The Fancheng Pact of Young Generals

You're very kind! I'm glad you find my Chinese writing helpful. Here's the complete English translation, striving for accuracy, vivid detail, and impeccable grammar and spelling:Within the city of Xianyang, as dusk descended and the first lanterns were lit, the majestic capital was adorned with a tapestry of shimmering lights. Yet, in a quiet corner of the city, a grand mansion stood in serene stillness. High above the imposing gate, the two characters "Meng Residence," written with powerful, calligraphic strokes, declared the noble status of its owner—this was the residence of General Meng Wu, second only to Wang Jian among the great generals of Qin.In the mansion's rear courtyard, the moonlight poured down like flowing water, draping the flowers, plants, and trees in a hazy silver veil. Two young figures sat facing each other, the moonlight outlining their tall and straight postures.By the light of the bright moon, it was clear that they were two young men, around seventeen or eighteen years old, full of youthful vigor and spirit."Wang Ben, why are you disturbing my peaceful slumber in the dead of night? Could it be that you're once again longing for the fine wines and delicacies of Tianxiang House, your gluttony getting the better of you?" one of the young men spoke first, breaking the silence. His features were handsome and upright, his facial features distinct and sharp, as if carved by a knife and axe, radiating an air of heroism and nonchalance.The young man facing him, with a slightly stocky build, was looking at him with a helpless expression, his face conveying a sense of "I can't do anything with you." This person was none other than Wang Ben, son of the renowned general Wang Jian."Give me a break, Meng Tian. Do you really think that all I, Wang Ben, think about all day is drinking?" Wang Ben rolled his eyes, retorting in an annoyed tone, with a hint of grievance and dissatisfaction. "The last time I kindly invited you for a drink, you, the ungrateful wretch, secretly ran to my father to tattle on me, causing me to be punished with kneeling for three days and three nights, nearly crippling my knees! I haven't even settled that score with you yet!"Meng Tian, son of Meng Wu, had known Wang Ben since childhood, and they were as close as brothers. Meng Ao and Wang Jian, the two veteran generals, were also close friends, cherishing each other's talents and virtues. Their sons naturally became close companions as well.Hearing Wang Ben's casual use of the impolite term "lao zi" (老子, roughly translates to "your father" but used more informally as "I"), Meng Tian could only pretend not to hear it. After all, by seniority, he was indeed a generation younger than Wang Ben, and according to the rules of etiquette, he shouldn't argue about such matters.He gently waved his hand, interrupting Wang Ben's endless complaints, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness and amusement: "Alright, alright, Wang Ben, stop wrongly accusing me. When have I, Meng Tian, ever done such underhanded things like tattling behind someone's back? That time, it was purely an unintentional mention during a casual conversation between my father and yours. What does it have to do with me? You must discern the truth and not make false accusations!" As Meng Tian spoke, he wore an innocent expression, but a sly smile flickered in his eyes."I…" Wang Ben was momentarily speechless, rendered speechless by Meng Tian's words. He glared at Meng Tian's nonchalant, indifferent demeanor, opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word for a long while. He could only curse Meng Tian's cunning in his heart.Finally, like a deflated ball, he slumped onto the cold stone table, letting out a mournful sigh: "Alas, Meng Tian, sometimes I truly can't understand how you, with such a seemingly upright and righteous appearance, can utter such shameless words. Truly, one cannot judge a book by its cover!" He shook his head, looking utterly dejected."Very well, very well, this old matter, I, as a magnanimous person, will not hold it against you. I won't bother arguing with you today." Wang Ben waved his hand, then abruptly changed the topic, his tone becoming serious: "The reason I came here late tonight is actually to ask you about a person. This person is very important to me."Upon hearing this, Meng Tian's brows furrowed slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. He asked curiously, "A person? I wonder who this person is, that could cause the great Young Master Wang to be so concerned?""Qin Yi!" Wang Ben uttered these two words, his tone firm and forceful, each word resounding with weight, as if he wanted to engrave them deeply into Meng Tian's mind."Qin Yi?" Upon hearing this name, Meng Tian's expression subtly changed, and he fell into a brief silence.Wang Ben didn't notice the change in Meng Tian's expression. He continued to explain, "Today, in the court, my father had some unpleasantness with Lü Buwei because of this person, even arguing with him in court. That's why I came late tonight, wanting to learn about this person's background from you, to see just what kind of person he is that could cause my father to value him so much."Hearing Wang Ben's words, Meng Tian's expression became even more solemn, and he once again fell into silence.Meng Tian had naturally heard about what had happened in the Xianyang court today. After all, such a major court event would soon spread throughout the entire city. But unlike Wang Ben, who was carefree and easygoing, Meng Tian was thoughtful and considered matters more comprehensively and deeply.Through various inquiries and investigations, he had vaguely discerned the true intentions of Lü Buwei and a group of high-ranking military officials, and had seen the hidden undercurrents beneath this game.It was precisely because he understood so much that he was unwilling to delve deeper into it, because he felt deep admiration and respect for the general who had dared to charge into an army of tens of thousands of Xiongnu soldiers with only a single horse. Deep down, he did not wish for this heroic figure to become a mere pawn in Lü Buwei's hands, to be swallowed by the vortex of power.After a long while, Meng Tian finally spoke slowly, his voice low and deliberate, as if each word had been carefully considered: "This person, Qin Yi, I have heard a little about. Speaking of him, he can be considered a rather legendary figure.""This person was originally just a small chiliarch (千夫长, a military officer in charge of one thousand men) stationed at Fancheng, a border town of Qin. He was an unknown and unremarkable figure," Meng Tian began to slowly recount the story of Qin Yi, his voice low and magnetic, sounding particularly clear in the quiet night. "Some time ago, the defending general of Fancheng, Liu Yong, fell into a classic Xiongnu diversionary tactic. He underestimated the enemy and rashly led nine-tenths of Fancheng's forces to pursue the Xiongnu army, attempting to wipe them out in one fell swoop.""But who knew that this was actually a huge trap and conspiracy set by the Xiongnu," Meng Tian's voice became lower and more grave, as if recounting a shocking secret. "After successfully holding up Liu Yong's troops, the Xiongnu secretly dispatched tens of thousands of soldiers, bypassing the main force and directly attacking the undefended Fancheng, attempting to seize this important border town in one fell swoop.""Just at this critical moment, this life-and-death juncture, the acting commander of Xianyang temporarily appointed a general to reinforce Fancheng, and this person was none other than Qin Yi," Meng Tian's voice contained a hint of admiration and praise. "Qin Yi, facing imminent danger, defied all opposition and, bearing immense pressure, resolutely led the few hundred soldiers remaining in the city, bravely choosing to face the enemy and engaging in a desperate battle with the tens of thousands of Xiongnu troops.""So, what do you think happened?" At this point, Meng Tian suddenly stopped, raised his head, and looked intently at Wang Ben opposite him, a mysterious smile playing on his lips, deliberately creating suspense.Wang Ben was listening with rapt attention, his heartstrings taut. Just as he reached the most crucial moment, he was suddenly interrupted by Meng Tian's question. He immediately replied with some impatience: "What else could have happened? Several hundred men against tens of thousands, that's a difference in strength of more than ten times! Isn't that simply throwing an egg against a rock, courting death? Could there possibly be any other outcome?"Hearing these words, Meng Tian couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter. His cheerful laughter echoed through the quiet night sky, breaking the surrounding stillness. "Hahaha, Wang Ben, you are truly, truly mistaken this time!" He shook his head with a smile, then said with a tone full of admiration and longing: "Not only did Qin Yi not die in battle, but he also led these several hundred Qin soldiers, unleashing an astonishing fighting power, and forcefully routed the tens of thousands of Xiongnu troops, sending them fleeing in disarray, creating a miracle of defeating a much larger force with a smaller one!""Ah?!" Upon hearing this, Wang Ben's face was instantly filled with shock and disbelief. His mouth agape, almost wide enough to fit an egg, he stammered, "This…this…how is this possible? That's a difference in strength of more than ten times! How…how did he manage to do it?"Meng Tian chuckled softly, a look of longing and admiration on his face. He slowly said, "What's so impossible about it? Throughout history, countless renowned generals have emerged. Take my Great Qin's former Marquis Wu'an, Bai Qi, for example. He was a peerless hero capable of taking on ten thousand men!" Meng Tian's tone was filled with admiration and yearning, his eyes becoming particularly bright, as if he could see himself clad in armor, galloping across the battlefield. "Alas, I truly hope that one day, I can be like them, charging across the battlefields, establishing meritorious service, and building an unparalleled legacy!"Beside him, listening to Meng Tian's sigh filled with heroic ambition, Wang Ben's eyes darted back and forth, a sly smile appearing on his face, as if he was hatching some mischievous plan.After Meng Tian snapped out of his reverie, Wang Ben lowered his voice and asked in a tentative tone, "Meng Tian, from what you're saying, do you also want to join the army and gain experience on the border battlefields?""Alas!" Meng Tian let out another long sigh, filled with helplessness and regret. "What's the use of wanting it? You know that my father has long planned to send me to the palace to become a guard for the King of Qin. He would never allow me to risk my life on the border battlefields."Hearing this, Wang Ben's eyes became even brighter, and the sly smile on his face deepened. He suddenly clapped Meng Tian on the shoulder, letting out a hearty laugh: "Hahaha, Meng Tian, I'm in the same situation! Since we both have such great ambitions, yet are constrained by our fathers' control, why don't the two of us secretly sneak out and join the army, going to the border battlefields to make a name for ourselves? What do you say?""When the time comes, we'll be like that Qin Yi, relying on our own abilities to establish great merit, and also rectify the names of us sons of meritorious officials, letting the world see that we are not just relying on the achievements of our fathers!" As soon as Wang Ben said these words, Meng Tian was immediately stunned. He had never imagined that Wang Ben would propose such a bold idea.Meng Tian's personality was calm and reserved. He had always been disciplined, adhering to etiquette, and naturally wouldn't easily do things that went against his father's orders. However, when he heard Wang Ben's words "charge across the battlefields and establish meritorious service," the flame that had been dormant deep within his heart seemed to reignite, making him feel his blood boil and his heart surge.He began to hesitate, a fierce struggle and weighing of options taking place within his heart.At this moment, Wang Ben continued to persuade him from the side. He saw Meng Tian's wavering and pressed on while the iron was hot, continuing, "Meng Tian, don't hesitate! A true man born in troubled times should wield a three-foot sword and establish immortal merit! This time, we'll go to that Fancheng. I want to see with my own eyes just what kind of divine being that Qin Yi is, to be so valiant and skilled in battle, using a few hundred soldiers to defeat tens of thousands of Xiongnu troops. It's simply unbelievable!""Even if our families send people to look for us later and discover our tracks, by then we will already be serving in the army, holding military positions, and naturally won't be able to leave at will. I imagine they won't be able to do anything to us then, at most giving us a scolding!" Wang Ben continued to entice him, his eloquence flowing like a river, vividly depicting the blood and passion of the border battlefields."But…this…" Meng Tian's heart was completely swayed. He felt as if a flame was burning fiercely deep within him, scorching his soul, making him unable to calm down any longer. He yearned to be like Qin Yi, establishing meritorious service on the battlefield and making a name for himself in history, rather than being trapped in Xianyang, living a mundane life.Seeing this, Wang Ben's eyes became even brighter. He knew that he had successfully persuaded Meng Tian, so he continued to embellish and describe the beautiful prospects of galloping across the battlefields and establishing meritorious service, portraying the border battlefields as a paradise full of opportunities and challenges.Finally, under Wang Ben's relentless persuasion and vivid descriptions, Meng Tian's inner defenses completely collapsed. He nodded heavily, indicating his agreement to Wang Ben's proposal.The two immediately made a pact to pack their bags and make all preparations the next day, then secretly leave Xianyang together and head towards Fancheng on the border.The reason why Meng Tian finally agreed to Wang Ben's proposal, besides his deep-seated dream of establishing meritorious service, was another, even more important reason: he wanted to get a close look at the almost mythically portrayed Qin Yi, to see with his own eyes what kind of person this Qin Yi was, the one who had defeated a much larger force with a smaller one and created a miracle!......At this very moment, Qin Yi, far away in the border town of Fancheng, had no idea that he, this small border general of Qin, had already stirred up a small storm in the distant city of Xianyang, and had unknowingly entered the sights of various influential forces, becoming the focus of their attention and discussions.Fancheng, Qin Yi's residence.Nearly half a month had passed since that thrilling and decisive battle.The imperial decree from Xianyang had also arrived in Fancheng and was placed on Qin Yi's desk.Regarding the matter of the imperial decree officially appointing him as the commander of Fancheng, Qin Yi had actually anticipated it. After all, he had made such great contributions, and promotion was a matter of course. However, besides appointing him as commander, the imperial decree also specifically mentioned that he was to train a new army and establish a new army designation. This made him somewhat confused, and for a moment he couldn't guess the imperial court's intentions.Not daring to be negligent, he immediately ordered his men to summon Xuanjian and Zhang Han, wanting to discuss this matter with them.Upon receiving Qin Yi's order, Xuanjian and Zhang Han also dared not delay in the slightest. They hurriedly put down what they were doing and arrived at Qin Yi's residence as quickly as possible.At this moment, Xuanjian was in the army selecting suitable elite candidates for Qin Yi, secretly establishing the initial foundation of the Shadow Secret Guard. After all, relying solely on the twenty highly trained elite assassins under his command to support a large and complex intelligence and assassination organization was clearly unrealistic. More fresh blood was needed to replenish and cultivate the ranks.As for Zhang Han, he was diligently cultivating the mysterious cultivation technique that Qin Yi had imparted to him—the Xuan Jue. Zhang Han was exceptionally intelligent and diligent, and with the assistance of the Qi cultivation pills provided by Qin Yi, his strength was increasing at an extremely rapid pace. Now, his strength was already not to be underestimated, and he had even surpassed many veteran soldiers in the army.