Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

He leaned forward, almost prostrating himself in front of Zhou Wenqing, his face filled with eager excitement: "Please tell me quickly, are you really some reclusive master from somewhere?"

Zhou Wenqing: "..."

With the back of his head pressed against the car wall, he had nowhere left to retreat. He raised his hand to rub his temples, his voice carrying a weary tone of having given up the struggle:

"...Fine, fine, think whatever you want, as long as you're happy."

"Sir, you admit it!!!"

No, I didn't, don't talk nonsense!

Zhou Wenqing opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, he heard a "bang".

Overjoyed, Liu Bang leaped up, his head slamming hard against the roof of the carriage, causing the entire carriage to tremble slightly. However, he merely shrank his neck instinctively, completely ignoring the pain of the impact. His heart and eyes were filled only with the joy of this unexpected opportunity, and he eagerly pressed for an answer:

"Sir, regarding the name 'Liu Bang' you gave me, should I simply change it to my given name, or should I use it as my courtesy name? I don't have one yet!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly turned his head sharply, reached out and grabbed Fan Kuai, who had been listening in a daze the whole time.

"And Fan Kuai!"

Liu Bang pulled the man towards Zhou Wenqing, his tone earnest:

"Sir, please give Fan Kuai a name as well. From now on, we brothers will share in the heavenly secrets, achieve great deeds, and become famous throughout the land!"

Fan Kuai was pulled forward, glanced blankly at Zhou Wenqing, then suddenly lowered his head, clenched his fists nervously, and stammered in refusal:

"No, no, I, I... I wouldn't dare trouble you, sir."

What are you so nervous about?!

Has even Fan Kuai been brainwashed?

Seeing him in the same state, Zhou Wenqing finally reached his breaking point and, unable to contain himself any longer, shouted:

"Enough—!"

"Uncle Zhou, what happened?!"

Startled by the commotion inside the carriage, Wang Ben's heart tightened. He immediately spurred his horse closer, reached out his long arm, and with a whoosh, lifted the carriage curtain.

Sunlight suddenly flooded in, revealing the interior of the car in its entirety.

The usually gentle and composed Uncle Zhou, who would leisurely sip tea or sit quietly, was now huddled in the innermost corner, his back pressed tightly against the car wall. His expression was anything but calm; he looked exhausted and at his breaking point from the entanglement and torment.

On the other hand, Liu Bang next to him brazenly occupied most of the carriage space, still not satisfied. He was also suppressing the "helpless" Fan Kuai with one hand, chattering incessantly as if he were trying to induce something. At the same time, he leaned half his body close to Zhou Wenqing, who had no way to avoid him, with a "fierce light" in his eyes. His posture was exactly like interrogating a criminal.

With just one glance, Wang Ben's eyes narrowed sharply, all warmth vanished, and a fierce and ruthless aura surged forth.

A mere commoner, in the very carriages escorting the Qin emperor, actually conspired to coerce high-ranking officials of the court!

"presumptuous--!"

Before Zhou Wenqing could react, a loud shout rang in his ears, followed by a flash of cold light before his eyes.

"Clang—"

A clear, sharp metallic clang pierced the air as Wang Ben drew a short dagger from his waist with his right hand. His entire being exuded murderous intent. He leaned forward, reached his left arm through the car window, and grabbed Liu Bang by the collar, intending to drag him out of the car.

"Liu Ji, you're asking for it!"

"How dare you disturb and coerce my Uncle Zhou? You're asking for trouble!"

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. One second Liu Bang was still immersed in the joy of "finally finding a master and having a stroke of good fortune", and before he could even pull his smile back, the next second his collar was tightened, and he fell forward, his shoes even leaving the ground.

If Fan Kuai hadn't reacted quickly and grabbed him, he probably would have already rolled out of the carriage and fallen hard on the bustling streets of Linzi.

Suddenly struck by misfortune, Liu Bang's mind went blank. Before he could even comprehend what was happening, he gripped the carriage window frame tightly with both hands, and, still in shock, blurted out:

"Help, help me—!!"

Zhou Wenqing was also startled and quickly pressed down on Liu Bang's lower back to help him steady himself. He looked up and saw the short dagger gleaming coldly in Wang Ben's hand, its tip only inches from the back of Liu Bang's neck. His heart tightened, and he quickly shouted to stop him:

"Wang Ben! Stop! What are you doing?!"

"Mr. Zhou, please don't worry about it!"

As expected of someone fresh from the battlefield, Wang Ben's eyes were filled with murderous intent, his gaze sharp as a blade, fixed on Liu Bang's neck and spine. Judging from his posture, if it weren't for the cleanliness of the carriage, he would have already stabbed him straight down.

His gaze remained fixed on Liu Bang's vital points, his voice cold and hard, each word uttered from between his teeth:

"I sensed this guy was incredibly unruly from the first time I saw him, and now it seems I was right—he dared to bully you! You're kind enough to overlook it, but I can't tolerate it. Hand him over to me!"

"What 'insulting'? Who will be punished? What does all this have to do with anything?"

Zhou Wenqing was completely confused. He went through Wang Ben's words in his mind and recalled the scene just now before he finally understood.

Looking at Wang Ben's indignant expression, he felt both helpless and amused, and reluctantly let go of his hand.

"Alright, nothing of the sort, it's all a misunderstanding. Put the person down first. What kind of impression will this make in front of everyone?"

"gentlemen?!"

Wang Ben's brows furrowed deeply, his eyes filled with disapproval.

"I already said it was a misunderstanding, don't you even believe me?"

Zhou Wenqing's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable firmness.

"Let go, put down your weapon, and we'll talk about it when we get back."

Wang Ben stared at him for several breaths, and seeing that there was no sign of reluctance in Zhou Wenqing's eyes, and considering that Fan Kuai was holding onto Liu Bang's legs tightly and wouldn't let go, and that the stalemate was going to have a bad effect if it continued, he had no choice but to give up.

He then let out a cold snort and slowly released his grip.