Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

After Yao Jia finished making this joking guess with a laugh, he thought that Fu Su and Li Yi would definitely join in the teasing and then reveal where Han Fei had gone.

However, the expected agreement and laughter were nowhere to be found; only a deep silence enveloped us.

Yao Jia's smile froze as he finally realized the awkward atmosphere. His relaxed demeanor vanished, and his brows furrowed slightly.

His gaze swept back and forth between the two of them, his tone softening, and his expression becoming more serious:

"Young Master, Guard Li, has... something happened?"

Fusu lowered his eyes and remained silent, his thin lips pressed tightly together. Li Yi stood with his shoulders tense and his head bowed. Both of them had solemn expressions and did not know where to begin.

The air seemed to freeze and sink inch by inch, the deathly silence making it hard to breathe.

The last trace of relaxation in Yao Jia's eyes vanished completely, replaced by a deep sense of caution and solemnity.

Having spent many years in the imperial court, he was extremely adept at reading people and observing their moods. This unusual silence before him suggested that something serious was about to happen.

A sudden, inexplicable unease gripped his heart. His expression changed slightly, and he instinctively thought of the person who caused him the most anxiety. He urgently asked:

"How is Zicheng? But... he's sick again? No, I have to go see him!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and stepped forward, his eyes anxiously looking towards the inner room, his brows furrowed, filled with worry, wanting to go inside and check.

"Guest Yao!"

Li Yi quickly stepped forward, raised his hand to stop him, and said urgently:

"Don't worry, Yao Keqing. Physician Lü has already examined your pulse and said that you are just feeling emotionally distressed, but there is nothing seriously wrong. You have already taken some calming medicine and should go to bed early."

Zicheng is sick again!

Yao Jia's heart jumped into his throat, but he relaxed a little when he heard that he was alright.

But... I feel depressed?

Why did he suddenly feel depressed when he saw Zicheng walking back and forth under the tree in the distance when he left in the morning? He thought it was probably some kind of dance, a way to stretch his muscles and bones, and he seemed to be full of energy.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, recalling the hesitant expressions on Fusu and Li Yicai's faces when he mentioned Han Zi, and a thought struck him.

"But what happened to Han Zi?"

Yao Jia's voice suddenly turned somber, his tone filled with barely suppressed tension.

He carefully recalled the scene when he saw Han Fei—

The man galloped away at breakneck speed, his movements unusually hurried. Feeling puzzled, he called out to the man repeatedly along the way, but the other man seemed not to hear him.

At the time, I only thought that the other party was riding too fast and the wind was howling, and I did not hear any human voices.

Looking back now, it wasn't a hallucination that Han Fei glanced at me with his ashen face and cold expression.

What was suppressed in his eyes was clearly a resolute determination, a ruthless resolve to never look back, and a determination to go all in and burn one's bridges!

Upon realizing this, Yao Jia's unease completely exploded.

He knew Han Fei's nature all too well—proud, stubborn, patient, and taciturn. Even when trapped in a predicament and encountering numerous setbacks, he would never open his mouth to show weakness or ask for help. It was as if bowing his head and confiding his difficulties to others would be more humiliating than taking his life.

Something must have happened.

Something terrible must have happened!

Yao Jia could no longer stand still. His heart was filled with anxiety. He raised his hand and rolled up his sleeve sharply, his movements swift and decisive. He turned and ran towards the stable in the backyard, his tone both urgent and annoyed:

"That arrogant stubborn fool! He's speechless again now. He's really something! Truly a gentleman!"

"No, which way did he go? I'm going after him!"

He gritted his teeth, his steps quick and hurried, ready to rush out of the courtyard in an instant.

"Wait! Wait a minute! Guest Master Yao, hold on!"

Seeing this, Fusu didn't have time to think carefully. He quickly reached out and grabbed the hem of Fusu's robe, which was pulled forward and staggered several steps, his clothes fluttering in disarray.

"Stop chasing! It's useless! Han Zi has returned to China!"

"Return to China? But then..."

Yao Jia's last sentence caught in his throat, abruptly stopping him, and his running body seemed to be nailed to the ground, coming to a complete stop.

Because he suddenly realized that Han Fei's return to his country did not refer to the Qin state, but rather... the Han state.

Han Fei... has actually returned to Han?

The thought struck him, making his head buzz.

"How...how could this be?"

Yao Jia turned around stiffly, all the anger on his face vanished, leaving only disbelief in his eyes.

He seemed not to have come to his senses yet, his brows furrowed in confusion, his voice slightly hoarse, carrying a hint of disordered disarray:

"How could this be? Why did you suddenly... return to your home country?"

When Yao Jia used the word "return," he unconsciously frowned slightly.

I almost forgot, Han Fei was a prince from the state of Han.

However, in the past few months, they had experienced too many ups and downs together. Although they didn't say it and even criticized each other, they had long since abandoned the prejudices of social class and status.

Yao Jia could clearly sense that Han Fei was no longer the young master Han who had just entered Xianyang and whose heart was filled with only obsession with his homeland. His attitude towards Qin, the king, and Han had already unknowingly loosened, shifted, and wavered.

Yao Jia had almost tacitly agreed that once he returned to Xianyang, this person would stay in Qin to assist in governing, becoming a worthy opponent and colleague in the court.

So... he returned to China?

Looking at his absent-minded appearance, Fusu felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

Han Fei left resolutely without the slightest hesitation. He was also filled with regret and reluctance, but he knew in his heart that his master and Yao Keqing were the ones who were most heartbroken than he was.

Especially Yao Keqing, although he and Han Fei were always at odds and neither would give an inch in their words, he saw the growing depth, tacit understanding and mutual appreciation between them.

Now that things have come to this, there's no point in covering it up, and dwelling on it is futile.

Meeting Yao Jia's astonished and incredulous gaze, Fusu, with a solemn expression, slowly nodded and spoke clearly, word by word:

"Sir, your strategy is brilliant. The state of Han is in grave danger. The King of Han cannot stand idly by and has already severed ties with you and returned to Han."

Cut off the robe!

Yao Jia's heart skipped a beat, his fingertips trembled, his mind was in turmoil, and he almost lost his composure.

"Then Zicheng, he..." His brain, on the verge of collapse, managed to function, remembering that Zhou Wenqing was alright. His tongue darted around, and he stammered:

"Then, what is Han Zi going to do? Is he... in danger?"

"Guest Yao, there's no need to worry." Fu Su's voice was gentle and patient as he reassured him, "Mr. Wei Liao has already gone after him. Although we don't know exactly what will happen, I'm sure he can ensure Han Zi's safety."

"Ah...that's good, that's good, then I..."

Yao Jia muttered to himself twice, then spun around, clearly still reeling from the shock and unsure where to go.

Fusu noticed this, and he lowered his voice, reminding him, "Guest Yao, the master has already gone to bed. Why don't you go back to your own quarters to rest and come to visit again tomorrow?"