Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Upon seeing this, Hou Sheng's heart leaped into his throat, almost jumping out of his throat.

He had only one thought in his mind—Qi must never antagonize Qin!

As for whether or not the Jixia Academy would be burned down... Hou Sheng really didn't care at all.

In his eyes, that place was a breeding ground for trouble and gossip!

Every now and then, a few self-serving sycophants pop up. Unable to win the power struggle, they spend their days boasting and making veiled criticisms, constantly contradicting themselves and hindering their efforts to gain power and make money. They are truly an eyesore.

Hou Sheng was actually hoping someone would set it on fire and burn it down, so he wouldn't have to deal with the trouble every now and then.

At his age, was it easy for him to climb to this position?!

She finally figured out the King of Qi's intentions and kept him firmly under her control. She endured humiliation and hardship for many years before outliving her own sister, the queen who held power, and finally rose to her current position of absolute control over the court.

All the family background, reputation, wealth, land, and beautiful concubines accumulated throughout his life were already tied to this crown.

If relations with Qin break down and war breaks out, burning down his hat and even the entire Qi state, what will he have left?

It's a miracle they survived!

Even if it doesn't lead to the downfall of the country, as long as war breaks out and the situation becomes turbulent, his business, industries, connections, and wealth will inevitably suffer heavy losses, resulting in huge losses from all sides!

Even if the Jixia Academy is prestigious, can it compare to his position as prime minister and his family background?

These old fogies, half-buried in the ground, know nothing! They dare to bark like dogs. If they accidentally scratch that young master's skin and anger the Qin state, how will they compensate him for all that gleaming gold and silver?

Why don't you take those few scrolls of their sour bamboo slips?

Thinking of this, his back pain and leg weakness vanished, and his eyes practically blazed with fire. He strode forward, addressed the group of indignant officials who had risen to their feet, fists clenched, and shouted:

"What a commotion! Such disrespect before the King is utterly unbecoming! All of you, please take your seats! A mere verbal argument has provoked you to such a state; are you trying to make our Great Qi a laughingstock?"

He deliberately emphasized the phrase "verbal debate," first defining the nature of this provocative statement, and effectively pouring cold water on those loyal ministers, who could only reluctantly return to their seats.

Otherwise, wouldn't that be a breach of the etiquette of the State of Qi?

Hou Sheng had no time to pay attention to the resentful looks from his colleagues. He turned around, his expression instantly changed, and even his back hunched slightly. His previous serious demeanor was completely gone.

"Young Master, please calm down. It was just a verbal dispute. It was inevitable that we were carried away by our emotions. There is really no need to get so worked up and damage the harmony between our two countries."

As he spoke, he gave a wink to someone behind him, and a eunuch quickly stepped forward with a jade tray in his hand.

As he spoke, he gave a wink to someone behind him.

A eunuch immediately bowed and stepped forward, holding a vermilion lacquered tray in both hands.

The plate held freshly roasted venison, its surface glistening with a golden-red sheen, exuding a rich, fragrant aroma. Wisps of steam rose and billowed into the air, the savory and tender meat mingling with the aroma of fine wine that permeated the entire Zhanghua Hall, an irresistible temptation that instantly dispelled the tense and menacing atmosphere of the previous moment.

Hou Sheng smiled and personally took the bronze dagger from the plate. With skillful and nimble movements, he sliced ​​off a piece of tender meat with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, carefully placed it into a wide-mouthed, shallow bronze vessel, and gestured to the eunuch to respectfully present it to Fusu.

"Young Master, please take a seat and try the unique roasted venison flavor of Qi."

"These deer are all fat-tailed deer raised in the suburbs of Linzi. Their meat is tender and full of fat. They are best paired with Linzi's autumn wine. If you don't mind, young master, please have a taste. Consider it my apology on their behalf."

The delicacies were laid out on the table, steam rising and the rich aroma of meat wafting through the air. Fusu glanced at them briefly before looking away and turning his gaze to Hou Sheng.

"I appreciate the Prime Minister's kindness, but before we eat deer and drink wine, I have a question for the Prime Minister and for all the ministers of Qi."

Hou Sheng's smile froze for a moment.

Damn it, I didn't expect this little kid to be so easy to talk to. It seems he's not going to give me any face.

It seems this time it won't be so easy to fool them.

Hou Sheng was secretly furious, but dared not show it at all. He could only quickly suppress his displeasure, put on a natural smile again, slowly put down the bronze dagger in his hand, and raised his hand to make a gesture of invitation:

"Please speak freely, young master."

Fusu nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping slowly across the hall. Only when all eyes were on him did he speak, his voice steady and clear, carrying the crispness of youth:

"The alliance between Qi and Qin is a good one, based on mutual honesty and open communication."

"Our Great Qin has created a unique papermaking technique, which is a peerless treasure that can control the world's literary tradition and monopolize the classics of all schools of thought. However, my father, with his heart set on the world and a sense of righteousness, has never thought of using this technique to confine himself to the world or to control other states. He has long been determined to make this technique public."

"Even though the technique was stolen and leaked out along the way, and unexpected changes occurred, the Qin Dynasty never held anyone accountable or took revenge, nor did it boast about its skills. Instead, it allowed the technique to circulate among the various states, benefiting countless scholars from humble backgrounds."

He stood tall and straight, with an upright demeanor, possessing the dignified bearing of a direct descendant of the imperial family, and his brows exuded a touch of noble arrogance.

"My father often taught us, the sons of the royal family, that we should be broad-minded, honest and open in our dealings with others, and act in a way that is worthy of the people."

"Fusu has always followed this instruction since childhood. Therefore, our Qin delegation has never had any intention of provoking trouble when we went to Linzi. All we wanted was to enter the Jixia Academy, observe the literary style of Qi, learn about the knowledge of various schools of thought, and have a refined exchange. This is all we wanted."

"If any Qi envoys ever travel to Xianyang in the future, wishing to visit the newly established academy of our Great Qin and exchange ideas on culture and morality, our Great Qin will certainly welcome them with open arms and broaden its borders, sharing all its knowledge with them in good faith, without the slightest bit of shirking responsibility, defensiveness, pettiness, or suspicion."

He paused slightly, a sharp glint appearing in Fusu's eyes. His gaze fell upon the silent Qi ministers in the hall, and he coldly questioned them:

"But why did this refined pursuit of cultural exchange change so drastically in the State of Qi?"

Hou Sheng's expression tightened slightly, and he subconsciously wanted to explain, but Fu Su raised his hand to stop him.

"Prime Minister, do not underestimate my youth. Fusu heard it clearly just now. That old gentleman, let's believe he was 'drunk,' spoke with veiled sarcasm and sarcasm, clearly and deliberately belittling our Great Qin. His attitude was arrogant and unreasonable."

"However, I was mindful of my agreement with the Prime Minister before the banquet and did not want to damage the diplomatic relations between our two countries over a few words during the meal. Out of consideration for the Prime Minister's mediation, I restrained myself and did not lash out in public."

After speaking, Fusu looked at Hou Sheng and nodded slightly, displaying impeccable manners and proper conduct.

Hou Sheng quickly bowed slightly in return to show his gratitude, while secretly glancing at the King of Qi, whose presence on the throne was extremely low.

King Qi appeared perfectly normal, even slightly drunk and drowsy, completely unaware that he had been ruthlessly ignored by Prince Qin.

Hou Sheng felt a sense of relief and had just caught his breath when he heard Fu Su's tone suddenly change, becoming stern:

"But our actions, which prioritized the greater good, have only resulted in you taking an inch and wanting a mile!"

He turned his gaze to the doctor from Jimo and said sternly:

"Just now, one person was 'drunk,' and now another so-called 'madman' has jumped out, making irresponsible remarks in court, repeatedly calling the Qin Dynasty 'tyrannical,' openly and wantonly smearing the national character of our Great Qin."

"My deputy envoy Yao Jia merely refuted the accusations based on the facts and clarified the slander. Throughout the entire process, he remained calm and composed, and his words were reasonable. He was at a loss for words and had no way to refute them. In a fit of anger and shame, he attempted to use force against us in court!"

Upon hearing this, the doctor from Jimo immediately looked up and stared at him in astonishment.

No? What the hell!

Let's set aside the phrase "calm and reasonable" for now—

If you say he attacked those good-for-nothings like Qi Ting, he'll admit it; or if you say he attacked the Qin deputy envoy, even though he didn't actually fight, he was certainly tempted to do so, he'll admit that too...

But where does this "we" come from?

I treated all the Qi ministers like stray cats and dogs, scattering them everywhere, but I didn't dare touch you, the host, even a hair's breadth!

But Fusu gave him no chance to defend himself, his speech becoming faster and faster, his tone increasingly sharp and forceful.

"One can do this once, twice, but not a third time! My Qin deputy envoy argued with reason, and even if his words were somewhat impassioned, it was only because he had been insulted first, and it was a matter of principle. But all of you present, without distinguishing right from wrong, wanted to attack him en masse. What kind of logic is that?!"

Finally, Fusu lowered his eyes to look at the steaming roasted deer on the table, his tone returning to calm and composed:

"If the State of Qi continues to harbor suspicion and hostility towards our Great Qin, even in a refined matter like cultural exchange, it will make excuses and create difficulties at every turn—"

"I'm afraid that if this venison is roasted over a blazing fire and kept piping hot, our hearts will be filled with coldness and stagnation, and we will ultimately be unable to taste anything."