Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Fusu bit his lip nervously, listening to Yao Jia's self-reproachful voice grow heavier and heavier, and the consequences being pushed further and further away. The posture of having his little head held high and pretending to study the roof beams unconsciously dissipated. He slowly lowered his head, his back slightly straightened, and a wave of sourness and regret washed over him.

As for his envoy, at least in name, he should be the chief envoy on this mission. Since he was determined to take on this heavy responsibility, how could he let Yao Jia take all the blame?

Moreover, the palace banquet today was marred by several unexpected events. If Yao Jia had not made advance plans and provided guidance at every step, he would have inevitably made a fool of himself and become a laughing stock.

He should be held accountable and apologize.

Fusu's fingertips curled slightly, his palms gripped the hem of his sleeve tightly, and his lips were pressed into a taut straight line.

We must devise a remedy...

His mind raced, and he racked his brains, but his experience was limited and he lacked practical skills. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find a single feasible solution.

Overwhelmed by guilt and helplessness, the boy's shoulders slumped slightly, his back bent gently, and he exuded a sense of dejection and dejection.

It looked listless, like a deflated balloon.

This is so difficult, sir. I don't think I can solve this problem.

Fusu secretly and cautiously turned around slightly, glancing at the two people in the center of the room, his eyes unconsciously revealing a hint of anticipation.

In his mind, the gentleman was always a master strategist, as if nothing in the world could stump him.

So... it'll be the same this time, right?

Meanwhile, Zhou Wenqing hadn't expected things to unfold this way either.

He looked somewhat bewildered at Yao Jia, who was clutching his sleeve. Yao Jia was speaking rapidly, his face serious, and he was rattling off a string of words, leaving him no room to maneuver.

Yao Jia's brows furrowed tightly, his expression tense, as he rapidly deduced countermeasures.

"On my way here in the carriage, I was thinking that since our Great Qin is full of talented people, perhaps we could send a fast message to Xianyang and summon the country's scholars skilled in debate and argumentation to come to our aid overnight!"

He paused immediately after speaking, quickly calculating the time in his mind, and shook his head vehemently in denial.

"No, they probably won't be able to get here within three days unless we can delay the Jiwen Conference any further, but... forget it, that would be even more difficult."

Zhou Wenqing seized the fleeting pause, quickly took a breath, parted his lips slightly, and managed to squeeze out half a sentence: "Actually..."

"There's another plan!"

Yao Jia's thoughts raced, and he abruptly cut him off, his eyes suddenly lighting up as he hastily threw out a new plan.

"Zicheng, you have many secret guards at your disposal. Ask them if they can mobilize their agents in Linzi, and search the entire city for eloquent and literate individuals to recruit them with generous rewards!"

Finally hearing the other person mention him, Zhou Wenqing quickly leaned forward half an inch, raising his hand as if to preemptively reveal his plan: "I..."

"You're right!" Yao Jia grabbed Zhou Wenqing's forearm with his other hand, shaking his head in denial, his voice growing increasingly anxious.

"Those sought out hastily are of unknown background, and hiring them at high prices makes it even more difficult to guarantee their loyalty. If their character is unstable, their words are inappropriate, and they are questioned on the spot or even turned to side with others, it would be tantamount to digging their own grave!"

"No, I haven't said anything yet," Zhou Wenqing squinted.

Completely oblivious to his helplessness, Yao Jia gripped Zhou Wenqing's sleeve even tighter, gritted his teeth, and resolutely said, "If all else fails, I'll simply ascend the altar myself!"

"From this moment forward, I will stay indoors, working tirelessly day and night, meticulously studying the interpretations of the various schools of thought. After all, I am a man of letters, and although I am not skilled in philosophical debate, at least... at least I am eloquent. When it comes to impromptu verbal exchanges and witty rebuttals, I am certainly not inferior to others!"

He spoke rapidly, having already quickly finalized a temporary plan. He immediately turned to carefully arrange the division of labor, his tone hurried yet earnest:

"And you, Zicheng! Time is of the essence, and there's no room for delay. We need to find out immediately which school of thought Master Meng will send to the Jixia Forum in three days, and what kind of arguments and challenges he usually employs!"

"I know you're not good at interpreting classics or debating texts, but that's alright! I'll organize it overnight, and you can memorize it. When the time comes, I'll take the lead, and you can support me from the sidelines, fill in my gaps, and stabilize my position. Then..."

"You'll be exhausted from posting on the forum!"

Zhou Wenqing finally couldn't take it anymore, forcefully shook off his hand, and spoke irritably.

"Look at what you're saying! In the whole world, who can, in just three days, hastily annotate and master the classics of all schools of thought, surpassing the brilliant scholars of Jixia Academy who have immersed themselves in classical studies day and night for years?"

He took a half step back, straightened his sleeves, and looked up at Yao Jia:

"Even with a photographic memory, the classics of the ancient philosophers are as vast as the ocean. Even if one worked tirelessly for three days and three nights, who could possibly read them all?"

"Even if we take a step back and assume you manage to read it all and barely remember it, if these students from Jixia Academy are so easily refuted and rendered speechless, then what was the point of me traveling all the way to Linzi to observe and learn at Jixia Academy? Wasn't it enough to just stir up dust and dirt?"

Zhou Wenqing narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze scrutinizing Yao Jia, who had remained silent since being shaken off:

"You're rambling on and on, spouting a bunch of nonsensical and off-the-cuff ideas. Could it be... that you're deliberately trying to dodge my thoughts and annoy me?"

"Well……"

Yao Jia choked up, and his eyes began to wander again.

Seriously? He's been putting in so much effort, his lips are practically dry, and Zicheng's emotions haven't been interrupted yet?

They actually still remember wanting to settle scores with him later.

What a miserable life!

"Sir, sir, please don't be angry."

Fusu, who had been quietly observing the situation, quickly stepped forward and stood between the two, his voice tinged with anxiety.

"Sir, it was just a momentary oversight on Yao Keqing's part. He was trying his best to make up for the mistake and preserve the dignity of the Qin Dynasty. He did not mean to deceive you. If you want to blame someone, blame me."

Fusu closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and continued:

"I have only known you for a short time and do not know your strengths and weaknesses very well. However, as your disciple, I have been taught by you every day and should know your abilities best. Yet I failed to remind you in advance, and as the chief envoy, I did not notice anything amiss at all when the incident occurred. It was my dereliction of duty."

"Sir, I..."

Fusu lowered his head, his fingertips gripping the edge of his robe tightly, unconsciously rubbing and crumpling the brocade repeatedly, looking extremely annoyed.

Zhou Wenqing looked down at the fluffy, listless little head in front of him, then glanced at Yao Jia, whose eyes were darting around and whose face was contorted with misery, and suddenly chuckled softly:

"When did I get angry?"

Fusu, Yao Jia, Li Yi, and even the ears pressed tightly against the inner door all froze involuntarily.

Yao Jia's lips twitched slightly, his heart filled with a frenzied uproar:

The oppressive atmosphere and the cold air just now almost froze my soul. How can you say I wasn't angry?!

Everyone in the room had the same thought in their minds:

How angry were you?