Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

After a brief moment of tidying up, the group moved to the main hall of the post station. Soon after, Li Yi's announcement came from outside the door:

"Sir, young master, the merchant girl Ba Qing has arrived."

Fusu sat upright in the main seat, nodded slightly in acknowledgment, and the hall door opened, allowing Ba Qing to slowly enter.

She was still dressed in plain white, with a black jade hairpin in her hair, her hair elegant and understated. She was accompanied by only one personal maid, showing none of the previous ostentatious pomp and circumstance, and instead appeared quite low-key.

Reaching the center of the hall, she bowed slightly, her voice neither hurried nor slow: "Ba Qing of Ba County greets the eldest son."

Fusu nodded slightly and raised his hand to indicate, "Madam Qing, there's no need for such formalities."

Ba Qing stood up, his gaze sweeping over Fu Su without leaving a trace, then landing on Zhou Wenqing's face, pausing for a moment.

She thought to herself: This person in the position must be the deputy envoy Yao Jia, but judging from his appearance and demeanor, he is much weaker than she expected. Could it be that she has mistaken him for someone else?

Fusu raised his hand tentatively and gave his master a false name: "This is Vice Envoy Yao Jia, Guest Minister Yao."

Indeed, it was Yao Keqing. Ba Qing remained expressionless, curtsied again, and said with perfect manners and poise: "Qing greets Lord Yao."

Seated upright, Zhou Wenqing, disguised as Yao Jia, gazed intently at the legendary female merchant before him, his eyes sweeping over her pure white attire, a slight stirring in his heart.

He was unaware of the hidden favor between himself and Ba Qing, only feeling that she must have found out about his relationship with Fusu—otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to succeed, controlling every detail so perfectly.

He showed no emotion on his face, only nodded calmly, and spoke in a gentle tone:

"Madam Qing, there's no need for such formalities. Please sit down and let's talk."

Ba Qingyi thanked him politely and calmly took his seat as a guest.

Fusu cleared his throat and asked first, "Is Lady Qing heading north to trade with Qi?"

Ba Qing nodded: "Young Master is wise. The Ba family deals in cinnabar and mercury, and there are buyers in Qi. Therefore, we have to make a trip there every spring and autumn."

Fusu nodded and then asked, "Was the journey of a thousand miles smooth?"

Ba Qing's brows relaxed slightly, and he said with exceptional sincerity:

"By the grace of Your Majesty, I have been a merchant for many years and have never had such a smooth journey as this."

"Oh? What do you mean?" Fusu asked curiously.

"Qing often traveled to various countries to do business. He was most afraid of being robbed and extorted by officials and soldiers. Fortunately, His Majesty rectified the territory, suppressed bandits in various places, and made the laws and regulations in various places more standardized and the officials and soldiers more dutiful."

"Now that the roads within the Qin territory are open, banditry has been quelled, the checkpoints are clear and the government is efficient, and all the harassment has been eliminated, merchants can travel without any worries. It is precisely because of this that Qing's journey has been exceptionally safe and worry-free."

Her words were clear and logical, using her own experience as a starting point to truthfully recount what she had seen and heard, and then praising the stability under the King of Qin's rule. Her words were simple and sincere, without any sense of deliberate flattery, and her tone was just right.

Even Fusu felt a surge of goodwill upon hearing this, and nodded slightly, about to offer a few words of agreement—

"Madam Qing's words are contradictory; they are not the truth, are they?"

Zhou Wenqing's voice suddenly broke through the harmonious atmosphere, carrying a hint of questioning.

His gaze fell on Ba Qing, his eyes showing no anger, only a calm scrutiny.

"Since Your Majesty praises Your Majesty for suppressing bandits and securing the borders, making Qin peaceful and the roads safe, then why is Your Majesty so heavily armed and escorted by numerous carriages and guards upon entering Luoyang?"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the room suddenly froze.

Even Fusu couldn't help but show a fleeting look of bewilderment and surprise.

His master was usually very kind and gentle, and he rarely saw him confront him so directly with such sharp words. Even Fusu felt that the question was somewhat deliberately difficult.

But... yesterday, you clearly admired this person, so why did you change your attitude so suddenly?

If Li Si were here, he would definitely yell at him: That's right, your master is exactly like that! Deadly fickleness! That's him!

Behind the screen, Han Fei's lips curled up slightly, and his gaze drifted towards Yao Jia.

Is Zicheng perhaps imitating the sharp and incisive style of Yao Jia, the strategist and debater?

Although it was somewhat unexpected, it must be said that this way of picking fights out of nowhere and launching attacks out of nowhere really resembled this guy.

Yao Jia understood the meaning in Han Fei's eyes, but he had no intention of arguing with him, and was even on the verge of tears.

Admittedly, he was skilled in debate and sharp-tongued, but he only used his words when it came to diplomatic maneuvering and defending the dignity and national character of the Qin Dynasty. In ordinary meetings and social interactions, he was always tactful and prudent. He would never have targeted a female merchant without cause or deliberately made things difficult for her.

What kind of image did he have in Zhou Neishi's eyes?

Ba Qing's expression remained unchanged.

She put down her teacup, unhurriedly and with a slight bow, replied, her tone still composed:

"Lord Yao, you may not know this, but Qing Su's business extends beyond Qin. Beyond Qin lies Wei and Qi, places without a ruler as wise as Your Majesty. We must be wary of the checkpoints and bandits along the way."

"It's not that I particularly enjoy making a big fuss and traveling in a grand manner, but I really have no choice. The guards and attendants I've kept for years have accompanied me for thousands of miles. I can't just abandon them in the wilderness halfway through the journey to Qin territory, can I?"

A faint smile played on her lips, tinged with self-deprecation, subtly easing the tense atmosphere in the room.

"Those who know will understand that Qing is streamlining his manpower in Qin; those who don't will think he's suddenly fallen on hard times!"

Ba Qing sighed softly and said helplessly, "It's just a matter of following the old custom to ensure a safe and smooth journey. I hope you won't take offense, sir."

A hint of admiration flashed in Zhou Wenqing's eyes, but his expression remained unchanged as he said calmly, "If that's what Madam says, there's some truth to it, but..."

He paused briefly, then suddenly changed the subject: "I wonder if you, Madam, who has traveled to many countries over the years, have heard the saying, 'Business has no fixed location; one goes where there is profit,' and what are your thoughts on it?"

Upon hearing this, Ba Qing's smile faded, and he sat up even straighter, his originally gentle features now showing a hint of sternness.

"Qing had heard these words before, and he knew that they were just criticisms of us merchants, saying that we were only interested in profit and had no country or family."

She looked up to meet Zhou Wenqing's gaze, neither flinching nor avoiding it, and her words were firm and resolute: "In my opinion, a merchant without a country has no place to stand; a profit without roots is ultimately just fleeting clouds and flowing water."

"Merchants travel all over the world, seemingly free, but in reality they need to rely on the country. Only when the country protects merchants with laws and regulations and supports them with stability can it provide merchants with the foundation to make a living and the confidence to travel around the world. Only then can we merchants no longer fear robbery by bandits and harsh treatment by officials, and can we safely transport goods and earn a living."

"What's more, the strength or weakness of a nation is directly related to the safety of its merchants. When a nation is strong and its prestige spreads far and wide, we merchants, even if we are in a foreign land, can stand tall and proud by simply mentioning the name of the merchants of Great Qin. Officials of other nations will not dare to bully us at will, and local bandits will not dare to covet us easily."

"Therefore, the state is the shield of merchants. When the monarch governs well and stabilizes the four directions, he provides protection for merchants. In return, the merchants should use their own strength to give back to the country."

"My family, Ba Qing, has lived in Ba County for generations. We are nourished by the land and water of Qin and protected by the laws of Qin. Our business of cinnabar and mercury serves two purposes: first, to meet the needs of merchants from other states, and second, to supply the palaces and people's livelihoods of Qin. We pay every penny of tax and ensure that our goods are supplied to Qin first. Even when we travel to other states, we have never done anything that would harm the interests of Qin. We would never abandon our homeland for personal gain. This is our bottom line."

"Good, well said!"

Zhou Wenqing's gaze swept over Fusu, who was looking down and deep in thought, and then he couldn't help but admire her:

"Although Madam Qing was a merchant, her insight and vision were truly remarkable, making her a model of virtue, far superior to many profit-driven and ungrateful people in the world!"

"However... while Madam is deeply righteous and devoted to her country, this does not mean that all merchants in the world share this awareness. I dare to ask Madam, how did you come to have this ambition of 'serving the country through commerce,' and do you have any feasible methods to persuade and restrain merchants throughout the world, so that they can all keep to their duties, remember their homeland, and not do anything that betrays the country for profit?"

Upon hearing this, Fusu quickly looked up, his gaze fixed intently on Ba Qing.