Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Han Fei put on his shoes and outer robe, then pushed open the door and went straight out.

The night breeze was cool and refreshing, but it couldn't dispel the gloom in my heart.

Wasn't he said to be upright, aloof, and self-righteous?

Fine, then why is he torturing himself like this?!

He was determined to find someone now, immediately, and face-to-face to clarify and understand those lingering questions and unresolved issues.

Of course, looking for Zicheng is definitely not an option; Han Fei is simply depressed and does not intend to commit suicide.

Zicheng is physically weak and has just recovered from a serious illness. Not to mention whether getting up at night might cause him to catch a cold, just if Li Yi knew that he dared to disturb his master in the middle of the night just because he was upset, the guard would probably tear him apart!

Moreover, there's also Physician Lü.

He didn't want to experience the old man's superb acupuncture skills for the time being.

Han Fei's target was very clear: Yao Jia.

That masked man, who always wears a smile but hides a sharp edge in his words, is probably practicing his fake expression in front of the mirror right now, and hasn't gone to sleep yet.

Yes, I definitely didn't go to sleep.

So, since he's awake and has nothing to do anyway, it's not too much to ask him to go and chat with him and ask for his advice, right?

With this in mind, Han Fei's steps became more determined and quickened.

The night wind rushed into his collar, billowing his hastily wrapped outer robe like a billowing sail, standing out conspicuously in the deep night.

In particular, to commemorate the soldiers who sacrificed their lives on this mission, and also for the sake of Zhou Neishi, everyone in the group changed their outer robes to plain white.

In addition, Han Fei's journey was quite long...

It must be said that Fusu is always reliable in his work. He said he would put Han Fei in the east wing and Yao Jia in the west wing, keeping them far apart, and he always kept his word.

Han Fei had no choice but to walk through the corridors and around the paths, his steps never stopping. He was burning with anger, which made him walk faster and faster, his feet barely touching the ground.

Fortunately, it was the middle of the night, and there weren't many people in the courtyard. Otherwise, his hurried journey would have frightened many people.

As luck would have it, Zhou Wenqing had drunk too much of the medicine prescribed by Physician Lü during the day and was still unable to sleep. He had taken a book of Confucian classics and leaned against the headboard to try and fall asleep.

With my eyelids half-closed and feeling drowsy, I suddenly caught a glimpse of a white shadow flashing past the window like a ghost.

Zhou Wenqing's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly regained consciousness.

"Cough cough cough!"

He coughed a few times, pressing his chest, before recovering, his eyes still filled with surprise and uncertainty.

Could it be that he told so many lies during the day that he actually encountered a ghost at night?

"gentlemen?!"

Hearing the commotion, Li Yi, who was on duty outside the door, quickly called out in a low voice and carefully pushed the door open to enter.

"It's alright, I'm fine."

Zhou Wenqing raised his hand in greeting, his eyes still fixed on the window, and asked somewhat uncertainly, "A-Yi, did you see anything pass by just now?"

After a moment's thought, Li Yi hesitated before replying, "I only caught a quick glance just now, but judging from his figure and attire, it should be Mr. Han."

A-Yi is a martial artist with excellent eyesight, and Zhou Wenqing breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

Although he didn't believe in ghosts and gods, he couldn't deny that he himself had traveled through time!

But...Han Fei?

Zhou Wenqing frowned.

Why are you staying up all night? What's going on?

Han Fei, who was traveling at a fast pace, had a pure and single-minded thought: tonight he would not cause trouble for anyone else, but would only cause trouble for Yao Jia!

At this moment, he stood calmly in front of Yao Jia's door—at least on the surface, he was calm, but in fact his hands were clenched into fists. He took a deep breath, raised his hand, and knocked heavily.

"Thump, thump, thump."

Three muffled thuds were particularly clear in the quiet night.

After a moment, a rustling sound came from inside the door, first a slight creaking of the bed board, followed by a brief pause—clearly, Yao Jia had been awakened by the sudden knocking and was still groggy, wondering if he had misheard.

Immediately, the faint light of the candle shone through the crack in the door, and Han Fei's lips curled into a pleased smile.

He already said that Yao Jia definitely wasn't asleep!

Inside the room, Yao Jia put on his outer robe, slowly sat up, still not fully conscious. He casually pulled the robe over his shoulders and asked in a deep voice:

"Who?"

The voice wasn't loud, and it had a slightly hoarse quality, as if the person had just been woken up.

"I."

Han Fei uttered only one word, hard and unyielding, like a stone hitting the ground.

There was a moment of silence inside the door.

"...Han Zi?"

The hazy weariness in the voice gradually dissipated, replaced by a clear sense of doubt.

Why are they banging on the door in the middle of the night? Could something have happened?

Yao Jia was startled, all sleepiness vanished, and he immediately got out of bed, slipped on his shoes, and hurried to the door.

The door creaked open.

Yao Jia leaned out halfway, his hair half-disheveled, his outer robe hanging askew on his shoulder, his face still showing surprise and disbelief that he hadn't had time to conceal.

He observed Han Fei in the dim light of the corridor. The man stood at the door, dressed in what appeared to be a hasty outfit, but with a calm demeanor, not as if anything had happened.

"Han Zi, what happened?"

Han Fei did not answer. He walked straight past Yao Jia and stepped across the threshold, his posture as calm as if he were entering his own study.

Yao Jia stood frozen at the door, his hand still on the doorframe. It took him a while to come to his senses. He closed the door, turned around, and looked at Han Fei, who was already standing inside, with a completely bewildered expression.

"Han Zi, what's wrong...?"

Han Fei remained silent.

He sat down at the desk, his gaze sweeping over the books spread out on the table and the half-finished cup of tea, then he looked up and quietly stared at Yao Jia.

It seems there's nothing urgent, but this person... is probably insane, right?

Yao Jia felt uneasy under his gaze, sighed, and resignedly went to brew a pot of tea.

The steaming hot tea was poured into the cup, and the rising white vapor made the atmosphere between the two people even more subtle.

He pushed the teacup in front of Han Fei, sat down opposite him, and took a sip of tea.

This was the first time Yao Jia had drunk tea so hastily; he was only using it to clear his mind so that he could calm himself down immediately when Han Fei spoke, even if it was unexpected news.

only……

The cup of tea was finished.

The two cups of tea were finished.

Yao Jia finally couldn't hold back any longer. He put down his teacup, looked up at Han Fei's ever-calm face, and spoke with a hint of helplessness:

"Han Zi, it's late at night and the dew is heavy. You haven't slept, yet you've come all the way to my humble abode. Surely you didn't come here specifically to taste my tea because you think my tea-making skills are decent?"

"No good." Han Fei shook his head.

"What?" Yao Jia was taken aback.

Han Fei lowered his head and quietly looked at the teacup in his hand.

It took Yao Jia a while to realize that he meant his tea-making skills were poor.

Then why did you drink so much?!

Is this person holding a grudge against me for what I did during the day and is deliberately coming to take revenge?!

Little did they know that Han Fei, who had arrived with such ease, had calmed down after a few cups of tea and found himself at a loss for words.

Where should he begin his defense?

Why did he live a life of frustration, with ambitions he could not realize and was repeatedly ostracized? Was it all because this Legalist master was arrogant and disdainful of others?

Is it because he misjudged people, and was loyal to the king and country but was betrayed and wandered around? Is it really because he, the prince of Han, was high above and detached from the world?

He dismantled and crushed the pride, principles, and bottom line he had accumulated over the years, revealing them to the world bit by bit.

He said he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Especially... in front of Yao Jia.

I acted impulsively. I should have waited until dawn to play a game with Zicheng.

When Yao Jia saw that Han Fei had only uttered two words and then fell silent, he felt the veins on his forehead throbbing.

If he hadn't noticed that this person's emotions seemed unusual, he would have stopped playing along long ago.

Han Fei finally raised his head, his dark eyes staring straight at him.

"Come with me, let's go to the village."

"Now?"

Yao Jia subconsciously looked up and gazed at the dark, inky night outside the window.

This person is definitely insane.

Just as the two were at an impasse, a series of hurried footsteps came from under the corridor.

Zhou Wenqing, who was startled, finally arrived in a hurry.