Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

This reaction, stemming from the instinct for survival, was the most undisguised, the most naked and straightforward, and was seen by everyone present in its entirety.

If Song Yun is truly, as he claims, a powerless and incompetent puppet controlled by the prefectural magistrate, then this team, desperate for survival, should immediately beg to see their master—the one in charge of the real government, Hu Kui.

Why would they cling so tightly to a prefect who is all show and no substance?

Similarly, this subconscious reaction also shows that in his mind, and even in the subconscious of these city gate guards, the eldest son's orders could be changed by asking this "puppet"!

This was exactly the worst-case scenario that Zhou Wenqing and the others had anticipated.

Yao Jia and the others felt a chill run down their spines, as if a cold air rose from the soles of their feet and shot straight to the top of their heads, making their hair stand on end.

That was close! I almost got fooled by Song Yun's cowardly attitude.

They could almost imagine the unimaginable consequences if they fell for his trick and became less wary of this fool, instead turning their attention to the so-called "powerful" prefectural magistrate.

Thankfully, thankfully Zicheng is here.

At this moment, cold sweat broke out on the palms of Han Fei, Yao Jia, and Fu Su.

Song Yun's temples throbbed with veins, and he secretly cursed.

How could someone as cunning as him not know that he had slipped up?

I've cursed this guy a thousand times in my heart. I wish I could chop off his hands that are clinging to me right now and grind his bones to dust. How could I expect him to save people?

But since things had come to this, Song Yun could only grit his teeth and hope that the eldest son and his group were indeed as arrogant and domineering as they appeared, and that they hadn't noticed or looked down on this nobody. He would just plug the hole in front of him first.

He hurriedly stepped forward, bowed, and made a gesture to pull the kneeling team leader up, while repeatedly kowtowing to Zhou Wenqing to apologize, his face full of fear and timidity:

"Young Master, please calm your anger! It was my negligence in managing my subordinates that allowed this uncouth soldier to offend you. I deserve to die. I will immediately take him away and hand him over to the Prefect for punishment, and I will never let him offend your eyes again!"

At the same time, the hand pressing down on the leader's arm subtly tightened, and under the cover of his bent-over posture, he spoke in a whisper that only the two of them could hear, each word chilling and piercing:

"Now, shut up right now, loosen your grip on my filthy hands, and if you utter another word, I'll have your entire family thrown into the mass grave outside the city gates with you."

The soldier lost all strength instantly, his face turned ashen, and he collapsed to the ground, allowing the soldiers on both sides to come forward and drag him away from the scene like a dead dog.

With the loophole temporarily removed, Song Yun, considering his backup plan, immediately straightened up, his face filled with a fawning and fearful expression:

"Young master, you've had a hard time. Please hurry into the city! I will lead the way and escort you to the post station for rest and recuperation!"

Han Fei and Yao Jia exchanged a glance, their eyes subtly shifting, and in an instant, they understood each other perfectly.

Now that they have seen through Song Yun's deep scheming and know that this place is entirely under his control, why would they obediently follow his arrangements and rashly step into a trap that he may have already set up?

Not to mention that post stations were the proper place for officials to be placed, and they might have been monitored and secretly thwarted long ago.

Therefore, they never intended to stay in the post station.

However, since Li Yi has not yet come out, there is clearly something wrong with this city, and we must enter it now.

Yao Jia's face immediately darkened. He reined in his horse, took a half-step forward, and pointed a finger at Song Yun's nose, displaying the overbearing arrogance of a high-ranking official. He sternly rebuked him:

"What are you planning to do at the post station?! Didn't you hear the young master say he had a splitting headache? If you delay his treatment, you can't afford to lose your life!"

"Enough talk, lead the way immediately to this largest and most well-stocked legitimate pharmacy in Chenjun City! Now, right now!"

"A...a pharmacy?!" Song Yun exclaimed in astonishment.

This statement caught him completely off guard.

Before his departure, he had already placed spies and spies in all the official residences, inns and post stations in the city and made all the arrangements. But he never thought that the delegation would leave their own official residence and go to a pharmacy in the city.

A strong sense of unease gripped him instantly, and doubts churned in his mind.

Could it be that my little tricks have been noticed?

If possible, Song Yun also didn't want a lose-lose situation, so he continued to bow and feign fear, seemingly trying to persuade him, but actually testing him, attempting to pull him back onto the path he had set for him:

"Sir, you are unaware that the pharmacy is crowded, simple, and dirty. I fear that it might neglect the young master. The Prefect has already summoned all the best doctors in the city to the post station to be on standby, ready to examine and treat the young master at any time. If the pharmacy has any rare medicinal materials, I will immediately have them brought to the post station. I would never dare to trouble the young master to go there in person..."

"presumptuous!"

Han Fei immediately reined in his horse and stepped forward, his cold shout clear and sharp, directly interrupting his excuses.

"Since Mr. Zhao has already said we're going to the pharmacy, then let's go to the pharmacy. How dare you, a mere prefect from a small place, repeatedly obstruct and interfere?"

Born into nobility and possessing an aloof nature, he naturally adopted a superior, authoritative demeanor, even more so than Yao Jia, exuding an air of superiority and oppression. His eyes and brows revealed his disdain and indifference towards local officials.

"You, a local physician from Chenjun, have only crude and shallow medical skills. You are not qualified to serve the eldest son closely. How dare you presume to diagnose him?"

He gave a cold, sneer, his words sharp:

"It is the post station's duty and honor to summon physicians. They should simply wait patiently for orders. Once the prescription is sent out, they can prepare the medicine accordingly. The young master has his own skilled physicians; why would it be your turn?"

"If it weren't for the sudden flare-up of the eldest son's old illness, which caused us to run out of the necessary medicines we brought along the way, and to make sure we could go to a pharmacy to get the medicines and prepare them on the spot, you local medical practitioners wouldn't even be qualified to identify and dispense medicines for the eldest son. We are now giving you this tremendous favor, which is an honor for you. Hurry up and lead the way, don't delay any longer!"

His words were spoken in a grand and righteous manner, without the slightest trace of falsehood.

Zhou Wenqing wrapped himself tightly in his brocade robe, not daring to show his face, but he still couldn't help but admire Han Fei's quick wit.

This seemingly refined gentleman's ability to lie through his teeth is getting better and better!

Just from hearing his words and tone, Zhou Wenqing knew that everything was in the bag.

It was precisely this tone and manner of speaking that struck a chord with treacherous officials like Song Yun.

In his eyes, the imperial nobles and close officials from Xianyang should naturally be arrogant and disdainful of the local people; it was not at all out of place for them.

Even Han Fei's behavior, in Song Yun's view, was more in line with his petty mind and the underlying logic of looking down on the common people.

Sure enough, Song Yun's doubts subsided somewhat.

He pondered to himself that the entire Chen County region was under his control, so the loss of the few spies he had at the post station wouldn't matter. As long as he could hold out for now and wait for news from the west of the city, the initiative to decide whether to withdraw or release the supplies would still be in his own hands.

Both sides had their own thoughts; one side was waiting for news, and the other was waiting for reinforcements. Finally, they entered the city peacefully and stopped in front of the most impressive and magnificent pharmacy in the city's streets.

Zhou Wenqing was shielded by Han Fei and Yao Jia on either side, and was half-supported and half-carried off the horse by Physician Lü.

He ultimately gave in to his stubbornness. After nearly two hours of bumpy travel, even without having to personally control the horse, his strength had been completely exhausted.

He tried to push himself off the horse, but as soon as his legs touched the ground, he lost all strength, his knees buckled, and he almost fell to his knees.

Fortunately, he was playing the sickly Fusu, and the deep night concealed his flaws. His staggering and stooped appearance was seen by others as the young master suffering from illness, so it did not seem out of place.

Only Zhou Wenqing's fingers, hanging in his sleeve, tightened slightly, a faint trace of annoyance passing through his heart.

Given the current situation, this frail health of mine is likely to become a burden.

Especially after he caught a glimpse of Li Yi's appearance in the shadows under the eaves, his unease deepened.