Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

The two who arrived were Xiao He and Liu Bang.

The situation was urgent and critical, so there was no time for them to tidy themselves up or rest. Both of them were exhausted and looked extremely disheveled.

As the footsteps drew closer, a stench of dust, gunpowder, and thick blood wafted over, heavily overshadowing the elegant aroma of medicine in the pharmacy and instantly making the already stagnant atmosphere inside even heavier.

Zhou Wenqing frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping across their faces before landing on the shocking bloodstains. His heart tightened, and he quickly turned to call for Physician Lü:

"Medical Master Lü—"

Before those three words had even landed, Xiao He's gaze swept past everyone else and suddenly locked onto the eldest son, Fusu. Ignoring his own injuries and exhaustion, he pushed away the guards who were helping him and slammed one knee heavily on the ground with a dull thud that made everyone's knees ache.

He held the silk scroll high with both hands, his back ramrod straight, his voice hoarse yet resounding:

"Your Majesty, I, Xiao He, the Chief Clerk of Pei County, hereby accuse Song Yun, the Prefect of Chen Commandery, Xu Kun, the Imperial Censor, and a host of other officials of abusing their power, slaughtering villagers, and committing countless atrocities. The grievances of ten thousand people are presented here. I earnestly beg Your Highness to show mercy and redress the wrongful deaths of the innocent souls in Chen Commandery!"

Who?

Who did he just say he was?!

Zhou Wenqing suddenly turned his head back, so fast that a soft "crack" could be heard on the side of his neck. He almost twisted his neck but didn't care.

He stared intently at the man before him—his clothes were soaked in blood, torn and tattered, with bloodstains snaking down his forehead and dried scabs sticking to his disheveled hair. He was utterly wretched, yet his spirit remained unyielding. His hands, which held the silk book high and trembled slightly, had solidified dark red marks embedded between his fingers and in the lines of his palms.

"You said your name was Xiao He?"

Zhou Wenqing's usually calm and steady voice inexplicably wavered, his Adam's apple bobbing heavily as he suppressed the turmoil rising in his chest, and he spoke each word with caution: "Xiao He, the chief clerk of Pei County?"

Xiao He didn't know who the only person sitting there was, or why he was being asked his name. He only knew that the injustices of the people awaited redress and that the people needed justice. He dared not delay for even a moment, so he bowed his head solemnly and answered with a firm and upright voice:

"It is indeed your subject, Xiao He, Xiao Ziyun."

boom--!

The moment the words left his mouth, Zhou Wenqing felt as if a thunderclap had exploded in his mind. A chill ran through his entire body, from his spine all the way to his fingertips, so much so that he could barely hold onto the armrest of the table.

It's really him.

He is Xiao He, a wise prime minister in history who assisted the Han dynasty in establishing the empire, stabilizing the country, and achieving unparalleled merit among officials!

He was Xiao He of Pei State, who survived turbulent times, maintained stability in the country, guarded the land, and ultimately became a renowned prime minister throughout history!

It was at this moment...something went wrong, and Xiao He was dragged into Chen County, nearly killed, and his life hung by a thread.

My heart skipped a beat—that was close!

He never imagined that his encounter with the people of Pei County, especially Prime Minister Xiao, which he had rehearsed countless times in his mind, would take place under such circumstances.

If the mission hadn't traveled day and night, if I hadn't believed my premonition, if Li Yi hadn't arrived in time...

Zhou Wenqing closed his eyes briefly, forcefully suppressing the surging chill. When he opened them again, his eyes were clear again.

"Physician Lü, please check his injuries first."

"I am fine."

Xiao He calmly refused, having exhausted all his energy to care about others. His brows furrowed with weariness, but his eyes shone with unwavering determination, fixed on Fusu. His tone was firm and resolute, showing no sign of wavering.

"This petition and this evidence are the result of the forbearance and sacrifice of Prefect Hu and Magistrate Shen, and the blood and sweat of the local militia. Thousands of lives have been lost due to injustice. We earnestly request that you, sir, accept this petition first, so that loyal officials do not die in vain and the people are not wronged!"

Xiao He was unsure how long he could remain conscious, and was even experiencing dizziness and blurred vision, barely managing to stay awake.

He was, after all, a clerk who spent years writing and handling cases, and his physical condition was not as good as Liu Bang's. However, the silk scroll in his hand contained not only the information and evidence from Hu and Shen, as well as the petitions and bloodstains from the villagers, but also the intricate network of crimes committed by the treacherous officials in Chen County, which he had painstakingly and tirelessly sorted out.

This is the key to potentially eradicating the corruption and chaos in Chen County in one fell swoop, and it happens to be exactly what the delegation that wants to understand Chen County needs most at this moment.

Fate has decreed that he has survived countless near-death experiences and fought his way to this point, so that he may see the eldest son in person. He must witness Fusu accept this offer with his own eyes; otherwise, he will not be at ease.

Finally, Fusu stepped forward, bowed, and solemnly accepted the silk scroll with both hands.

"Alright, I accept this report and will investigate it thoroughly."

These few words, though brief, conveyed immense weight.

The tension that had been building for days suddenly eased, the last glimmer of light in Xiao He's eyes vanished instantly, the tautness in his body completely dissipated, and darkness fell before his eyes. The last thing he heard was Liu Bang's heart-wrenching cry.

"Brother Xiao—!"

Liu Bang's expression changed drastically. He let out a low shout, pushed aside the guards on both sides, rushed forward, and hurriedly supported him, his brows furrowed with anxiety and panic.

"Don't rush, help him to the side and let me take a look." Doctor Lü had already walked quickly to the front, his voice calm and steady, without the slightest hint of panic.

Liu Bang had already heard Zhou Wenqing call the old physician "Medical Master Lü" twice. This name was probably known to everyone in the world. He was the divine physician who had snatched the former Inner Historian Zhou back from the brink of death. Liu Bang hurriedly nodded in agreement.

Together with his bodyguards, he carefully helped Xiao He to lie down on the mat next to him, and then looked expectantly at Physician Lü.

Physician Lü deftly placed his fingertips on Xiao He's wrist pulse, then glanced at his body to examine the various injuries. After a moment, he breathed a sigh of relief and calmly reassured everyone:

"It's alright. He's just exhausted and depleted of his energy and blood, but there are no fatal injuries. I'll give him acupuncture and apply medicine first, and then gradually supplement his diet with herbal decoctions to strengthen his body. He should be able to recover completely."

He turned to look at Xia Wuqie, who was grinding medicine nearby, and beckoned, "Wuqie, come and help."

Xia Wuqie stood up in response and quickly approached, carrying the medicine bowl.

Physician Lü raised his chin again and pointed in Liu Bang's direction, "And that kid, don't leave either. Let me take a look at your hand. You need to apply medicine too, lest the wound become inflamed and swollen, which would be even more troublesome."

Liu Bang looked somewhat dazed. He was also exhausted and his reactions were inevitably slow. Physician Lü was too lazy to waste words with him, so he grabbed his arm and carefully took his pulse.

It still has to be Physician Lü; he's reliable.

Zhou Wenqing silently admired him, his gaze falling on Liu Bang, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

I was so captivated by the name Xiao He that I almost missed this one. With such an air of authority and age, and being on friendly terms with Xiao He, he must be none other than Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, who established the dynasty, brought order to the world, and whose name will be remembered for eternity.

His fingers involuntarily clenched, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and anger surged within him.

Well, what a capable governor of Chen Commandery! He almost managed to kill the future founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, along with his meritorious minister who "pacified the country and comforted the people," right here.

Overwhelming anger and deep-seated fear intertwined in his heart, making his gaze grow even colder.

Zhou Wenqing also noted this debt down.

A familiar, faint ache rose in Zhou Wenqing's chest. He knew it was due to overwork and emotional turmoil, but he showed no sign of it. He took a breath and forcibly suppressed the surging anger. He then turned and asked Fusu to unfold the silk scroll on the low table.

Yao Jia and Han Fei also gathered around, their eyes fixed on the densely packed charges and injustices on the paper.

A single glance was enough to make Fusu's usually kind and gentle face flush red, his eyes filled with resentment and anger:

"How despicable! How could there be such vile and treacherous people in this world! They kidnap children to extort money, then use bandits to kill witnesses, slaughter families, and plunder their property. They treat Chen County as their private domain, setting fire to prisons and causing countless families to be destroyed and lives lost. Such behavior is worse than that of animals!"

"A clever trick, a framing of a loyal official, a complete distortion of the truth in the prefecture—what a flawless scheme!" Han Fei's brows furrowed sharply, his gaze icy and piercing. He let out a soft sigh, filled with endless regret: "We almost misunderstood the true nature of this loyal Prefect Hu. It's just a pity... that this righteous man sacrificed himself for the scheme, never to return."

"The deceased are gone, and we will surely report to His Majesty in the future to truthfully request merit for the loyal and righteous officials such as Prefect Hu, General Hu, and Magistrate Shen, and posthumously recognize their loyalty and righteousness." Yao Jia frowned, his expression extremely solemn. "But at present, the overall situation is of utmost importance, and we should first think of a way to break the deadlock."

His fingertip landed on the key passage in the silk scroll, each word heavy with meaning: "Song Yun's power base is deeply rooted in Chen County. He can command countless county soldiers and bandits, and his prefecture likely harbors a large number of well-equipped private troops. His influence is deeply entrenched and should not be underestimated. In contrast, our delegation is only accompanied by two hundred armored soldiers. The disparity in strength is too great, and we cannot act rashly. We should delay until someone from Xianyang arrives..."

"No, I'm afraid it's too late." Zhou Wenqing pressed his temples and looked at Li Yi.

"After you dealt with those who were silenced, did you find any trace of the spies?"