Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

In the side hall, Zhou Wenqing sat dejectedly in a chair, curled up into a ball, not daring to breathe.

Li Si clapped his hands impatiently, walked around to Zhou Wenqing's left, and pointed at Zhou Wenqing's nose with exasperation:

"Qi is a thousand miles away, with high mountains and long rivers, and unpredictable road conditions. The journey will be arduous, and you'll be dealing with those powerful officials in the court. Do you think they're made of clay or paper? They'll all rack their brains and use every underhanded trick in the book, hoping to kill you..."

He muttered to himself for a long time, then walked around to the right, let out a heavy sigh, and his voice deepened:

"Couldn't you have waited? Waited for General Wang to return, waited for Mr. Wei Liao to return, waited for us to discuss this further. How could you have agreed so rashly? Don't you know that by agreeing, you're clearly pushing yourself into the line of fire..."

He rambled on and on, from the perilous situation in the imperial court to the journey to Qi, from Zhou Wenqing's poor health to the sinister intentions of that group of people, going around in circles with the same old story.

Zhou Wenqing shrank his neck, not daring to say a word or refute.

But what he was truly afraid of was not Li Si.

The king was there from the moment he entered the side hall, without even going back to change out of his court robes!

He sat at the head of the table, his dark court robes gleaming under the candlelight. His crown had been removed, but his imposing presence remained undiminished.

He did not summon the imperial physician, nor did he bestow medicine, nor did he use any of the familiar tactics of "settling scores later."

Ying Zheng simply sat there, expressionless. He had been sitting there since the end of the court session, and apart from the word "sit" when he entered, he hadn't uttered a single word.

But his gaze remained fixed on Zhou Wenqing, as if it were a tangible presence, a thorn in his side, a fishbone stuck in his throat.

Like the calm before a storm, it was chilling.

Zhou Wenqing felt his scalp tighten, his eyes lowered as he stared at the tips of his shoes, barely daring to breathe.

He would rather the king scold him, he would rather the king punish him, he would rather the king, like last time, summon a room full of imperial physicians and force-feed him medicine, than this—silence.

After a long while, he heard a slightly tired sigh from the person at the head of the table.

It was so light, as light as a feather falling on the water, yet Zhou Wenqing felt as if something had rolled over his heart.

Li Si's mutterings stopped abruptly, and the side hall was so quiet that the crackling sound of the candle wick popping could be heard.

Then, footsteps sounded.

Step by step, at a leisurely pace, we descended the steps from the top.

Zhou Wenqing stood there, frozen, even his breathing becoming extremely soft and slow. He could hear his own heartbeat, each beat pounding against his eardrums with each footstep, getting closer and clearer...

Until a pair of black gold boots came into his line of sight.

Zhou Wenqing jumped up with a start, the chair leg scraping across the ground and leaving a glaring white mark, but he couldn't care less about that now.

Zhou Wenqing, almost impatiently, blurted out all the reasons he had carefully considered and prepared for his decision to go to Qi.

From the prepared provisions to the inevitable visit to Qi, from the Jixia Academy to the introduction of talent, from court infighting to strategic retreat, he spoke faster and faster, his speech so rapid and coherent that there was no room for anyone to interrupt.

I was afraid that if I hesitated even for a moment, all the words I had prepared would be left unsaid.

"...Therefore, I beg Your Majesty to believe me. I am not acting rashly, but rather after careful consideration. This trip is imperative. I implore Your Majesty to forgive my presumptuous decision and grant me permission to travel to the State of Qi!"

As the last word fell, Zhou Wenqing suddenly stopped, panting heavily, his chest heaving violently. Only then did he belatedly realize that he had closed his eyes tightly without even noticing.

"Are you done talking?"

Ying Zheng's voice came from above, not loud, but it made Zhou Wenqing's spine tense.

"I'm done talking!"

After a long silence, Zhou Wenqing cautiously lifted one eyelid, but still nothing happened. He gritted his teeth, opened his eyes, and met Ying Zheng's gaze. Ying Zheng's gaze was dark and stagnant, like a pool of dead water, revealing no emotion.

Zhou Wenqing stiffened his neck, but his voice unconsciously lowered, lacking confidence, and his guilty eyes darted around. He still tried to persuade her by appealing to the promises made at court:

"Your Majesty is of paramount importance, and a promise is a promise. The court has already granted my request; we cannot go back on our word and invite criticism from the entire court."

"I only said it was approved, but I never said who was approved."

"Your Majesty!" Zhou Wenqing cried out anxiously, taking half a step forward, his voice rising a half-octave, "But if it weren't for me, it would be utterly pointless for anyone else to go!"

He pleaded earnestly, saying, "My journey here serves two purposes: first, to avoid their sharp edge and advance strategically, thus quelling internal strife within the court; second, to return to the Jixia Academy to bring back talented individuals for Your Majesty. While I am present, they keep an eye on me; without me, they lose their target. My departure is a double benefit, the optimal solution. Your Majesty, I implore you to reconsider!"

"I have thought it over carefully!"

Ying Zheng suddenly spoke, his voice finally revealing suppressed emotions—anger at his son's lack of ambition, and also unconcealed tenderness and reluctance:

"It is precisely because I have thought it over carefully that I know that none of your reasons are as important as Zhou Wenqing right before me!"

He sighed softly as he spoke, placing a hand on Zhou Wenqing's shoulder. His tone was serious as he looked directly into Zhou Wenqing's eyes, enunciating each word carefully:

"How can you, my dear minister, bear to abandon me?"

"Your Majesty..."

Looking into the king's worried eyes, Zhou Wenqing found himself speechless, despite the king's eloquent words and countless reasons.

After a long silence, he bowed deeply, his sleeves almost touching the ground: "Your Majesty treats me so well, how could I dare to betray Your Majesty's trust? I promise to return safely and serve Your Majesty."

"Sigh~"

Ying Zheng turned around this time but did not help him up. Instead, he let out a long sigh, flicked his sleeve, and turned away.

"Is Zicheng really absolutely necessary to go?"

Zhou Wenqing did not look up, but his eyes were exceptionally firm: "Yes, my mind is made up, I must go!"

A moment of silence fell over the hall. Ying Zheng, with his back to him, remained silent for a long time. So long that Zhou Wenqing thought he wouldn't speak again, that he heard Ying Zheng's helpless voice:

"Okay, then go ahead."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wenqing felt a sense of relief and was about to kneel down to express his gratitude when Ying Zheng suddenly turned around and stopped him.

"However, it won't do if you go without anyone to take care of you."

"Take care of?" Zhou Wenqing frowned, puzzled.

"Didn't you say that when there's trouble, your disciple will do the work? Well then... take Fusu with you."

Fusu?!

Is he still Liu Shan (Adou)?

Zhou Wenqing looked up in astonishment, his eyes wide open.

"Take him with you. As my eldest son, how can he stay in the deep palace and never experience any storms? I, at his age, have already endured many hardships."

Ying Zheng's voice was not loud, but it brooked no argument: "Besides, only by bringing him along will I believe that you will return safely, otherwise—"

He paused, his gaze falling on Zhou Wenqing's face, speaking slowly and deliberately.

"I will never let you go."

Zhou Wenqing gritted his teeth, his heart filled with conflicting emotions.

That's the eldest son of the Great Qin Dynasty. What if something happens to him on the way...? Countless thoughts raced through his mind as he tried to find a reason to refuse.

But when he met Ying Zheng's unwavering gaze, he knew that this was already the greatest concession the king had made.

After a long silence, he finally lowered his head and said in a muffled voice, "Your subject obeys."

He actually agreed, and Ying Zheng could only pat Zhou Wenqing on the shoulder helplessly.

"I am not ordering you to go. Even if you turn back halfway, it doesn't matter. I will send more people to protect you. But the journey is arduous. Remember, I have only one order: you must all return safely to me."

He emphasized the words "come back safely" with extra force.

Zhou Wenqing nodded solemnly: "Yes."

Seeing that the matter was already settled, Li Si could only resign himself to his fate, stamp his foot, turn his back, and let out a long sigh.

"Sigh~"