Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

"Alright, stop twisting and turning like that, what kind of behavior is that?"

Zhou Wenqing pulled his sleeve back from Hu Hai's hand and couldn't help but laugh at Hu Hai's scratching head and looking like he had fleas on him.

He only caught a glimpse of a hint of longing in Fusu's eyes as he involuntarily looked out the window, while Azhu stretched his neck almost to its limit, gazing expectantly at the snow falling outside the courtyard. A thought struck him, and he suddenly realized—

Having been in Xianyang for so long, I've been living a monotonous life, spending my days either in this courtyard or shuttling between the government office and the Bureau of Hundreds of Items. My two disciples are even more confined, spending their time either reading or looking at accounts, which is incredibly boring.

How can that be? Children, especially well-behaved children, should run and jump more!

With the snow scenery looking beautiful right now, it's time to organize a proper team building activity.

"That's enough," Zhou Wenqing said, flicking his sleeve and making a decision, his expression showing a rare sense of ease.

"Since it's the first snow of winter and we're on holiday, wouldn't it be a waste to stay indoors and miss the good weather? Fusu and Azhu, take a break and come with me for a walk to see the winter scenery of Xianyang."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hu Hai was stunned for a moment, then jumped up like a lit firecracker, his cheers almost lifting the roof off:

"Really?! Thank you, Mr. Zhou! Mr. Zhou is the best! Oh, let's go out and have some fun! I love Mr. Zhou the most!"

"Really?" Zhou Wenqing looked at his ecstatic expression and a mischievous thought suddenly popped into his head.

He reached out and poked Hu Hai's chubby cheek, jokingly asking, "So, when Mr. Zhou slapped your hand, did you also like Mr. Zhou the most?"

"Huh?" Hu Hai's cheerful expression froze instantly, his little brain clearly caught in some intense struggle.

He glanced at the alluring white snow outside the window, then thought of his burning palms, and finally steeled his resolve, nodding forcefully with a death-defying air, his voice resounding:

"Yes! Mr. Zhou is good at all times. Even when he hits me... when he hits me, it's for my own good. Mr. Zhou is the best! I like Mr. Zhou the most!"

"puff--"

Ah Zhu, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but laugh out loud. He quickly covered his mouth and received a pitiful glare from Hu Hai.

"Ha! You're quite the bender." Zhou Wenqing was amused by his "self-sacrifice" spirit and reached out to give his fluffy head a good rub.

Unexpectedly, he didn't control his strength well, and Hu Hai was rubbed like a roly-poly toy, swaying left and right twice, and then "splat" he sat down hard on his butt.

The little guy sat on the ground, stunned for two seconds, then looked up at Zhou Wenqing. His mouth twitched, and his eyes reddened at a visible speed. Crystalline tears began to accumulate and swirl in his eyes, as if he were making a silent accusation of "you are bullying a child".

Oh no! We've gone too far!

Zhou Wenqing's hand trembled and his eyes darted outwards. If someone who didn't know the situation saw this, they would think he was bullying a three-year-old child!

With lightning speed, he scooped up Hu Hai, who was still sitting on the ground, brewing a torrent of tears, and smoothly shoved him into Fusu's arms, his movements as fluid as passing a hot potato. At the same time, he raised his voice and shouted outwards:

"Ah-Yi! Get the car ready! The weather's nice today, let's take the kids out for some fresh air and enjoy the snow!"

Sure enough, Hu Hai's attention was instantly diverted. Before his tears could even fall, he eagerly peeked out from his brother's arms and began to excitedly imagine, "We want to build a snowman! Have a snowball fight! We want to catch sparrows in the snow, eat honey bait, roast beans, and more..."

She's just like a child; she was easily appeased.

Zhou Wenqing chuckled inwardly, turned around, and flicked his forehead lightly with her finger, stopping his increasingly outrageous list:

"They're getting too demanding. Behave yourself, or you won't even have snow to play with later."

"Ouch! Brother!" Hu Hai clutched his forehead, then quickly pulled his head back into Fu Su's arms, complaining in a muffled voice, "It hurts!"

Fusu couldn't help but chuckle, and reached out to rub his eyes, gently coaxing, "The master was just joking with you. A man shouldn't always shed tears."

"Alright..." Hu Hai raised his head, wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, and actually became obedient. He leaned his head against Fu Su, his voice still carrying a hint of lingering grievance, and mumbled, "I'll listen to my elder brother."

It was rare to see this little devil so obedient, and Zhou Wenqing couldn't help but smile.

Hu Hai has been clinging to Fu Su more and more lately. Thinking about it carefully, apart from the shock of his elder brother setting an example that time, it is probably because this little rascal has been in high demand under his father's rule lately - he is chased around the palace every few days, and his face is always covered when he comes to his residence.

Of all the people in the palace, besides Fusu, there was really no one else who would dare to plead for the king's child at such a critical moment, and whose pleading would actually save him from a few more blows.

This kid has always been shrewd enough to stick to his "savior" older brother since he was a child.

That's... fine too.

As he was thinking, Li Yi came in upon hearing his voice: "Sir, are you going out?"

Zhou Wenqing smiled and nodded, gently instructing, "There's no need to travel far. Just find a few quiet places with a wide view and few pedestrians in the suburbs to stop for a while. Right now is a good time to enjoy the scenery of the fields covered by winter snow."

After a moment's thought, he gave detailed instructions: "Remember to prepare a spacious and stable carriage. You can arrange the guards; they can accompany you discreetly. Also, add a few clever and reliable people to follow along. They should all wear ordinary clothes and not be too conspicuous."

"Now? But the snow is falling heavily..."

Li hesitated for a moment, her gaze sweeping over the three children whose faces were full of expectation and whose eyes were shining. Then she looked at her husband's unusually relaxed brows, and swallowed back the words of dissuasion that were on the tip of her tongue. She simply cupped her hands and replied:

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will arrange it immediately."

When it was time to go out, Zhou Wenqing looked down at himself—he was wrapped tightly in a thick fur coat, like a thick, airtight "roll," and a warm copper hand warmer was stuffed into his arms without warning.

Looking up again, he saw three little "zongzi" (rice dumplings) surrounding him, all wrapped up round and plump, with only their eyes showing. Li Yi had personally prepared them.

Fusu was still able to maintain his composure, though his movements were slightly clumsy and his brows furrowed. Azhu tried to raise his arm, but there were layers upon layers of obstacles around him, and after twisting a couple of times, he gave up struggling and obediently resigned himself to his fate.

The most exaggerated one was Hu Hai, wrapped in colorful, round and plump dough, looking exactly like a colorful glutinous rice ball that could move. But he was restless and tried to jump down the steps. As a result, he tilted to the side, but luckily the guard caught him with quick eyes and hands. The little guy was not surprised but happy. He giggled in the shell, only showing his pair of bright eyes.

Zhou Wenqing looked up at the sky where fine snow was falling, and his lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

For the next time this kind of logistical support work... perhaps we can consider having someone else in charge. Li Yi's packing skills are probably the same as his method of binding military supplies.

Meanwhile, Li Yi was scrutinizing his masterpiece with piercing eyes, feeling satisfied:

The master is sensitive to the cold, and the young masters are delicate; neither of them can be allowed to get cold. Wrap them up! They must be wrapped up tightly, without any airflow!

Finally, at Zhou Wenqing's insistence, they retreated back into the house with the three "small packages" that were almost unable to move, changed into ordinary winter clothes that were thick but at least allowed them to move freely, and the group finally boarded the carriage.

The carriage moved steadily forward, its wheels crunching softly over the thin layer of snow that had just accumulated on the official road, leaving two ruts that gradually receded into the distance behind it.

"Relax, everyone. Today is the day we came out to have fun."

Zhou Wenqing picked up a soft honey cake from the food tray on the small table in the carriage, patted Fusu's head lightly, and handed the cake to him. "Remember, when you're studying, concentrate fully; when you're playing, enjoy yourself to the fullest. A balance between work and rest is the right way."

"Then I want to sit by the window!" Hu Hai shouted almost immediately, his small body already nimbly squeezing to the window seat, clinging to the carriage window frame, looking impatient.

Zhou Wenqing smiled and shook his head, then slightly opened the car window.

The crisp air immediately rushed in, carrying fine snowflakes and the clean scent unique to the winter fields. The children took a deep breath in unison, and then couldn't help but peek into the crack, their three little heads huddled together.

"Sir, look! What a big and well-ordered field!" Ah-Zhu pointed out the window with his little finger, his voice full of amazement.