Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Ying Zheng's gaze fell on that pale, almost transparent face. His brows furrowed slightly. He did not speak immediately, but only slightly raised his chin in Meng Wu's direction.

General Meng Wu immediately understood, grabbed the man who looked like a lump of mud, dragged him more than ten feet away, and kept him far away from Zhou Wenqing. Then he stuffed the black cloth back into Guan Chi's mouth, so that he couldn't even utter a sob.

Ying Zheng then relaxed his brow, his gaze returning to Zhou Wenqing, and his voice softened:

"Granted." He paused, then added, "No need for formalities, Minister Zhou, please speak frankly."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhou Wenqing took a deep breath, steadied himself, and said:

"Your Majesty, no matter how much the Junior Prefect Guan admits his guilt, there is only one thing I do not understand—"

He slowly turned his head, his gaze falling on the huddled figure in the distance.

"Vice Prefect Guan, how exactly did you manage to make those guards in front of the Imperial Seal Bureau obey your orders?"

Li Si's eyes lit up. This angle, a different approach, hits the nail on the head. Brilliant!

Just now, Zhou Wenqing was quietly resting, seemingly without saying a word, but in fact his mind was not at rest. He carefully reviewed the whole story and discovered this inconspicuous detail.

He didn't believe that the person who bribed those gate guards was just a mere Junior Chamberlain.

Those guards dared to act so recklessly not only because they truly regarded the common people as worthless weeds, but also because they didn't take him, the Minister of Grain Administration, seriously.

If he hadn't believed he had powerful backers who far surpassed him, the mere Prefect of Grain Supply, and hadn't assumed he was doomed for offending this person...

How dare a mere few guards act like this?

Guan Chi froze for a moment, as if someone had grabbed his vital spot.

Wang Wan's heart clenched suddenly. He lowered his eyes, his face expressionless, but the tips of his fingers inside his sleeves curled slightly.

Tsk! Do I have to let this son of a bitch bark at my ears for a little while longer?

Meng Wu glanced at Guan Chi, scoffed, and swiftly ripped off the black cloth that had been blocking his view for half a day. He grabbed Guan Chi by the front and pulled him forward, saying coldly:

"I'm asking you a question! Confess!"

Guan Chi's lips split open, blood trickling down his chin and soaking his clothes. He swallowed hard, a muffled sound rolling through his throat, then abruptly raised his head, his eyes filled with a venomous resentment that was almost tangible:

"Pooh!"

A mouthful of blood splattered on the ground.

"Hypocrite! Pretender! You'll die a horrible death! You—"

"Snapped!"

Meng Wu grabbed his collar and slapped him hard across the face, making his head tilt to the side and one side of his face swell up instantly.

"I'll give you an answer! If you dare spew more filth, believe me, I'll rip your mouth apart!"

Zhou Wenqing didn't even spare him a glance.

He turned to face the throne, his voice calm: "Your Majesty, this man is feigning madness and avoiding the topic. I believe that everything he said just now is unreliable—there must be someone else behind this."

Guan Chi's face was swollen, and blood was still seeping from the corner of his mouth. He looked utterly disheveled. He had originally planned to feign anger and change the subject, but now there was nowhere to hide or avoid him. He could only force himself to raise his head and mumble incoherently:

"What do you mean there's someone else behind this? You think too highly of yourself! It was all my doing, that's enough! That guard was me... I took the money..."

"The Junior Prefectural Magistrate."

Li Si's voice broke in unhurriedly. He slowly turned around, looking down at the swollen face, a slight smile even playing on his lips:

"Think it through before you speak."

He took a step forward, lowering his voice even further:

"I interrogated those guards overnight, and they did mention something that doesn't match what the Junior Chamberlain said..."

He paused, his smile deepening.

"Then... Skor is in a difficult position."

Guan Chi's pupils contracted sharply. He opened his mouth, a gurgling sound rolling through his throat, but he couldn't utter a single word. His eyes swept back and forth across Li Si's face, layers of surprise, panic, and fear surging up within him.

They revealed something!

What did they reveal?

he does not know.

How could he possibly know?

Guan Chi was covered in cold sweat and dared not make up any more stories. He just stammered and dared not speak.

waste!

Among the assembled officials, Wang Wan couldn't help but curse inwardly. He had only bribed two guards; with a little coaxing, why would he need to leave any tokens?

You were tricked so easily, what an idiot!

He wanted to speak up to remind her, but Wei Liao blocked his way firmly, and Wang Jian was glaring at him menacingly, so he could only force himself to endure and remain still.

Guan Chi stammered and couldn't answer, and the hall fell silent for a few breaths.

Zhou Wenqing didn't bother to look at him again, turned back to face the throne, and spoke in a steady voice:

"Your Majesty, this matter is still in doubt, but it is undoubtedly true that Guan Chi instigated the common people to embezzle and accept bribes."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the empty spot in the ranks of officials—where Wei Zhuang had not yet returned—before continuing:

"Censor Kui is still investigating. It would be better to temporarily detain this person in the Court of Justice prison—once the frostbitten commoner recovers, he may be able to provide more clues before we make a decision."

Li Si's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood.

Since we're currently stuck in a stalemate and can't find a breakthrough, let's stall for time and muddy the waters.

For the hand lurking in the shadows, keeping a useless pawn like Guan Chi around is an increasingly agonizing prospect.

He knows nothing, yet he knows a little about everything; not fatal, but he could become the fuse that ignites an explosion at any moment.

Will the person behind it all be able to hold back?

If you can't resist, you'll act.

The slightest movement will reveal a weakness.

So Li Si stepped forward and took over the conversation, speaking very quickly:

"Your Majesty, I second that suggestion!"

"Guan Chi's crimes are heinous. He even uttered arrogant words in the imperial court. Who knows how many other heinous crimes he has committed in secret? It would be better to temporarily detain him and confiscate his property. After the investigation is completed, he will await further judgment."

"I second that opinion!" Wei Liao stepped forward as well.

"Your Majesty, I believe this man is arrogant and his behavior is heinous. He should not be let off lightly. His crimes must be clearly investigated and announced to the world to set an example."

"Before that, he should be detained in the Court of Justice's prison to await further judgment!"

With the three senior ministers so unanimous in their opinions, how could Ying Zheng possibly object?

"allow."

His voice fell, light and airy, yet it shattered the last shred of hope in some people's hearts.

Wang Wan had no choice but to step forward, bow her head, and accept the order.

Zhou Wenqing turned to look at him, his gaze lingering on the old face for a moment. His expression was very calm, and there was even a faint smile on his lips.

But to Wang Wan, that smile looked like a sword yet to be drawn, utterly irritating, just like his words at that moment—

"In that case, I will have to trouble Wang Tingwei."

Zhou Wenqing paused, his expression remaining calm, and continued:

"But please forgive Wenqing for speaking frankly, Your Excellency, but Guanchi knows his sins are grave and may have thoughts of committing suicide out of fear of punishment, or be silenced. I hope Your Excellency will keep a close watch on him, in case anything goes wrong..."

He smiled slightly, his words as straightforward as ever:

"Then it's understandable that Wang Tingwei can't escape responsibility, but... it inevitably raises suspicion—was Wang Tingwei the one who instigated this?"

The directness of the statement caused a moment of silence in the hall, followed by a surge of whispers.

"Ah! But let's make an assumption: Wenqing is young and has a habit of speaking his mind. I hope you won't take offense, Wang Tingwei."

Zhou Wenqing added another sentence, his expression extremely sincere, as if what he had just said was really just a casual remark, a well-intentioned reminder, and an unintentional remark.

Wang Wan's face stiffened slightly, and she lost her composure.

He raised his eyes and met Zhou Wenqing's sharp gaze. His Adam's apple bobbed, and the muscles on his old face twitched as if he wanted to express something, but nothing came out.

After a moment, he let out a cold snort, his voice hard and forced, squeezed out from between his teeth:

"Thank you for the reminder, Zhou Neishi. This is my duty, and I will do my best."