Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Zhou Wenqing's sleepiness vanished instantly, all remaining laziness and drowsiness were swept away. He suddenly sat up straight, his gaze abruptly turning to the king opposite him, startling Ying Zheng.

"Your Majesty!" Zhou Wenqing's voice rose slightly with urgency, "Who did you just say? Who ran away?!"

Wei Liao, that's Wei Liao!

That strategic mastermind, who devised plans within the command tent and won battles a thousand miles away! The very man whom countless strategists of the six fallen states hated with a vengeance, jumping up and down cursing as the "instigator," was, at this time, practically the only strategic military strategist within the Qin state—

He! He actually! Ran away!

Zhou Wenqing felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, and a breath caught in his throat, making it difficult to breathe. He almost suffocated.

"My dear minister, what's wrong?!"

On the other side, Ying Zheng was startled. He saw Zhou Wenqing's face turn deathly pale instantly, and his breathing became rapid. All the anger over Wei Liao's escape and the rage at the provocation of his royal dignity were thrown to the winds at this moment.

Without thinking, almost instinctively, he took out the small porcelain bottle he always carried from his sleeve, poured out a pill, and was about to put it into Zhou Wenqing's mouth.

"No... Your Majesty, I'm fine!" Zhou Wenqing gasped for breath, raising his hand to block Ying Zheng's hand offering the medicine, but his eyes remained fixed on Ying Zheng, unblinking.

"Your Majesty...you still haven't answered me. Who exactly escaped?"

Ying Zheng was somewhat bewildered by his unusually strong reaction. His hand holding the pill hovered in mid-air. Looking at Zhou Wenqing's eyes, which were fixed on him, he hesitated for a moment before repeating, "It is... Wei Liao."

He paused, carefully observing Zhou Wenqing's expression, and tentatively asked uncertainly, "My dear minister...do you have an old grudge against this person?"

It's certainly infuriating that Wei Liao escaped, but Zhou Aiqing's appearance... it's as if he's heard news of a catastrophic disaster. Could it be that there's some deep-seated hatred between Wei Liao and Aiqing?

Once this thought crossed Ying Zheng's mind, he immediately felt that things were getting a bit tricky.

Wei Liao is indeed arrogant and conceited, and has repeatedly disappointed me. He has ignored my respect for talent and my generous treatment of him, and has tried to escape many times. This time, he actually succeeded!

Whenever he thought of this, a chilling anger would rise in Ying Zheng's chest—this was not only a loss of talent, but also a blatant disrespect for his authority as a monarch.

But... this person is indeed very talented!

Ying Zheng was not intolerant of people, especially those with truly extraordinary abilities. Wei Liao's insight into the general trend of the world and his understanding of military and political strategies often gave people a sense of clarity. Such a talent, even if unruly, was worth the effort to win over and win over.

But... if Zhou Aiqing truly has an irreconcilable personal grudge against this person...

Ying Zheng frowned, sensing that this matter was going to be difficult.

Unexpectedly, after confirming that the person who had escaped was indeed Wei Liao, Zhou Aiqing grabbed his wrist.

"Your Majesty, this man is a pillar of Qin's unification of the country, his fate is of paramount importance. I implore you to pursue him immediately and bring him back, lest he escape!"

So there was no grudge after all. Ying Zheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He gently patted Zhou Wenqing's hand to reassure him, saying:

"Minister Zhou, there's no need to be so anxious. I almost aggravated my discomfort again just now. Right now, it's more important to escort you safely back to Xianyang. I'm aware of this matter, and I'll issue an order to have someone investigate later."

Further investigation later?

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wenqing not only did not relax, but his anxiety burned even more intensely!

How could he not be anxious? He was practically jumping up and down with anxiety!

In a flash, the fragments of history about Wei Liao in his mind suddenly pieced together. Although Wei Liao's escape was indeed true, winter had not yet arrived, and it shouldn't be so early!

Historically, Wei Liao was an expert in physiognomy. When he first met the King of Qin, he noticed that the King had "a bee-like nose, long eyes, a bird-like chest, and a jackal-like voice," and concluded that the King of Qin was mean-spirited and had the heart of a tiger and wolf.

However, in order to recruit this talented man, King Ying Zheng of Qin was unusually humble and respectful. Because Wei Liao was a commoner, the king wore coarse clothes and ate simple meals with him. Every time he summoned him, he would even personally greet him outside the palace gate. His imperial majesty and arrogance were completely suppressed.

But it was precisely this "excessive" and illogical treatment that, in that era of strict hierarchy, terrified the perceptive and suspicious Wei Liao!

He believed that the King of Qin's condescension must be a sign of treacherous intentions, and that his ambitions were far greater and his methods unfathomable. He was not the type of wise ruler, so he decisively slipped away!

Historically, Wei Liao failed to escape from the Qin state and was quickly brought back. Ying Zheng, on the other hand, demonstrated the magnanimity of a great ruler, not only forgiving him for his past actions but also treating him with even greater courtesy.

After careful consideration, Wei Liao compared the King of Qin's consistent sincerity before and after his escape, and was finally moved by him. He then devoted himself to serving him and presented him with the general outline of the strategy to conquer the six states.

But what about now?!

Zhou Wenqing was so anxious that his palms were sweating.

The King of Qin, Ying Zheng, has been spending most of his energy in the countryside lately, battling with Zhou Wenqing in acting, developing artifacts, and dealing with the challenges of cooking and raising children. He doesn't have much time to put on a show of "three visits to the thatched cottage" and "offering food and clothing" to Wei Liao.

Perhaps it was this unintentional neglect that made Wei Liao, who already had doubts, even more convinced of his judgment that "this place is not a place to stay for long," which prompted him to implement his escape plan ahead of schedule!

In this situation, even if the person can be brought back, will the emotion and admiration that might have been generated by the "ultimate courtesy" and "consistency" still occur as expected?

Did Wei Liao think that the King of Qin's courteous treatment of scholars was not genuine, or that he had shifted his focus?

What if... what if the arrival of this butterfly disrupted the original trajectory, causing Ying Zheng to miss the crucial window of opportunity to win over Wei Liao with the utmost sincerity, causing this strategic master, who is rare in the world, to give up completely and decide to flee into the world, or even... turn around and join the arms of any of the six states in Shandong?

The damage that would cause to the future of the Qin Dynasty is simply immeasurable!

Zhou Wenqing did not believe that he, a modern person from a peaceful era, could replace Wei Liao's strategic vision and military tactics through systematic, cramming-style knowledge indoctrination.

This is a gap between the times and talent, which cannot be easily bridged by human effort.

Can't wait any longer!

Thinking of this, Zhou Wenqing was extremely anxious and could no longer sit still. Right there in the moving carriage, under Ying Zheng's slightly surprised gaze, Zhou Wenqing suddenly lifted his clothes and knelt down on one knee.

"Your Majesty! The situation is urgent, and I implore you to dispatch your most capable men immediately, day and night, to bring back Wei Liao! Not a moment can be wasted!"

"My dear minister, please rise!" Ying Zheng quickly helped him up, his brows furrowed, his tone still hesitant. "I understand you value this person, but we are still en route, and my men..."

Oh no! Zhou Wenqing gritted his teeth, only then realizing that they were on their way back to Xianyang, not in the Xianyang Palace!

Although the King of Qin was accompanied by guards on this trip, his elite forces, intelligence network, and trusted ministers who could truly represent the King of Qin's will and had enough weight and wisdom to handle such important matters were either left in Xianyang or, like Li Si, left to handle miscellaneous tasks in the back!

In this hasty situation, the number of people that can be sent out is probably limited. If the pursuit is not carried out effectively or the methods are inappropriate, it may backfire and push Wei Liao away completely!

The thought that Wei Liao might have completely lost his way due to improper pursuit, or that he might have actually escaped because of insufficient manpower and inefficiency on this side, made Zhou Wenqing feel a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

At this moment, his gaze swept over Ying Zheng, and an even bolder and more transgressive idea emerged like a desperate gamble.

The king is dressed in simple clothes right now, which is perfect for him!

Instead of accepting Ying Zheng's help to get up, he knelt down and grabbed Ying Zheng's arm with both hands.

"Your Majesty! I...I humbly request that Your Majesty personally go and pursue them!"

Zhou Wenqing didn't have time to pay attention to the King of Qin's reaction and spoke very quickly.

"Your Majesty, Wei Liao is not a man to be judged by ordinary standards. What he fears may not be the pursuers, but rather his suspicion. His escape may be because he is not entirely convinced of Your Majesty's sincerity in seeking talent. If you only send subordinates and soldiers to pursue him, it will be tantamount to arresting him, which will only increase his suspicion and fear. Even if you bring him back, his heart will not be loyal!"

He took a breath, his gaze fixed intently on Ying Zheng: "Only with Your Majesty's personal presence can you have enough manpower to lay a tight net, ensuring he cannot escape. More importantly, only with Your Majesty's personal presence, to address his doubts face-to-face, to make promises personally, to forgive past grievances, and to repeatedly invite him with the respect due to a national hero, can you possibly break down his defenses and let him see Your Majesty's magnanimous heart and determination to conquer the six kingdoms. Such sincerity is irreplaceable!"

"But my dear minister..." Ying Zheng finally found an opening to interject, his expression conflicted.

To make him abandon Zhou Wenqing and turn around to chase after someone? This...

"Wenqing may also come!"

Zhou Wenqing, however, couldn't wait for him to finish weighing the options and decisively rejected all possible concerns.

He didn't even bother to maintain the shaky etiquette between the monarch and his subject. Before Ying Zheng could respond, he suddenly turned around and forcefully lifted the heavy carriage curtain with a "whoosh"!

The biting air instantly filled the warm carriage, along with the astonished gazes of the guards outside. Zhou Wenqing leaned half his body out and shouted loudly at the back of the driver in front of him:

"Stop the car! Stop the car immediately!"

"My dear minister, be careful!" Ying Zheng was startled by Zhou Wenqing's reckless behavior. He grabbed Zhou Wenqing's shoulders and back, pulling him back forcefully, fearing that the overly excited man would actually fall off the carriage. At the same time, he shouted angrily in a deep voice:

"Are you deaf?! Stop the car right now!"

Fortunately, the carriage was not moving very fast to begin with. Under the king's intimidation and the coachman's frantic pulling, the horse neighed and reared up, the carriage swayed and came to a screeching stop.

Before the carriage had come to a complete stop, Zhou Wenqing had already broken free from Ying Zheng's hand and jumped off the luxurious carriage, which was too spacious and heavy for the sake of comfort and seriously affected its speed.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, he turned around abruptly, looked up at Ying Zheng who was still inside the carriage, and spoke even faster:

"Your Majesty! News has just arrived. Wei Liao must have left recently and hasn't gone far. This carriage is too slow; it will only delay our mission! Let's spur our horses and give chase. They'll be as swift as the wind, and we might be able to intercept him in no time!"

At this moment, Zhou Wenqing touched his still slightly aching waist, but a strange sense of relief suddenly rose in his heart.

Thanks to that "first riding experience" the day before yesterday that made him question his existence, although the price was high, it at least proved that his equestrian skills, which were an "additional skill," were more than enough in a critical moment.

It hurts, but that's because my body can't keep up. My technique, however, is absolutely superb!