Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Ying Zheng suppressed the fleeting glint of darkness in his eyes, deciding to settle the public matter first and then keep it hidden until he returned to the palace…

"As you see it, the establishment of the Craftsmen's Office is indeed necessary. Recruiting skilled craftsmen to specialize in craftsmanship will benefit the country. I hereby grant your approval."

Ying Zheng's voice returned to its usual calm and steady tone, affirming Zhou Wenqing's core idea. But then, he paused, his gaze slowly shifting to Gongshu Yu, who was slumped on the ground.

"However, the Craftsmen's Workshop you mentioned, with its preferential treatment and confinement for research... is definitely not a place for your Gongshu clan."

"At the northern foot of Mount Li, on the south bank of the Wei River, there is a barren beach of scattered rocks. From this day forward, that place will be renamed 'Mountain of Sin'."

"The Gongshu clan." His voice suddenly turned cold. "Take away their surname and strip them of their place of origin. They are no longer 'Gongshu.' From this day forward, all members of the clan, those who are related by blood and the core disciples who have passed on their skills, will be moved to the Sin Mountain for confinement. I will spare your lives and let you live for at least ten years, so as not to disappoint Minister Zhou's wishes."

Ying Zheng's gaze was cold and hard as he swept over the grandfather and grandson.

"From this day forward, you will quarry stone, fell trees, transport earth, and make tools among those rocky beaches and barren hills. Aren't you skilled in machinery and adept at construction? I will have you start with basic labor, serve me well, and make amends for your past mistakes."

Instead of a comfortable research and development environment, or focused skill refinement, they were stripped of their surnames, banished to desolate mountains, and forced to perform the lowest level of hard labor! From being a respected "family of skilled craftsmen" who might even be treated with courtesy by the king, they were directly thrown into the dust and reduced to "laborers"!

"Your Majesty is wise." Wang Jian, Li Si, Wei Liao, and the others bowed in unison without any hesitation and replied in steady voices.

Gongshu Yu collapsed to the ground, seemingly without even the strength to tremble.

The Gongshu family's century-old reputation and craftsmanship will be completely ruined in his hands!

Zhou Wenqing frowned deeply, lost in thought.

Seeing this, Li Si stepped closer and lowered his voice: "Zicheng, the King's handling of this matter is already an act of leniency beyond the law, far too lenient. You must not try to persuade him further!"

"I understand." Zhou Wenqing turned his head, but did not deliberately lower his voice. "I just want to say that the Gongshu clan should not disappear from the world so quietly, but there is no need to make a big fuss about it either. We can't let the king bear the name of 'bitter and ungrateful' for their crimes."

He turned to Ying Zheng, cupped his hands in greeting, and said loudly:

"Your Majesty, I request that you discreetly have a minor official in the marketplace casually leak the news that the master craftsman Gongshu Yu, due to his negligence in disciplining his granddaughter, allowed her to sneak into the residence of an important minister, thus violating a serious provision of Qin law. He should be severely punished according to the law, and his relatives should also be implicated."

"However, Your Majesty remembers that he once made weapons for Qin and did some minor work. He also cherishes his craftsmanship and it would be a pity to kill him. Therefore, Your Majesty has granted him special mercy and spared his life. Instead, he has ordered his entire clan to be exiled to the Mountain of Sin to quarry stone and serve as atonement for their sins. They shall never be allowed to leave the mountain, so that we may observe their future conduct."

"In that case," a glint of light flashed in Zhou Wenqing's eyes, "it can both publicize their crimes to serve as a warning to others, so that the world knows that Qin law is strict and cannot be violated lightly, and it can also show that the king cherishes talent and is benevolent, punishing them according to their crimes, and also showing leniency, so that the world's craftsmen know that although Qin law is as iron, it is not punishing without teaching, and although the king is majestic, he also has the capacity to tolerate people."

"Moreover, if this news were to leak out quietly through such 'side channels,' the spies of the six kingdoms of Kanto would likely assume that the Gongshu clan had lost the emperor's favor, been convicted and demoted, and reduced to hard labor, and would no longer pay attention to them. On the contrary... it would be beneficial for them to hide in the Mountain of Sin, conceal their identities, and peacefully atone for their sins, so as to do some truly important things."

Making the best use of resources and having far-reaching plans—these are the things that Minister Zhou is best suited to do. Ying Zheng nodded slightly.

"allow."

It was just one word, yet it was like a stone falling to the ground, determining the rise and fall of a clan for a century and the future fate of dozens of people.

Gongshu Yu struggled, using his last strength, and kowtowed heavily once more with his granddaughter: "This humble subject... thanks Your Majesty for sparing my life... thanks Mr. Zhou... for pleading for my life..."

Their voices were hoarse and broken, tears mingling with the dust and blood on their foreheads, making them look utterly disheveled.

After Gongshu Li kowtowed three times with his grandfather, he struggled to support his grandfather, who was about to collapse.

"Grandpa... is the Gongshu family... gone?"

"Our Gongshu family name... has been passed down for hundreds of years, the skills and reputation passed down from our ancestor..." Her voice grew softer and softer, but more and more bewildered. "Is it because... because A-Li was playful and caused trouble, implicating everyone, that... that everyone's life ended today?"

"Stop talking—!"

Gongshu Yu suddenly raised his hand and tightly covered his granddaughter's mouth.

"Sigh." Zhou Wenqing sighed upon seeing this. Looking at the girl who did not yet truly understand the root of the trouble, his heart was filled with complex emotions.

"Spoiling a child is like killing him. Old sir, remember this."

This girl had no intention of harming anyone, yet she committed a harmful act, causing the entire clan to fall into such a state, leading to the collapse of the clan's century-old foundation, and causing all her relatives to be imprisoned for crimes.

In a sense, he's just another weakened version of Hu Hai!

"Should we keep a closer eye on Hu Hai from now on?" Zhou Wenqing pondered, stroking his chin.

"Brother Zicheng, there's no need to worry." Li Si patted his shoulder. "The world is not only home to the Gongshu family, but also skilled craftsmen. From now on, if you have any ingenious ideas to offer, and given that the establishment of the 'Craftsmen's Office' is meant to promote artisans, and with the King's reputation for 'extortion beyond the law' spreading far and wide, how can we worry that skilled craftsmen from all over the world won't come to us? How can the Craftsmen's Office fail to succeed?"

"I didn't mean to... never mind." Zhou Wenqing took a deep breath: "That makes sense."

"Alright, alright, Zhou boy, how about we have a drink?" Wang Jian patted the wine jar. "If you ask me, it's all you people who are too preoccupied, always thinking about this and that. This girl almost ruined your life and future, why do you care about her?"

"In my opinion, that young man is right! There are plenty of craftsmen in the world. The Gongshu family brought this upon themselves, confining themselves to that Sin Mountain and slowly wasting their lives! If you ask me, a family that is so ignorant and lacks discipline is better off extinct!"

"Not entirely." Wei Liao spoke slowly, his gaze sweeping over Gongshu Li's already pale face. "If, in ten years, one can truly hone a great achievement amidst the pebbles, then for every person sent away, one will survive."

"The day one changes their name and surname is the day their sins are redeemed. Even if only one survives, their bloodline will not be extinguished."

Merit... atonement... the bloodline will never end...

In the girl's desperate and bewildered eyes, a different kind of color seemed to suddenly settle in.

------

Dusk was falling inside Zhangtai Palace.

Ying Zheng looked at the bamboo slips presented by Zhao Gao.

"Smack."

He casually tossed the bamboo slips onto the heavy ebony table, making a soft sound.

The candlelight flickered, casting half of his face into shadow, his expression inscrutable.

"Since you don't know how to teach, then don't blame me... I'll send someone else to teach you."

"Zhao Gao."

"Your subject is here," Zhao Gao quickly bowed in response.

"We can't leave Sin Mountain unattended."

"The weight of this task must be carefully measured. We cannot make them feel relaxed. They must always remember that they are guilty and understand what punishment is. But we don't need to exhaust them. I will keep their bodies and skills. In the future, they will still be of some use."

Ying Zheng glanced at it, and Zhao Gao said casually.

"Find reliable people to go there, hold her captive, and make her open her eyes wide and look carefully at her grandfather and how her beloved uncles and senior brothers are being implicated because of her. This must not be stopped for a moment."

The candlelight flickered in his deep eyes, casting a dim light.

"If that little girl can't bear to watch anymore, she can cry and beg, whatever." Ying Zheng's lips curved into an almost imperceptible, yet utterly cold, smile.

"Let her go, let her take the place of her grandfather, or any of her relatives, to do those jobs. Isn't she clever? Isn't she exceptionally talented?"

"I want to see how long her talent can last."

"promise."

Having resolved this troublesome matter, Ying Zheng's eyes softened slightly, and he asked:

"How is things going with Minister Zhou?"

"Your Majesty, Zhou, the Imperial Secretary, is temporarily staying at the residence of Li, the Chief Secretary. The craftsmen who are repairing the residence are working day and night. With a large number of workers and their skilled techniques, they are moving very quickly. In less than five days, the residence will be fully repaired."

"Hmm." Ying Zheng nodded slightly. "This time, we must proceed with utmost care and avoid any further mishaps."

Half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

It's early winter now. Yesterday there might have been a few rays of warmth from the setting sun, but after a night of north wind, only a bone-chilling cold remains.

Zhou Wenqing got out of bed, rubbed his temples, and his face was slightly pale.

Knowing that he was sensitive to the cold, King Ying Zheng of Qin had already issued a special decree allowing him to skip the daily court sessions before dawn, unlike other officials who had to brave the wind and snow and travel under the stars. Such consideration was an extremely rare honor and act of leniency.

However, today, before dawn, Zhou Wenqing got up, washed carefully, changed into formal court attire, and then tightened his heavy fox fur coat.

Pushing open the door, a blast of damp, cold air hit him, making him shiver slightly. The sky was still dark blue, and a fine winter rain was falling silently, not in torrential downpours, but persistent and bone-chilling.

Li Yi, holding an umbrella, waited under the eaves, his brow slightly furrowed: "Sir, the rain is cold and the wind is strong, the road is slippery and difficult to walk on. Since His Majesty has bestowed this decree, perhaps we should reschedule for another day..."

"We have to go today." Zhou Wenqing interrupted him, glancing up at the gloomy sky. "Get the car ready."

Li Yi stopped trying to persuade him and turned around to steadily present an object that was wrapped tightly in a whole piece of leather and bound with brocade ribbons.

That is why Zhou Wenqing absolutely had to go today.

Paper—was invented.

Rain lashed the car roof, and the wind howled.

It wasn't a good day, but it was the day he appeared at Zhangtai Palace.

Success or failure hinges on this day.