Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

"Zhou Neishi has been murdered! Protect the eldest son!"

Amidst the chaos, someone's roar echoed across the land.

The officers, crossbowmen, and foot soldiers all turned around and immediately saw the horrific scene that made their eyes widen in horror.

Zhou Neishi...was murdered?

The carriage was crushed under the stones, its flesh and blood torn apart in a gruesome scene—anyone who saw it would be certain that no one inside could have survived.

The soldiers felt a sudden sinking feeling, bewildered and incredulous, and their formation momentarily froze.

Just then, another sharp shout rang out, echoing throughout the valley—

"Zhou Neishi has been killed. Protect the eldest son!"

It's Han Fei!

This time, however, he focused on the second half of the sentence.

Throughout the journey, Han Fei kept his horse close to the carriage. When he saw the situation was bad, he decisively abandoned his horse and rolled away. Although he was in a sorry state, he was lucky enough not to be swept under the wreckage and became the only person who managed to escape from the carriage in time, thus securing the victory.

The guards were jolted awake by the sound, their eyes instantly turning bloodshot as a surge of overwhelming grief and resentment, along with a determination to protect their master.

The Grand Secretary Zhou has already met with disaster; the eldest son must not suffer any further mishap!

Grief and indignation transformed into a fearless will to die. The remaining strength rekindled from every part of their bodies. The soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes bloodshot, their killing intent soaring to the sky. They headed towards the mountain ridge, and there was even a hint of a counterattack in their eyes.

The bandits on the ridge had a clear view of everything. They were certain that their assassination target was dead. Looking around, there were not many falling rocks and trees left, so there was no point in continuing the fight.

The bandit leader immediately blew a whistle, and the ambushing bandits instantly stopped fighting and quickly retreated into the depths of the mountains and forests.

"Don't you dare run away, you little thief!"

The bloodthirsty generals (not a hundred soldiers) were about to lead their troops in pursuit when Li Yi blocked their way with his sword.

"Wei Shuai! They harmed Zhou Neishi, how can we let them go?"

The generals roared with bloodshot eyes, their teeth almost bleeding.

That's Zhou Neishi!

He was an upright official who was devoted to the people. The people of Guanzhong were all grateful for his kindness. They threw fruit at his carriage and lined the road to see him off, hoping that his mission would be successful and that he would return safely to the capital. Even the king personally selected a general and repeatedly ordered that the man be brought back safely.

But now... the car is destroyed and people are dead. How are they going to explain this to everyone when they get back?

Enraged, the general struggled to charge again, but the figure on the mountain had already disappeared into the dense forest, and it was too late to give chase.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he stomped his foot hard, slashing his long sword at a piece of gravel, sparks flying everywhere.

Li Yi also stared hatefully in the direction of the mountain ridge, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

But he took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing his anger, his voice as cold and hard as iron:

"Stop chasing. Zhou Neishi's injuries are serious. We shouldn't stay here any longer. Let's regroup and leave."

"What?"

Bai Jiang almost thought he had misheard. He turned his head in astonishment and looked at the ruins smashed by the boulder.

Amidst the mud and blood, his heavily armored brothers were crushed, their chests caved in and their breaths gone, filling him with both grief and anger. Zhou Neishi, who was pinned under a boulder, could hardly afford to think about "wounds and illnesses."

Is Wei Shuai so grief-stricken that he has lost his mind?

He hesitated, about to speak, when he saw Han Fei step forward beside the carriage frame of Prince Fusu in front of the wreckage, his voice urgent.

"Zicheng, Young Master, come down quickly! Are you two injured?"

Bai Jiang's eyes widened instantly, only to see that the person being helped down by Han Fei was none other than Zhou Neishi.

"This, this, this..." Bai Jiang was completely stunned. The grief in his heart had not yet subsided, and he could not even utter a complete word.

Li Yi patted his shoulder, then quickly rushed towards Zhou Wenqing, his voice carried by the wind, urgent and rapid:

"Sir, your car is wrecked, but you are unharmed! What are you still standing here for? Quickly get ready and leave!"

From beginning to end, Zhou Wenqing and Fusu were never in that carriage personally bestowed by Ying Zheng and the focus of everyone's attention.

Let's rewind to before we set off.

Zhou Wenqing fell ill, and Li Yi gritted his teeth and ordered the camp to be broken up and to cross Hangu Pass immediately. However, the risks ahead were unpredictable, so caution was necessary.

He specifically sought out Han Fei to discuss the matter, revealing all his worries.

After listening, Han Fei pondered for a moment, then suddenly raised his eyes and his gaze fell on a carriage in the center of the procession that was equally large and imposing, but remained empty—it was the ceremonial carriage of Fusu, the eldest son of the Qin Dynasty.

With such a large delegation, Han Fei was given a separate carriage, so how could Fusu not be?

"Is the eldest son's carriage being left unattended, so we can be less vigilant?" he asked in a deep voice.

Li Yi immediately shook his head: "Of course not."

Even if it's just an empty carriage, or even just a frame without wheels, as long as it carries the eldest son's ceremonial regalia, they will still protect it at the very core of the group, guarding it with utmost care and not daring to be negligent or careless in the slightest.

This concerns the majesty of the Qin Dynasty, and even more so the dignity of the royal family.

Han Fei nodded slightly, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, "That's good then, let's use it."

The plan to steal the beams and replace the pillars was decided in just a few words.

Han Fei watched as Li Yi helped the unconscious Zhou Wenqing onto Fusu's carriage, while he himself rode his horse, following beside the now-empty carriage as usual.

He saw himself as a weathervane, drawing all attention to the empty car.

If nothing happens, that would be best. But if there are indeed treacherous people secretly spying and intending to ambush him, they will surely investigate the news along the way and find out that Han Fei has been traveling in the same carriage that Zhou Wenqing has been riding in all along.

They had calculated that this trip would make many enemies, and the one who needed to be eliminated was Zhou Wenqing, not Fusu. If there was an ambush, the villains would keep a close eye on Han Fei's carriage and would not easily target the eldest son's entourage.

However, they didn't expect this villain to be so crazy.

Boulders rolled down the mountain like a torrential downpour, seemingly intent on burying the entire delegation in the valley.

Of course, even so, the most concentrated impact points were all on that empty car, as if it wanted to bury it completely with lightning speed.

Didn't you see that Han Fei, who was riding a horse nearby, almost didn't have time to escape the encirclement of the rolling stones?

Zhou Wenqing didn't even finish counting "three, two, one" before a loud "boom" rang out.

The broken frame of the carriage, with its wooden planks flying out and carrying rubble and nails, tumbled through the air several times before flying straight toward the carriage where he was. Dozens of steps away, it landed with a loud thud in the spot where he had just chosen to stand.

The edges of the wooden planks were jagged, and the broken iron plates were sharp as blades, gleaming with a cold white light in the morning light.

Zhou Wenqing's hand was still gripping Fusu's wrist, and he stood there frozen, a chill running down his back.

fortunately.

Fortunately, he was weak and his movements were not very nimble, otherwise he would have been rushing headlong into the blade.

Zhou Wenqing dared not make any further moves for the time being. He could only hear the shouts of battle, the muffled thuds of rolling stones hitting the ground, and the sharp whistling of arrows piercing the air outside the carriage, all mixed together into a chaotic torrent that rolled over his eardrums and gradually faded away, becoming hazy and indistinct, and soon he could neither hear nor see clearly.

He stared intently at the cracks in the carriage wall caused by the rubble, the sunlight filtering through the gaps gradually brightening, widening, and finally pouring in unobstructed. His mind remained taut, like a fully drawn bow, until the light suddenly dimmed—

Han Fei appeared beside the car and reached out his hand to him.

Zhou Wenqing, holding onto Fusu's hand, barely managed to put his feet on the ground.

In an instant, his knees buckled, and all his strength seemed to be drained away, causing him to fall uncontrollably.

"teacher!"

Fusu's voice was trembling as he hurriedly used all his strength to hold him firmly.

Zhou Wenqing's throat moved slightly, trying to force himself to say "It's alright," but before the words could form, everything suddenly went black, the world spun around him, and he completely lost consciousness, softly passing out.

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I'm currently preparing for the exam and haven't had time to update. I'll try to catch up after the exam on the 12th. Sorry everyone! (*+﹏+*)~