Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Li Si had just started walking towards the outside of the hall when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure flashing by like a startled swan, disappearing behind a pillar in an instant. He paused and glanced in that direction.

He quickly glanced around and saw that the surrounding officials were only focused on glaring at Han Fei, and the palace servants and eunuchs were busy cleaning up the mess in the hall, so no one paid attention to him. He then moved over quietly and slipped behind a pillar.

"Why are you hiding?" Li Si asked in a low voice, his tone tinged with amusement.

Zhou Wenqing rolled her eyes at him, showing no remorse whatsoever, and instead retorted in a low voice with self-righteousness, "And what about you? Didn't you also come here to hide?"

"I'm just keeping you company, and you don't appreciate my kindness!"

"Come on," Zhou Wenqing said, shrinking further behind the pillar, only showing half his face as he peered out.

"Where were you when you were pointing fingers and scolding people in my palace just now? Now you're always there to keep me company."

Didn't you volunteer yourself?

Li Si pursed his lips, seemingly speechless.

Moreover, he not only cursed them scathingly, but also with eloquent and sharp words, his imposing manner left those powerful and influential people speechless and green with envy. He showed no sign of needing anyone's protection.

He opened his mouth, but didn't say it out loud. He just moved closer to Zhou Wenqing.

"Don't worry, once the King sends guards to escort us out of the palace, Ah Yi will be waiting at the palace gate. With him there, you'll be absolutely safe."

"You trust him, though."

"Then..."

"ah--!"

Zhou Wenqing was speaking when he suddenly felt someone touch his shoulder from behind.

He was already unsettled, and this touch was like a startled bowstring being pulled, causing him to spring up and instinctively lunge forward.

Li Si reacted quickly, grabbing his sleeve: "Don't run! Don't run! He's a person! He's a person!"

What I fear most now is people!

Zhou Wenqing stiffened his neck and turned his head inch by inch, only to see Han Fei standing three steps away from him, his clothes neatly arranged.

"I apologize, Zhou... Inner Historian." Han Fei bowed slightly, a hint of apology in his eyes, and spoke gently, "I did not mean to disturb you, I hope Inner Historian Zhou will not take offense."

How come this guy walks without making a sound?!

My dignity!

He steadied himself by leaning on the vermilion pillars, coughed twice to appear calm, his fingertips clenched slightly, and quickly concealed the panic on his face, forcing out a somewhat stiff smile:

"No, no, Han Zi, you're too kind. I just... stretched my muscles a bit, yes, stretched my muscles a bit."

Li Si, standing to the side, kept his head down, his jaw clenched tightly, but his shoulders trembled uncontrollably, and he managed not to laugh out loud.

Zhou Wenqing caught a glimpse of his expression out of the corner of his eye and glared at him irritably. But when he turned to look at Han Fei, his embarrassment vanished instantly, and he regained his gentlemanly demeanor, his expression gentle and refined, as he asked in a soft voice:

"I wonder if Han Zi has come to see me at this time because he has something important to discuss?"

Han Fei lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment. When he looked up again, his gaze was sincere, and his tone was earnest:

"The Korean delegation has already left Qin and is no longer alone. It is inconvenient for them to stay in the embassy. Although the establishment of the law department of the academy has been agreed upon in the court just now, it will still take some time for the school buildings and residences to be completed."

"Now that I am stranded in Xianyang and have no suitable place to stay, I have heard that Minister Zhou is also from the homeland of Han. Therefore, I have taken the liberty of asking for your consideration, Minister Zhou, in the spirit of our shared hometown, to allow me to stay in your residence for a period of time. I would be extremely grateful."

Zhou Wenqing and Li Si exchanged a glance. It seemed that Han Fei was still unwilling to be associated with betraying his homeland in the slightest and move into the residence arranged by the king.

Zhou Wenqing sighed inwardly, understanding his pride and steadfastness, knowing that this matter couldn't be rushed, but a troubled expression appeared on his face as he carefully considered his words:

"Since you have come, I should have welcomed you with open arms. However... to be honest, I'm afraid I've offended quite a few people after today's events. Look at me, I don't even dare to leave the palace after court."

He shrugged, looking helpless, and continued with a wry smile:

"These next few days, your residence will probably be closed off for a while to avoid trouble. If Han Zi were to move into my residence now, he would inevitably be implicated by me and harassed by those petty people with grudges, causing him a lot of trouble for nothing. This would delay Han Zi's study of law, which is definitely not what Wenqing wants."

He wasn't lying at all. He certainly had a good time in the palace today, but he also harbored a lot of hatred. Even if Han Fei and Li Si were tied together, they wouldn't be as strong as him.

After all, it was a debate, but he was practically pointing his finger at me and cursing me.

Although it was Li Si who came forward, the academy is still under his control, and this debt will likely be attributed to him again. This time, it directly touched the foundation and interests of the noble families, unlike the small-scale incidents of the past. If he continues to act arrogantly, he will definitely be targeted by those underhanded and secretive methods that are hard to guard against.

Zhou Wenqing had already made up his mind. After returning home, he immediately wrote a letter requesting to be sick, closed his doors to visitors, and refused to go out. He kept a low profile and lay low until the storm had completely subsided, so as to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Han Fei was taken aback upon hearing this. His brows furrowed slightly, and a look of bewilderment appeared on his face. Clearly, this action had completely touched upon a blind spot in his knowledge. He opened his mouth, but for a moment, he did not know how to respond.

Li Si quickly stepped forward, a warm smile plastered on his face: "Junior Brother, if you don't mind, why don't you stay at my place for a while? It's spacious and quiet. We haven't seen each other for many years, so we can have a good chat."

Li Si spoke sincerely, his gaze fixed intently on Han Fei, already calculating in his mind which files on his desk could be separated and which could be "examined" by his junior brother.

The more he thought about it, the more wonderful it seemed. However, Han Fei shook his head, glanced at Li Si, and said with a hint of apology in his eyes, "I appreciate your kindness, senior brother, but... you already have family members in your household. If you don't stay here permanently, it will inevitably cause you inconvenience."

Li Si opened his mouth, wanting to say "No inconvenience," but swallowed the words back.

He knew Han Fei was proud and aloof, and would never want to cause trouble for others. He sighed inwardly, but simply nodded and said, "That's true, then..."

Han Fei turned his gaze to Zhou Wenqing and said earnestly, "I have no relatives or friends in Qin, nor do I need to socialize. I only seek a quiet place where I can organize my manuscripts and study legal principles in peace. I have heard that the residence of Prefect Zhou is usually quiet and secluded, and there are no idle people around. This suits my needs perfectly. If Prefect Zhou does not mind, I am willing to stay at the residence temporarily. I will move out as soon as the academy is completed and will not disturb you at all."

Now that things had come to this point, and recalling Yao Jia's words from that day, Zhou Neishi's heart stirred slightly, and he no longer declined. Besides... he also had quite a few files on his case!

He nodded and said, "In that case, since Han Zi doesn't mind, please stay at my humble abode. Wenqing will certainly treat you well."

Zhou Neishi added, with a hint of a joke in his tone, "My courtyard may not have much else, but it is certainly quiet. It's just that it'll probably have to lie low with me for the next few days!"

Han Fei's lips twitched slightly, his eyes smiling, and he cupped his hands, saying, "I am deeply grateful that Prefect Zhou is willing to take me in."