Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

The palace doors opened slightly, and a servant announced loudly, "Summon the Han envoy to an audience—"

A slender, solitary figure walked slowly in.

Han Fei was dressed in the formal attire of a Korean envoy, with a tally hanging from his waist. His face was stern, and his eyes and brows exuded the air of a noble prince and the sharpness of Legalism. However, his steps were steady, and his expression showed no fear like that of an ordinary envoy.

"Han Fei, a foreign minister, was sent by my lord to the superior state to pay homage to the King of Qin."

His voice was not loud, and his speech was slow. Every word seemed to have been carefully considered, and there were slight pauses between sentences, which added a touch of composure and self-control.

Prince Han Fei had a slight stutter.

But in Ying Zheng's view, this did not diminish his talent at all, but rather made him even more outstanding.

The King of Han slighted him because of this minor flaw, and abandoned his great talent. How foolish he was! His court officials ridiculed him for this, revealing their ignorance and how despicable they were.

Such a person will ultimately be used by me.

Ying Zheng's gaze fell on Han Fei, his eyes filled with the eager anticipation of rain after a long drought. His tone was calm when he spoke, but it already subtly revealed his bias:

"Young master, there's no need for such formalities."

He paused, his gaze lingering on Han Fei's face for a moment, before continuing, "My anger is not directed at the State of Han, but at the envoy's rudeness."

ohh~

Zhou Wenqing sat at the lower end, his ears perked up, but his face remained expressionless. He even picked up his teacup and took a sip, using the rim of the cup to hide the barely suppressed smile on his lips.

The king immediately addressed him as "Prince Fei," without mentioning "Han envoy" even once. Clearly, upon meeting him, the king had completely severed ties with Han and was treating him as his own.

From an outsider's perspective, the King's recruitment of his most sought-after talents was so straightforward and urgent; his intentions were quite clear.

"The Korean envoy has injured Zhou Aiqing, a pillar of our Great Qin."

Ying Zheng abruptly changed the subject, his tone suddenly becoming more somber.

"Does this mean you have no regard for me?"

Ok?

Zhou Wenqing was engrossed in the story when he was suddenly called out, and only then did he remember that he seemed to have a role in it.

Oh right, he was so angry with Han that he vomited blood and was beaten pretty badly.

He quickly put down his teacup, clutched his chest, coughed twice, and pretended that his injury had not yet healed.

Ying Zheng and Han Fei's gazes both fell on him simultaneously.

"Someone, bring a bowl of warm soup for Minister Zhou."

Ah, no!

Zhou Wenqing's heart skipped a beat, and the breath he hadn't finished coughing almost choked him.

He coughed twice to show that he was still "injured," to confirm that Korea had been impolite, so that the king could manipulate the negotiations, not to drink the "heartwarming soup" full of ginger and pepper from the Imperial Medical Bureau!

But the king had already spoken, and the eunuch had already left in response.

Zhou Wenqing could only watch helplessly as the young eunuch disappeared swiftly at the palace gate, tears welling up in his eyes.

He gritted his teeth, maintaining his weak appearance, and said in a hoarse voice, "Your Majesty... I... I'm fine, no need to trouble yourself..."

"It's alright?"

Ying Zheng's gaze fell upon him, his tone carrying an undeniable certainty.

"Minister Zhou was coughing so badly just now, how could it not be a problem?"

Zhou Wenqing: "..."

I just coughed twice as a symbolic gesture!

Ying Zheng silently withdrew his gaze, avoiding eye contact with him.

According to the doctor, Zhou Aiqing has stopped taking his pulse these past few days. The spring breeze is still chilly, and the weather is unpredictable, suggesting he may have typhoid fever. This situation allows Zicheng to recuperate while also exacerbating the situation where the Koreans are in the wrong, achieving two goals at once, so it's not something to be missed.

Zhou Wenqing had no choice but to swallow back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

Fine, he can drink it. After all, he is indeed "injured," so it's not unreasonable for him to have a bowl of soup.

Your Majesty, please attend to your own business and leave me alone!

Han Fei's gaze lingered on Zhou Wenqing for a moment before returning to his own. He didn't speak, but simply lowered his eyes, as if deep in thought.

The eunuch quickly returned with a steaming bowl of soup and respectfully handed it to Zhou Wenqing. The soup was thick, with a few slices of ginger floating on the surface, swirling around in the broth.

Zhou Wenqing looked down and the pungent smell of ginger hit him right in the head.

Sure enough, it was that same "heart-warming and stomach-warming" prescription from the Imperial Medical Bureau again.

His lips twitched almost imperceptibly as he glanced at Li Si beside him.

Li Si understood the king's intentions—moreover, he understood his junior brother even better.

He was a typical aloof and arrogant aristocratic scholar. He admired the talents of people like him and Zicheng, but looked down on their status. He took it for granted and was naive. If he tried to appease them without suppressing their sharpness, it would probably backfire.

However, this scheme will require the cooperation of Brother Zicheng.

He lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly, clearly trying to suppress a laugh.

What are you laughing at? I'll make you drink it too later, three bowls!

Zhou Wenqing gritted his teeth inwardly, took a deep breath, reached out and took the soup bowl. Looking at the thick, spicy broth, he found it hard to swallow.

"Zicheng." Wei Liao suddenly lowered his voice, his tone full of earnest concern, "You are injured, and with the late spring cold snap, drink some warm water to warm yourself up, lest you develop a chronic illness."

Huh? No, you actually believed it!

Zhou Wenqing looked up in surprise.

Wei Liao's expression remained unchanged, but the hand that was stroking his beard paused slightly, and a faint smile seemed to flash in his eyes.

Even the usually prudent Mr. Wei Liao has followed suit and gone astray.

He resignedly lowered his head and forced himself to take a sip.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your concern." He put down the soup bowl, his voice hoarse and weak, but just right. "I am much better now."

Ying Zheng nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on Han Fei's face for a moment before returning to Han Fei.

"My lord, today the state of Han has injured one of my most important ministers and disrupted my birthday banquet. How does Han intend to explain this?"

Now that the reason has been given and the goal has been achieved, can we take the soup away?

Zhou Wenqing thought to himself, and quietly pushed the bowl of soup, which he had only taken a sip of, further away from the table.

The movement was extremely subtle, concealed by the sleeve, and the person thought they had gotten away with it unnoticed.

"Minister Zhou." Ying Zheng's voice suddenly drifted over.

Zhou Wenqing's hand froze.

"Soup should be drunk while it's hot; it'll upset your stomach if it gets cold."

Zhou Wenqing: "..."

He silently moved the bowl of soup back.

Alright, alright, I understand. Drinking isn't allowed. Get back to your business!

Ying Zheng then withdrew his gaze with satisfaction and turned it back to Han Fei, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

Han Fei's expression had become more serious, and the sharpness in his eyes had slightly diminished.

He bowed slowly, his speech remaining calm and composed, neither humble nor arrogant:

"The Zhou envoy suffered this undeserved calamity not on behalf of our state, but to the King of Qin. We sincerely apologize for the rudeness at the birthday banquet. It was the Han envoy's recklessness and failure to uphold the law. This was not the fault of Han, nor the wish of our king."

In short, he took all the blame upon himself, and absolved the King of Han and the State of Han of any responsibility.

Li Si watched with growing anxiety, his hand suddenly stopping the gently waving fan, his knuckles tightening slightly.

He knew Han Fei's nature all too well. If he couldn't enlighten him with a single word, he feared he would have difficulty keeping him here today.

Ying Zheng suddenly burst into laughter, his brows showing not a trace of anger, but rather a hint of appreciation:

"Hahaha! Excellent! I have long admired your reputation, Young Master Fei, and seeing you today, I can confirm that it is indeed well-deserved."

He would rather take the blame himself than disgrace his country; he possessed integrity and a sense of responsibility.

This is exactly the person I want.

"only--"

He changed the subject, his voice slowing slightly, "As an envoy of Han, your rudeness to my Great Qin cannot be entirely attributed to you or him. Han must give me an explanation, mustn't it?"

After saying that, Ying Zheng stared intently at Han Fei.