Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

To ensure Zhou Wenqing's safety, the news that he was still alive was kept secret only among the few people who had read the letter, and was never leaked out again.

After speaking, Wei Liao subconsciously turned his head to look at Ying Zheng behind him, his eyes filled with a guilty plea for help. Li Si also immediately raised his eyes, his gaze also falling on the King of Qin, clearly wanting the king to make a decision for him.

"Well……"

Since it concerned his beloved minister Zhou, how could Ying Zheng not be cautious? However, Li Si spoke rashly, and Wei Liao's words were truly harsh. He didn't want to take sides, so he simply raised his eyes slightly, looked into the school, and changed the subject, skillfully smoothing things over:

"This disciple of Minister Zhou is truly remarkable! At such a young age, he possesses such intelligence and is certainly capable of great things."

The king is using this trick again.

Li Si and Wei Liao exchanged a glance, feeling helpless, but still obediently changed the subject. Wei Liao stroked his beard, his eyes smiling, and said:

"After all, he was trained and mentored by Zicheng, so naturally he has his master's style."

"Um."

Ying Zheng nodded in approval, looking at the boy who had almost snatched the position of his eldest son's chief disciple. His heart was filled with mixed emotions, and suddenly an idea struck him. He said:

"How about I bestow upon him an additional official position at court tomorrow? This would alleviate some of his burdens."

"This...isn't that inappropriate?" A hint of interest flashed in Li Si's eyes, but he still declined, saying, "Zicheng has made many enemies. He is still young, and even if he is exceptionally talented, he may not be able to consider things carefully and may be secretly plotted against."

"It's alright." Wei Liao shook his head slightly, raised his hand and patted the sword at his waist, his tone carrying a hint of murderous confidence.

"After I've cleaned up the place these past few days, who would dare to even think of touching a single tree or blade of grass in the Zhou residence? They'd all avoid it like the plague. You can rest assured about its safety."

That's true.

As long as the predicament of Zhou Wenqing's "death" remains unresolved, no official in the court has the need, nor the courage, to provoke anyone from the Zhou family at this critical juncture. Not to mention his young disciple Azhu, even the servants of the Zhou family must show deference. Otherwise, if they accidentally offend the King, it would be like an old man eating poison—they'd be asking for trouble.

For this reason, the Zhou residence has become the safest place in Xianyang. A-Zhu has already moved back, and even Li Si and Ying Zheng often take time to go there to sit for a while, lie down on the rattan chair and sway for a while, which can relieve their fatigue.

"It still won't work." Li Siqiang suppressed his temptation and shook his head.

"When Zicheng left, he repeatedly told me not to exploit Azhu too much. Just the matter of him becoming a lecturer is something I don't know how to explain to him. If I come back and see Azhu with an official hat on his head, I'm afraid he'll be so angry that he'll tear me to pieces!"

Ying Zheng thought about it and agreed. It was unlikely that he would be devoured alive, but he was bound to be angry. Minister Zhou was already weak, and it would be a loss if he was provoked again.

"Ugh!"

Without prior arrangement, the three of them sighed in unison, looked at each other, and saw the bitterness in each other's eyes.

We're still short-staffed!

Since receiving news that Zhou Wen had regained consciousness, Ying Zheng issued several secret edicts, which were delivered to him by fast horse, ordering him to return immediately after recovering from his injuries.

But Zhou Wenqing refused them all.

The mere thought of the saying, "When a general is in the field, he may disobey the emperor's orders," made Ying Zheng so angry that the veins on his forehead throbbed, yet he was helpless.

At a time when Zhou Aiqing was both physically and mentally vulnerable, he asked Li to write on his behalf in the letter, making himself appear exceptionally pitiful. He said that not only had his heart disease relapsed, but he had also injured his right hand, making it impossible for him to hold a pen, and causing him many inconveniences.

Although she was extremely suspicious that Zicheng was using this as a legitimate way to avoid communicating with them directly through letters, she couldn't bear to read the letter. Despite her anxiety, she couldn't bring herself to shout back, and could only secretly send a large number of guards to protect her closely.

Only after several letters confirmed that Zhou Wenqing's health was gradually improving and he was out of danger, and with the personal confirmation of Physician Lü, did the three of them finally feel relieved and stop urging him to return.

With their faked deaths as cover, things weren't so dangerous anymore. After losing Physician Lü and Guest Elder Yao, the group, who had been working themselves to the bone, started thinking again about the talents Zhou Wenqing was going to bring back.

It's unclear what kind of talent Zhou Wenqing possessed that made him so determined to go on a diplomatic mission to the State of Qi.

Could it be one of his fellow disciples?

Ying Zheng privately speculated, and couldn't help but feel a bit of anticipation.

Meanwhile, far away in Pei County, Xiao He, one of the most talented men whom Ying Zheng and others longed for, was staring at the urgent news on his desk, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

Zhou Neishi, the genius in his eyes who was a once-in-a-century talent, possessing both the strategic acumen to govern the country and the heart to bring peace to the people, how could he have passed away so quickly?!

It's unbelievable.

He couldn't help but repeatedly flip through the official document demanding the swift suppression of bandits, and he also scrutinized the information he had gathered from various channels. His gaze was fixed on the seven words "Zhou Neishi was assassinated and died." Finally, he couldn't suppress his deep regret and sighed deeply.

Although Xiao He had never met such a person, he had heard of him before.

He was skilled in practical matters, replenished the granaries, and cared deeply for the people's livelihood. He believed that the two of them might share similar political views and aspirations, and he hoped that one day he could be given an important position and transferred to Xianyang to sit down with this talented fellow thinker and discuss important matters together...

But how did this person just disappear?

Xiao He put down the documents, leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, sighed deeply, and remained silent for a long time before finally picking up his teacup and taking a sip.

The tea was cold and quite astringent, but he was completely unaware of it.

"Someone come here."

"Yes, sir." The clerk outside the door poked his head in.

"Pass down the order: tomorrow at dawn, all the village heads must come to the county office for a meeting. The order to suppress the bandits has been issued; there can be no delay."

The clerk responded and left.

Xiao He lowered his head and began to draft the plan for tomorrow. The pen tip scratched on the paper, and he was startled again. A bitter smile appeared on his lips, and he put down the pen.

Well, I can't calm down today, I'll talk about it tomorrow.

------

The following day at dawn, in the side hall of the county government office.

Xiao He sat upright behind his desk, with a row of village chiefs standing in front of him.

There were people of all ages and builds, some yawning with protruding bellies, some with their eyes downcast, and others secretly glancing outside the door, their minds clearly elsewhere.

Xiao He's gaze swept across the faces of those people, remaining impassive.

These village chiefs are mostly seasoned officials with years of experience, and they are very slick. How can you expect them to do their best to suppress bandits?

Don't even think about it!

It was just a formality; he simply had to report a few "bandits" to get things done. Xiao He knew this in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face.

"Gentlemen." He tapped the table lightly with his finger. His voice was not loud, but it carried a force that did not allow for any disrespect. The scattered yawns in the hall were instantly cut off.

"The order to suppress the bandits was personally decreed by the King of Qin, who was furious and has been pressing us relentlessly. Although Pei County is located in a remote area, we can't be too perfunctory in handling this task, can we?"

The hall fell silent for a moment.

After a moment, a plump old village headman spoke with a forced smile: "Minister Xiao, don't worry, we've been doing bandit suppression for decades, we know it like the back of our hand! I guarantee we'll bring you a few 'bandit' heads within three to five days!"

This shows that he didn't take his words to heart at all.

Xiao He remained unperturbed, his gaze slowly sweeping over the crowd before he suddenly spoke:

"Where is the head of the Sishui Pavilion?"

"Oh, him?"

A hint of disdain flashed in the fat village head's eyes, and he curled his lip in disdain.

"They've probably drunk too much at some tavern again and are still asleep."

He looked at Xiao He with confidence: "Xiao Yuan, aren't they just bandits? There aren't many bandits around here, and they won't amount to much. The Sishui Pavilion Chief has just taken office and hasn't even warmed his seat yet. I'm afraid he doesn't have much experience. You can just tell us what you need. There's no need to wait for him."

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The poll from yesterday ends at midnight tonight. It seems Option 2 is getting more votes. Looks like everyone likes to read it all at once! (๑╹ヮ╹๑)ﾉ