Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

"Such actions of upholding propriety, defending the country, punishing evil, and promoting justice have been misinterpreted by officials as warmongering, unjust acts, and tyranny. I ask you—where is justice in the world? Where is morality among nations?!"

His words were thought-provoking, logically sound, and irrefutable.

Yao Jia withdrew his gaze, raised his head and straightened up, his clothes fluttering slightly. His expression was righteous and awe-inspiring, and his eyes were fixed on the angry doctor from Jimo opposite him, waiting for the other party to answer.

His gaze slowly swept over the assembled officials in the hall. Every Qi official whose eyes met his hurriedly lowered his head, looking flustered and guilty. No one dared to meet his gaze openly, and the hall was completely silent.

Even if it isn't—

The doctor from Jimo was seething with anger. The words "Could it be that your Qin state deliberately set a trap?" were already on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back down.

The doctor from Jimo pursed his lips, his beard and hair stood on end, and his fists, calloused from years of handling government affairs, clenched tightly until his fingertips turned white, before relaxing slumped down after a moment.

I can't say.

Even though the whole thing about the fall of South Korea seemed too coincidental and smooth to him, with each event linked to the next, it was as if an invisible hand was manipulating things behind the scenes, which made people wonder.

Using such a crucial secret of ancient culture as papermaking to scheme against a small country like South Korea seems far too costly and absurd from both a moral and logical standpoint.

Even the doctor from Jimo himself was unsure whether he was being paranoid. Without evidence, accusations made out of thin air are unconvincing and will only bring shame upon himself, giving others a reason to attack him.

In the end, he had no choice but to change his attack direction, fiercely flicking his sleeve and shouting angrily:

"Clever words and a flattering demeanor are pure sophistry!"

"Even if your Qin state possesses unique secret techniques and a valuable cultural heritage, and Han's conduct is flawed and it stole first, in the struggle between states, there must be moderation in the game!"

"Since ancient times, it has always been enough to punish aggressors and demand apologies. There has never been a case of starting without leaving any room for negotiation, completely overthrowing a nation's temples, and slaughtering the people of a region!"

His eyes were bloodshot, and he pointed at Yao Jia, his voice filled with grief and indignation echoing throughout the hall:

"Qin destroyed the entire nation, annihilated its people and its state! It destroyed the country and its sacrifices, leaving rivers of blood! What else could such ruthless and merciless slaughter be but the Qin Dynasty?!"

Faced with the Jimo doctor's almost roaring, indignant questioning, Yao Jia remained completely calm, only letting out a cold sneer as the corner of his lips curled slightly.

"Ha, how utterly ridiculous!"

This gesture was like adding fuel to the fire.

The doctor from Jimo was instantly enraged, pointing his finger directly at him, his anger boiling over.

"you--!"

The guy in front of me, all dressed up and acting all high and mighty, is just so infuriating with his attitude.

"Doctor, why should you be angry?"

Yao Jia remained composed, but his words were merciless as he continued:

"Since ancient times, there has been no peace in the conflicts and battles between states. To condemn the Qin Dynasty as 'tyrannical' based solely on this incident is far too biased, Your Excellency."

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on the other person's face, which was flushed red with anger.

"Besides, how could the doctor have known that our Great Qin hadn't left any room for maneuver beforehand?"

"South Korea was utterly destroyed in less than two months. Did you leave any room for maneuver?" the doctor from Jimo demanded sternly.

"The doctor has been away from the court for a long time, and is far from the ancestral temple, so he probably does not know."

"The state of Korea is despicable. They have already widely disseminated and publicized the secrets they stole from my Great Qin throughout the world. If I am not mistaken..."

Yao Jia paused slightly, raised his hand, and slowly swept his fingertips across the table.

"Judging from their shapes and styles, the folding fan at the waist of that official, the memorial peeking out from the sleeve of this censor, and the scrolls of paper held by the historians on both sides, are probably not made by our Great Qin, but rather privately imitated using stolen papermaking techniques, aren't they?"

Wherever his fingertip landed, the expression of those he touched changed slightly.

Several people instinctively raised their hands to cover themselves and gather the papers on the table. Their faces turned pale instantly, their eyes darted around in panic, and they were restless and uneasy, filled with embarrassment and guilt at being exposed in public.

This performance, needless to say, is enough to prove that Yao Jia's words were true.

The atmosphere inside the hall suddenly became subtle. Many officials seemed to have been startled by something, clutching their waists, covering their sleeves, and adjusting their clothes in a flustered manner, with small movements constantly emerging.

Hou Sheng's face was now a grimace.

He glared fiercely at his trusted aides behind him, his eyes almost murderous.

Didn't we instruct them beforehand that during the Qin envoy's visit to Qi, they must thoroughly eliminate all counterfeit paper products wherever they could see, and absolutely not give the Qin envoy any leverage?

The confidant kept his head down, sweat dripping from his forehead onto his clothes, but he didn't dare to wipe it away. He could only shrink his neck, looking like a "living person on the verge of death".

Yao Jia took all of this in stride, but instead of pressing his advantage, he smiled frankly and said:

"There is no need for you to be nervous. The crime originated in Han. Now that the main culprit has been executed, the king is benevolent and has no intention of taking back this 'accidental' transfer of power, nor will he use it to cause trouble."

He raised his eyes and surveyed the room, his words frank and open, revealing the grand vision of a great nation:

"My king has the world in his heart and is delighted to see the flourishing of culture, the widespread benefit of education, and the nurturing of scholars throughout the land. Even if the state of Han does not steal it, when the time is right, my Great Qin will also make its papermaking secret known to the public. Therefore, you can rest assured and use it without any worries."

Upon hearing this, Hou Sheng finally felt a little relieved, as his heart had been hanging in his throat.

"but--!"

Yao and Jia abruptly shifted their focus, reiterating their core logic and regaining their imposing aura:

"This act demonstrates the magnanimity and integrity of our Great Qin Dynasty, but it cannot conceal the fact that the State of Han is greedy, despicable, and shameless, engaging in theft and despicable acts!"

"The art of papermaking is a unique creation of the Grand Historian of the Qin State, a treasure of the Qin Dynasty, and should rightfully bear the name of Qin, be passed down through generations, and shine brightly for eternity..."

"But now, despicable thieves have seized the initiative!"

"The Han people's insidious and opportunistic actions have not only unjustly humiliated our Great Qin, but also tarnished the sanctity of this ancient carrier of culture and education. I ask you, when scholars of the world pick up their pens and paper, will they remember the good deeds of Great Qin in promoting literature, or the shameful theft of Han?"

"The virtues of education and culture throughout the ages have been tainted by selfish desires, tarnished with the stigma of theft—can such despicable acts be considered innocent?!"

The doctor from Jimo's lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but Yao Jia, who was riding high on his momentum, cut him off first with righteous indignation:

"And doesn't all of this demonstrate the benevolence of my king, leaving room for negotiation for Han?"

Yao Jia's gaze was intense as he looked directly into the eyes of the doctor from Jimo:

"If the Qin Dynasty were truly as tyrannical and bloodthirsty as the physician claims, with only the desire to slaughter and destroy nations, how could the mere state of Han possibly have the opportunity to make a name for itself using the techniques of our Qin Dynasty?"

"My king has already done everything he could to be benevolent and righteous, but the state of Han has gone further and further, remaining incorrigible. Now, you, sir, ignore the cause and effect, and only focus on the outcome, blaming only Qin—"

"Doctor, you're distorting the truth like this, and even accusing my Great Qin of being inhumane and tyrannical. Is this what you call benevolence and justice?!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yao Jia stepped forward again, forcing the doctor of Jimo to retreat repeatedly. Zhou Shen's momentum plummeted, but he was still not satisfied and continued to question him.

"In that case, what's wrong with me saying that the doctor's words are absurd and laughable?!"