Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Zhou Wenqing's hand froze in mid-air, his fingertips still holding the chess piece, hanging there blankly.

It's not just that it's hard to speak up.

I simply don't know where to begin!

Sometimes, putting on too many layers isn't good either, because when you try to undo them, you might end up getting caught in the trap yourself.

He mentally went over the lines he had rehearsed over the past few days, and felt that none of them were appropriate.

Should I say: "Han Zi, from the moment I left Xianyang, I deliberately left a plan for your beloved homeland, but I kept it from you all along. I also took advantage of the information gap to trick you, provoking you to sign a 'contract of servitude.' Only now, with everything settled and the truth about to be revealed, am I telling you. Even so—"

Your subsequent actions were still within my planned scope?

He was afraid that once he said that, the chess box next to Han Fei would fly over!

The two looked at each other in silence for a while. Han Fei's gaze remained fixed on Zhou Wenqing's face, peeling back the layers of evasion and hesitation in his eyes. It was clear that he would not allow Zhou Wenqing to gloss over the matter or back down.

There was no way to avoid it, and no way to retreat.

Well, he's already delayed the matter to the point where it can't be delayed any longer. If he waits another day or two, the news that Han Jian stole the papermaking technique will probably spread throughout Chen County.

Zhou Wenqing took a deep breath, steeled his resolve, and decided to abandon all preambles and get straight to the point:

"Han Jian has stolen the papermaking technology of our Great Qin. He has succeeded and returned to his country. In less than half a month, the news will spread throughout the six states."

"Wh...what?"

These few words contain such a wealth of information that even with Han Fei's wisdom and strategic acumen, it was difficult for him to digest them all at once.

After a few moments of blankness in his mind, he suddenly realized that the implied meaning hidden behind the words pierced his consciousness like an ice pick, and a chill spread rapidly up his spine.

"What?!"

Han Fei's pupils contracted sharply, his clear eyes crumbled inch by inch, and he could no longer maintain the slightest composure. He suddenly stood up.

"Splash—!"

The sandalwood chess box slid off the edge of the table and crashed to the ground, scattering black and white chess pieces like broken jade, clattering and clanging all over the floor.

Just then, Zhou Wenqing closed his eyes and added:

"It's too late to stop it. The news spread very quickly, and... I was involved in it."

He paused almost imperceptibly, then swallowed back the words "Great Qin" and replaced them with "himself."

In any case, he did not want Han Fei to harbor resentment towards Fu Qin in the future. Since things were already like this, he did not mind taking on another responsibility himself.

Han Fei hadn't thought of this aspect before.

He was still reeling from the shock of his homeland's impending collapse, his mind reeling. But Zhou Wenqing's words were practically telling him that the fact that a mere Han state could infiltrate Qin territory and steal such important secrets was all his doing.

"Zhou Wenqing—!"

A low growl was almost squeezed out from between his teeth, hoarse and taut, carrying with it a deep-seated rage and disappointment.

The corners of his eyes instantly turned bright red.

Han Fei suddenly leaned forward, his left hand bracing against the stone table, his knuckles turning white from the force. The last white piece that he hadn't had time to collect was swept away by the edge of his palm, falling to the ground with a crisp "crack" as it shattered into two pieces.

The finest Yunzi went unnoticed...

The distance between the two instantly closed, so close that Zhou Wenqing could see the bloodshot in Han Fei's eyes and feel the barely suppressed anger in his breath.

"you--!"

Han Fei's chest heaved violently; he had completely lost control of his emotions. He clenched his right fist and raised it high, his knuckles cracking.

Zhou Wenqing, on the other hand, calmed down after speaking out and shedding his burden.

He didn't flinch, or even blink. He simply looked up quietly, meeting Han Fei's crimson eyes. There was no panic or fear in his eyes, only an almost calm composure.

"I am sorry to you, but I have a clear conscience about everything else."

"You have a clear conscience?!"

For Han Fei, who had already endured so many shocks, these words were like adding fuel to the fire. Zhou Wenqing... perhaps knew this, but he still said it.

He closed his eyes, concealing the fleeting look of shame in them, his heart filled with mixed emotions, and he offered no further explanation.

really--

Han Fei clenched his fists even tighter, the veins on the back of his hands bulging, staring intently at Zhou Wenqing's calm yet cruel face, his chest heaving violently, his breathing heavy like a bellows.

It felt like there was a fire burning in my chest, making my internal organs churn.

He suddenly reached out and grabbed Zhou Wenqing by the collar, the fabric crumpled under his grip, his fist hovering in front of Zhou Wenqing's eyes, as if it were about to fall at any moment.

The atmosphere froze at freezing point, so tense it was almost about to explode.

Fusu, who had sensed something was wrong and hadn't left yet, finally snapped out of his shock at Han Fei's sudden outburst.

He didn't even understand what was going on; all he could see was his husband's tightly clenched collar and the fist raised in front of him.

Before I could think, my body moved before my mind could.

Fusu strode forward, forcefully pulled Han Fei's hand away, and stood between the two, blocking Zhou Wenqing.

He spread his arms, his posture wary, his back ramrod straight, his eyes fixed on Han Fei, his voice tight and sharp:

"Mr. Han, what do you want to do!"

"Fusu, get out of the way!"

Upon hearing Fusu's voice, Zhou Wenqing suddenly opened his eyes and grabbed his sleeve.

...It didn't move.

This child, with an inexplicable stubbornness, remained firmly rooted to the spot, arms still outstretched, refusing to budge an inch.

The boy in front of him wasn't particularly burly, but his back was exceptionally straight, and his gaze never wavered.

"Sir, I cannot give way!"

Zhou Wenqing sighed helplessly, lowering his voice slightly, his tone coaxing but urgent:

"Get out of the way. This is between Han Zi and me. It has nothing to do with you. Don't worry, the master can handle it."

He was clear-headed and had his own plans.

After spending months together and sharing life and death experiences, the bond between him and Han Fei was undeniable and could not be easily erased.

Besides, given his own physique... he was often taken care of, and out of habit, even if Han Fei was extremely angry and out of control, he still had some self-control in his bones, and his fist would most likely deflect at the last second before it landed.

It might not even fall!

Deep down, Zhou Wenqing secretly hoped that he would actually make a move.

He deliberately sent Li Yi away beforehand, but Fu Su somehow got the news and, completely unaware of the reason, interrupted halfway through.

In the corner, Wei Liao glared fiercely at Zhou Wenqing, temporarily suppressing the surging anger in his heart. He then shifted his gaze to Han Fei opposite him, scrutinizing his bloodshot eyes and slightly trembling fists. After a moment, his brow relaxed slightly.

As expected of Han Fei, it seems that he doesn't need to show himself; this person has already calmed down on his own.

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The extra update will still be in the evening.