Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Seeing this, Wang Ben, who was only a step away from Jiang An, quickly withdrew his toes. As if he had stepped on a hot iron, he suddenly jumped back half a step, afraid that if he was a step too slow, he would be facing the position where Jiang An was bowing and kowtowing.

He had barely regained his footing when his hands, which he had been about to use to help someone up, suddenly shot up, his face filled with shock and innocence. He hurriedly turned to look at Zhou Wenqing at the table, his voice rising slightly involuntarily:

"Uncle Zhou! I didn't lay a hand on him! I really didn't scare him this time!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly realized what he had said and slapped his own mouth with a "smack":

"Pah! No, judging from this, it's clear this has never had anything to do with me. I'm innocent!"

The audience, already bewildered by the series of unexpected twists and turns, were now brought back to their senses by his baffling outburst of protests.

All eyes in the room were fixed on Wang Ben, and every face was filled with the same speechless expression.

Zhou Wenqing was both speechless and amused. He got up, stepped forward, and slapped him on the forehead with his fan in an annoyed manner.

"I know, go away, go away, stay out of the way, what are you doing here trying to steal the show?"

"oh."

Wang Ben rubbed his forehead indifferently, mumbled a reply, and obediently stepped back, squeezing himself between Zhang Han and Meng Yi.

After standing still, he straightened his clothes, raised his chin slightly, and looked calm, as if the person who had just been jumping up and down and crying out for justice had nothing to do with him.

Meng Yi was pushed to the side and glared at him with disgust. Zhang Han couldn't bear to look at him either. His lips twitched, and he silently moved two steps to the side, trying to keep a little distance from Wang Ben.

However, neither of them spoke, after all...

The other person remained kneeling with their head bowed, their back taut like a fully drawn bow, motionless and showing no intention of getting up.

Looks like there's a story to tell.

Zhou Wenqing had already walked to Jiang An's side. He bent down and reached out his hand, intending to help the man up.

Jiang An resisted, taking a half-step back on her knees to avoid the supporting hand.

He looked up at Zhou Wenqing, his eyes full of earnestness, but his knees remained firmly pressed against the cold blue bricks, his lips pressed tightly together, forming a straight line that revealed his stubborn and unyielding determination.

That won't do!

Seeing this, Zhou Wenqing had no choice but to withdraw his hand, a look of helplessness appearing between his brows.

He sighed softly and softened his tone, advising, "Get up first. Whatever it is, let's sit down and talk it over. In any case, we need to figure out what happened, right?"

Seeing that Jiang An remained kneeling on the ground without moving, Zhou Wenqing paused, his eyes darkening slightly, and spoke again, hitting the nail on the head with a more forceful tone:

"And who exactly is this 'elder sister' you mentioned? What is her purpose in ordering you to act this way? Please stand up and tell us in detail."

Upon being asked about her older sister, Jiang An's body trembled violently, her emotions instantly tensing. She blurted out, her voice tinged with urgency, almost as if she were rushing to defend herself:

"No, it was me! It was all my idea. My sister had nothing to do with it. An had no ill intentions; she only asked that you grant her request!"

Zhou Wenqing's gaze was deep and unwavering as he looked silently into the man's eyes. He did not respond to his plea, but instead said in a deep voice:

"Stand up and answer."

His words were firm and unquestionable.

Jiang An felt a chill run down her spine, overwhelmed by this aura. Her body stiffened slightly, but she still felt a bit unwilling. In her hesitation and struggle, she subconsciously turned her gaze to Ba Qing.

Ba Qing met his anxious and helpless gaze, her expression remaining calm. She simply nodded slightly, giving a silent nod.

Seeing this, Jiang An felt a little calmer, and his tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

He lowered his eyes, concealing the anxiety in them, remained silent for a moment to calm his turbulent emotions, and then slowly rose to his feet, supporting himself on his knees.

"Please sit down."

Zhou Wenqing gave the order in a calm voice, glanced at the empty seat below Ba Qing, and then turned around and returned to his seat.

Once everyone was seated and the atmosphere returned to solemnity, he tapped the table with his finger, leaned forward slightly, fixed his gaze on Jiang An, and spoke calmly, getting straight to the point:

"During the debate just now, you answered fluently, forcing Fusu and the others to retreat step by step. However, you later admitted that the drafts were all prepared by someone else. Could it be that the person who wrote them is the elder sister you mentioned?"

Jiang An had just settled down when he heard this, and his back straightened even more. Without the slightest hesitation, he solemnly nodded heavily.

"Exactly."

His voice was clear and resolute, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

Zhou Wenqing noticed this, and not only that, he also noticed that, apart from her eyes, Jiang An seemed to change completely when she talked about her older sister.

The bewilderment and helplessness he felt when he knelt down just now vanished, replaced by confidence and self-assurance. His brows once again displayed the same composure and sharpness as when he was debating, radiating a dazzling and captivating light.

As if fearing that everyone had underestimated his elder sister's intelligence, he raised his eyebrows slightly, his tone carrying an almost instinctive protectiveness, and continued without reservation:

"The entire debate just now, the offensive and defensive maneuvers, the responses to all kinds of questions, all the arguments, every word and sentence, everything I said, all came from my elder sister's hand. I am merely repeating what she said."

"hiss--!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several suppressed low gasps rose from below the hall.

Fusu's eyes widened. Wang Ben, Meng Yi, and Zhang Han exchanged glances, their faces filled with disbelief and horror.

So all that they had just racked their brains and exhausted their words was actually a battle against a manuscript by a woman who had never shown her face.

Moreover… Yao Jia’s gaze sharpened as he keenly caught a detail, his breathing quickened, and he couldn’t help but urgently ask:

"Jiang An, you just said that your elder sister was unaware of everything that happened here?"

"That's right." Jiang An nodded solemnly, a hint of guilt appearing on his face. "My sister was completely kept in the dark about this, and didn't even know where I went today. It was all my own decision yesterday..."

He paused, glanced at Ba Qing, and continued:

"Yesterday, Madam Qing came to visit, looking worried. My elder sister asked her with concern, and she then talked about the current situation of the various magistrates. She was also quite uneasy about whether the people she recommended in her dossier could shoulder this heavy responsibility. So she asked my elder sister to analyze the situation for her, and then asked her the question of 'what is tyranny', inviting her to speak freely - if she were in the debate, how would she lay out her arguments, counter the situation, and ensure victory?"

"Seeing that Madam Qing was anxious and uneasy, the elder sister tried her best to comfort and reassure her. She made an exceptionally detailed deduction, taking into account the offensive and defensive strategies, the response, the angles from which others might raise questions, and the lines of rebuttal. She considered all aspects. When she got excited, she quoted classics and talked eloquently, and the conversation lasted almost all night."

"I stood by at the time, and I tried my best to memorize the whole set of plans and arguments, pondered them repeatedly, and then copied them, picking out the parts from my sister's insights that were suitable for dealing with you all, and repeating them."

"hiss--!"

The sound of gasping for air echoed again.

This time, not only the four younger generation members, but even Zhou Wenqing and Yao Jia couldn't help but gasp and click their tongues in amazement.

Doesn't that mean that in just one night, the woman had thoroughly analyzed this topic and deduced a nearly invincible strategy, and that Jiang An's words that shocked everyone were just the tip of the iceberg?

I'm afraid it's not as good as that.

Yao Jia was shaken to his core, almost unable to imagine what a devastating scene it would be if this woman were to actually step onto the forum and face the Jixia Academy students directly.

and……

He looked at Jiang An with eager eyes.

This kid isn't bad either!

While he may not be a genius of his time, his memory is certainly beyond the reach of ordinary people.