When Meng Xingyuan and Ah Feng arrived in Xianyang, it was already night, but Qin Shi Huang had already sent people to wait, and said that no matter when Meng Xingyuan arrived, he would go to meet him immediately. Meng Xingyuan had to quickly wash his face, change his clothes, and enter the palace despite the fatigue of the journey.

Meng Xingyuan was led to the door of a side hall, and after entering the house, he walked a few steps briskly and knelt on the ground to salute.

Qin Shi Huang stood up suddenly: "Aiqing, you are finally back." Sit down, I have something important to discuss with you. ”

Meng Xingyuan saw that the food on the table was already cold, but he didn't pass, it seems that Qin Shi Huang must have encountered something big.

After sitting down, Qin Shi Huang first inquired about the local production. Meng Xingyuan replied carefully one by one.

"I sent Marshal Meng and you to attack the Huns, do you know why?" After taking a sip of tea, Qin Shi Huang changed his words and stared at Meng Xingyuan and asked.

"Your Majesty must want to keep the people safe and raise the prestige of our country. Before he could guess Qin Shi Huang's thoughts, Meng Xingyuan had no choice but to say a "beautiful word" that had no practical meaning.

"That's just one reason, there's another reason. Qin Shi Huang asked again, "Aiqing, did you know Lu Sheng and Hou Sheng before?"

Meng Xingyuan replied truthfully: "The minister only knows a little about them, and these two can be said to be His Majesty's 'advisers', looking for the elixir of life for His Majesty. The others are not very clear, and the minister and these two do not know each other. ”

Qin Shi Huang nodded: "For more than a year, you have fought against the Xiongnu and pacified one side, and you are also loyal to me, and you are a rare pillar of talent. I've long regarded you as a confidant. “

Meng Xingyuan felt that Qin Shi Huang must have encountered something important, but he hadn't figured it out yet, so he had to kneel down and kowtow: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your trust and cultivation." ”

"It doesn't have to be like this. Qin Shi Huang actually helped Meng Xingyuan up personally and gave him up to his seat, "Here, there are only you and me, you don't need to be polite." ”

Meng Xingyuan had no choice but to sit down tremblingly.

"Xingyuan," Qin Shi Huang also sat down, "I see that you have some skills for understanding yin and yang and predicting the future. So, I ask you, do elixirs and immortals really exist?"

Qin Shi Huang asked an inconsequential question, which made Meng Xingyuan even more unpredictable, and he didn't know how to answer. Meng Xingyuan was originally a straightforward person, but after this period of "edification" in the officialdom, he didn't dare to say a word. A companion is like a tiger, this sentence is indeed not wrong.

"This, this should ...... Yes, yes," Meng Xingyuan said resignedly, "The minister is dedicated to His Majesty and the country, and he doesn't know much about the affairs of the gods." ”

Qin Shi Huang was very happy when he said this, his face soothed a little, changed his sitting posture, and said, "You are right, Lu Sheng and the others are indeed helping me find the elixir of life. Although the elixir of life has not yet been found, he has brought back a book of prophecies from the immortals for me, called "Record Books". I read it carefully, and the book actually said, 'The one who destroys Qin, Hu Ye'. The Hu people, of course, are the Hu people in the north. In addition, the Hu people have been annoying our country's prestige, so I ordered Marshal Meng and you to go north to attack Hu. Since you can predict the future, you can be considered a 'warlock'. Then I ask you, are the people who destroyed my Qin Dynasty Hu people?"

After listening, Meng Xingyuan broke out in a cold sweat, if he didn't answer well, something big would definitely happen. Although Meng Xingyuan was not worried that Qin Shi Huang would cut off his own head—with Ah Feng here, it is estimated that few people in the world can embarrass him—but one of Qin Shi Huang's decisions will cause thousands of people to lose their heads. Meng Xingyuan had to think carefully.

If the answer is yes, Qin Shi Huang will definitely continue to fight against the Xiongnu, that is, the two peoples will continue to fight, and the result will be that both will be defeated and bloodied. If he told Qin Shi Huang that it was not, then he would definitely continue to ask who it was, which would inevitably lead to the Huhai Group.

Hu Hai is Qin Shi Huang's own son, and it is difficult to determine how it ended. However, Zhao Gao, Li Si and others will definitely be killed by Qin Shi Huang under an excuse, or even destroyed. The lesser of two evils leads to the fact that Hu Hai Group can kill many people, and Hu Hai is brutal and unreasonable, not a good emperor, and Li Si Zhao and others are not good people. Therefore, Meng Xingyuan made a decision.

Meng Xingyuan knelt on the ground again and kowtowed deeply: "Your Majesty, what the minister is going to say next is a capital crime." However, for the long-term stability of the Great Qin Empire, for the soldiers of the empire to reduce casualties, and for the people of the empire to stay away from the suffering of war, the minister had to say. “

Qin Shi Huang was also deeply moved and said: "Aiqing's words are serious. No matter what Aiqing says, as long as it is for the country and the people, I will forgive you from your sins. Flatten down, sit down, and say. ”

Meng Xingyuan still knelt on the ground: "The minister didn't dare to get up." Your Majesty, and listen to the minister. This rebellious statement is not entirely accurate. However, what the minister can be sure of is that this 'Hu' is not a Hu person. ”

"Who the hell is that referring to?" Qin Shi Huang stood up excitedly.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Meng Xingyuan continued: "Your Majesty, the north of my Great Qin Empire is now guarded by General Meng Tian, and the Xiongnu retreated seven hundred miles north, and they did not dare to go south and herd horses. Therefore, it will not cause any harm to His Majesty. This 'Hu' is not an 'outsider', but a 'neighbor' around His Majesty. ”

"My 'neighbor'?" Qin Shi Huang frowned and thought for a while, then suddenly slammed the cup in his hand on the ground, "Presumptuous! Are you talking about my youngest prince, Hu Hai?"

"Your Majesty is angry. Actually, it was not the prince, but the prince's teacher, Zhao Gao. ”

"How is this possible? Zhao Gao's ancestor is my old man, he is in the Zhongche Prefecture, he is proficient in law, good at calligraphy, honest and capable, and he is also the teacher of the prince Hu Hai, it can be said that he is a powerful minister, how could he rebel? Back then, when Jing Ke assassinated me, it was Zhao Gao who reminded me to draw my sword and kill Jing Ke. How could such a loyal person rebel?" After saying a long sentence to himself, Qin Shi Huang suddenly pointed at Meng Xingyuan's nose and asked, "Who are you, what are your intentions?"

Meng Xingyuan couldn't figure out how to answer, so he could only say vaguely: "Didn't Your Majesty say it just now, the minister is also a 'warlock'." ”

"Yes, you're a 'Warlock', I almost forgot, you're a Warlock. Qin Shi Huang glared at Meng Xingyuan viciously, "Someone come, put Meng Xingyuan in prison, and wait for his fate." ”

Meng Xingyuan was stunned, just now Qin Shi Huang was still saying that he was his confidant, why was he suddenly going to be put in prison? Meng Xingyuan really didn't understand why this was all of a sudden.

"What should I do, do you want me to help you escape?" asked Ah Feng anxiously in his ear.

"No, he must have misunderstood me......" Before Meng Xingyuan finished speaking, several guards entered and pressed Meng Xingyuan to the ground together.

"Your Majesty, why is this, why are you putting me in prison?" Meng Xingyuan shouted with all his strength.

"Why? Just because you're a warlock! I hate you warlocks to death! Put him in a big cell, put him on death row, and put on all the torture instruments!" Qin Shi Huang was very angry and furious.

"Your Majesty, the minister is loyal and dedicated to the country, why do you ...... the minister like this" Meng Xingyuan was taken into a terrifying prison amid yelling.

Although the prison was not as dark and dirty as Meng Xingyuan had seen on TV, it was not much better, it was an empty room, with only a narrow window and a door nailed out of arm-thick wood. Except for a dilapidated wooden toilet in the corner, all that was left was straw all over the floor.

Meng Xingyuan was wearing ochre-colored prison clothes, his neck and gloves were in thirty-five pound shackles, and there were heavy shackles on his feet, which made a piercing sound as he walked.

"Why do you have to suffer here, and I'll get you out." The jailer escorted Meng Xingyuan to the cell and left, and Ah Feng came out to persuade Meng Xingyuan again.

"If I leave now, Qin Shi Huang will definitely continue to send troops to attack the Xiongnu, how many people will be killed or wounded? If I don't go to hell, who will go to hell? So, I won't and can't go. And, I promise, Qin Shi Huang will release me soon. "Meng Xingyuan is dedicated to the people, which is very admirable.

Ah Feng sighed anxiously, but he couldn't force him.

"But," Meng Xingyuan continued, "can you help me remove the shackles and shackles? ”