Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Zhou Wenqing pushed open the door and entered, with Li Yi following closely behind. He was very obedient, not stepping over or leaving her side, like a steady and silent human wall firmly protecting his master's back, preventing any sneak attacks.

The room was quiet and still, filled with the scent of ink mixed with the faint aroma of bamboo paper.

Wei Liao sat upright behind his desk, his fingertips lightly touching the pages of the book. He could clearly hear the sound of the door opening and footsteps, but he never turned his head to look back.

Zhou Wenqing didn't seem to mind. He slowly stepped forward, found a seat, and sat down. His gaze fell on the blank book cover in Wei Liao's hand, which had no inscription. He smiled and, instead of getting straight to the point, casually asked in a gentle voice:

"What are you reading, brother, that you're so engrossed in it?"

Wei Liao finally raised her eyes and glanced at him, then looked away again, returning her gaze to the book, and said in a calm tone:

"It was the 'Thirty-Six Stratagems' that you gave to Wang Ben back then."

Zhou Wenqing was taken aback, a clear look of surprise flashing across his eyes.

Wei Liao paused, then added, "The copy was given to me by General Wang."

How could I not know it was a copy? The original was written and bound by my own hand. How could I not recognize it?

What surprised him was not the "copy" itself, but rather—had this become so widespread that even Mr. Wei Liao had a plan in hand?

From the time this book was sent out until Wang Ben set off with the army, how many copies did he make and send out in such a short period of time? He must have memorized it by heart by now, right?

Zhou Wenqing was confident that Wang Ben would never allow anyone to casually take the original copy he sent out to read and copy. As for copying it using a manuscript—who would do that?

Was it General Meng Wu or General Wang Jian?

With a son around, expecting a father to personally copy books is just asking for trouble!

The problem is, now that the two fathers have finished copying the book, their three younger brothers, who also know about its existence, are asking for it. They can't just refuse them, can they?

One is plagiarism, three is writing, so we can't favor one over the other, plus Mr. Wei Liao's...

At the very least, there must be six portions.

It should be noted that during the period of waiting for the army to set off, Wang Ben was not idle and did not just read and write.

A scene flashed through Zhou Wenqing's mind—

Wang Ben set off with the gifts in his pocket. During the day, he drilled troops, marched and deployed them, sweating profusely. At night, he copied books by lamplight, staring intently until several pen handles were worn down. After finally copying two copies, he bumped into two old generals who were waiting at the door and had urged him several times.

General Meng Wu reached out and "took" the book, tucked it into his robes, and might even pat him on the shoulder, praising him as a "good nephew," before leaving satisfied.

General Wang Jian would most likely complain that his son was too slow, kick him, and mutter a few words of abuse like "you dawdling, useless thing!" before happily pocketing the copy and leaving.

Wang Ben was both angry and helpless. Fortunately, he thought it was over and breathed a sigh of relief. He was about to go back and calm down to study it carefully again when he turned around and saw Meng Tian, ​​Meng Yi, and Zhang Han standing at the door with their eyes shining.

"Brother Ben, we want some too."

Wang Ben: "..."

Alright! Keep copying.

Finally, everyone in the know had a copy, and Wang Ben breathed a sigh of relief, stretched, and thought that things should finally quiet down now.

The next day, Wang Jian inadvertently boasted and bragged about it, then, accompanied by Wei Liao, stood in front of his door, "unjustified but confident."

"Son, make another copy."

Wang Ben: "..."

Living father!

Thinking of this, Zhou Wenqing couldn't help but shed a tear of sympathy for Wang Ben.

While others prepared for the competition by conserving their energy and resting, Wang Ben's preparation involved working through the night to the limit. This workload was comparable to the last "miracle night" before the start of the school year for students in later generations.

Others see "time as money," but he sees "time as a treasure." Wow, that's not easy!

Why do I feel a little sorry for my nephew?

Zhou Wenqing subtly changed his angle and quietly glanced at the inside pages of the book.

Hmm, not bad, not bad at all. It is indeed Wang Ben's handwriting. The strokes are strong and neat. Even though it was copied in a hurry, there is no carelessness or perfunctoriness.

Wei Liao noticed his movement, silently raised her hand to close the scroll on the table, and looked up at him.

"Zicheng never visits without a reason. What brings you here today? Please speak frankly."

"Oh," Zhou Wenqing straightened his expression and calmly began, "It's like this, brother, I do have something I'd like to discuss with you, perhaps...?"

"No."

Two words, crisp and decisive, cut him off before he could finish speaking.

Zhou Wenqing's words caught in his throat, and he was speechless.

A wave of bewilderment, a mixture of amusement and disbelief, washed over him.

No?

Just now, it was clearly Wei Liao who told him to speak frankly!

It had only just begun; before they could even utter a single word of their demands or reasons, the other party had already vetoed it.

That's a bit too fast for them to turn on each other.

Zhou Wenqing took a deep breath, forced a warm smile, and leaned closer: "Brother, you haven't finished telling me yet, actually..."

"No need to listen."

Wei Liao interrupted calmly, his tone decisive and resolute, completely unmoved.

He picked up the teacup from the table, took a small sip, and felt that the tea had already cooled down. His brows furrowed slightly, and he casually put the teacup back on the table with a soft "tap".

An invisible aura emanates from you.

"The conclusion is clear: you don't want to return to Xianyang with me, right?"

As soon as Zhou Wenqing started calling him "brother," he already had a feeling that such warm hospitality meant he had something to do with him.

Wei Liao kept a straight face, even leaning back slightly in his chair, as if deliberately widening the distance between himself and the word "elder brother." His posture was distant and resolute as he looked at Zhou Wenqing with a wary expression.

"This matter is off-limits. You need not say anything more. Once the matter in Chen County is settled, you must return to Xianyang with me."

It must be said that he hit the nail on the head from the very first word, making his stance of no retreat or compromise clear without any hesitation, leaving no room for negotiation.

So decisive, not giving me any face at all. Where did Mr. Wei Liao, who was always tolerant and composed, go?

Did someone say something bad about me before I came?!

Zhou Wenqing gritted his teeth inwardly, feeling somewhat shaken, but quickly regained his composure.

Although he did come for this very reason, he had come up with a roundabout way this time!

"Brother, you've misunderstood." He deliberately put on an expression that said, "How could you think of me like that?"

"I promised I would consider it, and naturally I will think it over carefully. I will never act impulsively. How long has it been?"

He paused, and seeing that Wei Liao's expression remained unchanged, he quickly added, his tone becoming even more sincere: "I came here today to discuss something else with you, something else entirely, something about... Han Zi."

Wei Liao's eyebrows twitched slightly, and her gaze swept over his face with a mixture of scrutiny and suspicion.

His gaze was focused and unwavering, his attitude frank and sincere, yet tinged with a hint of grievance.

What's the name of Gu'an again?

That expression is most likely a trap!