"Whoever offends the Great Qin will be punished, even if he is far away..."
Meng Yi muttered to himself, the light in his eyes growing brighter and brighter, his chest surging with lofty ambitions. He slammed the table and agreed loudly.
"Your Majesty is right! Since the Xiongnu are ungrateful, we need not be soft-hearted. We must annihilate them without a single survivor!"
"Hahaha, you are worthy of being my brother Meng Tian. Your courage is not inferior to anyone else."
Meng Tian laughed heartily, patted his younger brother's shoulder with his palm as big as a palm fan, his brows full of satisfaction and appreciation.
The Meng family has made great military achievements and is extremely brave. The children of the family all have warlike blood flowing in their veins, and none of them are cowards.
Although Meng Yi was a civil servant who mainly dealt with border affairs and made suggestions on weekdays, as his elder brother, he knew that under his younger brother's calm appearance, there was a flame burning like his own.
The flames will not be extinguished until the Huns are eliminated.
A quarter of an hour later, the soldier who had found out the news hurried in to report, with indignation still on his face.
"General, those Xiongnu said we were untrustworthy and wanted to break the agreement by offering ten times the price for the grain."
"But we have never changed the price without authorization. They must have lied and used this as an excuse to terminate the wool trade."
"No, maybe they didn't lie, someone else did."
Hearing his subordinates' angry speculation, Meng Tian shook his head to deny it, and a gleam of light flashed in his sharp tiger eyes.
Historically, those who started wars were mostly the upper-class rulers. How could the common people at the bottom risk their lives to go to war after their basic survival needs were met?
Ten times the price...
I think those nobles in Touman have been secretly planning this for a long time, using extremely high grain prices to incite public resentment and rally people's hearts...
The strategy was not brilliant, but the blood feud between the Central Plains and the Huns could not be erased by wool trading. Although there was peace on the surface, war was imminent sooner or later.
At this time, Meng Yi also figured out the key point. His brows were tightly furrowed, and there was a hint of anger in his calm tone.
"As expected, my brother guessed it right. That Man is really a thief with unrepentant intentions."
"Heh... This general will definitely kill him on the spot someday."
"Brother, please be patient. We should report this matter to His Majesty as soon as possible and discuss the matter of war."
Looking at his brother who was showing a fierce look, Meng Yi comforted him in a gentle voice and pulled him to sit down to discuss important matters.
The soldiers on the side retreated tactfully and stood guard at the door.
Meng Tian picked up the cup and took a big gulp of the cold tea. The anger in his chest subsided a little, and his thoughts raced in his mind.
A battle doesn't just start. There are many things to prepare for in the early stages, such as military strategy planning, enemy reconnaissance, food and fodder transportation, and armament distribution...
His head ached from thinking about all the complicated things. He stood up quickly, gave Meng Yi a few instructions, and strode outside.
"Brother, please write a secret letter to His Majesty first. After His Majesty conveys the imperial edict, we will discuss it with the generals."
Before Meng Yi could reply, he heard the door slam. He twitched his lips helplessly. His brother always gave him a lot of tedious things.
Is there anyone who exploits his own brother like this?
If I had known this earlier, I would have stayed with Your Majesty in Xianyang. At least the ministers in the court would have shared the burden with him.
Alas, what can one do as a brother? Pamper him.
After reaching the outside of the house, Meng Tian looked deeply towards the north, then patted the soldier on the shoulder, motioning him to follow.
"Let's go."
"General, where are you going? Are you going to explain to them in person? No need to trouble you..."
The soldiers hurriedly caught up with the general and asked him questions. The general was not stupid, and from the conversation just now, he naturally guessed that something was wrong.
Meng Tian smiled coldly, his handsome eyebrows slightly raised, contempt and disdain revealed in his eyes, and then he cursed loudly.
"What the hell are you explaining? Are they worthy of it?"
"This general needs to vent his anger! They got away with it after being treated kindly. It was our Great Qin who beat them so badly that they fled in panic, barely surviving in the Yin Mountains."
"So what if it's ten times the price? They should still be grateful!"
The next day, Xianyang, Zhangtai Palace.
Ying Zheng carefully read the secret letter that was sent to him urgently. After seeing the content clearly, a cold light flashed in his deep phoenix eyes.
I didn't expect that the Huns could not hold back. I guess the situation of fat sheep and thin horses made some people feel uneasy.
Oh, but it's too late.
He has tolerated their rampage for long enough. Now that the Qin Dynasty's internal affairs are stable and its national strength is growing, it is time to take them down in one fell swoop.
The emperor, dressed in a black and gold dragon robe, exudes majesty without even being angry. His handsome and flawless features are covered in frost, and his dark jade pupils are filled with ambition.
He took out a blank secret letter, wrote a few lines on it in a flamboyant style, sealed it, and ordered someone to send it to the border as soon as possible.
After finishing his work, Ying Zheng leaned lazily against the back of his chair, his eyes half closed, and the twelve-tasseled crown cast a shadow, obscuring his unfathomable expression.
After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp gleam of light flashed across his eyes, and he called over the Black Ice Guard, asking in a deep voice.
"How is the development of the Mohist musket going?"
"Your Majesty, the Mohists have developed the first generation of firearms and are currently testing them."
"Well, continue to monitor the situation secretly."
Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng's expression relaxed slightly, his frown relaxed, a look of satisfaction emerged on his face, and he felt more confident.
Although gunpowder bombs are extremely powerful, the Xiongnu cavalry is highly mobile and flexible in combat. If they use gunpowder bombs, the effect will probably be minimal and they will be easily restricted.
The musket, which is easy to carry and has a fast firing speed, is obviously superior and will definitely catch the Hun cavalry off guard.
"Also, select a group of soldiers with excellent archery skills."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Thinking of Yue Ning saying that the accuracy of the first generation of muskets was difficult to control, Ying Zheng added lightly.
The Black Ice Guard responded respectfully, and seeing that His Majesty had no other important instructions, he quickly left the hall.
Nearing noon, Ying Zheng pinched his sore brows, closed the memorial, stood up and strode towards Qinian Palace.
It is now late autumn, and the road is covered with golden leaves. A gust of autumn wind picks up the crumbling leaves on the dead branches, and they spin and dance in the air.
The gentle coaxing voices of women and the laughter of children came from the Qinian Palace, dispelling the bleak autumn atmosphere. Ying Zheng's eyes softened and his thin lips couldn't help but rise.
"A Zheng, you're back."
"Father, come and see my sister. She's smiling at Zhao Zhao! She must like Zhao Zhao the most~"
"Aa ...
Chu Yuening sat on the sofa, her black and smooth hair draped over her chest. Her beautiful eyes smiled as she looked at her husband who had returned home, her face calm and gentle.
In the cradle next to them, two delicate little babies had just finished drinking milk. They were looking around curiously with their clear, black eyes open, babbling from time to time.
Ying Zhao clung to the cradle tightly, staring at the chubby little ball with a smile on his face, his little face full of curiosity.
Gazing at this warm and beautiful scene, the chill that lingered around Ying Zheng completely dissipated. He quickly stepped forward and embraced his little wife, and his sharp voice became gentle.
"Yuening, did my child bother you today?"
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