Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Zhou Wenqing had already put the clothes back in their original positions. He stood up, took two steps back, and thankfully, he hadn't touched many things. He quickly scanned the ground and the edge of the box to make sure there were no signs of disturbance before turning around and leaving.

Back in his room, he quickly took off his outer robe, kicked off his shoes, lay back on the couch, and pulled the blanket over himself to hide himself completely.

Wow, that's exciting!

Zhou Wenqing pressed his chest, his heart pounding. For some reason, he thought of the flower thieves in novels who would sneak over walls at night to steal fragrance.

Good grief, they managed to make themselves feel like thieves in their own home.

He listened intently to the opening and closing of the door next door, the rustling of clothes, and the soft creaking of the bed... After a long while, when things finally quieted down, he slowly exhaled.

Zhou Wenqing understood that regardless of whether Li Yi discovered it or not, as long as he didn't confront him on the spot, the matter was considered closed.

only……

Zhou Wenqing's expression turned serious, and the hand he placed on his chest gradually tightened, his knuckles turning slightly white.

The reason for this incident today is that he has begun to doubt the previous speculations about Li Yi's identity.

How could the King of Han's secret guards have so easily purchased a large quantity of salt blocks within the Qin territory?

If the King of Han could achieve this, there would be no need to send him here; he could directly control the salt market, and Qin would surely be thrown into chaos.

If it were something that Li could have done alone, that would be even more impossible—salt merchants aren't crazy, how could they dare to sell salt? Did they really think that Qin's strict laws and punishments were just for show?

But Li Yi not only bought it, he also deliberately tested the waters. According to him, he bought it from a large salt shop in the market. So many days have passed, and nothing has happened. He hasn't heard a single word from the market officials investigating. This is probably not right...

Unless... those salts were directly transferred from the official granary, no one would investigate.

The trip just now seemed fruitless, and the bamboo slips found were not even opened and examined, but in fact, the very existence of those bamboo slips speaks volumes.

Li Yi is a secret spy for the Qin state!

Combined with his repeated urging to go to Xianyang and meet the King of Qin, and his effortless lifting of a nearly 100-kilogram sack, as heavy as an ox, with one hand, this further demonstrates his remarkable ability to lift such a heavy load with one hand.

He possessed the ability to mobilize Qin officials' spies, yet they were casually assigned to the side of someone as insignificant as himself. At this moment, to be able to waste them so lavishly…

Zhou Wenqing's mind suddenly became clear, and a bolder, more reasonable conjecture emerged:

He is most likely... a secret guard directly under the King of Qin.

"hiss--"

Zhou Wenqing gasped in shock at his own guess, but the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. He tossed and turned in bed, unable to calm down.

He didn't know how to describe his feelings at that moment—the horror of vaguely touching a horrifying truth, the panic and helplessness of having his hidden technology exposed, and... the resentment of being secretly plotted against by the person who had taken such good care of him for so long.

A mix of emotions swirled together, weighing heavily on his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.

His breathing became increasingly rapid. Zhou Wenqing subconsciously clutched the front of his shirt, his fingertips icy cold. He struggled to sit up, trying to calm himself.

However, even when he bent over and opened his mouth wide, he still couldn't breathe. The situation was getting worse and worse. His vision went black and he started to hear a ringing in his ears.

Oh no! The heart condition that he had never taken seriously suddenly flared up at this moment!

He tried to reach for the medicine box by the bedside, but his arm was too weak to obey him, and he rolled off the edge of the bed and fell heavily onto the cold floor.

The ceramic medicine bottle was right in front of him, but he didn't even have the strength to lift a finger.

Cold sweat instantly soaked through his thin undershirt, his vision began to blur, and before he was completely engulfed in darkness, he vaguely heard hurried footsteps coming from next door, and the door was suddenly kicked open—

"Young Master!"

...I forgot to lock the door when I got back.

This was his last clear thought before he fell into a coma.

The morning light streamed through the window, casting a hazy glow on my face.

Zhou Wenqing slowly opened his eyes, the first thing he felt was a dull pain in his chest and a faint taste of medicine lingering in his mouth.

He lay on his couch, covered tightly, his undergarments changed and dry and soft.

"Young master is awake?"

Li Yi almost immediately rushed to the bedside, holding a bowl of medicine that had been kept warm. He had obvious dark circles under his eyes, but his voice was full of relief and joy.

"You really scared me to death last night! How could it suddenly start without any warning..."

He carefully placed the medicine bowl aside, reached out and touched Zhou Wenqing's forehead, his voice almost overflowing with lingering fear.

"Luckily, I have good hearing and heard something was wrong in your room. If it had been any later... I don't even want to think about it."

Li Yi squatted by the bed, looking up at Zhou Wenqing, his eyes filled with visible self-reproach:

"It must be because you've been busy with salt production these past few days and have exhausted yourself. It's all my fault. I should have known better than to rush you. Your health is the most important thing."

He kept talking, carefully helping Zhou Wenqing up, placing a soft pillow behind his back, and tucking the blanket around him.

"It's my fault for not taking it seriously before. This heart ailment is really deadly. I finally managed to recover a little, but it's gone downhill again in no time. From today until you're fully recovered, just lie in bed and don't worry about anything. I'll bring your meals to you, and I'll watch you drink your medicine. Even if you want to read or write, you'll have to wait until I've lit the lamp and set up the pillows..."

Li Yi's hands moved swiftly, muttering to himself as he picked up the medicine bowl again, tested its temperature, and carefully brought it to Zhou Wenqing's lips:

"The temperature is just right, young master. Please drink it while it's hot. This is a newly prescribed medicine, prepared according to the doctor's instructions. It's for calming the nerves and relieving palpitations. Don't think about anything else. Getting better is more important than anything else."

His eyes were focused and sincere, filled with nothing but pure worry and concern.

Zhou Wenqing looked at him, into his eyes, and listened to his voice. He was momentarily dazed and unconsciously opened his mouth.

One spoonful at a time.

The medicine was warm, and Li Yi fed him with great patience. After feeding him, she gently wiped the corners of his mouth with a soft towel.

"Would you like to sit a little longer, or lie down and rest, young master?" he asked, his hand already resting lightly on Zhou Wenqing's arm. "You should lie down and get some more sleep to recharge your energy."

As she spoke, she reached out to help him lie down.

"Wait a minute." Zhou Wenqing raised his hand to stop him, his voice still a little weak. "I've been lying down for a while, and my body is a bit stiff. Let me sit for a bit. Don't worry, I can lie back down by myself."

His mind was in turmoil, and he needed to calm himself down by himself.

Li paused, looked at his still pale face, hesitated for a moment, and then let go: "Well... alright, if you feel tired, be sure to lie down immediately, don't push yourself."

He got up, walked to the door, glanced back, and whispered, "There's porridge simmering on the stove, keeping it warm. Call me anytime if you feel hungry."

"it is good."

The door was gently closed, and the room fell silent.

Zhou Wenqing leaned against the pillow, the dull pain in his chest not yet completely gone. He sighed, looked at the gradually brightening sky outside the window, and after a long while... a long while... he suddenly smiled.

He found himself standing there for a long time, not thinking about anything, his mind completely blank.

Now that I've come to my senses, the only clear thought that comes to mind is—

This medicine is really bitter; a honey fruit would be just right.

He blinked, finding the idea absurdly amusing, before quickly dismissing it.

Forget it.

Without honeyed fruit, there is nothing.

Li Yi's appearance was like that of a "simpleton," with a rough and careless look. It was reasonable, even quite normal, for him to overlook the fact that he had missed the candied fruit.

However, he could decoct the medicine with perfect precision, mutter those repetitive phrases, and remember to keep the porridge warm on the stove...

Could this be considered a "genetic mutation" within the bodyguard profession?

As Zhou Wenqing thought about it, he couldn't help but chuckle softly.

As he smiled, the complex emotions in his eyes gradually melted away.

The mutation is great, really, so great...

That's good enough.

The tightness in her chest suddenly vanished without a trace, and Zhou Wenqing felt a sense of lightness throughout her body. She threw back the covers, bent down to put on her shoes, and called out to Li Yi at the top of her lungs:

"Ah-yi! I'm hungry—let's eat!"

"Here it comes~"

Before he could finish speaking, hurried footsteps came from outside. Li Yi poked half his body in, holding a soup spoon in his hand.

"Oh, my young master! Didn't we agree that you would rest in bed? Why are you up so soon!"

"Who told you that?" Zhou Wenqing straightened up, casually straightened his clothes, and glanced at him with his chin raised.

"Just now, you were clearly taking advantage of my half-asleep state, muttering to yourself and making me feel like a porcelain doll. I didn't agree to anything."

He absolutely cannot agree to another "genetic mutation" that would leave him lying in bed and getting moldy.

Zhou Wenqing took two steps, spread his arms, slowly turned around, and then raised his eyebrows and smiled:

"See? I'm perfectly fine, very healthy, and don't need any special care at all."

Li Yi was dumbfounded by his "lively" demeanor. She pointed at him with the soup spoon for a long time before finally managing to stammer, "You...you...the doctor said I need to rest!"

Did the doctor say that being in a good mood is the most important thing?

Li Yi's remaining words were all shut down by this sentence.

Believe it or not, the doctor really said it!

He looked at Zhou Wenqing, whose face was still somewhat pale, but whose eyes had regained most of their former sparkle, and finally sighed, his shoulders slumping.

"Young master, please don't push yourself. If you feel unwell again, please let us know."

"Okay, okay." Zhou Wenqing waved his hand, walked past him, went straight to the table in the front hall, sat down, and patted the table.

"Come on, put the porridge here, let's eat!"