Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

—Liu Bang had never ridden such a fine horse in his entire life.

Regardless of what the future holds, for now he is still a country bumpkin, and at most he rides a rickety horse borrowed from an inn. He has never encountered such a strong and powerful military steed.

Having suppressed his longing for galloping for so long, coupled with the ups and downs of his emotions, the unexpected and immense joy made Liu Bang lose his composure. Confident in his riding skills, and emboldened by his superior abilities, he spurred his horse and charged forward with great force.

Liu Bang lowered his body slightly, squinted his eyes against the howling wind, and smiled broadly. He couldn't suppress his joy. The sound of his horse's hooves was like a drumbeat, making the pebbles on the ground jump, and the grass and trees on both sides of the official road rushed backward.

If it weren't for the fact that there was an unidentified light cavalry unit ahead, he would have loved to let out a long howl to the heavens.

Unfortunately, he didn't bring any wine. Taking a sip of cold water would be just as refreshing. Liu Bang tugged at the reins, wanting to slow down and reach for the water pouch at his waist.

It wasn't until then that I realized... the situation seemed to be getting out of control.

The chestnut horse was in a frenzy, its mane flying and its hooves barely touching the ground. He tentatively pulled on the reins again, but the horse ignored him. He whimpered "Whoa—whoa—" several times, but the horse still didn't respond.

can not stop at all!

"Oh no, oh no, how can this beast not stop?!"

Liu Bang clung tightly to the horse, his heart pounding with fear. He cursed under his breath, no longer feeling the exhilaration of the wind; all he felt was a mouthful of cold air.

He watched as the horse's ears seemed to turn backward, as if listening, and then, without slowing down at all, it reared up with all its might—

It's about to take off!!!

"My ancestors, my dear ancestors, stop! I was wrong, I can't run anymore, or I'll be eaten by the enemy!!!"

Liu Bang was on the verge of tears, frantically begging for mercy, his words changing from "beast" to "ancestor" in the blink of an eye.

Fortunately, whether the horse was intelligent or he did have some riding skills and talent, he shouted and pulled, squeezing the horse's belly with his legs and leaning back so hard he almost broke the reins. He finally managed to slow the horse down, from galloping to walking, then to trotting, and finally stopping with a snort.

The chestnut horse shook its head impatiently and pawed at the ground twice, as if it were disgusted by the rider's skill.

Liu Bang lay sprawled on the horse's back, oblivious to the horse's disdain, panting heavily, sweat dripping from his forehead and nose.

His bones felt like they were falling apart, his legs were shaking like leaves, his throat was so dry it was practically burning, and he didn't even have the strength to curse.

After a long while, Liu Bang slowly straightened up, wiped the sweat from his face. The wound on his hand had only healed not long ago, and now it was marked with two red marks from the reins, which stung painfully.

But he couldn't worry about that now. The most important thing was—had he, the "scout" who came to investigate, not plunged headlong into the enemy's encirclement?

He slowly raised his head and saw a light cavalry force rushing towards him from the opposite direction. The formation was orderly, the armor was gleaming, and the troops were imposing and exuding a murderous aura. Their banners fluttered in the wind.

Liu Bang's vision went black.

He was so close, and he was shouting, running and jumping around. How could the other person not have noticed?

Just as I was about to get off this "ancestor," I immediately lost interest and had to grit my teeth and try to adjust the reins.

"Run! Ancestor, run back! We're going to be caught! Aaaaaah!"

But the chestnut horse beneath him was clearly tired. No matter how much Liu Bang pleaded, it just swished its tail and remained unmoved. It even took a half step forward, lowered its head to nibble on some grass by the roadside, chewed it a couple of times, and snorted, looking as leisurely as if to say, "You can rush all you want, I'll rest all I want."

After calculating the probability of outrunning the light cavalry on foot, Liu Bang felt utterly hopeless.

He suddenly lost all desire to dismount, his eyes vacant as he stared blankly at the approaching light cavalry, as if he had lost his soul.

I, Liu Bang, was destined for great things, but my illustrious reputation is ruined, completely ruined...

I'm going to die with this beast!

Hmm, something doesn't seem right.

Liu Bang narrowed his eyes, then refocused his gaze.

Does that black flag with red characters have the character "Qin" written on it?

I'm not sure, I'll think about it some more.

He rubbed his eyes hard again, and when he saw the black Qin military flag fluttering in the wind, he almost cried with joy.

It turns out they were one of our own!

No danger, no harm, no hidden risks—much safer than this "ancestor" beneath me.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Liu Bang suddenly sat up straight, his back ramrod straight, his chin held high, as if the person who had just been lying on the horse's back like a dead man was not him.

"Hey—! We're on the same side! I was sent by Mr. Zhou to pick you up!"

The wind blew across the open fields, carrying his voice far away.

Ahead, clad in gleaming black armor, exuding an imposing aura, Meng Yi, whose youthful naiveté had faded after the battle, now appearing more resolute and mature, slowly turned his head to look at Wang Ben, and spoke—

"What the hell?"

He glanced at Liu Bang, whose clothes were wrinkled and whose hair was a mess, with a hint of confusion, and then decisively spoke:

"This definitely isn't a soldier trained by my Meng family!"

Wang Ben immediately became anxious. You must know that when the Great King Wei selected guards for Uncle Zhou, he went to great lengths, selecting them layer by layer. Apart from the Imperial Guards, the most selected soldiers were the elite troops trained by the leaders of the Wang and Meng families. They were quite proud of themselves for a while.

If Meng Yi rejects the idea outright, then this person will fall into the hands of the Wang family.

"Pah!"

Wang Ben immediately retorted, spitting out a mouthful of anger, his voice rising several octaves as he angrily cursed:

"Nonsense! The soldiers trained by my Wang family are all brave and skilled in battle. They have been practicing martial arts since they were young, and are proficient in archery, horsemanship, and horseback riding. How could they be useless trash who can't even ride a horse steadily? Don't try to smear my Wang family!"

Meng Yi casually spread his hands, and even slightly curled the corners of his mouth. As soon as he made this gesture, his youthful spirit returned to him.

"I never said you were the one who jumped out!"

He paused, his gaze falling on the chestnut horse, then changed the subject, his tone becoming more smug:

"But that chestnut horse does have some of the spirit I trained in the Meng family—fierce, a fine horse! Look at its mane, its hooves, its energy..."

"Meng Yi, you little brat, have you no shame?" Wang Ben's face turned green, and he cursed him by his full name, "So all the good things are yours, and all the bad things fall on my head!"

The wind in the wilderness never stops, so—

Liu Bang's joyful expression froze on his face.