Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Zhou Wenqing was overjoyed to guess that Azhu was already waiting in the mansion, and his steps became lighter.

However, he never dreamed that when he pushed open his own gate, he would be greeted by such a chaotic and astonishing scene...

Several guards, as if facing a formidable enemy, formed a semi-circle, completely surrounding the people in the courtyard. Their eyes were wary, especially fixed on an old man in the center of the scene—it was Wei Liao.

Wei Liao stood awkwardly with his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky, as if he had suddenly become incomparably interested in the shape of the clouds above Xianyang, but refused to make eye contact with anyone.

Beside him, Zhang Han angrily forced a strange girl to kneel on the ground.

The girl was dressed in a neat short-sleeved shirt, her hair was a little messy, and she looked about eight or nine years old. She was trying to struggle and seemed to be muttering something under her breath.

What truly shocked Zhou Wenqing was—

His beloved disciple, Ah Zhu, stood helplessly to the side, clutching a familiar, beautifully curved piece of wood tightly in his hand.

That was a supporting arc-shaped piece of wood in the lower half of the base of his rocking chair!

So—can anyone tell him what's going on?!

Ah Zhu dismantled his rocking chair?!

When did a strange girl run into his yard?!

And what is Mr. Wei Liao up to now?!

...Let's rewind to a short time ago...

Little Azhu was properly escorted to the entrance of the master's magnificent new mansion.

He tilted his head back, gazing at the two tall characters "Zhou Mansion," feeling a mix of longing for his teacher and joy at their impending reunion, yet also an instinctive unease and nervousness about the unfamiliar and imposing city of Xianyang.

Especially when he tried to walk into the mansion, the tall, burly guard at the gate suddenly stretched out his arm:

"Who goes there? Do you have a visiting card?"

A...a visiting card? Ah Zhu blinked, a little confused.

Does he need this when he goes to his husband's house?

But he quickly recovered, puffing out his chest to appear more "adult," and answered crisply with his head held high, "My name is Liu Langwen. I don't have a visiting card, but I am Mr. Zhou's disciple. Is Mr. Zhou at home?"

The guard's gaze swept over him, his expression softening considerably, and his tone becoming gentler:

"My father did indeed give instructions that a young man named Liu Langwen would be coming soon. He is my father's disciple. I wonder... does the young man have any credentials?"

certificate?

Ah Zhu thought for a moment, then quickly took out the jade pendant with the character "Zhou" engraved on it that his master had left him.

The guard took the item and examined it carefully, then clasped his hands in a respectful bow: "I apologize for my earlier rudeness. My master has not yet returned to the manor. Young master, please come in!"

After crossing the high threshold and passing through the courtyard, Ah Zhu saw the two familiar and reassuring rocking chairs placed side by side. Only then did his tense little face relax slightly, and his anxious heart quietly settled back into his stomach.

He politely declined the servant's offer to lead him to the guest room to wait, and instead stayed in the courtyard, carefully observing the unfamiliar yet familiar furnishings around him, while listening intently for the sound of his master's footsteps returning home.

He was sitting on the cold stone bench, pondering the stone table in front of him. Could it be the same one as before? How did they manage to move something so heavy? That's amazing!

Just then, a faint commotion drifted over from the direction of the front yard.

It's Wei Liao. This old gentleman claimed to be ill today and didn't even step into the gates of Zhangtai Palace. Instead, he came here.

He was thinking to himself that he had left without saying goodbye before, and then returned not long after. Who knew how those old fogies in the court would bring up old grievances? Just thinking about it was annoying.

I decided to avoid their sharp edge, feigning illness and staying home for some peace and quiet.

Today's grand court assembly marks Zhou Wenqing's first formal appearance in court. In his opinion, the young man appears gentle and mild-mannered, but he is actually quite shrewd and capable of stirring up trouble. With those old fogies in the court, the scene is sure to be quite exciting.

Perhaps after today, no one will care about Wei Liao's trivial matters anymore.

You can hide from people, but you can't hide from curiosity!

What kind of performance will Zhou Wenqing put on in the imperial court today?

Is it a statement that will shock everyone, or is there an undercurrent of tension? Is it going to proceed steadily and surely, or will it come up with some amazing new trick?

The more he thought about it, the more it itched to go, so he decided to sneak over to Zhou Wenqing's residence a little earlier and wait for the person in charge to return so he could hear the first-hand news.

But plans can't keep up with changes.

With Li Yi absent, Zhou Wenqing himself hadn't expected Wei Liao to launch such a "surprise attack," so he naturally hadn't given any special instructions to the gatekeeper.

As a result, Wei Liao was stopped at the gate by a group of conscientious guards who only checked documents and not faces.

Hey!

Wei Liao squinted. With his sharp eyes, how could he not see that the guards standing at the door, both openly and secretly, looked more numerous and more elite than when he was "specially watched" before?

The King values ​​this Mr. Zhou very highly!

He sighed inwardly, while his instincts began to stir again.

Anyway, Mr. Zhou said he was willing to be a "pioneer" and welcomed me to investigate and visit at any time, to observe before acting, so...

Wei Liao rolled his eyes, but instead of revealing his identity, he put his hands in his pockets and strolled over to the leading guard.

"Don't be in such a hurry, sir. I'm just curious to take a look." He stroked his beard, his tone relaxed.

"Is your residence newly moved here? It wasn't here a few days ago. I was passing by and it looks quite extraordinary, more magnificent than many other mansions. Is the host some distinguished new guest?"

He had originally hoped to discern the truth from the other party's expression and words—whether the king's display of power was a genuine act of protection or a form of surveillance, as he had done before.

However, he underestimated the elite troops before him, who had been personally selected by the King of Qin.

The guard didn't respond to his question, but instead asked in a deep voice, "Who are you, sir? What brings you here?"

Wei Liao wanted to say something more roundabout, but somehow he inadvertently revealed his true intentions, which aroused suspicion.

Suddenly, the guards on the left and right exchanged glances and moved to different positions without making a sound. Then, some more people appeared out of nowhere, forming a circle around them. Their hands quietly rested on the hilts of their swords, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.

Oh no, this has gone too far!

Wei Liao's heart skipped a beat, and she was about to reveal her identity—

"Who's making such a racket?!" A clear but wary child's voice rang out.

It was Ah Zhu who came out to investigate after hearing the commotion. The little guy had never seen Wei Liao before. When he saw that the old man was unfamiliar and his behavior was suspicious, and that he was surrounded by so many guards, he remembered his senior brother's instructions before entering Xianyang, and alarm bells rang in his heart.

He straightened his small face and demanded sharply, "Who are you? Why are you causing trouble in front of my master's residence?!"

The guards at the gate were still hesitant, unsure of the background of this extraordinary yet eccentric old man, and dared not actually make a move.

Seeing the young disciple of the main family react in this way, with such a wary attitude, what was there to hesitate about? This person was definitely suspicious!

"Take him down!" the lead guard shouted in a low voice.

"Hey, wait! I am..." Wei Liao's explanation was drowned out by the sound of the guards rushing towards him.

Left with no other choice, he could only use his body to parry and block, but he dared not actually hurt these guards, otherwise the misunderstanding would only deepen.

Seeing that the old man was slippery and difficult to subdue, and seemed to be holding back, the guards were unsure of what to do. They wanted to capture him alive but hesitated to actually draw their weapons, so they were somewhat hesitant. Meanwhile, more and more of their companions arrived after hearing the commotion, and the scene quickly descended into chaos.

Fortunately, just as chaos was about to escalate into a full-blown brawl, a clear and anxious shout rang out.

"Stop! All of you, stop right now!"

It was Zhang Han who, on the orders of General Wang Jian, came early to offer his congratulations and also to freeload tea, carrying several jars of fine wine.

He had just turned the corner when he saw the chaotic scene in front of the mansion gate. When he got closer and saw the old man weaving through the crowd, his robes disheveled, he gasped in shock.

Zhang Han had met Wei Liao before; he was one of the people chasing after them!

He immediately recognized the somewhat disheveled old man struggling through the crowd, and was taken aback. He quickly shouted to stop him:

"Stop! Stop it all! This is Mr. Wei Liao, a friend of Mr. Zhou. Don't be rude!"

Shouting as he pushed through the crowd, he rushed inside.

"Brother Zhang Han!"

Ah Zhu also spotted the familiar figure, his eyes lit up, and a huge weight was lifted from his heart. But then, realizing there might have been a misunderstanding, he quickly shouted, "Stop! Stop! We're all on the same side, don't hurt anyone!"

"Be careful! And whatever you do, don't damage my wine jar!"

Zhang Han struggled to protect the wine jar in his arms: "If it gets knocked over or damaged, and spills all over the place, my... my butt will suffer!"

Upon hearing this, the guards paused, exchanged glances, and then slowly withdrew, their eyes still filled with doubt and lingering wariness.

Zhang Han breathed a sigh of relief. He had just carefully placed the wine jar in his arms on the stone stool by the door and was about to turn around and explain to the guards when a sharp "crash" suddenly came from the direction of the inner courtyard!

It sounded like wood colliding, mixed with the rustling of something falling.

"What happened?!" Zhang Han frowned. "Who in the yard was so careless as to spill something?"

"Something's not right!" The servant who had just followed and suppressed the noise suddenly changed his expression. "To avoid disturbing the young master, only I was left in the courtyard to keep watch from a distance. There's no one else here. That voice..."

"A thief broke in?!" Ah Zhu's eyes widened instantly.

Zhang Han and Wei Liao's expressions changed at the same time. They turned around almost simultaneously and rushed towards the inner courtyard!

The head guard at the gate was even more annoyed, secretly cursing himself for being careless. If the thief had really sneaked into the inner courtyard right under his nose, the crime would have been much greater.

He quickly made a hand gesture, leaving half of his men on guard, while he led the rest of his elite troops to follow closely behind. The group of men, their robes billowing in the wind, surged into the courtyard.