Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Zhou Wenqing sat in the specially bestowed palanquin, passing through the main roads and alleys of the palace.

The cold morning wind swept over him without any obstruction, carrying the solemn atmosphere unique to the palace walls, completely dispelling the last trace of sleepiness and clearing his mind.

The side hall was not far away, and they arrived in the blink of an eye. The eunuch respectfully led him inside. As soon as he entered, his gaze was drawn to something particularly conspicuous in the hall, and a complex expression of not knowing whether to laugh or cry appeared on his face.

There was a rocking chair there.

A rocking chair made of bamboo that he was familiar with, exuding a rustic and leisurely charm... a rocking chair that was both similar to and completely different from his.

The chair in front of us is made entirely of heavy, dark driftwood. The wood is oily and has a dark luster. The backrest and armrests are carved with simple yet rustic cloud and thunder patterns, with smooth lines that are powerful.

The chair was covered with a thick, soft fur cushion, and the edges were trimmed with dark gold brocade. The whole chair looked... solemn, grand, and even carried a hint of unassailable majesty.

A rocking chair! It's amazing that it can be made to look so dignified.

Zhou Wenqing could almost imagine how the craftsmen who were ordered to create this thing scratched their heads in frustration at this new contraption, and in the end, they managed to twist "leisurely" into "majestic".

This skill is truly admirable.

For a moment, he didn't know whether to admire the king for keeping his promise or to be annoyed that the king was teasing him like this again.

However, despite his admiration and感慨 (feelings of deep emotion), Zhou Wenqing ultimately had no intention of sitting down.

For his first grand court audience today, he specially changed into a well-tailored, exquisitely made blue robe with wide sleeves that flowed down, creating a graceful and dignified presence.

If you sit on this fur cushion for a while, you will inevitably leave wrinkles when you get up, which would be contrary to the solemn effect you want.

Without stopping, he stepped over the threshold and saw a short figure dressed in a similarly formal small-sized deep robe quickly approaching him from the shadows on one side of the hall.

"Sir, you've arrived." The voice was clear and concerned. "You had a long journey into the city yesterday; I wonder if you've rested well?"

As the figure drew closer, Zhou Wenqing finally recognized who it was and was slightly taken aback, asking in surprise, "Fusu? What are you doing here?"

The young Fusu stood before him, his posture upright, and replied, "Sir, it was my father who instructed me to wait here for you, so... I waited here in advance."

Wait in advance?

Zhou Wenqing subconsciously turned his head and glanced at the high window of the side hall. Outside the window, the sky was still a deep, gloomy blue, with only a very faint line of dawn breaking in the east. It was clear that there was still some time before true dawn.

He looked again at the boy in front of him, who was obviously also up early, dressed neatly, with bright eyes and no signs of sleepiness. He guessed that the boy had probably been woken up early... and couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.

Sigh! Looks like the cow in the yard needs to get to work soon. I need to find some goat milk and honey to flavor it. Everyone needs to drink it and get some calcium!

The king is a strict father and doesn't care about her. He cares, but how old is she? She's far from being old enough to participate in court affairs and politics. Even if she came, she wouldn't be able to do anything!

As it turned out, his father pulled him out of his warm bed before dawn and placed him in this empty side hall to wait for him... This attention really touched Zhou Wenqing, but also made him feel a little ridiculous.

What if he doesn't grow to even half the height of his father?! He can't bear that responsibility!

His mind raced, but his face remained impassive as he nodded gently to Fusu: "I see, Your Majesty is very thoughtful."

He paused, then couldn't help but whisper a word of advice, "It's still early, and it's not even dawn yet. If you feel sleepy, don't force yourself. Go lean back on that chair for a while and close your eyes to rest. You'll need to expend a lot of energy for the formal summons later."

Upon hearing this, Fusu straightened his small frame, shook his head, and said earnestly, "This disciple is not sleepy. Are you tired, Master? This disciple will help you lie down over there for a while."

He was referring to the incredibly comfortable-looking driftwood rocking chair.

"Don't worry, your teacher isn't at the age where I can't walk and need your help yet." Zhou Wenqing was amused by his considerate little adult-like appearance and gently patted the top of his head.

"Alright, stop worrying about me. Your father specifically asked you to wait here. He probably has plans for you at the court later. He might summon you. While you still have some free time, you should rest and recuperate so you'll be ready to face the situation when you arrive at the palace."

As he spoke, Zhou Wenqing took the lead in action. He glanced at the neatly laid-out cushioned seat with heels in the center of the side hall and chose to ignore it without hesitation.

The standard kneeling posture was still torture for him; he couldn't get used to it, and his legs would go numb and his feet would ache after a while.

Zhou Wenqing walked straight to the set of tables and chairs in the corner that were clearly different in style, sat down calmly, and sat upright.

Seeing this, Fusu immediately followed, also ignoring the formal seating arrangement. He moved a slightly shorter round stool from the side, obediently placed it next to Zhou Wenqing's chair, sat down properly, and then began to arrange the tea set on the table in a serious manner.

As Zhou Wenqing watched his series of seemingly random "violations," his eyebrows involuntarily rose slightly.

He took the warm teacup, secretly pleased, but couldn't resist probing in a low voice, "Fusu, although this isn't the main hall, it's still close to the court assembly area, with many eyes and ears. Don't you feel that your unconventional seating arrangement... is slightly lacking in etiquette?"

Fusu gently placed the teapot back in its place, raised her clear eyes to look at Zhou Wenqing, and a clean smile appeared on her lips.

"Sir, are you testing our couplet writing skills?"

"I have taught my disciples that the essence of etiquette lies in sincerity and respect in the heart, and that its outward expression should be appropriate rather than rigid. I have left it to the disciples to grasp the proper measure themselves."

"In my opinion, while waiting for a summons in this side hall, with no foreign officials present, as long as one remains respectful and dignified, there is no need to deliberately make things difficult for oneself by kneeling. Besides..."

He paused, then added somewhat embarrassedly in a low voice, "This stool is indeed more comfortable to sit on, and it also allows me to concentrate better on waiting for my father and teacher's summons."

"Good, good boy, well said." Zhou Wenqing nodded with satisfaction. It seemed that the eldest son, who had been so insistent on making his junior brother kneel and read books just two days ago, had completely changed.

Without saying another word, Zhou Wenqing peacefully enjoyed the tea served by his disciple. The side hall was quiet for a moment, with only the faint sound of the water clock ticking in the distance, a symbol of the time.

Before long, the sound of footsteps came through the palace gates—it was the civil and military officials entering the palace one after another.

Then came the sounds of worship, orderly and solemn, and further back, occasional whispers could be heard from the direction of the main hall.

Zhou Wenqing lowered his eyes, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the rim of the warm teacup, and quickly reviewed in his mind the composition of the Qin court's officials at this moment. He had no idea what they were discussing.

The era of Lü Buwei has just ended, and the current prime minister, who ranks first among all officials, is... Lord Changping, Mi Qi.

Changping-kun...

Zhou Wenqing's eyes darkened. In history, this Qin prime minister with the royal blood of the Chu Kingdom ultimately betrayed Qin at the critical moment when Qin destroyed Chu, dealing a heavy blow to Qin. Although that happened many years later, had the seeds of rebellion already been sown?

At this moment, was Lord Changping genuinely delighted by the strength of Qin, or had he concealed his doubts and calculations, stemming from his complex identity as a maternal relative and a descendant of Chu, beneath a facade of obedience?

In any case, this person... requires extra caution.

Just then, the door to the side hall was gently pushed open, and a pale-faced, beardless eunuch dressed in white linen slipped in, quickly walked to Zhou Wenqing, bowed deeply respectfully, and said softly:

"Mr. Zhou, His Majesty requests your presence in the main hall."

Zhou Wenqing stood up calmly and casually straightened the already neat cuffs and hem of his dark robe.

"Alright," he replied, then turned his gaze to Fusu beside him, probing, "What about the eldest son...?"

The eunuch maintained his bowed posture, slightly raised his head, and put on a perfectly measured smile as he continued, "His Majesty specifically instructed that the eldest son accompany you to the main hall for an audience."

"Very good." Zhou Wenqing nodded slightly to Fusu. "Fusu, come with me."

"Yes, sir." Fusu immediately stood up, straightened his clothes, and followed.

The eunuch stepped aside, made a respectful gesture to lead the way, and then led the way.

He walked slowly, seemingly deliberately controlling his pace. When he stepped out of the side hall and into a quiet, empty corridor, he fell slightly behind, almost side by side with Zhou Wenqing. His smile became warmer, and he said in a tone that was a mix of flattery and ingratiation, "This humble servant is here to offer my congratulations to Mr. Zhou."

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes quickly sweeping over Zhou Wenqing's expression. "Just now in the main hall, His Majesty praised your achievements highly, and several high-ranking officials also echoed his sentiments. Judging from that, His Majesty is determined to reward you handsomely. I would like to congratulate you in advance."

Zhou Wenqing nodded gently and said thank you. The eunuch smiled broadly, but suddenly hesitated and looked troubled. He lowered his voice even further, almost as a whisper: "But... sigh..."

Zhou Wenqing didn't stop walking, but her brows furrowed slightly as she glanced at him sideways: "Just what? Speak freely."

The eunuch seemed to have made up his mind, yet also appeared extremely uneasy. He quickly glanced around the narrow, empty corridor before and after him. Fusu, following behind, couldn't easily hear him, so he leaned closer and spoke rapidly in a breathy voice:

"Mr. Zhou, I... I truly admire your extraordinary talent. I have heard that the farming tools you have presented can increase the yield of the fields. Although I have served in the palace for a long time, my family also made a living by farming when I was young, and I know how hard it is."

"Sir, your actions will save countless lives and prevent many from starving. I am filled with gratitude and admiration whenever I think of this. I am overjoyed to see that Your Majesty values ​​you so highly! However... alas, the court is a complex and treacherous place..."

He swallowed hard, a genuine worry creeping into his voice. "The rest is fine, but... Your Excellency, cough! But today in court, although some people echoed my opinion, I noticed their expressions... were somewhat... sigh..."

"I am but a humble person, and my words carry little weight. I dare not presume to guess His Majesty's intentions. In short, Your Majesty is currently enjoying great favor and is the focus of everyone's attention. It is inevitable that... a tall tree catches the wind. I urge you... to be extremely careful and exercise caution above all else!"

Zhou Wenqing's eyes became somewhat strange. He remained expressionless, but quickly and discreetly swept his gaze over the bowing and whispering eunuch in front of him, lingering for a moment on the slightly rough white linen robe he was wearing.

Tsk!

After hearing his explanation, Zhou Wenqing's expression remained unchanged, and a gentle smile even lingered on his lips. He nodded slightly and said, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Your Excellency. Thank you for the reminder."