Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Seeing Fusu lower the carriage curtain with a miserable expression, Zhou Wenqing naturally shifted his gaze to Xia Wuqie across from him.

Xia Wuqie, expressionless and even somewhat numb, pulled out a small medicine box from under the table. His movements were fluid and graceful, as if this had become a regular part of their journey—applying medicine to Liu Bang, who had been thrown from his horse.

Don't expect any benevolence from doctors to treat patients who bring this upon themselves and show no remorse.

They've already done more than enough by being willing to help!

If it weren't for this pretext, allowing him to stay in Zhou Wenqing's carriage and secretly watch over people for his master—after all, Zhou Wenqing had vehemently refused to let Physician Lü accompany him, and he wouldn't have bothered with this incorrigible Liu Tingzhang at all.

Who can outmaneuver a horse?

Not content with being able to ride steadily, he channeled all his boundless energy and competitive spirit into training his horse and figuring out all sorts of fancy and novel riding techniques.

Liu Tingzhang was truly unique in his ability to torment a wild horse to the point where it would cooperate perfectly with its master one moment and then be thrown off in disgust the next. Xia Wuqie simply couldn't understand it.

What's wrong with this?

Sure enough, in no time at all, Liu Bang was carried in by Fan Kuai and Lu Wan, one on each side.

Lu Wan deftly tossed Liu Bang to the opposite seat, then touched his nose and chuckled awkwardly:

"Dr. Xia, Brother Ji... has troubled you again."

Fan Kuai was too embarrassed to meet Xia Wuqie's eyes. Only after Lu Wan spoke did he awkwardly clasp his hands in a fist salute, then lowered his head and hurriedly slipped out.

Zhou Wenqing watched them "flee in disarray," then looked away, feeling both annoyed and amused, and turned to Liu Bang.

Liu Bang was half-lying on the seat, his left hand supporting him on the cushion, his right sleeve rolled up high, revealing a fresh abrasion on his forearm.

"Chief Liu, can't you just stay put for a few days?" Zhou Wenqing said helplessly. "We'll arrive in Linzi in less than three days. What if by then, Fan Kuai and Lu Wan, those two wounded soldiers, are already lively and energetic, while you're still bruised and battered, unable to move? How are you supposed to protect them then?"

As they were talking, Xia Wuqie had already taken the water pouch and leaned over to wash the abrasions on his arm.

"hiss--!"

Liu Bang gasped. "Physician Xia, are you sure you didn't get the wrong one? Is there something mixed into this water?"

"Shut up and behave yourself."

Xia Wuqie continued his work without pause, showing no mercy, and coldly rebuked, "Now you know it hurts? Where were you before?"

"There's medicine mixed in the water, you're lucky. This is a secret medicine that my master just concocted a couple of days ago with inspiration. It's a little irritating, but it's extremely effective for injuries like yours. Just clean it up and bandage it, saving you a lot of trouble."

Could it be that he got his inspiration from Liu Bang?

Looking at the man opposite him, whose face was contorted in pain, Zhou Wenqing raised an eyebrow without any decency, his tone carrying a hint of schadenfreude.

"Physician Lü has put in a lot of effort, and Chief Liu should know his place."

"Yes, yes, yes, I really have it this time!"

Liu Bang was in so much pain that he broke out in a cold sweat. If it weren't for the fact that there was no smell of alcohol, he would have suspected that the so-called medicine was mixed with strong liquor, otherwise how could it be so spicy?

"Don't worry, Zhou Neishi, I promise this is the last time. I will definitely not do anything reckless before we reach Linzi. I will stay here and guard you two."

"Before we get to Linzi..." Zhou Wenqing glanced at him sideways, drawing out the last syllable.

At the same time, Xia Wuqie's hand, which was steadily inserting the needle into the acupoint, trembled "unexpectedly".

"Aww—! And then too! And then too!"

Liu Bang howled in pain and quickly added, slapping the soft cushion with his left hand.

He could no longer care about the pain in his buttocks. He rolled over and tried to struggle backward, kicking his legs a few times, just like a fish that had been slapped ashore and was thrashing about.

But Dr. Xia clearly inherited the fine traditions of his own school. Not only was he extremely physically strong and incredibly powerful, but he also had a knack for handling these unruly injured patients, holding them down firmly and refusing to let go.

Liu Bang was almost in tears. If he had known it would turn out like this, he would have preferred to have Lu Wan apply the medicine for him.

"I promise, this is really the last time! Really! I was just thinking that since we're almost at Linzi, I wanted to hone my riding skills one last time, just in case it comes in handy someday."

He gasped for breath in pain, yet still tried to find excuses for himself. His voice was hoarse, and the smile on his face was more like a grimace. He pitifully reached out to Zhou Wenqing for help, trying to escape Xia Wuqie's clutches.

"Yeah?"

Zhou Wenqing's smile deepened, and feigning confusion, he slowly turned to look at Fusu beside him, his tone leisurely and drawn-out:

"Why does that sound so familiar? Strange, I can't remember. Fusu, do you recall where I've heard it before?"

Fusu also feigned a thoughtful expression, pondered for a moment, and then slowly spoke:

"Sir, I seem to recall that Chief Liu said something similar three days ago, or maybe five days ago?"

He paused, tilted his head slightly, as if trying to recall something, "It seems like it happened seven days ago too, but I can't remember exactly. I'm afraid it's been said over the past ten days or so."

"I didn't!" Liu Bang cried out in alarm, ignoring the pain in his numb arm, and hurriedly protested, "Three days ago I said I would be more restrained, and five days ago I said I would be careful. It was I who was restrained and careful! I never said anything like 'this is the last time'!"

He remembered that Mr. Zhou said he hated people who broke their promises, so he always carefully chose his words and glossed over the details. Otherwise, what if Mr. Zhou thought he had also broken his promise and took back the fine horse he had finally tamed?

"Then it's settled for today—this is the last time."

Mr. Zhou straightened his expression slightly, and his tone became more solemn and serious.

"Liu Tingzhang is now serving as a bodyguard for the delegation. Every word, action, and demeanor represents the face of Qin. We will be entering Linzi soon. If you continue to travel around like this, falling off your horse every day and ending up with a bruised and swollen face, won't you become a laughingstock among the Qi people?"

"Don't worry, Mr. Zhou." Liu Ji quickly stopped his playful manner and replied seriously, "Ji knows what's important and will never ruin things. This is really the last time."

"Okay, I believe you." Zhou Wenqing nodded.

In truth, he could understand Liu Bang's character; he was energetic and naturally restless, and it was impossible for him to stay cooped up in the carriage the whole way.

But he had already boasted that he would never leave his sight. He could only watch helplessly as Fan Kuai and Lu Wan's injuries gradually healed. After galloping around on horseback, he couldn't stretch out freely. He could only do other things on horseback to vent his frustration.

It's strange, really. He was constantly in turmoil in Qin – assassination attempts, kidnapping, treason, and pursuit – nothing ever stopped. So why did things go so smoothly after he moved to Qi?

They didn't even give this "Guard Liu" a legitimate chance to stretch his muscles.

Lady Qing said that the other six states were less peaceful than Qin, so why is it the other way around for him?

Could it be that... King Qi Jian has already dealt with all the petty thieves and bandits along the way who clearly posed no threat to their delegation?

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Good luck to all the students taking the high school entrance exam! I also wish you all the best in achieving your desired results, getting into your dream high schools, a bright future, and a happy summer vacation! (*＾-＾*)

Since the date of the high school entrance exam is uncertain—some say Monday, others say later—we'll all agree on next Saturday and add an extra chapter! (＞v＜)