Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

As soon as those three words were uttered, a barely perceptible commotion arose in the hall. Some people quietly raised their heads, exchanged a quick glance, and then hurriedly bowed down again.

The King of Han's brows relaxed slightly, then quickly furrowed again. A fleeting look of disgust crossed his face, but he still appeared as impatient as ever.

Han Fei.

He silently repeated the name in his mind.

That royal prince who speaks too bluntly, every word he says is piercing.

Every time he saw him, King Han felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, as if his words were like knives, cutting away his carefully maintained facade and revealing the indecisive, cowardly, and incompetent person beneath.

He knew in his heart that Han Fei was a man of great learning.

It is precisely because I understand this that I am even less willing to see them.

That subtle jealousy, like a worm, crawled in my heart, making me restless.

He respected his talent but disliked his words; he feared his reputation but abandoned him; he neither gave him important positions nor offended him, leaving him like a useless treasured sword, letting it gather dust and rust, out of sight, out of mind.

But now—

The letter from the Qin envoy, which had not yet been circulated among the officials, clearly stated the demand for Han Fei.

The King of Han was eager to send the person over, so that he could not only get rid of this hot potato, but also quell some of the trouble for Han.

But since he was a member of the royal family, it was impossible to say in front of the entire court, "Send him away to appease Qin's anger."

Where will the royal family's reputation be?

Just as he was wondering how to start the conversation, Han Chen offered him a way out.

Let Han Fei, this "gift," go and guard the delivery of the "gift."

Isn't this perfect?

The King of Han's mind raced with calculations, but his face remained impassive.

He raised his eyes, his gaze falling on Han Chen's respectful old face, his brows still furrowed, his tone carrying a hint of displeasure:

"Why do you say that, my dear minister?"

"Your Majesty is wise. Although Prince Fei has a speech impediment, his talent and learning are unparalleled in Han. He is well-versed in criminal law and has studied under Xunzi alongside Li Si. His familiarity with the Qin court far surpasses that of others. On his journey to Xianyang, he will not only have to deal with the Qin court's questioning but also appease the people's hearts. Both in terms of reason and emotion, Prince Fei is the most suitable candidate."

The King of Han remained silent for a moment.

He lowered his eyes, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest, the "tap-tap" sound particularly clear in the silent hall.

The officials kneeling on the ground all strained to hear, but dared not look up.

After a long silence, the King of Han finally spoke, his voice tinged with reluctance:

"Young Master Fei... does indeed have some talent, but with his temperament, we must hope he doesn't offend anyone in Qin."

Han Chen quickly replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured, although Gongzi Fei is straightforward, he knows what is important. This mission concerns the safety of Han, and he will certainly be careful in his words and actions."

"Very well." King Han waved his hand. "Then let him go. Summon Prince Fei to the palace. I need to give him a few words of instruction in person."

"promise!"

------

The whole city knew that Zhou Wenqing was "seriously injured and in a coma".

The news spread like wildfire, and what everyone could see was that the Imperial Medical Bureau was indeed sending a large number of people to the Zhou residence, including several elderly doctors with white hair. The King even sent people to inquire about the situation, and precious medicinal herbs and tonics were flowing into the Zhou residence like a stream.

In the imperial court, those old foxes initially didn't believe it. Some even found Li Si's "first version" of the rumor. They were originally certain that although Zhou Wenqing's heart disease had relapsed, it was not serious. But now they were not so sure.

So... just how badly was it injured?

The old foxes were filled with doubt, and no one dared to make a definitive statement.

Thus, the entire court reached a tacit understanding—it was reasonable for Zhou Neishi to be absent from court due to illness, and no one dared to disturb him at will.

Zhou Wenqing could be said to have turned misfortune into blessing, as he gained a few days of leisure.

No need to attend court or receive guests. He can sleep until he naturally wakes up every day, then bask in the sun in the courtyard, drink tea, read books, and occasionally tease Fusu and Azhu who come to visit.

The most ingenious thing is that the Department of Hundreds of Items, under the pretext of a shortage of craftsmen, limited the sale of ink sticks, folding fans and the like, taking the scarcity marketing to the extreme, and yet no one dared to cause trouble - after all, Zhou Neishi was "like that", who would have the nerve to come and urge delivery?

If you accidentally kill someone right in front of you, you'll be left with no one to blame but yourself in the face of the king's wrath.

Unfortunately, the promised month of staying home and enjoying this leisurely life only lasted seven days before Zhou Wenqing had to put the production of the wheelchair back on the agenda, preparing to reappear in front of everyone.

The reason is simple: time waits for no one.

The administration of the Inner History Temple could not be delayed, so he sent everyone back to his residence to handle them. Zhou Wenqing was really worried. The Department of Hundreds of Items had also urged him eight hundred times. If he continued to be "unconscious," he was afraid that trouble would arise.

Most importantly, Li Si... is about to collapse.

On his way home from court, he scrambled past his colleagues and practically crawled into the gates of the Zhou residence.

When he looked up and saw the plaque that read "Zhou Mansion," his eyes welled up with tears, and he almost burst into tears on the spot.

We finally escaped!

He looked down at himself with lingering fear. His sleeves were wrinkled, his collar was askew, and his belt was half-loose. He looked like prey that had just escaped from a pack of hungry wolves.

"You beast!"

He let out a mournful howl and staggered into the courtyard.

"Brother Zicheng, please stop lying there! Help me!"

Li Si, with snot and tears streaming down his face, plopped down next to Zhou Wenqing in his rocking chair and clung to his sleeve.

"Brother Zicheng, please think of a way to 'wake up'! I was wrong, I was really wrong. Do you know what it feels like to be fleeing from court every day? First, you have to get around those smiling old foxes, and then break through a group of bearded, burly men who are chasing and blocking your way?"

"I know!"

Zhou Wenqing looked disgusted and frantically tried to back away, desperately pulling his sleeve back:

"You know that, so be it! Speak properly! My sleeve, my sleeve!!!"

He stared at the unidentified liquid that was about to rub against him, and he felt a chill run down his spine.

"If you wipe your snot on it, I really, I promise I'll stay in a 'coma' for another month!"

Li Si sat up abruptly, his eyes flashing with an alarming light:

"Will you 'wake up' if I don't put it on your body?"

Zhou Wenqing's lips twitched.

This was the first time he had ever seen Li Si in such a wonderful mental state.

It seems that even the King of Scrolls has a time when it completely collapses and can no longer be rolled.

Li Si stared blankly at the clouds on the horizon, looking like a salted fish that had been drained of all its moisture.

His biggest regret now is that he ordered people to spread rumors.

I really want to jump back in time and give that version of myself who stayed up all night writing articles and slammed my fist on the table shouting "The wider the spread, the better!" a good beating.

Now, things are really messed up. As a high-ranking official, he is besieged by civil officials and blocked by military generals every day. Not only can he not go home, but he also has to deal with mountains of government affairs that make him lose his hair.

The simplified Chinese characters had just been promulgated, and he was overwhelmed with countless tasks to sort out. He was so busy every day that he was dizzy and his feet barely touched the ground. When he turned around, he saw Zhou Wenqing leisurely lying in the yard, basking in the sun.

Every time Li Si caught a glimpse of this scene, he wanted to roar to the heavens:

What kind of mess have I made?!

Thus, Zhou Wenqing's recuperation trip was brought forward by Li Si's "wailing".

He sat in a wheelchair and decided to make his first public appearance since recovering from his serious injuries at the morning court the next day.

The patience of the civil and military officials has almost worn off.

It's time to put the establishment of an academic institution on the agenda.