Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

As Zhou Wenqing watched Li Si flee in disarray, a faint smile appeared on his lips, and he unconsciously toyed with a pine nut.

"Li Fa...Li Fa...I wonder if it's you?"

He casually tossed the pine nut shells in his hand, patted the crumbs off his hands, hummed an off-key tune, and turned to go back into the house.

When he came out again a moment later, he had changed into a blue scholar's robe that was similar in style to Li Si's, but made of much newer material. He looked more formal and was carrying a cloth bag. He slowly walked toward Aunt Liu's house next door.

The door was closed. Zhou Wen straightened his clothes and tapped the door three times with his knuckles, neither too hard nor too soft.

"Aunt Liu, are you home?"

A series of light footsteps came from inside the courtyard, followed by a strong female voice:

"Who is it?"

The door creaked open a crack, and Aunt Liu peered out through it.

Upon seeing Zhou Wenqing, her eyes lit up immediately, and she hurriedly opened the door.

"Oh! It's Young Master Zhou! Come in, come in!"

She stepped aside to make way for Zhou Wenqing and warmly invited him into the yard. The yard was clean and tidy, with some firewood piled up in the corner and several hens leisurely pecking at it.

"I heard from Ah Zhu that Young Master Zhou has returned home? He didn't even inform us. That Guard Li was so anxious a few days ago, asking from house to house, searching for you all over the village and the back mountain."

As Aunt Liu led Zhou Wenqing into the house, she kept glancing at him.

"I heard you came back later. It seems you were sick? How are you now? You look better than before, but you're still a bit pale. Your health is important! You scholars just can't take as much hardship as us farmers..."

Aunt Liu kept talking, and Zhou Wenqing listened patiently. He obediently followed Aunt Liu into the main room and placed the cloth bag on a simple low table to the side.

"Thank you for your concern, Aunt Liu," he replied gently, and following Aunt Liu's gesture, he knelt down properly at the table.

"I wanted to go to the mountains to relax the other day, but I got lost and caught a cold. I was very lucky to find me and get some medicine. Now I'm much better."

Aunt Liu sat down on the straw mat nearby and nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, "That's good! You young men are too daring. You mustn't go into the deep mountains alone again! That place... sigh!"

"Yes, Aunt Liu is right," Zhou Wenqing replied, his gaze subtly sweeping across the room.

Apart from a low, smooth-surfaced wooden plank, a few earthenware pots, and simple farm tools and spindles piled in the corner, there was nothing else of value.

He paused briefly, exchanged a few pleasantries, and quickly got to the point: "By the way, Aunt Liu, have any strangers come to the village these past few days? Or... has there been any unusual activity?"

"Strangers? There aren't many strangers." Aunt Liu smoothed her temples, thought seriously for a moment, "The only unfamiliar faces I've seen in the village these past two days are your good friend—Young Master Li, and his very fierce guard. Do they count?"

As she spoke, as if remembering something, she added:

"Oh, I heard from my husband Ah Zhu that they were led into the village by your bodyguard Li, and they were even traveling in a carriage! So they shouldn't be considered strangers, right? They're your guests."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wenqing's eyes flashed almost imperceptibly, but he remained expressionless. He simply nodded in agreement with Aunt Liu's words, mumbled a few words, and lightly moved on from the topic.

"Where's Ah-Zhu? I haven't seen him." He then asked, his tone relaxed and natural.

"Oh, it's because you were sick the other day, sir, that we didn't let the children bother you," Aunt Liu explained.

"His father has been busy with work in the fields these past few days. He couldn't manage it all by himself, so he took the boy to the fields with him so that he could learn from him. He's a grown man now, and he can't keep running around the village all day causing trouble."

As she spoke, she stood up, walked to the door, and glanced towards the fields: "I reckon he'll be back soon. Does the young master need him for something?"

Zhou Wenqing was stunned for a moment before he realized that although Azhu was only five or six years old and still a little kid in his eyes, in a farming family at that time, a boy of this age had indeed begun to learn to share the burden of the family and could be considered half a laborer.

He touched the cloth bag beside him, and suddenly hesitated, unsure how to start the conversation without seeming abrupt.

Seeing his expression, Aunt Liu frowned immediately, her face full of tension and uncertainty: "Did... that rascal get into some trouble outside again and offend the young master?"

"No, no, Aunt Liu, please don't think that way!" Upon seeing this, Zhou Wenqing quickly stood up from his seat, waving his hands repeatedly, his tone earnest.

"Ah Zhu is a kind-hearted and quick-witted boy. He learns things very quickly. I like him from the bottom of my heart."

Aunt Liu finally breathed a sigh of relief, a smile returning to her face. She patted her chest and said, "What do you mean 'well-behaved'? She's only quiet for a while when she's around. As long as she hasn't caused you any trouble, I'm grateful!"

Zhou Wenqing smiled, said no more polite words, and spread the cloth bag he had brought out on the low table.

Inside was a set of calligraphy brushes in good condition, with two corners covered in black ink shavings, and a newly carved bluestone inkstone still bearing chisel marks. These three items, placed in this earthen house, seemed overly neat and even somewhat abrupt.

Aunt Liu stared at these items that seemed so out of place in her home, and stammered, "This...Young Master Zhou, what is this?"

Her tone even carried a hint of fear.

Zhou Wenqing raised his eyes, his voice gentle.

"Aunt Liu, here's what happened. These days, Ah Zhu has been staying with me a lot. I've been watching him closely, and I've noticed that he's very interested in recognizing characters and doing math. He understands things very quickly and can apply what he's learned to other situations. I... I secretly think that he might really be a good student who can learn to be sensible. If he just grows up in the fields with his father and brothers, it would be his duty, but it would still be a bit of a pity."

"I wonder if you and Ah Zhu's father would be willing to let him follow me, learn a few words, and read some books?"

"Oh!" Aunt Liu exclaimed softly, her face turning bright red.

She awkwardly wiped her hands on her clothes, but then her eyes lit up, her face filled with unbelievable surprise.

"You mean... you should be my son, Ah-Zhu, and he should learn to read and write under your tutelage?"

She had indeed considered this idea before; who in the village didn't hope their child could learn to read and write?

But this thought only flashed through her mind. Not to mention the heavy burden that reading would take on a family like theirs, just looking at Young Master Zhou's overall demeanor, he was three times more impressive than when she saw the county magistrate taking his seat in court from afar.

Such a person is clearly destined to wear a gold seal and purple ribbon in the future. How could he have the leisure or the mind to teach this mud monkey in her family who can't even wear shoes properly?

But now, not only did Young Master Zhou bring it up himself, but he also offered him pen and ink.

Aunt Liu wondered if she was dreaming. She blinked hard, but the warm, smooth stone inkstone and the jet-black ink stick still lay there quietly.

"I wouldn't call myself a teacher, just someone to give the children their first lessons," Zhou Wenqing said gently.

His gaze passed over Aunt Liu in front of him and seemed to see the children running and playing in the yard, their eyes clear but without the opportunity to write or paint.

He remembered that Aunt Liu had vaguely hinted at this expectation before, but the timing wasn't right.

Seeing that Aunt Liu still looked somewhat dazed, Zhou Wenqing explained further:

"This is Ah Zhu. He definitely has the talent, and besides that..."

"Aunt Liu, I would like to ask you for another favor. Please ask other families in the village if they are willing to let their children learn a few words, regardless of gender, as long as they are old enough to sit still."

Seeing Aunt Liu's eyes widen instantly, he added, "There's no need for any formal apprenticeship, and I absolutely won't charge any tuition fees. The location is also convenient; it can be in my yard or under a tree in the village, at the time when the children usually gather to play. Children can come to learn whenever they want, and if there's something urgent at home that needs help, they can come anytime. Everything is voluntary, and I will never force anyone."

He spoke calmly, trying his best to dispel the other party's concerns: "As for the expenses, you don't need to worry. In the beginning, we can practice calligraphy with sand trays and learn to count with sticks or pebbles. These don't cost much. There are indeed expenses for proper items such as brushes, ink, and inkstones, but I will find a way to arrange them and will never let anyone have any trouble with this."

He looked at Aunt Liu with sincere eyes: "Aunt Liu, I know this might sound a bit abrupt at first, and it might put you in a difficult position. But I feel..."

"Not difficult at all! Not difficult at all!"

Before he could finish speaking, Aunt Liu interrupted him excitedly, her voice trembling slightly with emotion.

She suddenly grabbed Zhou Wenqing's hand, her eyes instantly reddening.

"Young Master...Young Master Zhou! You...you have shown such immense kindness!" Her voice choked with emotion. "We who toil in the fields, how could we dare to dream of our children ever holding a pen, learning to read and write? That's something even our ancestors wouldn't dare hope for!"

She wiped her eyes haphazardly with the back of her hand: "Don't worry! I will definitely pass on this message! I will go to each and every family to tell them! If any family is unwilling... then they are truly confused and blinded by greed! The children are so fortunate to be able to learn from such a benefactor as you; it is a blessing they have accumulated over many lifetimes!"

"I'll go tell them right away—no, I'll go to the fields first and call his father back to tell him this wonderful news!"

As she spoke, she seemed somewhat at a loss, pacing around the room as if she were about to rush out the door, but then she remembered that Zhou Wenqing was still there, so she quickly stopped and was about to bow to him.

"Young master, I... on behalf of Ah Zhu, and on behalf of all the children in the village, thank you! Thank you for your immense kindness!"

Zhou Wenqing was startled by her sudden and generous greeting and quickly stepped aside, extending a hand to help her up: "Aunt Liu! No, absolutely not! Please get up!"

He was deeply moved. Looking at Aunt Liu's flushed cheeks and tearful eyes, her unreserved gratitude and expectation filled him with an indescribable sense of shame.

He actually... couldn't accept such overwhelming gratitude.

He thought of teaching these children, partly out of pity for their talents and partly out of a desire to do something practical for the village as a way of expressing his gratitude.

But it was mostly driven by his own selfish motives and schemes...