Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Everything belongs to a parallel universe; please forgive any inaccuracies.

This is where the brain is stored; time to collect your brain!

Finally, I wish all readers a relaxing and enjoyable time, a good laugh, and abundant wealth!

--text--

"Ugh, so tired. Now that no one's stopping me, I can finally die, right?"

Between the cliffs, the icy river flows wildly, and a young man crouches on a protruding boulder.

The young man was dressed in a plain white robe, the cuffs of which were torn by the wind, making a tearing sound. His wide sleeves billowed like a dying bluebird, and a warm jade pendant hung at his waist. He clearly looked like a scholar, yet he exuded a sense of weariness and world-weariness.

He rested his hand on his forehead, his dark hair falling loosely and fluttering in the wind, revealing half of his pale neck. He stared at a vague focal point deep within the vortex, tears welling up in his eyes, as if he had been crouching there for a long time. His expression was worried and solemn, as if he were contemplating some difficult decision. He sighed softly and muttered to himself...

"This place is downstream, and beyond that is a wasteland. If someone jumps off a cliff here and drifts far away, they shouldn't frighten any women washing clothes, right?"

Yes, the big question this young man was pondering was whether he could die in this posture without causing trouble for others.

Of course, all of this was not because the young man had some kind of mental illness and wanted to die, but because—he was a time traveler.

Zhou Wenqing, a history graduate student who had just survived his thesis defense and received his supervisor's permission to graduate, had no time to enjoy the freedom of breaking free from his constraints when he lost his footing on an ordinary earthen slope during a mountain adventure.

Before the weightlessness from the fall had subsided, a bone-chilling cold had already invaded his senses. It was caused by excessive blood loss, a coldness that erupted from his very bones. Zhou Wenqing barely managed to muster a little strength to raise his arm, and what he saw was a blinding patch of bright red. Then, he fainted again.

It seems my life is truly over here...

When he opened his eyes again and tried to sit up, he felt a sharp pain in his chest, which made him gasp. His throat was so dry and painful that it felt like it was on fire, and he could only make hoarse, breathy sounds when he opened his mouth.

My vision was blurry for a while, so I blinked hard to refocus my eyes and saw a gourd not far away with water rippling inside.

Without a second thought, his throat was practically burning. He struggled to sit up, picked up the ladle, and gulped it down in one go.

His body was too weak, and he was burning with thirst. Even such a simple action made his vision go black and he was covered in cold sweat.

He put the gourd aside and slowly caught his breath for a while before he had the energy to look around.

This was clearly a humble dwelling with a thatched roof. Water droplets hung from the leaks in the roof, falling one by one into the earthenware basin in the corner to catch the rain, making a clear sound in the silence.

Apart from the straw mat beneath him and the heavy, tattered quilt, the room was empty, devoid of any other valuables.

It was still a bit cold, a cold that seemed to seep into one's bones. Zhou Wenqing pulled the blanket up a little, then winced in pain.

"Ouch~ Where...where did I end up?"

Only then did he realize that his chest was wrapped in several layers of cloth, and a faint smell of medicine mixed with the smell of blood could be smelled.

"Did someone bandage me? Yes..."

As soon as Zhou Wenqing's fingers touched the cloth bag, he felt a sharp pain in his brain. He had to press his forehead tightly with both hands and grit his teeth. Just when he felt like he was about to faint from the pain, an unfamiliar memory flooded into his mind.

In times of war and chaos, people were displaced and suffered greatly.

At this time, the Qin state was powerful and wealthy, and it also harbored ambitions to annex the other six states.

The state of Han was the weakest and bordered Qin. It was attacked and forced to cede territory and pay reparations. The King of Han was filled with anxiety, fearing that one day he would open his eyes to find his head on the King of Qin's desk.

Fortunately, Zheng Guo, who was sent to Qin to implement the "Qin exhaustion strategy," successfully gained the trust and support of the King of Qin. At this time, the main canal was basically completed, which could be regarded as delaying the development of Qin.

The King of Han was overjoyed, but seeing that the canal was already more than half completed, he couldn't help but worry again.

Once this canal is completed, will the Qin state then have to spare its energy to attack them again?

This wouldn't do, so King Han made a decision and came up with another plan. He secretly dispatched Zhou Wenqing, who was skilled in so-called "architectural engineering" and was the original owner of this body, to the Qin state to help build palaces and once again implement the "plan to wear down Qin".

Zhou Wenqing, upon closer examination, can be considered to be of noble birth, albeit from a collateral branch.

However, his family had long since declined, his parents had died early, and his family fortune was exhausted. He barely managed to maintain a semblance of success by relying on the meager savings of his ancestors and by spreading his fame and making friends.

With no clan support behind him and no gold or silver in his pocket, he was truly "penniless" and "unburdened"—he could take almost all his possessions with a single stride.

Fortunately, he was lucky. The King of Han heard about him from someone, gave him food and some appreciation, and took him as a retainer. To him, this was a great favor.

Now that the king's decree has been issued, although he was extremely unwilling, he had no choice but to bow and come forward.

Yes, Zhou Wenqing was unwilling, very unwilling.

Not to mention that his expertise in "architectural studies" was a skill of the Mohist school that the Qin state had never valued; he was also well aware that his skills were mostly castles in the air—how could a branch of a declining noble family have any secret teachings?

Those touted talents were nothing more than empty shells built on half conjecture and half hype, utterly insignificant compared to the genuine talent and learning of the people of Zheng.

But how could the King of Qin be easily fooled?

The King of Han probably knew perfectly well that he had sent him here, but he was simply at his wit's end and decided to throw out a piece, hoping for a tiny bit of luck.

But the king's command cannot be disobeyed!

Moreover, he was accompanied by a servant throughout the journey, and it was hard to say whether there were more in secret. It was called protection, but in reality it was surveillance. Once he had the idea of ​​escaping, he would probably be close to death.

Zhou Wenqing didn't want to die in vain, so he could only travel slowly, trying his best to buy time while thinking of a way to escape.

Before the plan could be devised, news of Zheng's failure spread, enraging the King of Qin, who ordered the expulsion of all retainers from the six states.

Well, things have really gone wrong. The plan has already failed before the people even arrived in Xianyang.

Zhou Wenqing was first startled, then secretly delighted. Did this mean he wouldn't have to meet the King of Qin?

He spent the night preparing his speech, and while on his journey, he summoned his "servants" to persuade him to return to Korea.

Before he could finish speaking and subtly hint at his intention to return to Korea, a cold glint appeared in his eyes, and the "servant" drew his sword and thrust it at him!

The original owner was stunned and clutched his chest, blood gushing from between his fingers, cursing incessantly in his heart.

This blockhead! This stubborn fool! If you disagree, just say so, and we can still discuss it, right? Why did you have to stab me to death like that?

A chilling despair gripped him instantly. Since there was no way out, even if he died, he would drag this fool down with him!

He mustered all his remaining strength, drew his sword with a backhand, and thrust it fiercely towards the opponent's heart.

The servant didn't dodge either, perhaps knowing that failure in the mission meant certain death upon returning home. He watched helplessly as the sword pierced his chest, allowing the original owner's sword to pierce him through.

Their eyes met, and then they both fell to the ground, perishing together in this desolate wilderness.

Then, this "Zhou Wenqing" from the 21st century successfully transmigrated into this unlucky guy's body.

After sorting everything out, Zhou Wenqing lay half-reclined on the bed, feeling completely numb.

In a chaotic world, wounded and living in a position akin to a "spy," he remained in the territory of Qin.

What a disastrous start!