Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Hu Hai raised his little hand even higher, his eyes still showing lingering fear, yet he tried his best to project an image of taking responsibility for his actions.

"Mr. Zhou... Zhao Hai knows he was wrong! Hai'er shouldn't have been rude to you, shouldn't have spoken so arrogantly, shouldn't have... shouldn't have acted coy after losing the bet, and even more so, shouldn't have cried and made a scene, falsely accusing his sister... Please... punish Hai'er severely, Hai'er promises he will never dare to do it again, and will definitely listen to you!"

This apology was hesitant and stumbling, but surprisingly, it listed all the bad things he had done before, showing that he had racked his brains and seriously reflected on his mistakes.

Looking at the little boy in front of him who had finally given in and had a tragic expression of a warrior cutting off his own arm, and thinking back to the farce of looking for the "ruler" just now, Zhou Wenqing was really at a loss for words.

He reached out and took the golden silk whip from Hu Hai's slightly trembling little hand.

The whip was lighter than he had imagined. The silk threads wrapped around the handle were fine. He twirled the whip with his fingertips and could feel the tough veins of the gold threads beneath the soft surface.

He had indeed thought before that "this little devil deserves a good beating," but now that he was actually at this point, especially holding this seemingly beautiful but actually fierce thing, Zhou Wenqing felt a little apprehensive.

He wasn't a martial artist, and he'd never used a whip before. This thing was light and rather long, making it difficult to control the force and landing point when whipping it. If he accidentally struck too hard or missed, well…

Let's just say this kid is unlucky.

He raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Hu Hai's forced, death-defying demeanor.

Whether it's Qin Er Shi or the Demon Child, they are both young children who need discipline and guidance. They must be disciplined to teach them a lesson and instill a sense of awe, but not to vent anger or create fear.

"It's good that you know you're wrong and can correct it." Zhou Wenqing's voice calmed down.

"However, since I said I would do whatever I wanted, I cannot avoid this punishment. Your situation is different from your brother's, and I think you understand that. I hope you will remember these three blows today and be more measured in your words and actions in the future."

He specifically pointed out three times, which is both a fixed number and gives the child a clear expectation, so as not to be overly afraid of the unknown.

Hu Hai nodded vigorously, his little face tense.

Zhou Wenqing gently weighed the whip in his hand to test its feel, then looked up, his gaze passing over Hu Hai's fluffy head and subtly sweeping towards Ying Zheng, who was watching quietly to the side.

"I'm not good at using this," he said, both to Hu Hai and as a subtle way of informing him in advance.

"So I'll only use three strokes; I'll save my strength."

—So Your Majesty, have you heard me clearly? It was not my intention. Your son chose this rather unsuitable tool himself. My whip skills are not proficient, and my strength may be biased. I hope you will understand.

Unexpectedly, Ying Zheng spoke almost without hesitation: "Brother Zicheng, there's no need to worry. Once the rules are established, they should be followed. There's no need to hold back. This kid is very resilient and can handle it."

"Father... Father!"

Upon hearing his father's words, Hu Hai's already tense heart leaped into his throat. He was so anxious that he almost jumped up and down, but he dared not move. He could only let out a frustrated sigh.

"alright."

Zhou Wenqing felt reassured and turned his gaze back to the small figure in front of him.

"Turn around and stand still."

Hu Hai gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and ultimately remained silent. He clenched his small fists, made a great decision, and then turned around and stood up straight, his small body taut, with a tragic air of "a brave warrior going to his death."

Without further hesitation, Zhou Wenqing slightly lowered his wrist and then deftly flicked it.

"Whoosh—smack!"

A short, crisp sound, not too strong, but not too weak either—just the right amount to leave a deep impression on a pampered child without actually causing harm.

"Hmm!"

Hu Hai shuddered, both shocked and in pain. His little hand instinctively reached to cover his bottom, and tears welled up in his eyes.

It hurts so much, it hurts so much, waaaaah~ This is completely different from the heroic scene of gritting his teeth and enduring it that he had imagined!

"Put your hands down." Zhou Wenqing's voice rang out promptly, calm and composed. "This is the first slap for showing that as a man, you only know how to cry, make a scene, and act like a spoiled brat when things go wrong, showing no sense of responsibility whatsoever."

Hu Hai sniffed, grinned, and almost burst into tears again.

He regretted it, he really regretted it. If he had known he was so much worse than his brother, he would have preferred to keep clinging to his father's leg and crying!

But the burning pain on his buttocks still vividly reminded him—he had already endured the first blow, and if he gave up halfway, wouldn't all the pain have been for nothing? He would be making a huge mistake!

He could only suppress his tears, and with great difficulty and reluctance, he moved his small hands away and put them back on his sides, his fingertips gripping the seam of his pants tightly.

"...Yes, I know I was wrong." His voice was trembling with sobs. "Please, please continue, sir..."

Once Zhou Wenqing had calmed his breathing and regained his balance, he raised his wrist again, this time with a more decisive movement than before.

"Snapped!"

The second lash fell, its sound crisp and clear as ever.

Hu Hai's body trembled again, his eyes reddened even more, and the tip of his nose turned red. He almost wanted to lift his foot and run away without a care in the world—this man's hand was too steady! He hit him without warning!

"The second slap is for your disrespect towards your teachers, your arrogant words, and your breach of trust."

Zhou Wenqing's speech quickened, leaving him no time to catch his breath, and the third lash followed immediately.

"Snapped!"

"The third time, you didn't reflect on your own mistakes after being hit, but instead blamed your sister, showing no love whatsoever."

After the three strikes, the crisp crack of the whip still echoed faintly in the courtyard.

ended.

Not only did Hu Hai quietly and deeply breathe a sigh of relief, but Zhou Wenqing also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, he struck quickly and used the whip reasonably well, not giving this little rascal a chance to back out halfway and roll on the ground. Otherwise, if he had really let him run, would he have been caught or not?

Zhou Wenqing lowered his hand, his voice softening slightly: "The punishment is over, and the physical pain will fade, but I hope you remember why you were struck three times today. In the future, take this as a warning and behave yourself well."

He paused, looking at Hu Hai's still slightly trembling back, and said in a gentler tone, "Turn around."

Hu Hai turned around stiffly, little by little, his small shoulders trembling, his hand still half-covering his bottom, his eyes and nose red, looking quite pitiful and disheveled.

This is nothing like what he imagined! Not heroic at all! It hurts so much! So embarrassing! Waaah…

He was seething with resentment, almost breaking down again, but just as he turned around, he caught a glimpse of Yin Man not far away—

His dear older sister was trying hard to purse her lips, but her big eyes curved into sly crescents, sparkling with undisguised, bright interest, clearly treating him as a very interesting show.

Even when she saw that he seemed to be about to finish, she wrinkled her nose and pouted with some regret, as if to say: Is that all?

Hu Hai: "..."

Suddenly, a stubborn spirit arose from nowhere and shot straight to the top of his head!

I've already taken the beating, I've already felt the pain, all that's left is this final "shudder," if Yin Man sees this and makes an even bigger fool of me, then all my efforts will be wasted, and all the pain will have been for nothing!

He sniffed hard, forcefully suppressing the last gushes of tears, his face flushed red. He lowered his hand from his bottom, straightened his back, and walked up to Zhou Wenqing.

This time, without hesitation or coyness, he stood upright, raised his hands, crossed them properly, and then bowed deeply, performing a standard bow. The movement even seemed somewhat deliberate and forceful because it was so standard.

"Student Zhao Hai thanks you for your teachings, sir."

Zhou Wenqing nodded slightly in acceptance of the bow, but did not immediately ask him to rise. Instead, he said gently, "To know one's mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue. I hope you will remember this in the future. A man should stand in the world with integrity as his foundation, responsibility as his backbone, and friendship as his heart. These three blows today are both punishment and expectation."

He raised his hand and gently placed it on Hu Hai's still somewhat immature shoulder, pressing it lightly.

Get up.

Hu Hai straightened up, raised his eyes, and in those still red eyes, the grievances had not yet dissipated, but there was a hint of innocent seriousness that had been forcibly instilled in him, as well as a sense of relief.

He knows pain, he knows fear, and he knows he must show reverence in front of his teachers and elders. That's good, Zhou Wenqing thought with great satisfaction.

"Hmph!" Hu Hai encouraged himself inwardly, and secretly and quickly glanced at Yin Man beside him.

At least... he didn't cry at the last minute, nor did he run away, and he even performed such a standard bow. This round... could he at least salvage a little bit of face? He tried hard to find a "you're pretty good" look on his older sister's face.

However, before he could even feel a little smug, a golden light suddenly flashed before his eyes.

Zhou Wenqing had already handed the golden silk whip to him.

"Since you borrowed this whip from your elder sister to receive your punishment," Zhou Wenqing placed the soft whip into Hu Hai's hand, "you should keep it safe yourself. From now on, it will be your personal warning. Of course, don't forget to find a better one another day and return it to your elder sister."

Yin Man's face, which had been somewhat flat after the excitement ended, lit up instantly upon hearing these words, and the corners of her lips couldn't help but curl upwards.

Hu Hai: "..."