Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

The shadow did not move as promised.

Wei Liao didn't speak, but slowly bent his knees and squatted down, looking at Zhou Wenqing with a silent worry in his eyes.

The person in front of me seemed to have lost his usual gentle and warm demeanor, his whole body was wrapped in a layer of faint dejection and melancholy, his shoulders were slumped, his back was bent, and even the sleeves hanging to the ground exuded a sense of loneliness.

Like a chirping, sunny little sparrow, its feathers soaked through by the downpour, it has lost all its former vibrancy and can only huddle miserably in a corner.

Wei Liao suddenly felt a pang of regret.

Perhaps he shouldn't have let Zhou Wenqing take the initiative to confront Han Fei and lay everything bare.

Perhaps... there's an even gentler approach?

He really didn't know.

All he knew was that the way the person in front of him looked made his heart feel as if it were weighed down by a heavy object, heavy and inexplicably suffocating.

But things have come to this point, the dust has settled, and there is no turning back.

Wei Liao frowned, her breathing unconsciously slowed, and her voice lowered, as if afraid of disturbing something:

"Zicheng, you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Wenqing quietly interrupted him.

"I'm fine."

He continued to stare down at the piece of fabric, his long eyelashes lowered, quietly concealing all the shattered emotions in his eyes.

A moment later, he clenched his palm, carefully smoothed out and folded the torn piece of cloth, and neatly put it into the inner pocket of his sleeve. His movements were calm, restrained, and methodical.

After doing all this, Zhou Wenqing finally stood up, supporting himself on his knees.

Perhaps he got up too quickly, because the moment he stood up straight, his vision suddenly went black. He instinctively clenched his sleeves, pressed his thin lips into a straight line, squeezed his eyes shut, and a shallow vertical line appeared between his brows.

Fortunately, the darkness lasted only two or three breaths before receding like the tide.

Zhou Wenqing opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and looked at Wei Liao. His voice was slightly hoarse, but thankfully it was still steady: "I'm really fine, brother, don't worry. Go and chase after Han Zi."

He paused, his gaze becoming serious, fixing firmly on Wei Liao, his expression extremely solemn as he spoke each word with utmost care:

"I beg you, elder brother, to make sure he is safe and sound."

Seeing that his face was pale and his body was unsteady, Wei Liao was even more worried and could not leave with peace of mind.

"I have already made proper arrangements for the follow-up matters, and there will be no mistakes. There is no need to rush. Let Physician Lü come and examine you first. Otherwise, even if I go, I will not be at ease."

Zhou Wenqing knew that he might be depressed, but his old illness had not been aggravated, and taking his pulse would not be of much use. He wanted to decline, but he really didn't have the strength to argue, so he finally nodded slightly and agreed.

The group went inside. Doctor Lü arrived quickly, carrying a medicine box and walking hurriedly. Li Yi came with him. As soon as he stepped in, his gaze was fixed on Zhou Wenqing, his brows full of worry and frustration, which he could not hide.

He was only gone for a short while to inquire about the medicinal diet from Physician Lü. How did you end up like this, sir?

"Sir, are you alright?"

Zhou Wenqing merely forced a smile and nodded slightly at him, without saying a word.

Seeing this, Li Yi felt even more heartbroken, but she remained silent and went forward to stand guard beside her master, turning her gaze toward Physician Lü.

Physician Lü didn't say much. He simply placed the pulse pillow on the table, grabbed Zhou Wenqing's wrist, placed three fingers on it, and lowered his eyes to concentrate.

After a moment, he withdrew his hand and sighed softly.

"The pulse is wiry and hesitant, indicating stagnation of Qi, which is a sign of internal disturbance and cannot be resolved by medication alone."

He frowned as he looked at Zhou Wenqing, his gaze carrying the sternness typical of a doctor, but even more so, helplessness.

"Fortunately, I've been taking better care of myself recently, otherwise I'm afraid my old symptoms would have relapsed. I'm still so young, so I shouldn't overthink things. Don't think that just because my heart is more stable, I can do whatever I want. Worrying is the most damaging thing to the mind. Try to take things more lightly."

He paused, then softened his tone: "I'll prescribe you a calming remedy, so get a good night's sleep."

Zhou Wenqing nodded with a wry smile; it was even more serious than he had imagined.

He wanted to be more open-minded, but... how easy is that?

Even though one's rational mind has already made the choice, and one's heart has rehearsed and prepared for the outcome a thousand times, thinking that one is fully prepared to accept it, when the friendship between former confidants finally ends in a broken and severed relationship, the sense of loss and depression in one's heart still lingers and cannot be dispelled for a long time.

Zhou Wenqing lowered his eyes, his fingers unconsciously reaching into his sleeve, touching the neatly folded torn piece of cloth. His fingertips lingered on the jagged edges, caressed them for a moment, and then withdrew them.

He turned to look at Wei Liao beside him and spoke slowly:

"Brother, with Physician Lü here, and with Li Yi and Fusu taking care of me, I am much better now. Brother, you should set off quickly and not delay any longer."

Wei Liao stared intently at his pale and weary face. Although there was a hint of desolation in his eyes, he was clearly determined. Staying any longer would only cause him more worry.

Overwhelmed with worry and concern, it ultimately turned into a helpless sigh.

Wei Liao said no more, turned his head to look at Li Yi and Fusu who were guarding his side, and the meaning was self-evident.

Although they didn't know where Wei Liao was going or what had happened, Li Yi and Fu Su both nodded solemnly in response.

Having received a reply, Wei Liao gave Zhou Wenqing one last deep look, then turned around, strode out of the room, and hurriedly left.

The room fell completely silent.

Before long, the prepared herbal decoction was brought into the room, and the warm medicinal aroma, along with its slightly bitter scent, slowly filled the room.

Physician Lü handed the bowl to Zhou Wenqing. Zhou Wenqing looked down at the dark medicine, said nothing, and drank it all in one gulp.

He gently placed the empty bowl on the table, caught his breath, and looked up at the few people still guarding the room. A very faint smile appeared on his face, gentle yet weak, and he softly comforted them:

"Alright, I'm fine now. You may all leave. Let me rest for a while in peace. Don't bother calling me for dinner tonight."

Li Yi hesitated to speak, and Fu Su, who was standing to the side, quietly tugged at his sleeve and shook his head slightly in acknowledgment.

Although Fusu didn't quite understand why his master had suddenly broken up with Han Zi, he saw more than the other two and knew that his master was probably in a state of mental turmoil and needed to be alone to calm down.

"Alright, then please rest well, sir. We'll head back now. If you need anything, just call out."

Zhou Wenqing nodded slightly, having no energy to say anything more. Before the others left, he slowly lay down on his side.

The footsteps behind him were light and soft as everyone withdrew one by one, and with a soft creak, the door was gently closed.

In an instant, the entire room fell completely silent, without a single sound.

After a long while, a very soft sigh was heard, echoing quietly in the empty room.

------

Xianyang, Zhangtai Palace

Yesterday, Wei Liao's letter was delivered to Xianyang by fast horse. Unfortunately, the letter was short, with only a few lines of text. It said that he had led his troops to Chen County, the overall situation was settled, and he only needed to finish the rest before Zhou Wenqing could return to the court.

Li Si was overjoyed. He read the letter over and over again three times, unable to suppress his excitement. He never expected that his little bit of experience would have such a miraculous effect!

As expected of Mr. Wei Liao, he immediately quelled the situation upon taking action.

Judging by the time, today was the day Zicheng was supposed to send his letter. He didn't even need the king to summon him; he came early to request an audience, hoping to confirm this great news one last time on Zhou Wenqing's letter.

result……

I watched it over and over again, three, four, five times...

Chen Jun's affairs, matters concerning merit applications, personnel arrangements—everything was covered, every aspect was taken care of, and every matter was detailed.

But—what about the promised return to court?

Why wasn't a single word mentioned!