Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Although this person is not mentioned much in historical records, he was one of the few tough guys in the late Qi state.

He was upright and incorruptible, spending half his life guarding Jimo, a key town on the eastern border of the State of Qi. He was the sole defender of the coastal frontier and the isolated town in the east. During his many years in power, he never curried favor with the powerful officials in the Linzi court, never formed cliques with the imperial family, and never colluded with local tyrants. He was only focused on improving people's livelihoods, rectifying official corruption, repairing military equipment, and strengthening border defenses.

He was like a stubborn rock carved into a city wall, with sharp edges and corners. Despite the erosion of wind and rain, the turmoil of the world, and the cold treatment from the court, he never changed his nature or wavered in his will.

He rarely went to court, but whenever he did, it was always to offer advice and remonstrances.

Historical records state that this man remonstrated with King Jian of Qi three times, each time more vehement than the last. The last time, he criticized the king to the point that "the king is not governing within the four borders and is not investigating beyond the four borders," almost humiliating the king.

Oh, and this time it's just as bad, but...

Zhou Wenqing stared at the man who was relentlessly pursuing Hou Sheng, his eyes bloodshot with rage, determined to eliminate the treacherous minister and cleanse the court of corrupt officials.

There's no record of this in historical documents!

Could it be that the early demise of Han, coupled with the chain reaction of Qin envoys coming to Qi, caused this?

Probably.

Zhou Wenqing's gaze darkened slightly, and he understood.

Historical records about the magistrate of Jimo are scarce, only briefly mentioning his repeated remonstrances and unyielding integrity, without detailing his final fate.

You can roughly guess it without thinking too much.

The last Qi dynasty was already rotten to the core, the court was corrupt and gloomy, the emperor and his ministers indulged in comfort and ease, the whole country fawned on Qin and lived a life of compromise, the entire court and countryside were like a stagnant pool of muddy water, rotten, numb and beyond redemption.

The doctor of Jimo was the only pure and noble official standing tall in this filthy pond. Drowning in the mud, he was bound to be hated and oppressed. How could he possibly have a good end?

What a pity!

What a waste of talent and resources!

With skillful strategies for defending the territory, effective governance of the people, unwavering loyalty, and a policy of non-partisanship and non-self-interest, such a capable local official is a once-in-a-century talent. In terms of rarity, he is even more outstanding than capable ministers and generals like Xiao He, Cao Can, Han Xin, and Li Si.

It should be understood that those with extraordinary talent are often not content to remain in a local post.

And this doctor from Jimo can.

He willingly guarded the city, indifferent to the political turmoil of the court, and uninterested in fame, fortune, and power, engraving "defending the land and ensuring the safety of the people" into his very bones.

It was precisely this kind of person that he happened to meet in the land of Qi.

Zhou Wenqing glanced at Qi Wangjian, the "ostrich" who was huddled under the imperial desk, his plump body trembling and making the desk shake and rattle. He cursed inwardly.

You're useless, utterly useless! What a waste to have such a wise minister like you!

It was a complete waste.

Zhou Wenqing's eyes darted around, his hands itching to start recruiting talent.

Why don't we try to take it back to the King?

Your Majesty will surely make the best use of everyone's talents, and even... make the most of them.

Maybe he'll find it much easier to check local accounts in the future; he's a true beacon of hope for wage slaves!

Just as my thoughts were drifting, two loud crashes echoed through the hall: "Bang!" and "Clang!"

As the doctor from Jimo chased after him with all his might, two more tables were overturned with a crash, and wine cups and jade goblets rolled all over the ground.

Zhou Wenqing instantly regained his composure, suppressed the burning urge to poach people, and calmed down again.

His lips twitched as he looked at the person who was rampaging through the main hall, shouting and cursing as he chased, and who had not yet been restrained.

Subduing him seems... a bit difficult.

Look at his fiery and impulsive temper, and the way he kept calling Qin "tyrannical Qin". If you rashly talk to him about the benefits of restoring Qin, you'll probably get spat in the face.

On the imperial palace, the doctor from Jimo charged around recklessly. Although he had been stripped of his armor and weapons before entering the palace, he still wielded a long-handled copper ladle, which he had somehow acquired, with the ferocity of a spear, forcing the guards with swords to retreat repeatedly.

Hou Sheng was even more disheveled. The pampered prime minister was chased all over the palace, rushing into the seats of the ministers. While running, he grabbed an unlucky person and shoved him behind him, just like playing a real-life version of "throwing sandbags".

The doctor from Jimo accepted all comers without hesitation, pulling them in one by one to act as human shields. His already superb martial arts skills were further enhanced by this—with hostages in hand, he swung the copper spoon even more merrily.

The guards were hesitant to act, fearing they might accidentally harm the Qi court officials. Furthermore, the limited space in the palace restricted their weapons, leaving them unable to fully commit to the capture. Thus, the absurd farce remained deadlocked for a long time without any resolution.

They chased and dodged, yet tacitly avoided the Qin envoy who was serving as the host.

That's normal. They can say a few words of criticism, but if they were to accidentally scratch even a layer of skin off Prince Fusu of Qin, the consequences would be something they couldn't afford.

Hou Sheng did not want to offend the Qin state, and the official of Jimo only wanted to form an alliance against Qin. He was not so stubborn as to believe that his motherland could take on Qin on its own.

As a result, the area around the East Seat became the safest vacuum zone in the entire hall.

Li Yi was pleased with this, calmly protecting the delegation and observing coldly from the sidelines, showing no intention of offering any assistance.

The ministers of Qi are nothing, who cares about them!

Moreover, what if he moves and a wine bottle suddenly falls from the sky and injures the gentleman?

It's worth noting that Mr. [Name]'s luck in encountering accidents, injuries, and illnesses has always been unsurprisingly outrageous.

Liu Bang had been full of fighting spirit for a long time, but seeing that no one had come any closer, he lost interest and simply put down his stance and watched the show with great interest.

"Tsk tsk tsk!" He crossed his arms, tilted his head closer to Fan Kuai, and said, "Didn't realize this fatso could run so fast! Kuai, do you think he can escape?"

"I guess... it should be possible?" Fan Kuai answered subconsciously, his tone slightly hesitant.

He was, after all, the prime minister of a country. To be killed so easily by a single blow with a copper spoon seems far too hasty.

But before he could finish speaking, Hou Sheng's pampered and bloated body finally gave out, and he slowed down a step. The copper spoon, with a whooshing sound, was about to hit him squarely on the back of the head.

Zhou Wenqing's pupils contracted sharply, and his heart tightened.

This won't do. Ji Mo's life can be considered and weighed slowly, but Hou Sheng absolutely cannot die here now!

Although it may sound absurd, it is the truth—a loyal minister from another country may fall, but this "troublemaker" must never be brought down!

In his haste, he didn't think twice and instinctively reached into his pocket, pulled out the hard "talisman," and threw it without a second thought.

Unfortunately, while his posture was quite bold, his accuracy was truly appalling.

Zhou Wenqing watched helplessly as the wolf's thigh stone spun and flew out, tracing a graceful arc in the air, and then...

It landed on the ground with a "thud," bounced twice, and then stopped.

Not only did they fail to break the copper spoon, they didn't even manage to touch the hem of the doctor's robe!

It was... kind of awkward.

Fortunately, Hou Sheng seemed to be inspired by the whistling sound that came from the sky. He twisted his waist suddenly and, like a plump loach, barely slid past the edge of the copper spoon, managing to avoid it.

Zhou Wenqing breathed a sigh of relief and dared not delay any longer. He quickly tugged at Fan Kuai's sleeve, wanting to ask him to lend a hand.

Just then, by sheer coincidence, as Hou Sheng fled with his head in his hands, he accidentally stepped on that smooth wolf thigh stone.

The smooth stone surface, combined with his unsteady gait, was exactly as expected—

"thump!"

"Ouch! My back!"

The change happened so fast that Zhou Wenqing felt as if it were only a blink of an eye before the dignified Prime Minister was thrown flat on his back, limbs outstretched, like a fat turtle whose shell had been flipped over.

Suddenly, the view went blank, and the doctor from Jimo lost his target. Holding the copper spoon, he stood there stunned for a moment, completely unable to react.

"Quickly! Take him down!"

The guards seized the opportunity and pounced on it in layers. The bronze spoon that had been so impressive for so long was finally snatched away and rolled to the side with a series of crisp sounds.

The farce finally came to an end with the "gong-striking" at this moment.