Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

The guard responded crisply with a fist salute, without the slightest hesitation, and with a slight movement, darted out of the courtyard.

Zhou Wenqing hadn't even had time to marvel at the guard's agility and speed; it was as if he had only blinked—

The dark figure reappeared as if by ghost from the same spot where it had just vanished, still as silent as ever, as if it had never left. Everyone was momentarily stunned.

He strode back to the center of the courtyard, knelt down on one knee before Ying Zheng again, bowed his head, and reported, his voice steady but with a slightly strange tone:

"Your Majesty! The man... is already outside the palace gate, bringing the girl with him, requesting an audience with Zhou Neishi."

They're already...outside the door? And they're even asking to see me?

Zhou Wenqing looked up in surprise at Ying Zheng.

The king's already cold and stern face was now covered with an even thicker layer of frost, and his lips were pressed into a straight line. Clearly, this act of "walking into a trap" had failed to quell the king's anger.

Zhou Wenqing's mind raced, and he said, "Your Majesty, since this man has brought his daughter to plead guilty instead of hiding and fleeing, there may be another reason. Why don't we... listen to what they have to say first? If their words are absurd, then we can deal with them later."

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng turned his gaze to Zhou Wenqing, as if weighing something. He remained silent for several breaths before slowly speaking, "Bring them in."

He lowered his eyes, no longer looking in the direction of the courtyard gate, and his slender fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on the edge of the stone table.

If this person cannot give him a reasonable and convincing explanation, then no matter what skills he possesses, from this day forward, there will be no place for him in Xianyang City or even the entire Qin State.

The majesty of a monarch cannot be taken lightly; the trust placed in him cannot be betrayed.

Before long, two footsteps echoed from the quiet courtyard, approaching from afar. They were not uniform, but rather one was deep and the other shallow, one steady and hurried, the other light and drawn-out.

The first person to step through the moon gate was a thin, elderly man dressed in ordinary dark brown cloth.

His beard and hair were all white, but he combed them meticulously. His face was thin, but his eyes did not have the turbidity of an ordinary old man. Instead, they revealed an extraordinary focus and clarity honed by long-term dealing with rulers, chisels, and ingenious mechanisms, like the most precise ink lines.

But at this moment, amidst this Qingming Festival, there is an undisguised urgency.

He gripped the girl's thin wrist tightly with one hand, like an iron clamp, and hurried inside, his voice low and urgent as he scolded and instructed her:

"You little brat! When you see Mr. Zhou later, you must behave properly and apologize sincerely. Put away all your mischievous thoughts. If you dare to misbehave again, I'll break your legs!"

"I know, I know, Grandfather, you've been talking about it all the way here..." The little girl he was pulling was the same bold "little thief" from before.

The moment the old man stepped into the courtyard, before he could even take in the crowd, his entire attention was captured by the dark-clad figure at the head of the table.

His pupils suddenly contracted, and all the color drained from his face.

Almost staggering forward a few steps, the old man suddenly knelt down on the cold, hard blue brick floor with a thud, his forehead hitting the ground heavily with a dull thud.

"This humble subject, Gongshu Yu, kowtows to Your Majesty! I have failed in my duty to discipline my unruly grandson, who has disturbed your esteemed residence and committed a grave offense. I deserve to die a thousand deaths, and I beg Your Majesty to punish him!"

The girl behind him, Gongshu Li, seemed to be completely frightened by her grandfather's unprecedented humble posture. She knelt down in a daze, her face full of helplessness.

"Gongshu Yu".

Ying Zheng's gaze was like an icicle in the dead of winter, coldly fixed on the trembling back of the old man lying on the ground. His voice was not loud, but every word was deep and heavy, carrying a sense of impending doom.

"A month ago, I secretly issued an edict throughout the land, seeking skilled craftsmen to gather in Xianyang, solely to expedite the production of those new agricultural tools. It was you who, upon hearing the news, voluntarily brought your disciples to answer the summons and requested an audience. Did I coerce you in the slightest? Yes or no?"

Gongshu Yu pressed his forehead firmly against the cold blue brick, his voice barely audible with fear, yet he dared not fail to answer: "It was...it was this humble subject...who came of his own accord; Your Majesty did not force me."

"Although you come from the Mohist school, you are incompatible with those fellow disciples who talk about non-aggression, universal love, and denounce craftsmanship as strange and frivolous skills because you are obsessed with the 'minor skills' of mechanical construction. As a result, you are ostracized." Ying Zheng's voice was calm as he narrated.

"So, you led your disciples, who were willing to follow you, away from Qi and into Qin, hoping to find a place to settle down and make a living in this land that values ​​practical matters and rewards merit, and to put your talents to use. Is that right or wrong?"

"Yes..." Gongshu Yu's voice was even lower, and his body trembled slightly.

"I recognize your ingenuity, especially your skill in mechanical design, which may benefit the improvement of agricultural tools. That's why I'm making an exception and giving you this opportunity." Ying Zheng's gaze was almost tangible, pressing down on Gongshu Yu's back.

"Not only will I grant you permission to view the detailed drawings of the new curved plow, but at your request, I will also entrust you with the crucial project of overseeing the construction of Minister Zhou's residence, which involves... future important matters. I give you trust, authority, and a stage to display all your life's learning. Is that right, or not?"

"It is... Your Majesty's kindness, I will never forget it." Gongshu Yu was now almost prostrate on the ground, his inner shirt already soaked with cold sweat.

"Then tell me," Ying Zheng's voice suddenly rose, as he grabbed the plain white, untouched teacup from the stone table and waved his arm—

"Snapped!"

A sharp, piercing sound.

The teacup was slammed onto the blue brick floor less than an inch in front of Gongshu Yu's feet, shattering instantly! Fine white porcelain shards, mixed with warm tea, scattered everywhere, with a few even grazing Gongshu Yu's cheeks and the backs of his hands, yet he didn't even dare to flinch.

"—Is this how you repay my trust?!"

Ying Zheng's voice was like thunder, sternly rebuking:

"Indulging your young child, treating royal decrees and forbidden areas like child's play, destroying property and breaking into your home, coming and going as you please?! Gongshu Yu, is this the 'trust and righteousness' you, a disciple of the Mohist school, speak of?! Is this your way of repaying me for my exceptional promotion and entrustment of this important task?!"

He leaned forward slightly, looking down at the old man kneeling on the ground.

"What is your crime?"

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!" Gongshu Yu slammed his head heavily on the blue brick, his voice hoarse and broken with fear and trepidation.

"This humble subject has failed Your Majesty's trust, neglected the management of my household, and failed in my supervision of the construction. I deserve to die a thousand deaths! I beg Your Majesty... to punish this humble subject severely! I will bear all the blame!"

For a moment, the courtyard was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

General Wang Jian subconsciously slowed his breathing, Wei Liao stopped secretly picking up his teacup to drink, Li Si's face was solemn, his fingertips unconsciously fidgeting in his sleeve, and Zhang Han and A Zhu, the two half-grown children, were so frightened by this thunderous rage that they retreated far behind the pillars, holding their breath and shrinking their necks, not daring to make a sound.

Only Zhou Wenqing—

He looked at the teacup that had been smashed on the ground and felt a pang of regret.

It was an antique set, but he only used it a few times before one of the pieces broke. Now the set is ruined and he can never put it back together.

Who could understand? His heart, as if along with the ceramic cup, had shattered into several pieces and was bleeding silently!

Perhaps only Gongshu Yu understood his feeling of "shattering" at this moment, but he felt regret rather than heartache.

I was filled with unbearable regret, my heart was practically breaking!