Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

"General Meng Wu!"

Li Si's voice suddenly rose, and seeing that everyone's eyes were on him, he straightened his sleeves and said unhurriedly:

"General, your words are somewhat biased. When Zhou Wenqing left the letter, he did not know that the King would come in person. He had never even seen the King's face, so how could he be accused of 'disrespecting the emperor'?"

He walked up to Meng Wu, the two of them standing only a few feet apart, their gazes meeting without flinching.

"Moreover, Zhou Wenqing was indeed determined to die. If I hadn't arrived in time, he would have already fallen off the cliff and died. Perhaps it was precisely because he was unwilling to do something disloyal and unjust that he made this extreme choice. Such a strong sense of integrity and righteousness is truly the behavior of a gentleman. How can his character be questionable!"

Liston paused, then lowered his voice: "General, you must be careful what you say."

"you--!"

Meng Wu's eyes widened in anger, and he pointed at Li Si, his chest heaving violently.

Instead of backing down, Li Si straightened his back even more.

Meng Wu glanced quickly at the earthenware jar containing "snowflake salt" on the table, then swiftly looked towards the head of the table.

King Ying Zheng of Qin remained seated, his brows slightly furrowed. His gaze did not even linger on the two of them; he simply listened in silence, his knuckles tapping unconsciously on the table.

Meng Wu paused for a moment, then angrily flung his hand away and turned his head away: "That's just sophistry!"

"No!"

Li Si immediately chimed in, his voice turning impassioned.

"This is merely stating the facts. Talented individuals are rare, especially those with such extraordinary skills and simple, honest hearts! If we were to miss out on them due to a momentary misunderstanding or acting impulsively, or even drive them to a truly desperate situation, wouldn't that be a regret for our Great Qin, and a regret for Your Majesty?!"

Having said that, he abruptly turned to face the King of Qin, bowed deeply, and spoke earnestly:

"Your Majesty, Zhou Wenqing is right next door. His high fever has just subsided, and he is not yet fully conscious. Why did he attempt suicide? What is the root of his problem? Why not... wait until he is conscious tomorrow, and then have Rong Si, disguised as someone else, investigate him?"

"If he is truly devoid of willpower, stubborn and unyielding, or if he is truly arrogant and incompetent, then..."

Li Si's voice was resolute, carrying an almost ruthless decisiveness: "I will personally... 'fulfill' his will to die, to eliminate future troubles. I will absolutely not keep such a useless and harmful person in Qin!"

He abruptly changed his tone, his voice returning to earnestness: "But if there is indeed a misunderstanding or hidden reason, their talent and heart can still be redeemed. With proper guidance, they can surely be used by the Great Qin. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation? I humbly beg Your Majesty to consider this carefully!"

After speaking, he remained in the posture of bowing and clasping his hands, bowing deeply to the very end, his posture humble yet firm.

Meng Wu had already suppressed his anger and stood quietly to the side, staring at the King of Qin without saying a word, as if he wasn't the one who had been breathing heavily with anger just moments before.

The hall was deathly silent, with only the occasional crackling of the candlelight breaking the tension in the air.

Ying Zheng finally turned his gaze away from the window, slowly sweeping over Li Si, who was bowing and standing as if turned into a stone statue, and then glancing at Meng Wu, who seemed rough and unruly but was now unusually "obedient" and waiting for instructions.

How could he not see it?

As the closest minister to the monarch, the ability to observe words and expressions, assess situations, and even possess superb "acting skills" when necessary has long been an instinct ingrained in their bones.

If Your Majesty truly intended to kill Zhou Wenqing and wanted to punish him for "deceiving the emperor" and "mocking the monarch," you would have done so long ago. Why wait until now?

Why aren't you going home to sleep in the middle of the night? Are you just sitting there having fun?

Since the "expulsion order" incident, the Qin state has been most lacking in talent, and specifically, talent that belongs to King Ying Zheng of Qin.

Zhou Wenqing's appearance, possessing astonishing skills such as "garlic extract" and "refined salt," was a godsend opportunity.

But this person, time and again, has been "unappreciative," first repeatedly absconding, and now even causing a scene of "leaving a letter to commit suicide," just when the King of Qin himself came to humble himself before him!

This was more than just a rejection; it was practically a public humiliation of the king, trampling on the King of Qin's sincere desire to recruit talented individuals.

If this is easily forgiven, where is the monarch's dignity?

Simply put, the King of Qin couldn't save face.

Therefore, Li Si and Meng Wucai teamed up to put on this play.

One played the good cop, angrily rebuking the King for "not knowing how to appreciate favors," while the other played the bad cop, emphasizing the "rare talent." They seemed to be locked in a stalemate, but in reality, they had already prepared their excuses and paved the way for the King of Qin to save face.

This preserved the monarch's dignity while leaving room for maneuver.

Ying Zheng knew this very well.

He personally got up, walked to Li Si, and helped him up, breaking the tense silence in the hall.

"As you say, Minister Li," Ying Zheng said, gazing at him. "You shall stay here and investigate carefully. I... will wait a few more days."

"Yes, sir." Li Si stood up and bowed his head in response.

"Meng Wu." Ying Zheng turned his gaze to the other side.

Meng Wu immediately clasped his hands and stepped forward, saying, "Your subject is here!"

"Let's find a suitable place to settle down for the time being."

"promise."

Ying Zheng paused, then looked at Li Si again, a hint of relaxed amusement flashing in his eyes. "Since Minister Li has come up with this method of testing, I will naturally cooperate. It's perfect. I'll disguise myself as an ordinary merchant, stay here for a few days, and see the countryside under the rule of my Great Qin with my own eyes, observe the people's conditions, and that will make the trip worthwhile."

"Your Majesty is wise." Meng Wu and Li Si bowed simultaneously.

Ying Zheng nodded slightly, then turned and left.

------

When Zhou Wenqing woke up the next day, the sun was already high in the sky.

Having slept for too long, his head was still foggy. He sat on the couch for a moment to rest before straightening his clothes and getting up.

As soon as I stepped into the front hall, I saw Li Si sitting there, holding a scroll of bamboo slips that he had found somewhere, engrossed in reading it.

Upon hearing footsteps, Li Si immediately put down the bamboo slips, greeted them with a smile, and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture:

"Zhou Jun is awake. You slept for quite a long time. How are you feeling today?"

Zhou Wenqing smiled somewhat embarrassedly and returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Li. I am fine now. Yesterday was truly... I am deeply grateful for Mr. Li's righteous help and life-saving grace. I really don't know how to repay you."

"Oh, you flatter me, Lord Zhou!" Li Si waved his hands repeatedly. "It was nothing, just a small favor, nothing to mention. On the contrary, I should thank you for your guidance that day, otherwise I'm afraid I would have already..."

He shook his head, revealing a mixture of lingering fear and relief.

Zhou Wenqing patted him on the shoulder, silently conveying comfort.

"Oh, right." Li Si looked at Zhou Wenqing as if he had suddenly remembered something.

"Zhou Jun's bodyguard, Li, went out early this morning, seemingly to the town's pharmacy to buy medicine for him. Before he left, he specifically asked me to let him know if Zhou Jun woke up—the breakfast is being kept warm on the stove over a low flame, and it should be at the perfect temperature when you take it now."

"I see, no wonder I didn't see him." Zhou Wenqing nodded in realization.

"Ah Yi is so thoughtful. Sigh, don't laugh at me, but without him around, I'm afraid I wouldn't even have a hot meal!"

Li Si echoed his words, sincerely agreeing, "This guard of Lord Zhou is indeed a rare kind-hearted person. If it weren't for his willingness to take me in yesterday and arrange food for me, I would have been penniless and friendless, and would have had to sleep in the wilderness."

Penniless?

Ah, right! This person seemed to have mentioned coming here before, having used up all his travel money, but...

A blurry image suddenly flashed through Zhou Wenqing's mind—the night before, by the cliff, under the flickering torchlight, Li Fa, though dressed in a plain robe, seemed to have dark patterns flowing on his sleeves, which is why he guessed that this person did not seem to be destitute and committed suicide.

Could it be that the night was too dark and I misread it?

Zhou Wenqing subconsciously glanced at Li Si's cuff—where a small, yet finely stitched patch was prominently displayed.

It turns out I was mistaken.

The doubts that had just begun to surface in Zhou Wenqing's mind immediately dissipated.

"Mr. Li, you don't need to be so polite. Ah Yi... is indeed kind-hearted," Zhou Wenqing said sincerely.

"Brother Li, if you don't mind, please feel free to stay in my humble abode. There will be simple meals, and we can look after each other. It's much better than you wandering aimlessly. What do you think, Brother Li?"

Li Si was secretly delighted—that was exactly what he wanted to hear!

He immediately showed a look of surprise mixed with a touch of embarrassment, and solemnly bowed deeply to Zhou Wenqing:

"Your Excellency Zhou is so kind and generous, I... am truly unworthy of such treatment, yet... I am deeply grateful! Since Your Excellency Zhou has not rejected me, I will humbly trouble you further. If I ever make even the slightest progress in the future, I will never forget Your Excellency Zhou's kindness in taking me in today!"

"Mr. Li, please rise quickly, there's no need for such formality." Zhou Wenqing hurriedly helped him up.

"It's just an extra set of chopsticks and bowls. Please sit down for a moment, and I'll bring out the breakfast. We can eat together."

Watching Zhou Wenqing turn and walk towards the kitchen, the grateful smile on Li Si's face disappeared. His fingertips unconsciously rubbed the carefully sewn "patch" on his cuff, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

The first step was to successfully keep him there. The next step was to figure out his background subtly during these seemingly ordinary days of "living together," and ultimately... lead him to the throne of the King of Qin.