Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Having served in the same court for so long, Zhou Wenqing had no doubt that, at least for this year, Lord Changping was absolutely loyal to Qin.

He quelled the rebellion, succeeded as prime minister, and established order in the court; every step he took was solid and firm.

The king trusted him, the ministers looked up to him, and even Zhou Wenqing himself had to admit that the person standing in the center of the hall at this moment was indeed worthy of the position of the head of the east side.

Unfortunately, people's hearts are fickle, and desires are hard to quell.

Unlike Li Si, who made mistakes, Lord Changping had a deep-seated rift.

The crack is usually invisible and intangible, but it will quietly open up when the wind and clouds are turbulent, and its depth is unfathomable.

Even if Zhou Wenqing wanted to lend a hand, he didn't know where to start.

That's how history works; loyalty in the present and betrayal in the future are two sides of the same coin.

He just happened to be standing in the middle and saw the people on both sides.

Zhou Wenqing reminded himself to stay true to his original aspirations and not be blinded by the allure of conformity. There was no other way.

Changping Jun bowed and withdrew.

Zhou Wenqing couldn't remember what else the attendant sang in celebration.

He subconsciously followed the crowd, bowing, singing congratulations, bowing his head, and expressing his gratitude. The whole set of movements was smooth and natural, but his mind was completely blank.

until--

"The world is not yet at peace, and the six states are not yet at peace. I dare not celebrate my long life. However, I appreciate the sincerity of you all. Today, let us feast and enjoy ourselves to the fullest. Let us not discuss state affairs."

On the throne, Ying Zheng's voice fell heavily.

The attendant cried out, "A banquet will be served!"

Zhou Wenqing's spirits lifted.

Wow, finally I can move around freely!

The attendant gave another long shout, and the officials began to move out of the hall in an orderly fashion. Zhou Wenqing followed in the crowd and caught a glimpse of Li Si subtly moving towards him.

Just as he was about to lean closer, his shoulder suddenly felt heavy, and he was pinned down, unable to move.

Zhou Wenqing was suddenly startled, and countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant—

Robbery? Assassination? Or some fool trying to cause trouble in this situation?

He turned around abruptly.

A familiar old face loomed close to him, the beard almost poking his face.

"Zicheng!"

General Wang Jian put his arm around his shoulder, looking like two buddies, and even lowered his voice, leaning close to his ear, and said mysteriously:

"Will the wine at the banquet later be all fruit wine? Or will it be served in some special kind of jar, and what does it look like? Given our friendship, you should at least tell me beforehand!"

Zhou Wenqing's heart, which had been in his throat, suddenly went back to normal.

He thought those Korean envoys were incredibly audacious to sneak over during the birthday banquet.

"General, you really are..."

Zhou Wenqing breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Wang Jian's old face, which was full of "you tell me quickly," with a wry smile.

Another head popped up from the side.

General Meng Wu also crept over at some point, rubbing his hands together, his eyes shining, his expectant gaze even more fervent than Wang Jian's.

Zhou Wenqing: "..."

He lowered his voice helplessly: "Don't worry, there's plenty of fruit wine at today's banquet. Drink as much as you like."

"Good brother!"

Overjoyed, Wang Jian immediately released his grip and ran away before Zhou Wenqing could even regain his footing.

Meng Wu followed closely behind, not even bothering to greet him, as if he would miss a drink if he ran a step slower.

Zhou Wenqing rubbed his shoulders, watching the two figures speed away, and sighed silently.

These two generals probably only have wine in their eyes.

That's true, there's no use thinking about it so much, it's better to focus on what's in front of us.

Li Si finally seized the opportunity to approach. Following his gaze, he saw two plumes of dust flash by in the crowd and disappear in an instant.

"Generals, what brings you here...?" Li Si asked, bewildered.

Zhou Wenqing turned his head and met his eyes, which were full of doubt. He said in an annoyed tone, "Here comes the final celebration."

Li Si: "?"

Zhou Wenqing patted him on the shoulder, his tone tinged with schadenfreude:

"Brother Gu'an, be prepared. Everything else is easy to arrange, but this wine can't be brewed in a short time. Remember to reinforce the doors of your mansion when you get back, lest a bunch of wine-loving worms smash them to pieces."

"What do you mean?!"

Li Si's eyes widened instantly, and he grabbed his sleeve:

"No, Zicheng, explain yourself clearly before you leave!"

Explain it clearly, my foot!

Zhou Wenqing had already broken free from his grasp and slipped away as fast as she could.

It's hard to say.

He silently added to himself: Luckily, he only manages production and not sales, so purchasing matters don't fall on his shoulders.

Let Li Si worry about the rest.

At the banquet, glasses clinked and the atmosphere gradually became more pleasant.

As expected, the "surprises" that had been prepared in advance began to appear one by one.

First came the handwashing supplies served by the palace servants—a small, square thing that produced delicate foam upon contact with water, carrying a faint, fresh scent of herbs and trees.

"What is this?"

"I heard it's a new soap from Baiwusi, suitable for washing hands and bathing."

"Soap? That's a more elegant name."

Amidst the whispers, someone quietly slipped their remaining half into their sleeve.

Then there were the candles in the hall.

Before anyone knew it, the servants had replaced the candles with new ones. The flames flickered and were three times brighter than ordinary candlelight, yet there was not a trace of black smoke. Only a faint honey fragrance quietly permeated the hall.

"What kind of oil does this candle use?"

"I don't know, but it smells like honey."

"Nonsense, how can honey be used to light a lamp?"

Before the debate had ended, music suddenly began to play in the center of the hall.

A group of palace maids filed out, each holding a plain paper umbrella, and danced gracefully to the music. The umbrellas spun lightly, their ribs opening and closing, resembling lotus flowers blooming one after another in the hall. The umbrella surfaces were as thin as cicada wings, and when light shone through them, one could vaguely see ink wash landscapes painted on them, sparse and elegant, extremely refined.

Exclamations of admiration rose and fell, and countless eyes followed the paper umbrellas, as if they wished they could snatch them from the palace servants' hands and examine them closely.

"What's that? Is it a canopy? How elegant!"

"I heard it's called an umbrella, a new item from the Department of Hyakumonogatari. Not only does it look elegant, but it's also convenient to use, providing shelter from wind and rain, and it's even lighter than a canopy!"

"Really? Excellent! The Bureau of All Things has made a great contribution to this palace banquet! Let's see who dares to say that our Great Qin is uncivilized and ignorant of etiquette in the future. Let them try to bring out such elegant things!"

"Not only that, look at that thing in Zhou Neishi's hand, that's what you call elegance!"

"Oh? Then I'll have to take a closer look."

Zhou Wenqing sat upright at the table, a faint smile on his lips, slowly waving his folding fan.

His collar was pulled up tightly, and the fan swayed as slowly as possible.

The main focus is on elegance!

However, the effect was even better than he had expected.

Li Si was sitting close to him and couldn't help but lean in, lowering his voice but unable to contain his excitement:

"Zicheng, this is an unprecedented success! The praise is endless! Look at those spoiled brats, their eyes are practically glued to the screen. It seems we've taken this first step successfully!"

Zhou Wenqing remained motionless, fanning himself, his lips moving slightly:

"Brother Gu'an, can't you be a little more reserved? Look at me, how calm and composed I am!"

Li Si paused for a moment, looked him up and down, his gaze landing on the folding fan that moved so slowly it seemed to freeze, and suddenly laughed: "I think you're frozen, aren't you?"

Zhou Wenqing's hand movements paused.

Li Si, suppressing a laugh, continued, "Alright, alright, I won't bother you anymore. Take your time fanning yourself, but do it slowly, or you'll catch a cold."

Zhou Wenqing: "..."

Well, I can't keep up the act anymore.

He silently closed the folding fan, tucked it into his sleeve, picked up the teacup in front of him, took a sip, and pretended nothing had happened.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the cacophony of laughter at the banquet, the Qin officials were in high spirits, while an undercurrent of tension was brewing among the envoys from the six states.

"Tsk tsk tsk." An envoy from Qi couldn't help but click his tongue, picked up the wine cup in front of him, and took another sip. "The King of Qin's wine is unprecedented; it is truly wonderful."

He savored the taste, then poured himself another cup, completely unaware that Zhao Shi, listening nearby, silently snorted inwardly.

What a short-sighted person!

Even the best wine is still made from a waste of grain.

Zhao's envoy picked up the wine cup, smiled, touched it to his lips, and then put it down.

Can't they see how arrogant, extravagant, and pleasure-seeking the new king of Qin is?

Yeah.

A bunch of mediocre people, only interested in temporary glory. Sooner or later, this world will still be in the hands of the Zhao state!

He lowered his eyes, concealing the darkness beneath them, while his face remained gracious and gentle.

Let them be smug for a while; he hasn't forgotten the purpose of his mission to come here on the king's orders.

Keep this new ruler in check and prevent him from having any thoughts of expanding eastward; if the opportunity arises, it would be best to persuade him to join forces against the Yan state and eliminate the threat to the northern border in one fell swoop.

After several rounds of drinks, the music gradually subsided, and the paper umbrella dance slowly came to an end. Even as the last umbrella was closed, the lingering charm still lingered in the hall, as if the courtiers were still savoring the elegance of that moment when the umbrella was opened.

But soon, everyone fell silent in unison, their gazes turning in the direction of Changping-kun.

Lord Changping rose from his seat, walked to the center of the hall, and solemnly bowed towards the throne:

"Your Majesty, your subject Changping Jun, along with all the officials, respectfully offer our congratulations on Your Majesty's birthday and presents a small gift. We humbly request Your Majesty's permission."

Ying Zheng sat upright on his throne and nodded slightly: "Granted."

He opened the box himself, revealing its contents.

"Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, you have worked tirelessly day and night to govern the country. We have nothing to offer as a congratulatory gift, so we respectfully present to Your Majesty the eighteen types of Qin laws, as well as the laws on fields, granaries, and gold and cloth, totaling more than one hundred chapters, which we have copied, collated, and compiled into a book."

He paused, his voice growing even more solemn: "May Your Majesty use this decree to clarify the laws and regulations, and to uphold the law, so that the foundation of our Great Qin Dynasty may last for ten thousand generations and remain forever unshakable!"

"good."

Ying Zheng's gaze fell on the box of books, and he nodded slightly, a look of approval on his face: "Prime Minister, you have put your heart into this. Laws are the foundation of governing a country. Compiling them into a book makes them easy to consult and implement, which is a great achievement for both the country and the people."

"Your Majesty flatters me. This was merely my duty, how could I claim credit? It was only through the concerted efforts of all my ministers that this box of books was completed. In particular, Zhou Wenqing, the Minister of Grain Administration, has repeatedly offered ingenious strategies. We were merely filling in the gaps."

As he spoke, he turned slightly to Zhou Wenqing and nodded, his face full of humility and sincerity.

Zhou Wenqing wore a polite smile and even gave a slight bow, but he had a vague sense of unease in his heart.