Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Zhou Wenqing speculated that whether it was for the new silk scroll in his study or for his daily routine of visiting him as a patient, the Prince of Qin would definitely come.

He stared intently in the direction of the courtyard gate, his gaze fixed on it.

a long time--

That's strange, why aren't they coming in yet?

He couldn't help but look up again, carefully scanning the eaves, the top of the wall, and even the branches of the old trees outside the courtyard, but he couldn't see even a sparrow!

Unlike the towering buildings of later generations, birds are never a rarity in this rural area. Especially on such a fine day, they should be chirping and chattering in groups of three or five. If someone hadn't disturbed them and left, how could it be so quiet at this moment?

Zhou Wenqing frowned involuntarily.

Could it be that the King of Qin has changed his mind and intends to observe the situation from the shadows?

This shouldn't be... This isn't like that person's usual behavior. But if it's not like that, why hasn't he shown up yet?

Could it be... that I've assumed the nature of the First Emperor?

Or is it that His Majesty the King of Qin has not yet arrived?

But Li Yi, who was just leaning against the courtyard wall with his arms crossed, looking like a "cool guy," has now disappeared without a trace. He must have gone to meet up with his colleagues!

Just as Zhou Wenqing was lost in thought, Li Si on the other side was practically coughing up his tongue!

He had long been itching to engage with the discussion about "filial piety" and "theft," and this debate, which touched upon the very foundations of legal principles, had struck a nerve with him, a Legalist.

Seeing that Zhou Wenqing only answered questions from two students, leaving his great talent aside, he felt as if ants were crawling in his throat, and he had to speak out.

Li Si tried to speak, but since it was the time when Brother Zicheng was instructing his student, it would be impolite to interrupt rashly. He should wait for the host's invitation before speaking.

He wanted to cough lightly to get Zhou Wenqing's attention, and then naturally present his views.

But Zhou Wenqing kept looking at the sky and the ground, ignoring him!

Could it be that after an illness, even his eyesight has deteriorated?

Li Si initially only coughed lightly, feigning a cough: "Cough...cough cough."

Seeing no response, he increased the pressure: "Cough! Cough!"

Later, the fake cough triggered a real itch, and she coughed until her face turned red, her breathing became slightly rapid, and even the corners of her eyes became a little wet.

This commotion even made Fusu and Azhu, who were sitting upright to the side, feel uneasy. The two little ones secretly exchanged glances, hesitating whether they should pour Mr. Li, whose face was red from coughing, a cup of water to soothe his throat.

But when they looked up and saw that their husband Qing still seemed to have not heard them, the two had no choice but to suppress their thoughts and continue to sit upright.

The gentleman has his own reasons for doing things. We are still observing and learning from him, so we should follow his lead closely.

The two little ones were thinking to themselves, but their eyes couldn't help but drift towards Li Si.

Mr. Li... could it be that he offended their master somehow?

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, a hint of sympathy, along with a touch of childlike curiosity, crept into her clear eyes as she quietly glanced back and forth between the stern-faced gentleman and the coughing Mr. Li.

Li Si finally managed to relieve his cough. Looking at Zhou Wenqing, who was frowning, he suspected that Zhou Wenqing was doing it on purpose. He raised his hand and gently patted the table.

The table shook, and a loosely placed earthenware pot fell to the ground, shattering into several pieces. The scattered pine nuts inside bounced high into the air and tumbled to the ground with a crackling sound.

"Snapped!"

"hiss--"

Zhou Wenqing was startled by the sudden commotion. His heart clenched, and his face paled instantly. He instinctively raised his hand to cover his chest and let out a muffled groan.

Li Dun froze on the spot, shocked and surprised. He got up, walked around the low table, and strode towards Zhou Wenqing.

The two children were also startled, but Fusu reacted the fastest. He immediately stood up, supporting Zhou Wenqing's back with one hand and bringing him a cup of warm tea with the other. "Take a break, have some water first."

Zhou Wenqing took a sip of tea from his hand, paused for a few breaths, and then gently waved his hand: "It's nothing, I was just startled. It's nothing serious."

He took the cup himself, took another sip, and his pale face slowly returned to normal.

The old doctor said that he developed a fear of cold after his illness, and now it seems that his physical condition has also declined. Although he had a heart ailment before, he was not so easily agitated.

Zhou Wenqing pondered to himself, this "supervision period" is over, maybe he should dig out the Eight Pieces of Brocade videos from the system and practice them tomorrow?

He put down his cup and caught sight of Ah Zhu glaring angrily at Li Si, looking fierce. He couldn't help but laugh and pulled Ah Zhu back to him by the back of his collar.

"Ah Zhu, what are you doing? This is so rude."

"But, sir..."

Zhou Wenqing raised his hand to interrupt him, but Azhu was still a little unconvinced.

Mingming and her two children, Qiaosong and herself, knew that her husband was in poor health and had never been able to have any major emotional fluctuations, so they always tried their best to take care of him.

Mr. Li is such a grown man, how come he's not even as good as them?!

Moreover, now that the gentleman has been ill, he's also developed a sensitivity to cold, and he looks... well...

Ah Zhu paused for a moment, unsure how to describe it, but it was probably like...

White jade plate!

Yes! Just like the white jade plate described in the book, so beautiful that one cannot bear to touch it.

Both he and his brother Qiaosong know they shouldn't trouble their husband, so why is Mr. Li so disobedient?

Zhou Wenqing gently rubbed Azhu's still somewhat sullen head and said in a gentle voice:

"Alright, Brother Gu'an didn't mean it, it was just an accident. If you get angry with him because of this, then it's your fault."

"Do you remember? You caused trouble before, but as long as it was an accident, I never blamed you. Besides, Brother Gu'an often praises you for being sensible and likes you very much."

Upon hearing this, Ah Zhu hesitated for a moment, remembering that it was Mr. Li who had suggested he become an apprentice, and that Mr. Li had been very kind to him by occasionally giving him guidance in his studies. Ah Zhu immediately felt a little guilty.

He pursed his lips, turned around, and bowed respectfully to Li Si.

"Mr. Li, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have glared at you like that. It was wrong of me, please forgive me."

Li Si quickly reached out to help the child up, feeling even more ashamed: "No, no, no, I acted rashly this time."

After settling Ah Zhu in, he turned to Zhou Wenqing, his expression solemn as he prepared to bow again in apology: "Brother Zicheng, it was my fault, just now..."

"Brother Gu'an," Zhou Wenqing said, raising his hand to stop him before he could bow deeply.

"I've already said it was just an accident. It all comes down to Wenqing's poor health. Why apologize, Brother Gu'an? Besides, everything's fine now. Let's leave it at that."

Seeing that Li Si opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, Zhou Wenqing simply reached out and put his arm around him, trying to lead him toward his rocking chair.

Today's elaborate setup has only barely achieved one objective: to get a clear picture of Fusu's abilities. As for the other eagle, Zhou Wenqing plans to continue shooting.

He couldn't let an accidental broken pottery jar tear the net he had carefully laid out.

Go back and sit down, you're not allowed to leave until we've finished talking!

...Huh, why can't I push it?

Zhou Wenqing paused, a hint of awkward annoyance flashing through his mind.

Li Si, however, understood instantly from his subtle pause and glance. He immediately sat back down in his chair, but couldn't help looking at Zhou Wenqing after sitting down. After a moment's hesitation, he added in a low voice, "Brother Zicheng, the tonic medicine prescribed by the doctor... please be sure to take it on time."

Zhou Wenqing: "..."

I'm so angry!

Zhou Wenqing took a deep breath and silently comforted himself. It wasn't him, Zhou Wenqing, who was weak; it was the original owner's body, a "legacy issue." He would be able to rebuild his physique sooner or later. Only then did he manage to calm himself down.

He looked up at Li Si, his face now showing a warm smile, and smoothly steered the conversation back on track: "Brother Gu'an seemed to have something to say just now. Come, let's continue our chat. The weather is just right today, so let's not let this little incident spoil the mood."

Li Si suddenly remembered that he seemed to have something to say, but what was it? He had been so frightened that he forgot.

Oh!

He carefully examined Zhou Wenqing for a moment, and seeing that the other man's complexion had indeed returned to normal and his breathing had calmed down, he figured that there was nothing seriously wrong. Only then did he feel relieved and resume his conversation.

He turned his gaze to Fusu, his expression becoming serious: "What Qiaosong said just now, though it was with a benevolent heart and his feelings were pitiful, is still a matter of governing the country, especially in the process of legislation and law enforcement. What needs to be weighed is not just the personal feelings of one person or one matter."

This sudden turn of events caused the two children, who had relaxed due to the unexpected turn of events, to straighten their backs again, looking somewhat bewildered.

The school entrance exams have resumed?

They quickly sat back on their low stools, straightened their backs, and prepared to listen attentively.

Just then—

"Brother Zicheng! Are you well?"