Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

"Yes, in fact, I don't need your guarantee; I believe they will be snapped up."

Zhou Wenqing said with a smile, lightly tapping the stack of drawings with her fingertip:

"To be honest, even in winter, I am very interested in changing my folding fan every day."

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Li Si's eyes lit up. "Brother Zicheng, hurry up and get the craftsmen to make it! Blueprints alone aren't enough!"

"Brother Zicheng, you should know best that the national treasury has been spending too much lately. If it weren't for the large amount of revenue we received earlier, someone in the court would have already raised objections."

He paused, then leaned forward half a foot more mysteriously and lowered his voice, saying:

"And there's Mr. Wei Liao—he's actually been holding onto a military strategy plan, which Your Majesty and I have both reviewed privately, and it's truly ingenious! However, it's extremely costly, so he originally planned to wait until after this winter, when the financial pressure had eased a bit, before telling you about it."

He stared into Zhou Wenqing's eyes, unable to contain his excitement: "But with these, things will be different!"

Mr. Wei Liao? Military strategy plan?

Zhou Wenqing's hand holding the teacup suddenly paused.

Oh, right!

Money flows in from all directions!

Using money as a weapon, they sowed discord among the rulers and ministers of the six states; they bribed powerful officials and created internal strife; causing them to weaken each other and disintegrate from within.

Wei Liao's plan was arguably the most secretive weapon in the hands of the King of Qin. Countless cities surrendered without a fight, and many enemy states collapsed without being attacked. Behind all of this was the shadow of this group of secret envoys.

How could he have forgotten about that!

If this causes a delay...

hiss--!

Now it was Zhou Wenqing's turn to be agitated. He sat up straight with a "whoosh," his movements so fast that even the heater next to his feet shook with a "clatter," almost being kicked away by him.

He slammed the teacup down on the table, ignoring the spilled tea, grabbed Li Si's sleeve, and stood up to leave.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner, Master Wei Liao? No matter how large the national treasury expenditures are, we can't let military strategy be delayed! Quickly, Brother Gu'an, come with me to find Master Wei Liao, and then we'll have an audience with the King!"

"Hey, Zicheng! Calm down! Calm down!"

Li Si subconsciously stood up, but was pulled and stumbled. He hurriedly steadied himself, but couldn't help but secretly curl up the corners of his mouth.

He grabbed Zhou Wenqing by the back of his hand and forcefully pulled him back:

"I haven't finished speaking yet, Brother Zicheng, aren't you getting impatient? How could His Majesty possibly delay such an important matter? Calm down, stay calm—"

"Um?"

Zhou Wenqing turned around blankly, still clutching the sleeve in his hand.

Li Si's gaze swept over his face, admiring the identical expression he had just worn in his own frantic rage. Then, he straightened his askew robe, dusted off the dust from the hem, and slowly added:

"Although it was not drawn from the national treasury, Your Majesty has already replenished it from your private treasury, so there will be no delay. You can rest assured."

Zhou Wenqing was stunned.

He looked down at his hand, which was still clutching Li Si's sleeve, and then looked up at Li Si's smiling face, which seemed to be "as gentle as a spring breeze."

"Brother Gu'an—"

He released his grip, took a half-step back, narrowed his eyes slightly, and spoke slowly and deliberately:

"You did it on purpose!"

"Ahem!" Li Si cleared his throat, spreading his hands innocently. "How could that be? I only said I was a little slow. It was Zi Cheng who was too fast. How can you blame me? It's truly an injustice..."

Noticing Zhou Wenqing's increasingly subtle gaze, Li Si's voice trailed off as he shrank back, a hint of guilt in his tone. He quickly added:

"I really didn't expect Zicheng to be in such a hurry, really! Brother Zicheng... you're not angry, are you?"

Okay, okay! Is this how you play it?

Zhou Wenqing gritted his teeth, and suddenly a bright smile bloomed on his face.

That smile was gentle and refined, like a spring breeze, so warm it seemed to melt the snow outside the window, yet it sent a chill down Li Si's spine.

"Of course not." Zhou Wenqing walked back with a smile, plopped back down in his original seat, and even waved to Li Si considerately.

"Why would I be angry? Come, come, Brother Gu'an, sit down. We haven't finished talking about serious matters yet, let's continue."

Li Si: "..."

It seems like I've dug a huge hole for myself.

He forced himself to sit down, his bottom barely touching the cushion, his eyes darting warily toward Zhou Wenqing's face, looking as if he were ready to run away at any moment.

Zhou Wenqing, however, acted as if nothing had happened, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and spoke calmly:

"Alright, enough of the small talk, let's get down to business. Brother Gu'an, regarding those things we just mentioned—umbrellas, fans, ink, soap, candles, and candy—which do you think will sell the best once the blueprints are finalized?"

Seeing that he was really talking about serious business, Li Si felt a little relieved and leaned back in his chair.

In my opinion, they should be about the same.

He squinted, his fingers tapping lightly on his knee. "But if we're going to talk about it in detail, umbrellas, fans, ink, and soap are the four things that deserve the most careful management."

Zhou Wenqing nodded, placed the teacup back on the table, leaned forward slightly, and adopted a listening posture: "Hmm, Brother Gu'an is right. And then?"

"And then?" Li Si raised an eyebrow. "Then, naturally, it's the same old routine of selling fine paper and salt. We're already very familiar with it. We sell them in different grades, with high and low options. We can handle all four of these things in the same way."

He leaned forward and lightly tapped his finger on the table:

"Take those folding fans, for example. The best ones are made with Xiangfei bamboo and sandalwood as the frame, with poems and paintings inscribed on the fan surface by famous artists. They are adorned with jade pendants and silk ribbons, and are stored in brocade boxes and tied with colorful silk. This item is not for catching a breeze or cooling oneself, but rather for flaunting elegance. How could the sons of noble families not flock to it and spend lavishly on it?"

Zhou Wenqing nodded repeatedly as he listened, and then added, "And what about the inferior ones?"

"Inferior quality?" Li Si's lips curled into a smile. "It's made of bamboo with a plain surface, printed with a few lines of poetry. It makes a clear sound when it's opened and closed. Even if an ordinary scholar can't afford a high-quality one, he can still own one. When he goes out to meet friends and someone asks about it, he can stand up straight and say, 'This is a new product from the Department of All Things, a limited edition item. Don't you know?'"

"Brilliant!" Zhou Wenqing slapped his thigh, his face full of admiration. "Brother Gu'an's thinking is so thorough; no wonder he can manage the Department of All Things so well!"

"Of course!" Li Si, flattered by his praise, became even more excited. "The ink sticks will be even more effective this way!"

"Brother Zicheng, you have no idea how obsessed those scholars are with fine ink. Many of them are even high-ranking officials in the court! Nowadays, they can argue fiercely over inkstones and ink horns; but if they were to obtain a truly fine ink, as hard as stone, as black as lacquer, with patterns like rhinoceros horn, grinding it silently, and letting it flow like jade onto paper—they would fight tooth and nail for it!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, as if he could already see that magnificent scene:

"I'm afraid that once the news gets out, they'll have to line up outside the Department Store overnight, from dusk till dawn, and from dawn till dusk!"

Li Si couldn't help but rub his hands together, his "King of Curves" nature stirring within him, his eyes fixed intently on Zhou Wenqing:

"When the national treasury is full, the hegemony can be achieved, and these will be huge achievements! Brother Zicheng, give me a definite answer: when can the Craftsmanship Bureau start construction? When will these things be completed? I will go to the Department of Items to allocate the warehouses, and as soon as these items are completed, they can be put into use immediately!"

Zhou Wenqing listened with a smile, then slowly put down his teacup.

"Brother Gu'an, please calm down."

He raised his eyes, his gaze gently landing on Li Si's face, which was etched with excitement, and then—

He spread his hands.

"Although I really want to turn these drawings into physical objects as soon as possible, Wenqing is simply powerless to do so!"

"Powerless?!"

Li Si shouted in disbelief, his hands gripping the table, his eyes wide, his breathing becoming heavier:

"What do you mean by 'powerless'?! Brother Zicheng! You...you're not...you're not..."

As he spoke, he suddenly met Zhou Wenqing's eyes, which seemed to be smiling but were not, and a cunning glint flashed in them.

Li Si's voice stopped abruptly, and he suddenly realized what was happening, feeling both amused and exasperated.

So this is where I, Li, was waiting.

Li Si could only sigh deeply and, feigning politeness, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture:

"Brother Zicheng, Si has admitted defeat. Don't try to play tricks on me. Speak quickly..."

Seeing this, Zhou Wenqing laughed and helped him up.

"Alright, enough joking around. Brother Gu'an, you're not angry, are you?"

Li Si rolled his eyes in annoyance: "Even if you're angry, wait until you finish speaking before you get angry!"

The two looked at each other and burst out laughing at the same time.

After laughing, Zhou Wenqing composed himself and said seriously, "However, this time it's not a joke to my brother. I'm truly powerless. There aren't enough craftsmen, and I'm afraid the products we can make will not be sustainable."

The tacit understanding between Li Si and Zhou Wenqing seemed to have returned. He stopped flailing his feet and simply leaned back in his chair, squinting at Zhou Wenqing:

"So, Zicheng, what are your plans?"

Zhou Wenqing sighed dramatically, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Of course we need to recruit more people because we are short-handed. But if we accidentally recruit spies from the six kingdoms to such a crucial place as the Craftsman's Office, it will be a real problem. We must be extremely careful and proceed with utmost caution."

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table: "But every day we lack manpower, we will run out of those exquisite items. Not only will those who see them be itching to get them, but the national treasury will not be replenished. This is a serious matter... Alas, it's truly a headache!"