Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Upon hearing Zhou Wenqing's personal promise to give him the chestnut horse, Liu Bang instinctively blurted out:

"You really gave it to me?!"

Just now, he was being stubborn and argumentative, insisting that "only this horse will do." All he really wanted was to use this horse on his way to Qi, so that he could at least save face in front of others and prove that he was not a bad rider.

After all, such outstanding and magnificent horses were clearly intended for dignitaries like the guide, Physician Lü, Yao Jia, and even high-ranking members of the delegation like Fusu, to ride temporarily when they got tired of the carriages along the way.

He was already incredibly lucky to be able to ride it for a few days; how could he possibly claim such a warhorse as his own?

To everyone's surprise, Zhou Wenqing actually transferred ownership to him as soon as he opened his mouth.

That's a warhorse!

It may seem like she's riding on his lap, but in reality, her worth is enough to buy countless versions of him!

Liu Bang was inwardly turmoil, but he maintained a facade of composure. However, his eyes had already lit up, staring intently at Zhou Wenqing.

Zhou Wenqing smiled and nodded without changing his expression.

He truly didn't care that Liu Bang could be tied down with a horse.

Putting aside everything else, this mission was undeniably well-funded and had plenty of resources; it was certainly wealthy and powerful.

If it weren't for the limitations on scale, the King of Qin would have loved to equip every cavalryman, infantryman, charioteer, and even logistics servant with fine horses, long spears, iron armor, and bronze helmets.

—Everyone, arm yourselves fully and protect my beloved minister Zhou!

It was only because of the fact that King Tian Jian of Qi was far less courageous than himself, and that he was so stingy that he had no choice but to restrain himself a bit.

King Jian of Qi: "..."

King Jian of Qi, far away in Linzi, sneezed for several days in a row for no apparent reason.

At that moment, Liu Bang suddenly felt that his face no longer hurt, his legs were no longer weak, and he could even do it a few more times.

Getting a beating in exchange for a warhorse—it's a worthwhile deal!

"Oh dear, Secretary Zhou, you... I'm so sorry, no, no, you absolutely mustn't do that, it's just a minor scratch."

He waved his hand and pounded his chest loudly, declaring with righteous indignation, "How could I, Liu Ji, be such a petty person? How could I allow you, sir, to apologize to me?"

But their burning gazes had already flown out, fixed firmly on the lithe chestnut horse outside the tent, afraid that if they hesitated even for a moment, the good thing before them would be wasted.

"but--"

As expected, Liu Bang changed his tone, from refusing to "reluctantly agreeing," and put on a flattering smile.

"Sir, your sincere kindness is too much for me to refuse repeatedly. It would seem ungrateful and pretentious. Since that's the case, I, Liu Ji, have no choice but to accept it respectfully and shamelessly. Haha!"

In the end, he couldn't help but laugh out loud, hands on his hips, and confidently assured himself:

"Don't worry, Mr. Zhou. This fine horse is with me, and I, Liu Ji, will treat it well. From now on, as long as I have food to eat, it will have feed to chew on. I will never mistreat it in the slightest!"

The polite politeness and humility, coupled with the solemn promises, were all done in one smooth motion, and even the follow-up guarantees were made. Without any hesitation, the matter was completely settled in just a few words.

Meng Yi watched from the sidelines, marveling inwardly.

Uncle Zhou only said one sentence, but he managed to make this guy act out the feeling of declining three times. Tsk tsk tsk, not bad!

It's such a waste that someone with such talent isn't using his skills to become an official in the imperial court.

He subtly nudged Wang Ben beside him with his elbow, quickly gestured with his chin towards Liu Bang, and winked:

This guy's ability to take advantage of others is just as good as your family's.

Wang Ben immediately glared at Meng Yi: "Your family is just as shameless as yours! We younger generations can only look up to you in the dark!"

"Hey! Isn't being this direct a bit much?" Meng Yi glared.

Zhang Han silently stepped between the two, expressionlessly separating them, looking at them with a helpless and speechless expression:

What's there to argue about? Master and Uncle Meng are evenly matched. Have you forgotten who was drinking and taking things at Uncle Zhou's house? Nobody should look down on anyone else!

snort!

Meng Yi and Wang Ben glared at each other simultaneously, then turned their heads away, their faces tense, ignoring each other, looking like they were childishly competing.

Zhang Han: "..."

Zhou Wenqing was completely unaware of his three nephews' little antics behind his back. He just smiled as he watched Liu Bang eagerly and excitedly tugging at the strip of cloth wrapped around his hand.

Unfortunately, although this time the bandage wasn't as thick as last time, it was still very tight. He tried to pull it off for a long time but couldn't, and he was so anxious that sweat beaded on his forehead.

Finally, he simply used his teeth to hold one end of the cloth strip in his mouth, and with a forceful shake of his head, the cloth strip snapped open and flew away in a few quick movements, revealing a pair of palms that were red from being bound.

"Alright, alright, it's fine now."

Liu Bang rubbed his palms on his robe, and despite his swollen face, he somehow looked unusually energetic, and gave a fawning smile:

"Ahem! Well... Mr. Zhou, since that fine horse has already been given to me, how could I possibly accept a ride in your carriage?"

"Well, how about I go take a look at it and get used to it as soon as possible, so as not to delay your schedule, sir?"

As Liu Bang spoke, he glanced out of the tent, wishing he could rush over and hug the horse's neck and kiss it.

Zhou Wenqing met his burning gaze, which could scorch a person, and slowly rolled up his sleeves, cleared his throat, and then spoke deliberately:

"Since Liu Tingzhang has this intention, Wenqing naturally won't stop him, but..."

"But what? Oh, Mr. Zhou, please tell me!"

After hearing the first half of the sentence, Liu Bang was about to step out the door when he heard the word "but" at the end. His foot, which was hanging in mid-air, had to be turned back, and he was so anxious that he scratched his head and cheeks.

Zhou Wenqing, having piqued everyone's interest and satisfied, then continued:

"As the saying goes, a fine horse is given to a hero. This magnificent warhorse is a perfect match for Liu Tingzhang. However, I am not giving this fine steed to Liu Tingzhang so that you can do whatever you want with it."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze sharpening:

"What I, Zhou Wenqing, despise most in this life are those fickle and untrustworthy people. Since you promised to protect me along the way in exchange for merit, you must keep your promise and not leave me more than three zhang away on the journey ahead."

"If Liu Tingzhang has broken his promise, how can someone who doesn't keep his word be worthy of a fine steed?"

Zhou Wenqing sighed with feigned regret and shook his head, saying:

"At that time, I will have no choice but to take back this chestnut warhorse and find it a new owner who keeps his promise."

"No!" Liu Bang exclaimed in alarm.

He slapped his thigh and solemnly promised, "Mr. Zhou, rest assured, I, Liu Bang, also hate treacherous and untrustworthy people the most. What is a mere three zhang (approximately 10 meters)? From now on, I will protect you every step of the way. If you lift the curtain and cannot see me, it will be considered that I, Liu Ji, have broken my promise. You can take back this warhorse, and I will not utter a single complaint!"

"Good! Liu Tingzhang is straightforward, Wenqing trusts you!"

Liu Bang puffed out his chest, then glanced at Zhou Wenqing with a sly look: "Well... Mr. Zhou, you see, I can now..."

"Please proceed, Liu Tingzhang!"

"Awooo! My precious warhorse, my steed, here I come!"