Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Zhou Wenqing lifted the carriage curtain, but before he could even speak, he felt extremely uncomfortable under that gaze.

"Is the old general... getting impatient?"

"What's the rush?" Wang Jian waved his hand, but his smile deepened. "I was worried that the snow on the road hadn't melted and that your carriage might get stuck, so I came out to meet you."

As he spoke, he glanced at the back of the carriage again, his eyes brimming with anticipation.

"That's true." Zhou Wenqing deliberately dragged out the last syllable as he slowly stepped down from the carriage. "After all, ten jars of wine are quite heavy, and it could easily cause the carriage to get stuck..."

"That is, if there is even a single patch of snow on the road."

This is the main road of Xianyang. Not to mention that the snow has melted into water long ago after several days of sunny weather, even if there was a layer of ice, it should have been cleared away by the guards, and there wouldn't be a single ice shard left.

Wang Jian's thoughts were exposed, but he was not angry. Instead, he laughed heartily.

"Zicheng's mouth is getting sharper and sharper. Come on, come on, it's cold outside, let's get off the bus."

Zhou Wenqing smiled and shook his head, lifted the carriage curtain and jumped down. Before he could give any orders, General Wang Jian had already impatiently gone around to the back of the supply wagon. When he saw the wagon full of wine jars, his eyes lit up.

"Brother Zicheng truly keeps his word!"

He picked up a large wine jar in each hand, glanced at the remaining jars, and gestured with his chin toward the guards at the gate:

"What are you standing there for? Come and move them! Move the rest inside, not a single jar can be missing!"

Two soldiers stepped forward in response, each carrying a jar with swift movements.

Wang Jian nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Zhou Wenqing and gestured with his chin:

"Come on! Follow me inside."

Zhou Wenqing naturally followed behind him, and the two walked into the mansion one after the other. As soon as they stepped over the threshold, Wang Jian turned his head, his tone tinged with smugness:

"Zicheng, your invitation today is perfectly timed. The military exercise just ended yesterday, and I've prepared a banquet this afternoon to properly reward my men. Since you're here, why don't you join in the fun?"

Zhou Wenqing paused slightly, a hint of surprise appearing on his face:

"Oh? What a coincidence! But it's not quite right for Wenqing, an outsider, to participate in this banquet with all the generals, is it?"

"An outsider?" Wang Jian turned to look at him, chuckled, and teased, "Zicheng even brought wine, so sincerely. Those few alcoholic wolves are probably too busy welcoming him to wait. What's wrong with that?"

Zhou Wenqing thought about it again and realized that this was indeed an opportunity. Moreover, it was rare for him to interact with military leaders on a regular basis, so it would be good to get to know them through this opportunity.

"In that case, it would be impolite of Wenqing to refuse."

"Alright, alright, alright, I like that about Zicheng—his straightforwardness!"

The two stepped into the courtyard one after the other.

The courtyard was indeed bustling with activity—several servants carrying bowls and plates hurried through the corridor, while at the other end someone was setting up tables and chairs, and two servants were squatting in the corner, adding new charcoal to the brazier, sparks crackling and leaping upwards. Several newly replaced lanterns hung under the eaves, their red glow swaying gently in the wind.

Wang Jian walked in with his hands behind his back, occasionally nodding or humming to his busy servants, as if to say, "This general is in a very good mood."

As soon as Zhou Wenqing stepped into the main hall, he glanced around and saw that the seats had been prepared. It was not yet time, and there were only a few people inside, but the back view looked particularly familiar.

It was General Meng Wu, sitting there with an imposing air. Not far away, Zhang Han and several young men of similar age were huddled together, heads close together, whispering something, occasionally letting out a few suppressed laughs.

Hearing footsteps, Meng Wu looked up and immediately spotted Zhou Wenqing following behind Wang Jian.

He paused for a moment, then stood up with a smile:

"General Wang, you're quite the sly one! You invited Brother Zicheng here without even a word, leaving me no chance to go out and greet you!"

Wang Jian was delighted by his shout, stroking his beard with a smug look on his face.

"What are you welcoming me for? Don't you know whose territory this is? We're already being generous by giving you a drink!"

"Hey, what kind of talk is that? I was invited!" Meng Wu curled his lip in disdain. "Really... I can't be bothered arguing with you!"

His gaze fell on the two jars of wine in Wang Jian's hands, and then he glanced back and saw several soldiers following behind, each carrying several jars. His eyes lit up instantly.

"Brother Zicheng even brought wine? It must be fine wine! No wonder we haven't had a feast yet, so this is what we've been waiting for! Quick, quick, open it all, let me have a taste first!"

He reached out to take it.

Wang Jian quickly dodged to the side, protectively pulling the two jars of wine closer to his chest: "Hey, hey, you've already opened them? Where do you get the nerve? You're really dreaming!"

He glared at Meng Wu and said righteously, "Let me tell you, this wine was specially given to me by Zicheng! You old bastard, you're only getting a sip today because you're lucky, don't you understand?"

Meng Wu was amused by his appearance: "Fine, fine, I'll take advantage of you. Open it first!"

The two were arguing when Zhang Han and his companions stood up and quickly walked over.

Zhang Han, needless to say, was someone Zhou Wenqing had recruited, so he was very familiar with him. However, he was not very familiar with the young men around him. They were all tall and straight with clear eyes, and it was obvious that they were good talents brought up by the army.

Zhou Wenqing subtly observed him, a vague guess forming in his mind.

Sure enough, the next second, Meng Wu grabbed a tall, slender young man next to him, his tone tinged with smugness:

"Brother Zicheng, this is my eldest son, Meng Tian."

He waved his hand behind him, and another handsome young man came forward. "This is the second brother, Meng Yi. The two good-for-nothings are out here today to broaden their horizons."

Meng Tian stood tall and straight, and his features already hinted at his father's. When he clasped his hands in a salute, he did so with great force: "This humble one greets Inner Historian Zhou. I have long admired your esteemed name."

Meng Yi was still quite young, and his smile carried a youthful liveliness. His bright eyes looked at Zhou Wenqing: "Greetings, Minister Zhou. I heard from my father that you have many novelties. Could I visit your residence sometime to see them?"

Meng Wu slapped him on the back of the head: "You have no manners!"

Zhou Wenqing smiled and waved his hand: "No problem, you're welcome anytime."

Wang Jian, unable to bear it any longer, cleared his throat, shoved the two jars of wine into the arms of the soldier beside him, and patted his son on the shoulder: "Zicheng, this is my good-for-nothing son. You should have met him before."

Wang Ben stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute, and said crisply, "Greetings, Minister Zhou."

Indeed, I have seen him. Zhou Wenqing often walks around the palace, and I can occasionally catch a glimpse of him leading troops on patrol, but we have never met face to face.

He nodded slightly and returned the greeting with a smile: "Captain Wang."

Wang Jian patted his son's shoulder again, so hard that Wang Ben swayed: "What captain? Zicheng, no need to be so polite. This kid is still too green."

Zhou Wenqing nodded with a smile, his gaze shifting from Wang Ben to the Meng brothers, Meng Tian and Meng Yi, before finally settling on Zhang Han's familiar face.

These people in front of us will all be pillars of the Qin Dynasty in the future, meritorious officials!

Wang Ben, who would one day join his father in destroying Zhao and pacifying Yan; Meng Tian, ​​who would later drive the Xiongnu north and become a force to be reckoned with; Meng Yi, who would be upright and incorruptible, and rise to the rank of high minister…

They're all still too green. One was being swayed by his father's pats, another was being patted on the back of the head, and the third stood obediently to the side.

As Zhou Wenqing thought about it, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.

It has to be said that this is where the advantage of being brothers with the older generation really comes into play – the eldest, Wang Ben, is not much younger than him now, but there is a generational difference between them.

When these people achieve success and fame, they will still have to respectfully address him as "Uncle Shi" when they see him.

...This feeling is quite wonderful.