Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

What Zhou Wenqing didn't know was that Han Fei saw it differently.

Han Fei remembered that young man, not because he had an exceptional memory and could only "remember" him from afar while listening to his advice in court, but because he was deeply impressed by him.

It happened after a court session.

That day, he was giving his advice in court, but he got stuck halfway through.

Those carefully crafted words were stuck in his throat, like a sword with its blade removed, all form but no substance.

After the court session ended, he walked out alone. No one followed him or called him. Within three feet of him, everything was clean and tidy, like snow swept by the wind.

But he was already used to it.

This is normal. He is not good at social maneuvering and disdains currying favor. His only weapon has always been his pen.

Han Fei knew better than anyone the deep-seated problems plaguing the state of Han: the aristocracy wielding power, the laws being neglected, the emphasis on literature over military affairs, and the court being corrupt.

He could dissect the root causes of the nation's ills on bamboo slips with exquisite clarity, yet once he stepped into the imperial court, he was repeatedly entangled in verbal disputes, just as he had just done...

Therefore, he wanted to go back and offer his advice to the king privately.

Han Fei had an almost naive obsession: as long as the reasoning was explained clearly, the king would definitely listen.

Naturally, the king did not see him.

A servant relayed a message that the King of Han had important matters to discuss and could not see him.

So he waited patiently outside the hall.

The sun moved from the east to its zenith, and the shadows under the eaves shortened inch by inch. His legs ached from standing, but the palace doors remained closed.

He heard the King of Han's laughter, and there seemed to be a young man's voice in it, coming out intermittently. He couldn't make out what he was saying, but from the scattered words he could tell that it didn't have any real meaning, but the tone was light and cheerful, which made the King of Han laugh again from time to time.

Han Fei asked the attendant, "Who is in the palace?"

The waiter hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and replied, "Zhou Wenqing, a retainer of the young master's residence, has been frequently summoned by the king recently, who says..." He paused, seemingly considering his words, "...that he is witty in conversation and has extensive knowledge."

He is witty and knowledgeable.

Han Fei did not respond.

He stood in the shadows of the corridor, looking at the light that shone through the crack in the palace door. It was so bright it was blinding. He wanted to leave, but his feet seemed to be rooted to the spot. For some reason, he stood there and listened for a while.

The man in the hall spoke very quickly, one sentence after another without taking a breath. He would pause occasionally, probably because the King of Han was asking him something, and he would answer quickly as well.

He suddenly remembered how he looked in the court just now.

He had to roll his words around in his throat several times before he could utter them. He was only halfway through his sentence when someone interrupted him: "Han Zi, you are mistaken..." He was stuck there, the second half of his sentence stuck in his throat, unable to be uttered or swallowed, like a fishbone stuck in his throat.

No one came to his rescue, no one waited for him. Dozens of eyes in the court were watching him, some with sympathy, some with impatience, some with disdain, but not a single person said, "Let him finish speaking."

The person inside the hall and he were clearly two extreme opposites.

One who is eloquent, persuasive, and deeply admired by the ruler;

He was inarticulate but full of knowledge, yet no one paid him any attention.

How tragic!

Han Fei stood there listening for a long time, until his knees ached, until the laughter finally stopped, until the palace doors creaked open and people came out one after another.

He stepped back into the shadows and watched the people pass by.

The person walking at the front was a very young man, wearing a faded dark-skinned robe, with a smile on his face, talking to the person next to him, walking briskly, as if he had just come from a pleasant banquet.

Some people patted him on the shoulder, some laughed and talked to him, and a group of people surrounded him as he walked out, as lively as a moving bonfire.

No one noticed Han Fei in the shadows of the corridor, nor did anyone need to notice him.

Han Fei stood in the shadows, looking at the exceptionally young man illuminated by the sunlight, and suddenly found it somewhat laughable.

He devoted his life to writing, vehemently criticizing those who engage in empty talk and debate, condemning them for being lazy and inactive, using their words to gain wealth and status, and calling them parasites on the nation.

But isn't the person in front of him the very kind of person he despises the most in his writings?

Without a distinguished family background or any earth-shattering achievements, he only needed a silver tongue to maneuver around others, win the emperor's favor, and enjoy boundless glory.

He, a prince of Korea, a master of Legalism, a man of great learning, whose words were always precious, stood in the shadows outside the palace, unable to utter a complete sentence.

How absurd!

Korea, oh, the king...

Han Fei lowered his eyes, his lips twitching slightly, it was unclear whether he wanted to smile bitterly or sigh.

Just then, the young figure seemed to sense something, paused slightly, and looked towards the shadows.

Eyes facing each other.

Zhou Wenqing was visibly taken aback, a complex look flashing across his eyes. He then calmly nodded, offering a distant salute, before quickly leaving with the crowd.

Han Fei stood there, watching that figure disappear beyond the palace walls...

After a long while, he slowly composed himself and stepped forward again, earnestly requesting the waiter to announce his arrival.

But the King of Han still did not appear.

After that, Han Fei also paid special attention to this young man named Zhou Wenqing.

He felt resentful and indignant.

The Korea he devoted his heart and soul to protecting, the king he served loyally, yet he was drawn to such a person who only knew how to flatter and fawn.

He secretly observed and investigated from various sources, and everything he found was exactly the same—

He was eloquent, adept at social maneuvering, and skilled at navigating social situations, winning the emperor's favor. Yet, he had no real achievements and was merely a talker whom the emperor despised, using his words to gain wealth and status, serving neither the country nor the emperor.

What chilled him even more was that such people were commonplace in the South Korean court.

It's just that Zhou Wenqing is younger.

Although Han Fei had a deep impression of the scene outside the palace that day, as time went by, he gradually forgot about this person.

In his eyes, such a person was nothing more than an insignificant speck of dust in the midst of South Korea's deep-seated problems.

Until news came from the Qin state.

Zhou Wenqing was appointed as the Minister of Grain Supply and was later promoted to Junior Minister.

Is the Qin state about to perish?

This was his first thought: a retainer who made a living by talking, a young man who was not even a "parasite" in his eyes, was already like this in the state of Han, yet he was able to rise step by step in the state of Qin and become one of the Nine Ministers.

As more and more information came in, he soon discovered that this was not the case.

When the fine paper was produced, the Bureau of All Things was established, and he was appointed as the Junior Master of the Imperial Household. Despite his young age, he held a high official position, yet no one in the court or among the people had the right to question him.

Is this really the Zhou Wenqing he knows?

Perhaps... two people with the same name.

So on his way to Qin, he asked Yao Jia repeatedly who this Zhou Wenqing was.

He asked questions cautiously and indirectly, inquiring about everything from age and family background to appearance and manner of speaking. Yao Jia was a clever man and naturally noticed some clues, but he did not point them out and only mentioned things that everyone knew.

—The sun was shining brightly in the East Market at that moment, but after listening to Yao Jia's words, Zhou Wenqing became even more puzzled.

Why is he asking about these things?

Could it be that... his differences from the original owner are too great, arousing suspicion?

As soon as the thought popped into his head, Zhou Wenqing shook his head. Impossible. The original owner and Han Fei were really not familiar with each other. He was certain of that.

Even the Han envoy, who was fairly familiar with him, didn't notice anything amiss. At most, he assumed that Han didn't approve of the King of Han and was therefore keeping his talents hidden until he met the King of Qin.

This is not something hard to understand. In fact, at this time, it was normal for ambitious people to choose to serve under a particular ruler.

We really have to thank the original owner for this. It's not unreasonable to share some of the merit with him. His disguise was spot on and he really helped a lot.

So, how did Han Fei become suspicious?

Zhou Wenqing pondered for a long time, but still couldn't figure it out.

Forget it, I won't think about it anymore. Anyway, I'll definitely see Han Fei when I go to court tomorrow. If he really has any doubts about me, he can come and question me after court. I'll deal with it then.

Perhaps we can even use this to our advantage...