Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Li Si raised his eyebrows slightly, the curve not large, but it perfectly revealed the knowing amusement in his heart.

He slowly sat back down and leaned back before drawing out his words:

"This is definitely bad news that gives me a headache."

Li Si's gaze seemed to glance at Zhou Wenqing's face almost imperceptibly:

"Especially after seeing these rare treasures with my own eyes, I think anyone who hears such news would probably sigh with regret."

He emphasized the word "anyone," and a slight smile played on his lips:

"Similarly, I doubt anyone could refuse a method that would allow the Craftsmen's Office to accelerate the production of their products—for example, building an academy in our Great Qin to cultivate some of our own trustworthy talents."

At this point, he suddenly seemed to realize something and added in a light tone:

"Oh! You mean—a craftsman."

The last two words were slightly raised at the end, and the unspoken understanding between them, like the aroma of tea, quietly permeated the air between them.

Zhou Wenqing picked up his teacup, and with the act of lowering his head to sip the tea, he hid the smile in the bottom of the cup. The rising steam from the tea blurred his eyebrows and eyes, but it couldn't hide the slight upturn of his eyes.

"That's definitely a good idea."

He sighed, and when he looked up, his expression was one of helplessness:

"But unfortunately, Brother Gu'an, it's not that I'm being arrogant—it's just that the requirements for making these magical, exquisite, and stylish objects in my hands are quite high! The most basic requirement is that they must be literate."

He paused, then added:

"Of course, one must also be able to do arithmetic, and preferably be able to read some books. After all, these are refined things, and if the person who created them has no cultivation whatsoever, wouldn't that be a spoilsport?"

Regardless of whether it is true or not, the blueprints are in his hands anyway, and no one else knows the truth. How to explain it is entirely up to Zhou Wenqing.

"Of course!" Li Si slapped his thigh, his face showing deep agreement. "Such an exquisite object naturally demands high standards from its creator; otherwise, wouldn't that be a waste?"

He spread his hands, his expression of distress even more pronounced than Zhou Wenqing's:

"It's just a pity that few scholars would be willing to take on the role of a craftsman. If this affects the teaching at the academy, delays the completion of the craft, and most importantly, impacts the national treasury's revenue, what will become of us?"

Zhou Wenqing sighed deeply, his brows furrowing even more tightly:

"Then it seems... we have no choice but to ask His Majesty to announce to the world that people should be selected from among the commoners to enter the academy and be taught from scratch."

He leaned back, crossed his arms, and looked like he was "forced into this situation."

"This is certainly not what Wenqing wanted, but who can do it but be forced by circumstances? For the sake of the rare treasures benefiting the people, and even for the sake of the Qin Dynasty, I think that no one in the entire court has any other brilliant ideas."

Upon hearing this, Li Si immediately adopted a solemn and respectful expression, and slammed his hand on the table, declaring:

"Brother Zicheng, rest assured, who would dare to object? Even if they were to cause trouble for our Great Qin and the nation, such a villain might be a spy from one of the six states. They should be invited to the Court of Justice for a talk!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wenqing immediately gave a thumbs up and laughed loudly:

"Then we'll have to rely on the Court of Justice! Hahahaha!"

After their perfectly coordinated charade, both were in high spirits, their laughter echoing in the study, startling a few more snowflakes from the branches outside the window.

"Brother Gu'an, your acting skills are truly remarkable," Zhou Wenqing said with a smile that hadn't faded. "It would be a real shame if you didn't give them a good show in front of those stubborn old folks."

"Brother Zicheng is no less impressive," Li Si said, glancing at him sideways with a mocking tone. "Otherwise, how could you have caught such a big fish back then?"

Recalling Jiang Ziya's fishing analogy, Zhou Wenqing couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head, then quickly composed himself:

"However, not all the officials in the court are short-sighted. Even if the reasons are high-sounding, I'm afraid there will still be people who will try to obstruct us."

"It's alright," Li Si said calmly. "I will privately report this matter to the King. With the King in charge, even if they have complaints, they will have to accept it. In the end, they are just craftsmen. In the eyes of those noble families, they probably look down on them. Why go against the King's wishes for this?"

"A craftsman..." Zhou Wenqing adjusted his collar, his gaze falling on the still-unmelted snow outside the window, a sly smile curving his lips.

"Since we can accommodate artisans, I don't think anyone would object to adding some doctors to the academy."

That's how the bottom line is gradually lowered.

Li Si pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded: "This matter can be brought up together. We should go with the flow. Since those old fogies have tolerated the craftsmen, they will find it difficult to refuse the doctors."

"Hmm." Zhou Wenqing nodded, a smile playing on his lips. "That's excellent. The more branches there are, the larger the academy can become; the larger the academy, the more people it can recruit."

He turned his head and gazed slowly down at Li Si's face:

"However, it seems that not all students are exceptionally talented enough to enter the Imperial Craftsmen's Office or the Imperial Medical Academy. We must select them in batches. What do you think, Brother Gu'an?"

"Think……"

Li Si lightly twirled his fingertips, the movement unhurried, but something was quietly gleaming in his eyes.

He looked up and met Zhou Wenqing's smiling eyes:

"Brother Zicheng's ambitions are truly grand."

It's more than just big.

That's quite large.

Zhou Wenqing had this thought in his mind, but his face remained expressionless.

He knew better than anyone that these blueprints and the academy were just the first step.

Only when the common people of Qin could also learn to read and write would his printing technology truly have a place to be used.

Once the monopoly on books is broken, the world will no longer be a chessboard exclusively controlled by hereditary nobles.

In that time, those poor students who were buried in the shadow of powerful families, those who clearly had great potential but could only bow their heads and bend their backs, will be able to emerge one by one, show their talents, and even shine brightly, thus gaining more influence.

After humble beginnings come commoners, and after commoners come a wider world.

As more and more people become learned and insightful, this institution of learning will no longer be just a place for teaching "techniques".

It can be a ladder, a ferry crossing, or a bridge leading to a fairer situation.

Take it one step at a time, and a virtuous cycle will continue...

The imperial examination system is not far off.

Zhou Wenqing snapped out of his thoughts and turned his gaze back to Li Si's face.

He picked up his teacup, but didn't drink. He just looked at it through the rising steam.

"Then... Brother Gu'an, would you dare to follow?"

Li Si turned his head and gazed leisurely into the distance—the snow had cleared and the sun was shining on the branches, casting a bright white glow.

He did not answer immediately.

The study was quiet for a moment, with only the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire.

Then he looked away and turned to Zhou Wenqing, a slow smile curving his lips.

"Brother Zicheng is probably unaware of this."

His face still wore his usual warm smile, and his voice, though unhurried, carried a weighty depth:

"He also came from a poor family."

As he finished speaking, he slightly raised his chin, his expression carrying a hint of arrogance, yet also a certainty that only those on the same path could understand.

"Most importantly—there's nothing I wouldn't dare to do!"

"Good, Brother Gu'an, you're very straightforward!"

Zhou Wenqing slammed his teacup down with a crisp sound, as if sealing the fate of today's conversation:

"In that case, we should put the academy on the agenda as soon as possible."

A dark glint flashed in Li Si's eyes. He rubbed his fingertips together on his knee twice, then suddenly looked up:

"Then the first step should be to bring those wondrous creations into the world."

A meaningful smile slowly curved his lips: "Speaking of which, Si does know of a brilliant opportunity."

Zhou Wenqing raised an eyebrow slightly, their eyes met, and then they said in unison:

"The King's Birthday Banquet!"