Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

As soon as Zhou Wenqing finished speaking, two figures lurking nearby flashed to his side.

Before Zhang Han could even fully process the shock, anger, and confusion on his face, a precise and restrained dull pain shot through the back of his neck. The light in his eyes instantly faded, and his body slid limply downwards.

Another bodyguard also made a move at the same time, but he was much gentler on the elderly Zhang Bo, causing him to fall into a deep sleep.

The whole process was so fast that it was dazzling. Two guards, one on each side, steadily supported the unconscious Zhang Han and Zhang Bo, then turned to Zhou Wenqing, bowed slightly, and carried the people into the carriage without saying a word.

As expected of the King of Qin's secret guard, he was so perceptive and efficient in his work, without any hesitation. Zhou Wenqing nodded in satisfaction, as if the order to "abduct people in broad daylight" had not come from him at all, remaining extremely calm.

"Alright," Zhou Wenqing called to Fusu and Azhu, who had been frozen in place for a long time, "The guests have all come up. Fortunately, the carriage is spacious, so let's get in too."

Fusu and Azhu: "...???!!!"

The two children seemed to be frozen in place, their eyes wide open and their mouths slightly agape, looking completely stunned.

What just happened? What did the gentleman do?

The two children seemed to be frozen in shock, completely unable to react. How did things turn out this way?

Weren't we here to teach them about propriety and benevolence? How come, in the blink of an eye, they've had the young man and the old man we just met... knocked unconscious and taken away?!

"Qiaosong? Azhu?" Zhou Wenqing took two steps, realized no one was following, turned around and saw the two stone statues, and couldn't help but smile.

He went back and waved his hand in front of the two children who were staring blankly. "Snap out of it."

After a long while, Fusu's eyes finally moved very slowly and focused on Zhou Wenqing's face.

He opened his mouth, his voice dry, his face full of confusion and disbelief: "S-Sir...what's wrong with you...?"

"Didn't I just tell you that?" Zhou Wenqing waved his hand innocently and calmly. "Don't be too concerned about small formalities. Great courtesy doesn't preclude small concessions. Sometimes, the process may not be smooth, but the result is more important."

His tone was so relaxed, as if he hadn't kidnapped two people, but rather taken away two nimble kittens.

Ah Zhu felt his brain wasn't working properly. Was this how the phrase was used?

The two children exchanged a silent glance, both seeing the same storm-like disarray and confusion in each other's eyes.

...Sir, are you not bound by formalities?

This...this doesn't seem to fall into the category of being careless about details, does it? Or rather, this is illegal—forcibly kidnapping people!

But the trust and respect I had held for him over the long term ultimately overwhelmed my shock and panic.

Well, the gentleman must have had a deeper meaning behind doing this! Yes, definitely!

With this firm belief, the two successfully convinced themselves and followed Zhou Wenqing toward the carriage hand in hand.

Just as he stood still in front of the cart shaft, Zhou Wenqing suddenly exclaimed, slapped his forehead, and said in realization, "I almost forgot!"

This sound instantly put Fusu and Azhu, who were following closely behind, as well as Li Yi, who had just witnessed the entire "invitation" process and whose nerves were still on edge, into a state of high alert.

The three of them almost simultaneously straightened their backs, their sharp eyes scanning their surroundings, as if another Mr. Zhang would need to be "politely" invited into the car at any moment.

Li Yi swiftly stepped forward, blocking Zhou Wenqing's path.

"Young master, what are your orders? Who should we tie up this time?"

His eyes gleamed, and he was ready to strike again, determined to get ahead of his colleagues and redeem himself after falling behind.

Zhou Wenqing was taken aback by his murderous yet misunderstood question, then felt both amused and exasperated, his face full of black lines.

"What do you mean, 'tie who'..." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I meant for you to remember to buy a cow, a healthy, docile one that can produce milk. I was thinking about it yesterday, but I almost forgot."

The slave market, also known as the "horse market," where people and livestock were sold side by side...

This realization caused Zhou Wenqing's eyes to dim almost imperceptibly, and his heart felt as if something had twisted it.

However, this kind of thing doesn't happen overnight, nor can it be resolved in a day. It can't be rushed; we can only... take it one step at a time, and one day...

He forced himself to pull his thoughts away from that suffocating scene, but for now, at least he could do something practical: take care of the "future" of the Great Qin.

Let's take the cow back and see if it can help Ah Zhu grow taller.

There are also Fusu, Yinman, Jianglu, Gao... In short, there are still a lot of children in the family. They are at the age of growing up, so drinking some milk can't hurt.

As for the taste... let's see if we can adjust the seasoning, and we'll get used to it gradually.

Whether it was intentional or because he had finally escaped that oppressive environment, Zhou Wenqing's thoughts had already drifted elsewhere.

Li Yi: "...Huh?"

The tense killing intent dissipated instantly, and a look of confusion flashed across the tall guard's face: "Oh...oh! Cow, a milk cow...I've got it, I'll go in a bit, young master, please get in the carriage first."

As he spoke, he eagerly lifted the carriage curtain, wishing he could immediately stuff his young master into the carriage and urge the horse to leave this place.

Get in the car quickly and let's go!

Li Yi muttered to himself, "This godforsaken place is so murky and unpredictable. Look how it has even influenced our usually upright and principled young master to act so...unconventionally and completely out of line!"

The Qin King's subordinates were quite reliable. Fearing that the two might suddenly wake up, they had already skillfully "dealt with" them. Fortunately, the return journey was smooth and without any trouble.

Fusu and Azhu sat on one side of the carriage, trying to shift their attention away from the two people opposite them who were tightly bound with hemp rope and had been sleeping soundly the whole way. They only looked through the cracks in the carriage window at the gradually familiar rural scenery rushing past outside.

Just as the carriage reached the village entrance, a man suddenly appeared from the roadside ahead. He was dressed in a simple blue robe and was none other than Li Si. He had obviously been waiting there for a long time.

Li Yi quickly reined in his horse and stopped the car.

Inside the carriage, Zhou Wenqing noticed the commotion, lifted the curtain, and immediately saw Li Si standing smiling by the roadside. He asked in surprise, "Brother Gu'an, what brings you here?"

Wasn't he sent by the King of Qin to look after the children? Why is he back so soon? What about Zhao Gao...?

"Brother Zicheng, there's no need to worry. With the guards here, you're perfectly safe." Li Si smiled warmly and spoke as usual. "I deliberately waited here in advance. I'm afraid you won't be able to return to your little courtyard for the time being. Let's find a quiet place to rest for now."

After saying that, he turned his head and gave a wink to the person behind him, signaling him to lead the way. He didn't wait for Zhou Wenqing's response, but took a step forward naturally and reached out to lift the carriage curtain with practiced ease.

"Brother Zicheng, you don't know, just now in the village..."

As he leaned inside, he spoke eagerly, but his smile and unfinished words froze on his lips as if suddenly taken aback.

Li Si stood stiffly at the carriage shaft, half-bent over, unsure whether to advance or retreat. His gaze swept over the bound boy, a look of astonishment flashing in his eyes, before he pointed at the two people who were taking up unusual space.

"Brother Zicheng, you...you're..." His Adam's apple bobbed as he struggled to find the right words, "But...are you short-handed at home? If you need servants, why didn't you say so earlier? I could have found suitable people for you..."

Even if they were truly short-handed, the old man might be somewhat understandable, but this young man's clothes and demeanor... he doesn't look like a servant bought from someone; he clearly looks like... a young master who just ran away from someone's house!

"Oh," Zhou Wenqing said in a flat tone. He even turned slightly to pat the empty space next to him considerately.

"Brother Gu'an, you are overthinking it. This is not a servant, but a guest I invited home. It is inconvenient for us to stand and talk, so please sit here. There is still room for us."

Guest? Please?

Li Si felt a throbbing in his temples. He looked at Zhou Wenqing's nonchalant and composed face, then glanced at the conspicuous hemp rope on the "guest's" body, and for a moment, he didn't know what expression to make.

Unable to sort out his thoughts for a moment, Li Si subconsciously moved his feet and sat down in the space next to Zhou Wenqing where there was still room.

"Brother Gu'an, you just said that you can't enter my courtyard for the time being. What is the reason for that?"

"Ah? Oh! Is that so?" Li Si was still trying to fit the information of "the bound guest" into his understanding of Zhou Wenqing, and instinctively took over the conversation upon hearing this.

"It's nothing major. It's just that the villagers are grateful for the benefits of Brother Zicheng's new plow. They spontaneously gathered some chickens, vegetables, and new millet and blocked your gate to express their gratitude in person. They are very hospitable."

"Tian Dian and several elders were also there. With so many people and so much chatter, they blocked the country road. If we went back now, we probably wouldn't have any peace and quiet. So I took the liberty of leading Brother Zicheng to leave for a while, and we'll talk about it after the village head persuades the villagers to disperse."