Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Li Yi thought that this time, as usual, he would hand over the sealed bamboo slips to the spies who were waiting to receive him, and then he could return quickly.

He had even planned it out—before returning, he would ride quickly to the market to buy some freshly harvested persimmons for the young master, along with some pine nuts, hazelnuts, and the like, to help him pass the time. The young master would surely be delighted.

Li Yi patted the money pouch in his pocket. He had brought quite a bit of silver with him today, most of which was loot from that "former guard." He didn't feel bad about spending it.

It's much better than having too much money to spend and having to hand it in after completing the task.

Oh, right! Recalling the scene before he left, Li Yi's lips curled up slightly.

Buy more; if the young master can't finish them, share them with those eager little brats in the courtyard.

They'll all be very happy, right?

As he pondered, for some reason, a vague unease suddenly arose in his heart, causing him to unconsciously look back frequently while riding his horse.

He dismounted and arrived at the agreed-upon forest outpost. He handed over the secret report, but to his surprise, the other party did not turn around and disappear as usual after taking the bamboo scroll. Instead, he stood still and made a "follow me" gesture to him.

He felt a slight chill in his heart, and silently followed the other person into the depths of the dense forest.

As he traveled, he could clearly sense several auras lurking in the shadows around him. These were the bodyguards who had received the same training as him, or even his colleagues.

Li Yi's body tensed slightly, and his right hand instinctively reached for the short blade hidden at his waist.

After passing through the forest path, a black carriage suddenly appeared before us. The carriage was not decorated with many patterns or marked with any signs of status, but it exuded a solemn atmosphere.

What surprised him even more was that the person driving the horse was General Meng Wu!

He had seen General Meng Wu from afar once, so he knew his appearance. The person who could drive General Meng Wu's chariot...

Li Yi breathed a sigh of relief, immediately lowered his hands from his waist, and stood up straight.

Meng Wu's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, fell upon Li Yi, scrutinizing him from head to toe. He spoke in a deep voice, not loud, yet carrying the imposing aura of someone seasoned in battle:

"You're the bodyguard who's always with Zhou Wenqing?"

Li Yi immediately clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Reporting to the General, it is indeed your subordinate."

Meng Wu nodded slightly, his expression still serious, but a barely perceptible scrutiny flashed in his eyes: "All the secret reports were submitted by you, including those about 'garlic extract' and 'refined salt'?"

"Yes," Li Yi answered without hesitation, his back ramrod straight. "All of this was seen and heard by my own eyes and ears, and I am reporting the facts."

Meng Wu stared at him for a moment, as if judging the truth of his words, and finally nodded slightly, his tone softening:

"The king is in the carriage. This journey is to visit a wise man. You must lead the way and keep it secret. Do not disturb him in the slightest."

Before Li Yi could process the shock of the "King's personal presence," a calm, deep voice, yet each word as sharp as metal striking the ground, came from inside the carriage:

"lead the way."

That sound...

Li Yi's mind went blank with a sudden "boom," all his thoughts were swept away by the unexpected wave, and his brain was almost completely empty.

Immediately afterwards, a shiver of shock, excitement, and an indescribable sense of glory surged up from my spine and swept through my entire body.

The King... has actually come in person?

For the young master?

His Adam's apple bobbed violently as he forcefully suppressed the surging emotions that threatened to burst from his chest. He knelt heavily on one knee, clasped his hands above his head, and his voice was slightly hoarse from extreme restraint:

"promise!"

Meng Wu had already jumped down from the driver's seat, handed him the reins, and whispered, "You drive the chariot ahead, and I'll ride another horse to bring up the rear."

Li Yi took the reins; they were cold and firm to the touch. He took a deep breath, flipped himself onto the driver's seat, adjusted his breathing, and then gently shook the reins.

As he emerged from the dense forest and drew closer to the village, the unease that lingered in his heart did not dissipate; on the contrary, it intensified with the approaching distance.

This unease reached its peak when they saw a group of children gathered at the village entrance in the distance!

The small figures were squatting by the roadside playing with pebbles when they heard the sound of the carriage and looked up.

"Wow, it's a carriage!" Ah Hua exclaimed first, her eyes wide with surprise. "Whose carriage is it? It's so beautiful!"

"Look at that coachman!" Little Stone pointed at the driver's seat, but Ah Zhu next to him gently patted the back of his hand.

"Don't point at people," Ah-Zhu said in a low voice, with a hint of adult seriousness. "The master said it's impolite. Be careful not to offend someone important, or they'll punish you!"

"But...but..." Little Stone withdrew his hand, hesitatingly whispering, "That looks like Guard Li. Mr. Zhou said that Guard Li never hits people..."

"Guard Li?!" Man Bao immediately stood on tiptoe, straining to see. "It looks...it really is him! Everyone, hurry up and check!"

Upon seeing a familiar face, especially recognizing that it was Guard Li who had given them the candied fruit that morning, the children couldn't contain their curiosity about the carriage and chattered excitedly as they gathered around it.

The village road was too narrow for the carriage to pass through, and then children came forward to greet them. Li hesitated for a moment, but finally gently reined in the carriage.

Almost simultaneously, Meng Wu rode forward and quickly scanned the suddenly appearing little ones. His imposing aura frightened the children so much that they all slammed on the brakes, froze on the spot, and stared wide-eyed, too afraid to move.

Unwilling to frighten the child, Meng Wu turned to the side and whispered his report towards the carriage window:

"Master, the village road is narrow, and the carriage may have difficulty entering."

A moment later, a deep, steady voice came from inside the carriage: "Enter on foot, without disturbing the villagers."

Immediately afterwards, the carriage curtain moved slightly, and a scholar dressed in a plain white Confucian robe with a lean face stepped out of the carriage first. It was Li Si. He stood beside the carriage, respectfully lifted the curtain, and waited quietly with his eyes lowered.

Ying Zheng stepped out of the carriage, dressed in black robes with wide sleeves, his figure as upright as a pine tree. He looked at the simple village before him and asked in a calm voice:

"Is this where Zhou Wenqing lived?"

Li Yi quickly bowed and said, "Yes, Master."

Ying Zheng's gaze swept over the children who stood frozen by the roadside, their eyes wide open and not daring to utter a sound. The coldness on his face softened slightly, and he then looked at Li Si.

Li Si understood, took half a step forward, bowed slightly, and waved gently to the children:

"Don't be afraid, you're all children from this village, right?"

As he spoke, he pulled a small plain cloth pouch from his pocket, grabbed a handful of plump, dried dates, and spread them in his palm with a beaming smile. "Here, have some dates."

Li Si's attitude was exceptionally kind, which lessened the children's fear, but they still looked at each other, hesitant to go forward.

After a moment, Ah Zhu, shoved quietly by his friends, mustered his courage and stepped forward, trying to appear calm as he asked:

"Who...who are you?"

Li Si smiled and pointed to Li Yi beside him: "Don't panic, we're not bad people. You should recognize this Guard Li, right? We are friends of Young Master Zhou, and we've come to visit him today."

He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping gently over the children's faces:

"Could you... perhaps show us the way?"

Ah Zhu glanced at Li Yi, then at the tempting red dates in Li Si's palm, and then stole a glance at the silent, imposing man in black. His little head was racing.

Mr. Zhou's friend... Guard Li is also there... He shouldn't be a bad person, right?

But it's a little scary.

He turned around and huddled with a few friends, whispering a few words to each other before turning back around, puffing out his little chest, and trying to make his voice sound calm:

"We can take you there. But... you're too late."

Ah Zhu paused, looked at the distinguished adults before him, and said earnestly:

"The master has gone on a long trip."

Going on a long trip?!

Li Yi's pupils suddenly contracted, and his heart pounded heavily.

Meng Wu frowned, his expression revealing obvious displeasure.

Ying Zheng's gaze darkened slightly, but his face remained calm as he listened quietly.

Li Si's smile remained unchanged, even becoming more gentle, as he leaned down and asked, "You've gone on a long trip? Do you know when Mr. Zhou left, and which direction he went?"

Ah Zhu shook his head, a hint of reluctance on his face: "We don't know exactly when he left... The master only said that we should wait here for Guard Li and tell him that he doesn't need to look anymore, that the master has gone home and that there are things left for him in the courtyard."

Go home.

Which home should I go back to? South Korea?

How is that possible!

The color drained from Li Yi's face instantly, and even his lips lost their color.

It was clearly after the day he fell ill with a heart ailment that he clearly felt the young master was much closer to him, as if... he had taken him as one of his own.

Not only did she often joke with him, but she also started asking him if he had any relatives at home and what his future plans were. Even when she was joking around, her words were full of concern, and she never ran away from him again, so he felt at ease to go out.

But at this crucial moment, the young master ran away again!

Meng Wu could no longer contain himself and pressed on in a deep voice, "Which direction did he go? How long did he walk?"

The children looked at each other and shook their heads blankly.

"We didn't see the gentleman leave..." Ah-Zhu whispered. "We've been playing at the village entrance the whole time, and we didn't see him leave the village."

Didn't leave the village?!

Li Yi suddenly looked up, his gaze abruptly shifting to the west side of the village—the path leading into the deep mountains.

An idea flashed into my mind like lightning.

The young master did not take the main road at the village entrance.

He went to the back of the mountain.

Almost simultaneously, Ying Zheng's voice rang out, calm and composed, yet undeniably decisive:

"Go to his place."