Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

The solemn and respectful atmosphere in the room was completely dispelled by Liu Bang and Lu Wan's banter, instantly becoming relaxed and lively, with everyone in the room feeling both amused and exasperated.

Xiao He sighed in exasperation and could only bow to Zhou Wenqing, saying:

"Sir, please don't misunderstand. Although they may seem a bit... unconventional, when it comes to actually doing something, they are both capable and know their limits."

"It's alright." Zhou Wenqing smiled and raised his hand, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "I think Liu Tingzhang is quite insightful and straightforward. All of us are just passing the buck and being too reserved and polite, unlike him who is so frank and open."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bang immediately raised his head, deliberately making an exaggeratedly smug look, and looked at Xiao He.

But this expression didn't last two breaths before Zhou Wenqing gently cut it off with his next sentence.

Zhou Wenqing narrowed his eyes at Liu Bang, a slight smile playing on his lips, before abruptly changing the subject:

"However, Chief Liu, your wish to 'protect' Clerk Xiao and Clerk Cao is likely to be dashed."

Liu Bang was taken aback.

"Although the corruption in Chen County has been thoroughly investigated and the main culprits have been brought to justice, the local chaos has not been quelled, the people's hearts are not at ease, and everything needs to be rebuilt."

Zhou Wenqing's tone gradually became serious, and his gaze steadily fell on Xiao He and Cao Can.

"We should not stay in Chen County for long. If I am not mistaken, before the King sends new officials to take over, I am afraid that Xiao Yuan and Cao Yu Yuan will have to temporarily handle all the affairs of the county, guard Chen County, investigate and arrest the remaining accomplices, and appease the people."

The moment the words left his mouth, Xiao He's gentle smile froze, and Cao Can opened his mouth slightly, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Doesn't that mean he's replacing Song Yun and Xu Kun?

Don't underestimate these two people just because they're not exactly good people. They hold very important positions—the prefect and the censor are the highest military and political officials of a prefecture and the supervisory envoys directly under the imperial court. They wield great power in their respective regions. It would take an ordinary official at least twenty years to climb from a county clerk to these positions.

Song Yun and Xu Kun were both over fifty years old. They had spent half their lives in the officialdom, scheming and currying favor, and going through ups and downs. It took them most of their lives to reach such high positions, where they could hold the power of life and death and taxation in their region and act as local tyrants.

In contrast, what about Xiao He and Cao Can?

No matter what the future holds, they are only in their early twenties now, living in Pei County as mere clerks. In a small county, this might be acceptable, but in the eyes of the imperial court, such a position is nothing without the recommendation of the prefect, the evaluation of the court, or the appointment of the king. To put it bluntly, they are just two minor officials in the county government, without even a formal official rank. In other words, they are not considered officials at all!

From the lowest-ranking county official, he rose to temporarily assume the military and political affairs of a prefecture and take over the powers of a prefect.

This leap in rank, even if it's temporary, is no longer a promotion beyond the norm; it's an outrageous and sudden advancement.

At the same time, this also shows how big the stakes were for them to come to Chenjun, and that they had long since disregarded life and death.

Even so, despite their profound knowledge and their willingness to never underestimate themselves, Xiao He and Cao Can never have imagined that this battle would lead to such an incredible speed of advancement.

Everyone was still in shock, except for Han Fei, who looked at Zhou Wenqing with a meaningful smile on his lips.

He knew that Zicheng wouldn't stay still.

The so-called "the matter of Chen County is settled, return to Xianyang" was indeed just a delaying tactic.

He decided on such a big matter with just a few words. He wanted to see how Zicheng would explain it to the King of Qin in Xianyang and the Grand Commandant right in front of him.

It's likely that sending a letter explaining the reason would be enough to bring back a locked "carriage" escorted by a troop of soldiers to forcefully take people back.

Of the five men from Pei County, Liu Bang was the first to regain his senses.

He blinked. He wasn't really clear on the intricacies of officialdom, but he understood one thing—Xiao He and Cao Can had been promoted, and promoted very high.

His eyes lit up, and he immediately moved closer to Xiao He, nudged him with his elbow, and winked at him.

"Oh dear, Brother Xiao, it seems I spoke too soon. Congratulations! You'll have to remember to look after me, brother!"

Lu Wan was overjoyed and quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes! Brother Ji is right! From now on, we'll all be relying on Brother Xiao and Brother Cao for their guidance and support!"

These playful shoving and teasing finally brought Xiao He back to his senses from his daze.

He brushed aside Liu Bang's arm as he leaned in, and said softly with a sigh, "Stop fooling around. This is not something you can joke about."

Xiao He turned to Zhou Wenqing, his expression becoming serious, and bowed, declining the offer:

"I am honored by your high regard, sir, but I am merely a minor official, lacking in talent and learning, and have never managed the affairs of a prefecture before. How can I possibly shoulder such an important responsibility?"

"Moreover, Chen County has loyal and brave officials like Prefect Hu and Magistrate Shen. They have lived here for a long time, are well-versed in the people's sentiments, and enjoy high public support. It is only right and proper for them to govern Chen County."

Cao Shen, lying on the couch, also spoke, his expression cautious:

"Yes, sir. The affairs of the prefecture are numerous and complex, especially at such a critical juncture. Ensuring the safety of the people, apprehending criminals, managing taxes, and rectifying official corruption are all heavy responsibilities. We two are still relatively inexperienced and may not be able to command the respect of the people. If we rashly take over, we may fail to live up to your trust. Moreover, loyal and righteous officials like Prefect Hu and Magistrate Shen are clearly more suitable. It would be against the rules for us to take on these matters, and we would feel uneasy about it."

Zhou Wenqing listened quietly as the two men took turns declining, saying he couldn't accept the offer. His expression was calm, but a subtle feeling lingered in his heart.

Others might not know, but he knew perfectly well that these two were not incompetent; in fact, they were being wasted on a great talent.

They were originally talented individuals hidden in the countryside, dedicated to saving the world. During the Chu-Han Contention, Liu Bang suffered repeated defeats but never gave up. It was Xiao He who devoted himself wholeheartedly to the rear, allocating grain and fodder, pacifying the people, and replenishing troops, single-handedly supporting the crumbling Han Kingdom.

It can be said that without Xiao He, there would have been no Han Dynasty that lasted for four hundred years.

Cao Shen, who was on the bed, was also a veteran of many battles and had made outstanding contributions in conquering cities and territories. After the war, he served as the prime minister of Qi and governed the state with the Huang-Lao philosophy. Within nine years, the state of Qi was well-governed, and the people lived in peace and prosperity, singing praises to him.

He succeeded Xiao He as Chancellor of the Han Dynasty and made no changes to any of his policies, always following Xiao He's rules, thus leaving behind the famous saying "Xiao He followed Cao He's rules."

The current arrangement of temporarily assigning the two to manage a prefecture is merely a trial run.

Of course, Zhou Wenqing had another reason for making this arrangement.

Xiao He and Cao Can are still young, inexperienced, and lack a solid foundation.

Even the most gifted individuals are never born to rule the world. Liu Bang's rise to power was not achieved overnight; both he and Liu Bang gradually honed their skills and accumulated experience over time.

However, this time, we will absolutely not give them that chance.

Through this unfortunate situation, the two men were put in charge of civil administration, official management, public order, and suppression of riots in a prefecture. They witnessed firsthand the suffering of a chaotic world, the deep-seated problems in the officialdom, and the displacement of the people. This tempered their character, broadened their horizons, accumulated practical achievements, and honed their strategic skills.

Once the situation in Chenjun is completely stable, Hu and Shen will have recovered from their injuries and mental state, and will be able to take over the affairs here.

As he returned to Xianyang from Qi, he took the opportunity to bring the two men out of Pei County and into the imperial court.

I'm sure Brother Gu'an will be very happy!

Perhaps His Majesty will be lenient and not keep such a close watch on him in Xianyang for several years...?