Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

"The Zhang family, descendants of a prominent family in Korea." Wei Liao paused slightly, looked up at Zhou Wenqing, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes, and asked, "Is it the Zhang family that 'served five generations as prime ministers of Korea'?"

Zhou Wenqing nodded.

Wei Liao knew him, which wasn't surprising.

Zhang Liang was not like Xiao He or Cao Can, who were obscure and unknown officials living in the countryside. He was a genuine nobleman with a distinguished family background and was quite famous in the Han court and even among the states of Shandong.

The Zhang family has served as prime ministers of Han for five generations. Starting with their grandfather Zhang Kaidi, the family served as prime ministers of three generations: Marquis Dao of Han, Marquis Wei of Han, and King Xiang of Han, wielding immense power in the court. Their father Zhang Ping also served as prime ministers of two dynasties: King Li of Han and King Huanhui of Han. Their disciples and former associates were spread throughout the court. With such deep roots and numerous branches, the Zhang family can be considered the foremost family in Han.

But prosperity inevitably declines, and blessings are hard to sustain.

Zhang Ping passed away early, and Zhang Liang was still young at the time. The family suddenly lost its pillar, and the once magnificent prime minister's mansion was now leaderless and its population dwindled, inevitably declining considerably. Even though it had the halo of five generations of prime ministers of Han, it was already in turmoil.

Furthermore, with South Korea's national strength waning year by year, political instability, the dissipation of land holdings, and the scattering of retainers, the Zhang family's fortunes declined day by day, and it was no longer as prosperous as when their fathers were in power.

However, precisely because of his family's decline and the heavy responsibility of generations of gratitude, Zhang Liang inherited the family's learning from a young age, taking it upon himself to revitalize the Zhang family and support the state of Han. He wholeheartedly hoped to enter the court as prime minister after completing his studies and continue the achievements of his ancestors who had served Han for five generations.

In addition, he was exceptionally intelligent and could apply what he read; being born into a prominent family, he was exposed to the ways of court politics and international relations far more thoroughly than his peers.

After looking at all these cases, Zhang Liang... seems even more difficult to deal with than Han Fei.

After all, Han Fei was a prince of the state of Han and a member of the royal family. But it was precisely because of this that he was disappointed with the King of Han and could say such rebellious things as "If the King of Han is replaced, the Han court will remain the same"—his bloodline gave him the confidence to say so.

Zhang Liang, however, was different. The Zhang family had been paid by the Han state for generations, and his family had served the King of Han. They had received the Han state's favor and rewards. The concept of loyalty between the ruler and the country was deeply ingrained in their hearts. They were "hereditary ministers" who were rooted in the Han state.

It would be far more difficult to win over such a loyal and steadfast minister than to recruit Han Fei, the frustrated and distrusted prince of Han.

"This child is young, and I have not yet heard of him." Wei Liao put down his pen, pushed the half-finished memorial aside, and glanced at Zhou Wenqing's face. "But judging from this family background alone, and the fact that you specifically pointed it out, he must be exceptionally talented."

"You want to recruit this boy like Han Zi did?" He frowned. "I'm afraid it won't be easy."

"I know, brother." Zhou Wenqing shook his head, his tone becoming more serious. "That's why I'd like to ask you to keep an eye out for this person."

"He should still have a frail younger brother by his side. If we can take the opportunity to take care of him and keep him in check, that would be the best course of action. When the state of Han falls, we should also try to avoid creating a blood feud with him, so that we can have some room to recruit him in the future. Of course..."

Zhou Wenqing paused, then changed the subject, a barely perceptible cold glint flashing in his eyes: "If that doesn't work, it's better to kill him than to let him escape, otherwise the consequences will be endless."

"Oh?" Wei Liao's eyes flickered with surprise. "A boy who hasn't even reached adulthood yet can receive such high praise from you?"

At this point, the decision to kill rather than spare is, in a sense, the greatest recognition of someone's abilities.

Zhou Wenqing smiled bitterly to himself; a low evaluation was unacceptable.

This is the future Marquis Liu!

He was the ruthless man who threw a 120-pound iron cone at the Qin King's carriage at Bolangsha, almost causing the First Emperor to meet his ancestors ahead of schedule.

He was the foremost of the "Three Heroes of the Early Han Dynasty," a strategist who planned and executed battles from afar, helping Liu Bang establish his dynasty.

It was Zhang Zifang, the one who destroyed the Qin Dynasty, supported the Han Dynasty, and retired gracefully after achieving his goal, making him the object of worship for countless strategists throughout history.

To be honest, if it weren't for his exceptional talent and legendary status, coupled with the fact that Zhang Liang's life was full of twists and turns and his experiences were so tumultuous, Zhou Wenqing would have been reluctant to simply eliminate him while he was still young and there was still room for maneuver.

Otherwise, based solely on the fact that he nearly succeeded in assassinating the King of Qin, he would be worthy of being sent to see Yan Dan, so that he could keep his "confidant" company on the road to the underworld.

Even so, Zhou Wenqing still hadn't figured out where to start in order to get Zhang Liang to work for Qin.

Could it be that they used King An of Han to threaten the king and control the Han ministers?

"Probably not," Zhou Wenqing thought to himself, shaking his head. He really had little faith in a fool like Han Wang'an.

However, one thing is certain: Zhang Liang, who suffered a great misfortune in his youth, had very deep feelings for the State of Han, and at the same time, he also harbored deep hatred for the State of Qin.

When his country was destroyed and his family perished, and his younger brother died of illness, he was so destitute that he could not even afford to give his relatives a proper burial. Even so, he did not hesitate to spend all his wealth to search for strongmen and risk his life to plot the assassination of the Qin emperor. He even participated in the plot himself, risking his own life and the continuation of his bloodline, all for revenge.

This conviction cannot be easily shaken by words.

Fortunately, it is still early in the day. Although the fall of Korea is inevitable, the Zhang family may not necessarily suffer the fate of losing their family and property.

At present, Zhang Liang's character is still developing, much younger than the impetuous, reckless, and immature young man who was driven by righteous courage when Han was destroyed six years later.

If it were Zhang Liang in the later stages, who learned to be patient, mature and experienced, who picked up Huang Shigong's shoe, and who was no longer limited to personal revenge but began to plan for the "world"—then Zhou Wenqing would not have simply told Wei Liao to keep an eye out.

He would write a letter directly to General Wang, asking him to eliminate this person at all costs.

Otherwise, I can't even sleep soundly.

However, these things were clearly beyond Wei Liao's comprehension, so Zhou Wenqing...

Then they brought out their all-powerful senior brother.

"This was said by one of my senior brothers who travels all over the world. He is an expert in physiognomy, far surpassing me. He once said that this Zhang Liang is no ordinary man. If his talent is used to assist Qin, Qin will surely prosper; if his talent is used to oppose Qin, Qin will surely fall into chaos. Therefore... whether to kill him or spare him is up to my brother to decide."

Wei Liao's expression immediately turned serious.

He had heard about Zhou Wenqing, his wandering senior brother, quite a few times, mainly because he was deeply impressed by the "face reading" technique passed down in this sect.

He once had the idea of ​​retiring and fleeing Xianyang after being able to read the face of the King of Qin. However, when Zhou Wenqing caught up with him, he said that Zhou Wenqing's face reading skills were even better than his own. So, the words of this senior brother who was even better than Zhou Wenqing are worth paying attention to.

Wei Liao nodded solemnly, his gaze darkening. "I understand. Don't worry, I will know what I'm doing."