Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Oh no, oh no, I've messed up!

General Wang's heart skipped a beat, realizing something was wrong. He quickly and stealthily pulled his leg back, shrinking behind the screen, covering his mouth and barely daring to breathe, afraid of making any more noise.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

Zhao Shi's ears twitched; he had already sensed something amiss. Alertly, he slowly turned his head, his gaze about to sweep towards the screen—

"How dare you!"

A furious shout, like a thunderclap, resounded in the hall. It was Zhou Wenqing who had launched the first attack!

At that critical moment, his hand moved faster than his brain; he grabbed something, swung it around, and smashed it out.

It struck Zhao's forehead precisely, just as he was about to turn away.

"Bang!"

The sound was crisp, like striking a wooden fish, indicating the force used.

Zhao Shi was jolted, his vision suddenly went black, a gust of wind rushed towards him, and then his forehead felt as if it had been burned by a red-hot iron bar, and a sharp pain struck him.

"Well……"

His previously poised and ready momentum came to an abrupt halt. He let out a muffled groan, staggered a few times, and instinctively covered his forehead with his hands.

As my fingertip touched it, a warm, sticky, bright red stain instantly stained my fingertip.

—There's bleeding.

An eerie silence instantly fell over the hall.

Zhao was completely dumbfounded.

He stood up, looking completely bewildered, and shook his dizzy head, his whole being in a state of extreme confusion.

Who am I? Where am I? Who dares to do this? What just happened?

Zhou Wenqing was also stunned.

Oops, I used too much force!

What was that thing I just threw out? It's so hard, it couldn't have been a paperweight, could it?

Gollum-

A rolling sound broke the silence.

The "weapon" rolled a few times on the ground, slowing down as it rolled, and finally came to a stop with a soft "thud" as it bumped against the wall.

Upon hearing the sound, Zhao finally came to his senses, looked down at the blood on his hands, and then stared intently at Zhou Wenqing, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Why did they suddenly start fighting?

Just a moment ago, this person looked sickly and pale...

His lips trembled, and he shook with anger as he pointed a finger at Zhou Wenqing:

"You...you...how could you..."

"Cough cough cough cough—!"

His response was a violent, earth-shattering cough from Zhou Wenqing.

The coughing was urgent and violent, making him tremble all over. He buried his head and couldn't straighten up. His pale face turned an unnatural red, and he looked like he was about to pass out at any moment.

Envoy Zhao: "...?"

He froze on the spot, momentarily forgetting to get angry, and a bizarre thought inexplicably popped into his head:

The Korean envoy's death seems rather unjust.

No, I'm still bleeding. You're the one who hit me. Don't cough up blood in front of me!

Zhao stood there, unsure whether to advance or retreat. He clutched his bleeding forehead, looking at Zhou Wenqing who was coughing so hard he was about to pass out. For a moment, he didn't know whether to scold him first or save him first.

Fortunately, after coughing for a while, Zhou Wenqing shakily reached out and poured himself a cup of tea. He took two sips and then leaned on the table to support himself and recover.

He looked up at the envoy, appearing somewhat exasperated, his eyes betraying a forced panic, and his voice was weak, sounding like he was bluffing.

"You...you actually dared to frame me and make false accusations in my own residence! Even if I accidentally injured you, or even if I had you killed, it would be your own fault!"

Upon seeing his appearance, Zhao Shi's suspicion and anger were instantly overwhelmed by a surge of joy, and his eyes immediately lit up.

The more agitated, guilty, and furious they are, the more likely they are to be hiding something.

That was no exaggeration; the death of the Yan prince was indeed the work of this guy!

In an instant, even the pain in his forehead vanished from his mind. His spirits lifted, and he stared intently at Zhou Wenqing, a cold, sinister smile slowly curving his lips.

"A slip-up?"

He gently wiped the blood from his forehead, drawing out the last syllable with a meaningful tone.

"The way Zhou Neishi looks doesn't seem like he 'made a mistake' at all; it's more like... he's feeling guilty."

"you--"

Zhou Wenqing's face turned pale, and he was about to get angry again, but he forcibly suppressed it. His chest heaved, and he looked quite agitated.

"I warn you, this is Xianyang of the Great Qin Dynasty, not your Handan! If you dare to spout nonsense again, believe me... believe me, I will have you arrested immediately and punished for framing a minister and sowing discord between the two countries!"

These words sounded harsh, but the slightly trembling voice and the fleeting glances in Zhao Shi's eyes revealed a panicked feeling that his sore spot had been hit.

Zhao's envoy felt much more at ease, and his smile deepened.

"What will you do with me?" He took a step forward, his voice extremely low. "You should think this through, Your Excellency. If you really push me too far, once some things get out of Xianyang, the consequences... will be something neither you nor I can bear."

Zhou Wenqing clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white. His face alternated between pale and flushed. He was clearly furious, yet he dared not retaliate. He perfectly portrayed the image of someone holding him by the throat, unable to express his suffering.

He remained silent for a long time before finally gritting his teeth and squeezing out a sentence:

"...What exactly do you want?"

Seeing this, Zhao's envoy felt reassured and stopped being aggressive, softening his tone instead:

"Actually, if this gets out, it won't be good for either of us, and I didn't want it to happen either. If Secretary Zhou could do me a small favor..."

"I know you are highly trusted by the King of Qin. If you promise to put in a good word for my Zhao state and persuade the King of Qin to withdraw his troops stationed on the border of Zhao and not interfere in the war between my country and Yan, everything will be fine."

"That's impossible!"

Zhou Wenqing refused resolutely, her voice rising several decibels, as if her bottom line had been crossed, becoming exceptionally sharp:

"The matter of withdrawing troops involves the grand strategy of border defense; how could I, a mere Secretary of the Interior, possibly have the right to interfere? You...you are making an unreasonable demand of me!"

Zhao Shi didn't speak, but just squinted at him.

Zhou Wenqing felt uncomfortable under his gaze, and the anger on his face was gradually replaced by anxiety.

He lowered his head, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest, and remained silent for a very long time.

It took so long that even Zhao was getting impatient before he suddenly raised his head, as if he had made a huge decision. He gritted his teeth, and his voice was so hoarse that it was almost inaudible:

"...I can't withdraw the troops, but I can guarantee that Your Majesty will never interfere in the war between Yan and Zhao. Is that...is that alright?"

After he finished speaking, before Zhao could react, he added another harsh sentence, his voice filled with a desperate, do-or-die ruthlessness:

"I can't do any more. At worst, we'll fight to the death, and nobody's going to get away with it!"

Zhao's eyes darted around.

It seems that when it comes to the military, this so-called important minister whom the King of Qin relied on really has no say. However, the purpose of this trip has been achieved. As long as the Qin state does not interfere, the Zhao state can fight without restraint.

He hesitated for a moment, then decided to stop while he was ahead.

"Alright, as long as you're willing to help me with this and lead me to see the King of Qin to plead my case in person, and then Zhou Neishi says a few 'fair words' to make this happen, then we can pretend that what happened today never happened."

"You—! You're pushing your luck!"

Zhou Wenqing's expression changed, and he was about to lash out when Zhao Shi raised his hand to stop him.

"What? Does Zhou Neishi think I'd believe him just because he says it without any substance?"

Zhao Shi glanced at Zhou Wenqing slowly: "If you don't lead me to see the King of Qin so I can see and hear for myself, this matter... is hard to say."

Zhou Wenqing stared intently at him, his face extremely pale, as if he had been driven to a dead end, filled with resentment yet utterly helpless.

A suffocating silence fell over the hall once again.

Zhao was not in a hurry; he just stood there, looking confident and composed.

After a long stalemate, Zhou Wenqing suddenly flung his sleeve, his voice deep and hoarse, carrying the humiliation of being forced to compromise:

"...I understand, I...will do as you say."

He raised his head, staring intently at Zhao Shi, his eyes filled with suppressed rage:

"But you also need to remember this: if even the slightest leak of this matter occurs, I, Zhou Wenqing, will risk everything—my official position—to ensure you leave Xianyang humiliated!"

Seeing his blustering yet cowardly demeanor, Zhao Shi was already certain of victory.

He covered his forehead, unable to hide the smile on his lips:

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, I have always kept my mouth shut. I will now await Your Excellency's 'fair words'."

"Hmph, I always keep my word and never go back on my word."

"The Grand Secretary is indeed a man of great wisdom and righteousness. I thank you very much."

Zhao bowed respectfully, said no more, covered his still bleeding forehead, and turned away arrogantly without needing anyone to see him off.

The moment the door closed, Zhou Wenqing leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.

It's finally over. This is the first time I've ever been so tired from acting.