Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Guan Chi's Adam's apple bobbed several times, his finger trembled as he pointed at Zhou Wenqing, his eyes wide open, almost popping out of their sockets.

"You, you, you—you're slandering me!"

Zhou Wenqing didn't tolerate him and sneered, "Whether I'm making baseless accusations or you're judging others by your own standards, each person has their own judgment. Prefect Guan, don't treat everyone like fools!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a buzz of discussion immediately arose among the officials. Guan Chi's face, which was covered in blood, turned from green to white in turn, a sight to behold, like a dye vat.

Just then, a gaunt figure stepped out from the queue.

"Your Majesty!"

This man was none other than the Imperial Censor Wei Zhuang. He stepped forward, his face thin and pale, with high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and nasolabial folds that stretched from the sides of his nose to the corners of his mouth, giving his face an unapproachable appearance.

He didn't look at Zhou Wenqing, nor at Guan Chi, but simply bowed deeply towards the throne, his voice stiff and devoid of any warmth:

"Your Majesty, embezzlement and bribery are serious matters. The Bureau of All Things has just been established. If its foundation is tainted, how can it gain the trust of the people? The Minister of the Treasury is in charge of the forbidden money. If he makes a mistake, he will betray Your Majesty's grace. If the two men have indeed done such things, it is the responsibility of your censor, Zhou Wenqing, who failed to supervise. I request that you immediately conduct a thorough investigation of Zhou Wenqing, the Minister of Grain Administration, and Guan Chi, the Minister of the Treasury. I hope Your Majesty will grant my request."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wenqing immediately cupped his hands in a gesture of respect: "Your Majesty, I second that opinion. What Imperial Censor Wei said is quite reasonable. I am willing to accept a thorough investigation by the Imperial Censor. If there is even the slightest error, I am willing to accept punishment!"

He was truly not at all guilty. Although the income from his household was substantial, the patent fees alone brought in money like flowing water.

But with that kid Ah-Zhu, managing the accounts of his master's mansion was like facing a formidable enemy. He remembered every single transaction clearly, and he wished he could carve the words "Zhou Mansion" into a golden signboard to enshrine, for fear of disgracing his master's reputation.

Zhou Wenqing knew perfectly well that no matter who came to investigate, the account books were so clean that they could reflect one's image.

He smiled slightly and turned his gaze to Guan Chi:

"What does the Junior Prefectural Magistrate think?"

"I...I..." Guan Chi's face turned pale, then white, then pale again. He felt like he was about to vomit blood, but he could only stubbornly insist, "I second that! Investigate if you want, I have a clear conscience!"

"Then why don't you trouble the Imperial Censor to send someone there now?"

"you!"

Guan Chi nearly choked on his breath!

He gritted his teeth, but couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal—he had said himself that he had a "clear conscience," so if he tried to stop him now, wouldn't he be contradicting himself?

Upon hearing this, Kui Zhuang's eyes flickered slightly. He didn't turn around, but instead turned to face the throne and pleaded for permission again:

"Your Majesty! Both of them are currently unprepared. I believe it is the right time to investigate thoroughly."

"Very well." Ying Zheng nodded calmly and said, "I grant your permission. Minister Kui, go ahead and make sure to investigate thoroughly."

"promise!"

Kui Zhuang accepted the order and turned to leave.

"This... Your Majesty..."

Guan Chi panicked immediately. He reached out as if trying to grab something, but Kui Zhuang didn't even give him a glance. He turned around and strode towards the palace gate.

His thin back stood straight, like an iron nail driven into the ground, each step firm and solid, his robe fluttering, without the slightest hesitation.

Guan Chi stood there, watching helplessly as the figure disappeared outside the palace gate, the color draining from his face bit by bit.

It’s over.

It's completely over.

He grew colder and colder, but after despairing completely, Guan Chi calmed down.

He wiped the blood off his face with his sleeve, took a deep breath, and the fear in his eyes was gradually replaced by resentment.

He knew he couldn't withstand scrutiny. Going there would mean certain death.

But before he dies, he'll definitely take someone down with him.

"Zhou, you have quite the silver tongue!" His voice was filled with gritted teeth and hatred. "Unfortunately—no matter how eloquent you are, you can't silence the voices of the people!"

He paused, a cold smile curving his lips.

"You were greedy for merit and acted rashly, oppressing the common people and causing them to freeze to death in front of the Neishi Temple—the evidence is irrefutable, and there's no room for denial!"

"Your Majesty, I have something to report!"

He abruptly turned around, knelt down facing the throne with a thud, his knees hitting the gold bricks with a dull thud. He then pulled a memorial from his sleeve, not presenting it, but unfolding it and reading it aloud with astonishing speed:

Three days ago, in the second alley of Leyoufang in Xianyang, an old man froze to death in front of the Zhisu Neishi Temple. His body was dragged back by his grandson and has not yet been buried!

"The day before yesterday, at dawn, two more people froze to death on the east street of Yongpingfang in Xianyang. Their bodies were carelessly thrown out by the guards at the gate and have not yet been collected!"

"The day before yesterday at noon, near the West Market in Xianyang, there was..."

"Enough! Shut up!"

Li Si was closest, and caught off guard, he practically lunged forward.

That bastard actually had this trick up his sleeve!

She snatched the memorial from Guan Chi's hand, kicked him hard to silence him, and then turned around in a panic to look at Zhou Wenqing—

But it was too late.

Every single word was slammed into Zhou Wenqing's ears.

Zhou Wenqing bent over, trembling as he exhaled with difficulty.

He pressed his hand tightly against his heart, his knuckles turning white, veins bulging, his face deathly pale, cold sweat pouring down his face, his chest heaving violently as if a hand were squeezing him tightly inside, again and again, making it hard for him to breathe.

The words bombarded him, making his vision blur and his ears ring. He couldn't hear anything anymore, only those few words kept rolling around in his mind:

Frozen to death... the body... has not yet been recovered...

Tossed around carelessly by the guards...

Although he thought he had prepared himself mentally, that face still kept replaying in his mind's eye—

The old man leaning against the corner, his body ice-cold, his lips trembling as he said, "I won't leave... I can't leave."

The old man whom he helped up, who leaned on his shoulder, and who looked at him one last time.

That murky, pleading look, as if it placed all hope on him.

Then he was helped inside.

Then he lay there.

then……

Zhou Wenqing's eyes suddenly reddened. He tried his best to hold on and stabilize his emotions, but he still felt his vision go black in waves, and a chilling coldness ran through his bones. An unbearable pain came from his chest, and his body could hardly support him and was about to slide down.

Ying Zheng suddenly clenched his hands on either side of the throne, leaned forward slightly, and almost stood up abruptly.

Wei Liao, Meng Wu, Wang Jian, and the others instantly rushed over—

"Zhou, compose yourself!"

A hand firmly supported Zhou Wenqing's shoulder.

Unbeknownst to him, Doctor Lü was already standing behind him. His hand was dry and warm, and his strength was so steady that it seemed rooted to the spot, firmly holding Zhou Wenqing's sliding body in place.

His other hand had already reached into his sleeve, pulled out a small porcelain bottle, pushed the stopper open with his thumb, and brought it to Zhou Wenqing's lips.

"Swallow it."

Zhou Wenqing did as instructed without thinking.

A thin, cool substance slid down my throat, and the coolness spread rapidly from the tip of my tongue to my chest, easing the burning sensation and opening a crack in the hand clutching my heart.

Lu Yiling stood quietly to his side, one hand firmly supporting Zhou Wenqing's arm, the other hand subtly resting on his wrist.

After a moment, he turned his head slightly, his voice so low that only Zhou Wenqing could hear it:

"His pulse is erratic. This medicine can only provide temporary relief. Once the effects wear off, I'm afraid..." He gritted his teeth. "Zhou, let's go to the side hall first, and I will..."

"No."

Zhou Wenqing stared intently ahead—

Guan Chi was kicked to the ground by Li Si, his bones hitting the gold bricks and hurting painfully, but he didn't even groan.

He sat there slumped, slowly propped himself up, looked up in Zhou Wenqing's direction, met his gaze, and saw the bloodshot in his eyes.

Then he smiled.

At first, it was low, like a leaky, dilapidated bellows; then it grew louder and louder, until it finally turned into a wild, blood-splattered laugh.

"Hahahahaha..."

Li Si was furious and kicked him in the chest: "Shut your mouth!"

Guan Chi's breath hitched, and he choked, coughing until his face turned red. But his eyes remained fixed on Zhou Wenqing, unblinking.

happy.

That felt so good.

He saw Zhou Wenqing's face, so pale it was almost transparent, and saw him leaning back in his chair, his chest heaving violently, yet desperately trying to stay upright—the paler the face, the more pleased he felt; the more pained the expression, the more exhilarated he became.

"call--"

Guan Chi let out a long breath, then leaned back and braced himself with his hands behind him, sitting casually on the gold bricks like a lump of mud, or like a mad dog that had finally killed its prey, panting heavily and enjoying its final satisfaction.

Zhou Wenqing stared intently at him, her chest heaving violently, each breath seeming like she was using all her strength.

His hand trembled as he grasped the arm that Physician Lü had pressed against his wrist, his voice broken and intermittent:

"I can't leave... I have to see him suffer eternal damnation."

"Physician Lü..." His voice trailed off, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed, before continuing, "Aren't you skilled in acupuncture?"

His hand, which was clenched over his chest, was so clenched that his knuckles turned white.

"help me."

"Can……"

"Medical Master Lü".

Zhou Wenqing raised her head, staring at him with a stubborn intensity, her eyes burning with a fierce fire:

"Please, help me!"

Doctor Lü looked at him for a moment.

After a long while, he sighed softly, helplessly admitting defeat. He reached into his sleeve, took out the needle pouch he always carried, and quickly unfolded it, concealed by the cuff of his sleeve.

"Just this once. If you can't hold on any longer, the time has come. I won't try to persuade you anymore. I'll just knock you out and take you away."

Thank you.

"Save your energy and stop talking."