Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

King Qi nodded, and with the agreement settled, the long and winding negotiations finally came to an end.

Because of the Qin envoy's righteous statement that he "did not want to take advantage of others' misfortune," the Jimo official was spared imprisonment and was temporarily housed in the lecturer's residence at the Jixia Academy to adjust his state and wait patiently for the high platform discussion three days later.

With the Qin envoy's request and the secret assistance of Chief Minister Meng, although he was not free for the time being, his life was safe for the time being.

Hou Sheng had long since lost interest in him, fearing that the King of Qi might suddenly turn against him, or that some troublemaker might suddenly appear and cause him trouble. Seeing this, he hurriedly took his wine cup and stepped forward to offer his toast.

This time, Yao Jia and Fu Su's group also gave them face, raising their cups in response. The hall was filled with harmony, as if the fierce confrontation that had almost blown the beams off the hall had never happened.

Upon seeing this, Hou Sheng almost burst into tears on the spot. Fearing that things might change if he hesitated, he poured out a bellyful of polite words without waiting for anyone to respond, speaking so fast that he barely gave himself a chance to breathe.

After reciting a set of diplomatic remarks, I almost choked on my breath and nearly passed out. Fortunately, I managed to bring the banquet to a close without any major incident.

Watching the Qin envoy and his entourage being led away by the palace servants, he felt a great sense of relief, but also an overwhelming weariness, as if this banquet had shortened his lifespan by ten years.

He glanced at his trusted aide, who was waiting tremblingly beside him. He had no energy left to pursue the matter, and wearily waved his hand.

"Return to your residence, close the door to all visitors, and tell everyone that I am ill and bedridden, and refuse to see anyone."

The confidant hesitated for a moment, but finally gritted his teeth and whispered a reminder: "But Prime Minister, the Jixia Forum will be held in three days. At that time, people from all sides will definitely take the opportunity to come and test our attitudes in order to curry favor. If we..."

"Refuse! None of them will be seen!"

Hou Sheng was filled with exhaustion and frustration from the day's dealings. Before he could finish speaking, he interrupted him sharply, his eyes full of impatience, and he glared coldly at his confidant.

The moment the Qin envoy made his appearance, he pressed forward relentlessly, leaving the Qi court and its officials hesitant and restrained.

Hou Sheng had long understood the situation. With such confidence, the Qin state's current strength was probably even more terrifying than they had imagined, and they were not to be trifled with.

At this moment, he had no intention of profiting from the Qin delegation whatsoever, and from any angle, he was unwilling to touch this hot potato. He only wanted to protect himself, so he immediately reprimanded them sternly and harshly:

"Fool! Useless trash! Short-sighted fool! Haven't you realized yet that these Qin envoys are nothing but a bunch of trouble, and we can't afford to touch them!"

"We must not get involved in that mess at Jixia Academy. Let them argue it out to their hearts' content. We should just go along with whatever they ask for. It would be best if those Qin people could make their own way and go back on their own. In the end, it's just an academic dispute. We must not let the court get involved again."

"The diplomatic relations between Qin and Qi are currently stable, and we absolutely cannot allow any new trouble to arise. We must nip any potential problems in the bud and not allow the situation to deteriorate. Do you understand?!"

He paused, then his gaze sharpened, and he pressed down on him in a deep voice:

"Keep a close eye on your men. If there's even the slightest mistake this time, don't blame me for taking your life!"

The confidant felt a cold sweat instantly run down his back. He didn't dare to lift his head and repeatedly echoed in fear, "Yes, yes, I understand. It was all my fault. I know I was wrong and I will never do it again."

"Now that you understand, get out there and make the arrangements!"

"promise!"

Hou Sheng snorted coldly and waved his hand impatiently, signaling him to get lost.

His confidant felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He dared not linger any longer, bowed deeply, and quickly retreated, his steps hurried and chaotic, almost tumbling and crawling as he disappeared at the end of the corridor.

On the other side, when Fusu and his entourage were respectfully escorted out of the palace gate, the sun was already setting in the west, turning the long street of Linzi into a warm gold. Unfortunately, due to the large number of "enthusiastic crowds" watching them return safely on both sides of the road, they had no interest in strolling around and drove straight back to the outer palace.

Also due to these "enthusiastic masses," Fusu was unable to ride in the same carriage with his husband for the first time in a long time.

He sat upright in the main car, holding a book in his hand, but did not turn a single page for a long time.

The carriage curtains were drawn low, completely concealing the view. Fusu wanted to lift the curtains several times to look at the carriage behind him, but he restrained himself.

"Young Master, there's no need to worry." Yao Jia, sitting opposite, put down his teacup and said calmly, "Zicheng is traveling with Liu Tingzhang and Fan Zhuangshi, and they are accompanied by Generals Wang Ben and Meng Yi on both sides. There's absolutely nothing to worry about."

"well--"

Fusu sighed softly and looked away.

"What Yao Keqing said is true. But in the past, I have always been by your side and I am used to it. Now that I am away from you, I feel uneasy and can't feel at ease."

As soon as he finished speaking, Fusu realized that his anxiety was rather childish. However, he was still troubled by the previous events and could not let go of the past. He gently stroked the edge of the book with his fingertips and smiled at Yao Jia with a slightly embarrassed expression.

"It is Fusu's lack of magnanimity that has made Yao Keqing laugh at him."

"You are too modest, young master."

Yao Jia smiled slightly, half comforting and half teasing: "At the banquet in the palace just now, even without Zicheng's guidance and assistance, you still responded appropriately and behaved with grace, making all the civil and military officials of Qi pale in comparison."

"If this is considered a lack of magnanimity, then Qi Ting will likely be deserted tomorrow, everyone so ashamed they'll want to commit suicide to atone for their sins!"

Fusu blushed slightly at the teasing remark, and shook his head with a helpless smile.

"Guest Yao always likes to make fun of me. Today I barely managed to keep things in order. There were many oversights. I would appreciate your guidance, Guest Yao."

He changed the subject, his eyes full of admiration, and jokingly added:

"However, the guest minister's rebuttal in court was sharp and composed. His demeanor can be described as skillful and persuasive, subduing the enemy without a fight! In the debate at Jixia Academy in three days, the guest minister will surely be able to overpower the Qi people again."

Yao Jia, however, was not as shy as Fu Su. Upon hearing this, he simply laughed and waved his hand.

"If Jia Ruozhen could truly achieve what you described, and be remembered in history like Yanzi, I would gladly shorten my lifespan by three years! It's just a pity that the debates on the doctrines of the Hundred Schools of Thought are not my forte. In three days, at the Jixia Academy, this prestigious position will have to be handed over to Zicheng!"

"ah?!"

Fusu was greatly alarmed.

Seeing his strong reaction, Yao Jia paused for a moment and raised an eyebrow slightly:

"What's so surprising? Jia is a strategist, skilled in diplomacy and persuasion, but not in theoretical discussions or moral debates. What's so surprising about that?"

"No, it's...this...oh!"

"Minister Yao has only been back in court for a short time, and has had relatively little contact with you in this regard, so he may not know..."

Fusu gave a wry smile, helplessly rubbing his forehead as he explained:

"The professor himself told me that he was least skilled at academic debate!"

"What?!"