Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Ying Zheng had seen Zhou Wenqing's series of actions just now.

Other details are currently unknown, but Zhou Aiqing's special fondness for Hu Hai is undeniable.

Otherwise, why would he be unable to hold on by himself and would rather hand it over to the guards beside him than let him stand on his own?

This was clearly out of pity for him, seeing how distressed he had been!

It seems that Hu Hai is destined to stay, and the process is even smoother than that of his elder brother.

As expected of my son, being young has its advantages; he is born clever, cute, and lovable!

It has to be said that this was a huge misunderstanding. Ying Zheng had no idea that Zhou Wenqing did not put the child down simply because he was afraid that Hu Hai would be spoiled and unwilling to stand on his own. What if he then threw himself into the arms of Zhao Gao, that troublemaker?

Are you suggesting we let him steal it again?

He'll have a very hard time coming up with a decent excuse.

Ying Zheng was overjoyed. The most troublesome little devil was dealt with, so what about the other children...?

His gaze shifted to Yin Man, who was clinging to his neck and acting coquettishly in his arms, and then swept over Jiang Lü and Gao, who had greeted him and were now standing quietly by his side.

Don't miss out!

Ying Zheng no longer hesitated. He smiled and gently placed his youngest daughter on the ground, patted her little shoulder to signal her to stand properly, and then reached out and gently pushed the slightly reserved Jiang Lüyu Gao forward, right in front of Zhou Wenqing.

"Go," he said in a low voice, but his tone was quicker and lighter than usual. His gaze swept over the children, giving them clear instructions. "Go forward and greet the teacher properly."

He spoke casually, as if he were just an ordinary father asking his child to pay respects to his elders, but the look in his eyes as he looked at Zhou Wenqing clearly revealed a hidden expectation.

Why bother with further testing? Take a look! All my children are promising talents, each one bright and adorable. Let this appointment be made today!

As the eldest brother, Jiang Lü stepped forward first and bowed deeply to Zhou Wenqing, his voice clear and bright: "Student Zhao Jiang greets Master." His posture already showed the demeanor of his elder brother Fusu.

Zigao followed his elder brother's movements meticulously, pursed his lips, and said in a slightly softer but clear voice, "Zhao Shang greets the master."

Unlike her brothers, Yin Man didn't immediately stand properly. She had just won against Hu Hai and was the first to be picked up by her father. She was feeling quite proud of herself, but before she could even properly show off, she was put down again, which made her a little unhappy.

She pouted slightly, and her bright eyes, which resembled her father's, first darted around Zhou Wenqing's face, sizing him up as if to say: This person doesn't seem to be anything special, so why does Father value him so much?

Seeing his daughter dawdling, Ying Zheng gently pushed her back again.

Yin Man then withdrew her gaze, secretly stuck out her tongue at Ying Zheng, made a small face, and then reluctantly turned around to face Zhou Wenqing, giving a perfunctory curtsy, her voice drawn out: "Zhao Aman... greets you, sir."

The formalities were performed, but the little shrew's slightly raised chin and arrogant eyes clearly said: This princess wants to see what you're capable of!

Hu Hai, who was being held by Li Yi, found the sight amusing. His eyes darted around, and he straightened up in Li Yi's arms, shouting in a clear voice, "Put me down! I want to see the master too!"

Without a second thought, Li Yi placed him steadily on the ground as instructed.

No sooner had Hu Hai's feet touched the ground than he darted over to Zhou Wenqing in a few quick steps. Without bowing or making any gestures of respect, he reached out his chubby little hand, grabbed the cuff of Zhou Wenqing's plain robe, tugged it hard, tilted his head back, his large, dark eyes wide, and asked with an air of self-righteousness:

"What makes you think you can be my husband?!"

"Hu... Zhao Hai!"

Ying Zheng almost laughed in anger.

I thought this kid was the one who was sure to win, and I just told him to be polite. It hasn't been that long, and this little devil can't pretend to be well-behaved for long. Why did he have to choose this moment to make trouble?

Li Yi froze, realizing he had made a mistake in his response!

He glanced at Ying Zheng, then at Zhou Wenqing, and seeing that their attention was entirely on Hu Hai, he immediately held his breath and subtly moved to the side, trying to get closer to Li Si, who was also keeping his eyes down and trying to remain as still as a wooden stake.

It's safest to be a quiet wooden stake. The two "Lis" met each other's eyes and then shrank back imperceptibly.

Zhou Wenqing wasn't angry; instead, he saw it as a good opportunity. Following the tugging of his sleeve, he bent slightly, looking directly into Hu Hai's defiant eyes, and asked, "Then what kind of person do you think is worthy of being your teacher?"

Hu Hai frowned slightly when asked the question, clearly indicating that he hadn't considered it.

He frowned, hesitated for a long time, and finally said stiffly, "I...I don't know...but it's definitely not like you!"

He looked Zhou Wenqing up and down, his words carrying no malice, just a childlike, intuitive judgment: "You're too weak! You couldn't even hold me properly just now!"

As he spoke, he suddenly pointed with his chubby little hand to Zhao Gao, who was standing respectfully with his hands at his sides not far away, and said with a hint of pride, "He used to teach me to read the Qin laws, and he could even let me learn while riding a horse! Can you do that?"

"You brat!" Ying Zheng couldn't take it anymore. He took a step forward, picked up his outspoken youngest son, tucked him under his arm, and smacked him on the buttocks. Not satisfied, he smacked him again.

"Nonsense! Who gave you permission to be so insolent, daring to insult the master? Quickly apologize to him!"

This is outrageous! He was already feeling sorry for Zhou Aiqing, who was just recovering from her illness, and didn't want her to suffer. Yet this brat dared to think he could ride on his teacher's head!

Hu Hai was caught off guard and was beaten. He was stunned at first, then burst into tears, his short legs kicking wildly in the air.

Seeing this, Yin Man quietly shrank back half a step, patted her chest with her small hand, and thankfully, she had only thought about it in her mind and hadn't actually said it.

"Brother Shengzhi, hold your hand." Zhou Wenqing waited a while before stepping forward and raising his hand to block.

"Brother Zicheng, don't stop us! We must teach this arrogant brat a lesson today!" Ying Zheng's anger had not subsided.

"The child is not being rude; he has simply been misled in the past and is unaware of it." Zhou Wenqing's voice was calm, yet it carried a hidden meaning.

Ying Zheng paused as expected, his brows furrowed, and his gaze sharply swept towards Zhao Gao.

Zhao Gao felt a chill run down his spine, his back was covered in cold sweat, and he wished he could kneel down and beg for forgiveness immediately.

But remembering the king's instruction not to reveal his identity, he could only bend his waist even lower, almost at a right angle, standing frozen in place, even his breathing becoming extremely soft.

Having achieved his goal, Zhou Wenqing finally grasped Ying Zheng's arm and said in a calm tone, "Since Brother Shengzhi sent them here, he is entrusting them to Wenqing's instruction. Reasons cannot be understood without explanation. Why don't you let me teach these children? How about it?"

Oh! Minister Zhou wants more!

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng's anger instantly turned to a bright light. He immediately set Hu Hai down and gently pushed him forward, saying, "Alright! Brother Zicheng, please, there's no need to hold back!"

Little Hu Hai was still sobbing intermittently, his buttocks aching, but what bothered him even more was losing face in front of Yin Man.

He raised his teary-eyed face, staring at Zhou Wenqing with a stubborn yet wary look.

Zhou Wenqing squatted down and looked at him, speaking slowly and deliberately: "You just want to ride a horse. If I could let you ride a real horse, would you believe me?"

"You?" Hu Hai covered his bottom, shaking his head vigorously like a rattle-drum, his voice still trembling with tears, "I don't believe it!"

"Alright, then I'll make a deal with you."

Zhou Wenqing spoke clearly, looking directly at the stubborn child with teary eyes: "Ten days. If I succeed, it will prove that you insulted me today and were wrong. Not only must you sincerely apologize to me, but you must also obey my teachings from now on. If you make the same mistake again, you can be punished by me. How about that?"

"You really let me ride a horse? Not the kind where I'm carried or led around?"

Hu Hai forgot to sob, his eyes wide open, but then he pouted, looked at his small arms and legs, and asked a practical question.

"But I... I can't even climb onto the pony without someone to hold me!"

"Someone to watch over you is necessary." Zhou Wenqing nodded, his tone serious and patient. "I can let you ride a gentle pony by yourself and experience the feeling of sitting on horseback for a while. But if you want to really ride a horse freely, you will have to study and practice hard in the future to master the art of horsemanship."

"That's fine too!" Hu Hai's eyes lit up instantly. Forgetting the pain and the tears, he tugged at his sleeve eagerly, "If you can really do that, I will sincerely come to see you, perform the rites of bowing and yielding, and become your disciple. Since you are my teacher, I will accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate for my mistakes!"

Riding a real horse?

Yin Man, who had been eavesdropping the whole time, could no longer contain herself. She immediately abandoned her previous air of being a picky gentleman, jumped to Zhou Wenqing's other side, grabbed his other sleeve, and said repeatedly:

"Me too! I want to ride a horse too! If you let me ride a horse, I'll... I'll become your apprentice, and I'll listen to you!"

The little girl's cheeks flushed slightly with excitement, and her eyes shone with eager anticipation.

Just then, the door to the side room in the distance creaked open.

It turned out that Ah Zhu and Fu Su had heard Hu Hai crying and making a fuss outside, and they were worried, so they rushed out together.

The two had just stepped out the door when they heard Hu Hai's loud declaration of becoming a disciple, followed closely by Yin Man's "following suit."

Fusu stopped abruptly, a look of surprise flashing across his handsome face, followed by an undisguised anxiety in his gentle eyes.

He subconsciously looked at his father, whose usually calm and composed eyes now clearly reflected a hint of grievance, even carrying a silent accusation.

He arrived first and worked so hard, so why do his younger siblings want to claim their titles before him?

Ying Zheng coughed lightly, somewhat guiltily avoiding his gaze.

My son, it's not that your father won't help you, it's just that your luck doesn't seem to be as good as your younger brother's!

Ah Zhu cried out "Oh dear!" without thinking twice. He rushed to Zhou Wenqing, tilting his head back, and said, "Sir! I...I..."

He hesitated for a long time, then hesitated to say it, his face turning bright red.