Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Zhou Wenqing reacted swiftly, taking a few steps back, his robe tracing a clean arc as he narrowly avoided the spurting blood.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

When this old scoundrel's verbal attacks failed, he resorted to the despicable tactic of "slander." If this was also part of his scheme, then this last gamble was rather pathetic.

Zhou Wenqing lowered his eyes, looking at the person lying on the ground with blood flowing from his lips, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever.

mercy?

He gave a very slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Wang Wan herself had no "pity" in her heart, so why should she waste her sincere feelings on him?

He only coughed up blood, but didn't faint—he was lucky.

but……

He looked away, the smile on his lips almost invisible.

It's more interesting to face your fate with a clear head, isn't it?

As expected, Ying Zheng, seated on his throne, looked down at this scene.

His gaze swept over the bloodstains, landed on Zhou Wenqing's swiftly retreating back, and then shifted to Wang Wan, who lay slumped on the ground, her mouth full of blood. His brow furrowed.

No unnecessary words.

"Someone come here."

The palace doors swung open, and armored soldiers filed in, the candlelight flickering on their armor, casting a chilling, menacing glow.

He gave the order:

"Drag Wang Wan away and throw her into the death row; punish her severely according to the law!"

He said, word by word:

"His crime is unforgivable."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Zhou Wenqing and the others immediately cupped their hands in greeting.

"Haha, hahahahahaha—!"

The moment Wang Wan was lifted up by the armored soldiers, he suddenly looked up and burst into laughter.

The candlelight flickered and danced, startled by the laughter. In the flickering light, the blood-stained old face appeared even more grotesque and terrifying.

He was dragged backward, his feet carving two messy, wet tracks into the gold bricks. He staggered, almost unable to stand, but his eyes—those scarlet, bloodshot eyes—were fixed on Zhou Wenqing, unblinking.

"Zhou Wenqing, you think you've won?!"

He was dragged across the palace gate, the threshold digging into him and causing him to stumble, yet he still roared, using his last ounce of strength:

"You've severed ties with my Wang family, and tomorrow someone will destroy your foundation. Do you think they'll let you off the hook?!"

"I'll be waiting for you underground!"

"You must not..."

Before he could finish speaking, a soldier raised his hand and struck him on the back of the neck.

The hoarse curse came to an abrupt end.

Wang Wan's head drooped limply, like a puppet whose strings had finally been broken, as the soldiers dragged her into the deep night.

The palace doors slowly closed.

Zhou Wenqing stood there, looking at the door that had already been closed.

Won't you leave me alone?

A faint hint of coldness flashed across his eyes.

That would be perfect, it would be a good opportunity to expose people like you, saving me the trouble of searching for them one by one.

The candlelight flickered beside him, casting his slender shadow long and short.

I originally wanted to wait a little longer, at least until this winter was over.

But now it seems that some people can't wait.

Rather than waiting for the knife to fall, you might as well flip the table yourself first.

------

This year's snow was indeed heavier than in previous years.

One snowstorm followed another, a vast expanse of white, without a break. Icicles hung from the eaves of Xianyang City, the blue tiles were lowered by the weight of the snow, and even the tree branches bent over. When the wind blew, fine snowflakes fell in a soft rustling sound.

Fortunately, the national treasury is surprisingly full, and every penny of the funds allocated by Zhou Wenqing has been used effectively. Those families who could only grit their teeth and endure hardship in previous years finally have hope this year.

The shock of losing a head was more effective than any proclamation. Those who had previously paid lip service but secretly sabotaged the project disappeared overnight. Following the example set by the top, the implementation of the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) proceeded more smoothly than ever before, which greatly helped Fusu.

However, he was never idle. He led his people from house to house. Once the heated brick bed was built, he would inspect the house. If the house was habitable, he would inspect the foundation. If the foundation had cracks, he would bring craftsmen to reinforce it. If there were elderly, weak, sick, or disabled people in the family, he would ask them a few more questions and keep all the minor difficulties in mind.

After Ah Zhu had been running alongside for so long, it seemed that Zhou Wenqing no longer needed to worry about the height issue.

Perhaps the child had improved his nutrition, as he had grown taller and stronger, and his skin had darkened considerably. He used to be able to follow behind Fusu and help hand things over, but now he could stand on his own—checking accounts, recording materials and labor, and verifying rosters, all with remarkable skill.

Fusu would ask questions from the front, and he would take notes from the back; Fusu would look at the houses, and he would look at the manpower; the two of them, one in front and one behind, cooperated more and more tacitly.

In the wind and snow, the two boys walked back and forth, making sure to visit every household in the suburbs of Xianyang.

Back at the mansion, there were still stacks of official documents waiting for him.

The reports from local officials on the investigation and construction progress were laid out on the table, piled high.

Fusu sat on the left, reviewing each document, marking and annotating them; Azhu sat on the right, helping to check the numbers and copy and organize them.

They would occasionally look up and exchange glances, without saying a word. Just by exchanging a look, they would know which prefecture was progressing slowly, which county magistrate was not doing his job properly, and which household's situation needed to be verified.

If the two children are this busy, you can only imagine how busy the adults are.

In the Qin state, not all the people of Qian had houses to shelter them.

Outside the city, in the wilderness, one shack after another was erected, simple frames covered with dry grass and rags, crammed together like mushrooms growing out of thin air in the snow.

Thick, dry, and fluffy straw mats were laid in the shed. Although simple, they kept the frozen, hard earth beneath them at bay. The straw curtains divided the shed into small rooms, each big enough for three to five people to squeeze in. At night, they would lean back to back, their body heat mingling together, which was enough to help them get through the long night.

The snow was still falling, swirling and fluttering, landing on the rooftops, on shoulders, and on the chapped backs of hands.

But in those shacks, there was a little warmth, a little light, and a little hope of getting through the winter.

If one can live, then one more can live.

Days passed by like this, the snow melted and fell again, fell and melted again.

Another day off.

Zhou Wenqing, enjoying a rare moment of leisure, was nestled in his study, perusing various reports. A pot of hot tea was simmering beside him, its aroma wafting through the air. Occasionally, the chirping of birds drifted in from outside the window—the snow had stopped, and the sky had finally cleared.

He had just picked up the teacup, and hadn't even had a chance to bring it to his lips—

"Zicheng! Brother Zicheng!"

Li Si's voice boomed from the courtyard gate all the way to the study; his voice arrived before he did.

The door was pushed open, and Li Si strode in. The corner of his robe stirred up a gust of wind, making the several papers on the table rustle. One paper fluttered to the ground, but he didn't care. He went straight to the table, grabbed another teacup, and tilted his head back to drink it.

"Wait, it's hot, it's hot! It was just poured!"

Zhou Wenqing's lips twitched as he watched, wanting to stop them, but it was too late.

Li Si took a large gulp, his face contorted in pain from the heat, but he stubbornly forced it down, then exhaled a long breath of hot air and wiped his mouth.

"Hiss—it's alright, not too hot!"

Zhou Wenqing's eyes twitched as he looked at him, and he tentatively asked, "Brother Gu'an, are you alright? Have you been too busy lately? Why don't you go back and rest first, and we'll meet again tomorrow..."

"Tomorrow?" Li Si waved his hand and plopped down opposite him. "I'm even less available tomorrow. I have a ton of things to do. I'm already squeezing out this half hour!"

He leaned forward, his bloodshot eyes staring straight at Zhou Wenqing, the blood vessels in his eyes frighteningly prominent.

"Brother Zicheng, what brings you here today? Tell me quickly!"

Zhou Wenqing looked at the two obvious dark circles under his eyes and silently swallowed the teasing words that were on the tip of his tongue.

It must be said that ever since Li Si was appointed as the Minister of Justice and promoted, his enthusiasm for work has become increasingly intense—or rather, increasingly frenzied.

Before, at least I knew when I was tired or sleepy, and I would run over to him to relax in a recliner. But now, I'm like a wound-up toy. My eyes are dark and bloodshot, but I have more energy than anyone else. I'm like a tireless human spinning top.

Although he hoped Li Si would be brought to justice, he certainly didn't want him to be dragged to the Western Paradise!

Zhou Wenqing looked at him, her brows furrowing little by little.

He pushed the pile of manuscripts aside, not in a hurry to get down to business. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and stared directly at Li Si's face, his tone carrying a hint of scrutiny.

"Brother Gu'an, tell me honestly, how long has it been since you last slept? Has the imperial physician taken your pulse recently?"

Li Si was taken aback by his sudden question, then waved his hand and put on a smile:

"It's alright, it's alright! I'm perfectly fine, don't worry! After this busy period is over, we'll rest together and catch up on all the sleep we've missed!"

As he spoke, he leaned forward again, glancing at the sheet of paper that had been pushed aside:

"Let's get down to business! What new thing have you made this time?"