Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Oh no, something bad is about to happen!

Zhou Wenqing felt a sudden chill, and even his breath caught in his throat.

With Han Fei's wisdom, once he heard about this, how could he not see through the despicable schemes of those people in the Han court?

Greed was insatiable; he intended to divide the spoils among the five kingdoms in order to divert the disaster eastward.

But he was not the foolish and short-sighted King of Han who would be deceived and misled by the ignorant or self-serving ministers in the court. He must have known that if they really took this step, the five states would abandon them, Qin would raise an army, and the state would be destroyed, which would be the only end for Han.

Han Fei might tolerate, compromise, and remain indifferent to other matters, but when it comes to the survival of his homeland, it is an unsolvable obsession and a sore spot for him. Before the dust settles, he will never be willing to stand idly by and remain uninvolved.

What's worse, they were currently in Chen County, only a few days' journey from Han.

Given Han Fei's stubborn and fierce nature, he would probably have immediately spurred his horse and set off day and night upon hearing the news, rushing back to Korea at top speed to desperately stop this absurd alliance and fight for the last glimmer of hope for his precarious homeland.

Zhou Wenqing wasn't worried that he could stop him.

After all, Mr. Wei Liao's "money alliance" team must have been prepared in advance. With its layers of infiltration, it was not something that could be shaken by one person or one moment. Moreover, if Han Fei's advice had really been heeded by King Han, he would not have ended up being abandoned by Qin as a hostage.

What he was worried about was...

Will Han Fei ever return after this journey?

Given his upright and unyielding nature, he had never been favored by the King of Han. His frank and forceful remonstrance failed, and he was further accused by treacherous officials of "colluding with the Qin state and causing chaos and disaster for the ruler." The consequences...

The more Zhou Wenqing thought about it, the more a chill ran down his spine. He suddenly pushed himself up by the handrail, and the scab on his knee was pulled up abruptly, causing him to gasp in pain and stagger half a step. But he couldn't care less about that right now.

He steadied himself by holding onto the edge of the table and hurriedly rushed outside.

Hearing the commotion, Li Yi, who was guarding the outer room, quickly pushed the door open and came in. He immediately saw Zhou Wenqing's hurried steps and his heart tightened. He rushed forward and reached out to support Zhou Wenqing's arm.

"Sir, what's wrong? Where are you going?"

"Find Mr. Wei Liao..." Zhou Wenqing blurted out, but stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.

Why do you need Wei Liao? Ask him to quickly replenish and integrate the soldiers of the mission, organize the accompanying troops, and leave Chen County as soon as possible.

We must not let Han Fei know this news.

But he hadn't figured out how to persuade Wei Liao to give up taking him back to Xianyang and instead continue his mission to Qi.

The debts piled up, and this boomerang came so quickly.

Zhou Wenqing unconsciously slowed his pace. The burning urgency he had felt earlier seemed to have been extinguished by the night wind, leaving only a heavy sense of anxiety pressing on his chest.

Hearing his urgent words and hurried actions, Li Yi assumed something important had happened and that he insisted on going to find Wei Liao immediately. So he glanced at the thick darkness outside the window and whispered his advice:

"Sir, it's getting late. At this hour... it's uncertain whether Mr. Wei Liao has gotten up or not. I'll send someone to inform him first. Please don't rush. Take a few steps slowly, just be careful of your injury."

"No."

Zhou Wenqing stopped and raised her hand to stop him. Her voice was soft, but it carried a hint of weariness that was hard to describe.

He stood under the eaves, gazing at the deep night all around, slowly exhaling a breath of stale air, forcibly suppressing the surging anxiety, then turned to Li Yi with a helpless, bitter smile.

"You're right, it's getting late." Zhou Wenqing turned around and waved his hand. "Let's talk about it tomorrow. Let me think about it some more."

What's wrong, sir?

During the day, he was clearly all smiles, chatting so congenially with Xiao He and Liu Bang. How come he suddenly looks so preoccupied?

Li Yi was puzzled but dared not ask any questions, for fear of disturbing the master's thoughts. He simply stood behind him and escorted him slowly back.

A gentle evening breeze rustled through the corridor, causing the hanging lanterns to sway softly. The warm orange light gently fell upon Zhou Wenshen's thin shoulders, making his blue robe appear even more slender and desolate.

Since leaving Xianyang, the journey has been fraught with troubles, including attacks and illnesses, with the man's life hanging by a thread several times. He seems to have lost a lot of weight, and his robes are now noticeably looser than when he arrived. When the wind blows, they cling to his waist, hanging loosely, which makes one feel inexplicably choked with sorrow.

Looking at that retreating figure, Li Yi suddenly felt a pang of inexplicable bitterness in his heart.

If he could, he would really hope that Wei Liao could stop his master and return him to the king's side.

What's wrong with Xianyang? You don't have to exhaust yourself every day, live in fear and hardship, or be in danger and on the verge of death. You can still realize your ambitions.

There is the king's reliance in the court, colleagues to share the burden, and disciples to accompany you in your residence. How is this not better than being exposed to the wind and sun outside?

But Li Yi knew in his heart that this was impossible.

Perhaps no one knows Zhou Wenqing better or has known him longer than him.

My husband is a man of great righteousness, compassionate towards all living beings, planning for the future of the Qin Dynasty, and concerned about the rise and fall of millions of people in the world. He has too much on his mind, so much so that he had to squeeze himself into the last corner.

If you insist on confining someone like Mr. Ke to a stable place because you're afraid he's weak or that he'll be overworked, then you're truly trapping him.

The gentleman is not a caged bird, but an eagle. An eagle's home is the wind in the sky, not the nest under the eaves.

Although he didn't quite understand the intricacies of court politics, he knew that his master must have his reasons for doing things.

Li Yi was convinced of one thing—from the day he was freed from slavery and, as the teacher said, "gained his freedom," his life belonged to the teacher.

Wherever the master goes, he follows; if the master is in danger, he stands in front of him; if the master accidentally "falls down," he is there to cushion his fall.

He only listens to his master.

Li Yi clenched his fists, suppressing the surging emotions in his heart, and silently followed to the door, watching the man push the door open and enter the house.

The candlelight leaked through the crack in the door, leaving a thin trail of light on the floor.

Li Yi stood outside the door for a moment, listening to the slight movement of the chairs and tables inside, before gently closing the door. Instead of returning to the outer room, he retreated to the corridor, hugged his sword, and leaned against a pillar.

The gentleman went back to work.

You can't persuade him.

I'm not naturally good at speaking, and besides, how many times has Li Tingwei, a man of great eloquence, advised me? But he just let it go in one ear and out the other.

But he can still help people recover.

Li Yi silently planned in his mind that he would first go and turn the warehouse upside down the next morning.

Song Yun, that corrupt official, has been lording it over Chen County for so many years. He must have a lot of good stuff hidden in his treasury, such as ginseng, deer antler, bird's nest, and lingzhi... Take whatever you can get. Go ask Physician Lü to write a medicinal diet recipe. Whether it's stewing or simmering, we must do everything we can to help the master regain his vitality.

With his honed culinary skills and "craftsmanship," the gentleman would drink it, Li thought.

This is something he's better at.