Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

The "good fruit" Zhou Wenqing mentioned, without any implied meaning, refers to a good fruit in a physical sense—honey-preserved fruit.

At that time, there were no candied fruits; at most, dried fruits were soaked in honey, which was already very precious and rare.

No more candied fruit to eat!

He was "invited" back to the table and sat down, his gaze fixed on Li Yi with a wistful look.

The sashimi had long been removed, and the table was filled with dishes, which were clearly distinguished by their green and white colors, so plain that they were almost solemn. There was not a single color that could evoke any anticipation for the taste buds.

Unfortunately, the only treat he could have had, the dried fruit, was ruined by his own actions.

Sigh—why is life so difficult!

Zhou Wenqing simply propped his chin up with his hand and glared directly at Li Yi: "Ah Yi, aren't you afraid of making me so angry that my heart condition will relapse?"

Li Yi paused slightly, then slowly and deliberately picked up a piece of green vegetable with his chopsticks and placed it in Zhou Wenqing's bowl, speaking in a calm tone:

"I see that you, young master, are very lively, more energetic than a sparrow on a branch. I, your servant who can't find my master all day, haven't developed a heart ailment, so how could you, young master, have one?"

That's something that's truly impossible to refute.

Zhou Wenqing was speechless. He knew he was in the wrong, but he was also helpless.

Why did Li Yi refuse to budge and insist that he personally go to Xianyang to present the treasure?

As the scab on his wound was almost completely falling off, Li Yi's expression grew more and more anxious each day.

Two days ago, he clearly saw that this man had quietly prepared two horses—clearly, he was well prepared to head to Xianyang.

That won't do!

Although Zhou Wenqing still believes that seeking death is his top priority, there are different ways to die.

He only wanted to save the life of the person he had met for the first time in this strange world, who had taken such good care of him, before he could end his own life easily and painlessly.

As for the horrific tortures of the Qin Dynasty, although they might not necessarily be used on him, he politely declined.

Unfortunately, this person is incredibly stubborn. He was given the chance to save his life, but he stubbornly refused. Is he perhaps a death squad trained by the King of Han?

"Sigh~ Ah Yi, can't you just take the garlic extract to the King of Qin and ask for credit yourself?"

Presenting such a treasure at this moment, especially such a valuable one, would surely earn the King of Qin's life even if it was for the sake of his reputation. Why can't this person understand this?

Li glanced at him and said decisively, "Young master, give up on that idea. Taking credit for someone else's work is a capital offense. Young master, please don't harm me."

"If you don't tell, and I don't tell, how will anyone know who came up with this idea?" Zhou Wenqing persisted. "Besides, you were the one who found those materials; how can that be considered fraudulent?"

"No way," Li shook his head. "At least, that old doctor knows it all too well."

"The old doctor..." Zhou Wenqing turned his head and muttered, "He's so old he can barely walk. His old bones, going to Xianyang to file a complaint? He'd probably fall apart halfway there... He doesn't count, it's fine..."

Before the words were finished, the curtain moved slightly.

Just then, the old doctor happened to walk into the foyer: "..."

Should this old man go in or not?

The old doctor took a deep breath and decided to push the door open and enter.

"Young Master Zhou, it's been a few days. How have you been?"

My luck was really bad today, did you not hear me?

Zhou Wenqing inwardly cried out in alarm, but a beaming smile had already spread across his face:

"Sir, you've arrived! Have you eaten yet? If you don't mind, would you like some food with us?"

"No need," the old doctor waved his hand, his expression unchanged. "I am old and frail, and eating too much may cause indigestion and make it difficult to walk. I am here today to re-examine your injuries, young master. Please sit for a while and then I will leave."

Okay, I heard everything.

The old man looked kind and gentle, but he wasn't very magnanimous.

Zhou Wenqing smiled awkwardly. Seeing the old doctor open his medicine box, he rolled up his sleeves and placed them on the table.

The old doctor concentrated on taking the pulse, then carefully examined the wound on the man's chest before stepping back, cupping his hands in greeting, and saying:

"Young master's injuries are no longer serious. Just wait for the scabs to fall off naturally. It may be a little itchy, which is normal. In the future, as long as you keep a peaceful mind and avoid extreme joy or sorrow, it will not recur."

Zhou Wenqing's eyes lit up: "So... we don't need to deliberately eat a bland diet anymore?"

He asked the doctor a question, but his eyes secretly glanced at Li Yi beside him.

"this……"

The old doctor paused, glancing at Li Yi's calm expression out of the corner of his eye. Seeing that Li Yi did not express any objection, he nodded.

"There's no need to be too reserved; as long as you're healthy, that's all that matters."

"That's great!"

Zhou Wenqing clapped his hands happily, but seeing the old doctor about to pack up his medicine box, he quickly stopped him.

"Wait a minute! Now that the old gentleman is here, let's take a look at him too. He usually likes to eat raw and cold foods, so I wonder if he needs a prescription for deworming and conditioning?"

"Is Guard Li unwell?"

The old doctor seemed somewhat surprised, but still gestured for him to extend his hand.

After taking Li's pulse with three fingers and concentrating for a moment, the old doctor stroked his beard and said, "Guard Li's blood and energy are abundant, his meridians are unobstructed, and there are no signs of parasites. Young master, you can rest assured. Just pay more attention in the future and avoid eating raw or cold foods."

"That's good, thank you for your trouble, sir." Upon hearing this, Zhou Wenqing's face immediately relaxed. Before he finished speaking, he turned to Li Yi and said, "A-Yi, quickly go and see the old gentleman off."

This Mr. Zhou is truly as always "dismissed as soon as the job is done," without even a word of politeness!

The old doctor's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. For once, he didn't dwell on the matter of the elixir. He simply put away his medicine box, gave Zhou Wenqing a slight nod, and then followed Li Yi out of the room.

Reaching a secluded spot in the courtyard, and seeing no one around, the old doctor stopped and looked at Li Yi in a low voice:

"Young Master Zhou's injuries were healed half a month ago, and he is now fully recovered. He can set off to see the King at any time. Guard Li need not be overly cautious and delay his journey."

Upon hearing this, Li Yi gave a wry smile. It wasn't that he didn't want to go back, but that the young master was being uncooperative!

The old doctor only mentioned it once and then said no more. He cupped his hands and said, "Since there is no need for me here, I will take my leave and return to Xianyang to await your arrival, young master."

"Thank you for your trouble, sir."

Li Yi returned the courtesy and watched the slender figure walk further and further away. He thought to himself, "If only the young master could be so quick to leave."

Li Yi sighed again, feeling that he had sighed more in the past few months than he had in all his years as a bodyguard.

"Young master, I have already escorted the old gentleman..."

The words came to an abrupt halt.

The food was still laid out in the front hall as before, but the table was empty.

Li Yi's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately turned to chase after her, but then he heard a rustling sound coming from the kitchen. He turned and pushed the door open.

"Young master, what are you doing here?"

"Hmph~"

Zhou Wenqing circled the earthen stove, curiously inspecting the things in the kitchen, without even lifting his eyelids when he heard this.

"Now that I'm all healed, I want to cook for myself. You can't stop me now, can you?"

"Young Master~" Li Yi said helplessly, "My stopping you has nothing to do with whether your injury has healed or not. With me here, how could I let you cook yourself?"

"It doesn't matter, I'm just idling around anyway."

As Zhou Wenqing spoke, he rolled up his sleeves and casually waved to Li Yi, "It's just the two of us here, so it doesn't matter who cooks. Today, I'll show you my skills. Go outside and wait here; I'm sure you'll be amazed."

Before he finished speaking, he had already scooped water to wash his hands, picked up the wooden ladle by the stove, and looked eager and ready to give it a try. Li Yi had no choice but to leave.

Zhou Wenqing thought to himself that no matter what, he had experienced wilderness exploration and survival in the wild. His cooking skills were not great, but they were not bad either. It wouldn't be difficult to improve his own meals.

Unexpectedly, nearly an hour later, he emerged carrying a pottery urn, looking dusty and dirty.

Li Yi hurriedly stepped forward to take the ceramic pot. He was indeed a little curious. He lifted the lid and looked down—what was inside was the minced meat porridge he had made just two days ago.

He deftly cleared the cold food from the table, rearranged the bowls and chopsticks, served each of them a bowl, and tasted it himself. He found that the taste was almost identical to what he had cooked.

Li Yi couldn't help but look up at Zhou Wenqing.

Zhou Wenqing buried almost her entire face in the bowl, only her slightly reddened ear tips showing, as if she wished she could shrink herself into the bowl of porridge.

Damn it! He's thinking too simply. There isn't even a pot in the kitchen of this era. There are some axes and stone mills, but just starting a fire is a huge struggle for him. There are no seasonings at all, so what's the point of talking about fancy dishes?

Haikou made such a grand boast, and after all this fuss, this is... all it is?

Zhou Wenqing wished he could find a place to crawl into on the spot!

"Cough cough!" Li Yi pursed his lips, suppressing the corners of his mouth that were about to turn up, and tried to comfort him considerately.

"The porridge you cooked, young master... is indeed extraordinary. Look at the meat, cut into such generous chunks, surely so that we can drink it with even greater enjoyment!"

"Hmm~"

Zhou Wenqing's ears turned even redder. What grand and bold stuff? It was clearly because the knife was too dull; he couldn't even cut the meat!