Si asked in surprise, "Not violating history? You mean we time travelers can't even do something as small as changing history? What's the point of us time travelers then?"
I sweated and said, "Stop talking nonsense. What's wrong with not going against history? After all, aside from that tragic last blow, you were still a prime minister. Who would the one who transmigrated into Zhao Gao's body cry to?"
Li Dun paused for a moment and said, "We'll discuss these things later. According to you, no matter how you look at it, Jing Ke's assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang cannot succeed. Let's talk about this first. I think to make this happen, we need to have a good discussion with Qin Shi Huang. With his support, it shouldn't be difficult to get Jing Ke to eat the seductive herb. Once they both remember each other, the matter will be almost 90% complete."
Chapter Ninety-Four: Encountering the Silly Boy Again
Li Si's analysis is correct; this matter requires careful consideration, and a meeting would be best. Therefore, my assessment of Li Si's suggestion is: "Nonsense, I'm just afraid that Ying Ge might suddenly turn against me."
Li Si said, "I calculated that each time it takes about ten minutes from the time the memory is awakened to the time it repeats. As long as I start talking as soon as I am awake and then leave at the right time, it will be fine. It's just a matter of doing it a few more times. I can still explain things clearly."
"The problem is that the Qin King's Palace is not like an ordinary place; it's not easy to get in and not be able to get out."
Li Si pointed to the guards at the door: "Take them with you. Why did Qin Shi Huang give them to you?"
"It's best not to use them, as it could easily cause misunderstandings. Besides, I need someone to keep me informed whenever Brother Ying wakes up."
Li Si patted his chest and said, "This job is suitable for me. I am already a high-ranking official, so it is very convenient for me to come and go."