Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

"Is Wang Tingwei trying to pin all the blame on your son?"

A voice suddenly came from the side, carrying undisguised sarcasm.

Wei Liao had already walked up to Wang Ke's side without anyone noticing.

"I never knew that the private seal of a mere vice minister could have such power."

"Isn't this a bit too ridiculous?"

Ah, well done, Mr. Wei Liao!

Zhou Wenqing's eyes lit up; he had almost forgotten about this.

Wang Ke was still young and had only served in the army for a few years. His military achievements were almost nonexistent. He only wanted to obtain the position of Zhonglang (a military rank) to be close to the king, so that he could be promoted in the future and benefit from his father's legacy.

But if a mere court official's private seal could command a veteran minister like Guan Chi, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Household...

That's a bit too outrageous.

All eyes in the hall fell on Wang Wan.

Wang Wan remained kneeling on the ground upon hearing this.

Unseen by anyone, a barely perceptible sneer flickered deep within his murky eyes.

Since they had already planned to sacrifice the pawn to save the king, how could they have overlooked this point?

The sorrow and heartache on his face vanished instantly, replaced by an expression of indignation and sternness at being wronged.

He abruptly raised his head, his gaze sharp as a knife, piercing straight at Wei Liao:

"Who said...my son was the mastermind?"

His voice suddenly rose, filled with anger at being insulted:

"May I ask, Commandant, do you have any evidence?!"

"Without evidence, isn't it 'absurd and laughable' for the Grand Commandant to make such remarks, falsely accusing a high-ranking official of the court?"

The words "absurd and ridiculous" were pronounced with exceptional clarity, as if mocking the newcomers in the hall who thought they had caught him red-handed.

Before anyone could react, he bowed again to the throne, then turned to the side, his gaze falling on Wang Ke. His speech suddenly quickened, giving no one a chance to interrupt:

"Your Majesty, I know my son well. Although he is somewhat spoiled, he knows his limits."

"It's all my fault for being too busy with official duties and neglecting to discipline him lately, which allowed him to be bewitched by Guan Chi."

"Guanchi's son and my son often held banquets together and had a close relationship. I think... it was because of his instigation that my son lost his mind for a moment, cooperated with him, and committed such a big mistake."

"Now that I see Guan Chi's fate, I feel regret and fear, so I want to reclaim my private seal in order to protect myself..."

"I was utterly foolish, so foolish! This old minister is ashamed; I have failed in my duty to educate my son!"

He whirled around, facing the throne, and kowtowed heavily, his forehead striking the gold bricks with a dull thud, again and again.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! This old minister is guilty!"

When he looked up again, tears streamed down his wrinkled face.

"But Your Majesty, please understand, this old minister has absolutely no reason to target Zhou Neishi! This is all due to the machinations of the villain Guanchi, and the ignorant son's misleading influence. What does this have to do with this old minister?!"

"Although this old minister is guilty, he is by no means the so-called mastermind. The Grand Commandant and the others were only trying to share Your Majesty's burdens, but they have truly gone astray. I beg Your Majesty to do justice for this old minister!"

His words were filled with sorrow, and he was in tears. He looked exactly like an old minister who had been wronged, a heartbroken father, and a pitiful person who had been innocently implicated.

Anyone who didn't know better would think he was the victim.

Zhou Wenqing stood to the side, his teeth clenched as he listened.

This old man... his ability to argue is incredibly strong?!

They can even find excuses for this?!

Wei Liao stood to the side, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and he almost laughed out of anger.

That old scoundrel, isn't he just taking advantage of the fact that he didn't leave a single letter?

He refused to believe that Guan Chi would still cover up the illegitimate child for him after it had been exposed.

Wei Liao stepped forward, glaring fiercely at the pretentious fellow:

"Since the Court of Justice claims our investigation was flawed, do you dare to confront Guan Chi face to face?"

"What is there to be afraid of?"

Li Si immediately seized the opportunity, bowing and pleading, "Your Majesty, I will immediately order Guan Chi to be brought out for a face-to-face confrontation with the Court of Justice!"

"I have no objection, but Your Majesty—"

Wang Wan suddenly changed the subject, her sorrowful expression replaced by a righteous and awe-inspiring one:

"That Guanchi was a treacherous and wicked man, who deceived the emperor and whose entire clan was to be exterminated. Before his death, he made baseless accusations to protect himself. How can his words be believed?"

Li Si was so choked by his words that he couldn't swallow the air.

That old bastard!

He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging anger within him, and his voice suddenly rose:

"Since your heart is upright and honest, what does it matter if you slander me? Your Majesty is wise and will make a just judgment—"

Li Si took a step forward, staring into Wang Wan's eyes:

"Is the Minister of Justice making such a fuss because he's afraid he'll expose you?"

"Nonsense!" Wang Wan suddenly sat up, kneeling upright, her finger trembling as she pointed at him:

"Since Chief Secretary Li dares to make such accusations without any evidence, may I also say—that Guan Chi was actually acting under your orders?!"

"You!" Wei Liao's eyes widened in anger. "You've twisted the truth, you're a silver-tongued devil, what are your true intentions?!"

"You are the one making baseless accusations! You are spouting nonsense and slandering a court official without any evidence!"

"you--!"

The three of them argued back and forth, their words growing increasingly heated, spittle flying everywhere, turning the hall into a chaotic mess.

Zhou Wenqing stood aside, feeling his temples throbbing. This old thief was incredibly strong and too difficult to deal with!

Wait...it seems...

He suddenly stepped forward and joined the battle.

"Wang Tingwei!"

His clear voice instantly drowned out the argument between the three:

"Your son committed the crime and was caught red-handed; there's no way to prove that, is there?"

"We've gone back to square one again?" Wang Wan sneered inwardly, turning her gaze to him.

Being young, they couldn't even grasp the essentials.

The fierce anger on his face receded like a tide, replaced by a look of deep regret and remorse.

The speed at which he changed his expression was truly exceptional.

"This is due to my failure to properly educate my son. I am willing to accept punishment, but..."

Zhou Wenqing ignored his nonsense, raised her voice, put on a pained, sorrowful, and pitying expression, and pointed a trembling finger at him, questioning:

"Do you know how young and pitiful the child he wanted to kill was? He had just lost his father! Your son didn't hesitate to commit such a heinous act, even stating that he would set the house on fire to destroy the evidence. Such ruthless methods are nothing like what you call 'restraint'!"

He paused, his gaze suddenly turning sharp: "Or is it... that's how he was raised?!"

Tutor? Ha, so you're trying to attack me from this angle?

Wang Wan sneered inwardly. He didn't think that this immature kid could refute him by changing his perspective—it was just like throwing an egg against a rock, only to humiliate himself.

However, it must be said that the word "family education" still stirred up some of his anger.

He abruptly turned his head, his gaze fixed on Zhou Wenqing like a venomous snake:

"Zhou Neishi, don't speak so grandly, clinging to some so-called benevolence. You've been blinded! That wicked son was born to a mere maidservant. His father committed a grave crime and is imprisoned. What pity is there in him? Zhou Neishi, are you expressing dissatisfaction with His Majesty's decision with your words?"

That old scoundrel—he actually dared to lead us down this path!

Just as Li Si was about to jump out and refute, Wang Wan gave him no chance to react and continued to press him aggressively:

"Zhou Neishi, you pity him, but what about all those commoners who froze to death? It's utterly laughable for an official to act so emotionally!"

He stared into Zhou Wenqing's eyes, a cold smile curving his lips:

"However, speaking of family education, I have at least fulfilled my duties diligently for decades. I may have neglected some aspects in educating my son, and I accept the punishment. But you, Zhou Wenqing…!"

He pointed directly at Zhou Wenqing, his voice growing increasingly shrill:

"If you hadn't neglected your duties and been so lax in your administration for so many days, how could such a mess have happened today?!"

"So many common people, kneeling in the land under your jurisdiction, are freezing to death in front of the gate of your Treasury—"

He squeezed out each word, one by one, from between his teeth:

"How could you be completely unaware? What is your punishment?!"

"That's enough!"

On his throne, Ying Zheng finally lost his temper and roared down with overwhelming pressure.

He slammed his hand on the table.

"Bang!"

The candlesticks on the imperial desk jumped high, the flames flickered violently and almost went out, several scrolls of memorials tumbled to the ground with a "crash," and ink from the inkstone splattered, spreading several shocking black stains on the gold bricks.

The eunuchs in the hall knelt down in a flurry, trembling, their foreheads pressed against the cold gold bricks, not daring to breathe.

Wang Wan was already kneeling on the ground, and now she lowered her body even further, her forehead almost embedded in the gap between the gold bricks. Zhou Wenqing, Li Si, and Wei Liao also bowed at almost the same time and clasped their hands in greeting.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger."

The four voices overlapped, sounding exceptionally clear in the deathly silent hall.

Ying Zheng's gaze swept over the people below him, and his brows furrowed.

"Haven't you made enough noise? What kind of behavior is this in the imperial court? Rise, all of you!"

That's enough, that's definitely enough.

Zhou Wenqing slowly stood up, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

That old fox's tail—

He finally got his hands on it.