Diqin Designer

Chapter 450 "Brotherly Love and Respect," Harmony Between the Two Nations

When praised by the First Emperor, Touman humbly replied, "Your Majesty flatters me. I only know a little, and there is much I do not know."

The First Emperor shook his head and laughed, "I am being far too modest. If I can only say I know 'a little,' then most people are completely ignorant!"

The First Emperor was pleased with Touman and others' initiative to learn about Qin culture. He was genuinely praising Touman, not implying anything against him. He believed that the more people like Touman who were willing to learn about Qin culture, the better, and it would be best if all foreign countries were like Touman.

Just as Touman was pondering how to respond to the First Emperor's praise, the First Emperor changed the subject: "Let me introduce a few of my beloved ministers to you!"

The First Emperor naturally introduced Wang Wan first, saying, "This is Minister Wang, a veteran minister of Qin, and also my prime minister. Without Minister Wang, I and Qin would have taken many detours!"

According to Li Nian, the First Emperor in history didn't listen to Wang Wan's advice and rushed the Qin Dynasty too much, which led to its downfall.

"Your Majesty flatters me. I merely did what I was supposed to do." Wang Wan first responded to the First Emperor's praise, then bowed to Touman: "Wang Wan of Great Qin greets the Chanyu and all the chieftains!"

"Greetings, Prime Minister Wang!" Touman and the others hurriedly returned the greeting to Wang Wan. This was the Prime Minister of Qin, the head of all officials of Qin. In front of him, they dared not put on any airs of being a Chanyu or a chieftain.

Given their status as Xiongnu Chanyu and chieftains, they were no match for the Prime Minister of Qin; their position and power were not on the same level.

Compared to Wang Wan, Touman and the others were more looking forward to the person that the Qin Emperor would introduce to them next. First, the head of the Qin civil officials was introduced, and who would be next?
As for Wang Wan, although they felt that he was a rare and virtuous man who could serve as the Prime Minister of Qin, they did not feel much awe towards him. However, that person was different. Although they had never actually fought against that person on the battlefield, the fact that that person was on par with Li Mu made them feel awe.

Who was Li Mu?

The ruthless man who nearly wiped out a generation of young and strong men from the Xiongnu was also the root cause of their loss of ambition and transformation into their current state. That battle remains an unforgettable nightmare and pain for them.

Back then, the Xiongnu were the overlords of the grasslands, with tens of thousands of archers, stronger than the Donghu and Yuezhi.

They were full of vigor at that time, thinking that with so many soldiers, they could go anywhere in the world. So they excitedly headed south, only to run into the hands of the ruthless Li Mu.

Li Mu was truly ruthless. In the decisive battle of Dai County, he annihilated 100,000 of their cavalry, and the main force was almost completely wiped out. Touman and some other chieftains escaped with only a small number of personal guards.

How many people did the Xiongnu have?

The loss of 100,000 elite troops is equivalent to almost wiping out an entire generation of young and strong men!

It was after that battle that the Xiongnu became targets of extortion by the Donghu and Yuezhi. Today they demanded fine horses, tomorrow beautiful women, and they could only swallow their anger and accept it, since Li Mu had wiped out their elite troops.

Moreover, Li Mu, that ruthless man, not only attacked them, but also took advantage of his great victory over the Xiongnu to conquer the Chanlan Kingdom, defeat the Donghu, and force the Linhu to surrender. However, these countries and tribes did not suffer as heavy losses as the Xiongnu.

Li Mu is dead, but the Qin Dynasty still has a top general who is on par with Li Mu. To be on par with the ruthless Li Mu, his methods must be exceptional. Moreover, he is also a ruthless man, having destroyed five of the six southern states with his son.

This was also one of the reasons why Touman and others were willing to recognize Qin as their elder brother. They were afraid of being defeated by Li Mu and worried that Qin would send someone as famous as Li Mu to attack them.

As expected, the next person the Qin Emperor introduced to them was that very one. He extended his right hand to an old minister and said with a smile, "This is General Wang, currently the Minister of War of the Great Qin! The old general has fought for the Great Qin all his life, and is my right-hand man and the pillar of the Great Qin. It is a blessing for me and the Great Qin to have the old general; otherwise, I don't know when the world would have been unified!"

Sure enough, it was that person. Touman and the others looked in the direction that the First Emperor raised his right hand and immediately saw an old minister wearing the official robes of the Qin Dynasty.

This old minister had white hair and beard, stood ramrod straight, and wore a warm smile on his face. He looked like an ordinary old man with a vigorous spirit. You couldn't tell at all that he was a peerless general who was on par with Li Mu, and possibly the strongest military commander in the world today!

When Touman and the others looked over, the old minister of Qin bowed to them and said, "King Jian of Qin greets the Chanyu and all the chieftains!"

Upon hearing the name announced by the old minister, one of the chieftains swallowed hard. This was indeed King Jian of Qin, a top general on par with Li Mu of Zhao.

Fortunately, he was already old. No matter how skilled he was in commanding troops, he could not escape the passage of time. As long as they could wait until he died, the Xiongnu would be much more at ease.

Touman and the others hurriedly returned the greeting: "Touman greets the old general! The general's reputation is like thunder and lightning on the grassland, known to all. It is our good fortune to meet you today!"

While they feared and hated Li Mu, they also greatly respected and admired him because they had led troops into battle and knew firsthand how terrifying generals like Li Mu and Wang Jian were.

Wang Jian shook his head and laughed at Touman's praise, saying, "This old man of mine is no match for the winds and thunder of the grasslands. At most, I'm just a weak breeze and cannot live up to the Chanyu's words!"

While Touman and the others were pleased that Wang Jian was old, they couldn't say it aloud. Instead, they had to say that Wang Jian was still young and still awe-inspiring throughout the world.

Wang Jian knew that these people were just saying nice things, but they probably wished he would die sooner rather than later. However, he didn't care much. They just thought that with his death, the Qin Dynasty would have one less general they feared. If they really thought that way, his disciple would teach them a lesson.

His disciple was an even more ruthless person than him and Li Mu, a ruthless person known as the "God of War" in later history, as told by Young Master Li Nian.

Moreover, with his complete imparting of knowledge, guidance from Young Master Li Nian, and the Emperor's allocation of resources, his disciple's talent will only surpass that of history, and the Qin army is still undergoing reforms.

With an enhanced Qin army and an enhanced Qin "military genius," Wang Jian could hardly imagine what kind of scene it would be.

The third minister introduced by the First Emperor was Li Si. "This is Minister Li, currently the Vice Chancellor of Qin. Minister Li has made great contributions to Qin. It is thanks to Minister Li that I and Qin have achieved what we have today!"

When Touman and the others heard this, they thought that the First Emperor was praising the minister, but Li Si himself did not feel happy at all, but only felt confused and worried.

When introducing Wang Wan and Wang Jian, the First Emperor didn't mention that he and the Qin Dynasty were able to achieve their current status because of these two men. But when it came to Li Si, he did. Wasn't this a deliberate attempt to create conflict with the other ministers?
Li Si couldn't figure out whether His Majesty was genuinely praising him and acknowledging his hard work and great achievements, or if there was another meaning behind it.

Li Si's mind raced, and he humbly replied, "It is under Your Majesty's wise leadership that I have been able to accomplish what you have accomplished; I dare not accept Your Majesty's praise."

After saying this, Li Si deliberately raised his voice and said, "I believe that the greatest merit of the Great Qin belongs to Your Majesty alone! It is because of Your Majesty that we have the Great Qin of today, and it is because of Your Majesty that we have us today. If Your Majesty were to lead, no matter how talented we are, we would not be able to accomplish anything."

By bestowing the title of the most meritorious person in the Qin Dynasty upon the First Emperor, Li Si perfectly resolved the First Emperor's doubts about praising him. He said that His Majesty was the most meritorious person in the Qin Dynasty, and the other ministers would not (dare not) say anything. He also took the opportunity to flatter the First Emperor.

Li Si was unaware that the First Emperor's opinion of him could not be changed by his words, and no amount of flattery would change anything.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang only smiled at Li Si's words, remaining noncommittal. Li Si couldn't figure out what the emperor was thinking, but he didn't have time to think too much. Emperor Qin Shi Huang had already introduced him to Touman and the others, and he also had to respond to Touman and the others.

Like Wang Wan and Wang Jian, he bowed to Touman and the others, saying, "Li Si of Great Qin greets the Chanyu and all the chieftains!"

Before their arrival, Touman and his entourage had done their homework, knowing who the important officials of the Qin Dynasty were and how to address them. When returning the greetings, they said, "Touman greets Prime Minister Li. We have heard of Prime Minister Li's talent even on the grasslands. Prime Minister Li's 'Memorial on Expelling Foreign Guests' is truly excellent, and I quite like it!"

"Memorial on Expelling Foreign Guests" was also an achievement that Li Si was proud of. Hearing that Touman liked it, Li Si felt a little proud and said, "It is Li Si's good fortune that my humble work can be liked by the Chanyu."

Next, the First Emperor introduced Wei Liao, Wang Ben, Feng Jie, Feng Quji, Zhao Gao, and others to Touman and his group, allowing them to get to know the important ministers of the Qin Dynasty. However, to Touman and his group's regret, they did not see Li Nian.

During their trip to Qin, Touman and his companions most wanted to see the First Emperor, followed by Li Nian, whose rank was even higher than Wang Jian's. They were eager to see what the renowned Prince Li Nian of Qin looked like.

Seeing the regret of Touman and the others, the First Emperor knew exactly what they were regretting and smiled, "Do you all want to see Li Nian?"

Before Touman and the others could reply, the First Emperor said, "That kid Li Nian has something to do today. He will come over at lunchtime, and you will see him then."

Upon hearing the way the First Emperor addressed Li Nian, Touman and the others knew that Li Nian was highly valued and close to the Qin Emperor. How could an ordinary subject be called "that kid" by the Qin Emperor?
However, with the arrival of that young master Li Nian for lunch, Touman and the others began to look forward to it. As for the possibility that Li Nian might be the culprit behind Maodun's death, Touman and the others naturally ignored it.

The First Emperor invited Touman and others to the Zhangtai Palace. According to later news reports, the First Emperor, the leader of the Qin Dynasty, warmly received Touman, the Chanyu of the Xiongnu, at the Zhangtai Palace. The two discussed the close historical ties between the two countries and expressed their recognition of the unquestionable brotherly relationship between them.

The two countries affirmed their shared achievements in the two years since the establishment of diplomatic relations and looked forward to further exchanges in various fields such as economy, culture, and military affairs in the future.

In layman's terms, the First Emperor and his ministers explained to Touman and others the origins of the Xiongnu and their relationship with Qin, recognizing the two countries as brotherly nations, not as foreign tribes like the Peacocks. Qin acknowledged this, and the Xiongnu also acknowledged it.

The Qin Dynasty is the elder brother, and the Xiongnu are the younger brother. The Xiongnu will continue to follow the Qin Dynasty, and the Qin Dynasty will share some benefits with the Xiongnu.

Judging from the atmosphere at Zhangtai Palace, the First Emperor and Touman had a very pleasant conversation, and the ministers and the Xiongnu chieftains were also in a harmonious mood, presenting a picture of brotherly love and peace between the two countries.

They not only discussed national affairs, but also some interesting anecdotes. The First Emperor talked to Touman about various matters of the Qin Dynasty, inquired about Touman's life among the Xiongnu, and asked him where he needed his elder brother's help.

Touman told the First Emperor about the scenery of the grasslands and thanked the First Emperor and the Qin Dynasty for their help to the Xiongnu over the past two years. He said that he was still in good health thanks to the First Emperor who had specially sent him a doctor.

In order to ensure that Touman and others would maintain control of the Xiongnu for a long time, the Qin Dynasty sent special physicians to the Xiongnu to take care of the health of Touman and others. Several chieftains who fell seriously ill were saved by these physicians.

This is also a major reason why Touman and others can no longer live without the Qin Dynasty. They do not want to die, but want to continue living and enjoying life, and they need the doctors of the Qin Dynasty.

The Xiongnu of today enjoy far more than ever before. They eat better, drink better, live better, and have access to all sorts of entertainment from the Qin Dynasty. As long as they are healthy, they can continue to enjoy these things.

Everyone was chatting happily and seemed to have forgotten the time, until a palace attendant reminded the First Emperor, "Your Majesty, lunch is ready and we can begin the banquet at any time!"

After hearing this, the First Emperor looked at Touman and said, "That kid Li Nian once said that 'he is not enthusiastic about eating and has a problem with his thinking.' Although we had a pleasant conversation, lunch has been prepared, so we should eat first before we talk. Gentlemen, please come with me to have lunch!"

Did that young master Li Nian actually say something so interesting?
But there seems to be some truth to that. People need to eat to live, and if they don't even have the enthusiasm to eat, then there must be a problem.

Touman and the others rose and replied, "As Your Majesty commands!"

Led by the First Emperor, Touman and his entourage arrived at the palace garden where a banquet was specially held.

Because of the arrival of Touman and his entourage, the palace garden was decorated differently than during the New Year, and it was more in the style of the Qin Dynasty. Lanterns with black bird and blue dragon patterns were hung in the garden, and screens engraved with famous poems from the Book of Songs were placed in various places in the garden. Even the chairs to sit on were engraved with some simplified Chinese characters and intentionally marked with pinyin...

Touman and his companions had heard that the Qin Dynasty had a palace garden specifically for holding banquets, but upon seeing it now, they felt that it was different from what they had heard.

Of course it will be different. This time, due to the Games and Exposition of the Nations, there are many foreign dignitaries visiting Xianyang. Naturally, the Qin Dynasty will showcase its culture to them in the arrangement of the palace gardens.

The layout of the entire palace was not luxurious, but it revealed to Touman and his men the advanced and civilized nature of the Qin Dynasty.

Touman glanced at the chair he was sitting in. He had taken the initiative to learn simplified Chinese characters and knew some of them. He found that it was engraved with a brief introduction: Xiongnu, a brother state of Qin, descendants of Chunwei of the Xia Dynasty, also a country of China.

Each character was also marked with what the Qin people called "pinyin," clearly indicating that the Qin people intentionally carved it on the chair so that the person sitting on it could see it.

(End of this chapter)