Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Wang Jian twitched his beard: "An envoy from Zhao? What are you doing here?"

Meng Wu frowned and muttered under his breath, "It can't be anything good. Mr. Wei Liao is so slow in his work. Didn't he say he was going to make trouble for them? Why hasn't he made a move yet?"

If Wei Liao were to hear these words, he would probably cry foul.

The article was written long ago—who arranged for the guesthouses in Yan and Zhao to be so close together?

He was just waiting there, watching the conflict between the two countries escalate, waiting for the Zhao envoy to lose his temper and jump into the main hall.

A group of foreign officials wanted the King of Qin to make a statement; surely the King couldn't be expected to rush to agree?

Who knew these people were cowards, and they didn't dare to go directly to the emperor.

That doesn't matter. They can send a message through a court official; it's a common tactic.

But by some strange twist of fate—they didn't approach the official in charge of receiving foreign officials, who was the easiest to persuade, nor did they approach him, the military commander who was the most likely to be swayed. Instead, they went around in circles and set their sights on Zhou Wenqing.

Whose fault is that?

Zhou Wenqing's eyes flickered, and he said to Li Yi, "Let's lead them into the side hall first, I'll be there shortly."

Li Yi responded and left.

Zhou Wenqing stood up, straightened his robes, and gathered his sleeves before turning to the crowd in the courtyard and giving a slight bow:

"Excuse me, everyone."

Wang Jian raised an eyebrow: "What, you're actually going to see that Zhao envoy?"

Zhou Wenqing waved the visiting cards in his hand; the thick stack looked quite substantial. He smiled and said:

"Since they've come to us, we might as well take advantage of it. If you two generals aren't in a hurry, please have some tea and rest in the courtyard. Wenqing will be right back."

Meng Wu waved his hand and said, "Go ahead, I'll take them back first, so they won't get in your way and affect your performance."

Wang Ben and the others all turned to look at Meng Wu, their eyes filled with dissatisfaction.

What do you mean by "getting in the way"? Do you think they're still three-year-olds, running around and jumping around and getting in the way of important matters?

However, on second thought, it would be good to go back and study these treasures properly, so the group actually followed Meng Wu in an orderly fashion, and surprisingly, they did not cause any trouble.

Holding the wooden box, Meng Yi turned back and grinned at Zhou Wenqing, "Uncle Zhou! If Envoy Zhao dares to bully you, we'll beat him up for you!"

Zhou Wenqing chuckled: "Okay, I'll remember that."

"I..." General Wang Jian pondered for a moment before speaking, "That Zhao envoy must have ill intentions. I am not at ease. You all chat, I will keep watch behind the screen, and I doubt he will dare to act rashly."

Zhou Wenqing did not refuse: "Then I'll have to trouble you, General."

------

When Zhou Wenqing quickly applied some powder to her face and arrived at the side hall in her wheelchair, Envoy Zhao had already been waiting for a long time.

Zhao Shi sat upright in the guest seat, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his posture relatively composed. However, his slightly forward-leaning body and the occasional glance toward the door betrayed his inner anxiety.

Upon hearing the sound of the wheelchair turning, he immediately stood up, a perfectly timed smile spreading across his face.

"The envoy from the Zhao state, a foreign official, met with the Zhou Inner Historian."

Zhou Wenqing waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to be so polite. Li Yi pushed him to the front of the main seat and helped him sit down slowly.

"You flatter me, Your Excellency!" Zhao's envoy quickly bowed. "It is already an offense for an outsider to have come so abruptly and disturbed Your Excellency's rest. However..."

"You flatter me, Your Excellency!" Zhao's envoy quickly waved his hand, his smile perfectly timed. "It is my fault for disturbing Your Excellency's peaceful rest, but..."

He paused slightly, sighed softly, but his gaze kept drifting towards Li Yi. He hesitated several times, his hidden meaning already quite clear.

Zhou Wenqing saw this and frowned.

He only wanted to ask him to say a few good words to the King of Qin and test the king's intentions. Why did he have to be so sneaky and secretive, as if he were plotting a rebellion?

He narrowed his eyes slightly, tapped his fingertips lightly on the armrest, and secretly made plans in his mind.

The probability of Zhao Shi going mad and acting violently is almost zero. Moreover, General Wang is standing behind the screen. Even if Zhao Shi really has some evil intentions, he can't cause any trouble.

It's better to do as he pleases and see what tricks this person is up to.

Zhou Wenqing raised his hand and said to Li Yidao, "You may leave now."

Li Yi nodded silently and retreated. The palace door closed gently, and only then did Zhao's gaze slowly return, his smile deepening.

Zhou Wenqing leaned back in his chair and said calmly, "If Envoy Zhao has something to say, please speak frankly."

Upon hearing this, the Zhao envoy first bowed respectfully and, citing diplomatic relations, began to speak politely:

"This humble subject has been staying in Xianyang. I originally intended to take advantage of Your Majesty's birthday banquet to personally thank King Qin for his magnanimity and to offer my sincere gratitude for the diplomatic relations between Zhao and Qin. However, I have been unable to meet Your Majesty for several days. Today, I humbly request an audience to earnestly ask the Inner Historian to put in a good word for Zhao before Your Majesty."

His humble tone was simply an attempt to probe the King of Qin's attitude through Zhou Wenqing's words.

The opening was pretty much as Zhou Wenqing had expected, and he listened casually.

He naturally agreed, but his easy acceptance made him suspicious, so he had to negotiate a few more times.

Sigh... Mr. Wei Liao and the others have a tough job. They forgot to prepare some tea and snacks for General Wang, lest he fall asleep listening to them.

His thoughts were somewhat wandering, but his smile remained faint as he replied indifferently:

"Zhao and Qin were originally neighboring states. Your Majesty has always valued diplomatic relations and has your own judgment. As a subject, I only know how to follow your orders and cannot speak recklessly about foreign affairs."

Zhao Shi's smile froze slightly, and a flash of anxiety crossed his eyes.

He gritted his teeth, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice even further:

"What the Grand Historian says is true. How could I, an outsider, presume to ask the Grand Historian to go against the Emperor's wishes? However... the Grand Historian is ill, and I, an outsider, have taken the liberty of visiting you. I am truly sorry."

He changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat apologetic:

"Therefore, I have brought some special products from Zhao State to express my sincere feelings. Although they are not worth much, they are the heartfelt gifts of the people of Zhao. I hope that the Minister of the Interior will not find them offensive."

After saying that, Zhao looked up at Zhou Wenqing, his eyes filled with a hint of expectation.

This generous gift was the Zhao envoy's only source of confidence in Xianyang. He didn't believe that anyone would be unmoved by such a valuable gift.

Why are you in such a hurry?

Zhou Wenqing had some doubts.

He had been "resting" in his residence these days, unaware that the Zhao delegation, these unlucky fellows, had already run into obstacles everywhere and had nowhere to retreat. This time, they had come with everything on their hands, fighting a desperate battle.

If they are rejected again, they really won't have time to prepare another gift. How could they not be anxious?!

Zhou Wenqing's gaze swept lightly over the Zhao envoy, his expression remaining unchanged, and his tone still as indifferent as water:

"I appreciate Zhao's good intentions, but Qin law is strict. It is against etiquette for an official to give gifts privately. You must know that people come and go in this alley. As an important official in the court, I must be even more strict with myself."

He paused, his gaze falling on Zhao Shi's face, his tone softening slightly, yet still perfectly impeccable:

"This item... I cannot accept it. Envoy Zhao, you should present it directly to His Majesty. His Majesty will surely be pleased to see the sincerity of your country's friendship."

This statement, while leaving room for interpretation, still conveyed a fairly clear meaning.

It's not safe to transport your "specialty" from the alley. Why not try a different approach? Wait for my message and then secretly give it to me, or you could simply offer it directly to the King. Either way, you'll achieve your goal.

Whether it was his upright and self-possessed demeanor that was too deeply ingrained in people's minds, or whether the Zhao envoy was too impatient due to days of torment, he actually only believed the literal meaning of the words.

Zhao Shi thought he had been rejected, his heart sank, he lowered his eyes, his fingers slowly tightened, his knuckles turned slightly white, and his face became even more gloomy.

A moment later, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, as if he had made up his mind. A familiar smile reappeared on his face. Suddenly, he leaned forward slightly, his voice extremely low, like a chilling wind blowing through the hall:

"The Inner Historian is honest and upright, which I have witnessed firsthand today, but..."

There was a deeper meaning in his smile:

"Some things, once done, cannot be avoided simply by observing etiquette and avoiding suspicion."

threaten? !

Is this a case of not understanding human language, and now they're revealing their true intentions?

Zhou Wenqing's fingertips, which were tapping the armrest, paused slightly.

So this is why they insisted on visiting him instead of others, and deliberately dismissed everyone else!

His eyes suddenly turned cold, and his tone became as firm as iron:

"What exactly did Zhao mean by those words?"

Zhou Wenqing pondered to himself, since he had not had any contact or entanglement with the Zhao state since he entered Qin. What kind of leverage did this Zhao envoy hold that even he himself did not know?

For them to target me so directly and so eagerly, it must be... quite a big deal.

Behind the screen, Wang Jian's spirits lifted, his fingers clenched quietly, and he pricked up his ears.