Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Sure enough, Changping Jun changed the subject:

"Your Majesty, I dare to say that this first gift is merely a prelude. The Grand Secretary of Zhou has always been adept at using borrowed items and has come up with ingenious ideas. I imagine that the gifts he has prepared far surpass those of yours. Next, I request that the Grand Secretary of the Imperial Household Department present a gift to Your Majesty."

He stepped aside, raising his hand to gesture towards Zhou Wenqing:

"Zhou Neishi, please."

Zhou Wenqing's smile froze for a moment.

He had just been feeling quite emotional, even regretting that he couldn't lend him a hand.

Now it seems best to just tear this person into 108 pieces!

Although there was no explicit rule, Zhou Wenqing, who had been involved in planning many birthday banquets, knew very well: according to custom, after the Prime Minister presented his gifts, the next one should obviously be the Court of Justice.

Changping Jun's casual remark, "throwing a brick to attract jade," effortlessly changed the order of events and put him in a precarious position.

What, you really want to see me get lifted up and then fall?

That unscrupulous old fox, he only knows how to swindle people in secret!

Perhaps you're worried that your etiquette clashes with that of the Court of Justice, and that you, Brother Gu'an, who considers yourself far superior to the authorities in legal matters, are afraid of being outdone?

That's even more despicable! Isn't that just using me as a comma?!

Zhou Wenqing took a deep breath, his hands on his knees tightened slightly, then slowly relaxed.

The moment he stood up, his face had returned to its usual calm and collected smile, as if nothing had happened.

"You flatter me, Prime Minister. I am unworthy of such praise."

He bowed slightly toward the throne and gestured to the side. Two attendants came forward with a vermilion lacquered wooden tray, on which were arranged three items: an ink stick wrapped in brocade, a dark cylindrical object, and a palm-sized earthenware jar.

Ying Zheng's gaze slowly swept across the plate, and then suddenly locked onto that dark, round cylinder.

Oh?

He unconsciously leaned forward a few degrees, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

This… Minister Zhou didn’t mention it, but there are three treasures he presented, and this one…

Ying Zheng's heart stirred slightly, and he raised his eyes to look at Zhou Wenqing.

Zhou Wenqing also looked over.

Their eyes met, and Zhou Wenqing gave a barely perceptible nod.

really!

Ying Zheng felt much more at ease, and he could hardly suppress the smile on his lips.

Excellent, excellent! As expected of my beloved minister, you have saved the biggest surprise for my birthday banquet!

His gaze lingered on Zhou Wenqing for a moment, his eyes revealing an undisguised satisfaction and contentment.

How fortunate I am to have such a minister with such a mindset!

With you here, my dear minister, I need not say more.

Ying Zheng gently stroked the rim of the wine cup with his fingertips, his posture becoming increasingly relaxed.

"Throwing out a brick to attract jade"... The Prime Minister's words are absolutely true.

He glanced slowly at Changping Jun, the warmth in his eyes fading and replaced by a deep, dark glint.

He simply leaned back gently on his throne, lowered his eyes, smiled, and waited quietly—

Just wait and see how my beloved minister will broaden the horizons of everyone in this hall!

Zhou Wenqing first took the earthenware jar, opened the mouth of the jar, and a sweet fragrance immediately spread out, causing the people nearby to involuntarily sniff.

"This substance is called 'maltose,' made from millet and malt. It is sweet and soothing to the throat, and can replenish vital energy."

He poured out a piece of amber-colored sugar and placed it in a jade dish. "In the cold winter, holding a piece in your mouth can warm you up and ward off the cold. I present this sugar to Your Majesty as a gift—may Your Majesty find it sweet and may your blessings be long-lasting."

The sugar cubes gleamed with a warm, translucent luster in the jade dish, resembling amber carvings.

A low murmur of discussion arose inside the hall.

"Millet?" someone asked in a low voice. "Millet can be cooked into this?"

"Unheard of." The other person shook his head slightly, his gaze shifting from the candy to Zhou Wenqing. "However, Zhou, the Inner Historian, has always been adept at turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, so it's not surprising."

Zhou Wenqing smiled slightly, unaffected, handed the pottery jar to the waiter, and then took the inkstick.

He untied the brocade, revealing a jet-black body with patterns resembling rhinoceros horn. Under the candlelight, the ink gleamed with a faint, serene luster, as calm as jade.

"This ink is called 'Xuan Gui'. It is made by carefully mixing pine soot and deer glue, and then pounding and shaping it."

He held the inkstick in his palm, showing it to everyone, "Grinding it is silent, its ink flows like jade on paper, its color is jet black and glossy, and it will not fade for a hundred years. I present this ink to Your Majesty as a congratulation..."

"May Your Majesty establish an everlasting legacy, a foundation that will never crumble!"

"Good, hahahaha!"

Ying Zheng laughed loudly, his gaze subtly glancing towards Lord Changping:

"What a wonderful saying, 'To establish a legacy for ten thousand generations and a foundation that will never fade.' The Prime Minister is right. Minister Zhou always manages to bring me unexpected surprises."

Changping-kun immediately bowed slightly, his smile becoming even more gentle:

"Zhou, the Prefect, is a man of keen intellect. This inkstick possesses a unique and elegant style, surely a refined object for a scholar's study; this maltose is sweet and warming, then..."

At this point, he felt the king's gaze fixed on him—not too light, not too heavy, yet as if it were real.

He felt a sudden chill run through him, and his face stiffened slightly.

The phrase he had originally prepared, "Even if it costs some food, it's worth it," lingered on his tongue, but he swallowed it back, subtly changing his words to:

"These are both rare treasures. Congratulations, Your Majesty, on acquiring these two precious items!"

That old fox, he's quick to back down.

Zhou Wenqing caught a glimpse of his expression out of the corner of his eye; the curve of his lips remained perfectly still.

"You flatter me, Prime Minister. I am unworthy of such praise." He spoke slowly and gently. "However... what I present to Your Majesty today is not the two treasures."

All eyes fell on the vermilion wooden plate, on which only one item remained: a dark, unremarkable cylinder.

The thing was about the size of a palm, completely black, and covered with neat round holes. At first glance, it looked like something had been pierced through.

"This thing..." He paused, his gaze sweeping across the hall, "is called 'honeycomb briquettes'."

Honeycomb briquettes?

The name was quite strange, and the courtiers exchanged bewildered glances. One of them couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "What is this dark... thing?"

Zhou Wenqing smiled slightly, but instead of answering directly, he turned to the side to gesture.

Two servants carried a small iron stove forward and placed it in the center of the hall.

The stove was no more than half a person's height, completely black, with a square shape. A wire mesh frame was embedded at the stove opening, and a pipe was attached to the side of the stove, extending upwards. Its shape was peculiar, but it looked somewhat ancient and elegant.

Zhou Wenqing placed the honeycomb briquette into the stove, then took the tinder from the waiter, blew on it gently, and the flames leaped up.

He brought the tinder close to the bottom of the coal seam—

"Please take a look, everyone."

A moment later, a wisp of smoke rose from the furnace opening and then disappeared. Immediately afterwards, the honeycomb briquettes in the furnace gradually glowed red, and heat emanated from the furnace walls. Several courtiers who were nearby could even feel the warmth emanating from them.

"This...this thing actually caught fire?"

"This level of popularity is far greater than that of firewood!"

A murmur arose, and several senior officials couldn't help but lean forward to get a better look.

Zhou Wenqing waited patiently until everyone had looked around enough before continuing:

"One of these items can burn for more than an hour, with a uniform and long-lasting flame, and because of the chimney that guides the smoke, the room remains as clean as ever."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the eager eyes in the hall, and the smile on his lips deepened:

"Winter days are long. If you place a stove in your study and burn this coal for warmth, you can read books all night without fear of the cold, and you don't have to worry about the smoke stinging your eyes or the ash staining your books. If you set up a stove in the hall, you can entertain guests without any choking smoke, only warmth."

He raised his eyes, his gaze falling upon the throne:

"I present this to Your Majesty as a gift—may Your Majesty enjoy peace and tranquility in your warm winter chambers, where the hearth burns all day long."

As Zhou Wenqing finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a moment, everyone looking at the throne, waiting for the king to speak.

Ying Zheng's gaze fell on the furnace fire, the red light reflected in his eyes, leaping and flickering, as if something was slowly igniting in his eyes.

A moment later, he smiled.

The smile was faint, yet it conveyed a rare sense of joy.

"What a wonderful saying, 'Though the stove burns all day, it remains quiet and undisturbed.'"

His gaze slowly shifted from the stove fire to Zhou Wenqing, and he clapped his hands in praise, his voice ringing out:

"Having you, my dear Zhou, is truly like a fish finding water!"