Chapter 4: Chapter 3: Arriving Five and a Half Years Late

It was Qin Yang's first time being alone with a beautiful stranger. Although Qing Yao was already his sister in name, a strange sensation involuntarily flashed through his heart. Qing Yao, for her part, felt even more so. Once Zhao Yun left, the two were overcome with awkwardness. Neither spoke first, and it was impossible to tell how much time had passed.

"Brother..." "Little sister..." As if sharing a telepathic connection, they both spoke at the same time. They immediately looked at each other and smiled, and the tense atmosphere finally subsided considerably.

Gradually, the two began to chat more harmoniously, though most of the time it was Qing Yao doing the talking. Although Qin Yang was extremely familiar with the history and culture of the Qin Empire, the local customs and traditions of that era were not something one could learn through archaeology alone. Having no other choice, Qin Yang patiently acted as a listener, only interjecting to ask questions when the conversation touched upon matters related to his mission. Qing Yao harbored no suspicion; she was naturally silver-tongued, and her voice was crisp and pleasant. Amidst her melodic laughter, she answered every question. Qin Yang felt as if he were bathed in a spring breeze; his reserve vanished, and he began to laugh and talk with Qing Yao.

After about an hour, Qin Yang finally gained a general understanding of the current situation: today was the 15th day of the seventh month in the 37th year of the First Emperor (210 BC). This meant he was a full five and a half years late from his intended teleportation point. Furthermore, there were only seven days left until the First Emperor's death at Sandu Palace (Note). The situation was urgent.

Qin Yang remembered that the mission assigned to him by Chief of General Staff Yu was as follows: the mission spanned 10 years, from 215 BC to 5 BC, divided into four stages.

Stage One: Find a way to approach the First Emperor and gain his trust; persuade him to reduce punishments and taxes and halt massive construction projects to allow the people's livelihoods to recover; assist Fusu in investigating the exiled nobles of the Six States who were swallowing up the lands of the "Qianshou" (the Qin commoners) to suppress the source of chaos.

Stage Two: Find a way to topple Li Si and eliminate Zhao Gao before the First Emperor's death, preventing the disastrous policies of the Qin "Second Generation" from destabilizing the nation.

Stage Three: Assist Fusu in ascending the throne and suppress any potential restoration rebellions by the nobles of the Six States.

Stage Four: Dispatch troops to the Eastern Islands (Japan); those who follow me shall prosper, and those who oppose me shall perish; completely incorporate the Eastern Islands into the territory of the Qin Empire.

The mission plan was designed such that each link was interconnected, with the previous step serving as the foundation for the next. For Qin Yang, returning to the Qin Empire without any external assistance, the completion of each stage would be an extreme challenge.

The difficulty of completing such a "once-in-a-lifetime" mission single-handedly was self-evident. But Qin Yang was precisely that kind of person; the greater the difficulty, the more challenging it became for him, and the more it allowed him to maintain a clear mind and high fighting spirit. This was also one of the reasons why the high-level leadership of Huaxia had chosen him to execute this plan.

But now, a one-in-ten-thousand chance energy fusion event had actually happened to him. It had caused him to arrive 5.5 years late, and the current situation had already deteriorated extremely, forcing Qin Yang to re-examine his plan.

Given that the Stage One mission could no longer be completed, what Qin Yang needed to think through carefully were the subsequent plans.

In the Stage Two mission, toppling Li Si was already impossible, but there was still a glimmer of hope in eliminating Zhao Gao. No matter how small that hope was, Qin Yang did not want to give up; this was not only his responsibility but also his "instinct."

As for the final two stages, Qin Yang decided to adjust them gradually based on the changing situation. This was a matter of necessity.

"It seems I must act quickly. I need to go and witness the methods of this Zhao Gao, who is famous in history for being 'cruel and bloodthirsty.'"

At this thought, a sharp light flashed in Qin Yang's eyes, and a thick sense of battle intent suddenly filled his heart.

"It would be best if I could still see the First Emperor once. After all, my surname is also Qin, and my ancestral home is Xianyang. It's possible that this First Emperor might even be a direct ancestor of mine."

Qin Yang's longing was filled with speculation.

Seeing that Qin Yang seemed lost in thought and had not spoken for a long time, Qing Yao's eyes filled with confusion: "Brother, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?" Her concern was obvious.

Qin Yang was suddenly jolted from his deep thoughts. "Oh, no. I was just mesmerized by how pleasant your voice is, little sister, hehe..." To hide his embarrassment, Qin Yang teased Qing Yao.

After blurting out those words, even Qin Yang startled himself. He had met many beauties in the past, but he had never shown anyone such warmth.

"What is wrong with me today?" Qin Yang's face flushed.

On the other side, Qing Yao wouldn't let it go. "Brother is bad, Brother is bullying me." Her watery eyes looked as if they were about to shed tears.

Qin Yang panicked. "No, no! It's true, little sister, your voice really is beautiful. It's... it's even better than a golden oriole singing." Qin Yang's attempt to explain only made matters worse.

However, this time, Qing Yao actually seemed to believe him. "Brother, really? If you like it, I'll talk to you every day from now on." Perhaps realizing her words were a bit clumsy, Qing Yao quickly lowered her head after speaking. Her fair little hands fidgeted with the ends of her hair, and her eyes occasionally glanced toward Qin Yang, her beautiful face flushing with a rosy hue.

Witnessing this scene, Qin Yang froze. A soft sensation, like silk lightly brushing against fingertips, instantly swept through his entire body. At this moment, Qin Yang made a decision: no matter what, he would never allow his "current" "family" to be harmed.

In the modern era, Qin Yang joined the army at sixteen and entered the special forces the same year. At eighteen, he began executing various special operations, and within seven years, he was promoted to become the Republic's youngest Special Forces Colonel. He seemed born for war. He had no home and no brothers. Ever since his best comrade-in-arms had died, he had kept his heart tightly wrapped up. Thus, in the eyes of others, he was always cold and indifferent; no one knew that his heart actually craved warmth. There was only one exception: the one-armed Chief of General Staff Yu, who had truly moved his emotions. A sense of kinship had deeply imprinted their two lonely hearts together. This was perhaps why Qin Yang felt an instinctive urge to be close to Zhao Yun upon seeing his empty left sleeve, much like Yu Chengwu's.

Qin Yang never imagined that on his very first day of traveling through more than 2,000 years of time to the Qin Empire, he would suddenly experience a feeling called "home" and an indescribable feeling that he wasn't sure if it should be called "love."

This made Qin Yang somewhat afraid—afraid that emotional ties would lead to undue mistakes and affect the completion of the mission. Because he carried the fate and hope of the entire Huaxia nation, he had no right, and certainly no time, to possess such things.

But what Qin Yang did not know was that the softest part of his heart had been touched, and how difficult it would be to let go!

"Brother, you've been lying in bed for many days. How about I help you go out for a walk to get some fresh air?"

Qing Yao was intelligent and sensitive; seeing Qin Yang's dazed expression, her face flushed even more deeply. She hurriedly changed the awkward topic.

"Haha, alright. But your big brother doesn't need your help. I'm as sturdy as an ox."

Having regained his senses, Qin Yang hurriedly declined Qing Yao's kindness. He climbed out of bed in a few movements and stood on the floor; although his feet felt a bit unsteady, it was of no great concern.

Walking toward the bed, Qing Yao saw that Qin Yang had already gotten up. For a moment, she was at a loss for what to do, but in her heart, there was a faint sense of loss.

The scene that had just improved became awkward once again.

Just then, a familiar voice drifted in from outside the door.

"I'm back!..."

That night, in this dilapidated house, Qin Yang had his first reunion meal with his "family" in his entire life. Even though it was simple food, it was better than any delicacies. After a few cups of Old Zhao's wine, combined with his physical weakness from not eating for days, Qin Yang—who never drank—got drunk. He got incredibly drunk.

"Chief of General Staff... Doctor... Support the Empire... First Emperor... Li Si... Zhao Gao... Kill..." After getting drunk, Qin Yang kept muttering something.

"Sigh, this child, what nonsense is he talking about? This... this could lead to execution..." Old Zhao Yun was completely bewildered and terrified. He knew that this grandson who had fallen from the sky was by no means simple; there might be too many secrets hidden within him!

***

*PS Note: Regarding the time of the First Emperor's death, there has been debate in later generations. The "Chronicle of the Five Elements of the Great Flood" says it was the Yi Chou day of the sixth month, i.e., the 20th day of the sixth month; the "Records of the Grand Historian" records it as the Bing Yin day of the seventh month, i.e., the 22nd day of the seventh month. This text follows the "Records of the Grand Historian."*

*Additionally, given that classical Chinese is obscure and difficult to understand, and given the author's limited proficiency, the author has decided to use more colloquial narration from now on. However, classical Chinese may still appear in certain places. This is a notice to all readers.*