Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Zhang Han rushed into the inner courtyard, and the sight before him made his scalp tingle – Mr. Zhou's most beloved rocking chair had been brutally dismembered!

The armrest, seat, and footrest were scattered all over the ground, looking as if they had been dismembered and had fallen apart.

A small, thin, dark figure flashed by.

"Don't you dare run away, you little thief!"

Zhang Han was both shocked and furious, and a layer of cold sweat instantly seeped out from his back.

If Master finds out that this petty thief not only dismantled Mr. Zhou's beloved rocking chair, but also slipped away right under his nose... the consequences will be far more severe than simply getting a few kicks and a sore backside!

Based on my interactions with my master these past few days, and his fiery temper, I'm afraid I'll end up like this rocking chair, beaten to a pulp and scattered all over the floor!

We absolutely cannot let this guy get away!

Zhang Han clenched his fists and charged forward.

Hearing the hurried footsteps behind him, the dark figure seemed even more panicked. Instead of running to the outside, it turned around and tried to squeeze inside, like a headless fly. Before it could run more than a few steps, Zhang Han caught up with it in a few strides and grabbed it.

"Why!"

With a soft gasp, the dark figure turned around and raised his hand to block, his movements surprisingly showing some skill.

"Huh? He's a trained thief!"

Zhang Han frowned, sensing something amiss the instant the fight began—the strength, the sound, the size…

He quickly withdrew seven-tenths of his strength, changing his grabbing motion to a flicking motion, his sleeves creating a gentle breeze.

The shadowy figure stumbled, its hood slipped down, revealing the face of a girl of about eight or nine years old, covered in grime!

She still had two crooked buns, and her big, dark eyes were wide open, both surprised and panicked, yet she still stubbornly raised her leg to kick him.

"Why is it a child?"

Zhang Han unconsciously loosened his grip a bit more, but even so, the girl's fancy but ineffective skills were no match for him, and she was pinned to the ground in just a few moves.

"Let me go! You, you're bullying me!" The girl couldn't break free, but she still protested.

Just then, Ah-Zhu rushed in, panting. His face fell immediately when he saw the mess of the rocking chair's remains scattered everywhere: "S-Sir's chair!"

He picked up the wooden plank of the rocking chair that had been removed from the ground with a pained expression.

This was the gentleman's most cherished possession. He used to sit and bask in the sun in the countryside and treasured it dearly. Now it has been torn down!

His eyes were red with anxiety. He didn't even bother to see who had been arrested. He hurriedly squatted down, picked up a curved frame, and then a tenon, trying to fit them together. Sweat beaded on his nose from his frantic efforts.

"How...how do we put this back in...?"

Just then, the officials who had attended court returned—

"........."

Zhou Wenqing remained silent for a full three breaths.

Finally, he slowly raised his hand, pressed it against his throbbing temples, glanced at the "remains" of the rocking chair with heartache, and then looked up at the people in the courtyard with their various expressions. His voice revealed a deep exhaustion:

"Gentlemen... could someone please tell me what's going on here?"

He only went out to attend court, but when he came back, his house was almost demolished. Has the security in the capital region of Xianyang become so lax?

"..."

In the eerie silence, Wei Liao, the only one who could be considered an "adult," cleared his throat, stood up somewhat awkwardly, and briefly recounted what had happened.

After listening, Zhou Wenqing remained silent for a moment, then slowly turned his gaze to Wei Liao, his tone low and brooding: "So, Mr. Wei Liao, you were sparring with my guards right at the gate of my mansion?"

Wei Liao's face flushed, and he stroked his beard, his eyes darting around as he tried to argue, "Ahem! Well, that's not it... You see, you're now considered my friend, so I just... had to test their skills for you, to see if they're any good enough to protect you!"

Zhou Wenqing's temple throbbed again. No wonder the guards still looked at Wei Liao with lingering wariness and a hint of resentment.

Li Si, who was standing to the side, could no longer hide his laughter. He shook his head and said with a hint of mischief, "Incredible, incredible! It seems these guards are quite skilled. They can even exchange a few blows with you, Mr. Wei Liao. Brother Zicheng, you're something else!"

He turned to Zhou Wenqing, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Your mansion is about to be quite a spectacle! Look, you'll only make more and more acquaintances. Who knows, every now and then, someone will be so 'enthusiastic' as to test the 'quality' of your guards!"

He deliberately glanced around and teased, "Hey? Where's General Wang? He was just here a moment ago. Why don't you invite him to try his hand too?"

"Please don't!" Zhou Wenqing immediately interrupted, feeling utterly overwhelmed.

He could almost picture the scene of his own house being the site of minor disturbances every three days and major fights every five days, becoming infamous among the neighbors.

He was truly not worthy of such a lively occasion.

He waved helplessly, signaling the guards to return to their positions. He then beckoned the bewildered Ah Zhu to his side to protect him before looking at Zhang Han, who was still kneeling on one knee, firmly restraining the girl.

"Alright, Ah Han," he said gently, "let him go first. What kind of behavior is it to hold a child like this?"

"No, sir!" Zhang Han looked up, his face serious. "This little thief isn't very skilled, but she's incredibly slippery, like a little eel! I wasn't careful just now and she almost slipped through my fingers. If I let her go now, what if she gets away again?"

"You're the little thief! You're the slippery eel! You're the one whose kung fu is terrible!"

The girl was being held down, but she was defiant, her eyes wide with anger, looking as if she wanted to jump up and bite him.

"Sir, look! She's still not behaving herself!" Zhang Han dared not let go any further.

"You fool!" A loud rebuke rang out.

Before anyone knew it, General Wang Jian had strolled in carrying his precious jar of wine. He happened to hear Zhang Han's words, and with a fierce glare, he kicked Zhang Han's upturned buttocks hard!

"Ouch!"

Caught off guard, Zhang Han was kicked forward and fell, causing his grip to loosen.

"Are you blind?" Wang Jian shouted, clutching the wine jar, his voice booming with rage.

"Can't you see it's a little girl? Her neck isn't even as thick as your arm! Why are you arguing with a child like that? Besides—"

He raised his chin, his white beard bristling, and declared with an air of arrogance, "With this old man here, how could she possibly cause any trouble? You brat, go cool off somewhere else!"

Zhang Han stood up, rubbing his bottom with a wronged expression. He glanced resentfully at his master and muttered under his breath:

"Didn't you always nag me to be extremely careful around someone as fragile as Mr. Zhou, telling me to be quick and nimble to protect him? I finally caught someone suspicious, and I didn't even have to use much force, so why are you telling me to go somewhere cool and stay out of the cold... It's freezing cold, everywhere is cool!"

"Hey!" General Wang's eyes widened, and he raised his hand again. "You've really gotten tough, kid. You dare to talk back to this old man?"

"General Wang, please calm down!" Zhou Wenqing hurriedly stepped forward and stood in the middle, only to feel that the black lines on his forehead were even thicker.

"Children often speak without thinking, please don't take it personally... Besides, please don't hit the child again."

He glanced at Zhang Han, who looked aggrieved but still stood ramrod straight, and then at Wang Jian, whose eyes were wide open, and sighed silently in his heart.

Why does it seem like Zhang Han, who was originally a straightforward and honest kid, has suddenly become a bit "unruly"? Was he always like this?

Could it be that they've been led astray by the old general?!

"Ugh!"

He couldn't help but let out a long sigh, feeling more exhausted than ever before. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Li Si had already squatted down next to the pile of rocking chair wreckage and was reaching out to pick at the scattered pieces of wood.

"My rocking chair..." Zhou Wenqing walked over and picked up a piece of curved wood with heartache. "The King went to great lengths to transport it from the countryside, and it's only been used for a day..."

"Don't feel sorry for me, I do!" Li Si picked up another piece of wood that was obviously shorter, his face showing a pained expression.

"This is the new one you made for me. Yours just has one leg removed. Look, it's over there." He pointed to the corner of the wall.

Zhou Wenqing looked closely and saw that there was indeed a rocking chair there, but one of the curved base supports had been removed, and it was still in good condition overall.

"What do you mean 'yours' and 'mine'? Aren't they all mine?"

He shook his head helplessly, his gaze finally falling on the girl who had stood up and was rubbing her wrist.

Although the girl's face was covered in dust, her eyes were exceptionally bright and lively, and she was currently looking around furtively.

Zhou Wenqing tried to keep his tone gentle: "Miss, who are you? How did you get into this mansion, and why... are you tearing down my things?"

He simply couldn't understand why a teenager would sneak into the mansion just to dismantle a chair.

The girl blinked her big eyes, looking obedient, and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "I am...I am..."

As she spoke slowly, she seemingly casually moved her feet a little further away from Zhou Wenqing, and then glanced at the path that was intentionally or unintentionally blocked by Wang Jian and Zhang Han.

The girl's eyes suddenly changed, and she turned and darted towards the artificial rockery in the inner courtyard. This direction was unexpected, and for a moment no one blocked her way.

"Stop!" Zhang Han reacted the fastest, shouting and taking off after him.

But then I saw that the girl had an uncanny familiarity with the layout of the courtyard. In a few quick movements, she crouched down and slipped behind the artificial hill, her hands seemingly randomly digging and twisting in the crevices of the rocks—

"click"

It turned out to be a secret passage leading to who-knows-where!

Without hesitation, the girl ducked and slipped inside. Zhang Han rushed forward, about to jump after her, but Zhou Wenqing shouted to stop him:

"Ah Han! Don't pursue a desperate enemy!"

"Ugh!" Zhang Han stamped his foot in frustration. "I knew she'd slippery! She got away!"

"They can't escape." Zhou Wenqing looked at the suddenly appearing secret passage and chuckled. "I roughly know whose child this is."

"What a coincidence." Li Si strolled over. "I think I already know that too."

"Whose child is this?" General Wang Jian, still holding a wine jar, stepped forward, his mind not yet clear. "That little brat stammered for ages, did you hear her?"

Upon hearing this, Li Si narrowed his eyes slightly, slowly turned to Wang Jian, and spoke with a tone full of mockery:

"General, let's not worry about whose child it is for now. I'd like to ask, who was it that said, 'With me here, they can't cause any trouble'?"

He raised his hand and leisurely pointed to the still-covered secret passage beside the artificial hill, feigning confusion:

"Take a look, has the sky... already turned over?"