Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Xiao He breathed a sigh of relief, then solemnly cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, his expression sincere and heartfelt: "Sir, your magnanimity is truly admirable. On behalf of my unruly brothers, I thank you for your kindness and tolerance."

He breathed a sigh of relief, not only because Lu Wan's rash words were so easily overlooked, but also because he felt a genuine sense of peace.

Since their first meeting at the pharmacy, Zhou Wenqing's every word and action has lived up to the world's high reputation. He is gentle and humble, cares for the common people, and his demeanor is that of a gentleman.

Although Xiao He had heard of it before and longed for it, seeing it with his own eyes and hearing it with his own ears, he still couldn't help but feel a little happy. The fact that there were no unworthy people under the great reputation and that the people who admired him completely matched his expectations still made him feel a little happy.

He glanced at Liu Bang out of the corner of his eye—the guy who was glaring at Lu Wan with exasperation, completely oblivious to the fact that his own behavior was equally offensive.

Sigh, and you're talking about others too!

Xiao He sighed softly, withdrew his gaze, and looked back at Zhou Wenqing in front of him, secretly feeling relieved.

Fortunately, he was the one leading the delegation and in charge of setting the standards.

Whether the Chen Commandery rebellion could have been successfully resolved, or even discovered, would have been another matter entirely—

Given Liu Bang and his two companions' unruly and rough-and-tumble nature, if they rashly join the ranks of an envoy, their merits will likely turn into sins within three days, leaving them with nowhere to turn for redress!

With this thought in mind, Xiao He stepped forward, his tone warm and earnest, and solemnly entrusted the matter:

"Sir, my two brothers and I have lived in the countryside for a long time, and we are still quite rough around the edges. We are fortunate to be traveling with you. The journey is long and there are many things to do. If we are ever impetuous or rude in the future, we hope that you will be understanding and give us some pointers along the way."

He spoke sincerely, unaware that while he was praising Zhou Wenqing in his heart, Zhou Wenqing was also silently praising him.

As expected of Xiao He, he was calm, composed, thoughtful, meticulous, and reliable in everything he did.

It was truly a blessing for Liu Bang to have such brothers, advisors, and capable ministers who treated him with sincerity and gave him their full support!

Oh! No, it seems like it really was a blessing from a past life.

It's impossible in this lifetime... at least it's impossible to wholeheartedly assist him.

Pack them all up and send them to Xianyang, to work hard under Brother Gu'an in Xianyang, young people! The construction of Qin needs you, and you too will be remembered in history. The future is bright!

Zhou Wenqing silently grumbled in his heart, but on the surface he remained calm and nodded with a smile: "Don't worry, Xiao Yuan. I have never liked formalities and empty formalities. On the contrary, I prefer their vivid and sincere true nature. It was just a few unintentional words. I will not take it to heart."

He paused, then changed the subject: "However... since we're going to travel together, there are some unpleasant things I need to say upfront."

"Although I am not particular about etiquette, I am also quite unconventional in my actions, and even the people in the team have become... more casual because of me."

His gaze swept lightly over Han Fei, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

Han Fei paused slightly in the teacup, then "naturally" lowered his gaze to stare at the tea leaves floating in the cup, pretending not to have heard or understood anything.

What are you looking at? What's it to me!

Ahem! Okay... maybe there is indeed a tiny bit of a connection.

As a prince of Korea, he devoted himself to the country's fate every day, racking his brains for advice and suggestions. Even though he was always looked down upon and rejected, and filled with grief and indignation, he dared not relax for a moment.

Since traveling with the mission, he no longer had to bear the heavy shackles of reviving his homeland. He could "occasionally" bicker and argue with Yao Jia, freely expressing his thoughts. "From time to time," he would catch Zhou Wenqing to play chess, enjoy himself, drink tea, chat, and do some practical things that he really wanted to do to benefit the people and show off his knowledge. Such a comfortable and carefree life has indeed softened his originally cold and hard features quite a bit.

But he could never admit to that.

He'd only stolen a few days of leisure; being carefree? Not at all! Han Fei remained the same dignified, self-possessed, and unsmiling Han Fei!

Only the suspicious blush on the tip of his ear betrayed him.

Zhou Wenqing smiled and withdrew his gaze, continuing, "But when the delegation goes on a visit, it carries the dignity of the Great Qin, and every action must be conducted in accordance with rules and etiquette."

"The road ahead is long, and I will not deliberately restrain your forthright and open-minded nature. Besides, there are many righteous and heroic men in my ranks, and your temperaments are compatible with them. I think you can get along well and complement each other."

"But there's one thing—"

He abruptly changed the subject, his gaze settling on Liu Bang, Lu Wan, and Fan Kuai. Though his voice was slow, it carried an undeniable air of authority:

"Whenever you encounter any problems along the way, whether you are traveling, moving forward or backward, or taking any action on the spot, you must strictly follow my orders and act in accordance with the rules. Orders must be obeyed without question. Under no circumstances should you act on your own initiative or act arbitrarily."

"Can you do that?"

"Yes, yes, absolutely!"

Liu Bang's wish was fulfilled, and his eyes lit up instantly. How could he not agree?

He immediately straightened his back and solemnly promised, "Sir, rest assured, I, Liu Ji, will be completely obedient and will follow your orders in everything! If you tell me to go east, I will never go west; if you tell me to chase... cough cough!"

He choked abruptly, swallowing back the phrase "chasing the chicken and beating the dog," coughed twice, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and continued without changing his expression:

"In short, I thank you very much, sir, for your kindness. I promise to follow your instructions completely and will never act on my own initiative or betray your trust!"

Immediately afterwards, he patted Lu Wan next to him:

"What are you standing there for? You're silent when it's your turn to speak. Hurry up and thank the sir!"

Lu Wan was struck again, and straightened up, but this time he was wiser and dared not complain. He quickly clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, repeatedly assuring Lu Wan:

"Thank you for your guidance, sir. I, Wan, will also listen to you!"

Not only did he learn his lesson, he also learned his lesson. He realized that his mouth could easily cause trouble, so he adhered to the principle of saying less and making fewer mistakes. As soon as he finished speaking, he closed his mouth, looked down at his nose and stood up straight, looking just like a child who had just been scolded by his teacher in school—unbelievably honest.

...which also makes Liu Bang seem particularly dishonest.

Liu Bang's eye twitched, and he stared at Lu Wan with a slightly speechless expression.

Hey, you sure know how to save yourself trouble!

What's even more infuriating is that you've already said it's so short, what is Fan Kuai, who isn't good with words, supposed to do?

Fan Kuai clasped his hands in a muffled gesture and said, "I am the same, thank you, sir."

Eight characters.

He was one sentence short of Lu Wan's.

Liu Bang: "..."

Well done, as expected of you.

So, it seems like I, Liu Ji, am the only one putting on this show here?

Are we still good brothers?

The more Liu Bang thought about it, the more he felt he had been shortchanged. He had spoken too soon. Liu Bang turned around with a look of grief and indignation to Zhou Wenqing, and said in a resentful tone, "I have wronged you."

"Sir, could I repeat myself? Actually, I don't have much to say!"

Zhou Wenqing was taken aback, then burst out laughing.

Cao Shen sighed and rubbed his forehead, realizing he had truly been bewitched, yet a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips. Xiao He shook his head helplessly and pointed at Liu Bang:

"You, you really should tone it down a bit, don't cause any more trouble!"

Liu Bang chuckled, scratching the back of his head with difficulty, but his eyes secretly glanced at Zhou Wenqing, whose eyes were full of smiles.

Seeing that the other party showed no displeasure whatsoever, he felt reassured.