Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Zhou Wenqing walked away briskly, leaving only the guards behind him. They followed while concealing themselves, hesitating whether they should reveal themselves again, their faces full of conflict.

He wondered to himself, "Has the master noticed that Miss Aruo has clearly seen through my identity?"

Should I step forward and say something first?

But then I thought about it again. The two of them had answered each other so naturally and calmly, without the slightest sign of anything unusual or bothered. So there was no need for them to do anything unnecessary... right?

That must be it!

Sir, you are a man of profound wisdom and far-sighted strategy. How could you not see this clue? I have clearly made a mountain out of a molehill.

The guard nodded firmly, watching Zhou Wenqing's back as he closed the door. He lightly touched the roof with his toes, and with a swift movement, he silently disappeared into the deep night.

Meanwhile, in the girls' rooms.

Aruo gently settled the little girl down, carefully tucked her in, and sat quietly by the bed.

Thinking of the "Guest Yao" she had just met, she couldn't help but raise her hand to lightly cover her lips, a faint smile hidden in her eyes.

I wonder when Mr. Zhou will realize this?

It's no wonder that Aruo could guess and probe, because this Guest Elder Yao today is so different from the one she met yesterday, they are practically two different people.

Zhou Wenqing, who bumped into her unexpectedly, did not show any sharpness or aggression. Instead, his eyes and brows were gentle and peaceful, like floating leaves drifting in a clear stream after the rain.

Moreover, with his youngest child beside him, the tone of his voice when comforting the child was incredibly gentle.

No wonder the patriarch said that the ever-burning lamp could be extinguished; it was indeed no longer needed.

Ba Qing didn't actually intend to tell A Ruo, but she trusted her so much that she subconsciously asked A Ruo to pass on her words to "Guest Yao".

And just as Zhou Wenqing had thought, A'Ruo was intelligent and insightful.

She hadn't thought about it that way before, but now...

Aruo glanced at the rescued children filling the room, a slight smile curving her lips.

That's good. Zhou Neishi lives up to his reputation. With him upholding justice, these poor children who suffered will surely receive a proper explanation...

And so, Zhou Wenqing, who was still figuring out how to put on a good disguise, was exposed once again without realizing it. He was trying to fall asleep, and then... he drifted off to sleep in a daze.

------

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Zhou Wenqing got up, washed, dressed, and pushed open the door—

"Sir, why are you up so early today? Why not rest a little longer?"

Li Yi, holding his sword, was leaning against the wall when he saw him come out and immediately went to greet him.

"I'm such a sleepyhead. I've slept for a whole day and night. It's time to wake up." Zhou Wenqing's lips twitched, and he gave him a disgruntled look.

It's as if he's a lazy sleeper every day. If it weren't for Dr. Lü's daily "drug administration," he would be a self-disciplined person who gets up early to exercise!

Li Yi sensed something was wrong and decisively chose to shut up.

But Zhou Wenqing clearly had no intention of letting him go. He looked him up and down, his brows furrowed slightly.

"Sir...?" Li Yi felt a sudden tightness in his chest and subconsciously took a small step back, feeling inexplicably guilty.

Zhou Wenqing sighed, his tone full of helplessness:

"Ah-yi, didn't I tell you yesterday that you should rest for a day and not stay by my side today?"

"Well……"

Li Yi's gaze immediately became unfocused, and he awkwardly shifted his eyes elsewhere, not daring to meet Zhou Wenqing's gaze at all.

Although the post station was fairly well-defended, it was not as impregnable as the Zhou Mansion in Xianyang. In addition, he was still worried about his teacher's assassination attempt. He was constantly on edge and dared not abandon his teacher to rest for a whole day.

If anything were to happen to him again, he would be held responsible even if he were to die a thousand deaths!

Zhou Wenqing could tell his concerns at a glance, and sighed helplessly.

"Ah Yi, can you stop following my colleagues who work day and night? You should rest when you need to. I have so many bodyguards around me. You don't need to stay up all night to guard me. Nothing will happen."

He pointed at Li Yi's face and said, "Look at you! Your eyes are so dark, it looks like you've been punched in the face twice, and you're still standing in the corner trying to look cool!"

He led troops to suppress bandits at night and followed Fusu around all day, working non-stop. He finally managed to persuade Fusu to go back and rest, but when he opened his eyes, Fusu had been standing outside the door for who knows how long—he got up earlier than Fusu, who had been working non-stop all day!

Is this even possible?!

Even the strongest body can't withstand this kind of strain!

"Showing off...showing off?" Li Yi looked completely innocent and bewildered. "Sir, what do you mean by showing off? I didn't!"

As someone who started out as a bodyguard, he was already very restrained and discreet by simply leaning against the wall and waiting, without suddenly appearing from the rooftop!

"Sigh~" Zhou Wenqing sighed and shook his head: "In short, I won't leave the post station today. You should go back and rest properly. A balance between work and rest is the right way. If you keep pushing yourself, you'll definitely break down."

Fearing he still wouldn't listen, Zhou Wenqing immediately gave an example to persuade him: "Look at Brother Gu'an, he's so engrossed in official duties that he's worn himself out. The physician from the Xia family has been studying and working tirelessly to help him recover, using countless methods, which has forced him to improve his medical skills considerably. And look at my... disciple, Fusu."

Zhou Wenqing realized his positive example wasn't quite appropriate before he spoke, so he quickly changed his tone and continued:

"Look at him! Under my careful guidance this past year, he's eaten well, slept soundly, and maintained a regular schedule. How much taller he's grown!"

"But... sir," Li Yi muttered softly, "Li Tingwei only received such 'special treatment' from Physician Xia because he stole someone else's disciple. I wouldn't steal his disciple."

"Besides, young master, people of that age naturally grow quickly; I was the same way when I was that age!"

"Then don't worry about it!" Zhou Wenqing said sternly and matter-of-factly. "Just tell me, did Brother Gu'an fall ill from working so hard that he forgot to eat and sleep? Is Fusu getting enough rest and in good health?"

Li Yi pondered for a moment, then nodded with a conflicted expression: "What you say, sir, is not wrong..."

But as soon as he finished speaking, he weakly raised his head and looked at Zhou Wenqing, adding, "But sir, the eldest son was busy all day yesterday, and he got up before dawn today. Calculating the time, he was even earlier than me. Is he... going to stunt his growth?"

"What?!"

Li Yi immediately quickened his pace: "The eldest young master had instructed that as soon as the children in the dormitory woke up, they should be informed. Just now, at the crack of dawn, most of the children had already woken up, and the eldest young master immediately got up to check on them without delaying for a moment."

"Fusu—!"

A low shout, filled with anger and urgency, burst from Zhou Wenqing's mouth. He rolled up his sleeves, turned around, and left.

Watching his master's angry figure stride away, Li Yi silently prayed for the eldest son before quickly following after him.

I'm sorry, young master, but your safety is of utmost importance. I simply cannot leave you to guard this place all day long. You... should be able to understand, right?