Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Three days later, news that shook Xianyang was brought to Zhou Wenqing, who was recuperating in seclusion, by Li Si, who personally visited him with a strange expression.

Li Si didn't go through the main gate, but instead slipped out through the side gate like a thief, letting the Zhou family guards, with their complicated expressions, announce his arrival and lead him in.

As soon as he entered the inner room, without saying a word, he downed two cups of warm tea, then wiped his mouth and mysteriously approached Zhou Wenqing's bedside, lowering his voice to a whisper:

"Brother Zicheng, you've been keeping yourself indoors and refusing to see anyone; you're probably unaware of the great commotion that's happened in Xianyang!"

He paused here, deliberately keeping everyone in suspense, a smug look on his face saying, "Ask me now!", his eyes fixed intently on Zhou Wenqing.

Without giving any prior notice, they sneaked in like thieves, just for this?

Zhou Wenqing was both amused and exasperated. Had Brother Gu'an been working himself to the bone lately? When did he become so childish?

Seeing Li Si's expectant gaze, he had no choice but to put down the few sheets of paper he was fiddling with and feign curiosity: "Oh? What big event has happened? That would make Brother Gu'an come all this way?"

Seeing this, Li Si's eyes gleamed even brighter, and he moved forward even further:

"Prince Dan of Yan... is dead!"

"Dead!"

Zhou Wenqing was shocked, not because he was dead, but because... it happened so fast!

That Zhao Gao fellow, he's too quick in his movements!

Looking at the undisguised astonishment on his face, Li Si finally felt a long-lost, indescribable sense of satisfaction.

Alright! It's always been you, Brother Zicheng, who scare me, Li, with just a few words. This time, it's finally my turn to scare you!

He smacked his lips in satisfaction, then sat up straight, cleared his throat, and began to recount the news in detail.

It turns out that Prince Dan of Yan and his personal charioteer attempted to steal some of the key defense maps of the Qin border cities in the middle of the night last night, and disguised themselves to sneak out of Xianyang!

However, one of his advisors felt that the plan was extremely dangerous and reckless, and that it would not only endanger himself but also bring disaster to the Yan state. After repeated and unsuccessful remonstrances, he finally secretly reported the plot before the plan was stolen and the man fled.

Therefore, their movements had already been exposed, and they were intercepted by the armored soldiers who had been waiting at the city gate.

When Prince Dan saw that his plan had failed, he resisted arrest in full view of everyone and attempted to force his way through the pass. In the chaos, he was shot in the throat by an arrow from a city guard and died on the spot! His charioteer was also killed in the fight.

"The news spread like wildfire, and now the whole city is in turmoil, with undercurrents surging." Li Si picked up the warm water on the table, took a sip, and his eyes flickered slightly.

"It goes without saying that the court was filled with indignation, but in private—some people lamented that Crown Prince Dan was out of touch with reality, rash and impetuous, and would ultimately bring about his own destruction; others beat their chests and stamped their feet, cursing the strategist who betrayed his master and ruined the 'great thing'; still others simply regarded it as a ridiculous piece of gossip, and after hearing it, they laughed it off and moved on."

He paused, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice: "I do think this person is reckless and short-sighted, with ambitions that reach the heavens, but unfortunately, his wisdom is utterly foolish. Brother Zicheng, what... do you think?"

What do you think?

Zhou Wenqing sneered inwardly.

He thought that Zhao Gao was indeed treacherous!

What does it mean to frame someone? What does it mean to lure someone into a trap? This is textbook-level maneuvering!

Compared to that, my previous petty tricks were practically mild and courteous.

Zhou Wenqing was willing to bet on Zhao Gao's head—even though that head would fall off sooner or later, he would still bet on it for the time being.

Regardless of whether Prince Dan was intentionally "guided" into stealing the map, he dared to bet that even if Prince Dan was truly bewitched and decided to take the risk, he was destined not to steal a single genuine item!

The seemingly smooth process of stealing the picture, the strategist who hurriedly betrayed the plot to make amends afterward, the armored soldiers who "coincidentally" saw through the disguise at the city gate and waited for the enemy to come to them, and the "stray arrow" that hit the throat without any deviation in the chaos... every link is so ingenious that it makes one's spine go cold, and the links are interlocked, which can be described as seamless!

Not only were the crimes of Prince Dan caught red-handed, leaving no room for leniency, but even more ingeniously, the moral stigma of "betrayal" and "seeking one's own death" was precisely pinned on him and even on the state of Yan.

This move completely blocked any avenues for the Yan state to appeal or retaliate.

The crown prince's theft of foreign secrets, attempt to flee, and refusal to be arrested and subsequent execution are all baseless accusations.

At this moment, facing the immense pressure of Qin potentially using this matter to launch a military attack, King Xi of Yan, far away in Ji City, is probably furious and wishes he could drag this troublesome rebellious son out of his grave and kill him again!

However, as angry as he was, he probably had no choice but to swallow his anger and accept it, apologizing for failing to properly educate and discipline his son, while also having to select another young master to send to Xianyang as a hostage.

In addition, a generous apology gift should probably be prepared to show sincerity.

This stemmed not only from a deep fear of the mighty Qin, but also from a desire to give an explanation to the "hostage rule" that prevailed during the Warring States period.

No wonder……

Zhou Wenqing suddenly realized something, and a chill ran through him.

No wonder that even though the king knew the true nature of Zhao Gao, that "vicious dog," and saw through the malice and disloyalty beneath his fangs, and even knew all about his dark thoughts in private, he did not immediately turn on him and grind him to dust.

It's simply because this "knife" is so... handy to use!

It is precise, covert, and efficient, able to penetrate into the shadows and carry out the intentions that monarchs cannot openly express, perfectly hiding them behind layers of veils without leaving a trace.

Look at Prince Dan; what he ultimately presented to the world was a clean ending of "getting what he deserved," saving countless court disputes and diplomatic maneuvering troubles.

Alarm bells rang in Zhou Wenqing's mind. He secretly reminded himself that he absolutely could not be careless or underestimate Zhao Gao, this venomous snake lurking in the shadows.

Just as he was in a daze, a hand waved forcefully in front of his eyes.

"Brother Zicheng, Brother Zicheng? Wake up!" Li Si's surprised voice was almost close to his ear. "I'm asking you a question. What are you thinking about so intently?"

"What are you thinking about?" Zhou Wenqing snapped out of her reverie, rolled her eyes at him irritably, and pushed his face away.

"When are you finally leaving?! I need to rest as a patient, but you've been loitering in my house for half the day, eating and drinking for free, and even stole my newly made tea!"

"Ahem!" Li Si subconsciously touched his nose, feeling a little guilty after being told that, but quickly realized what he meant and straightened his back confidently.

"Wait a minute! Brother Zicheng, put your hand on your heart and tell me, who is it that's causing my Li family's doorstep to be almost worn down by people coming and going?! I'm too ashamed to go home and have to come here to find some peace and quiet?!"

He pointed at Zhou Wenqing, his face filled with grief and indignation as he accused him:

"Who was it that, in the imperial court, presented paper and established an office, angered an old scholar to the point of vomiting blood and fainting, causing chaos throughout the court and the country, only to catch a cold the next day, become weak and unable to cope, and then shut himself away from visitors for three days straight?!"

"And who is it again! You're just relaxing at home, only having the guards at the gate leave a message saying 'I'm ill and can't receive guests,' and then you send a whole bunch of colleagues—sleeves rolled up, wanting to grab the first share of paper money; those trying to get close to you and ask for paper money; those with all sorts of ulterior motives—blocking your doorstep like ducks, swarming all over my Li residence and leaving me to deal with them all?!"

Li Si became increasingly agitated as he spoke, gesturing wildly in the air with his finger, his spittle almost splattering onto Zhou Wenqing's face.

"These past two days! Just replying to visiting cards, fending off visitors, and keeping up a smile—my throat is dry, and my face is stiff from smiling! My lips have worn thinner than three layers! What's wrong with having a couple of sips of your tea?"

"This is compensation! It's what I deserve!"

This time, it was Zhou Wenqing's turn to feel guilty.

To keep Li Si so busy that he had no time to do anything else, he would push all his own work onto others... He did this quite often.

Zhou Wenqing quickly poured Li Si another cup of hot tea, presenting it with both hands and a fawning smile on his face:

"Oh dear, Brother Gu'an, calm down, calm down! Look at you, getting so angry is no good. This is just...the capable should do more! No one else can do it!"

"What do you mean by 'the capable should do more work'?!" Li Si took the tea, tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful, as if the tea was an endless source of resentment.

"When it comes to ability, who can surpass you, Brother Zhou Zicheng? The King has decreed that I should assist him, but you've simply dumped all that work on me, while you hide in this little courtyard, drinking tea, enjoying the scenery, and basking in the sun—you're living the life of the fittest!"

"Alas! Brother Gu'an, you are mistaken."

Zhou Wenqing tried to argue his point, but his eyes seemed a little unfocused.

"Didn't I have Ah Zhu write down the general framework of the Hundred Products Department and the outline of the patent rights yesterday and send it to you? How can that be called shirking your duties?"

"How dare you bring that up!" Li Si squinted at him, his teeth clenched.

"Three days! And on those two thin sheets of paper, only a few lines were written? The framework is there, but what about the details? The procedures? The regulations for coordinating with the Imperial Household Department? How should personnel be arranged? How should the budget be calculated?"

"What's even more outrageous is that you had the nerve to have Ah Zhu relay a message saying, 'Chief Secretary Li is quick-witted and will surely be able to fill in the gaps!'"

"Did you know I liked Ah-Zhu and couldn't bear to kick him out?"

"Ha, haha." Zhou Wenqing chuckled dryly twice, then quickly poured more tea for Li Si, trying to shut him up with the tea.

That's exactly what we were thinking!

Li Si rolled his eyes at him, but didn't bother with the fine new tea. He took the cup, sipped it, put it down, and stared at him intently.

"If I hadn't been so observant and questioned your Ah Zhu carefully, I would have really thought you were seriously ill, bedridden, and I was heartbroken for you!"

"Brother Zicheng, Brother Zicheng, look at you! You even refused to see me. Did you plan to avoid a life of leisure from the moment you claimed to be ill?!"

"Cough cough!" Zhou Wenqing coughed twice, his eyes becoming even more unfocused, his confidence clearly lacking. "Well... you can't say that, can you?"

"Conceiving those frameworks and regulations was extremely mentally and physically exhausting. Besides, Brother Gu'an, I am truly ill; I haven't recovered from a cold. Even the King came to visit me, so this can't be faked, can it?"

"Yes, I'm sick." Li Si drawled out the words, his eyes full of mockery, as if to say, "Let's see what other tricks you can come up with."

"It took three whole days to recover, and one dose of medicine was all it took. The remaining two days..."

He slowly sipped his tea, glancing sideways at Zhou Wenqing. "According to Azhu, Brother Zicheng, you've been questioning the gardeners in the manor all day about what kind of hardy and resilient orchid should be replaced with the one that 'accidentally froze to death' by your bedside."

"You only managed to scribble two lines for me when you had a spare moment!"

This Ah Zhu! Why does he spill everything?!

Zhou Wenqing felt a little embarrassed. He lowered his head and pretended to straighten his clothes, his teeth itching. He was thinking that he would have to give that kid Ah Zhu a good "reminder" later.

Some things, even to a trusted friend of her husband, don't need to be said so clearly.

Doesn't her husband have any pride?!

"Brother Zicheng, the way you look... you're not complaining about Azhu, are you?" Li Si looked at him, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"You don't actually expect Ah Zhu to be able to fool me at his age, so you can have an easy life and do nothing, do you?"